Mix Tape Friday: Merry Christmas, Baby!

I love Christmas. Tinseling tinsel, twinkling lights, brightly colored balls, Santas everywhere. The decorations and the feeling of the season make me so very happy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Nightmares of scary monsters are replaced with visions of sugar plums dancing through my head. Yep, I’m a seasonal dork.

So of course I love Christmas music — even the Singing Dogs barking “Jingle Bells,” even that song by Alvin & The Chipmunks. I’ve never cataloged all the albums, CDs (one or two 8 tracks), and MP3s, but I have more than a thousand seasonal tunes within easy reach. And you lucky kids get to reap the bennies of my obsession. I have such a massive collection, I may do several mix tape posts in the days leading to Christmas.

Since my bandwidth tends to get eaten up quickly, we’re going to try something different. I’ve uploaded just Santa’s bag o’ zipped file; no individual track links on this post. If you need just one or two songs to complete your fabulous Christmas mix and don’t feel like downloading the zipped file, drop me an e-mail.

Today we’re rawkin’ out — Santa style. Some classics you’ve heard on your local station for years, some not-so-classics that should be played in place of Bob Seger’s “Little Drumer Boy” (gawd, I hate “Little Drummer Boy”). Some of these are local groups off early-1990s Flagpole Christmas albums, so give ‘em a listen. The late Deacon Lunchbox kicks off the set.

Deacon Lunchbox : Introduction

R.E.M. : Christmas Griping

Hüsker Dü : We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Keith Richards : Run Rudolph Run

Darlene Love : Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Bruce Springsteen : Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

The Ramones : Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)

Young Fresh Fellows : O Little Town of Bethlehem

Pearl Jam : Someday at Christmas

Yo La Tengo : It’s Christmas Time

The Flaming Lips : White Christmas

Oasis : Merry Xmas Everybody

The Beatles : Christmas Time Is Here Again

Graham Parker + Nona Hendryx : Soul Christmas

Clarence Carter : Back Door Santa

The Sonics : Don’t Believe in Christmas

OK Go : Father Christmas

Kelly Hogan : Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

Robert Earl Keen : Merry Christmas from the Family

Dread Zeppelin : All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

Simple Plan : My Christmas List

The Waitresses : Christmas Wrapping

Billy Squier : Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You

The Woggles : Santa Claus

Pee-Wee Herman : Christmas Medley

Run-DMC : Christmas in Hollis

R.E.M. : Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

Radiohead : Winter Wonderland

Squeeze : Christmas Day

Sufjan Stevens : Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time!

Band Aid : Do They Know It’s Christmas?

King Missile : Jesus Was Way Cool

Keith Richards’ cover of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” is the best, in my opinion. I like Dave Edmunds, too, but I’m a Keef girl.

There is one song I’ve been trying to find for years (lost my CD in a breakup a decade and a half ago): The Coolies’ “Feliz Navidad.” If you have it, would you share it?

What are your favorite Christmas tracks? Maybe they’ll make an appearance in coming days. Don’t worry — Sinatra and Dino, Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis are hitting the Cup next week.

* * * * * *