Alternative Holiday Playlist
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Alternative Holiday Playlist

For those who want to leave the Christmas jingle canon

Saeli Eshelman
Dec 11, 2015
University of California Santa Cruz
14
Alternative Holiday Playlist
Music.mic

Don't get me wrong, I love the holiday season. Like, I love Christmas, Hanukah, Thanksgiving, and Halloween, and I love the quality time spent with family, the decorating, the holiday cheer, the atmosphere. But there is one thing I don't like: the holiday music.

For this, I blame my parents who raised me with a huge emphasis on listening to music, and more importantly, "good" music (which to them means complex, unknown, deep, and dark). Even during the holidays they had me listen to alternative versions of what was on offer, such as Burl Ives' (a folk singer) Christmas album and A Charlie Brown Christmas instead of the usual suspects, for a more mellow and subdued musical array.

But for those of you who want to leave the Christmas canon all together, what sort of music are you supposed to listen to? Something mellow, for sure, but where to start?

Well, for all those want some understated but beautiful music to play in the background of a holiday party, while you're hanging out enjoying the season, or really any holiday-related reason, I've compiled a list of 19 non-Christmas songs of the alternative variety for your listening pleasure.

Please enjoy and a happy holidays to all!

1. Sufjan Stevens "Chicago (Acoustic Version)"

2. Le Loup "Forgive Me"

3. Chet Faker "To Me"

4. Empire of the Sun "Country"

5. Gil Scott-Heron "Angel Dust"

6. The Velvet Underground "Lady Godiva's Operation"

7. CRAYCRAYS "White Sand"

8. Twin Peaks "Boomers"

9. Farmer Dave Scher "You Pick Me Up"

10. Marc Bolan & T. Rex " Teenage Dream"

11. Passion Pit "Swimming In the Flood"

12. Animal Collective "Fireworks"

13. Junip "Always (Live from KCRW)"

14. David Byrne and St. Vincent "Road to Nowhere (Live)"

15. Pulp "Don't You Know"

16. Toro Y Moi "Still Sound"

17. Beirut "A Sunday Smile"

18. The Velvet Underground & Nico "I'll Be Your Mirror"

19. COLLEAGUES "Somewhere"

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