Your Non-Christmas Song Christmas Playlist

Yes, we know. This playlist has a pretty weird title. So let me explain:
If you want to get in the mood for Christmas, but can't stand the thought of listening to the criminally-overplayed classic Christmas songs, we may just have the thing for you:

A playlist consisting of songs, which weren't ever written as Christmas songs, but have an incredibly christmasy vibe. You know what we mean!

MØ - Glass
If that intro doesn't get you in the Christmas mood, nothing will!



Vampire Weekend - Horchata
"In December…" - also includes bells

Ed Hardcourt- Black Dress

 Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
Perfectly captures the Christmas vibe for us

Bloc Party - Blue Light
Perhaps also red, green and white lights, but hey! Lights just have Christmas written all over them!



We hope that you've now got some songs to get you ready for Christmas without having to listen to Wham! Merry Christmas!

Lucy Rose & Rae Morris cover "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin' Stevens

Two of the best voices in British music have come together again and have dropped into BBC Radio 1 to perform a very festive cover of "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin' Stevens. The cover was recorded as a part of Huw Stephens show and his segment, Piano Sessions.

Scroll on down to watch it.

The Killers reveal Christmas video for "Dirt Sledding"

The Killers release "Dirt Sledding" featuring Ryan Pardey and Richard Dreyfuss, their tenth consecutive annual Christmas single for (RED), out now via iTunes.

Dirt Sledding completes the group's unofficial #Santa Trilogy# of Christmas songs, following 2007’s "Don’t Shoot Me Santa" and 2012’s "I Feel It In My Bones". The song was recorded at The Killers’ own Battle Born studio in Las Vegas, and features Ryan Pardey as Santa, while the actor Richard Dreyfuss also makes a spoken word guest spot.

Pawws unveil cover of A-ha's "Take On Me"

Lucy Taylor - aka Pawws - has covered A-ha's "Take On Me", and she's put a Christmas spin on the 80's classic too, it's currently a free download too, so Merry Christmas!

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Band of Horses collaborate with Grandaddy on upcoming album, unveil Christmas song

The announcement was made via the bands facebook page. This will be their 3rd studio album. 

The post read as follows:


"Hello friends of Horses!

How are you? Here is some news! We’re excited to tell you that we are in the studio working on a new album that we hope to release later in the coming year. We are working with the incredible Jason Lytle as producer. You may recognize his name as the head scientist of the band Grandaddy. We can’t wait to finish this thing up and get it out to y’all!

In more good news, we have also teamed up with Mr. Lytle for a Christmas kind of song to bring you some seasonal good tidings or something. You can stream it at http://bit.ly/hanganornament and download it from iTunes at http://smarturl.it/hanganornament.

Happiest Holidays to you all.

With Love,
Band of Horses"

Daily Download... Los Campesinos! - When Christmas Comes (John Lewis Version)

Today we've got a stripped back strings version of Los Campesinos! recent Christmas single "When Christmas Comes", as heard on recent John Lewis commercials. Violin courtesy of Katy Rowe of The Mavron Quartet, produced by Tom Campesinos!

WhiteMoor reveal new Christmas single "The North Wind"

It's not just The Killers that seem to get festive this time of year, WhiteMoor, in one form or another have released a festive song for the past 3 or so years now and with this latest effort I'm glad they do it. It's always refreshing to hear a band go for a specific sound, and with the Christmas spirit in the air I'm loving this rather delicate song even more so.

It's a stripped back song compared to their usual Indie-Rock anthems, but the light tones, strings and hush vocals just make this a cracking song for sitting around a fire to on Christmas eve.

Free Mp3 / WhiteMoor - The North Wind

It's All Indie's Hipster Friendly Christmas Mixtape

Hello, this week instead of the usual 'Track of the week' we're doing 'Christmas Anthems' - below is a massive playlist with 'Indie Christmas' songs in it.

So get merry and stick it on Christmas day!

It's All Indie's Hipster Friendly Christmas Mixtape Tracklisting:

1. Los Campesinos! - When Christmas Comes
2. George Ezra - Let It Snow
3. Pulled Apart By Horses - Merry Christmas Everybody
4. Quiet Marauder - The Best Gift Ever ... 
5. Zurich - Christmas List
6. Swim Deep - Sycamore
7. S. Spilman - Silent Night
8. Foreignfox - Driving Drunk For Christmas
9. Marika Hackman - O' Come, O' Come, Emmanuel
10. Ménage - Christmas Time
11. Pauma - Oh, It's Christmas
12. DZ Deathrays - Lonely This Christmas
    

Daily Download... Pauma - Oh, It's Christmas

The It's All Indie household will be festive this year, and we've got one more brilliant Christmas track to add to the collection. Pauma's latest effort is also a free download and it's got everything a classic Christmas track should have.

Very simplistic and very rounded off, this can easily become a Christmas classic, and I hope it does become one!

Menage cover Bryan Adams' "Christmas Time"

Check out progressive, power-pop/rock trio Menage's cover of Bryan Adams' "Christmas Time," just in time for holidays! Listen to "Christmas Time" just below.

Listen / [SOUNDCLOUD]

Foreignfox unveil Christmas song "Driving Drunk For Christmas"

After having a whirlwind of a first year from releasing their début 'We Float Like Sinking Ships' EP to appearing at GoNorth, Wickerman & Belladrum Festival as well as going on to support Scottish heavyweights such as We Were Promised Jetpacks and Fatherson, Foreignfox have their own blend of melancholic, explosive post-rock with that brutal honesty interwoven throughout every lyric.

This is Christmas Foreignfox style, the Scottish band have recorded a beautiful alternative anthem for the yuletide season.

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Marika Hackman shares her version of "O' Come, O' Come, Emmanuel"

Marika Hackman has today released her haunting arrangement of traditional Christmas carol "O' Come, O' Come, Emmanuel" and is available as part of breast cancer awareness charity Coppafeel! & Daisy Digital's Christmas compilation here.

Marika Hackman will release her début album, "We Slept At Last", through Dirty Hit on 16th February 2015. It will be preceded by the single "Drown" this week on the 8th of December 2014.

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The Killers & Jimmy Kimmel unveil new track "Joel, the Lump of Coal"

Every year since 2006, The Killers write and record a special Christmas song for a very good charity - the RED campaign. They usually collaborate on these. Some of the artists they've worked with include the band Dawes, Neil Tennant and Elton John. Needless to say, Jimmy was flattered that they asked him to be a part of it this year.

Pulled Apart By Horses cover Slade's "Merry Xmas Everyone" for split EP

Pulled Apart By Horses and DZ Deathrays are doing a festive Christmas split, out on 7" vinyl on December 8th. And after hearing DZ's contribution to the 7" we can now listen to Pulled Apart By Horses channel Noddy Holder’s sideburns with their cover of Slade's "Merry Christmas Everyone"

Pulled Apart By Horses remaining UK tour dates - 2014
Nov 25th - Birmingham - The Institute
Nov 26th - Bristol - The Fleece
Nov 28th - London - Heaven

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Yoko Ono & Flaming Lips cover "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John & Yoko

As you might know, Flaming Lips have been recording loads of covers of The Beatles with various musicians, and today we heard a new one. Not exactly a song by The Beatles but rather John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Scroll on down and listen to the Flaming Lips and Yoko Ono cover "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John & Yoko. This song has Wayne Coyne adopting John Lennon's lyrical parts.

The song is a part of a Christmas compilation titled "All Is Bright", which also features Liz Phair, Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, and Escort, among others.

DZ Deathrays cover Elvis' "Lonely This Christmas"

The Australian noise making duo have recorded an alternative take on a Christmas classic, they've covered Elvis Presley's "Lonely The Christmas" for Too Pure's Singles Club release series.

You can check out the cover just below!

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Los Campesinos! stream Christmas single "When Christmas Comes"

You can now stream Los Campesinos' brand new Christmas single "When Christmas Comes" now, and the festivities do not end there! "A Los Campesinos! Christmas" the limited edition vinyl EP will be up for pre-order from 7pm tonight (17th November) too! The lead track "When Christmas Comes", the first new Los Campesinos! material since last year’s critically acclaimed career highlight "NO BLUES".

Produced by Tom Campesinos! and mixed by long-time collaborator John Goodmanson, "A Los Campesinos! Christmas" is an instant classic ready-made to enter the limited canon of great seasonal releases.

1. When Christmas Comes
2. A Doe To A Deer
3. The Holly & The Ivy
4. Kindle A Flame In Her Heart
5. The Trains Don’t Run (It’s Christmas Day)
6. Lonely This Christmas

Buy / Los Campesinos! - A Los Campesinos! Christmas EP
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Tom Odell reveals cover of "Real Love" by John Lennon

The new single by Tom Odell is a cover of John Lennon's "Real Love", it's the track that's featured in John Lewis' Christmas adverts alongside some festive merriment, penguins and of course, Santa! You can watch Tom peforming the song below and pre-order the track on iTunes too!

Buy / Tom Odell - Real Love

Swim Deep share new track "Sycamore"

After a year that has seen Swim Deep crash the top-20 with their début album ‘Where The Heaven Are We’ and a sold-out UK headline tour, that took in Birmingham’s historic Town Hall and ended at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the Brummie 4-piece will round the year off in a typical buoyant fashion; with a free download release of their Christmas song, ‘Sycamore’.

In a nod to the location they recorded their debut record Swim Deep are streaming ’Sycamore’ now and will be giving it away as a free download to fans on Christmas Eve.

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George Ezra covers "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"

George Ezra and his wonderful voice has covered "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" - You can listen to the delightfully upbeat cover just below.

Enjoy.

 
Buy / George Ezra - Did You Hear The Rain? - EP
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