Christmas Playlist And Music Giveaway

Whether you’re a fan of Christmas music or not, it’s hard to avoid during the month of December. So in the spirit of the holidays each of The 9513’s editors decided to give you some download fodder and jotted out a list of their favorite holiday inspired tunes. Be sure to share some of your favorites in the comments.

For a special treat, we’ve teamed up with EMI to give you the opportunity to win a Christmas CD. Make sure you read to the end of this article to find out how to win a copy of Hag’s Christmas or Country Christmas.

Brody Vercher

Lee Ann Womack – “The Nativity”
Sung from the first-person point of view about a little girl looking into her mother’s nativity scene, imagining what she would have done if she were there at the scene of Jesus’ birth. “If I were there with Jesus, would I help to right the wrong?”

Randy Travis – “Where My Heart Is”
An anthem for those who don’t get to see their family as often as they’d like. Fortunately, Christmas time is all about being with those that you love and the small traditions that can seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, yet create the best memories.

George Strait – “Old Time Christmas”
A few years back my aunt put together a DVD slideshow of our family’s Christmas pictures–an annual snapshot into our lives. As the years go by the photographs transition from black and white to color. New members are introduced while others grow older. Eventually loved ones disappear. The background music is George Strait’s – Old Time Christmas. It reminds me of everyone that we’ve lost, but also how much we’ve gained; and ultimately, the power that music has to evoke precious memories that may get tucked away.

Alan Jackson – “Just Put a Ribbon In Your Hair”
It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the gift giving during the holiday season, but Jackson puts the true spirit of the holidays into perspective. Presents are still nice, too.

Asleep at the Wheel – “I Hate Christmas”
Not nearly as Scrooge-esque as the title suggests. Asleep at the Wheel lead singer Ray Benson laments the idea of spending Christmas alone. The antithesis of the situation in “Where My Heart Is”.

Merle Haggard – “If We Make It Through December”
Lines like “And why my little girl don’t understand / Why daddy can’t afford no Christmas here” will make you want to dash your eggnog with shot whiskey…or two. Definitely not the quintessential Christmas song, but Haggard poignantly paints the harsh reality for many impoverished families during this time of year.

Matt C.

Dolly Parton – “Hard Candy Christmas”
If you want an example of how radio executives and consumers don’t really listen to lyrics, here it is. With the exception of one word and the slightest yuletide flavor to the arrangement, there’s nothing particularly Christmasy about this song, yet it still only gets played only one month out of the year. That’s one month more than most of Parton’s catalogue, so one can’t complain.

Dwight Yoakam – “Come on Christmas”
Leave it to Yoakam to record this haunting antithesis of a Christmas carol. You’ll never hear it on the radio, but it’s infinitely more interesting than most of those jangly tunes.

Dwight Yoakam – “Santa Can’t Stay”
The last track on Yoakam’s Come on Christmas is just as depressing as the title tune, but it’s infused with a rockabilly sensibility that makes it hard to keep from dancing amidst all the heartbreak.

Buck Owens – “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy”
Owens recorded this more than a dozen years after the original version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” but Owens take on the same theme is more direct and a lot more Bakersfield.

Montgomery Gentry – “Merry Christmas From the Family”
Leave it to this duo to record a Christmas song that’s in-your-face and maybe a little offensive. It’s not your cookie-cutter yuletide family, but they seem to have a Merry Christmas nonetheless.

Elmo & Patsy – “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”
Country radio was the only format that wasn’t afraid to pick up this silly novelty tune in the early 1980s and those early spins gave the song momentum that made it into a cross-genre “classic.” It’s every bit as stupid as the title suggests, but somehow it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

Jim Malec

Kathy Mattea – “Mary Did You Know”
I love this song because it so beautifully captures the drama and passion of Christmas season. No other Christmas song that I know of deals, almost primarily, with the human complexity of the spiritual nature of the holiday, and Mattea’s performance is operatic and brilliant.

John Berry – “O Holy Night”
Berry has a tendency to over-sing material, but this is a song that I don’t think can really be over-sung. So while it’s been covered by just about everyone but Marylin Manson, no version that I’ve heard is so full of emotion and so simply gorgeous to listen to.

Garth Brooks – “Go Tell It On The Mountain”
Spiritual Christmas songs are often dreary, dramatic, ballads. What’s so great about this is that it’s full of energy, and I love how Garth’s version is full of color; it’s a busy record with lots of different music aspects all interplaying, and that really reflects the hustle and bustle of the season.

Johnny Cash – “Drummer Boy”
This song was practically written to be sung by Johnny Cash. Is there another voice, in any genre, that can so beautifully deliver the song’s rhythmic structure? Cash sings it with a combination of power and vulnerability that makes it, I think, a true classic.

Blackhawk – “We Three Kings”
Henry, Paul, and Van always had a bit of an exotic sound, and so this song made perfect sense for the trio, especially considering their amazing three-part harmonies. I love the layering of this version and how it sound so much different than every other Christmas song.

Joe Diffie – “LeeRoy The Redneck Reindeer”
Silly? Yes. But totally brilliant. When I think about how well this song is written it just makes me jealous. An amazing concept that was perfectly executed–the result being a song that’s just a sleigh-load of fun.

Brady Vercher

Cheryl White (Ricky Skaggs and Family) – “Mary Did You Know?”
The instrumental arrangement is killer and coupled with the gravelly, powerful vocal of Cheryl White, the song soars to heights that other interpretations never reach. Simply beautiful.

Michael Martin Murphey & Suzy Bogguss – “Two-Step ‘Round The Christmas Tree”
This Western inspired tune was co-written by Suzy Bogguss and her husband. This version features Bogguss and Michael Martin Murphey chiming back and forth about dancing ’round the Christmas tree. It sounds like something that would have been played at an old-time barn dance during Christmas time.

Alan Jackson – “Let It Be Christmas”
This is typical Alan Jackson, listing the the things that make Christmas a special time of year in the seemingly simple manner that he so often employs. Just “Let it be Christmas everywhere,” as he extols, “Let every heart sing, let every bell ring the story of hope and joy and peace… Let heavenly music fill the air, let anger and fear and hate disappear. Let there be love that lasts through the year.”

George Strait – “When It’s Christmas Time In Texas”
Texas Christmases may not be white, but Strait captures the spirit in his usual fashion. “Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas from Texas and me.” It carries particularly fond memories for my wife who heard it her first Christmas in Texas.

Patty Loveless – “Santa Train”
Fiddles, banjos, and train whistles are prominently featured on this bluegrass inspired song written by Loveless about the real Santa Train that’s been delivering gifts to children throughout rural Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee for the past 65 years.

George Strait – “Christmas Cookies”
It’s nothing but a fun little ditty that ought to put anyone in the Christmas spirit. Excuse me while I go eat some Christmas cookies and get some smooches.

Listen: The 9513 Christmas Playlist

Christmas Albums Giveaway

In conjunction with EMI, we’re running a contest to give away five copies of Hag’s Christmas and five copies of Country Christmas, giving you a total of ten chances to win. Both albums were released through Capitol Records on September 18, 2007. To enter, simply enter your name and email address in the following form. We will randomly choose ten winners on Friday, December 7, 2007 and contact them by email to collect shipping addresses. Note: We will be sending these email addresses and shipping addresses to EMI so that they can ship the prizes. You can read their privacy policy here.

Update: The contest has ended and the winners were announced here. Congratulations to everyone who one and thanks for participating. Be sure to subscribe if you would like to keep on top of what we’re doing around here and be notified of future contests.