I talk to the trees Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 One of our family traditions is to buy a new album of Christmas/holiday music each year. Actually, I'm the one that does this, but I do so with the approval of the rest of the family. I'm having a difficult time deciding what to get this year. I'd like something unique- not the same old songs rehashed by a talentless, auto-tune pitch-corrected, pop star. And no glurge! Christmas Shoes makes me want to pull a "Thelma and Louise" and shoot the car stereo any time it comes on.:ack2: So! Now that you know how picky I am, (dh and dd are just as bad, if not worse!) help me find something new for this year. We already have Barenaked for the Holidays (Barenaked Ladies,) All I Want for Christmas (Straight No Chaser,) What's It Gonna Be, Santa? (Chicago,) A Charlie Brown Christmas (Vince Guaraldi,) all of the Mannheim Steamroller albums, Christmas Carol (James Galway,) and a handful of others I can't remember right now. What are some of the Hive's favorites? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Not a new album, but we love Harry Connick Jr's, "When My Heart Finds Christmas." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberia Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Longtime favorite: Peace by Jim Brickman Mostly mellow instrumental, but has some songs with lyrics. Very nice cd. If you want more energy, try anything by Trans Siberian Orchestra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Eclipse (an acapella group), beautiful stuff Trans-Siberian Orchestra! Josh Groban. I will join you in radio destruction when Christmas Shoes plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Dare I ask what Christmas Shoes is and why it inspires such odium? I could Google, but I suspect your answers will be far more entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Longtime favorite: Peace by Jim BrickmanMostly mellow instrumental, but has some songs with lyrics. Very nice cd. If you want more energy, try anything by Trans Siberian Orchestra. Love both of these. I don't think you can go wrong with any of Jim Brickman's Christmas cd's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Dare I ask what Christmas Shoes is and why it inspires such odium? I could Google, but I suspect your answers will be far more entertaining. Young boy's mom is on her death bed, so he decides to go out shopping on Christmas Eve to buy her some shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Dare I ask what Christmas Shoes is and why it inspires such odium? I could Google, but I suspect your answers will be far more entertaining. It's like they took every single conceivable heartstring tug possible, added Christmas, and crammed it into one supremely sappy song that makes you feel like a horrible person if you even contemplate turning it off. Christmas, innocent kid, mom dying, no money, please mister can I buy shoes with not enough money so mommy looks nice when she meets Jesus tonight? It's so forced and extreme and just awful. IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I personally really enjoy Jewel's Christmas albumn. It has a nice mix of upbeat, modern Christmas music, and some beautiful arrangements of the more classic Christmas hymns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Oh, Mormon Tabernacle Choir CDs are gorgeous, but I might be biased. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Oh, Mormon Tabernacle Choir CDs are gorgeous, but I might be biased. :D Oooh, I just bought their album from 2008 with the King's Singers. Stunning!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 A Merry Mancini Christmas is wonderful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 I am really enjoying the second glee cd there are a couple new songs that I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Sufjan Stevens's Songs for Christmas is completely amazing. It blows me away every year. I'm actually in that time where I'm looking forward to it again, but trying to hold off on playing it until Friday. Stevens is an indie pop singer/songwriter who falls into what some call "baroque pop" like Andrew Bird or Belle and Sebastian. He's also a devout Christian and had always made a little mini album of Christmas music for friends for years. They all got compiled together into this box set a few years ago. Some of the songs are moving, some are traditional, some are poppy, some are original. It's a great, great album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Christmas Saxophone: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Saxophone-Instrumental-Various-Artists/dp/B0002WZSXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322105557&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted November 25, 2011 Author Share Posted November 25, 2011 Great ideas so far! We actually have a couple of the suggested ones already (Groban, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.) Our library is larger than I realized, but there's always room for more! LittleIzumi, do you know if the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has recorded the Huron Carol? That's one of my favorites, but I don't have a recording of it. It would be gorgeous done by a huge choir! Farrarwilliams- I had never heard of Sufjan Stevens. Very cool. It's kind of folksy, and quite unique. The snip of "Lo, How a Rose..." I listened to on Amazon sounded kind of like the Grateful Dead!:D Anyone else? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Not a new album, but we love Harry Connick Jr's, "When My Heart Finds Christmas." :iagree: This is one of our favorites but our absolute favorite is Relient K Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer http://www.amazon.com/Let-Snow-Baby-Reindeer/dp/B000VT6FGS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Great ideas so far! We actually have a couple of the suggested ones already (Groban, Trans-Siberian Orchestra.) Our library is larger than I realized, but there's always room for more! LittleIzumi, do you know if the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has recorded the Huron Carol? That's one of my favorites, but I don't have a recording of it. It would be gorgeous done by a huge choir! Anyone else? :bigear: I haven't seen it yet but I'm not familiar with that carol. Sorry! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 "The Bells of Dublin" by The Chieftains "Joy To The World" by Pink Martini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Oh, Mormon Tabernacle Choir CDs are gorgeous, but I might be biased. :D I agree, and I'm NOT biased! Also, something different for Christmas might be buying a CD of the Nutcracker, or Handel's Messiah, or Bach's Christmas Oratorio. You might be surprised at how much of these you recognize, and they are glorious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 My MIL has a dance company. She uses a lot of Brian Setzer christmas music. I like the Linda Eder one from a few years back. hOMe for the Holidays (Christmas lounge electronic music). Caz Christmas (Brothers Cazimero - Hawaiian music) Big Band Christmas Sting and Enya each put out nice albums a couple years ago. Winter music that is different from radio mush. Avalon's album Joy Sara Groves' album O Holy Night, which has the song Toy Packaging (one of my favorites) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Oh, also Rescue (another acapella group). I LOVE their rendition of "Mary, Did You Know." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Philadelphia Brass: A Festival of Carols in Brass!!!!! We had this on lp when I was a kid. It is a classic, and one of my very favorites. The Canadian Brass Christmas albums are great too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnella Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 "The Bells of Dublin" by The Chieftains :iagree: That's one of our favorites. My other favorite that's a little offbeat is the Squirrel Nut Zippers' Christmas Caravan. We also love Mannheim Steamroller, but you already have those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 John Tesh "A Romantic Christmas" is a lovely instrumental CD that we've had for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I had a ton of fun looking them all up on itunes and listening to samples!:bigear: We finally decided on........ Sting! (If on a Winter's Night) Got it a couple days ago, and I love it! That's possibly the coolest arrangement of the Cherry Tree Carol ever! And I loved reading the liner notes! Thanks again, hive! And I'm saving this thread for next year's Christmas cd shopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 for next year ;) John Rutter.... any of the christmas ones. this is the latest http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Christmas-John-Rutter/dp/B005JLN9WG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322965988&sr=8-2 the cambridge singers recorded the huron carol, but i'm not sure which album it is on... the Canadian Brass http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=canadian+brass+christmas&sprefix=Canadian+br or any of the others.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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