Dartbeat Pick(s) of the Week: Music to Keep the Holiday Spirit Alive
Even the biggest Scrooge can get hit with post-holiday blues. Your sparkling lights come down and you realize that you won’t receive any more gifts this winter. Suddenly it’s a new year, and you have to face all of this while dealing with a massive hangover. Here @Dartbeat, we know that one of the worst things about this time of year – well beyond having to go back to work and school – is that you can no longer enjoy listening to holiday music. Unfortunately, even the most aggressive radio stations seem to take holiday music off the air by January.
This week, we’ve decided to buck the trend. After scouring the internet for the best tracks out there, we’ve come up with a list of eight songs that can help you keep the holiday spirit alive without being so overly festive that you feel depressed listening to them. It’s a tricky balance, but we think these tunes pass the grade:
1. “Christmas at the Airport” by Nick Lowe
This song gives you some Christmas cheer, but the festivity isn’t overwhelming. After all, Nick Lowe is talking about spending Christmas at an airport. If nothing else, this song should make you appreciate that you didn’t spend your whole Christmas alone watching your flight get further and further delayed. It’s the small things, right?
2. “How Do You Spell Channukkahh?” by the LeeVees
Though it certainly brings you back to the carefree days of reading holiday cards with a million different spellings of “Hannukkah” on them, this song is so reminiscent of thoseSchoolhouse Rock videosyou probably watched in elementary school that its holiday cheer isn’t too staggering. And don’t forget — Hannukkah is probably not spelled with a silent J, but then again, it might be?
3. “The New Year” by Death Cab for Cutie
Although DCFC’s alternative rock style isn’t traditionally what you hear on New Year’s Eve or Day, this song does put you in a hopeful and eager mood to take 2015 by storm. At the very least, it’s better than hearing poor Idina Menzel’s botched high note in “Let It Go”, which no amount of champagne could cure.
4. “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber
Purely due to the fact that it’s a holiday song written by Justin Bieber, this track probably won’t give you the same twinge of sadness that real, authentic holiday music does. But the lyrics and chorus might also remind you of happier times standing under the mistletoe with your S.O. A perfect balance, huh?
5. “Just Another Christmas Song” by Stephen Colbert
While Colbert’s hit maintains the tone of a traditional holiday song with its bells and upbeat tone, it does also remind you that (deep down) you did become a little sick of the endless holiday music. Let’s be honest, all you really wanted to listen to this winterim were songs from Taylor Swift’s 1989. And you were secretly a little relieved when the holidays/spending money finally ended.
6. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Thurl Ravenscroft
No other holiday track out there meshes holiday enthusiasm with devastating insults as seamlessly as this classic children’s track. At the same time, the Grinch doesn’t bring cheer to most people’s hearts. So this is a safe bet.
Especially if you haven’t heard this track before, Ludacris is sure to make you smile as he raps, well, ludicrously about having a nose that’s “redder than Rudolph’s” and getting more than a little drunk on eggnog. But, at the same time, it’s a little difficult to take his wish list seriously. So this song probably won’t leave you wishing desperately for the holidays.
8. “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” by Mabel Scott
Another feel-good song, Mabel Scott’s smooth vocals will be sure to put you in a good mood. But the production of this track is different enough from most other holiday tracks that you likely won’t be overcome with a wave of nostalgia for home. And if all else fails…just listen to “Jingle Bells” and cry it out. The holidays are only a year away!