Liner Notes (December 8th, 2024)
This week's newsletter highlights a bunch of my favorite holiday music and the various pop-punk and alternative adjacent music that's made it into my yearly listening playlists. 'Tis the season.
This week's supporter Q&A post can be found here.
A Few Things
The first week of December means it's officially holiday music season over here. Because it's the end of the year and a (relatively) slow new music period, I figured this was an opportunity to run through some of my favorite holiday music staples and a few of the playlists I have on practically all month. However, before we get there, I did have an idea this week that I hope someone steals. I want Apple Music to add a "Smart Shuffle" (or use the new AI buzzword, I don't care). This "Smart Shuffle" should better shuffle big playlists, like my "Favorite Christmas Music," and do things like not play same song titles close together. Many artists have covered "Last Christmas," let's space those out better. Or if I have a lot of one artist in the playlist because they have a whole holiday album, for example, let's space those out, too. And it's 2024; how about remembering how you shuffled and what you played last time I listened to said playlist and making sure to give me primarily new stuff the next time I hit play? There are over 300 songs on this playlist; there's no reason not to make sure it's mixed up better.
A random home item that we bought when we moved that I love: these rubber mats. We bought a couple for the cat rooms to put their food and water dishes on, but then I also bought a black one to make a little "coffee station" in our pantry. It's easy to clean, keeps the counter clean, and it's great for spills.
In Case You Missed It
Music Thoughts
Before diving into the world of holiday music, I want to highlight two albums that once again argue that publications push out their end-of-the-year lists too early. First, Lauren Mayberry (of CHVRCHES) released her solo album—super solid, super fun. And then Rosé released Rosie, and it might be my favorite pop album of the year (in a year full of great pop songs). "Call it the End" is a straight-up ballad smash, and "Apt" is an obvious phenomenon. Don't sleep on either of these.
OK, on to the holiday music. I will start with some of the albums that sit in regular holiday rotation, then move on to some of my favorite singles, and end by sharing the playlists I listen to the most. There's something about the holiday season, from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year, where the sound of holiday music through the home raises my spirits and fills me with warmth and joy. Of course, it brings me back to my childhood and all the Christmas music my parents would play when we'd drive to see Christmas lights or decorate the tree, but it also now has my spin on the tradition. Over the years, I've grown up with a bunch of my favorite bands releasing Christmas music, and it's just as nostalgic to hear an MxPx or Relient K Christmas song as it is Bing Crosby to me.
Some of my favorite Christmas albums include MxPx's long history of releasing Christmas songs, with "Christmas Day" and "December" being two of my favorites. Relient K's Christmas album is about as perfect of a pop-punk Christmas album that exists. Songs like "In Like a Lion," "Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More," and "I Hate Christmas Parties" have come to define many a December for me.
Ben Folds released Sleigher this year, and multiple songs have already been moved into my "favorites" playlist.
The first half of Dan + Shay's Christmas album, full of renditions of many classics, is an excellent modern spin on many favorites.
I love the slow, haunting beauty in Jars of Clay's Christmas Songs.
The piano stylings of George Winston’s December and Alexis Ffrench’s holiday album are quintessential late December evening albums. It does not get much better than winding down on a cold night with these on in the background with a glass of red wine.
New Found Glory’s December’s Here is just pure fun. So many of these songs have worked their way into my memory of the Christmas past now. And "Ex Miss" remains one of the best pop-punk Christmas songs ever.
Hawk Nelson has quite a few Christmas renditions I enjoy, and the six-holiday songs by House of Heroes are yet another example of how that band has remained criminally underrated over the years.
Bad Religion's holiday album is the most "yeah, this sure is that band doing Christmas songs" of all time.
Kutless have a Christmas EP of pristinely produced tunes.
Katharine McPhee’s first Christmas album is gorgeous. The second is filled with more pop renditions and is still quite good, but it's the original that I find has more songs making my favorite playlist.
Brian Fallon’s Night Divine has easily found a place in my Decembers. "Nearer, My God, To Thee" still chokes me up every time.
Rob Thomas’s Something About Christmas Time and Matt Nathanson’s Farewell December have both become holiday regulars for me.
And then there's Dustin Kensrue and Manchester Orchestra both putting their own spin on a handful of songs and making them so distinctly them.
Anson Seabra has released a handful of holiday songs, most of them piano ballads, and virtually all of them are great.
Sabrina Carpenter's EP is fun, Meg & Dia's album has some winners on it, and the Daphne Loves Derby EP has an awesome version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on it.
And then we turn to the artists with one or a handful of holiday songs that I adore. Blink-182's "I Won't Be Home For Christmas" has been in my life since at least 1998.
Phoebe Bridgers has a bunch of Christmas singles now, and "So Much Wine" and "If We Make It Through December" are perfect examples of her trademark sarcastic melancholy.
The Maine's two "serious" holiday songs are the better of their two EPs, but that first EP has some catchy tunes. The chorus to "Santa Stole My Girlfriend" is ridiculous.
POP ETC's holiday songs are exceptional and exceptionally underrated, like the band's entire discography.
Ever since I first heard "Last Christmas," it's been one of my favorite holiday songs, and I adore pretty much everyone's take on it. Jimmy Eat World has an incredible one (and I remember the first time I heard their cover, I thought, "Wow, these lyrics even feel like they could have come from the band). Carly Rae Jepsen's is fantastic, too. (Her other holiday song is also a banger.) And I like the entire Good Charlotte holiday EP, including their version. Allie X has a good pop take. Great Good Ok Fine lean into the 80's vibes on their rendition. And Leslie Odom, Jr. has this powerful orchestral maximalism that elevates his version.
Jack's Mannequin's "Lights and Buzz" and Something Corporate's "Forget December" means Andrew McMahon has twooriginal Christmas tunes that have become legit classics in my holiday playlists for almost twenty years now.
Christina Perri has a bunch of holiday albums, but I find myself more likely to pick and choose which ones to put in a playlist than to listen to them front to back.
I love Now, Now's "Lonely Christmas."
Hannah Grace has a bunch of holiday music that one would best describe as emotional and perfect for sprinkling into holiday playlists.
From a "classic" Christmas perspective, I enjoy the Andy Williams and Elvis with the Philharmonic holiday albums.
Recent additions to the playlist include Sigrid's "Home to You," Bleachers "Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call," and Cold Years' "Merry Christmas Everyone."
All Time Low has a couple of holiday songs, but I think Alex's vocals on Lindsay Sterling's "Time to Fall in Love" might be my favorite of the bunch. (It just started playing, and Hannah is sitting on the couch bobbing her head over there.)
Anberlin, Neon Trees, and Simple Plan all deserve a quick shoutout.
Fall Out Boy's "Yule Shoot Your Eye Out" is up there with New Found Glory, Blink-182, and MxPx for me as an original Christmas song from a pop-punk band that has now just become part of my every December.
Millington has a whole bunch of pop-punk ska holiday songs that are continuing a lovely tradition of pop-punk bands covering Christmas songs.
I'm tapped out. I could probably continue, but at this point, I think it's better to share some playlists. First, there’s Christmas Crooners,Sentimental Christmas, and Instrumental Christmas.
My personal playlists will only show music that matches Apple Music's catalog online when I share them. So, I've linked my Holiday Favorites playlist, and my Pop-Punk Christmas playlist. But, I've also uploaded the pure text version of each (Holiday Favorites and Pop-Punk Christmas) so that you can see all of the songs that are actually on these playlists. I listen to both on shuffle (see above for where that can be improved).
My other tip is to create a "Smart" playlist for your holiday music to grab everything in your collection. I use these rules. This grabs almost everything in my collection automatically, and I can add the comment "holiday" to any track or change the genre to have it show up here quickly.
The Stats: Over the past week, I listened to 147 different artists, 141 different albums, and 485 different tracks (579 scrobbles). Here is my Top 9 from last week, and you can follow me on Apple Music and/or Last.fm.
Entertainment Thoughts
Hot Frosty was better than most Hallmark movies, but not by much. Passable background holiday family fun.
We finished our re-watch of Andor and re-watched Rogue One last night. Next up: an original trilogy re-watch. It's been a while since I've seen these, and I'm very excited.
Random and Personal Stuff
Not much here this week. It was my mom's birthday, so we did a little celebrating with her, and now it's just finishing up some errands before the start of the week.
Ten Songs
Here are ten songs that I listened to and loved this week. Some may be new, some may be old, but they all found their way into my life during the past seven days.
Rose - Call It the End
Lauren Mayberry - Crocodile Tears
Charlie Puth - December 25th
Slowly Slowly - How Are You Mine?
Thursday - White Bikes
Ben Folds - Sleepwalking Through Christmas
Anson Seabra - Snow Angel
Dan + Shay - Let it Snow
Florrie - Kissing in the Cold (Mistletoe Version)
House of Heroes - Christmas Morning
This playlist is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Community Watch
The trending and popular threads in our community this week include:
The most liked post in our forums last week was this one by Aaron Mook in the "Accountability in Music" thread.
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Previous editions of Liner Notes can be found here.
lol my “all holiday music” smart playlist is 1483 songs long.