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Alternative Christmas music for your inner grinch

Tired of Mariah? Feeling less than jolly? It may normally be referred to as the most wonderful ti...
Newstalk
Newstalk

12.00 25 Dec 2016


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Alternative Christmas music fo...

Alternative Christmas music for your inner grinch

Newstalk
Newstalk

12.00 25 Dec 2016


Share this article


Tired of Mariah? Feeling less than jolly?

It may normally be referred to as the most wonderful time of year, but unfortunately for many this isn’t the case. The saccharine musical offerings that come with this time of year won’t palatable to everyone.

If you’re after something that’s less Jingle Bells and more Hell’s Bells, look no further.

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The Killers

The Killers are not a band most associate with Christmas, especially not Christmas songs.

The Vegas rock band’s Christmas releases have managed to slip under the radar - until now. Marking 10 years since the release of their first Christmas charity single, the band have released a compilation album, Don't Waste Your Wishes.

The Killers took the classically wholesome genre that is Christmas music and turned it on its sleigh-bell bedazzled head. Taking a wry look at the Nativity scene, (Better You Than Me, Joseph), demonising Santa Claus (Don’t Shoot Me Santa) and … Cowboys (iHappy Birthday Guadalupe!)

LCD Soundsystem

Christmas Will Break Your Heart marked LCD Soundsystem’s first song in five years, and gave voice to the millions of people who spend or have spent Christmas alone. It’s a melancholic piano ballad that originally contained 75 lines of lyrics.

“We’ve knocked [it] down to 8 to keep the suicide rate in check,” the band’s James Murphy said.

The National

The National regularly contribute gloomy tunes to Bob’s Burgers Christmas episodes - Christmas Magic aims to shed some light on the plight of the homeless.

While offering no solution to the crisis - serving more as a think piece - it’s a gentle reminder to be grateful for what you have at what can often be a difficult time of year.

Fall Out Boy

If you’re feeling less thankful and more hateful, indulge your inner pop punk with Fall Out Boy’s irreverent take on the music genre.

Yule Shoot Your Eye Out (see what they did there?) may feature sleigh bells and a sweet melody, but this is the anthem for anyone finding themselves jilted under the mistletoe.

“Don’t come home for Christmas / You’re the last thing I want to see under the tree” - talk about frosty.

The Maine's Ho Ho Hopefully follows suit similarly, though the video pokes more fun at the cringier Christmas efforts. It's unclear as to whether they succeed though, or whether they inevitably parodied themselves - jury's still out.

STILL not emo enough for you? Here's a cover of All I Want For Christmas Is You ... By My Chemical Romance.

Sufjan Stevens

If you're feeling less angsty and more introspective this Christmas, Sufjan Stevens has got a song for it.

If you didn't consider yourself a major fan before this, chances are this won't change your mind anytime soon. You've been warned.

Pencil in a listen to this to coincide your post-Christmas existential crisis. And consider putting down the sherry.

Julian Casablancas

If you need your Christmas impatience delivered in a New York drawl, look no further than this offering from The Strokes frontman.

The title may be a grammatical mess, but no doubt it's a seriously fun electric romp through the Yuletide. If you know someone that find Christmas music to be unbearably cheesy, this is the tune for them.

Plus, at one point, he legitimately says the words, 'ring-a-ding-ding'. 


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