Merry Christmas From Accidental Music

Accidental Christmas Eve: She and Him and Judy Garland sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

...And so we find ourselves at Christmas Eve. We have survived the hustle and bustle of the season with all of its gifts and parties, sweets and carols. May you be spending this night watching It's A Wonderful Life, reading The Night Before Christmas, hanging stockings, or attending a midnight candlelight service. Whatever it is, may you be doing it with loved ones and may you all have yourselves a merry little Christmas.

Here is a reprise of She and Him (because I love them so much) singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. I have also included the clip from Meet Me In St Louis, in which this song is sung by the one and only Judy Garland, because no one captures the beauty and melancholy of this song quite like she does.

Accidental Christmas: Sting "I Saw Three Ships"

I used to love this song when I was a kid, mostly because I didn't understand what ships had at all to do with the Christmas story. Here is Sting lending his distinct sound to this simple tune.

Accidental Christmas: Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson "Winter Song"

I love the album, Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs. It is a celebration of great female artists and this tune from Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson is one of my favorites. Here they are singing Winter Song.

Accidental Christmas: Duffy "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

I love the sound of Duffy's voice and it work's well with this classic jingle.

Accidental Christmas: Camera Obscura "The Blizzard"

I have my ski boots and my entire collection of polar fleece packed and I'm ready to take off for the winter wonderland of Big Sky, Montana, where I will be spending my holidays slope side with one of my brothers. I'm itching for the mountain air, the rush of speeding down a mountainside, and the time to read an actual novel!

Today's holiday tune comes from Camera Obscura. Here they are singing "The Blizzard."

Accidental Christmas: Caitlin Rose "You Never Came Home For Christmas"

Accidental Christmas: Fountains of Wayne "Valley Winter Song"

I have spent the day writing the last of my Christmas cards, stuffing stockings, trying on thick, wool sweaters and packing up my winter attire for my Christmas in Montana. Here is a delightful song by Fountains of Wayne.

Accidental Christmas: Bright Eyes "White Christmas"

There is definitely no snow here in Texas and as a girl who spent the first 27 years of her life living in Upstate, NY, Christmas is all about the snow. Fortunately, I will be venturing up to Montana for the holiday, where there is plenty of that beautiful, white blanket covering the earth. I even bought myself one of those headbands with mistletoe on it to aid in my landing of a hot mountain man while I'm there.

In honor of this love of the magic charm of snow at the holidays (which is really the only time it's charming because after that it's just a pain to clean off my car!), here is Bright Eyes singing, White Christmas.

Accidental Christmas: She and Him "The Christmas Waltz"

Zooey Deschanel has a beautiful, classic, old hollywood charm to her voice. The She and Him Christmas Album is divine and reflects this charm from start to finish. Here is their rendition of The Christmas Waltz.

Accidental Christmas: Dave Matthews Christmas Song

Dave Matthew's Christmas Song has long been my favorite Christmas song. With its simple melodies and poignant lyrics, it that touches on the humanity in such a miraculous story. This Advent season is about preparation and anticipation. It is about hope and love that can fill up this whole world.

Accidental Christmas: Sufjan Stevens "One In Royal David's City" and "What Child Is This Anyway?"

Oh Sufjan Stevens! He is so wonderful and amazing. His Christmas album, Songs For Christmas, is no different. It was hard to choose which songs to share. Once in Royal David's City has always been a favorite carol, and is usually the start of the traditional service of Lessons and Carols. Who's Child Is This Anyway is a beautiful take on What Child is This, which is always haunting and beautiful.

Accidental Christmas: Bob Dylan "Little Drummer Boy"

I love the way my father used to sing Bob Dylan when I was growing up. In fact, I like the way most anyone sings Bob Dylan other than Bob Dylan. His scruffy, nasally voice has never entirely appealed to me, but his poetry in lyrics is so wonderful. All of this considered, it seems strange that I would like Dylan's recent Christmas album, but somehow his aged scruffy voice lends itself well to these classic tunes. Here he is singing Little Drummer Boy.

Accidental Christmas: ALO "Christmas Time"

ALO is a band I have often recommended. Their album, Roses and Clover is one I am never hesitant to recommend to anyone. They will be appearing in Austin next March for SXSW. Here they are performing "Christmas Time."

Accidental Christmas: Barenaked Ladies "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings"

I have tried in my Accidental Christmas series to stay away from the more mainstream Christmas tunes, but this might be my absolute favorite carol/mashup/arrangement, so it must be shared! God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and We Three Kings have always been my favorite Advent carols. I grew up singing them in church choirs and playing them endlessly on my piano. I love the way they both have haunting qualities and The Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan mash them together so perfectly! Enjoy!

Accidental Christmas: KT Tunstall "Sleigh Ride" and "Fairytale of New York"

Kt Tunstall is one of my favorite female artists. Don't tell me you don't know every lyric to Suddenly I See and often listen to it on repeat, too. I saw her back in April when she gave a badass concert here in Austin. Her voice is powerful and unique and her lyrics poetic and relatable. Her album, Tiger Suit was my favorite album of 2010 and is still one that I continually go back to. Last year she released, "Have Yourself a Very KT Christmas," which featured six holiday songs. Here is KT singing "Sleight Ride" and "Fairytale of New York." The second has a delightful Irish beat to it and I'd love to sing and dance to it in a hole in the wall pub with a fire in the hearth, beer in my hand and snow falling outside.

Accidental Christmas: Kate Havnevik "Winter Wonderland"

Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs is a delightful holiday album featuring great women in music. Here is Kate Havnevik singing Winter Wonderland.

Accidental Christmas: The Weepies "All That I Want"

Todays carol comes from The Weepies, a delightful indie folk duo. Here they are singing the sweet "All That I Want."

Accidental Christmas: Willie Nelson ft Norah Jones "Baby It's Cold Outside"

So truth be told, Zooey Deschanel sings my favorite rendition of Baby It's Cold Outside (Elf credits!), but I plan on featuring She and Him's new Christmas album probably more than is necessary (because I might be in love with it), so I needed to find another version to share with you all. In my searching of the greater interweb, I came across this delightful gem. I love the contrast of Willie's husky, old man voice with Norah's seductive jazz sound. I also love imagining Willie in this actual scenario and it makes me giggle a little bit.

Accidental Christmas: Coldplay's "Christmas Lights"

A friend of mine recently posed the Facebook status, "To add more xmas lights...or not....hmmm..." I immediately posted the obvious response. "Um, the answer to the more Christmas lights question is always yes!"


I love Christmas lights! They are part of what make his season so colorful and charming. If you are here and Austin, head out to the lighting of the Zilker Tree tonight, and be sure to catch so many of the great displays around town. I'm a big fan of Mozart's annual display and the lights on 37th street, though this is only my second holiday season in the great ATX, so let me know what else I'm missing!  


Here is Coldplay singing about love and Christmas Lights!