Monthly Mix - Christmas Edition

‘tis the damn season for music mixes made just for you.

Dearest Friend,

Christmas isn’t always easy and is not universally celebrated, I get that and honestly, it’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I’m vaguely indifferent to all of it.

What I really love is the time to hunker down in the depth of winter. Celebrate the solstice and the passing of the longest night, enjoy the little bit more light we get every day, play board games, read books, go for walks, huddle down in front of a film. Light the good candles that make the house smell amazing, eat AAALLLLL of the winter food (let’s be honest, it’s full of fat and carbs, I love a good salad, but now is not the time for that) and throw on some music (read - carefully curate a playlist that suits the exact mood of what you are doing) to soundtrack it all.

In the spirit of all of that, your virtual door mat is heaving under the weight of not one, but FOUR mix tapes! My seasonal gift to you, with my deepest and most sincere gratefulness and gratitude that you are here.

‘tis the season

A raucous romp through covers of the usual suspects and some original Christmas themed songs too. Not for the faint-hearted or those who are, quite basically, allergic to Christmas.

‘tis the damn season

If an anti-Christmas of sorts is what you currently crave, I’ve got a treat for you. This is a playlist for those moments when you need Christmas to just calm the eff down a bit and get back in its corner. Inspired by the lead track by Taylor Swift - mostly mellow music for making moments of stillness in the storm we call Christmas.

‘tis the classic season

Music to match the sound of snow gently falling to the ground, to soundtrack the vista of a misty moor as you drive home for Christmas (or whatever view is seasonal and local), for a quiet pause in the chaos that arrives with Christmas and all of the people and moments. Or, for friends in the southern hemisphere, to evoke ideas of ivy covered in a crisp and diamond like frost and conjure all the cold and twinkly Christmas feelings.

‘tis the film season

Christmas when I was young was a dependably film filled affair. Cosied down watching movies together is the perfect antidote to the oh-so-short days and the very best way to spend twix-mas. A leftovers buffet and a film is the perfect recharge and reset prior to the walk in the woods or on the beach that has become our New Years Day tradition. This playlist is the gift that keeps on giving. Full of musical delights it also serves as a list of recommendations for films to fill your festive days with (the films are noted in the text version of this playlist below).

If you love a list or don’t have Spotify, the playlists are below. I hope that December and winter thus far have been kind to you and continue to be so.

I’d love for you to share your favourite Christmas movies / films to watch at Christmas / wintering traditions and seasonal songs over on Notes…

Until next time. Stay cosy and save me a mince pie.

V.V

‘tis the season

1. Opening - Patrick Stewart 

2. Is This Christmas - The Wombats

3. Let It Snow - Luscious Jackson

4. Christmas Treat - Julian Casablancas

5. Kids At Christmas - Scouting For Girls

6. Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas - Eels

7. Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World

8. I Want An Alien For Christmas - Fountains Of Wayne

9. Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong

10. Just Like Christmas - Low

11. The Millennium Falcon For Christmas - John Anealio

12. It’s Christmas Time Again - Horsehead

13. The Holidays With You - Sara Watkins

14. Red Suit - Josh Rouse

15. Festivus! - Mountain Sons

16. My Favorite Time Of Year - L.A. Exes

17. She Came Home For Christmas - Mew

18. Christmas Lights - Coldplay

19. Make Way For The Holidays - Le Bon

20. Here We Come A-Caroling - Pomplamoose

21. Santas Lost His Mojo - Jeremy Lister

22. All I Want For Christmas Is A Funky Brass Band - Phats2sDay

23. Christmas In Hollis - Run-D.M.C.

24. Christmas Rappin’- Kurtis Blow

25. Ms. Clause - The Grapes & Friends

26. Feels Like Christmas - Marc Scibilia

27. Christmas Tree Farm ( Old Timey Version) - Taylor Swift

‘tis the damn season

1. ’tis the damn season - Taylor Swift

2. Our Favourite Christmas Movie - Ian McGlyn

3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Death Cab For Cutie

4. Cold White Christmas - Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

5. Jolly Old St. Nicholas - Make Phantoms

6. Carol Of The Bells - Mae

7. Happy Christmas My Dear - Passenger, Stu Larsen

8. This Time Next Year - Road Kill Roy

9. The Christmas Song - The Ravonettes

10. Deck The Halls - This Coast Bias

11. Christmas On Ward #7 - Chris Flew

12. Christmastime - The Smashing Pumpkins

13. With List - Pearl Jam

14. A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) - Glasvegas

15. Christmas TV - Slow Club

16. Christmas Song - Phoebe Bridgers

17. Christmas in Suburbia - The Perfect English Weather

18. Blue Christmas - Sharon Van Etten

19. The Lights and Buzz - Jack's Mannequin 

20. Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith

21. A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn’t So) - The Flaming Lips

22. Christmas with You Is the Best - The Long Winters

23. Snow Day - Matt Pond PA

24. The Winter Solstice - Sufjan Stevens

25. A Long December - Counting Crows

‘tis the classic season

1. Over The Pines - Time For Three

2. Parliament Of Owls - Agnes Obel

3. Reel - Dmitry Evgrafov

4. I Remember - Jon Hopkins

5. Holm Sound - Erland Cooper

6. Intro - Gabríel Ólafs

7. Avril 14th - Aphex Twin

8. The World Was Her Notebook - Alex Kozobolis

9. Hoxa Sound - Erland Cooper

10. Berceuse - Felix Rösch

11. An Ending, a Beginning - Dustin O'Halloran

12. Keep - Nils Frahm

13. Blue Notebook - Isobel Waller-Bridge, Iskra String Quartet

14. Running By The Roads, Running By The Fields (Solo Piano) - Library Tapes

15. Eyes Closed And Traveling - Peter Broderick

16. By the Deep Sea - Federico Albanese

17. Ursa Minor (Caroline's Theme) - Simon P. Castonguay, Tambour

18. A Catalogue of Afternoons - Max Richter

19. The Ballad of the Lake of Tears - Chris Palmer

20. The Theory of Everything - Jóhann Jóhannsson

21. Sleeping Lotus - Joep Beving

22. Redford (for Yia-Yia and Pappou) - Sufjan Stevens

23. Dear, Dolores – Rework - Illuminine

24. Mirror Lake - Angus MacRae

25. Borderland Sorrows - Slow Meadow

26. The Stars We Follow - Federico Albanese

27. Éxta - Sebastian Plano

28. Earthly Heaven - Rachel Grimes

29. Bylur - Eydís Evensen

30. Biomes – James Heather

31. re:member – Ólafur Arnalds

‘tis the film season

1. Christmas at Hogwarts - the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra - Harry Potter

2. Christmas Eve montage - Danny Elfman - The Nightmare Before Christimas

3. Gumption - Hans Zimmer, Atli Örvarsson, Henry Jackman - The Holiday

4. Meg’s Hair - Thomas Newman - Little Women

5. Carol of the Buy and Sells - Christophe Beck, ‘Michael Paraskevas - Hawkeye

6. Mr. Knightley - Isobel Waller-Bridge, David Schweitzer - Emma

7. New Beginnings - Brian Tyler - Iron Man 3

8. Father Christmas - Harry Gregson-Williams - The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

9. Orchard House - Thomas Newman - Little Women

10. March Into the Unknown - Amie Doherty - Happiest Season

11. Christmas Breakfast - Alexander Desplat - Little Women (2019)

12. Granny Wendy - John Williams - Hook

13. Fast Forward - Alan Silvestri - Serendipity

14. Main Title “Somewhere in My Memory” - John Williams, Boston Pops Orchestra - Home Alone

15. Main Title - John Debney - Elf

16. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - James Newton Howard - The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

17. Draw Me A Sheep - Hans Zimmer, Richard Harvey - The Little Prince

18. Winter’s Waltz - Christophe Beck - Frozen

19. Christmas Morning - Harry Gregson-Williams - Arthur Christmas

20. The Christmas Chronicles - End Title Theme - The Christmas Chronicles

21. Ice Dance - Danny Elfman - Edward Scissorhands

22. Full House - Alan Silvestri - Night at the Museum

23. Theme From Jurassic Park - John Williams - Jurassic Park

24. Eshkeri: Tristan & Yvaine - Ilan Eshkeri, London Metropolitan Orchestra, Andy Brown - Stardust

25. Declaration of Independence - Trevor Rabin - National Treasure

26. Uncharted - Ramon Djawadi - Uncharted

27. The James Bond Theme - Royal Philarmonic Orchestra - James Bond

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The Monthly Mix is a love letter to the mix tapes of my youth. Carefully curated and crafted, just for you. You can find more playlist joy right here. To make sure you don’t miss the next one…

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This month’s mix. Love it? Hate it? Recommendations? I’m here for all of it, please do share your thoughts in the comments below.