To agonize over making a Christmas mix… is there anything one can do, that is truly less significant than this? I mean… I feel like I am sweating it out, unable to decide what cookie I want to eat, and wanting sympathy for my plight. These things never feel finished – you always hear something you could have done better… another song, a different sequence. But you have to just let it go. Then, you end up with songs you love just sitting there for years with no permanent home within your personal Christmas canon. The lead track this year was one of those songs… I’ve had it on my list for years, but it just felt right this year. There are plenty more I loved from this year and years past that just couldn’t fit, as I adhere to the 1:20 limit of the CD-R, and will maintain that rule for as long as I have the energy to do this. Without rules… there is chaos. This brings me back to the cover of Madonna’s “Holiday,” which made it on here because there are no rules. Light the fires, we’re burning down this town tonight. What did I say before?
Enjoy.
| 1. | Jeremy Neale | Christmas (Turn This Around) |
| 2. | High Tropics | All I Need This Christmas |
| 3. | Asha Jefferies | Keep My Shit Together |
| 4. | Blossoms | Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose) |
| 5. | ROE | Christmas Once Again |
| 6. | Simon Kearney | Jusqu’à Noël (feat. Gabrielle Shonk) |
| 7. | Skegss | December |
| 8. | Summer Camp Girlfriend | Fairytale of New York |
| 9. | Tea Leigh & Luke Reed | Do You Sleep? |
| 10. | Blinker the Star | Holiday |
| 11. | Litany | Die Hard (Is a Christmas Film) |
| 12. | Socialites | Winter |
| 13. | Shuttle | December |
| 14. | Ratigan | The Rights to Christmas |
| 15. | Thanks Light | Dirtbag Christmas |
| 16. | Aux Caroling | Bulls vs. Lakers, Christmas 2011 |
| 17. | Árný Margrét & Ásgeir | Part of Me |
| 18. | Madi Diaz | Kid on Christmas |
| 19. | The Oh Hellos | December ’04 |
| 20. | There Will be Fireworks | No Christmas Bells |
| 21. | Pinemoon | Christmas Together |
| 22. | Bleu Reine | Christmas is All Around |
Christmas Underground 
I know exactly what you mean. I put 50-60 potential tracks on an iPod around Halloween and just listen over and over to winnow it down. And then I still miss stuff. Or songs that I skip for years just jump out and become the first song on the new mix and I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s an art not a science, but some people appreciate it and if they don’t, at least I have something to listen to.