Category: Indie Christmas Songs

Best Indie & Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, Mix IX: Mazzy Star, The Used, The Walkmen, Manic Street Preachers, Sufjan Stevens

Posted on by Max Hammer

Almost there! The 12 playlists of alternative-indie Christmas songs are riding through the snow on the way to gramma’s house. (She better have lots of egg nog!) Here is Mix Nine. Mix Ten will be delivered soon, and later tonight – when I actually have a few minutes away from festivities – Mix Eleven will be posted.

[zbplayer]

9 Flowers in December – Mazzy Star

All I Want For Christmas is You – The Trekky Yuletide Orchestra

Alone This Holiday – The Used

Black Christmas – The International Karate Plus

Carol of the Bells – The Bird and The Bee

Carol of the Season – Parenthetical Girls

Christmas At Home – Crawling With Kings

Christmas Party – The Walkmen

De Ushuaia Ala Quiaca – Gustavo Santaolalla

Ghost of Christmas – Manic Street Preachers

I Won’t Be Home For Christmas – Blink 182

Amazing Grace – Jeff Buckley

Joy to the World – Sufjan Stevens

Here Without You Baby – Nickelback

Silver Bells – The Pines

Sleigh Ride to Christmas – Flowman

Song About Christmas – The Snowballs

Space Christmas – Shonen Knife

The Mods of Christmastown – Zumpano

Xmas Song – Fireflies

Listen to and download free all of the Indie/Alt-Rock Christmas playlist mixes

Best Indie Rock Christmas Songs, Mix VIII: Bright Eyes, Mojave 3, Okkervil River, XTC, Louis XIV, Sufjan Stevens

Posted on by Max Hammer

Some people just can’t get enough of indie and alternative rock Christmas songs. Many of the songs from these playlists are just as much of a discovery for me as I hope they are for you.

You’re not going to find any of the old AM radio Christmas songs from decades ago (not that there’s anything wrong with that) on these 12 playlists. There are many cover versions of traditional Christmas songs. The vast majority of these covers are from artists that most people have never heard of, including many music enthusiasts.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Bright Eyes

Little Drummer Boy – Mink

Breaking The Ice – Mojave 3

Thanks For Christmas – XTC

The Christmas Song – Weezer

Carol of the Bells – The Bird and the Bee

Christmas – Nieznany Wykonawca

Drinking Up Christmas – Dwarves

Fallen Snow – Au Revoir Simone

Happy Christmas – The Maytals

This Christmas Mix – Louis XIV

Holiday – Glo-Worm

I Hate December – Ivy

I’ll Be Snowgazing For Christmas – Postcode

In All The Christmas Trees – Le Man Avec Les Lunettes

Joy! Joy! Joy! – Sufjan Stevens

Listening to Otis Redding at Home – Okkervil River

Mele Kalikimaka – Asylum Street Spankers

Plastic Christmas Trees – Summer Cats

Silver Bells – The Pines

All I Ever Get For Christmas is Blue – Over The Rhine

Space Christmas – Shonen Knife

The Mods of Christmastown – Zumpano

Wake Me Up When Christmas Is Over – Listen Lisse

Winter Paradise (I Miss You This Christmas) – Liam and Me

Here Comes Christmas – Unknown (help?)


Go back to the alternative and indie rock Christmas songs mixes main page containing links to more than 200 working Xmas MP3s.

Best Indie Rock Christmas Songs, Mix III – Sufjan, Belle & Sebastian, Low, My Chemical Romance, Jens Lekman

Posted on by Max Hammer

The third installment of IRC’s special Christmas music series of The 12 Plays of Alternative-Indie Christmas Songs includes some more mainstream rock artists such as My Chemical Romance, Slade and Belle and Sebastian, as well as popular indie artists like Low, Sufjan Stevens, Jens Lekman and many more.

[zbplayer]

Star of Wonder – Sufjan Stevens

Have Yourself a Merry Little Xmas – Daphne Loves Derby

Maybe This Christmas – Ron Sexsmith

Silent Night – Low

All I Want For Christmas Is You – My Chemical Romance

The Opposite of Hallelujah – Jens Lekman

The Same Thing Goes for Christmas – Sciflyer

My First Santa – Ten Thousand Dollar Tattoo

Bittersweet Eve – Balasana

Bonus Tracks – Belle and Sebastian live on the historic Peel Sessions, Dec. 18, 2002:

The 12 Days of Christmas (Live) – Belle & Sebastian

Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto (Live) – Belle & Sebastian

View all of the Indie Rock Christmas songs mixes

Best Indie & Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, Mix VII: Bright Eyes, Green Day, Manic Street Preachers, Yo La Tengo

Posted on by Max Hammer

indie-christmas Today’s alternative and indie rock Christmas playlist mix includes songs from artists such as Bright Eyes, The Weepies, Vince Guaraldi, Green Day, Manic Street Preachers, Thick Pigeon, Monster Bobby, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Rilo Kiley and dozens of others.

[zbplayer]

O Little Town of Bethlehem – Bright Eyes

A Very White Christmas – Le Man Avec Les Lunettes

All That I Want – The Weepies

Christmas Time is Here – Vince Guaraldi

Christmas Cake – Rilo Kiley

Holiday – Green Day

Ghost of Christmas – Manic Street Preachers

I Feel Like Going Home – Yo La Tengo

Jingle Bell Rock – Thick Pigeon

Last Christmas – Le Sport, Montt Mardie and Mr. Suitcase

Not Christmas At Home – Crawling With Kings

Not Giving In – Rediscover

Silent Night – Monster Bobby

So This is Christmas – Acceptance

Santa Claus is Smoking Reefer – Squirrel Nut Zippers

The Christmas Sound – 44.1K

X12 Days of XMas – From First to Last

Browse, listen to and download dozens, actually hundreds, of more indie and alternative rock Xmas songs.

Best Indie Rock Christmas Songs, Mix VI: Yo La Tengo, Comet Gain, Chris Letcher, Great Lake Swimmers, Belle & Sebastian

Posted on by Max Hammer

Here is Mix Six in the 12 Plays series. This playlist includes a diverse collection of Christmas and wintry songs, just in case you are somewhere in the world where it is not going to be a white Christmas. Indie giants like Yo La Tengo, Comet Gain, Chris Letcher and Belle and Sebastian, plus relatively new bands like Band of Horses, Great Lake Swimmers and Phantom Planet contribute to this newest Christmas songs playlist.

[zbplayer]

(Above: The note Santa is reading in the cartoon reads: “Dear Santa, If you leave a new bike under the tree, I will give you the antidote to the poison I put in the milk – Tommy.”)

A Change of Pace offers up the introspective “Christmas on the Coast” and the Parenthetical Girls present indie cheer with “I Love Christmas”, plus holiday season songs by Dave Melilo, The Halo Brothers, The Reindeer Section, Phofo and Jason Gleason.

A Hooves Christmas – The Hooves

I Love Christmas – Parenthetical Girls

All I Want For Christmas – Dave Melilo

Asleep On The Snow – Comet Gain

Christmas on the Coast – A Change of Pace

Deep Frieze – Chris Letcher

Here Come Christmas – Remington Super 60

It’s Christmas Time – Yo La Tengo

Light The Menorah – Phofo

My First Christmas as a Woman – The Vandals

Santa Claus – Belle and Sebastian

Sleigh Bells and Wine – Jason Gleason

Snowfall – The Halo Brothers

Song For The Angeles – Great Lake Swimmers

The First Song – Band of Horses

Winter Wonderland – Phantom Planet

You Are My Joy – The Reindeer Section

Best Indie & Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, Mix V: Belle & Sebastian, Sufjan Stevens, Love & Rockets, The Used, Reliant K

Posted on by Max Hammer

This Christmas playlist features a great mix of indie and alt Christmas songs from Reliant K, The Fine Lines, The National Splits, Milton DeLugg & The Little Eskimos and The Used. There are also xmas tunes from Alien Sex Friend, Sandry Mooy, Gatsby’s America, Arcade Fire, Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues.

[zbplayer]

O Little Town of Bethlehem – Belle & Sebastian

Get Behind Me, Santa – Sufjan Stevens

Holiday on the Moon – Love and Rockets

Alone This Holiday – The Used

Angels We Have Heard on High – Reliant K

Christmas Time – Gatsby’s America


Hooray for Santy Claus – Milton DeLugg & The Little Eskimos

Star of Wonder – Sufjan Stevens

Let’s Wrap Each Other – The National Splits

Holy Night – Sandra Mooy

Check out more indie and alternative rock Christmas songs.

Best Indie and Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, Mix IV: The Kinks, Andrew Dost, The Format, The Matches, Dandy Warhols

Posted on by Max Hammer

christmassongsplaylists Do you have egg nog-tummy, Christmas-time fatigue, coffee-infused insomnia or instant vertigo every time you hear Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas”? We’ve got an antidote: Our collection of the Best Indie Alternative Rock Christmas Songs – the largest, longest-running, regularly updated collection of indie/alt rock Christmas songs on the web since 2007.

This the original Mix IV from 2007. All MP3s work. You can click the little player below and it will stream all of the tracks in the playlist uninterrupted and with no commercials!!!

This Christmas playlist kicks off with the first-ever original and popular true punk rock (now more commonly referred to as alternative) Christmas song by who else but The Kinks.

Simply titled “Father Christmas” (1977), the song lashes out at the commercialism of Christmas and yet ironically encourages disenfranchised youth to beat up Santa Claus if he doesn’t give them “some money,” and declares: “give all the toys to the little rich boys.”

On a lighter note, Beulah, Michigan indie pop musician Andrew Dost delivers an original and cynical view of the season in “Yeah, I Know, It’s Christmas Time.” The Matches serve up their own brand of bitter cynicism about Christmas, “December is For Cynics”.

[zbplayer]

Father Christmas – The Kinks*

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – In Memory

The Chestnut Times – Ex-Otago

Christmas Reindeer – The Knife

Yeah, I Know, It’s Christmas Time – Andrew Dost

Happy Xmas (War is Over) – The Fray

Noel Song – Animaniacs

It’s Christmas Time – A Band Called Quinn

Saving Up Her Wishes (For Another Christmas) – Celestial

Holly Jolly Christmas – The Format

Santa, Bring My Baby Back To Me – Belle and Sebastian

It’s Christmas, Let’s Be Glad – Sufjan Stevens

I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Matchbook Romance

Come On Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance – Sufjan Stevens

Bonus Tracks

Every Day Should Be a Holiday – Dandy Warhols

Jonathan David – Belle and Sebastian

December Is For Cynics – The Matches

  • In the UK, Europe and Australia Santa Claus is commonly referred to as “Father Christmas.”

Best Indie and Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, Mix II: Bright Eyes, The Eels, DCFC, Fuel, The Raveonettes, MXPX, Snow Patrol

Posted on by Max Hammer

Have you heard enough of the old Christmas songs that make you want to pull your hair out yet? Well, hopefully the playlist below will help alleviate the stress. We hope to alleviate some of that by offering you the best and largest collection (in more than a dozen Christmas playlists) of indie and alternative rock Christmas tunes available anywhere on the Internet.

Blue Christmas – Bright Eyes

Christmas is Going to The Dogs – The Eels

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Death Cab For Cutie

We Three Kings – Fuel

Christmas Night of Zombies – MXPX

This Time of Year – Mighty Mighty Bosstones

When I Get Home For Christmas – Snow Patrol

Put the Lights On the Tree – Sufjan Stevens

Santa Claus is Coming to Town – Sugarcult

The Christmas Song – The Raveonettes

Stream and download all of the alternative Christmas song mixes.

Best Indie & Alternative Rock Christmas Songs, Mix I: Polyphonic Spree, Jimmy Eat World, Ryan Adams, Sufjan Stevens and More

Posted on by Max Hammer

Over the years, our listeners have made it as clear as fresh fallen snow – they want a complete collection of alternative Christmas and holiday songs. This is Mix One of 12 Xmas playlists featuring many of the best original and cover-version alternative Christmas and holiday songs available anywhere.

[zbplayer]

“Happy Christmas (War is Over)” – The Polyphonic Spree (John Lennon Cover)

“25th December” – Everything But The Girl

“Last Christmas” – Jimmy Eat World

“First Noel” – My American Heart (pictured on the right)

“Hey Parker, Its Christmas” – Ryan Adams

“Miracle Of Christmas” – Funeral For A Friend

“Just Like Christmas” – Low

“Born on Christmas Day/Annunciation Day” Ted Leo and Pharmacists

“Christmas Wrapping” – The Waitresses

“Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day” – Sufjan Stevens

jimmyeatworldThe Other Xmas Playlists:

Mix Two – Featuring Sugarcult, MXPX, DCFC, Fuel, Bright Eyes, Snow Patrol, The Raveonettes and Sufjan Stevens.

Mix Three – Ron Sexsmith, Daphne Loves Derby, Low, My Chemical Romance, Jens Lekman, Sciflyer, Slade, Balasana and Ten Thousand Dollar Tattoo.

Mix Four – The Kinks, The Fray, In Memory, Belle and Sebastian, Celestial, Ex-Otago, The Knife, A Band Called Quinn, The Format and Matchbook Romance.

Mix Five – Reliant K, The Fine Lines, The National Splits, Milton DeLugg & The Little Eskimos and The Used, Alien Sex Friend, Sandry Mooy, Gatsby’s America, Arcade Fire, Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues.

Mix Six – Band of Horses, Great Lake Swimmers, Phantom Planet, Yo La Tengo, Comet Gain, The Reindeer Section, Phofo, Jason Gleason, Chris Letcher and Belle and Sebastian.

Mix Seven – The Weepies, Yo La Tengo, Manic Street Preachers, Green Day, Le Man Avec Les Lunettes, Monster Bobby, Bright Eyes, Ladybug Transistor, The Flaming Lips, From First To Last, Acceptance, Crawling with Kings, Thick Pigeon and Rilo Kiley.

Want More? Check out the Uber Christmas Songs launch page – All 12 playlist mixes and more from one place.