The holidays are upon us, and whether you’re feeling festive or not, musicians are climbing aboard the tinsel bandwagon with new songs for the season. We offer to you a week’s worth of them, nestled in one place, like gifts under a tree.We already posted dozens of new holiday songs this year so far. Here are more that came out this week.
NICOLE ATKINS - "EVERY SINGLE CHRISTMAS"
“I love this [‘Every Single Christmas’] and it will join Nick Lowe’s take on Roger Miller’s ‘Old Toy Trains’ and Dylan’s Christmas polka, ‘It Must Be Santa’ on my seasonal playlist," enthuses Elvis Costello of this new Nicole Atkins' holiday single "This is full on pop music, as in Lesley Gore, like Kim Wilde or even Noddy Holder, without sounding like any of them.”
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MARIAH CAREY - "OH SANTA"! (ft. ARIANA GRANDE & JENNIFER HUDSON)
It's not Christmas without Mariah Carey, and this year she has a new song that finds her teaming up with Ariana Grande with Jennifer Hudson.
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SKATUNE NETWORK - A VERY SKATUNE CHRISTMAS
Skatune Network (the covers project of Jeremy Hunter of JER and We Are The Union) has released a 9-song Christmas album featuring ska covers of Christmas classics like "All I Want For Christmas Is You," "This Christmas," "White Christmas," "Carol of the Bells," "Feliz Navidad" (reworked as "Feliz Naviska," natch), and it's a very fun album that should put an extra hop in your step this skaliday season.
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THE CRIBS - "CHRISTMAS (ALL YEAR LONG)"
Having just delivered their best album in ages, The Cribs are back with this excellent holiday song, that is just jolly enough -- they call it a "classic Christmas stomper" -- while featuring all the Jarman brothers' trademarks. Merry Cribsmas, one and all!
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VARIOUS ARTISTS - NO SLEEP TILL CHRISTMAS 8
No Sleep Records offers up another new seasonal benefit compilation featuring 17 tracks "of winter cheer, or something." It includes Geoff Rickly (Thursday) giving classic Tori Amos piano ballad "Winter" a droney makeover (or a "bedroom noise version," as he calls it), a screamo-y Joyce Manor cover from GILT, and holiday originals and covers from Best Ex, Cinema Stare, Cliffdiver, Cloaker, Hate Club, Hornbill, Laughingstock, Michael Malarkey, No Better, Odd Robot, Palette Knife, p.s.you'redead, Riverby, Sarah and the Safe Word, The Weekend Run Club, and more.
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CROCODILES - "CHRISTMAS IN HELL"
Indie rock duo Crocodiles are back with this new tiding of yuletide cheer, "Christmas in Hell." The band have always had a knack for fuzzed-out pop and this single's pretty terrific. "The world needed a Christmas song reflective of the total shittiness of 2020 so last week we decided to write one," says Brandon.
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CALEXICO - SEASONAL SHIFT
Calexico's new holiday album, Seasonal Shift, features a mix of originals and covers, as well as guest vocals by Gaby Moreno, Bombino, Gisela Joao, and more.
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JETSTREAM PONY - "GRIEF OF A (FROZEN) SAILOR" / "HIT THE SNOW"
Jetstream Pony, an indiepop supergroup led by Beth Arzy (Trembling Blue Stars) and Shaun Charman (The Wedding Present/The Popguns), just released this new holiday single including original "Grief of a (Frozen) Sailor" and a cover of The Aislers Set's "Hit the Snow."
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THE INNOCENCE MISSION - "RADIANT AND HOLY NIGHT"
Having released the wonderful See You Tomorrow earlier this year, The Innocence Mission are back with this holiday song that strikes a more melancholy chord than most yuletide fare. Like most of their music, "Radiant and Holy Night" is spookily beautiful.
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DROPKICK MURPHYS - "CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)"
Not only did The Offspring just recently cover "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," but now Celtic punk vets Dropkick Murphys did too.
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LOST UNDER HEAVEN - "GOIN' BROKE FOR CHRISTMAS"
Experimental pop duo Lost Under Heaven (ex-WU LYF) are getting in the holiday spirit with this jingle bell-laden yet melancholic ballad.
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U.S. GIRLS FT. RICH MOREL - "SANTA STAY HOME"
"When one stops to really think about it, Santa is creepy and Christmas makes no damn sense," Meg Remy says. She wrote her anti-consumerist minded new holiday song with Rich Morel.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS - SIMPLY HAVING A WONDERFUL COMPILATION
Father Daughter records just released this holiday compilation Simply Having a Wonderful Compilation featuring Pom Pom Squad, Ohmme, Sad13, Diet Cig, Pronoun, Melkbelly, and more.
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ARLO PARKS - "LAST CHRISTMAS" (WHAM COVER)
There are no shortage of covers of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" (Pom Pom Squad do it on Simply Having a Wonderful Compilation above) this one by Arlo Parks who chills things out considerably.
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JAMES BLAKE - "IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER"
Part of a series of holiday singles for Apple Music, James Blake takes Christina Rossetti poem "In the Bleak Midwinter" (which was also recently covered by Jarvis Cocker and Chilly Gonzales).
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BEABADOOBEE - "WINTER WONDERLAND"
Another of Apple Music's holiday singles, Beabadoobee offers up this very traditional orchestral version of "Winter Wonderland."
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RON GALLO - "WHITE CHRISTMAS"
"A few years ago around Christmas I sat on the floor solo in front of a TV fireplace and listened to the Dean Martin Christmas Album 12 full times on repeat then recorded this cover," says Ron Gallo. "I love the old crooner stuff. It's like a blanket. With how 2020 has been, I've leaned heavy into nostalgia as a mental survival tactic so figured I'd give this track a proper release and used a photo of me as a kid on Christmas as the cover art as another way to return to what seemed like 'simpler times."
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Looking for even more new songs? Browse the ‘New Songs’ archive and our “Holiday Music” category.