Christmas! That time of year when you remember how terrible Boney M is, when the joyful screeching of little children makes you want to take a cheese-grater to the ears, and when you worry that nothing but all the liquor in the world will make things better. Except not all christmas-noises are terrible. Here is some evidence.

1. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

The Christmassy part, by the way, is in “The world that you need is wrapped in gold silver sleeves // Left beneath Christmas trees in the snow.” Enjoy.

2. Christmas Is Interesting by Jonathan Coulton

What’s nice about this is that it’s pretty catchy and nice and simultaneously communicates how godawful Give Exchange With Relatives day can be. Gin.

3. A Christmas Carol by Tom Lehrer

Snarky Christmas music can be old too! As in the case of faintly misanthropic mathematician/songwriter Tom Lehrer, who performed this in the 60’s. The people in Mad Men like this. You can’t not like this.

4. White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes

So our Chrismtasses are generally neither wintery nor hymnal, but it’s a nice song that doesn’t get overplayed and it’s a nice sort of thing to play in the background as your pour more brandy at your face.

5. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, by Frank Sinatra

Because ideally by this time of the night you’re so goddamned sick of complaining about Christmas that you’re probably a little maudlin, and a little nostalgic because the year’s at an end, and a little drunk, so you might as well listen to Sinatra do some things to your ears.

Special Mention: Barcarola by Sufjan Stevens
Because it features the line ‘You must be a Christmas tree// Because you light up the room.’

Merry Christmas.

[image via gallo]