This blog has gained many new readers since I first posted my Spiked Candy Canes mixes in 2005, so I thought I'd share them again for anyone who missed out the first time around. Hopefully they'll give you an idea of the abundance of lesser-known but fun, interesting, weird or sometimes beautiful Christmas songs that are out there, and maybe introduce you to some artists you haven't heard before. If you're looking for more info and links to purchase anything that's still in print, have a look through the December 2005 and the December 2006 archives.

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Spiked Candy Canes 1 
Tracklist: Claudine Longet - Snow, Dressy Bessy - All the Right Reasons, Deerhoof - Xmas Tree, Isabelle Antenna - Noëlle à Hawaï, Peggy Lee - The Christmas Spell, Stina Nordenstam - Soon After Christmas, The Diskettes - Noel, The Gems - Love For Christmas, The Kinks - Father Christmas, The Knife - Christmas Reindeer, The Pipettes - In The Bleak Midwinter, The Sonics - Don't Believe In Christmas

Alternate playlist links: Spotify (not all songs available), JustHearIt.

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Spiked Candy Canes 2
Tracklist: Belle And Sebastian - I Took Some Time For Christmas, Brian Wilson - On Christmas Day, Ginette Reno - Vive le vent, Julie London - I'd Like You For Christmas, Lauren Laverne - In The Bleak Midwinter, Marlene Paul - I Wanna Spend Christmas With Elvis, Nena - Wunder gescheh'n, Of Montreal - My Favourite Christmas (In A Hundred Words Or Less),The Carpenters - Merry Christmas, Darling, The Shitbirds (ft. April March) - Christmas Is A-Coming, Universal Robot Band - Disco Christmas, Yo La Tengo - It's Christmas Time

Alternate playlist links: Spotify (not all songs available), JustHearIt.

(Pic: Paris Match Christmas Holiday special issue, 1962. Implies you will be smiling as maniacally when you hear these mixes.)

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Comments (6)

  • jeanleto  
    Thanks for the post, i found some interesting gems in in yours canes. I think of Ginette Reno with al older version of "Vive le vent". I liked it better than the more recent version.
    Jean from Canada
    #1 Reply
    • Christine  
      Thanks, Jean :). Just to be clear - did I accidentally put a newer version of 'Vive le vent' in here, or have I posted the old version as intended?
      #1.1 Reply
  • jeanleto  
    divshare.com does not respond anymore, impossible to download any canes anymore ... Its 11:30AM in Canada.
    #2 Reply
    • Christine  
      any luck yet? i didn't realise there were any problems with divshare. let me know if you still haven't been able to get the files, and i'll upload them elsewhere.
      #2.1 Reply
  • Math  
    Hi Candy.
    I was reading about your christmas song obsession and I know it's completely out of line to give you a Christmas song tip in May but...oh well, save it for next x-mas: The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping". Girl Group meets funky new wave (but i'm shure you already know it)
    I would also like to thank you for the Swinging Mademoiselle Vol2 download tip. You made my day!
    Luv / Math
    #3 Reply
  • Jake  
    Many thanks for posting this. I'd been looking for that Lauren Laverne track for a long time.
    #4 Reply

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