I'm feeling spoiled this year thanks to all the quality Christmas music I've found online that the artists have generously made available for free download. Below is my list of finds. Got any more to add?

If you haven't already, please be sure to visit Filles Sourires and check out the excellent Christmas Project that Guuzbourg has put together. Almost all the songs were recorded especially for Filles Sourires, which means it's the first time they've been heard anywhere. The only track that's not new is Watoo Watoo's, but it's still a very worthy inclusion that suits the mix nicely. All up, that's nine Christmas-themed songs featuring, bien sur, lovely female vocals in French, with an interesting array of styles represented. What a treat!

Of the new songs, my favourite (at least today) is probably Hektor's cover of Les Wampas' 'Ce soir c'est Noël'. This is a sophisticated, satisfyingly fizzy piece of electropop, with some chunky electric guitar riffs that stop it feeling too lightweight. I love the cute-but-slightly-aloof voice of frontwoman Carine Péralba (pictured), whose delivery here has a deadpan quality to it that suits the feel of the song.

Watoo Watoo's gentle pop never fails to impress me, and their 1999 song ' Les Visiteurs de Noël' is another highlight for me in this collection.

Head there now! -> Fille Sourires Christmas Project

I'm hoping to get in a little bit of Christmas blogging this year, but I can't be sure I can do much, as I have to take it easy right now. But I didn't want to miss the chance to tell you about Last.fm's campaign to get a decent song to the top of the UK charts this Christmas. Understandably, they are fed up with the fun being zapped from the long-standing tradition of the Christmas No. 1, with it now being dominated by the Simon Cowell & Co empire of TV talent shows.

Fortunately, Last.fm users have voted for a very deserving band. Lucky Soul are the best pop band around at the moment. They make stunning, heartfelt romantic pop songs full of a zillion hooks, with melodies that soar and swoop in all the right places. I can't get enough of their album The Great Unwanted, as well as the B-sides I bought from Emusic. Hooray for bands that are filled with so much pop genius that B-sides are not merely for lesser leftovers, but for equally brilliant creations!

Bust, the magazine that brings you femme culture in a fun, creative and smart way, now has a brilliant new online feature: free, legal mp3s of music featured in their issues. Go here to grab the downloader and instructions (Update: now defunct). The current taster features The Gossip, Two Ton Boa, Guy Sigworth, Flin Flon and The Receiver. My picks: the incredible 60s/70s folk songstress Karen Dalton's take on the traditional 'Katie Cruel' (French pop fans may be familiar with Marie Laforêt's version), and The Pipettes' 'Pull Shapes' video, which lovingly recreates the Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls party scene.

Thanks to everyone who's visited Spiked Candy for bringing me up to over 500,000 page views! One thing I'd love is to get a little more feedback on my posts. I don't mean to be needy in our relationship, but sometimes a girl needs to know if her first-time-posted-online ultra-rare video/picture/song excites you as much as it does her! The blog continues to be a labour of love, but I'd also like a little more of an idea of which posts you enjoy the most. A big thank you to those who do take the time to comment, email or Myspace message me.

A special shout-out to all my last.fm friends - you really help keep the blogging and music discovery journey rewarding. Last.fm members and readers of this blog - if you're yet to stumble across my last.fm group, here it is: Spiked Candy Last.Fm Group.

Lots of planned posts in the works... in the meantime, any special requests or stuff you'd like to see/hear more of? I'll be moving from Blog-City soon, and I'm happy to start the extended leaving party now!

kiN - Santa Claus - Am I Good Enough? (2006)

El Perro Del Mar - Oh! What A Christmas (2005)

Heading this list are a trio of Swedish pop girls - Kin, in her uniquely cute and slightly batty way, asks Santa what it takes to make his 'nice' list; El Perro Del Mar brings to her Christmas tune her signature style of creating a haunting, melancholic atmosphere using cheery 60s girl group sounds; and Bobby Baby surprisingly refreshes a tired old standard, making it pretty and icy, yet somehow warm and cosy too.

Photo by Frida Klingberg via Sally's official site.

Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas (2006)

(via last.fm)

A guest post from Tag:

-------------------

Sometimes I feel like someone's made a record with me in mind. Not in an angst-bitten way, analysing lyrics and convincing myself "it really speaks to me". I mean something that matches my own personal brand of perfection. A song I'd want to marry. Gothenburg's Sally Shapiro has made such a record. A record produced in the blissed-out Italian disco tradition, with a melody to match Abba's most bittersweet moments, delivered by a singer so possessed of wide-eyed lovesickness, she makes Annie sound like a veritable vixen. It's called "Anorak Christmas" which should make me wince with cloying indie associations - but it's just right. It could sound contrived, coquettish, but it simply sounds like a girl who's fallen rapturously in love at some midwinter discotheque, emerged into the snow and went straight home to put her feelings down, hesitantly but honestly.

-------------------

My note: Sally so beautifully makes it her own, it's surprising to find out the song's actually a cover. Here's the original by twee synthpop artist and fellow Swede Nixon:

Buy: Disco Romance

Mordi, of the inimitable BlowUpDoll, has created a blog specially devoted to all things Claudine Longet called Love Claudine. It's a feast of lovely pics and rare songs for both Claudine fans and those wanting to find out more about the 60s French chanteuse and one-time wife of Andy Williams.

Margo Guryan, who wrote two songs performed by Claudine, once described her singing as "rhythmically challenged", but also compared her to such wispy-voiced luminaries as Astrud Gilberto and Jane Birkin. So you get some idea of the kind of offbeat appeal Claudine embodies.

The latest Love Claudine post is the track 'Mucho tiempo más'. Bel Divioleta, one of the lovely voices of Spanish indie girl pop band Las Escarlatinas, included a version of the song on her recent release Espejos (late 2005 in Spain, but this year elsewhere, I believe). Enjoy:

Bel Divioleta - Mucho tiempo más (2005)

Buy: Espejos from Darla Records
Links: Bel Divioleta, Las Escarlatinas, Siesta Records, Cuddle Up With Claudine

*Update: Alan has a cover of the English version ('Long Long Time') by another Siesta artist, Miss Bosforo, up at La Cancion de Prevert.