Who knows what compels a band to write an original holiday song or record a cover but sometimes it turns out well. Here is a list of some of the most brilliantly bearable of the season. Also listed is an off-season favourite for each artist to listen to the other eleven months of the year.

1)  “Must Be Santa” by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan released a Christmas album this year to both baffled and impressed critics. This song is particularly notable because of the music video featuring a crazy Christmas party gone out of hand and Dylan in a long blonde wig. Also, the U.S. royalties go towards the charity group Feeding America. Put your skepticism aside and give this an honest go.
Off Season Favourite: “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”

2)  “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Death Cab for Cutie

The jazzier version on the same theme of the irksome “Last Christmas”, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is another tale of heartbreak over the holidays with a flicker of promise that, yes, baby will come home. Lead singer Ben Gibbard’s love-it- or-hate-it voice is altered with an echo effect and sounds as if he is singing in a giant cathedral during midnight mass.
Off Season Favourite: “The New Year”

3)  “Run Away With Me” by Jens Lekman

We at Lifestyle have a love affair with Mr. Lekman’s voice. Born in Angered, Sweden, his songs are anything but rage filled. The melodies are lilting and poppy which fits in well with the feeling of the season. Lekman is the reluctant pioneer of the new ukulele revival, and the simple twang of the strings is set against the ding dong of church bells and the jingle jangle of sleigh bells. In the song he urges his love interest to run away with him on Christmas Eve. Okay.
Off Season Favourite: “A Postcard to Nina”

4)  “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by F--ked Up featuring Ezra Koenig, David Cross, Tegan & Sara, 
     Yo La Tengo, GZA, Kyp Malone, Kevin Drew, Bob Mould and Andrew W.K. 

F—ked Up plays into old-school shock value. But, despite their wildness on stage and in the dressing room, F—ked Up have a tender heart. For this new version of the ‘80s colonialist yet charitable classic, they rounded up some of modern music’s favourites. The proceeds benefit three organizations in Canada working to bring an end to the epidemic of missing and murdered native women.
Off Season Favourite: “Color Removal”

5) “Please be Patient” by Feist

Okay so this song may be a bit gimmicky but it was written for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!  We enjoy the tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment to the role holiday tunes have taken as on-hold and elevator music. Set to the tune of a mellowed out Christmas classic, Feist plays the role of the telephone operator telling the prayer, in this case Stephen Colbert, to wait his turn because, “due to increased prayer amounts, Seraphim will have delays.”
Off Season Favourite: “Let It Die”

6)  “Christmas is All Around” by Bill Nighy

This song is originally from the new Christmas classic Love Actually but has become one of our Christmas favourites. Yes it’s cheesy. Yes it’s formulaic, but that is the point. Washed up rock star makes predictable holiday track to stay relevant and… spoiler alert… it works.
Off Season Favourite: Bill Nighy isn’t a frequent singer but another great movie where he does sing is Still Crazy.

7)  “Blue Christmas” by Bright Eyes

Anyone who knows Bright Eyes knows that lead singer Conor Oberst always sounds like he is on the brink of tears or worse, a mental breakdown. That emotional tightrope walk is perfect for this jingle bell blues classic. Oberst had a notable year releasing Outer South with his band Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and a self-titled album with Monsters of Folk, a collaboration with modern alt-country favourites Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward.
Off Season Favourite: “First Day of My Life”

8)  “White Christmas” by Otis Redding

The most classic sounding song on this list, “White Christmas” features Redding’s buttery voice that jazzes up this song with syncopations and unique, seemingly improvised rhythms. Redding’s songs have become a Christmas go-to, in the best way. Indie band Okkervil River even have a song called “Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas” (another holiday pick).
Off Season Favourite: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”

9)  “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC

This song has our favourite lyrics of our list. The first verse tells the story of the guys from Run DMC coming across Santa who leaves his wallet and a million dollars in a park. They decide not to steal the cash and mail back his wallet only to later find the money under their Christmas tree. This song is catchy and a great example of old school hip hop gone holiday.
Off Season Favourite: “My Adidas”

10) “All I Want for Christmas” by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2009 has been a good year for The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ lead singer Karen O and the rest of the band. She has been nominated for both a Grammy and a Golden Globe for her work on the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack and their 2009 release It’s Blitz! is nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album Grammy. In this song her distinctive voice makes the listener believe that all she really, honest to goodness, no word of a lie, wants for Christmas is you.
Off Season Favourite: “Maps”

11) “The Christmas Song” by Weezer

Although Weezer’s lead singer Rivers Cuomo didn’t have a great lead-up to the holiday season after a bus crash left him in the hospital with an injured spleen and punctured lung, one can only imagine this will be an especially meaningful holiday season. This song isn’t the chestnuts roasting one, but about a lover scorned on Christmas.
Off Season Favourite: “Say It Ain’t So”

12) “White Wine in the Sun” by Tim Minchin

Admittedly we found Australian comedian Minchin’s song through a Tweet from John Mayer but it seems to bundle up nicely some common thoughts on the holidays, (see: “I really like Christmas”) and stands out as both a funny ballad and a legitimately great song. 
Off Season Favourite: “If I Didn’t Have You”

Photo of F--ked Up courtesy of Beggars Group Canada