5 Christmas songs you need to hear to get you in the spirit

If you’re like me, you love Christmas music.

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There is nothing more magical than hanging lights on a tree while you listen to beautiful Christmas songs that you know and love. It’s heartwarming, relaxing, and really puts you into the Christmas spirit.

So, you can imagine how upset my Christmas spirit gets when I have to walk into stores and they’re playing the most annoying songs they can get their hands on. Pop artists need to learn that you don’t have to add 1,000 syllables to the word “snow” to make a good Christmas song. You aren’t helping either, America.

I just checked iTunes. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You” is the No. 1 most downloaded holiday song. For shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2G8XQCQ3ew

Don’t worry. I’m here to help by showing you some new songs that you should hear this Christmas.

5. Bad Religion: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!

I love punk, and I love Christmas music. Weirdly, they go together, as you can clearly see. Bad Religion manages to inject a very lovely song with energy and fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-11QUYJEXQ

4. The Piano Guys: Angels We Have Heard On High

If you haven’t heard the Piano Guys before, then this is a perfect introduction to their genius. They’re like four survivalists on the hunt and this single piano is their prey. Not only do they kill it, but they use every part of it. It’s performed beautifully performed spectacle.

3. Pentatonix: Little Drummer Boy

This has been all over the web already, but it definitely earned it. Pentatonix is an amazing acapella group who have covered a song you love at some point and are swiftly gaining fame for doing it. Now, usually a beat box doesn’t equal elegance, but Pentatonix uses this skill for Little Drummer Boy, and the result is magic.

2. Lindsey Stirling and Kuah’o Case : Oh Come Emmanuel

I love Lindsey Stirling and I don’t care who knows it. She’s the quirkiest and nerdiest musician on the planet, but her voice and fiddle playing would keep the Devil far out of Georgia. This time she threw her talents into “Oh Come Emmanuel,” but she didn’t come alone, she brought Kuha’o Case. Kuha’o is a 17 year old musical prodigy, who is completely self taught. He’s also blind. Not only is the song beautiful, the video’s message is amazing.

1. SHEL: Sleigh Bells

SHEL doesn’t have the budget, the name, or the gimmick that some of the musicians above do. What they do have is an imagination and talent that would charm Scrooge into buying Little Timmy a golden crutch. Normally, “Sleigh Bells” doesn’t rank on my all time favorite list of Christmas songs, but the Holbrook sisters have the Midas touch and they get really hands on. Even without the fun story they made with silhouettes in the video, the song stands alone as the best version of this song I’ve ever heard.