Wrapped in metal, wrapped in ivy

[sovay]

Driving around on errands, I seem to have discovered that my tolerance for Christmas music has zeroed out unless it falls into the class of traditional carols, i.e. can be used for wassailing, first appeared in Latin, was arranged once by Benjamin Britten. I relayed this sentiment to spatch and he promptly broke out SNL's "I Wish It Was Christmas Today." When we saw the news of the death of Dave Mallett, I played him my favorite version of the "Garden Song," from Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger's Precious Friend (1981). I remain entertained that the official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had to put up a short post attesting to the historical reality of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's Penalty for Keeping Christmas 1659. The catchiest music I have heard on the radio lately—WHRB, natch—is almost certainly Auntie Christ's "I Don't" (1997). I am all for amending our still-critical drought, but these 100% chances of rain could be snow any time now.

Comments

[rushthatspeaks]

I would like to put in a good word here for Sufjan Stevens' Christmas music, which comes in two categories: one, traditional etc. as you have summed up, and he's very good at it; and two, things like 'Did I Make You Cry On Christmas? (Well, You Deserved It!)', 'Get Thee Behind Me, Santa', and 'Christmas Unicorn', which contains the entirety of Joy Division's original rendition of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

[sovay]

one, traditional etc. as you have summed up, and he's very good at it; and two, things like 'Did I Make You Cry On Christmas? (Well, You Deserved It!)', 'Get Thee Behind Me, Santa', and 'Christmas Unicorn', which contains the entirety of Joy Division's original rendition of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'.

That does sound extremely impressive.

(I am inevitably reminded of Schmekel's "I'm Sorry, It's Yom Kippur.")