Dec. 7, 2015
Taylor Garcia
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The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
It can be difficult to find albums or artists who have a new take on Christmas music because it is hard to mess with the classics.
According to iTunes, the “essential” albums of Christmas include Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Amy Grant, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jackson 5 and Bruce Springsteen.
No other artist takes Christmas music more to heart than Bublé.
It’s rumored that he hibernates all summer in a cave and the only thing that wakes him is the smell of all the turkeys sizzling and the voice of Carey belting out “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
Bublé and Carey have dominated the holiday music scene for years. Bublé’s Christmas album still charts at number one on iTunes and Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” sits at number one on the top 10 songs.
Every type of music genre has artists who make Christmas albums. Spotify has a knack for consolidating specific types of music into decent playlists so you don’t have to scramble to put one together for yourself.
There are eight playlists in their “Happy Holidays” section.
The playlists are split into pop, folk, jazz, acoustic, indie, soulful, rock and country.
While these aren’t all the genres that are out there, they do offer a big enough range to find the type of Christmas music you’re looking for.
Spotify is nice enough to put Carey and Bublé on multiple playlists in case you forget who this holiday really belongs to.
Several people still like to receive CD’s for Christmas presents. It is a thoughtful gift and means the giver has taken the time to search for the right album.
If you’re looking to gift someone with a Christmas CD and want a break from Bublé and Carey, there is a new artist on the Christmas scene.
Pentatonix is a group of four men and one woman. The group began in 2011, but have recently gained popularity because of their a capella style, unique sound and multiple covers. Their most popular song on Spotify is “Can’t Sleep Love.”
Their Christmas album, “That’s Christmas to Me,” was released in 2014. It is number two on the iTunes top 10 Christmas albums, with two songs in the top 10 Christmas songs.
The deluxe edition of “That’s Christmas to Me,” which is available on both Spotify and iTunes, contains 16 songs. The group does a brilliant job of combining the traditional aspects of each song with a modern take. The few crossovers on the album show the talent the group has in not only singing but also in their arrangements and understanding of music.
While some songs stick to the original style, on some songs the group adds in their flair that will have you dancing and wishing you could start your own a capella group.
The vocal talent of each of the members of the group shines on each track.
All of the traditional Christmas songs are on the album, including “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night” and a personal favorite done by the group, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
If this loaded 16-song CD doesn’t cover your Christmas needs, the group’s Christmas album from last year is also worth a listen. It has eight different Christmas songs that don’t appear on their new album, but all eight are done masterfully. It isn’t Christmas without the “Little Drummer Boy” and “PTXmas” has it.
Pentatonix’s “That’s Christmas to Me” or “PTXmas” is a perfect stocking stuffer for this Christmas. Or if it ends up in your own stocking, Santa will understand.