** ½ Various Artists, “Now That’s What I Call Today’s Christmas” (Universal/EMI/Sony).
Blatting low frequency bursts counter shimmering high-end sounds in a generous chunk of the Tchaikovsky seasonal war horse plus a handful of classic carols and random classical-music staples. Maybe it’s because there’s such a flood of more conventional holiday releases year in and year out that this throbbing electronica workout sounds so refreshing. *** PumpYouUp, “Christmas Nutcracker Dubstep & Techno Classics” (PumpYouUp). An accompanying 32-page booklet features several essays with excellent context, including one by rock journalist Greil Marcus.
The first of its two discs is devoted to Hanukkah-related songs, and its second disc to Christmas tracks written or sung by Jews including Bob Dylan, the Ramones, Lou Reed, Benny Goodman and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Easily the year’s most informative, illuminating holiday release, and it traces the parallel rise of Christmas and Hanukkah among religious and secular communities. *** 1/2 Various Artists, “‘Twas the Night Before Hanukkah: The Musical Battle Between Christmas and the Festival of Lights” (Idelsohn Society). As the title suggests, there’s an otherworldly ambience that mostly works to the familiar yuletide songs’ benefit. The idiosyncratic Dallas symphonic pop collective courses from broad swaths of sonic textures - lots of swirling harps and tinkling pianos - with nicely low-tech touches. ** 1/2 The Polyphonic Spree, “Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays Volume One” (Good Records/Kirtland). The album’s modest charm stems from the pair’s eager personalities and guest drop-ins from the likes of Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Tony Bennett and Chick Corea. For anyone worried that this reunion might overdose on sweeteners, Newton-John and Travolta kick the album off reversing the usual male-female roles on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which brims with good spirit. The “Grease” costars are holding teacups on the supersweet cover photo. ** Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, “This Christmas” (UMe).
The “American Idol” alum applies his grainy baritone with commitment but not much vision to the usual holiday suspects: “The First Noel,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bells,” etc., freshened only briefly by a couple of less well-traveled numbers.īest of 2012: Movies | TV | Pop music | Jazz | Video Games| Art | Theater | Dance | Classical music * 1/2 Scotty McCreery, “Christmas With Scotty McCreery” (Mercury/19/Interscope). Grinch” with Straight No Chaser and a stunningly powerful reading of Mark Lowry and Lee Green’s “Mary, Did You Know?” Magic indeed.
The holiday spirit’s in full force here, in his loopy Motown-esque collaboration with the Muppets (“All I Need Is Love”), an inspired a cappella arrangement of “You’re a Mean One, Mr.
In fact, this collection might be the best guidance he could offer any contestants on “The Voice” - or “American Idol” or “X Factor,” for that matter. The clown prince of R&B often lets his outsized public persona overshadow his music, but the man can sing. *** 1/2 Cee Lo Green “Cee Lo’s Magic Moment” (Elektra). Here’s Calendar’s 2012 roundup of the best new holiday music releases. But which ones will offer yuletide cheer and which will feel like the same old thing, re-gifted? Cee Lo Green, English pop-rocker Tracey Thorn and the left-field collective Redtenbacher Funkestra are just a few of the dozens of entertainers with albums out there made for celebrating the season. How about “music?” This year, there are plenty of new holiday albums to pick from. Say the first word that springs to mind: “holiday -.” Did you think “season”? “Sale”? “Hangover”?