Don't mess with the man

Gotta give credit where credit is due...this is an amazing song

It's that time of year when our ears are inundated with Christmas carol after Christmas carol, which starts mid-November and carries on till the end of the year.

You can't escape it. It's in malls. On car stereos. In line at the grocery store. At the dentist's office. Even at work, which happened a couple of weeks ago. But, it was the Glee Christmas soundtrack, so can you really blame us for hating on it?

But, there are some Christmas songs that transcend the levels of annoyance that usually accompany the ubiquitous tunes. And those songs are able to transport me back to my childhood, when Christmas was less about the stress of shopping and the rush of obligations with family and friends, but more about the magic and spirit of the season. Plus, knowing you'd get tons of gifts didn't help either. 

When I was a child, there were two vinyl Christmas LPs that my dad had and I would play endlessly during the holidays (yes, I knew how to properly use a turntable from the age of 4!).

The first was by Alvin & The Chipmunks. I loved this record so much, that I didn't even realize that there was a cartoon special of it until just now when I was looking for their song "Christmas Don't Be Late" on YouTube. 

I also loved the Smurfs Christmas album. I can't seem to find the one song I remember "Smurfing Bells" on YouTube, so "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" will have to do.

Anytime I hear any song from these albums, I feel like it's truly Christmas. And usually that only happens when my dad brings a Christmas mix to wherever the festivities are held that year.

What about you? What songs take you back to your childhood? Or do you hate any and every Christmas song known to man?

There's something odd about those backup singers ;)

Strangely applicable this year...

A new Kanye West track hit the web recently and it's a Christmas jam!

"Christmas In Harlem" is a feel-good track that is filled with old-school soul. Even the most cynical fan of Kanye or hip hop or Christmas music can't help tap their toes to this song.

It's a good change of pace because usually Kanye's songs are filled with either ego, anger, or both. "Christmas in Harlem" instead tells a story and feels very laidback. 

Check out the song below, which also features Cam'ron, Vado, Jim Jones, CyHi Da Prynce, Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor & Musiq. Basically, all of his peeps. 

Wow, Mariah's new Christmas album is a gold mine for all sorts of head-scratching amazement!

Check out her new video for "Auld Lang Syne". It's starts of as a train wreck... and continues to get worse and worse. And I love it!

The green screen! The 90s dance beats! The weird talking interlude! The blatant jewelry shots! 

It's so bad, it's legendary.

<p>Mariah Carey - ALS from Mariah Polska on Vimeo.</p>

As in when you find a video of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer mashed up with "Roxanne" by The Police.

Brilliant.

The Killers might need to revisit what Christmas is really about.

Their first Christmas single, "Don't Shoot Me Santa" is just weird.

And now, their video for "Boots" is slightly better. At least the song is all nostalgic Christmas memories.

But the video is so depressing! I mean, it kicks off with a very dramatic monologue from It's A Wonderful Life, then kicks off into a story about a homeless guy who has one singular goal: to spend Christmas with his family.

Sure, the sentiment is uplifting and heartwarming, but it's also just so sad! 

What do The Killers have against Christmas? They keep wanting to bring it down to a gritty and realistic interpretation.

Call me naïve, but I want the magic of Christmas intact, thank you very much.