By Lacey Jane Pappas

It’s time to put a jingle in December. Last year, I provided some classic go-to holiday albums that are still worth caroling to. But since we’ve been good all year long, favorite songsters donned their Santa suits for 2008 and released holiday albums that are sure to help you feel the holiday spirit.

Here are some of my favorites:

Remember the Hotel Cafe Tour songstresses that visited in November? Together, the troupe released “The Hotel Cafe Tour Presents: Winter Songs.” This compilation is packed with 15 tracks of traditional carols interpreted by their set of angelic voices. My favorite tracks are Priscilla Ahn’s “Silent Night,” Catherine Feeny’s “The Christmas Song,” and a beautiful arrangement of “Au Lang Syne” by various songsters. Preview and purchase here.

If you’re a fan of Au Revoir Simone, Figurine or Blitzen Trapper, you’ll want to check out the compilation album “I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas.” The 15-track album showcases traditional songs by indie favorites. My preferred tracks include Papercuts’ “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and Bosque Brown’s “Silent Night.” Preview and purchase here.

I’m a big fan of Rosie Thomas, so when she released a 14-track holiday special called “A Very Rose Christmas,” I was handed a big cup of holiday cheer. Rosie shares her renditions of traditional hymns and puts her own twist on new carols like “Why Can’t It Be Christmastime All Year,” “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.” I never tire of this cover: “River.” Preview and purchase here.

Or if instrumental music is more your cup of tea, I have just the thing for you. Don Peris of The Innocence Mission brings his stellar guitar skills to the Christmas-themed album “Brighter Visions Beam Afar.” Don relies solely on a guitar to carry traditional Christmas melodies and adds classics like “Fur Elise” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” to the mix. Every track is worth a listen. Preview and purchase here.

Or, if you need to hear holiday music 24/7 but FM100 isn’t doing it for you, check out Woxy’s Holiday Mixer. They’ve compiled a fantastic group of artists to ring in some cheer. Download and stream here.

Happy, happy holidays to you! Stay tuned for my own version of a merry mix coming to YHO (and you) later this week.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pm and is filed under Lacey's Music Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.