Last year's Christmas album from Luna's Dean & Britta with Spacemen 3's Sonic Boom is ideal for the end of the evening when you're feeling a bit boozy or just want a nice comedown from relentless cheer. I particularly love the version of David Berman's "Snow Is Falling in Manhattan" that opens it.

My personal favorite Christmas album is Tony Bennett's Snowfall, which nails all the emotions of the season in an elegant, shimmering, swingin' suite. (Stick with the original version that begins with the title track, not the re-release that starts with "My Favorite Things".)

Dwight Yoakam's Come On Christmas is perfect union of his Bakersfield sound revivalism and holiday classics. Excellent record if you're from a family that mostly listens to country music.

Tori Amos' Christmastide is a must for fans of Tori's 90s heyday, an EP of 4 intense, dramatic originals with a full band that would fit in perfectly on From the Choirgirl Hotel or To Venus and Back.

James Brown has a couple of fun holiday records but my fav is A Soulful Christmas which captures him & his band in their prime with purpose and festive flair. If you get tired of Christmas messages, he just sticks "Say It Loud I'm Black And I'm Proud" in the middle for no reason other than to funk.

I mean if I had demonstrable proof that the past and future President of the United States was a participant in a satanic pedophile ring I think I would make it known but I'm built different I guess.