Last year we ran down a list of the best holiday albums that had been released.  However, 2009 was a bit sparse for cool new Christmas releases.

Lucky for you we decided to scour the world for the best Christmas music from your favorite Muffin artists.  For the mix, I tried my best to find artists that we had written about on the Muffin, were somewhat unheard of, and wonderful.  I am quite proud of the result.

As a special treat, a friend of the Muffin, Bregan Hubbard, did the cover artwork for the mix cd.  You can click on the image to the right to get a larger version of the image to print out and slap on the cover of your CD-Rs.  You can find more of Bregan’s work at her website, The Lead Chandelier.

Chris Garneau first caught my hear after I heard him played on KCRW only a few short months ago.  His gentle voice and delicate piano driven pop are a perfect combination for a Christmas song.  It turns out he released an EP called C Sides in 2007 that featured this little gem.
Muffin covered: Chris Garneau Keeps Us Safe (10/24/09)

Chris Garneau – Christmas Song

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I am one of those people who likes Christmas music.  But I wouldn’t say I like it so much that I would like to see more artists having the last track on their albums being Holiday themed.  However, Julian Casablancas did it on his solo album, and I am not upset at all.  In his defense, the album was released in November, so the lyrics are fitting.
Muffin covered: 11th Dimentia (11/5/09)

Julian Casablancas – Christmas Treat

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Owl City had a pretty good year. About the time we wrote about them on the Muffin, in July, he was pretty much nobody. By the end of the year he had achieved a number one song on the billboard charts. Not a bad achievement. Owl City has put together a very lovely Christmas song as well.
Muffin covered: Owl City Reminds Me Its Summer (7/17/09)

Owl City – The Christmas Song

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Blitzen Trapper managed to put some Christmas love on a compilation called I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas from last year. Another mellow tune you can probably play with grandma within earshot this Christmas.
Muffin covered: Blitzen Trapper (11/24/08)

Blitzen Trapper – Christmas Is Coming Soon

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I wouldn’t say that Band of Horses had a Christmas compilation in mind when they created this song. They do talk about Christmas repeatedly however, and it is that classic BoH sound. There is a Bon Iver song that could have been another unintentional Christmas song, but if you know which one I mean, you’ll know it isn’t exactly in the spirit.
Muffin covered: A Horse is a Horse (10/30/08)

Band of Horses – The First Song

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I didn’t have to dig too far to find the new Holiday song from Fun. In fact, they sent it out to all of their fans (and music blogs hehe). This one is sure to pick up your spirits a bit. I prefer the slower side of Christmas, but this is a great song.
Muffin covered: Fun New Name, Similar Format (4/13/09)

Fun – Believe In Me

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This isn’t a new song from Phantom Planet, but man is it good. These guys do such a good job of just making solid tracks. And when it comes to the Holidays, there is no difference.
Muffin covered: 5 Year Old Haircuts Are Always In… (4/21/08)

Phantom Planet – Winter Wonderland

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Just in case you were falling asleep or trying to make a mix appropriate for a family gathering, I had to put a song with some synths on here. The Raveonettes really did a good job by still making this song seem like a Christmas standard while at the same time blowing your speakers with sound.
Muffin covered: Sydney’s Top 5 Albums of 2008 (Subjective) (12/30/08)

The Raveonettes – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

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I like it when an artist decides to forgo the tradition of making up a silly Christmas song or cover a silly song of a decade before. Sometimes it is just nice to hear a great artist sing a nice classic song. Feist does just that.
Muffin covered: Getting Feist-y (9/10/07)

Feist – Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming

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Oh how we love First Aid Kit. And everything we’ve heard from the upcoming 2010 album sounds just darling. I’m not sure if we live in a bubble of FAK love, but we’re pretty sure they are going to be a big group one day. And they love to sing covers, here is a nice take on Elvis.
Muffin covered: Sunday Funday Video Montage (10/4/09)

First Aid Kit – Blue Christmas

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Well, that’s it for this year. Be sure to check back next year for some more Indie Christmas music. And be sure to check the bakery next week to see what everyone cooked up for their top albums of 2009.