Last year we threw a holiday party and wanted to avoid the season’s musical dead horses. Don’t get us wrong: we’re suckers for anything Burl Ives or Andy Williams around this time of year, but for a festive get-together of friends we wanted something slightly more unexpected: a mix of both new and old but not too traditional. We spent a loooooong time searching the internet and our music files for the best ear tinsel, weeding out the downer or jarring numbers from each album, to create the perfect 50-song, 2-and-a-half hour holiday party mix (well, perfect for us). So consider this our gift to you — let us know what we forgot…and what you’d like return. (FYI: Songs are ordered by album, but you’d just hit “shuffle”):
The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs (entire compilation):
Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
Frosty the Snowman by Fiona Apple
The Heartache Can Wait by Brandi Carlile
All My Bells Are Ringing by Lenka
Silent Night by Priscilla Ahn
The Christmas Song by Catherine Feeny
Maybe Next Year (X-Mas Song) by Meiko
White Christmas by Katy Perry
Blue Christmas by Nicole Atkins
Winter Wonderland by Kate Havnevik
I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Holly Conlan
Silver Bells by Alice Smith
Mistletoe by Colbie Caillat
Auld Lang Syne by Jesca Hoop, Butch Walker, Buddy, Anya Marina, Cary Brothers, Greg Laswell Lenka, Holly Conlan, Ingrid Michaelson, Jim Bianco, Jonah Matranga, Joshua Radin, Laura Jansen, Meiko, Sara Bareilles & Tim Jones