Are you ready to share the holidays with your loved ones but not sure which holiday CD is right for you? Rather than relying on the old standards, why don't you mix it up a bit with one of this season's new electronic CDs of holiday music. We have compiled the following wrapup of the different electronic holiday CDs that are in stores now!
King Street Sounds - Christmas in the House
www.KingStreetSounds.com
Saving us from the annual torture session of tired classics rehashed for the holiday season, the masterful musicians of the King Street family have constructed the absolutely essential Christmas in the House. Aside from two superior instrumental tracks (Eric Kupper's conga-filled bossa nova take of "Silent Night" and Jihad Muhammad's samba jam session "It's Holiday Time"), the set is full of new vocal songs written to capture the spirit of the holiday season.
D1 Music presents Club Christmas
www.D1Music.biz
Every holiday season brings a new batch of pop stars taking on the catalog of Christmas classics. But have you ever wondered what europop instrumental versions of holiday classics would sound like? Neither did I, and as such, Club Christmas came as a welcome surprise.
Cascada - Last Christmas
Robbins Entertainment
Cute and peppy are two accurate words to describe both Cascada and the music they create. Written and originally performed by Wham/George Michael, "Last Christmas" is easily the most recent holiday song to become a standard. Previously covered by europopper Whigfield, Cascada's take succeeds with a midtempo production that suits Natalie's pleasing vocal performance. Although it's the b-side of the current dance radio smash cover of Rascal Flats' "What Hurts the Most," Cascada's version of "Last Christmas" is a great addition to any dance music lover's holiday playlist.
Mistletoe Lounge
BasicLux
A holiday-themed compilation of laid back House tracks and downtempo tunes, "The Mistletoe Lounge" generally leans more towards the instrumental side of things with the overall vibe of this album best defined by voxless, prettily House-ed up versions of Christmas standards like Lenny B's glistening take on "Feliz Navidad," J.A.C.E.'s jingle bell-led "Angels We Have Heard," Paul T.'s funked-up "Jingle Bells," or Groovecatcher's "O Come O Come Emmanuel."
Holiday Remixed
www.basicLux.com
As a Jewish guy reviewing holiday music, I am at a disadvantage because I don't have the memories that most people associate with Christmas. It's as if the producers of Holiday Remixed took this into account and created a CD of tracks meant to inspire memories rather than enforce seasonal traditions.
Christmas Chill CDs
Om Records
Christmas chillout CDs? Are you kidding? Reviews of hOMe for the Holidays (Om Records), Christmas Remixed (Six Degrees) and The Reindeer Room Vol. 2 (Kriztal Entertainment)
