Idol Records released “Electric Ornaments” in 2000, and it’s still popular.
There are three Christmas records I play every year: Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Christmas with the Chipmunks” and Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper.”
Other than those, my tolerance for Christmas music is fairly low.
But let’s not be so crabby about it. There is more good Christmas music out there, and some of it comes from right here in our neighborhood.
The Polyphonic Spree released “Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays Vol. 1” in October. I like the one they performed on Jay Leno, “Happy Christmas (War is Over).” Even though war is totally, for sure, never over, there is something comforting about that song.
Two more albums to add to your Christmas playlist come from our neighborhood’s indie label, Idol Records.
Idol released “Electric Ornaments” in 2000, and label owner Erv Karwelis says tracks from the album still get radio airtime every year.
“I think DJs are always looking for something a little different to play,” he says.
Highlights from that one include Chomsky’s version of “Christmas Time is Here,” Pinkston’s version of “Father Christmas” and Pleasant Grove’s “Five Minutes of Snow,” the perfect Dallas Christmas song: “We’re standing in the cold, wishin’ for five minutes of snow. But the snow it will never come, not in this prairie town.”
Idol more recently released “Idol Christmas,” which features Calhoun’s “(Anywhere But) Home for the Holidays” and El Cento’s “Too Much Snow,” which ought to be a classic.
