Here’s your Christmas playlist from local yokels

by Jessica Harp

• Tweet
• Email
• Print
• 0 Comments

Because you can only listen to Mariah on repeat so many times.

There’s no escaping the holidays now. Instead of opting to listen to the usual Christmas fare that plays year after year, why not sample some of what musicians in Dallas-Fort Worth have to offer? There is a little something for everybody.

The Polyphonic Spree: Holiday Dream: Sounds of the Holidays, Vol. One

Christmas in Dallas wouldn’t be the same without holiday tunes from the beloved choral musicmakers The Polyphonic Spree. Your heart is bound to grow three sizes just by listening to this whimsical album full of trippy holiday standards, and a few new ones, that only The Polyphonic Spree can merrily deliver.

Each year, the band hosts a special yuletide family-friendly show, and this year promises to be the biggest yet, since Tim Delaughter and company celebrates its 10th anniversary holiday extravaganza tour. It ends in Dallas at the Lakewood Theater on December 22.

Bethan: Bethan Presents Christmas

If you prefer calm Christmas hymns by the fire, look to singer-songwriter Jessi Hall’s holiday offering. Her sultry voice lulls you into a holiday stupor while thoughts of sugar plums dance in your head. Each track off of the five-song EP is beautifully bleak and slightly melancholy in nature (as is much of Bethan's work), so it may not be everyone’s cup of eggnog. We recommend it for a quiet night. Get it here.

People On Vacation: Holiday Vacation

The holidays are a time of giving, and the two members of People on Vacation were fortunate enough to receive enough money though a Kickstarter to help fund an indie pop holiday album. Those who donated to the album received special treats big and small. (Big: People on Vacation asked one fan’s girlfriend to marry him on one track. Small: They promise to think of you while kissing someone else under the mistletoe.)

The band is made up of Ryan Hemilton of Dallas band Smile Smile, plus Jaret Reddick from Bowling for Soup. Added bonus: People On Vacation remembered to include a song about Hanukkah on the album.

Tim Halperin: Under That Christmas Spell

This American Idol alum has jumped on the Christmas wagon and released an album filled with yuletide favorites that will fill your heart with thoughts of warmth, family, and Christmas cheer. The Nebraskan-turned-Texan crooner sings a few familiar holiday standards on the six-song album mixed in with originals that are guaranteed to warm the soul like a cup of hot chocolate.

The album is more stripped down that one would expect from a former Idol contestant, but we like the honest approach Halperin takes. The EP also features a special duet with fellow Fort Worth musician and X Factor alumna Hayley Orrantia, who helps add depth to the track “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.”

Tweet