For the “Listening Ears On!” kid’s music series, I usually review just one album, so, I thought I’d choose a single kids’ Christmas album this month. That was quite obviously impossible, so instead, I picked 6 of the jazziest, rockin’-est, non-annoying Christsmas albums for children. Consider it my gift to your ears! If you like to spin holiday tunes with the family, try adding some of these kid’s Christmas albums to your playlist. (If you’d like check out some of our favorites from these albums and other cool kids’ Christmas songs, have a listen to our Spotify Playlist. )
A Laurie Berkner Christmas
The Laurie Berkner Band
Not long before I had my first baby, a friend told me, “you’re going to need children’s music you can stand to listen to,” and put a Laurie Berkner CD in my hand. You could say that Laurie Berkner CD is the main reason I started writing about non-cringeworthy kid’s music. This 2012 collection of primarily Christmas classics is performed in Berkner’s folksy style that manages to be simultaneously gentle and bouncy. There’s a nice variety of song types, from “kid’s” songs like “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman to more contemplative ones like “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.” The gospel-inspired version of “Children Go Where I Send Thee” is my favorite. If you want to add one tried and true holiday album to your collection, you can’t go wrong with Laurie Berkner.
Read more about Laurie Berkner on her website. Buy A Laurie Berkner Christmas on streaming services or Amazon.
Lah-Lah’s Stripy Christmas
Lah-Lah
With their timeless, jazzy sound, it feels almost inevitable that Lah-Lah and her Big Live Band should be doing Christmas music. This isn’t your smooth crooner style jazz, though. They open with their own jazz funk “Santa’s Got a Brand New Groove,” followed by a polka-infused “Merry Christmas”. The bulk of the album is Christmas covers, in Lah-Lah style. They’ve chosen more of the family novelty fare, rather than any religious standards, so the tracks include songs like “Jingle Bells,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,” “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas,” and the curious Ella Fitzgerald tune “Santa Clause Got Stuck in My Chimney.” The tempo slows for a moment with the pretty “There Are Many Stars/Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” but then picks up again to close with with my favorite, the Romani jazz style “Jolly Christmas Time.” It’s a very oompah Christmas!
More about Lah-Lah, and buy Lah-Lah’s Stripy Christmas on their website or find it on streaming services.
Santa’s Coming
Sam Moran
The one-time Yellow Wiggle’s 2017 Christmas album was nominated for an ARIA this year, and here at Artsplorers HQ, has been the most requested of all the kids’ Christmas albums we’ve been trying out. It’s heavy on danceable pop-rock, like the rollicking title track (I have no idea what’s happening with the giant puppets in that video below, but you can hear what a jam it is). The collection is about two-thirds Christmas classics, which range from electric guitar-driven “Deck the Halls” and “Twelve Days of Christmas,” a jazzy “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” to straight ahead, sincere versions of “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night.” Moran has a nice voice to carry the ballads. A Latin styled “Arbol de Navidad (Christmas Tree)” and the R&B “We’re Wrapping Presents” add to the style variety. There is also a non-musical reading of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” At times, this collection veers pretty far into what I think of as the “commercial kid’s music” world, but there’s more than enough to really like about this album. It’s definitely gotten the seal approval from my 5 year old Christmas enthusiast.
More about Sam Moran on his Facebook page. Buy Santa’s Coming on streaming sites or Amazon Australia.
Wintertime Singalong
Emily Arrow
If you follow this kid’s music series, you might remember Emily Arrow, who writes many of her songs based on picture books. This collection is a combination of holiday songs and winter songs. Arrow opens the album with the pretty “Christmastime is Here,” from A Charlie Brown Christmas. That’s followed by her take on Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express, which your kids might also know from the movie. “Here in My House” is a Chanukah celebration, a reminder that this is the season of peace and light for all. “The Smallest Gift of Christmas” is based on Peter H. Reynold’s book about changing our perspective on “bigger is better” gits. And, there is a lovely version of “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas.” For my Australians, while it’s called Wintertime Singalong, I don’t think you’ll find it too “wintery” for our summer Christmases – there are three darling songs that I would call “winter story songs,” plus a snowy twist on “Jingle Bells.” The album closes on a clap-and-singalong twist on “Auld Lang Syne” with a positive message about starting the year off on a positive note. Arrow’s songs are warm and gentle, and full of love and good tidings. You can’t ask for a sweeter holiday offering.
Read more about Emily Arrow and buy Wintertime Singalong on her website or streaming services.
Winter Party
Caspar Babypants
Gosh, it seems like we just reviewed Caspar Babypants (oh, yes, we did!). His jaunty, quirky stylings have become a quick favorite with all of us here, so we definitely haven’t gotten Babypants-ed out when we turned on his holiday album, Winter Party!. This album is a bit of a mix of everything – Christmas classics, re-invented holiday tunes, and winter songs. The reworked lyrics to “Joy to the World” (“Joy to the World/It’s Christmas time/The lights light up the night…”) and “Silent Night” (“Silent Night/Quiet Night/… Rest your head now sweet little child…”) offer a good clue that Babypants’ isn’t too interested in getting into the religious themes of the season, favoring rather the universal ideas of family, warmth, fun, and festivity. “Deck the Halls,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “Jingle Bells” are largely unaltered and performed in Caspar Babypant’s bright style.This “Jingle Bells” includes a close approximation of the seldom heard 2nd, 3rd, and 4th verses. “Oh Christmas Tree” also gets some lyrical changes that maintain the original feeling. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” undergoes a complete Caspar Babypants overhaul – the porcupine in the pear tree is certain to get your kid’s attention. Original songs include a tune about a cold “Frozen Penguin” to the tune of “Alleoute,” a bluegrass-honky tonk styled “Candle in the Snow,” a Christmas alphabet song, and the funky title track about a woodland “Winter Party.” I love the Celtic styled “Days Gone By (Auld Lang Syne),” which is just as lovely as can be, with lyrics that make a lot more sense than the original ones, to be honest. If you don’t mind your Christmas songs just a little left of traditional, this collection is great fun with a happy spirit.
More about Caspar Babypants at his website, and buy Winter Party! on Amazon or on streaming sites.
Bunny Racket
Hoppy Holidays
And now for something completely different! If holiday music is just too traditional for you, Bunny Racket’s new Hoppy Holidays might be the antidote. Not a Rudolph or Jingle Bell in sight, these 7 songs will put the way cool in your Yule. The first track, “All I Want for Christmas,” is an anthem that lets mom and dad know that “all we want for Christmas is rock and roll.” Most of the rest of the collection celebrates the summer vacation mindest (because Australia) – getting to be free from school, relax and be with our friends, having fun and playing music. “Happy Happy Holidays,” “No School, No Work, No Worries,” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Pre-School” are driving rockers about summer freedom (I do especially like the image of the sandpit rock and rolling pre-schoolers busting out for the year). “Palm Trees” is more of a mellow invitation for bunnies, and kids, and everyone else to get into a beach vibe. Of course, Christmas isn’t completely forgotten. In “Party Town,” we hop a sleigh to the North Pole “to all get down” – and play with toys. And, Rudolph might not be here, but Bunny Racket seem to be starting a new tradition with their own mythical “Punk Rock Reindeer.” Bunny Racket has that running for the school doors on the last day of class, rock-rock-rock-n-roll-holiday feeling covered.
More about Bunny Racket on their website, and download Hoppy Holidays on streaming sites.
What are you listening to this holiday season?
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Read the rest of our Listening Ears On reviews for more non-annoying children’s music!
Littlefolk by Angie Who
Little Steps, Big Adventures by Tiptoe Giants
Hey Hey, Let’s Play by Nay Nay
Helpful Songs for Little People by the Teeny Tiny Stevies
Beyond the Little Star by Benny Time
Season One by The Vegetable Plot
Here Comes Science! by They Might Be Giants
Storytime Singalong Volumes 1 and 2 by Emily Arrow
Bunny Rumble by Bunny Racket
Keep It Real! by Caspar Babypants