Kick Out the (Holiday) Jams

Darlene Love
It's Christmas, Of Course
(Shout! Factory) 
Darlene Love came to fame through her recording of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector, an album that many consider to be the definitive rock & roll holiday comp. It makes sense, then, that she cherry-picks some of the finer modern Christmas songs from the rock genre, and while she can no longer hit those high notes, her voice has matured nicely. While she doesn't revive her Spector-ized hit, Love gives a rock & soul reading to songs written by Tom Petty (a jangly "Christmas All Over the World") and Robbie Robertson (a gospel-flecked "Christmas Must Be Tonight"), among others. Love even gains a few hipster points for turning XTC's oft-forgotten "Thanks for Christmas" into a sultry soul number. 

Davie Allan and the Arrows
Fuzz for the Holidays 2
(Spinout) 
Ever since the Ventures proved that you can turn surf-rock into holiday gold, guitar-led bands that are long on twang and reverb have taken a swing at Christmas classics. To wit: California-based sextet Davie Allan and the Arrows have turned out their second batch of mostly instrumental tracks, which are full of echo-laden guitar runs and raunchy saxophone eruptions. "Blue Christmas" takes on a sinister edge with Allan's string-bending technique, and the original "A Winter Song" struts with a bit of glam-rock pomp. There's nothing groundbreaking here — but what is Christmas about if not tradition?

Various Artists
Stockings by the Fire
(Starbucks Entertainment) 
Because Starbucks is more a lifestyle brand than a coffee purveyor, your favorite baristas have again compiled a mix of seasonal tunes that alternate between jazzy swing and Seasonal Affective Disorder. For real — does every comp aimed at hipsters and NPR listeners have to include a version of Joni Mitchell's beautifully depressing "River"? (Apparently so, and here Herbie Hancock and Corinne Bailey Rae turn in a rather rote version.) Hem's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" will likewise have you contemplating jumping from the Bedford Falls Bridge, but other contemporary artists such as A Fine Frenzy and the Bird & the Bee liven things up. Ella, Frank and Nat pop up for a bit of classic cheer, and the similarly minded Diana Krall keeps the mood buoyant and suave with "Winter Wonderland."

Various Artists
Classic Soft Rock Christmas
(TimeLife) 
Sadly, the AM Gold-spoofing Web sensation Yacht Rock never got around to filming a Christmas webisode; consider this a worthy stand-in. This disc compiles songs from genre-defining lite-rockers Kenny Loggins (singing a buzz-killing "The Bells of Christmas") and Hall & Oates, who offer their faithful reading of "Jingle Bell Rock." Air Supply goes for broke on a massive and orchestral "The First Noel," while Jim Croce gets wistful with "It Doesn't Have To Be That Way." The fellows in America earn their wings for turning their evergreen "Tin Man" into "White Christmas." (Though I bet that if you tried, you could repurpose "A Horse With No Name" into "The Twelve Days of Christmas.")