themed week // She & Him, I'll Be Home for Christmas

She & Him are Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano and ukelele) and M. Ward (guitars and production). On live sessions they also count with Rachel Blumberg (drums), Mike Mogis (pedal steel guitar and mandolin) and Mike Coykendall (bass and guitars).

This American duo was created in 2006 and counts with three released records - Volume One (2008), Volume Two (2010) and A Very She & Him Christmas (2011).

I'll Be Home For Christmas is a Bing Crosby original, recorded in 1943. The song's lyrics were written by Kim Gannon and composed by Walter Kent.
This song was written in the point of view of an overseas soldier from World War II who's writing a letter to his family.

Many different artists like Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Michael Bublé or Lady Antebellum covered this song.

This version by She & Him appeared on their special album about Christmas named A Very She & Him Christmas released last year.
Check last year's choice.

"Christmas eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams"

themed week // The XX, Last Christmas

The XX are a British alternative rock band, created in 2005 and composed by Romy Madley Croft (vocals and guitars), Oliver Sim (vocals and bass guitar) and Jamie Smith (beats and production).

Since the beginning of their career, they've released two records XX (2009) and Coexist (2012).
They are considered to be one of the British latest music sensations.
Read our previous posts about them - here and here.

Last Christmas it's an original by Wham! and it was released in 1984. As some other songs, this song is a sad love song that is usually related with Christmas.

This song was covered by different artists like Coldplay, David Fonseca and Arctic Monkeys, check our last year's version here.

This cover of Last Christmas was recorded on a special session made for BBC Radio 1.

"Tell me, baby, 
Do you recognize me? 
Well, It's been a year, 
It doesn't surprise me 
(Merry Christmas)"

themed week // a Jigsaw, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

a Jigsaw are a Portuguese indie folk band who's career started in 1999, composed by three talented multi-instrumentalists: João Rui, Susana Ribeiro and Jorri. 
With one EP From Underskin (2004) and three albums Letters From The Boatman (2007), Like The Wolf 2009) with a special edition released a year after and Drunken Sailors & Happy Pirates (2011).
Read more about them here and here.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - being usually shorted for Let It Snow! -, was composed in 1945 by Jule Styne and its lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
As many other songs associated with Christmas, and although it's highly associated with this season, it never mentions this holiday being originally thought as a love song.

Last year, we chose Mika's unreleased version - check it here.

This year, the Portuguese band recorded this version to the Christmas compilation Feliz Natal 2012 of Liga dos Pequeninos.

The band explained everything on their facebook page - read here.

"When we finally kiss goodnight

How I'll hate going out in the storm

But if you'll really hold me tight

All the way home I'll be warm"

themed week // Rufus Wainwright + Sharon Van Etten, Baby,It's Cold Outside

Rufus Wainwright is a Canadian-American singer, who's career started in 1993.
So far he has released seven studio albums: Rufus Wainwright (1998), Poses (2001), Want One (2003), Want Two (2004), Release the Stars (2007), All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu (2010) and the most recent, Out of the Game (2012), besides his two live albums, two compilations and three EPs.
More information about this talented musician, check here.

Baby, It's Cold Outside was written and composed by Frank Loesser with the intention to be a Christmas song - this idea was lost during the past few years.
Frank Loesser wrote this duet and sang it with his wife, Lynn Garland, to celebrate the opening of their hotel. 
This song was recorded by many different artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John or Cee-Lo Green and Christina Aguilera.

This version counts with Rufus Wainwright and Sharon Van Etten and it was recorded like this one, to a special compilation named Holidays Rule, released this year. 

"I simply must go - But baby, it's cold outside
The answer is no - But baby, it's cold outside
This welcome has been - How lucky that you dropped in
So nice and warm - Look out the window at that storm"

themed week // Fun., Sleigh Ride

Fun. are an American indie rock band, formed by Nate Ruess (lead vocals), Andrew Dost (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and Jack Antonoff (drums). On live performances, they also count with Nate Harold, Emily Moore and Will Noon.
This young band, formed in 2008, has released two albums: Aim and Ignite in 2009 and Some Nights in 2012. They have also released two live albums: Fun. live at Fingerprints in 2010 and iTunes Sessions in 2012. More information about them here.

Sleigh Ride is a popular orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. This piece's original idea was in July 1946 but it was only concluded in February 1948. The lyrics came later, when Mitchell Parish wrote them in 1950.
A curious fact about this song is that although Sleigh Ride is usually associated with Christmas and it's also common to see the song on Christmas compilations, the lyrics never mention a holiday or religion matter.

Ella Fitzgerald, Neil Diamond, Spice Girls, KT Tunstall and She & Him are some of the amount of artists that covered this song.
This Fun.'s version is going to appear on a special Christmas compilation named Holidays Rule that counts with artists from jazz to pop like Paul McCartney or Rufus Wainwright.

"Outside the snow is falling
And friends are calling, "Yoo hoo",
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you."