When they said Christmas was a busy season, they weren't kidding...and now I keep wondering how the heck did I keep up posting a song a day the last time. Oh well...

But fear not, because of the eight day backlog, I come bearing gifts. Not just one, but eight songs that'll bring the Christmas cheer to fill up the eight day absence of our song a day / Christmas countdown. It also comes with a promise (that I plan to keep!) that we're going to have a new song a day.

Since I've got a ton of new artists sending me amazing stuff to post, this is going to our Fresh from the Post Christmas edition -- which also makes up for the my eight-day gap for the Christmas Song countdown.

1. French Kissmas by Chelsea Jade and James Duncan

To start off, I've got a song from the land of hobbits and flying conchords - which interestingly, sounds like it came off a post-modern, european spy movie set in France. It's a duet from Auckland singers Chelsea Jade and James Duncan entitled French Kissmas.

It's Christmas by Coconut Records

Because I'm a firm believer of the power of the Schwartz(man) - here's Jason Schwartzman's holiday music offering via his indie music alter-ego Coconut Records. Of course, when I found out that Target was giving away free holiday music tunes from bands of the indie music persuasion, I knew I had to nab that Coconut Records song. And yes, for those who don't know -- i.e. people who live in countries that don't have Target like me (we do have Zeller's though, but I highly doubt that they would be cool enough to do something like this) -- the US retail store has a Christmas song compilation up on their site that can be downloaded for free. The compilation has my personal fave Coconut Records, Bishop Allen and Crystal Antlers contributing tracks to their holiday album.

So, thank you Target. I wish you were paying me to plug  this, but the free songs are remuneration enough...and also, thanks for Career Opportunities, I simply adore that film :)

It's Christmas

I have a soft spot for cure for cancer causes and simply anything about kids -- so when this song ended up in our mailbox, I couldn't pass up posting it. Of course, I had to hear the tune myself first, and seeing how the artist introduced herself as a 13-year old girl from the suburbs of Chicago, who composed and performed the song to raise funds for kids with cancer, I found it all the more intruiging. And boy, it did not disappoint.

Kate Diaz is an absolute pro, and Christmas Smiles sounds like a song made by a singer/songwriter who's been at it for years. Seeing how she's using her God-given talent to make a difference in people's lives, makes me ashamed on how I spent many hours of my youth in front of the computer playing Digger. Rather than lament on my wasted potential (I should have done Digger tourneys to raise awareness for socks with sandals victims), I'm here to back up Kate and spread the word.

Here's an audio sample from a live acoustic performance Ms. Diaz put up on YouTube. You can download and donate for a full band version of the song at iTunes or Amazon to benefit CureSearch for Cancer.

Kate is also participating in a holiday concert at December 18 from 6 to 8pm at Potbellys, Lake Cook & Weiland in Buffalo Grove, IL.  where they'll be donating 25% of all dinnertime sales. 

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by An Introduction to Sunshine. 

Despite what Florida band, An Introduction to Sunshine's name implies, this one's a mellow (and almost trippy) version of the Christmas classic. It comes from the wonderful compilation album of Christmas classics covered by various indie bands called Hey, It's Christmas! Vol. 1 .  What's great about the album is it's fresh take on your standard classic Christmas tunes such as Silent Night and First Noel. And, being true to the spirit of Christmas -- it's available for free at the album's Bandcamp page :)

Christmas Wrapping by Summer Camp

Continuing with our Christmas countdown, we've got tune from Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey also known as the indie pop duo, Summer Camp. This little helping comes off Moshi Moshi Records' 2010 Christmas EP called A Christmas Gift For You, which include tracks from other Moshi Moshi artists such as Slow Club and Hot Club de Paris.

Christmas Wrapping is Summer Camp's rendition of the original early eigthies song by The Waitresses.

To spread the cheer this season, the song, along with other tracks in the Moshi Moshi Christmas EP, is included free with every album purchase at the record label's store.

Christmas Wrapping

Just when you thought it was never going to happen, here we are a again (albeit one day late) -- it's the Christmas countdown! Since I had loads of fun last year doing the 25 Indie Songs of Christmas, here we are with my favorite Christmas  tradition, where we feature one indie Christmas tune a day to count down the days until Christmas.

To make up yesterday's absence of Christmas posts, we've got two tunes off WIAIWYA's album download of the month - Christmastime, Approximately. The first song is from Eux Autres with  "Teenage Christmas", which fills me with all sorts of nostalgia as I remember my own teenage Christmas to the tune of 90's inspired grungy guitars.

Teenage Christmas

The second song to wrap up today's Christmas song countdown is from Help Stamp Out Loneliness with their winter wonderland-lovely, sleigh bell-happy song "Just Like Xmas (In Cottonopolis)".

Just Like Xmas (In Cottonopolis)

Be sure to check out the album at WIAIWYA's site, that has tons more songs that could actually fill up a hug chunk of our Christmas countdown :)

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To give me an excuse to check my emails (which I haven't done for a few months now  -- oops!) -- if you have Christmas songs to share for our countdown, you know where to send them ;)

 *photo courtesy of my friend Boots and the folks at Carousel Theatre in Granville Island who made such a lovely snow elephant during last Thursday's snow day

*Warning* - The video above contains graphic scenes of book mutilation. Otherwise, it's cute overload for all you craftsters out there. Although I would never, ever slaughter book like that -- The Woodlands' In The Dark On Monday would be a damn good song to hack a book to pieces to. If you find yourself drooling over the works of art made by the end of the video, they're also on sale at augustinafinch.etsy.com

Nothing fills me with much joy than to see Sufjan don wings again in a live performance. He performed live last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon playing "Too Much", a single off his latest electronica themed release, The Age of Adz.  With full-on costume and channeling his inner Ke$ha, we see Soof strut his stuff complete with backup dancers -- who quite notably, had better choreography than Ke$ha herself. Oh Sufjan, you never cease to amaze me.

Hit the jump to see the video that could make your day.