Arts DEVO

Finally! Thanks to Arts DEVO’s big brain, homeboys Ken Smith and Mark Lore, and the good taste of readers Ryan McDougal, Siana Sonoquie, Graine Rhuad, Maria Olsen (host of the excellent Audio Fix on KZFR, Sundays, 1-3 p.m.) and Chico State ethnomusicologist Hope Munro Smith, your holidays will now cease sucking with this mix of fun, sad, rockin’, funky and downright messed-up holiday tunes. Crack open a Krampus Lager by Southern Tier Brewing, visit Arts DEVO on Facebook for links to songs, and party!

Arts DEVO’s Holiday Songs that Don’t Suck Mix:

• “White Winter Hymnal,” Fleet Foxes: Set the snowy scene.

• “Fairy Tale of New York,” The Pogues: And let Shane McGowen’s breath melt the snow away—It was Christmas Eve, babe, in the drunk tank.

• “Got Something for You,” Best Coast/Wavves: Indie rockers team up to record a sweet Christmas song … for Target!

• “Father Christmas,” either The Kinks version or the OK Go cover.

• “Dead by Christmas,” either Hanoi Rocks version or the Murder City Devils cover.

• “2,000 Miles,” The Pretenders.

• “364 Days,” Murder City Devils: An open letter to St. Nicholas …

• “Daddy’s Drinking Up Our Christmas,” Smiley Bates: This early ’70s track by the Canadian country musician is different than the Commander Cody song of the same name—sadder and better, too.

• “So Much Wine,” The Handsome Family: Listen to me, Butterfly, there’s only so much wine you can drink in one life.

• “Christmas in Prison,” John Prine.

• “Please Come Home for Christmas,” James Brown.

• “It’s a Party Christmas,” Joe King Carasco. A new-wave/ska/Tex-Mex holiday-party anthem from the ’80s!

• “Christmas Wrapping,” The Waitresses. A new-wave/ska/rap tease from the ’80s.

• “Blue Christmas,” Elvis Presley: I know it’s ubiquitous, but it’s Elvis at his best and the backing vocals are rad!

• “Miracle,” Matisyahu: Hanukkah dance party, for real!

• “Hail Santa,” Primus: Why is the Christmas tree on fire?

• “Soca Santa,” Machel Motano: Soca music sets calypso to a thumping beat, and this Trinadad and Tobago singer’s lively soca romp invites Santa to leave the North Pole and join him in the “land of sea and sun.”

• “Holiday Road,” Lindsay Buckingham: “When Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he’s gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.”

• “Hey Guys! It’s Christmastime,” Sufjan Stevens. Prolly my fave.

• “Christmas at the Zoo,” Flaming Lips. Wait can I change my vote?

• “Christmastime is Here (Again!),” The Yule Logs. Actually, this is the jam. My final answer!

• “Rock and Roll Christmas,” George Thorogood & The Destroyers. How would you close out the party? With “Auld Lang Sine”?

Season of mourning The horrifying shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary has darkened the brightness of the holiday season. The tragedy of so many little lives cut short in such a frightening way is numbing, and the pain the families, friends and neighbors in Newton, Conn., are feeling now is unimaginable. Missouri-based artist Jeremy Collins made this simple and moving drawing to raise money for funeral costs for the families of the victims. Visit www.society6.com/jercollins to purchase a print and help out.