HO HO WHO: R.E.M., with its annual fan-club-only single. This year's features a standard—a cover of Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"—and some stocking stuffers—an instrumental mix of three songs from the trio's upcoming full-length.
THE WALL OF SOUND: Nevermind that it has nary a thing to do with Christmas, if the dub mix "IHT [...]

HO HO WHO: Sad-sack U.K. indie-folk outfit Slow Club's EP of Christmas songs contains three originals—with titles like "It's Christmas and You're Boring"—and three covers, including two Darlene Love songs, "All Alone at Christmas" and the classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," as well as "Silent Night." It's basically a miniature dissertation on how to [...]