Though I'd been uploading music to the Internet since the beginning of the decade, my first real mix was a collection of Christmas songs posted back in 2005. These last four years have been an interesting trip; through music blogging I've made the acquaintance and friendship of endless talented musicians, writers, artists and knowledgeable music lovers, many that taught me a thing or two. Usually, my yearly Christmas post looks back at the accomplishments of the past twelve months, there's no danger of that occurring this time 'round. It's been a somber and sobering year for most that read this, surviving this one is an achievement - I'll leave all that for my year-end post, I rather keep this as pleasant as possible. Thanks for being here, though things could be better, I'm going into 2010 feeling upbeat - hopefully, you are as well. Without further ado, on to the music...

Lindsey Buckingham: Holiday Road

The Ronettes: Frosty The Snowman

Yo La Tengo: Rock N Roll Santa

Sugar Chile Robinson: Christmas Boogie

The Cats & The Fiddle: Hep Cat's Holiday

Tom Waits: Jesus Gonna Be Here (live)

Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers: Dig That Crazy Santa Claus

The Cadillacs: Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Barrington Levy: Christmas Day

Sons Of Heaven: When Jesus Was Born

Coil: Christmas Is Now Drawing Near

Ghostface Killah: Ghostface X-Mas

Little Esther with Johnny Otis: Faraway Christmas Blues

Jimmy Butler: Trim Your Tree

Was (Not Was): Christmas Time In Motor City

Bob Seger & The Last Heard: Sock It To Me Santa

Santo & Johnny: Twistin' Bells

Bob Dylan: Must Be Santa

Mixes from Xmas past:

cool yule

tis the season...

i guess there'll be no airing of grievances this year

deck the hall with boughs of bandwidth

This complete collection of Beatle fan club Christmas recordings has been linked far and wide - among them, the online editions of USA Today and The Village Voice - check it out:

happy chrismas to ya list'nas

To each and every one of you, have a safe and happy holiday season - I'm looking forward to seeing all here next year!

Happily, Rage Against The Machine are still up to their old tricks - they're on a Facebook/Twitter campaign to get their song, Killing In The Name, to the Christmas Number One spot on the UK Singles Chart. As Wikipedia mentions, the slot has been dominated for four consecutive years by winners from the popular UK teevee show The X Factor, created and hosted by Simon Cowell. Even Paul McCartney has jumped in, declaring his support for RATM despite recently performing with Joe McElderry, currently second in Xmas#1. All this led to the latest controversy:

Rage In F-Word Shock

BBC bosses were forced to apologise today after rockers Rage Against The Machine unleashed a barrage of F-words on Radio Five Live's breakfast show.

The controversial US band, who are locked in a battle for Christmas Number One with X Factor winner Joe McElderry, shocked presenters Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogarty after performing the explicit version of the single Killing in The Name.

Speaking to host Campbell, the band had earlier discussed the internet campaign to get them to the top of the charts as a protest against "manufactured music".

The presenters then introduced the band expecting the "clean" version of the song to be performed.

But Campbell and Fogarty frantically faded out at the climax of the song as singer Zack de la Rocha repeated the lyrics "F*** you I won't do what you tell me".

As the sound of the band was drowned out, Fogarty was heard to say: "Get rid of it."

She then said: "Sorry, we needed to get rid of that because that suddenly turned into something we were not expecting.

"Well, we were expecting it but we asked them not to do it and they did it anyway. So buy Joe's records instead."

A BBC spokesman said a handful of listeners had complained about the broadcast.

He added: "Five live Breakfast featured a live broadcast of the song Killing In the Name by Rage Against the Machine. We had spoken to the band repeatedly beforehand and they had agreed not to swear.

"When they did we faded the band out and said sorry immediately. We apologise again to anyone who was offended."

The band, who had taken the opportunity to criticise X Factor mogul Simon Cowell, played their song live down the phone line from Los Angeles.

They are currently the subject of a Facebook campaign to get their 1992 hit to the festive top spot ahead of 18-year-old Joe's version of The Climb.

Speaking about the race, de la Rocha attacked Cowell, saying: "Simon is an interesting character. He seems to have profited greatly off humiliating people on live television and has a unique position of capturing the attention of people on television, but also the airwaves. We see this [campaign] as a necessary break of that control."

Meanwhile guitarist Tom Morello explained why the band had decided to back the fan-led campaign. He said: "People are tired of being spoon fed one schmaltzy ballad after another.

"They want to take back their own charts. We're honoured they've chosen our song to be the rebel anthem to topple The X Factor monopoly.

"People aren't buying Killing In The Name to protest a record coming out on a major company. We wrote Killing In The Name in a small industrial slum in Los Angeles.

"The X Factor song is written by a cabal of overpaid songwriters to shove the schmaltzy business down your throats. So there is two very different choices.

"The thing the listeners need to know is, it's a really close race and its a real liberating musical revolution and we're honoured to be a part of it."

Killing In The Name recently became the bookies favourite to bag the Christmas Number One slot.

Cowell has slammed the campaign, calling it "stupid", "cynical" and "very Scrooge".

DJ Chris Evans has also been forced to say sorry for offending listeners after George Michael used the F-word on his drive-time show yesterday.

Asked by a fan whether he would ever appear on BBC show Top Gear, in a feature in which celebrities race round a track, he replied: "Other than the fact I'd be afraid of coming last on that f****** score board."

It's heartening to find RATM still doesn't go gentle into that good night.

Rage Against the Machine: Killing In The Name

Rage Against the Machine: Sleep Now In The Fire

Rage Against the Machine: Guerrilla Radio

Rage Against the Machine: People of the Sun

Rage Against the Machine: Renegades Of Funk

The Christmas elves are feverishly working away, putting together the very finest holiday music for your listening pleasure - hopefully, that will be up shortly. I'll also be waxing philosophically on the merciful end of perhaps the worst decade in American history - you won't want to miss any of it!