Miraculously, we’ve flipped the December switch and moved into holiday mode.   Each year it seems to get harder and harder.  Last year we were mired in serious Grinchdom until that magical, mysterious tour of Christmas by Sufjan Stevens and his talented elves at the Henry Fonda Theater in LA.  On that night, as he has done for years in December with his Christmas Songs and video offerings, Stevens and troupe brought forth the joy and uplift that the season can, but oft-times doesn’t, entail.  It was one of the Best Concerts of 2012 and definitely the most entertaining of the year (this year’s most entertaining concert award goes hands down to Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express for their show at the Make-Out Room in October–if you missed it, an even more festive possibility is Prophet’s impending New Year’s Eve show at the Starry Plough in Berkeley, CA).  When Stevens and band segued during last December’s show mid-song from Christmas Unicorn into Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, we experienced Christmas catharsis in full.

A year later we covet a return engagement by Sufjan, but it doesn’t seem to be in the offing or in the stocking.  So to survive the season we are listening non-stop to Stevens’ Songs for Christmas Volumes 1-10.  You can stream Volumes 6-10 below with accompanying seasonal background.  Or go to the Silver & Gold widget below it (song 58, Christmas Unicorn, is the Christmas bomb).  ‘Tis the season folks!

And if you’ve been really nice, the coveted Silver & Gold Vinyl Boxset is available anew HERE on Asthmatic Kitty.