Listen: 2013 Christmas Songs

Here is a word of advice for anyone who doesn't want to suffer a mental breakdown before Christmas: do not go to a Westfield shopping centre because, right now, in addition to the clasically horrible mall-related things, they are playing the worst Christmas playlist ever to have befallen human ears. What they should have done instead is compile all of the following excellent / hilarious / bonafide crazy renditions of holiday classics. Now that would be a shopping experience.

Nothing will ever beat Jimmy Fallon's 2012 contribution to the Christmas Cover tome (in which Mariah Carey sings, the Roots play children's instruments and real children adorably bob up and down in front of the camera), but this is still pretty good. Iron and Wine, Calexico, Kathleen Edwards and Glen Hansard collaborated on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this year to cover the Pogues' song 'Fairytale of New York'.

If you can imagine nothing more magical than being serenaded, in private, by Stephen Colbert, then this one's for you (you're welcome). Colbert dedicated a week of The Colbert Report to Christmas carols and recruited one of the most Christmas-y bands ever (emotions, right!), The National to play 'Silver Bells', while he sang along. Good.

In what is becoming an increasingly regular past time for indie bands, Pennsylvania-based group Dr. Dog have released an EP of original Christmas-related songs called Oh My Christmas Tree EP, in which they describe fellow Christmas revelers and encourage people to believe in Santa Claus.

Summer Camp are old hands at the Christmas cover, delivering a cover of the Waitresses' 'Christmas Wrapping' a few years ago, but they have returned, with a delightful cover of Wham!'s single 'Last Christmas'.

Incredible singer-songwriter and prolific cover artist, Mark Kozelek, has announced that he will release a Christmas album, called Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols in November of 2014, which really does set new parameters for the Christmas shopping lead-in period. However, he has given us a beautiful, spine-tingling track from the record to keep us melancholic amused for the next 12 or so months, in 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'.

If you thought Mad Decent was more suited to creating an anthemic New Year's album than compiling a selection of delicate Christmas ballads, you would be...totally wrong. The electronic record label has recruited the likes of Diplo to contribute singles to A Very Decent Christmas, and it surprisingly seasonally-appropriate in parts. Just make sure you turn on your Christmas tree's strobe light for the heavier sections, cool?

Similarly, while !!! might be known more for their exceptional dance moves and getting the party started than for their sentimentality, they have tapped into all of their smoothness (of which there is quite a lot) for original holiday single, 'And Anyway, It's Christmas'. It's accompanied by a roaring fire, which only serves to reinforce the band's charming sleaze (yes, that's a thing).

Let us finish with the weirdest and most amazing music-related Christmas news. Yes, Megadeath appeared on Jimmy Kimmel. Yes, Megadeath wore Christmas-themed jumpers. Yes, Megadeath recorded an Christmas-themed sketch to promote their fictional album A Very Megadeath Christmas and yes, in this sketch they sang 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' with Jenny Lewis. Just wow. (In related news, Megadeath will play WestFest in New Zealand next year.)