Today is a sad day in my life. It is the day that Christmas CDs start getting released en masse, with David Archuleta, Bob Dylan and Connie Talbot all releasing discs that have to do with that fair holiday. That list should inspire awe and wonder all of its own, as it spans just about the entire credibility scale in three names.

BUY:

Flaming Lips – Embryonic. The reigning kings of Oklahoma indie cred drop the new hotness on us. Early tracks are weird and wacky, seeming to mesh their early punk-rock repetition and distortion to their newer artistic ideas and pop structures. In short, a step in some direction, for sure. Whether it’s forward, back or to the side, none can yet determine. Definitely an album that will be talked about; you can’t miss this one.

Say Anything – Say Anything. Fractured, herky-jerky punk-rockers with a penchant for wild songwriting return with a self-titled album. If you like passionate music, you’ll find none more so than Say Anything, which is fronted by an almost absurdly passionate lead singer. If you like pop-punk, this will float your boat too, although it promises to be much more varied musically than three-chord stompers.

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Five For Fighting – Slice. John Ondrasik has long been ostracized for sounding like Dave Matthews, despite the fact that The Battle for Everything was an incredibly impressive album. If you like acoustic-based music backed by a full band (i.e. more latter day John Mayer than early John Mayer), then you’ll be really interested in this album.

The Roots – How I Got Over. The title track is funky, funky, funky. I feel like I need to be riding in a convertible with my top down, blasting it. Some people don’t take to the funk, but I’m a believer. Pick up what they’re putting down if you’re into funky, synth-laden grooves.

Lightning Bolt – Earthly Delights. Some band names don’t fit, but Lightning Bolt’s name is perfect for their hyperactive, distortion-laden tracks of shrieking punky/metally madness. If that sentence intrigues you, continue on to Earthly Delights. If it frightens you, look elsewhere.

Die:

If people stop buying Christmas albums, people will stop making them. I swear this to you. It’s law of supply and demand. The world will be rid of unnecessary holiday tripe if you just stop buying it. Go buy Sufjan Stevens’ christmas album. Or Burl Ives singing Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” Or any album produced between 1945 and 1960, which was the golden age of croon (Christmas songs were made for crooning).  That’s all you need. Cause really, do we actually need more Christmas tunes? They’re the same songs over again. Although, I will admit that I want to know what Bob Dylan singing “Here Comes Santa Claus” sounds like. And the fact that he is donating all proceeds of this album, now and forever, to the charity Feeding America is pretty tight.

But still. No. More. Christmas. Albums.

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Bob Dylan, Connie Talbot, David Archuleta, Earthly Delights, Embryonic, Five for Fighting, Flaming Lips, How I Got Over, Irving Berlin, Lightning Bolt, Say Anything, Slice, Sufjan Stevens, The Roots