12 Days of Christmas Music: An Indie-Rock Christmas

On the second day of Christmas we're bringing you a double album's worth of Christmas songs performed by indie-rock artists for your listening pleasure. 

As we instructed in Thursday's kickoff, you'll need Spotify to listen. For 12 consecutive days we're compiling different playlists of Christmas music, each tackling a different theme. Thursday featured songs from holiday TV specials. 

Many of these artists hover just beneath the mainstream music industry, but have served up their share of memorable holiday-themed tunes. Take the Pogues, for instance. While the band might not ring a bell for some, the band's 1987 gem "Fairytale of New York" is widely considered essential listening each holiday (we've added a bonus video of a terrific cover by Iron and Wine, Glen Hansard, Kathleen Edwards and Calexico from Wednesday night's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon just beneath the Spotify playlist.)

The rest of our playlist alternates between bands cranking their amps for revved-up renditions of Christmas staples to faithful takes on well-established classics and delicate originals. Our playlist ends, appropriately enough, with a reading of T'was the Night Before Christmas.

Happy Holidays and lend your song and theme suggestions to our comments section below!
Bonus track: