With a hurricane bearing down on the Eastern seaboard, Halloween coming up mid-week, and a tightly contested Election Day on November 6, anyone could be forgiven for wanting to fast-forward to the Christmas season. Cue the Shins, whose jubilant, psych-pop take on the recently conciliatory Paul McCartney’s 1979 synth-workout chestnut “Wonderful Christmastime” surfaced today via Stereogum.
The song is from Holiday Rules, due out October 30 from Starbucks’ Hear Music and Concord Music Group, and its bouncy, Phil Spector-size arrangement should still help to make the season bright a couple of months from now. You know, when it actually is the season.
In other Shins news, James Mercer & co. appeared on PBS’ Austin City Limits over the weekend, sharing an episode with Dr. Dog. Watch below:
Holidays Rule track list:
1. fun. – “Sleigh Ride”
2. The Shins – “Wonderful Christmas Time”
3. Rufus Wainwright With Sharon Van Etten – “Baby It’s Cold Outside”
4. Paul McCartney – “The Christmas Song Ages”
5. Black Prairie Feat. Sallie Ford – “Man With The Bag”
6. Civil Wars – “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
7. Calexico – “Green Grows The Holly”
8. AgesandAges – “We Need A Little Christmas”
9. Holly Golightly – “That’s What I Want For Christmas”
10. Irma Thomas With Preservation Hall Jazz Band – “May Everyday Be Christmas”
11. Heartless Bastards – “Blue Christmas”
12. Eleanor Friedberger – “Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me”
13. Fruit Bats – “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
14. Y La Bamba – “Senor Santa”
15. The Punch Bros. – “O Come O Come, Emmanuel”
16. The Head & The Heart – “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
17. Andrew Bird – “Auld Lang Syne”
