Turn it Down: Michigan-made Christmas Mix Vol. I

Sick of hearing the same Christmas tunes but don’t have time for a deep dive into the abyss of often abysmal holiday tunes? Here is a locally curated playlist that’ll usher in 2021 with good taste and melodies. Next week, more holly-jolly jams will be featured, so check back for Vol. 2.

Ozay Moore

Emcee, All of the Above Hip Hop Academy (AOTA)

SONG PICK: “Momma’s Stove,” by James Gardin and EssBe

Truth be told, Michigan has given us decades worth of Christmas classics. Many of my personal favorites are found in the Motown catalogue. Those who know me are aware of my “Christmas music” obsession and that I curate a playlist on Spotify called “Newstalgic Holiday Joints.” Though, one of my favorite cuts from recent years comes from Lansing natives and AOTA crew mates James Gardin and EssBe. Their track, “Momma’s Stove,” is an instant classic in my book. It has a ragtime-juke joint modern bop to it. Such a well-orchestrated track. The keys feel like “family has just arrived,” the guitar is like sipping eggnog and discovering it’s spiked with rum, and the horns are something to toast to. James paints a picture of gratitude and love. Such a centering song for the season.

Ty Forquer

Strategy assistant at Michigan College Access Network, 517 Shirts founder, Lansing Facts contributor

SONG PICK: “What Child Is This Anyway?” by Sufjan Stevens

With COVID-19 still raging through the country, it looks like a lot of us are in for a melancholy holiday without the traditional gatherings of family and friends. And the modern king of sad-ass Christmas music is Michigan’s own Sufjan Stevens. His two holiday albums, “Songs for Christmas” and “Silver and Gold,” are the shining stars atop the tree of seasonal depression. Even celebratory tunes like “Joy to the World” seem to carry somber undertones. One of my personal favorites is “What Child Is This Anyway?” — a doddering, mopey take on the Christian hymn “What Child Is This?” This seven-minute meditation on the birth of Jesus Christ is colored with downhearted tones, juxtaposed against lyrics like “the king of kings/salvation brings/let loving hearts enthrone him.” The mix of playful nostalgia and undercurrents of uncertainty that flow through these albums, and through most of Stevens’ catalog, are perfect for those times you want to curl up in bed with some eggnog and fully lean into a doleful holiday mood.

Sarah Spohn

Journalist, The Palm Reader

SONG PICK: “What Christmas Means to Me,” by Stevie Wonder

Written by Anna Gordy Gaye, George Gordy and Allen Story, this Tamla Records tune comes from the 1967 LP, “Someday at Christmas.” At the start, when the sleigh bells kick in, you instantly know it’s a festive holiday song and it puts you in a warm-hearted mood. It’s an upbeat track, and a soulful one, thanks to The Funk Brothers’ signature rhythm section. With the ever-smiling Stevie Wonder, you know it’s going to be a happy one. Although I do love its counterpart, “Someday at Christmas,” which is kind of Motown’s nod to John Lennon’s political holiday tune, “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” this one just gets me dancing.

Studies have shown that a song becomes 10 times better with a harmonica, and this one is no different. I’m kidding about the statistic, but not kidding about my love for the harmonica. This song evokes a pretty realistic view of wintertime, especially in the mitten state: “Lots of snow and ice/ Everywhere we go.” As much as Michiganders love to gripe about wintry weather conditions, we’re also quick to complain about a lack of a white Christmas on Dec. 25.

Wonder belts out “I feel like runnin’ wild / As anxious as a little child,” which perfectly encapsulates the childlike wonder I sometimes feel around Christmastime. That belief that things you never imagined could be wrapped under the tree, or waiting just around the corner. What also comes to mind is picturing Will Ferrell in yellow tights with his newfound brother chasing each other in department stores and jumping on mattresses in the “Elf” movie — but that’s a whole other story.

In short, “What Christmas Means to Me” utilizes a hopeful demeanor, wrapped up in a joyous package, topped with a bow. And on top of that bow — you guessed it — the harmonica solo. It truly makes this song an unforgettable gift.