With less than a week to Christmas, this month's 7 Tracks is dedicated to all things festive, though these aren’t your typical Christmas songs. You won’t find Mariah Carey, Bing Crosby or Wham on these tracks. Instead I have opted for the obscure, the alternative and the downright odd for this month’s list. Incidentally this will also be the last 7 tracks, next year I have decided to have a bit of a change, so instead of 7 Tracks for 7 Days, each month you will find two bands profiled in my new feature The A-Z of West Australian Music (working title). But for now enjoy these 7 tracks and have a very Merry Christmas and we’ll see you in the New Year.

Monday – Like A Child On Christmas Day – Decibully
Milwaukee natives Decibully offer up this great Christmas track that was originally intended for the OC Holiday compilation. Their trademark sound is completely intact on this track, plenty of amazing vocals, and great instrumentation – even a few sleigh bells chucked in for good festive measure. It’s a really beautiful song which undoubtedly needs to be heard by many more people.
Download: http://decibully.listeningpartyrecords.com/track/like-a-child-on-christm...

Tuesday – It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop – Frightened Rabbit
Frightened Rabbit offer up out second track this month. As expected it is slightly melancholic, but at the same time bloody amazing. The vocals are spot on as always and the guitar work is fantastic, it’s about halfway through when this song really comes into its own when the choral backing singers kick in, making this a truly beautiful song. If only I knew what it was they were going to stop due to Christmas.
Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqVs0ecJDNk
Purchase: http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=240

Wednesday – Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis – Tom Waits
Now this isn’t the most Christmassy of Christmas songs, but then really what do you expect from Tom Waits. He’s hardly going to go out and sing "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer". What he has done however is produce a really wonderful bluesy and soulful track that really highlights how incredible his voice can be. Whilst Christmas is in the background in this track, I’d still play it on Christmas Day just to see the reaction from the other guests. The below version is from a concert in Sydney back in 1979.
Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmmrKek_CwM

Thursday – Xmas Prison Blues – Seasick Steve & The Level Devils
In keeping with the non-Christmassy feel of the second song, here is an ode to Christmas behind bars from the excellent Seasick Steve. Steve’s voice is amazing on this track, completely understated and bluesy. Also features some impressive bluesy guitar work, and nice little Roy Orbison homage midway through. Songs like this prove that it doesn’t have to be all about reindeers and kissing under the mistletoe to make a great Christmas song.
Listen: http://www.we7.com/song/Seasick-Steve/Xmas-Prison-Blues?m=0

Friday – Is This Christmas – The Wombats
Recently it seems like every indie band is releasing a Christmas song of some description. Hell, The Killers seem to be doing it every year now. Here’s one of the best of the bunch, The Wombats "Is This Christmas". It has all the elements that make up a typical Wombats song, there is the jangly guitars, the shouty vocals, and a really great sense of fun. It’s a really fun upbeat and happy Chrismtassy song – which makes a change from the last few tracks.
Watch: http://www.contactmusic.com/videos.nsf/stream/the-wombats-is-this-christmas

Saturday – Winter Wonderland – Animal Collective
Now I must admit that I wouldn’t initially have placed this on a list of Christmas songs, but then when I was hunting around for alternatives to the Christmas song canon, this was nestled midst a list on a site somewhere. I suppose with its references to snowmen and snowflakes it certainly fits the bill if you happen to live in the northern hemisphere. But either way it is a great fun song, which will certainly have your grandparents looking puzzled if you chose to play it on Christmas Day. Has a pretty amazing chorus to it, great for a psychedelic Christmas.
Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR-H2XzNcQM

Sunday – Fairytale of New York – The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
No list of Christmas songs would complete without the inclusion of this track. It has repeatedly been voted the best Christmas song by many, and I would have to agree. It doesn’t matter that half the time you can’t understand a word that Shane McGowan is singing, it has an undeniable feel to it. From the delicate opening piano intro you’ll be hooked, and more than likely be singing along by about half way through. The song goes from great to awesome with the introduction of Kirsty MacColl’s vocals and the more upbeat instrumentation. I could be wrong, but I think it still remains to be one of the only Christmas songs with swearing – perhaps that’s one of the reasons for its greatness.
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwHyuraau4Q