Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem Shine On (You Crazy Diamond)

One of my favorite things about Christmas music is how open-minded most folks are about it. Okay, okay, I know every office and family has their Scrooge, but bah-humbuggery aside, people are a bit more open in what they listen to around the Holidays. As an example, who doesn't love listening to Bing Crosby singing White Christmas? How often do you listen to a crooner like Bing? Christmas has a way of grabbing a song and throwing it back at you once a year but consistently year after year. So people allow themselves a look back at older styles of music that they normally would avoid.

Another great example is how many people I know that listen to Celtic music around Christmas time, whereas they're not really interested most other times of the year. My parents fall squarely in this category. I was so impressed with the box set my folks bought a few years ago. It had to have been put together by someone just for this purpose. It mixed well-known Christmas songs, your Jingle Bells and Silent Night-type tunes, in with lesser-known Celtic jigs and reels like Christmas Eve Reel, Bring a Torch to Jeanette Isabella, and Holly and Ivy -- often in the same track! It was genius! It disguises the Celtic ear training in with the Christmas canon you already know.

So how do we use this to our advantage in our plans to take over the world? Err, I mean, to promote Americana music? (Promote Americana music with our skillfully hidden subliminal twang messages in order to take over the world! Muwahaha!)

How? I'll tell you how. Buy your friends Emmylou Harris' Light of the Stable. This album is beautiful. Simply beautiful. Emmylou is a serious cross-over artist. Similar to Alison Krauss, she's kind of an Americana gateway drug. She's dangerous in her own right but more importantly leads to harder stuff down the road.

Light of the Stable has the traditional tunes you know, tastefully done -- O Little Town of Bethelehem, Away In A Manger, First Noel, and Silent Night. But she's added several of the "sensitive country" songs she's so well-known for, soft, almost bittersweet songs that highlight her fragile-sounding yet strong-as-steel voice -- There's A Light and the title track, Light of the Stable. Those are two of my three favorite songs on the album. Tell your friends, "Guess what? That beatiful singing you're hearing? You might not have noticed, since it's Christmas, but it's COUNTRY! Emmylou Harris is COUNTRY! And soylent green may be PEOPLE, but Emmylou is COUNTRY! Muwahahaha!"

But wait! That isn't enough? A beautiful album of gorgeous Christmas tunes where you can sneak in the twang without your friends noticing? Want more? How about Christmas Time's A Coming, the classic Bluegrass Holiday favorite. Hmm, too Bluegrassy for your friends? Need something more subtle to lure them in? Here you go -- my new favorite Christmas carol -- the Stanley
Brothers' Christmas song, Beautiful Star of Bethelehem. I freaking love this song! It's my favorite song on the album, and should definitely pass unnoticed under even the most non-twangy bah-humbugger's nose until it's too late! They're listening to Bluegrass! Hah!

I give Light of the Stable tons of bonus points too for not mentioning Santa Claus, period. I need to give it another thorough listen to be positive, but I really think she doesn't mention Santa at all. The songs are all about the feelings we get around Christmas-time, or about the Christian stories themselves. But again, your friends won't notice, the songs are so pretty!