I’ve been making what I call a Christmas mix — that is, not holiday songs but a mix made at the holidays — since 1997; first they were tapes, then for a few years cds, and finally, in the digital age, the last six years have been downloadable zip files, and this year is no exception. These are songs — frequently but not necessarily released in 2011 — that meant something to me this year, for various reasons, and they are for you. Consider it a list of my favorite songs of this year, if that helps. The whole shebang is available as a zip file [here] (110MB, .zip).

Happy holidays, happy 2011, happy these are great songs — whatever floats your boat. This is from me to you. 2011 could have been a hell of a lot worse.

If you creep about lurking and you only comment on one post all year, this would be a good one. I’m just sayin’. ♥

1. Frank Turner — “I Still Believe”: now who’d have thought that after all/something as simple as rock and roll would save us all
2. The Horrible Crowes — “Go Tell Everybody”: and i just fell to pieces on the night that you said you were leaving/you can’t come back to the heart that you left
3. Kasey Chambers — “Guilty”: i’m guilty of all these things
4. Jesse Malin — “You Can Make Them Like You”: there’s always other boys/and you can make them like you
5. The Booze — “Hit Me Where It Hurts”: honey, just kick me where it hurts (it’s gonna be alright)
6. The Hold Steady — “Cheyenne Sunrise”: and we’re all living for that one sweet fleeting feeling
7. Dave Hause — “Time Will Tell”: you say there’s not a god god damn it i could a little faith to keep from crawling right out of my skin
8. Slingshot Cash — “We’ve Come Undone”: but i’m bound by what i found on new year’s day
9. Kate Bush — “This Woman’s Work”: i know you have a lot of strength left
10. Ha Ha Tonka — “No Great Harm”: carried my own weight just as long as i could/but it never did me any good
11. The Old Ceremony — “Day That I Was Born”: you know the poetry/i just know the poem/you woke up next to me the day that i was born
12. Release the Sunbird — “Best Thing For Me”: i may make myself promises that i will never keep/but you’re always the best thing for me
13. The Decemberists — “All Arise!”: baby wants a new spin/baby wants a broken heart
14. Mason Jennings — “Bitter Heart”: our world is filled with only what we see
15. Blitzen Trapper — “Love The Way You Walk Away”: for the things that i never really said to make you stay/’cause i love the way you walk away
16. R.E.M. — “Oh My Heart”: it’s sad and it’s sweet and it’s true/how it doesn’t look bitter on you
17. Scythian — “Dance All Night”: dance with me by the firelight/we don’t got long but we got all night