Inspired by Dr. J’s 12 Days of Christmas Music, Confucius says: here’s twelve albums of Christmas music from the past dozen or so years that are worth your while (and money). Of course, this will only bring us to the twenty-fourth, so you’re on your own for the actual Twelve Days of Christmas unless we get any more bright ideas. That said, we figure you’ll probably want to be left alone to deal with all the treed fowl, leaping lords, etc., that tend to fill up that period.

Los Straitjackets — ’Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets

As reader MC 900-foot MC ably limned it, what you got here is “four Mexican-wrestling-mask-wearing knuckleheads from Nashville bashing their instrumental way through 13 rockin’ Christmas classics. The surf-rock intros are especially fun.”

Yes.

And they’ll frequently just drop in surf-style drum breaks and the like. Their languid “Feliz Navidad” is the only version of the song Confucius particularly likes. If this is the kind of stuff you like, you’ll really like this.

Also, if you ever get a chance to see them live, jump at it. Great sound, amazing guitar work, stage patter exclusively in terribly-accented Spanish, Mexican-wrestler masks, etc. Just terrific fun. If they’re doing one of their shows with the Fabulous Pontani Sisters, run, do not walk thither.

Confucius, Œc. Vol.

Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu.