Christmas and holiday music galore : Free and for donation!

The copyright of this totally doesn't belong to me.

I have 8.1 hours worth of Christmas and holiday music on m hard drive as this blog post is being written, and a good chunk of that is free and by a lovely host of Canadian indie artists. So for you and your family's entertainment this holiday season, let me share with you some of these free holiday mix tapes, singles and albums fundraising for worthy causes. If you like the artists you hear, make sure to check out more of their music!

It is my hope to update this whenever free Christmas music becomes available. So please let me know if there is a link that I've missed, or if a download is no longer available!

Free compilations/albums

The Line of Best Fit has started a fine tradition of getting Canadian indie heavy hitters like Basia Bulat, Jason Collett and Great Lake Swimmers to cover some of their favourite Christmas songs along with some originals as well.

Download Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada
Download Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada Deux

Mental Beast got a all-Vancouver cast of musicians for their mixtape, named The Eggnog Experience, back in 2009. Artists include Lightning Dust, Apollo Ghosts, Brasstronaut, Analog Bell Service and much more.

Dan Moxon of Bend Sinister recorded an 8-track Christmas album with Jon Bunyan in 2006, complete with all the classics.

The Province Empty Stocking Fund Playlist, featuring 10 BC artists who donated their songs for the Empty Stocking Fund.

Free Singles

Hannah Georgas shared her lovely ditty "Christmas Touch" with me last year. Don't miss it!

Elephant Stone has two singles "Jingle Bells" and "A Hawaiian Holy Night" on their website for download.

Parlovr has two singles "I'm Santa" and "Spike the Eggnog" on their website for download.

Treelines covered "Little Drummer Boy," available for download from their Bandcamp page.

Said the Whale has their 2009 EP West Coast Christmas for download, at the cost of your email.

Library Voices w/ Julia McDougall - "Baby It's Christmas" (MP3, right click and save)

The Ruffled Feathers wrote you a letter and have "The Highest Mountain" for free download.

The Rural Alberta Advantage offer up "Little Drummer Boy," recorded live. (Via AUX.tv)

Kellarissa is offering up a few traditional Finnish songs over at Mint Records.

Data Romance also covered "Little Drummer Boy." (via Line of Best Fit)

Fresh for 2010, Said the Whale has released 2 singles named "24 Days of Christmas" and "Brightest on My Street" for download.

Cadence Weapon covered "We Three Kings" back in 2006 for the CBC.

Ricardo Christoff Apparatus (Buck 65 & D-Sisive) do "The Night Before Christmas."

Charitable Compilations

Zunior.com has recruited Canadian favourites such as Jill Barber, Jim Bryson and Old Man Luedecke for their annual themed Christmas compilations. All profits go toward Daily Bread Food Bank.

2009 - A Peanuts Christmas
2010 - A Country Blues Christmas






Jill Barber, Rose Cousins and Meaghan Smith teamed up to record A New Kind of Light back in 2007, which includes lovely originals alongside traditional favourites. They're three stellar artists and as you can imagine, the outcome is superb. Proceeds of this album goes toward food banks in the Maritimes. You can order the physical album here from Feed Nova Scotia.

Other Christmas Compilations

Prince Edward Island All Stars including Jenn Grant, Al Tuck, Paper Lions and Boxer the Horse cover their favourite Christmas tunes and contribute some original material as well.

Non-Canadian Free Singles/Albums

Beach House has "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun" for download on their website.