Now that the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been devoured, it’s time to conjure up some holiday cheer in the form of your favorite Christmas songs! In addition to your usual playlist, we’d like to offer up a few fresh tracks that we think will add nicely to your holiday decorating soundtrack. Take a look below for five new songs to guide you through the holiday season.

This Wild Life – “Sleigh Ride”

With their airy-light acoustic delivery and Kevin Jordan’s delicate vocals, This Wild Life are the perfect duo for Christmas cheer. Their rendition of “Sleigh Ride” is a jolly ride through a classic holiday song and will serve as the perfect backdrop to your winter gatherings. Can we get a full album of this, guys?

Carly Rae Jepsen – “Last Christmas”

There have been several covers of Wham’s smash single through the years, but Carly Rae has joined the party with her own unique take on a holiday classic. With a sensual saxophone backdrop and Carly’s token bubblegum melody leading the way, this rendition of “Last Christmas” is sure to be tickling your ears during your holiday shopping trips this year.

August Burns Red – “Home Alone Theme”

Why has nobody thought to do this sooner? August Burns Red continue their tradition of serving up metalcore instrumentals of some of our favorite Christmas classics, this time in the form of a John Williams cover. It’s a brutal, guitar-filled ride conjuring up memories of that creepy dude with the snow shovel outside Kevin’s house who turned out to be a pretty decent guy.

Issues – “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”

If anyone was going to cover this *NSYNC holiday classic, who better than Issues, guided by the vocal gymnastics of Tyler Carter? Carter’s smooth delivery guides glorious liberties taken with the melody. Even when Michael Bohn chimes in with some backing screams, the track still manages to feel cheerful, which is quite the feat.

The Killers – “Dirt Sledding”

Carrying on a tradition of Christmas originals, The Killers have returned with “Dirt Sledding”, a hilarious country-tinged track of a holiday song, highlighted by Brandon Flowers over-the-top vocal delivery. In need of a laugh and a smile this holiday season? The Killers have just what you need.

by Kiel Hauck

Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.