At this point, you're probably nearly sick of all those Holiday standards that drown out every store and shopping mall entrance. But in the spirit of providing a holiday mix that captures the essence of this next week without drowning you in the usual slop of Christmas carols, Donny Hathaway, and Wham (though "Last Christmas" is truly a jam), we present this year's edition of the Bird Peterson Holiday Spectacular. The mix has plenty of sampled references to childhood favorites -- Frosty the Snowman, Charlie Brown, and Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol included -- while cruising through a mix of funk, hip-hop, breakbeat, down-tempo dance, and more. Lyrics are not a primary concern here and the lines that do come into play often serve as a jokey downer. A cut from the Jackson 5's "Christmas Won't Be the Same This Year" makes an appearance, as do curmudgeonly drops from Diplo ("Ho, ho, ho motherfuckers") and Dave Nada ("I hate Christmas"). But it's all in good fun. With this thirty-minute set, Peterson is eerily successful at capturing the run of emotions that comes along with this sparkled-over time of year: The joy, the laid-back traditions and at times, the affiliated seasonal gloom.

The Bird Peterson Holiday Spectacular by Bird Peterson