An Anthologies Christmas, various artists (Anthologies)

We previously mentioned Anthologies, the artistic collective local to the creative community of Leeds in the UK, and their 2012 Christmas album. This is their 2011 Christmas album, featuring some of the same artists seeking financial support for the collective. Paul Thomas Saunders opens up with a slow and downcast version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and the song is reprised in a solo guitar version by Mi Mye later in the disc; Himself takes on Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," although the minute or so of warmup at the beginning tests a listener's patience; and Grant K Fennell breaks out the accordion for a rendition of Low's "Just Like Christmas." Hannah Peel's "I Believe in Father Christmas" gets a folky music-box arrangement, Run Speed Tiger covers Sufjan Stevens' "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever," Pengillys perform "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," and Lone Wolf goes solo with only reverb guitar on "Fairytale of New York." Just Handshakes gives us a sparse but rocking version of "I Still Believe in Christmas Trees," Chi & the Twelfth Wall do a chamber-pop rendition of "Dear Autumn," Arthur Rigby takes a Kinks-ian approach to "It Feels Like Christmas," and Sam Airey medleys "In the Bleak Midwinter" with "If You Get Lonely This Christmas" backed by fingerpicked guitar. Wrapping things up are Post War Glamour Girls with "Fathers For Justice (A.D.)," Gary Stewart with "Blue," and Biscuithead & the Biscuit Badgers with the sprightly "Snow," a bit of New Orleans skiffle with tuba subbing for bass. This is a bit more morose-sounding than the subsequent year's collection, but there's still plenty of highlights. Available only from the link above, with suitable donation.