Christmas Inna Babylon, Ras Dave (self-issued)

Modern R'nb, hip-hop, Latin music and of course reggaeton have all helped to push old-school reggae into the background, but folks are still playing it in the modern age and rightly so; it's joyful and swingy in ways that reggaeton doesn't quite approach. I haven't encountered Ras Dave before, but this extended EP/mini-LP should remind you of the joys of this musical style. Dig into  "Rudolph a Rasta," reimagining the holiday mascot lighting a spliff on his nose; "Joy to the World" is rendered in a "Reggae Version," in which he replaces the melody with a more minor-key approach that surprises; "Lion Inna Di Manger" imagines the manger scene with a warm-weather lilt; the album's title song is a smooth holiday ballad; and "Santa Smoke Di Herb" is self-explanatory. Opening and closing the collection is "Jingle Bells -- Island Style" and an instrumental "Silent Night -- Christmas Reggae Dub." Streaming and downloads everywhere.