Holiday music can feel like well-trod ground, but as in any category of music, there are always things to be discovered, old or new. Here's a list of holiday albums you may have missed in your collection or playlist.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, It's a Holiday Soul Party

The late Sharon Jones just had a way of lifting spirits, and this album proves she could do it during the holidays as easily as during a club show or summertime music festival slot. This album opens with the original song, "8 Days (of Hanukkah)," a solid groove anchored by the chorus, "Eight days of Hanukkah / Every one of them glows with love."

That song rolls right into another original, "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects," which opens with the lines, "When I was a child I used to wonder / How Santa put my toys under the tree / I said, momma can you tell me how this can be? / When there ain't no chimneys in the projects." All at once, Sharon Jones addresses inconsistencies in the Santa Claus myth through the lens of social justice and racial equity, and goes on to exalt her mother, the true hero of Jones's childhood Christmases. The rest of the album features the Jones' and the Dap-Kings signature sound through their captivating arrangements of holiday standards that will have you stomping or swaying through the holiday season.

JD McPherson, Socks

The film Elf was released in 2003, but if it was released after 2018, it seems certain that at least one track from McPherson's holiday album Socks would have been included in the soundtrack given the album's timeless sound. McPherson, who at one time thought he would never make a Christmas album, finally acquiesced to his own love of the holiday — in particular, his fondness for some of the classic sounds of holiday music. "Anything you'd guess I would probably like from the Christmas canon, you would probably be right," McPherson said in a 2018 studio session at The Current. "It's going to be all the Bings and the Darlene Loves and all of those things. There's a lot of great music, but that seems to be the sonic imprint for me, is that time period. It just sounds right. It just sounds like the right sonic profile for Christmas music: the '40s, '50s and '60s."

Socks features 11 original songs that feel like instant classics. In 2019, JD McPherson and his band performed a rollicking holiday show at First Avenue spotlighting tracks from Socks, and at one point in the evening, JD announced to the audience he'd like to make that show a tradition every year — and the audience cheered, everyone suddenly looking forward to a year ahead. That ended up not happening this year, of course, but a spin of this record can raise hopes for a resumption of that new tradition in Christmases future.

She & Him, A Very She & Him Christmas

Speaking of Elf — for a lot of people who were of filmgoing age at the time, Elf may have been their first exposure to the talent of Zooey Deschanel, both as an actor and vocalist. For those who left the cinema wanting more holiday tunes from Deschanel, wish fulfillment came in the form of this 2011 release by She & Him, the musical duo comprising Deschanel and M. Ward. She & Him deliver the goods on this collection of covers of beloved tunes — and they did it again with another 11 songs on 2016's Christmas Party.

Nick Lowe, Quality Street

When it comes to the holidays, the exact threshold is different for everyone, but at some point, everyone crosses it: when the holiday season is less about presents or parties or possibilities, and more about marking the passage of time, thinking about those no longer with us for one reason or another, the life plans that didn't pan out. Nick Lowe's sublime album scratches that itch. Quality Street — named for an assortment of chocolates popular at the holidays — is an impeccable mix of joyous, reflective, and melancholy tunes.

In this 2013 collection, Lowe covers some standards (both well- and lesser-known ones), and he also showcases his songwriting chops on such tunes as the reflective "I Was Born In Bethlehem" and the winking "Christmas at the Airport." The latter will resonate with anyone who has had to travel for work in the month of December: it captures the atmosphere of airports at that time of year while imagining being stranded in an empty airport on December 25. Lowe's sense of humor shines brightly in such lines as, "I took a set of X-rays/They turned out rather well," and "Don't save me any turkey/I found a burger in a bin."

The Old 97s, Love The Holidays

Based on the photo on the back of the Old 97s 2018 release, Love The Holidays, it looks like the Old 97s are having a great time. Listen to Love The Holidays, and it's obvious the Old 97s had a great time making this one. This one burst right out of the gate with the title track, and carries through the entire collection. Anchored by the singing and songwriting of Rhett Miller, even the downtempo tunes — "Here It Is Christmastime" is a particular standout — carry an indisputably hopeful message.

Peter Ostroushko, Heartland Holiday

Recorded live at the Fitzgerald Theater in December 2004 in a program for Minnesota Public Radio, the northeast Minneapolis mandolinist Peter Ostroushko brought together eight of his friends for a collection of holiday and holiday-evoking songs. Live, acoustic and immediate, Ostroushko and friends feature traditional songs from Appalachia as well as from Italy, Ireland, England, Finland, the Czech Republic, and from Ostroushko's ancestral Ukraine. And let's not forget, this gathering of Minnesota musicians also cover another Minnesota-born artist, with Ostroushko taking lead vocals on Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country."

The Current Presents: The New Standards and Friends: Holiday Show

Fast-forward to 2011, and here's another program recorded live at the Fitzgerald Theater, this time for The Current. The New Standards — Chan Poling, John Munson and Steve Roehm — provide their fresh take on a number of seasonal standards, plus a few year-round faves such as the Suburbs' "Rattle My Bones" and "Love Is The Law." Also appearing on this album are a number of local artists, including jeremy messersmith, HALEY, Gary Louris, Matt Wilson and Dan Wilson. A highlight of the album is the performance of "Snow Days," which draws a warm cheer of recognition from the audience. Michael DeMark engineered this live album, which might be a bit of a collectors' item now.

Barenaked Ladies, Barenaked for the Holidays

Here's the album that's probably getting this post snared in corporate firewalls. This album was released in 2004, before Stephen Page's departure from the band, and although the Toronto band have continued successfully as a four-piece, the release date is significant because Page and mainstay Ed Robertson each contributed original tunes to this collection. Page's excellent "Hanukkah Blessings" song elevates with sincerity and authenticity, and the harmonies he and Robertson attain on the choruses will remain pleasantly fixed in any listener's mind long after a spin of this disc. Robertson's original "Green Christmas" was written for the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but this song, like any good soundtrack tune, transcends its filmic placement. It captures a melancholy and longing and ultimately a hope of getting together with loved ones at the holidays. The rest of the album features a number of goofball takes on holiday standards (although with solid musicianship underpinning the yuks) as well as some earnest cuts augmented by guests Sarah McLachlan and Michael Bublé.

Various Artists, An Americana Christmas

In 2014, New West Records put together this collection — sequenced by one-time Replacements manager Peter Jesperson — of 16 songs by a number of artists in the Americana genre, including the Band, Emmylou Harris, the Old 97s and Bob Dylan. Rife with gems, some particular tracks to pay special attention to include originals from John Prine ("Everything Is Cool"), Johnny Cash ("The Gifts They Gave") and Nikki Lane ("FaLaLaLaLove Ya"). Notable covers include Robert Ellis doing "Pretty Paper" (written by Willie Nelson) and Valerie June's beguiling, lilting vocals hovering over a stomp-and-clap version of "Winter Wonderland."

Nat King Cole, The Magic of Christmas

Originally released in 1960, this album is a collection of standards sung by one of America's most iconic and beloved voices. Note that the original collection does not include Cole's take of "The Christmas Song," so for the crate-diggers out there, look for the 1962 re-release of this album simply called The Christmas Song to include that gem. Cole's voice is as sweet and buttery as your favorite holiday treat.

Kacey Musgraves, A Very Kacey Christmas

Since the 2016 release of this album, Musgraves has shown us her affinity for those holiday variety shows that tend to speckle TV schedules from Thanksgiving to December 24. A Very Kacey Christmas showed its cards by taking a similar approach, with Musgraves incorporating sentimental songs ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" or the original, "Christmas Makes Me Cry") with lighter fare, such as Musgraves' cover of the Chipmunks' "Christmas Don't Be Late." And just like those TV variety shows, Musgraves welcomes special guests, including Leon Bridges, the Quebe Sisters, and Willie Nelson — who appears (ahem) jointly on the track, "A Willie Nice Christmas."

Low, Christmas

An atmospheric and decidedly lo-fi release from the Duluth trio delivers holiday spirit in the band's signature sound. Standouts include the absolutely infectious opening track, "Just Like Christmas," a stompbox-and-jingle-bells number led by Mimi Parker's vocals; the Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk duet of "Silent Night," accompanied by acoustic guitar; and "Taking Down the Tree," which seems to capture the grey snow cover of post-Christmas humdrum.

Frank Sinatra, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra

Originally released in 1957 and re-released on vinyl in 2010, this album brings Sinatra's signature swagger to any eggnog-swilling occasion. You can hear the sanguine fingersnaps (or add your own) when Frank belts out "Jingle bells, jing-, jing-le bells…" Only Frank Sinatra can sing it like that.

Billy McLaughlin, Wintersongs & Traditionals

Minneapolis guitarist Billy McGlaughlin is a bit of a Christmas miracle in his own right. In the 1990s, McLaughlin built a career as a musician based on his distinctive fingerstyle acoustic-guitar playing, creating a sound that was a bit Baroque but could also swing and rock. Then in 2001, McGlaughlin was diagnosed with focal dystonia — but instead of packing it in, McLaughlin gritted his teeth, restrung his guitar and re-learned to play all of his songs using the opposite hands, restoring and re-energizing his career.

Wintersongs & Traditionals predates all that, but it's an all-acoustic album of arrangements that bring warmth to frigid winter days or nights. Given the material, these tracks are more delicate than McLaughlin's signature style of percussive hammer-ons under dancing, high-string melodies, but they nevertheless showcase McLaughlin's virtuosity, his tuneful ear and his talent for capturing the organic sound of acoustic guitar that puts the listener right in the room with him.

Storyhill, Bethlehem

Another acoustic collection and a fresh release for 2020, the Montana-bred and St. Olaf College-nurtured duo, who have been making music together for three decades now, released this album right around Thanksgiving of this year. One track from the album, "Could It Be," was The Current's Song of the Day for Tuesday, December 22.

Storyhill comprise the duo Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson (the latter of whom has also played in the bands Alva Star and The Hopefuls). Cunningham returned to Montana, where the two friends grew up, while Hermanson lives in Minnesota. The distance doesn't keep the two from making music together, however, and this one was recorded at Cunningham's home studio in Bozeman, Mont. During a recent livestream concert from that studio, Storyhill described the album as a cohesive experience, to be listened to straight through, and if they were performing the album in the same room as a live audience, they wouldn't expect or want applause between songs as it's meant to be a more contemplative musical whole. The tracklist on Bethlehem consists of careful arrangements drawn from a number of European traditions, and it includes some originals by Storyhill as well. A particularly welcome rewrite: In their arrangement of "Silent Night," Storyhill alter the lyrics "yon virgin" to "young woman."

Dolly Parton, A Holly Dolly Christmas

Another 2020 release, Dolly Parton's latest album features tracks recorded over the past 11 years, including this year. During the instrumental bridge of the first track, "Holly Jolly Christmas," Parton, in her typical, self-effacing style, gives a spoken-word rationale for this collection of songs: "Oh every year, I love singing this song," she says, "and I thought, 'Well, why not just do a whole album called A Holly Dolly Christmas? [laugh] So I did!" Joining Parton on this album are a number of guests, including Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon (who is a much better singer than he often gets credit for) and Willie Nelson, who sings along with Parton on a song he penned, "Pretty Paper." Everyone loves Dolly Parton, and this latest release is another example of her enduring career and perennial appeal.

Vince Guaraldi Trio, A Charlie Brown Christmas

In 1965, St. Paul-born cartoonist extraordinaire Charles Schulz deftly and compassionately captured a tension around Christmas that remains as true then as it does 55 years on. But would A Charlie Brown Christmas have been such a longstanding favorite without the music of the Vince Guaraldi Trio? It's hard to say — but fortunately, we don't have to dwell in that hypothetical. Rather, we can enjoy this music in its own right, thanks to this timeless album, a remastered and expanded version of which was released in 2012.