contributor Faith Salie joins us to share her own feelings about creepy holiday classics that deserve a perhaps more scrutinous listen.

The electronic musician and producer Matthew Dear has tried on a few different sonic identities over the years -- and as a result he's been called an illusionist, and a musical chameleon. But his latest album Beams is his most personal yet. Dear plays a dark and entrancing set with his band.

Join us for our occasional series where we pair something fun to drink with music. Tonight, Whiskey Talk with Colin Spoelman, of the award-winning Kings County Distillery. We try the strong stuff -- and pair it with songs.

While there's other holidays in December, the entire month has been pretty much co-opted by Christmas. And maybe November too. Even outside of the less-often sung about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, Christmas is hardly the only holiday on the calendar in need of a good anthem or two.

Celebratory rockers Japandroids almost broke up four years ago. Now they play Webster Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Download the song "The House That Heaven Built."

Hear the new album from Hortlax Cobra -- a.k.a. John Eriksson of Swedish pop trio Peter, Bjorn and John -- a tribute to Van Halen's classic 1984.