Sound Sunday wishes you Happy Alternative Holidays. Throw a party your way with albums that range from pop/rock and punk to chiptune, metal and grind core music. There is nothing like some loud music breaking through a silent night.

Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for free by entering 0 in the price field. That said, we strongly recommend you to donate a few dollars for music you enjoy!

You are welcome to submit your music, send suggestions with free albums you have discovered, or request genres I haven’t covered in a while. For all Sound Sunday related inquiries, please contact Tina [tina at makeuseof dot com].

Free Song: Sofia & Sophie – Xmas On The Dance Floor

Genre: indie, dance, pop, electronica

From their Bandcamp profile: “We all know the Swedes can write a mean pop songs – but what about folk songs? Well, one artist is nonchalantly transferring the charm and fun found in most pop songs into sweet, acoustic twang. Sofia Talvik, brings bubbly blonde ambition to this raw and often quiet genre with a captivating breath of fresh air.”

Xmas On The Dance Floor is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Anavae – Acoustic Christmas

Genre: alternative, acoustic, rock

Anavae is a female-fronted alternative rock band from London, UK.

Acoustic Christmas is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Raw Rock Militia – Christmas With Strangers

Genre: indie, acoustic, experimental, instrumental, folk, hardcore, punk, rock

From their Bandcamp profile: “The Raw Rock Militia is Showbread’s official street team and message board. Join today for free and become part of a raw community, you won’t regret it.”

Christmas With Strangers is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Captain Polaroid – May All Your Christmases Be Blue EP

Genre: alternative, indie, lo-fi, pop, noise

From his Bandcamp profile: “My fuzzy, shambolic lo-fi pop is thrown carelessly out of a bedroom window in Birmingham, UK.”

May All Your Christmases Be Blue EP is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Tim and Joy Walker – …amid the winter snow…

Genre: acoustic, instrumental, country rock, progressive rock, electronica, folk

From Joy’s Bandcamp profile: “Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and composer, with unashamedly “prog” inclinations. Influences include Anthony Phillips, Phil Keaggy, Mike Oldfield, Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, Ralph Towner, Gordon Giltrap, etc., but will listen to anyone who can play decent guitar. (And others, too, if they’re really good. Of course.)”

…amid the winter snow… is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Carolino – Holy Night

Genre: christian, ambient rock, rock

From the album page: “These are all songs you know arranged a little different. I really do hope you enjoy it and that it blesses you as much as it has blessed me to make it.”

Holy Night is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Quinzy – Songs from the Last Quinzmas

Genre: pop, rock

From their homepage: “Hailing from Winnipeg, Quinzy is amassing critical and popular devotion as a result of the release of three masterful EPs, a tremendously successful annual Christmas concert called ‘Quinzmas’, a television show about their musical adventures in Singapore, two major concerts at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and placement of their songs in television shows such as ABC’s ‘Rookie Blue’. Quinzy is clearly poised for a major breakthrough, but who exactly are these dashing young men?
They are two sets of brothers, who are also cousins, performing and recording songs that blend the cutting edge of modern musical conception with the best and most satisfying flavours of Pop music’s heritage.”

Songs from the Last Quinzmas is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

RTTB-Records – Pop-Punk X-Mas – Hey Ho Ho Ho … Let it snow

Genre: pop, punk

RTTP stands for Ramone to the Bone. This is the indie pop/punk label’s first official Ramonescore & Pop-Punk X-Mas -Compilation.

op-Punk X-Mas – Hey Ho Ho Ho … Let it snow is a free download from Bandcamp.

Free Song: Black Mountain Transmitter – Stille Nacht

Genre: experimental, ambient, choir, dark drone

Stille Nacht is a musical Christmas card, featuring a ten minute track of faced and decayed Christmas ambience.

Stille Nacht is a free download from Bandcamp.

Various Artists – XMAS Compilation 2010

Genre: electronic, chipmusic, chiptune, 8-bit, video game music

From Rush’s Tumblr page: “This holiday album was made by using only 8-bit sounds to recreate your favorite Xmas favorites like “Gloria”, “Silent Night”, “Little Drummer Boy”, “O Christmas Tree” and many more. Rush Coil’s use of 8-bit will have you not only nostalgic for Christmas days past but they days of video games with 8-bit soundtracks.”

XMAS Compilation 2010 is a free download from Bandcamp.

Drew Creal – Carl the Christmas Squirrel and the Sugar Coated Arpeggio Gumdrop Candycane Forest

Genre: progressive, metal

Drew Creal writes: “In mid October of 2010 I started recording what would become “Carl the Christmas Squirrel.” It was a quirky idea but I was determined to complete the album even though I would be exposing a part of myself that most people weren’t aware of. I really just wanted to make the most menacing sounding Christmas album and combine it with a ridiculous concept that I always wish existed. (…) Anyone that listens, downloads or donates to this album is blessing me beyond measure. Thank you for your support. Merry Christmas. May Lord Zorlart be defeated!”

Carl the Christmas Squirrel and the Sugar Coated Arpeggio Gumdrop Candycane Forest is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

A Grindcore Christmas – Volume Two [2012]

Genre: metal, black metal, death metal, grindcore, noise

A Grindcore Christmas is a project of Phillip Acevedo for his indie label ROBO! Robotica. It’s the album that changed Christmas…forever.

Volume Two [2012] is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

And More…

Enjoyed one of these albums? Pay it back and share this article or the albums you liked. If you really appreciated a particular album, please donate to the respective artist, so they can continue releasing great music.

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Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.