Jody Watley's 'Christmas Time Is Here' kicks off the PopWatch Non-traditional Holiday Playlist

I’m no Grinch, but I’ve got to admit there are times when the sound of a traditional holiday carol makes me say “Ho, ho, NO!” (The too-perky “thumpity-thump-thump” refrain of “Frosty the Snowman,” for example, conjures up evil fantasies of giving the titular hero a one-way plane ticket to a tropical destination.) Thankfully, though, we live in a musically diverse time where there are festive ditties to fit almost any mood. One of my all-time favorite seasonal tracks is Jody Watley‘s “Christmas Time Is Here,” a sexy, fireside take on the melancholy tune made famous in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Miss Watley has made her cover (embedded below) available for free download at her ReverbNation music page, and I’ve taken the liberty of making it the first track on PopWatch’s 2009 Nontraditional Holiday Playlist. What other unexpected carols should make the cut? That’s up to you, my friends. Head to the comments section below and add your favorite lesser-known carols. By the time Santa heads down the chimney, we’ll have ourselves a merry little playlist!