Nippertown Holidays Spotify playlist: All local music saves holiday season

From Mariah-Carey-thawing-out memes to seemingly every shopping plaza in the Capital Region playing “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” it’s clear that if you’re not a fan of the played-on-repeat holiday playlists you might not make it through this most wonderful time of the year.

Enter the Nippertown Holidays playlist. Curated by Publisher Jim Gilbert, the list features 45 songs at about two hours of listening time — all produced by a slew of local artists: Nippertown’s Holiday Playlist.

Dive in and you’ll discover that not all holiday music has to bring out the Grinch in you, especially when it’s locally made by the same people cringing along with you as NKOTB’s “Funky Funky Xmas” hits the grocery store airwaves.

Check out some highlights of the 2023 list:

“Joy” by Ride The Movies

Ride the Movies, led by Noah Chieco, is an alternative rock band from upstate. The group created a Christmas EP in 2020, “The Songs of the Season.”

“I’ve always had a soft spot for Christmas,” Chieco said in a recent interview. “Then when we couldn’t play anywhere, we figured, ‘Hey, it’s been a real long year and people could use a pick-me-up. Let’s do this!’ So we sat in a room together and wrote a few originals, and decided on recording a fun instrumental cover of ‘Joy to the World.’ ”

The “Songs of the Season” EP has four songs and an intro, each one with a different meaning. According to Chieco it took about two weeks to write and record.

“Joy” was written as an ode to their friends, family and loved ones. The band said the song is half Christmas song and half simple song of gratitude.

“The world is a cold place but the ones that love us help us navigate it all,” he said. “And nothing is better than having some time off work during the holidays to spend with those you love.”

Not every song has a serious meaning. “Have a Little Christmas” is a fun song about common traditions and “Greed” is a satirical song written about Chieco’s experience working retail during the holidays in college.

The “Songs of the Season” EP is available on Apple Music and Spotify.

“Saint Nick” by Nbhd Nick

Nbhd (neighborhood) Nick is a local artist who generally performs rap music. In 2019, he released the holiday song “Saint Nick” as a fun way to promote his music and help companies that were looking for a song for holiday ads.

“I was approached for some sync opportunities with some companies that were in search of a Christmas song for their holiday ads/commercials,” Nbhd Nick said. “I thought it was a fun idea and immediately got to work.”

The rapper has more than 307,000 monthly listeners on Spotify – he’s a well-known rapper. Although he performs rap, he says he’s an artist first.

“At this point, since 2019 I’ve released over 150 songs and have tapped into almost every genre,” he said. “It’s more about the authenticity than the style or genre, I’m an artist – not a rapper, not a singer … just an artist.”

The song made Nbhd Nick realize that having one good Christmas tune was enough. He said that if it wasn’t for the support he’s received, he wouldn’t be where he is now.

“I’ll be home for Christmas/Homeward Bound” by Cassandra Kubinski

An unexpected mix of songs that seemlessly go great together. Cassandra Kubinski is a singer-songwriter who mixes pop with a nostalgic ’70s sound. Kubinksi created a Christmas EP in 2017, “Holiday Magic.” Making the EP was Kubinski’s way of trying to bring love back to Christmas music for a new generation of listeners. There are three original songs and three covers on the album.

The covers include “Little Drummer Boy,” with her sisters singing also; “Sleigh Ride”; and “I’ll be home for Christmas” with a “Homeward Bound” mashup.

The song “I’ll be home for Christmas/Homeward Bound” includes a mix of the traditional Christmas song and the Simon and Garfunkel classic.

“The two had this similar wistful traveling mentality, and I think for me it was a creative challenge. So I was intrigued by what it would look like if I did try musically to put them together,” Kubinksi said.

When working on the song, Kubinksi said, she played through both songs looking for parts where the songs could fit with each other while still taking the listener on a journey.

“I always approach songs and the arrangement of songs to try to create an arrangement that’s going to take people on a journey,” she said. “I just tried to create something that would be surprising and innovative, that would tie together two songs that people really love and that I really love. And I love playing it, too.”

“Holiday Magic” and all the songs are available on Spotify and Apple Music, or you can listen to Kubinski’s ultimate holiday playlist on YouTube.

Want to hear more? Check out the official list to hear more local tracks such as:

• “Jingle Bell Rock” by ShortWave RadioBand
• “Merry Xmas This Year” by Pete Donnelly
• “The Light of Christmas” by Madison Vandenburg
• “Here comes the Snow” by Talia Denis
• “The Very First Snow” by Sean Rowe
• “Mistletoe” by Heather Richards
• “Run Little Donkey” by Alice and the Underground
• “Merry Techno Christmas” by DJ Ronnie Rave
• “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Belle-Skinner

Checkout the full Nippertown Holiday Playlist