List Me: Easter Songs!

Easter is a “creeper” holiday.  I’m not sure if anyone knows when it is until a couple of days beforehand. Because of its ever changing date and lack of in-your-face marketing, the holiday would easily pass you by if not for your mom’s constant nagging for you to be home on Sunday.  It’s also a holiday that lacks a “music scene” to associate with it.  Think about it…Outside the Christian Rock arena, wait, actually including Christian Rock, has anyone ever made an awesome Easter song? I think not.  We’ve got loads of Christmas albums, songs about the USA, that gobble gobble gobble fat turkey song, but nothing really to rock out to on Easter…until now!  While the songs might not have intentionally been written about the holiday, they all work for us.  Who knew that people sang so much about this Jesus character?!   

10. Doug Martsch – Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Jesus [MP3]: What a way to start your Easter!  Built to Spill’s lead singer reflects on Jesus (actually he just repeats the title a lot) on this cut from his only solo album.  It’s an awesome blues jam with Martsch playing a mean slide guitar and hallelujah-ing like a man possessed. A perfect way to begin your Easter holiday.  Even Doug’s biggest fan could rock out to this.

9.  Sufjan Stevens – The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake [MP3]:  Take it down a notch with this noise jam from Steven’s outtakes collection The Avalanche…Palm Sunday is one of those holidays that we’re not too sure about what it’s actually celebrating, but Jason better watch out ‘cuz Jesus is bringing a tornado to take him out!  This song will make you want to put on your best pair on angel wings.

8.  The Velvet Underground – Sunday Morning [MP3]:  This lovely cut from The Velvet Underground and Nico album is the perfect soundtrack for the ride home from church or a surreal Easter egg hunt…until the flashbacks start and you need to be hospitalized.

7.  Morrissey – I Have Forgiven You Jesus [MP3]: Rumor has it that Easter is all about forgiveness and rebirth or something.  So it’s pretty nice of the Mozzer to give a little back and let Jesus know that he has forgiven him.  Only Morrissey could write this song, but that’s kinda why it rules.

6.  Beulah – Me and Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore [MP3]: This song probably sums up most of your relationships with Easter, “riding with the devil” and ultimately Jesus’ body is “cold and going nowhere.” Man. This holiday is a bummer.  It’s almost as good as this jam!

5.  Neutral Milk Hotel – The King of Carrot Flowers Part 2&3 [MP3]:  Hopefully this song will cleanse the last songs skepticism off with cyborgs and synthetic flying machines. We still haven’t decided if the song’s “I love you Jesus Christ” line is an address or an exclamation, either way it is a proclamation!

4.  Animal Collective – Who Could Win a Rabbit [MP3]:  Somewhere in the south there are Easter contests that involve winning rabbits and then eating them…delicious.

3. Jack Drag – Gettin’ High With Jesus [MP3]:  There are tons of awesome songs referring to or being directly about Jesus.  This one is among the best but let us not forget Modest Mouse’s “Jesus Christ was an Only Child,” Iron & Wine’s “Jesus the Mexican Boy,” Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” and Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks".

2.  The Hold Steady – “Citrus” and “Crucifixion Cruise” and “How a Resurrection Really Feels” [Citrus MP3]:  In “Citrus” we get “Jesus in the clumsiness of young and awkward lovers” but Judas is there as well and that sums up these three songs, juxtaposing the beauty of redemption with the betrayal and ugliness that puts us in the position to be redeemed…Real Easter Songs!