Get in the holiday spirit (or not) with The xx's "Last Christmas" cover.

We love a good holiday song around here (let's face it, we're just in THAT kind of mood), but sometimes the traditional "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeers" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Trees" start to wear thin after a while. So isn't it nice when a unique band puts their own contemporary spin on a holiday classic? Especially when the holiday classic in question is Wham!'s "Last Christmas"? You can imagine how psyched we were to hear The xx's toned-down take on Wham!'s jaunty track, because if anyone can appropriately gloom up something George Michael did and still leave you feeling warm and fuzzy by the end, it's The xx.

Listen to The xx cover Wham!'s "Last Christmas" after the jump!

Performing their cover on a visit to BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, The xx kick the track off with some minimalist bass and keys before moving forward in their typical slow-synth fashion. The duo trade in Wham!'s upbeat (and very '80s) synths for some pensive Moog action of their own, and the song's glue clearly lies in their trademark electronic drumbeat and nonchalantly delivered verses. Even if you're not one for (X)X-mas tunes (in which case you might as well hide under the bed for the next week-and-a-half), The xx's cooled-down cover will be a welcome change of pace. (You should probably sneak it on to your mom's holiday mix just to stay sane between "Silent Night" and the "Peanuts" music, just saying.)

+ Listen to The xx cover Wham!'s "Last Christmas."

Photo credit: XL Recordings