Ten years since they treated fans to their first holiday album The Darkest Night of the Year, Over the Rhine returns with Snow Angels on the Great Speckled Dog imprint. Somewhere between Billie Holiday, Nat "King" Cole, the Cowboy Junkies, Blues voodoo and an Appalachian church's serenity simmers the amber honey confessional waltz of duo Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler. Candle-lit with snowflakes falling, these 11 perfect originals are playful, unashamedly romantic and heart-swellingly redemptive. One cover of sorts fits right in -- a softly possessed interpretation of "Jingle Bells" into "One Olive Jingle." And a piano instrumental finds inspiration from Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas in "Goodbye Charles." (Over the Rhine performs Dec. 16 at the Taft Theatre for its annual holiday concert.) ...

Santa Claus hipsters, rejoice! A Christmas-crazy brother among us, Sufjan Stevens, drops the mother lode of cool with a box set that lets everybody be on his super-special secret buddy list. His ambitious 50 States project aside, you've got to admire a fellow who takes a week in December every year to craft, like little fruitcakes of love, handmade CDs of holiday cheer. In Songs For Christmas these five impossible-to-find CD EPs are now gifts to the whole world. From ice-melting instrumentals and tender covers of classics to witty, proud and whimsical originals, the joy and somber nature of the season shines forth like the message of the holiday itself. An anomaly in the Indie Rock world, the result is snark free, soothing and decidedly Christian. There's plenty to unwrap in the Asthmatic Kitty Records collection, as the goodies are plump and overflowing with stickers, a comic strip, a "Christmas Family Portrait" painting of Stevens playing Santa, essays, extensive liner notes and an animated video for "Put the Lights On the Tree." Want to sing and play along? No problem -- lyric sheets and chord charts are included. ...

Another reason to turn down the lights and set the tree to slow, gentle twinkle is Aimee Mann's fragile magic on One More Drifter In the Snow, a perfect antidote to the blare of the season. In the Super Ego Records release, she and producer (and bassist) Paul Bryan paint a soft, sophisticated watercolor in winter white, with vintage instruments and an ear for the glistening, classy Christmas albums of the 1950s and jazzy 1960s. Highlights include a cool, fresh take on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the wistful "Christmastime"(penned by husband Michael Penn) and a cover of Jimmy Webb's "Whatever Happened To Christmas." And is that special guest Grant Lee Phillips getting green and sneering in a wicked vamp of Dr. Seuss' "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch?" This month Mann is performing her Christmas "variety show" at a dozen live concerts in eight cities. Surprise guests are promised, with half a handful of dates hosted by two of the sharpest comedians I can think of -- Paul F. Tompkins and Fred Armisen. ...

For the most gifted of musicians, you really can "take it with you" -- especially if your instrument is a finely tuned voice in perfect harmony with others. From their first cascade of notes, when the a cappella group The Mighty Echoes break out in even the moldiest of chestnut carols in Doo Wop Around the Christmas Tree, I can't help but smile. Featuring tenor Jon Rubin of The Rubinoos, new second tenor John Lathan, British baritone hitmaker Harvey Shield and Charlie Davis' deep cavern soul of bass, one of my favorites gets their lush, in-synch treatment on their new Brooklyn International Records CD -- John and Yoko's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." Perhaps we can all sing that one together soon. ...

Last call brings eggnog with three fingers of schmaltz, baby! Forever lost in a tiki wonderland and smoky, red-crushed velvet swank, Richard Cheese, the showbiz kid, is back with his first CD of Christmas shenanigans, Silent Nightclub. OK, the world could do without his "cover" of "Jingle Bells" (yes, unfortunately the novelty one with the barking dogs), but I've got to giggle at his minute-and-a-half, jumping Jazz spin through Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and a show-stopping romp through "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas. One new original, "Christmas In Las Vegas," makes the Surfdog Records' release, which also includes new must-hear lozenges of lounge like covers of Rush's "The Trees," The Dead Kennedys' "Holiday In Cambodia," and a falling-rain croon in "I Melt With You" by Modern English. Get cheesy!

Television Alert
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno hosts the fantastic KT Tunstall Wednesday, Seal Friday and Panic! At the Disco Monday. The Late Show with David Letterman boasts Beck Thursday. Late Night with Conan O'Brien turns in TV On the Radio Friday and Dashboard Confessional Monday. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson fires one up with Ziggy Marley Wednesday. Jimmy Kimmel Live gets sassy with Corinne Bailey Rae Thursday and Mary J. Blige Friday. And Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Gwen Stefani.

New Releases Coming Tuesday
The Alarm Clocks ­ The Time Has Come (Norton) back to the basement with their first new recordings since 1966, also available on LP; Barenaked Ladies ­ Barenaked Ladies Are Me: Deluxe Edition (Desperation/Warner Bros) expanded reissue with a bonus DVD; Mary J. Blige ­ Reflections: The Journey (Geffen) hits and rarities collection, featuring the new track "We Ride"; Julie Peel /The Caulfield Sisters ­ Divine Candy (American Laundromat) split, limited-edition, blue-vinyl seven-inch single featuring respective covers of The Breeders' "Divine Hammer" and The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Some Candy Talking"; Daddy Mack Blues Band - Bluestones (Inside Sounds) juke-joint Blues featuring a cover of Sam Cooke's "That's Where It's At"; Neil Diamond ­ 12 Songs (Columbia) expanded two-CD reissue featuring a disc of demo "song sketches," and a new track, "Delirious Love," with Brian Wilson; Eragon ­ original motion picture soundtrack (RCA) featuring "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne; The Billy Gibson Band - Southern Livin' (Inside Sounds) 2005's "Beale Street Entertainer of the Year;" getting' funky with a cover of Booker T & the MG's hit "Hip Hug-Her"; Ghostface Killah ­ More Fish (Def Jam) with production by Hi-Tek, Pete Rock and MF Doom; Taylor Hicks ­ Taylor Hicks (Arista) major label debut for the American Idol winner, featuring two original songs and his "soul patrol" take on Marvin Gaye's "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)," plus a new song by Rob Thomas, "Dream Myself Awake"; Mya ­ Liberation (Motown) with guests DJ Kool and The Game; Sonic Youth ­ The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities (Geffen) featuring hard-to-find nuggets; Taking Back Sunday ­ Louder Now (Warner Bros) expanded reissue with live tracks and a bonus DVD; Charlie Wood ­ Lucky (Inside Sounds) Boogie Woogie Blues led by his mighty Hammond B-3.