R.E.M. Wish You a Merry Xmas

1. R.E.M., “Merry Xmas Everybody”
Members of the R.E.M. fan club got this new song as an early Christmas (ahem, Xmas) present. It’s the thought that counts, we suppose. [Surviving the Golden Age]

2. Lil’ Kim, “The Miseducation of Lil’ Kim”
This new track off Lil’ Kim’s upcoming Ms. G.O.A.T. is more or less a cover of Lauryn Hill’s “Lost Ones.” It’s not bad, but we still wish it were Hill who was making the comeback. [Mixtape Maestro]

3. Pocketbooks, “Stay Cool at Christmas”
A “We Didn’t Start the Fire” sort of track cataloging the stresses of the holiday season, and wondering why we find we “can’t stay cool at Christmas.” (Possibly because we’re listening to a Christmas song that sounds like “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”) [Eardrums]

4. Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive (Teddybears remix)”
The hidden bonus track on the Bee Gees’ most recent greatest-hits cash-in is a remix by Teddybears UK that slims down the original before adding some chunky, Justice-style synthesizer farting. [Republic, Um]

5. Ludacris, “Ludacrismas’”
Ludacris gives a pretty exhaustive Christmas wish list in this track from his latest movie, from “gummy bears and candy canes” to “two gold front teeth.” He also asks for a check for $10 million, but we’re guessing that Warner Bros. will take care of that in exchange for the number of times he shouts Fred Claus during the song. [Burnt Piano]
—Ehren Gresehover