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Xfm's Big Freeze Playlist

added 07 January 2010 at 14.38

Britain is facing the biggest freeze in 30 years, so by rights, we should all be tucked up indoors, by the fire, wrapped in a duvet with a mug of hot soup. And what better way to get through the icy days ahead than warming up the old MP3 player and listening to some suitably wintry tunes?

We've put together a little playlist of winter-related (or wintry-sounding) tracks from some of Xfm's favourite artists. See what you think and download the tracks here.

1. Fiery Furnaces - 'Tropical Iceland'
Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger's geographically confused tribute to an "icy icy land". One of the few songs to use the word "tundra".
Download from iTunes

2. Coldplay - 'Violet Hill'
Chris Martin comes over all eloquent about the icy wastes of December. Not a good time to be up a hill. Send more hot soup, mother!
Download from iTunes

3. Fleet Foxes - 'White Winter Hymnal'
Like a medieval madrigal, the close harmonies of Seattle's wandering minstrels is sure to warm the cockles.
Download from iTunes

4. Sigur Ros - 'Sigur 4'
They're from Iceland, they know what they're on about. Nobody else does. This track's probably soundtracking some footage of a polar bear as we speak.
Download from iTunes

5. The Doors - 'Wintertime Love'
Jim Morrison may have hung out in the sunnier climes of LA, but don't forget he ended up in chilly Paris.
Download from iTunes

6. Foo Fighters - 'Cold Day In The Sun'
Dave Grohl's probably using the word "cold" as a metaphor for lost love, but there's winter in all our hearts.
Download from iTunes

7. Joy Division - 'Atmosphere'
The original 12" had a snowscape on the cover, cleverly reflecting the glacial majesty of the track.
Download from iTunes

8. Radiohead - 'Pyramid Song'
Slow and steady, like the snow falling on a January evening. The perfect soundtrack to trudging round the corner to get a bottle of milk.
Download from iTunes

9. Muse - 'Starlight'
Sparkle sparkle! Matt Bellamy's glittering space odyssey kind of sums up the clear skies we're gazing at right now.
Download from iTunes

10. The Walkmen - 'In The New Year'
The hugely underrated US band pay tribute to the tribulations of having to wait six weeks until pay day. Possibly.
Download from iTunes

11. Interpol - 'NYC'
Another grandiose classic from the sensibly-jumpered New Yorkians. Bet Manhattan's pretty chilly today.
Download from iTunes

12. Snow Patrol - 'Chasing Cars'
Because we need a bit more snow in there. Probably a wee bit overexposed these days, but it remains a great song.
Download from iTunes

13. Pixies - 'Winterlong'
Francis 'n' Kimmy cover Neil Young's gentle rumination on lost love. It's the tender side of the normally screechy Pixies. Aw.
Download from iTunes

14. Pavement - 'Summer Babe (Winter Version)'
Kicking off the 'Slanted And Enchanted' album, it's a classic from the newly-reformed lo-fo legends.
Download from iTunes

15. Doves - 'Winter Hill'
Dedicated to the mount on Rivington Moor that is home to the TV transmitter that serves the North West, which is always the first to get hit by the snowfall.
Download from iTunes

16. The White Stripes - 'In The Cold, Cold Night'
Meg White takes vocals on this chilly thumbnail sketch from the excellent 'Elephant' album.
Download from iTunes

17. Mumford And Sons - Winter Winds'
The sound of the big freeze! London's folky sensations offer the soundtrack to the snow of 2010.
Download from iTunes

18. The Rifles - 'Winter Calls'
"Winter calls the start of June until the end of May," sing the Nu Mods - someone get these boys a calendar!
Download from iTunes

19. Kings Of Leon - 'Cold Desert'
Because it's not always hot in the barren wastelands of the Southern states. You could always wear a poncho.
Download from iTunes

20. The Horrors - 'New Ice Age'
Faris Rotter and co make a sobering prediction about how the weather's going.
Download from iTunes

21. Mogwai - 'Burn Girl Prom Queen'
Is there anything more wintry than the sound of a brass band? And this one goes on for AGES.
Download from iTunes

 

Listen to the playlist on Spotify

Tagged as Coldplay, The Fiery Furnaces, Fleet Foxes, Sigur Ros, The Doors, Foo Fighters, Joy Division, Radiohead, Muse, Walkmen, The, Interpol, Snow Patrol, Pixies, Pavement, Doves, The White Stripes, Mumford & Sons, Rifles, The, Kings Of Leon, The Horrors, Mogwai, Downloads

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