Yoko Ono Leaves Christ Out of Christmas

Yoko Ono and The Flaming Lips are the top bill on the new Amazon Prime holiday compilation, All Is Bright Yoko and the Lips perform a cover of the old Yoko and John Lennon song Happy Xmas (War Is Over). An optimistic title, for sure. The Xmas, instead of Christmas, is no accident–Yoko never fails to deliver a little pinch of controversy with her art. All Is Bright includes 43 holiday songs. Other artists who contributed include Lucinda Williams (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas), Liz Phair (Ho Ho Ho), and Brandi Carlile (O Holy Night).

Yoko and The Flaming Lips may be the biggest–or at least oldest–names. But the most amusing act might be garage rock band Heartless Bastards singing White Christmas. This isn’t Bing Crosby folks, but at least some people will be pleased to see that, despite the bastards’ heartlessness, they left the Christ in.