So Chicago’s WLIT 93.9 FM “The Lite” is now, and has been since Nov. 10, the “Holiday Lite.” Which means, for those of you who live in Chicagoland, they play about the same 15 Christmas songs over, and over, and over…

I don’t really have a problem with Christmas music starting a little early (although that’s too early). My issue is doing it Lite right. Here’s pretty much a sample of what you’ll hear on the Lite now:

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

“All I Want For Christmas (Is You)” – Mariah Carey

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” – Jackson 5 and also by John Cougar Mellencamp

“Santa Baby” – both the Madonna and the Eartha Kitt version.

I could go on but it’s too nauseating.

It’s funny ’cause The Lite has a thingy on its website where you can request a holiday song. But people must be requesting the same 15 songs they play anyway ’cause I never hear anything different. The joke’s on you, Chicago.

They even have a CD out that features those same songs. Why buy the CD when you can hear them in continous rotation on the dial?

On Thanksgiving, for those who reside in NWI, Z10z began it’s annual holiday playlist. Sure, you get some of the bullshit crossover songs with The Lite, and they play the horrendous “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” but it’s much superior otherwise.

Today, in fact, I heard a lovely version of “Ave Maria” followed by Enya’s “Silent Night.” Won’t catch that on The Lite.

Z107 also plays more new cuts as well as digging deeper into its holiday catalogue. You get the idea that it’s DJs may truly listen to the station at home.

I know I’ve dissed WXRT before, but last year they did something called The Twelve Nights of Christmas or something where each of those nights they played some cool, eclectic songs like Material Issue’s “Merry Christmas Will Do.”

I assume, I hope, they’re doing it again this year.

The good news, of course, is there are so many other ways to find good Christmas music. Cable TV has music channels. iTunes has radio. There is Internet radio. Sirius. All that good stuff.

Some great new songs came out last year that I recommend. Some were part of a Target compilation CD. Songs like “You’ll Never Find My Christmas” by Bishop Allen, “Got Something For You” by Best Coast w/Wavves, “It’s Christmas” by Coconut Records (led by Jason Schwartzman, the actor ‘Bored to Death’) and a great tune by Natalie Hemby called “The Perfect Gift.”

On “Bored to Death” Jason plays Jonathan Ames, which reminds me this season of the Ames Brothers and their “Ting-A-Ling-A-Jingle.”

In an upcoming holiday post (pt. 2) I’ll list the top “newer” Christmas songs in addition to the top “older” xmas tunes.

Here’s an instant classic that came out last year…