Having grown somewhat bored of my own staid, formulaic attempts at music journalism recently, I jumped at the chance to be part of The Guide's Christmas feature. Somehow they seem to have got it into their minds that I'm their muso-geek in residence - seriously not true but I'm not telling them that - and asked me to come up with a look at a few "alternative" Christmas songs. Which I did. And it was fun.

Click: Putting The Cool Back Into Christmas

Please don't take it too seriously: Comparing Mogwai to "softly falling snow"? Purrrlease.....

Oh yeah, and as you can see from my byline, I'm down classed as a "Hoya Staff Writer" as opposed to "Special To The Hoya". I'm not entirely sure what difference that really makes appart from making it more ethically questionable to be writing for the other side as I am wone to do on occasion. I guess if there was a payrole it would mean I'd be on it? Sadly not.