Country Carol Countdown: #2 Walking in a Winter Wonderland – Keith Urban

By Bennett Owen

Our favorite Christmas songs of 2011 –

Credit: tvtropes.org

OK, be honest with me. When is the last time you heard a Christmas Carol with a riff from Sweet Home Alabama thrown in for good measure? There’s only one entertainer alive who can pull off a stunt like that and make it sound absolutely natural and exceedingly stylish at the same time.

Keith Urban is a guitar legend, a man who grasped at a second chance in life and rode it to the very pinnacle of country music greatness.  And along the way he seems to be having more pure fun than the law allows, sitting on some steps in Nashville, jamming with a couple of buddies…and the result is pretty close to perfect.

Country Carol Countdown: #4 Season for Romance - Lee Ann Womack

By Bennett Owen

Our favorite Christmas songs of 2011 -

Credit: Leannwomack.com

What a gorgeous little gem.  There’s a touching innocence in this ballad, a simple and wondrous tale of two souls uniting at Christmas, the joy of the moment and the promise of many more to come. And Lee Ann Womack tells the story perfectly. 

What a voice. Ms. Womack has to be one of the most underrated entertainers in the country music business. Of course she’s had her hits and won her share of awards but has never really secured her place on the A-list…possibly because fans often have to wait years between albums.  Still, for my money she’s up there with Dolly Parton when it comes to wringing every last drop of emotion out of the music… in this case, the hope and exhilaration of a fresh romance, combined with the celebration of Christmas.

Country Carol Countdown: #5 Mr. Santa – Lucy Angel

By Bennett Owen

Our favorite Christmas songs of 2011 -

Credit: fingercandymedia.com

Something tells me the trio of blonds that makes up Lucy Angel is anything but… and still, their light-hearted rip-off of Mr. Sandman is absolutely infectious, a boisterous rollick that somehow tiptoes a magic fine line...sexy and sweet and fairly bursting with Christmas spirit. The jingle alone will keep you happily humming all day long but have a look at the video and you’ll be chuckling as well.

Lucy Angel is another of those overnight successes … years in the making; hard at it since 2003 and finally starting to catch fire. Now take a hard look at the trio … Kate, Lindsay and Emily … and tell me which one is the mother and which two are the daughters.