It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Allston, and 23 of the area’s best bands have joined together to celebrate with a compilation. Now in its fourth run, A Very Allston Christmas is a perfect blend of classic and cool. Magic Magic, who have participated in every installment of the series, kick off volume four with a warm, lo-fi cover of "It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas." What they take away from the classic version in their stripped-down vocals and harmonies, they add in new 8-bit-adjacent sounds. Other highlights from the compilation include Holiday Music‘s "Family Tree," School Shoes‘ "In The Bleak Midwinter," and Eggy Benedict‘s "Christmas Always Makes Me Cry." The compilation is available for purchase on Bandcamp, and all of the proceeds will go towards Bridge Over Troubled Waters — a Boston-based organization devoted to providing necessary services to at-risk, homeless, and runaway youth. – Lilly Milman
Shake the rust off some tired old tracks and discover some new ones with A Very Allston Christmas Vol. 4 below.