With only a few sleeps to go until The Big Day, you're sure to be up to your ears in festive cheer and giving a slight involuntary wince at the sound of the holy Christmas trinity (that's Roy Wood, Noddy Holder and Sir Cliff) by now. But never fear! Dig a little further past your mum's 'Now That's What I Call... Christmas' compilation and there's still a whole wealth of musical pleasures to be found in the festive season.

From Julian Casablancas' drawling banger 'I Wish It Was Christmas Today' to Marika Hackman's delicate new addition to the canon 'Driving Under Stars', Sufjan Stevens' many, many odes to the season (100 tracks and counting) to Ginger - the female alter ego of Swim Deep singer Austin Williams - and her politically charged new EP 'Baby It's War Outside', you can still get your Christmas kicks without even a sniff of Cliff in sight.

Enjoy, and Merry Xmas from all of us at RFB.