R.E.M. Wish You a Merry Xmas

1. R.E.M., “Merry Xmas Everybody�
Members of the R.E.M. fan club got this new song as an early Christmas (ahem, Xmas) present. It’s the thought that counts, we suppose. [Surviving the Golden Age]

2. Lil’ Kim, “The Miseducation of Lil’ Kim�
This new track off Lil’ Kim’s upcoming Ms. G.O.A.T. is more or less a cover of Lauryn Hill’s “Lost Ones.� It’s not bad, but we still wish it were Hill who was making the comeback. [Mixtape Maestro]

3. Pocketbooks, “Stay Cool at Christmas�
A “We Didn’t Start the Fire� sort of track cataloging the stresses of the holiday season, and wondering why we find we “can’t stay cool at Christmas.� (Possibly because we’re listening to a Christmas song that sounds like “We Didn’t Start the Fire.�) [Eardrums]

4. Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive (Teddybears remix)�
The hidden bonus track on the Bee Gees’ most recent greatest-hits cash-in is a remix by Teddybears UK that slims down the original before adding some chunky, Justice-style synthesizer farting. [Republic, Um]

5. Ludacris, “Ludacrismas’�
Ludacris gives a pretty exhaustive Christmas wish list in this track from his latest movie, from “gummy bears and candy canes� to “two gold front teeth.� He also asks for a check for $10 million, but we’re guessing that Warner Bros. will take care of that in exchange for the number of times he shouts Fred Claus during the song. [Burnt Piano]
—Ehren Gresehover