The Parlor Mob

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Stock up on the booze and Google Grandma's number -- it's holiday season again.

Nothing wrong with settling down with a rum and eggnog and seeing the family members whose calls you forgot to screen, but this celebrated season also has a dark side.

Yes, along with the snow, ice and awkward family gatherings, the holidays also blare “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Baby (It's Cold Outside)” everywhere: malls, TV commercials, even your car isn't safe.

Soon enough, your life resembles one big Hallmark commercial.

With the season starting earlier and earlier, it's time to fight back. Here are a few songs to knock you out of the Christmas carol rut:

The Parlor Mob –- "The Beginning"

A song about reinvention and change, topics that go against the very idea of songs that have been sung and played for decades. “The Beginning” can bust a holiday funk and inspire change at the same time. With a call to try something new and one hell of a guitar breakdown around the 4:00 mark (plus the absence of snowflakes or deer), what's not to like?

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