We start the new year with a new mix, featuring an exclusive preview of Andrew Bird's latest album, Noble Beast. The classically trained violinist and singer performs a quirky mix of whistled melodies, Gypsy ballads, folk and art-rock. We've got the song "Oh No" here, but you can also hear the entire album as part of our "first listen" series. Also on the show: classic folk-rock singer Benjy Ferree, the Afro-funk rhythms of Chopteeth, an eclectic mixtape from Malawi-born singer Esau Mwamwaya, the haunting guitars of Begushkin, and the jazz trio Bad Plus covers the music of Pink Floyd.

For the past month, NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich laid out multiple strips of paper on his desk, with names like Uncle Owen Aunt Beru, Extra Life and Erykah Badu printed on them. It turns out he was working on his list of the year's top CDs, analog-style. He shares his unique sense of music in this episode of All Songs Considered.

When the votes started pouring in from NPR listeners for the year's best albums, two things became clear immediately: It was going to be tight, and many of the top spots would go to new, smaller bands and their debut albums. Bigger, more established acts (Coldplay, My Morning Jacket) were well represented, but listeners seemed more inspired by the year's quieter, more intimate albums.

Pour yourself some eggnog, throw on the shawl, and cozy up to the computer for our annual mix of holiday music, featuring fresh takes on old classics and a few new surprises. On this year's edition, we've got the dulcet tones of Winston... a pug, singing "Up On The Housetop." Electro-pop mashup genius The Real Tuesday Weld re-imagines a classic from Count Baise. Also on the program: A singing saw does "Frosty The Snowman," Christmas wishes from John Waters and Stephen Colbert, The Old 97's, and more.