It wouldn’t really be Christmas without Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley. But, let’s be frank about it (and I don’t mean Sinatra): there’s such a thing as overkill. Especially when you’re at the mall, or waiting to see the dentist, or doing pretty much anything in a public place during the month of December. James Taylor and Sarah McLachlan’s new Christmas albums should carry a warning sticker: may cause sudden, acute narcolepsy. And I don’t know about you, but the yearly glut of pop and country stars trying to cash in by warbling a couple bars of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” makes me seriously bah humbug.

So if you’re looking for some new music to liven up your holiday celebrations, try one of these albums, which include jazz, folk, blues, rock, bluegrass, klezmer and a few outrageous novelties, new and old. Some of them you’ve almost definitely heard before, and some you probably haven’t. No Mannheim Steamroller or “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” to be found.

The only things that are missing are Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” and the original Boris Karloff recording of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” – both of which are downloadable on iTunes, along with many of these albums. Everything here is available on Amazon.com, and most are also available at Bull Moose Music stores and any major music retail chain.

So turn up the volume, get crazy with the fruitcake, and have a blue, white, green, wonderful, holly jolly, merry little Christmas (and a happy Hanukkah too).

“Genuine Houserockin’ Christmas” (Various Artists, Alligator Records)

Koko Taylor, Roomful of Blues, Shemekia Copeland and many more celebrate the most wonderful time of the year on this fantastic, high-energy compilation from renowned blues label Alligator.

Lonnie Brooks’ “All I Want For Christmas (Is To Be With You)” stands out, as does the zydeco contribution from C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. It’s essentially an insta-party: just add egg nog and stir.

“Songs For Christmas” (Sufjan Stevens, Asthmatic Kitty Records)

Stevens, best known for his albums “Michigan” and “Illinois” (the first two in a planned series of albums about every state in the union), has spent the past five Christmas seasons writing and recording EPs of holiday music. For 2006, he collected all of them into one delightful boxed set, featuring Stevens’ sweet, clever, decidedly non-commercial take on Christmas standards, as well as a number of original songs, spanning the gamut from folk to electronic to bluegrass to pop-classical. The set includes a poster, stickers, a DVD, and photos, essays and short stories by Stevens and others. And with tracks like “What Child Is This, Anyway?” and “Get Behind Me, Santa” it’s great for both kids and adults.

“Christmas Caravan” (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mammoth Records)

Though the Zippers were best known for their huge 1997 hit, “Hell,” they were first and foremost an old-fashioned jazz band that revered the classics but put a modern twist on the sounds of the 1920s and ’30s. In 1998 they released a Christmas album of mostly original songs highlighting their trademark hot jazz sound. It was filled with a sense of laid-back holiday fun. Check out the sweet-natured “Gift of the Magi,” a male-female duet, retelling the famous O. Henry story.

“VH1: The Big ’80s Christmas” (Various Artists, Rhino/WEA Records)

Rhino Records, renowned for its fantastic re-releases of old, obscure stuff and its painstakingly crafted compilations, teams up with VH1 for a selection of new wave and rock Christmas songs from the 1980s. Here you get the David Bowie-Bing Crosby “Little Drummer Boy” duet (recorded in 1977, but let’s not be picky, eh?), the Ramones singing “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight),” George Thorogood’s “Rock and Roll Christmas,” and my personal favorite, Bob and Doug McKenzie’s “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

“A John Waters Christmas” (Various Artists, New Line Records)

If you like your holiday music to come with a parental advisory sticker, then get this compilation. Irreverent doesn’t begin to describe these obscure Christmas songs selected by Waters, who’s best known as a film director, but also has a vast knowledge of American pop music. From Tiny Tim’s “unique” take on “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to 7-year-old Little Cindy on “Happy Birthday, Jesus,” this compilation isn’t something you’ll be playing for the kids (“Here Comes Fatty Claus” by Rudolph & Gang is both hilarious and highly offensive). But for a Christmas party for adults with a sense of humor, it’s the perfect soundtrack.

“Yule Be Miserable” (Various Artists, Verve Records)

Maybe you got dumped this Christmas, or your dog died. Maybe you just can’t get into the spirit, for whatever reason. We’ve all been there. Verve Records released this compilation of sad Christmas songs a few years ago, featuring liner notes from Harvey Pekar, the writer of the “American Splendor” comic book, a renowned jazz critic and a legendarily cranky individual. Though a few of the tracks aren’t really that depressing (Louis Armstrong’s “‘Zat You, Santa Claus?” is quite lighthearted, in fact), the inclusion of BB King’s gut-wrenching “Merry Christmas, Baby” and Aaron Neville’s “Please Come Home For Christmas” make this album a great accompaniment to wallowing in holiday-induced self-pity.

“Christmas With the Rat Pack” (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Capitol Records)

OK, so these guys aren’t exactly a bunch of unknowns. But really, what’s better than a ring-a-ding-ding take on “Jingle Bells” by Sammy Davis Jr.? This compilation, released just this year, features 20 recordings by the classic crooners, with especially enjoyable contributions by Dean Martin, including his silly “Winter Wonderland” and a carefree, romantic take on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Play this one while you spike the cider.

“Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah” (The Klezmatics, JMG/Jewish Music)

The newest album on the list, this release by the venerable klezmer powerhouse takes lyrics written by Woody Guthrie for his Jewish wife and sets them to raucous party music. You don’t have to be Jewish to like this one – it’s funny and festive enough for anyone, whether you’re spinning dreidels or opening an advent calendar.