Just Say Noel is a Christmas wreath with some alt-rock gems for the time of the season.  Beck’s atonal The Little Drum Machine Boy is a wandering spiral of a take-off that streams groovily along.  Elastica’s Gloria is a true rocker for the occasion.  There is an amazing cover of Florence Dore’s Christmas by The Posies, and Southern Culture on the Skids doing yet another Merry Christmas, Baby that is somehow refreshing.  Good tracks from Aimee Mann & Michael Penn, Remi Zero, and Wild Colonials.  But the clincher is Ted Hawkins’ solo version of Amazing Grace that is so touching it doesn’t matter that it is not really a Christmas song, but is worth the price of the cd.  Solidly produced by ?uestlove.