We wish you a Merry . . . September? Here comes the Christmas music

SMALL PRINT:WE'VE ONLY just passed the middle of September and already we can hear the chimes of Christmas. Fairly soon, we'll also be hearing the dreaded musical genre of The Christmas Song.

If we're unlucky, this means the usual red-nosed suspects of Band Aid, Cliff Richard, Shakin' Stevens, Wham!, Bing Crosby, The Pogues and Abba (singing Happy New Year in October?).

But beyond those, what do we have to entertain us in the lead-up to all those chestnuts roasting by an open fire?

Well, in a step away from the usual suspects, you have Michael Bublé's Christmas, which for those who pre-order the limited-edition version will receive an "exclusive" ornament tucked inside the packaging. Bublé is joined by Shania Twain on White Christmasand the Puppini Sisters (who they?) on Jingle Bells. He also has an original composition, Cold December Night, for those Bublé fans that need such things.

More predicted best-sellers include Justin Bieber's as-yet-untitled Christmas album, which features duets with Sean Kingston, Boyz II Men and Taylor Swift.

For indie kids young and old, there's the She Him album, A Very She Him Christmas, where singer-songwriter M Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel strip bare the tinsel from the tree with acoustic renderings of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Baby, It's Cold Outside, and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

The Christmas album most people are surely looking forward to, however, is Kate Bush's 50 Words For Snow, which you can pre-order now, and features all original material and has the cutest Christmas album cover ever. Beat that, Boney M!

– TONY CLAYTON-LEA