The Neighbourhood Mixtape is a collection of newly-released songs by Toronto musicians. This week's collection includes some new and some old songs. The mixtape is meant to celebrate Toronto's music culture and provide a forum to listen to and discover new local music.

Every Sunday, I post a five-track mixtape that you can download or stream as a soundtrack for the week. The Neighbourhood Mixtape comes to you this week with a special holiday-themed collection! So, gather around the fire and stay a while. And have a very warm and joyous holiday!

Track #1: Feist, "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming"

Our Christmas collection opens with "Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming", where Feist's sharp, yet delicate vocals swathe in her familiar guitar strums and hand percussions that graze the track like light snow fall. Draughts of brass and a choirs' chorus end the song in romantic gratitude.

Track #2: Basia Bulat, "You Are a Gift"

Basia Bulat's "You Are a Gift" sounds like a song crafted from a quiet evening. Her cozy, lived-in vocals spin around rustic banjo chords that seem plucked out of a bedroom, joining a procession of sleigh bells and tiny taps that make you feel right at home.

Track #3: Evening Hymns, "Just like Christmas (Low Cover)"

Evening Hymns' puts their own take on Low's holiday tune "Just like Christmas". Sylvie Smith and Jonas Bonnetta's sweet duet is like hot cocoa and Christmas cookies - their voices make you appreciate being at home and with the ones you love.

Track #4: Hooded Fang, "Tundra Nights"

Hooded Fang's "Tundra Nights" decorates our mixtape with 'fa la la la la' echoes and memories of childhood impatience and giddiness during what once seemed like a never-ending night until Christmas morning (still feel it?)

Track #5: Steven McKay, "Sounds like Christmas"

Our collection wraps up this year with Steven McKay's "Sounds like Christmas" - a merry-go-round of McKay's romanced holiday stories, embroidered together with the sounds of reindeer clip-clops, jingle bell blushes and all the Christmas noises we love to hear.