Today, a little Christmas music gift for me. I’ve been a fan of Nick Lowe since I found a discount cassette of Rockpile’s “Seconds of Pleasure” on sale at the University of Missouri student union. It’s a magnificent collection of rootsy power pop. From there, I moved to Nick’s 1985 solo album, “The Rose of England” and have followed him every since.

If you don’t know Nick, you might recognize his one Top 40 hit, “Cruel to be Kind,” or Elvis Costello’s cover of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding.” In 2013, Nick got around to making a Christmas album, “Quality Street.” The name comes from a tin of British chocolate and sweets that’s a popular Christmas treat – a mix of different flavors in one package.

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A Christmas song every day until Christmas —

I guess Bing Crosby was the first to hit with “A Marshmallow World,” but to me, it’ll always be Dean Martin’s song. His relaxed croon obviously borrows from Bing, but Dean’s tossed-off phrasing and casual enunciation make it his own. You can find at least a dozen “live” versions out there from various variety shows of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but here’s a goodie with Frank Sinatra. They seems to have almost rehearsed.

Today’s Christmas song is not exactly undiscovered or forgotten, but doesn’t get nearly the plays it should this time of year. “Christmas All Over Again” from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers is the lead track from 1992’s “A Very Special Christmas 2.” What I like about the song is that it embraces the season, but is also kinda casual about the whole thing.

This is just audio, but we’ll get to video in a bit.

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“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is another one of those Christmas songs that doesn’t mention Christmas at all. Some folks have decided the song is creepy, but I’m with the gang who say it’s actually a liberating lyric. The guy and the gal want to spend some time together and the subtext is that they’re working on excuses to use if she doesn’t go home.

Originally, Frank Loesser (“Heart and Soul,” “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”) would sing the song at parties with his wife, Lynn Garland. Loesser put the song in the 1949 romantic comedy “Neptune’s Daughter” and it won the 1949 Academy Award for Best Original Song. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is actually in the movie twice.  First, sung by Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams. Then, in a switch-up, Red Skelton is the one who wants to go and Betty Garrett (Edna Babish on “Laverne & Shirley”) wants him to stay.

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It’s a busy Friday, so today’s Christmas song is a quick one. Paul McCartney just released his new isolation album, “McCartney III,” let’s go back to the 1979 song you either love or hate … “Wonderful Christmastime.”

I’ll spare you covers by MF Doom, Harry Styles, and Chicago with Dolly Parton. Instead, here’s Macca and Martin Short, aka “Caleb and Monte” with a new Christmas song from SNL 2012 … and something familiar at the end.