"Best Christmas Ever" Unfolds Somewhere Above Austin, Texas

I'm not sure what's in the air in Austin, Texas this holiday season, but it's not only generating a bunch of interesting new holiday music, it's reportedly causing cars to fly and bringing people of all faiths together in an unprecedented cosmic groove. At least that's the vision of the soon-to-be-released holiday single "The Best Christmas Ever," from the Austin-based band Kanude, and it's as hopeful a message as I've heard in a Christmas tune in quite awhile:

We took off in our interstellar T-Bird
Back in December Twenty-Twelve.
As I recall there was a trail of dust
From the memory of heaven and hell.

Down came the pyramids
And the relics of an ancient machine
Down came the miracle lifting us up
Beyond the science, beyond the scene. And we sang …

CHORUS
This is the best Christmas ever
Muslim and Jew, Buddhist, Hindu
Whatever your views.
We’re letting go of anger and angry traditions
We’re rising up high in a joyous rendition
Of “Oh Holy Night.”

©2014 Lightstone Records and Tathata Music (ASCAP), All Rights Reserved.

Founded and led by singer/songwriter Chris Knudson (the band's name is a simplified version of his last name), Kanude has recorded and played with a wide array of notable musician, including folks who have toured with the likes of Robert Plant, Joe Walsh, Edie Brickell and Bruce Hornsby. Knudson's music has been featured on HBO's True Blood, and copies of the band's previous CDs are available on Bandcamp. "The Best Christmas Ever" is set for a December 2 release, but you can preview it now, below: