Short of never leaving the house or turning on a radio television, there's just no way around hearing Christmas music right now because it's literal sonic wallpaper. But there's a reason Christmas music is so ubiquitous every December, which is that people genuinely love the stuff and the memories it conjures up. So we decided to ask some folks from different quadrants of the local music community about that, and you can read their thoughts on the subject here.

And here's some stuff to listen to while you read, homegrown as well as seasonably appropriate: the latest edition of the Brantley Family Christmas Album; seasonal songs from Lost in the Trees and Megafaun; and a Christmas album by local pianist Grant Osborne.