Every year for Christmas, the family and I take a five-hour car ride to Columbus, Indiana. And every year, I pack headphones and an iPod.

Why? Because failure to do so means spending five whole hours listening to Hanson’s “Snowed In”, A Very Special Christmas volumes two, five and fifty-seven, and what I can only assume is a CD dedicated to playing John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” over and over. And over. And over again.

Not that I have anything against John Lennon or the song, but constantly repeating a great song, like “Happy Xmas”,  will make the song very old, very quickly.

That’s my problem with Christmas songs: they get old.

This doesn’t only apply to songs about Christmas cheer and reindeer; it happens with every song. I can love the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black, but that won’t stop me from burning every Friday marked on my calendar after hearing it 43 times in a row.

So, when every store, commercial and family member starts playing Christmas music immediately after Thanksgiving, it’s nostalgic and cute for about a week before I start having to keep headphones on my person 24/7, just to drown out the constant barrage of Christmas cheer.

Luckily, I’m not the only one to wear the supposed “Grinch” badge with pride.

Mike Fish, music director of South’s own WGBK radio, also has an icicle to pick with Frosty the Snowman and the Little Drummer Boy.

“At my job, I hear ‘Feliz Navidad’ about five times an hour,” Fish said.

Fish states that the genre’s never-changing sound, lyrical styles and songs make the Christmas music genre dull.

Though those all make Christmas music, well, Christmas music, it’s time for a fresh new sound, or some new songs at least!

Christmas music has become such a quick and profitable genre that just about anyone can throw together some covers and make an earning off it.

It’s gotten to the point where Bath & Body Works is releasing Christmas collections. Yes, Bath & Body Works has put out Christmas albums…

It’s in the Van Epps Christmas music stash, right next to Victoria’s Secret’s Christmas Eve album. Again, entirely serious.

That’s not to say people haven’t tried to add their own spin to classic Christmas songs. Elvis’s many Christmas covers were all classics, but in 2011, the King’s cover of “Blue Christmas” isn’t exactly groundbreaking.

Recent efforts by indie-duo She & Him are appreciated. Throwing in Zooey Deschanel’s vocals and M. Ward’s guitar can improve almost anything, Christmas music being no exception. But, it’s clear that the album is much less She & Him and much more holiday music.

Still, A Very She & Him Christmas has given my family’s CD player a much-needed breath of fresh air. But we can’t play one CD for five hours.

That’s why this year I’m making my own CD. “A Very Indie Christmas” will have some great holiday classics from She & Him, My Morning Jacket, Yo La Tengo, Pearl Jam and probably the greatest “Jingle Bell Rock” cover you’ll ever hear by Arcade Fire.

Who knows, maybe I won’t need to bring headphones this year.