If it’s December at You Ain’t No Picasso, then it’s time for Mixmas! Every year I like to turn YANP over to some of my favorite bands to showcase some of their favorite songs through a themed mix. They pick a theme, five songs that fit the theme and then share a little about why they picked each one. This year I’m also giving away a YANP shirt, so check below for the hint about tomorrow’s mix.

MP3: The Morning Benders – He’s a Rebel (Crystals cover)

I’ve dug the Morning Benders for a while now, so it’s good to see their hard work about to pay off. When they weren’t playing ping pong at music festivals, they were busy recording Big Echo, which’ll be out in 2010 on Rough Trade.

“Top 5 Yelps and Screams and Howls (because lyrics are overrated)” by the Morning Benders

Bob Dylan – “Ballad of a Thin Man” @ 5:48

I guess Dylan writes some cool lyrics sometimes, but for me this is the most poetic moment of the song. What a howl.

Weezer – “Tired of Sex” @ 1:09 and 1:13

I used to love weezer so much, and now it makes me sad that they sing songs about going to the mall. But at least we got a couple great albums from them when Rivers was singing from the heart. Those 2 yells have got to be the most frustrated sounds ever made by man.

MP3: Harry Nilsson – Many Rivers To Cross @ 4:39
This is such an epic scream. I think you can hear his throat bleeding. Is that Lennon in there too? I always thought that this scream was sort of an homage to “Mother.”

Joe Cocker – “With a Little Help from my Friends” (live @ woodstock) @ 4:56 [Youtube link]
This yell brings me so much joy every time i hear it. It’s so rad that he’s singing someone else’s song, I think it sums up for me what it means to really love a song.

U2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday” @ 0:14

Here’s one that’s a bit different than the rest, but i really love this “yep” from Bono. I don’t think many people can pull that off. Love the little melody he hums after it too.

Tomorrow’s hint: the next contributor is a darling young singer from Nashville, who did a nice Gram Parsons cover in 2009 and who’ll be putting her 2010 album out on Names Records.