With the holiday season now in full swing, the staff of the Current have been on high alert in search of new seasonal tracks to spin on air. So when a burned copy of Paul Westerberg covering "Away in a Manger" was slipped to us this week from a trustworthy source, it seemed too good to be true. A holiday gift from Westerberg to the world? What to make of this latest basement missive?

Well, after a little digging it turns out that Paul's cover of "Away in a Manger" is not exactly new. It was previously issued as one of three tracks on his 2009 mini-EP D.G.T., a release that came out shortly after his last lo-fi "full-length" 49:00:00. But for the casual fan it's not the most recognizable tune in Westerberg's discography, especially since it was initially released in February of 2009, a couple months after Christmas.

So perhaps Westerberg sent the tune over as a way to resdistribute the song at a more seasonally appropriate moment. Without further ado, here's a stream of his little Xmas ditty:

And for more new material from Westerberg, stay tuned -- that Replacements reunion EP for Slim Dunlap is expected to see the light of day sooner rather than later, maybe even later this month.

Related:

• Paul Westerberg debuts new track 'My Road Now'

• The Replacements' Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson reunite to record Slim Dunlap benefit EP

• Replacements benefit EP to feature fifth track, artwork by Chris Mars