My Morning Jacket are capping off 2011 with two surprise releases, one of which sees frontman Jim James abandoning that whimsical cape in favor of a Santa hat.

As Hidden Track points out, today the band releases a holiday themed iTunes Sessions EP, comprising an original track, “Welcome Home”, in addition to covers of Christmas classics and a rendition of the Circuital track “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”. Recorded live in Amsterdam during the band’s recent European tour, the EP also features guest vocals from The Head And The Heart. The digital-only release is available exclusively through iTunes.

Update: The track entitled “When The Bell Starts Ringing”, which features The Head and The Heart, is available as a free download as iTunes’ Single of the Week.

The second release, a limited-edition 7″ single, is exclusive to independent record stores. The A-side features “Friends Again”, a song originally written by James for The Muppets film which ended up being rejected. The B-side is an “alternate universe take” of the Circuital track “Outta My System”. The release will arrive in record stores beginning next week.

iTunes Session EP Tracklist:
01. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (feat. The Head and The Heart)
02. Welcome Home
03. Please Come Home For Christmas
04. Christmas Must Be Tonight
05. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
06. Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
07. When The Bell Starts Ringing (feat. The Head and The Heart)

Below, you can watch a video of My Morning Jacket performing “Outta My System” during their recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.