Down The Christmas Internet Rabbit Hole

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With Sugar Plums Doin’ that dance thang

SNL & Ugly Sweaters

SNL & Ugly Sweaters

One early morning, I couldn’t sleep per usual and started trolling Hulu for something to doze to.

I stumbled upon the recent SNL Christmas Special, full of vintage and new classic clips. SNL has a snarly reverence regarding Christmas that I currently embrace.

Fast forwarding through the show I had a bit in my head and I found it, a silly little ditty from 2000-“I Wish It Was Christmas”

The AV Club published a post about the evolution of this song/ bit, that was most likely thrown together to fill time and sprinkle holiday glee.

It became a classic without trying too hard, I’m talking to you Lonely Island.

I was looking for a clip to post to my social channels but discovered there are multiple versions of this song sporting various sweaters, outfits, and contributors.

And Down The Rabbit Hole I Went. Christmas Style.

Soooo many different sweaters

A New Year A New Ugly Sweater

Sometimes You Feel Pastel

Sometimes You Feel Pastel

 

And then I discovered a recording by Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, with a version deemed pretty cool by kids waay cooler than me.

And though I ended up running late for the rat race, the trip down the Rabbit Hole was worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Recovering DJ’s Holiday Mix Tape of Yore (2008)

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The following is an old post from my Blogger days around 2008.  Life was different then and this list has changed since (2016)  But enjoy! 

As I’ve previously mentioned,I’m a Christmas music lover. Toss together some Pop with a little bit of Rock and Jazz and you’ve mixed a melange of melodic goodness. It’s a sickness, but isn’t admitting that the first step towards Recovering? ☺

With so many holiday themed events comin’ down the chimney lo’ these next few weeks I bet you’re seekin’ ideas to keep the sassy Santa spirit a flowin’. Here’s a good start, in order of how many times they’ve played according to my iTunes: an objective way put together a countdown.

Top 15
By order of iTunes play count (2008)

1-“Last Christmas” -Wham!
So so 80’s I know, it just makes me ache with nostalgia. And FYI, I’m not the only one who loves it… so **mleh** (I believe that’s the sound of sticking out your tongue?) Say it aloud and see.

**Just discovered this has been covered by someone named Taylor Swift *Gasp**

2-“White Christmas”-Otis Redding
This version is from the “Love Actually” soundtrack- a new classic holiday movie in our household. It’s a little sad and soulful, but the warmth of Otis’s voice wraps around you like a musical muffler.

3-“A Charlie Brown Christmas”– Vince Guaraldi Trio
I couldn’t decide between, “O Tannenbaum”, “Christmas Time Is Here”, “Skating “ or “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” so I just threw in the whole thing.

An interesting story about the “Charlie Brown Special”, tee hee.

4-“All I Want For Christmas Is You”-Olivia Olson
From “Love Actually” as well, you could use the Maria Carey version in a pinch though.

5-“Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Live)”-Bruce Springsteen
” He’s flyin’ over Michigan…down the Jersey Turnpike..” Whoop Whoop!

6-“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”-Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
Two of my faves rockin’ the Xmas tree Canadian style

7-“The Little Drummer Boy”-Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
From a Very Special Christmas, a great series of contemporary Christmas music. Not really my fave song in the world, but have to add Rockin’ Robert when you can.

8-“The Christmas Song”-Luther Vandross
I like other versions of this song, but love the late GREAT Luther!

9-“Wonderful Christmastime”-Paul McCartney
Happy Paul, before Linda died and that other psycho wife came a’ callin’.

10-“Same Old Lang Syne”-Dan Fogelberg
“We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now”…that “Rob Lowe on Saxophone” sound from “St. Elmo’s Fire”…C’mon this is quintessential 80’s people. I immediately bought this last year when he died. Along with that, and the older I get, “Same Old Lang Syne” gets a little more bittersweet with each passing year.

11-“Bells Will be Ringing” – The Eagles
Really, just keeping the 80’s alive…

12-“Winter Wonderland”– Harry Connick, Jr.
From the “When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack” which is another one of those “Christmissy” movies that isn’t really billed as such.

13-“Happy Christmas (War is Over)”-John Lennon
Oh John…What if…!!??

14-“Run Rudolph Run”– Keith Richards
A new fave from last year, the Bryan Adams version was previously on the Recovering DJ Holiday Mix. Brits usually trump Canadians. Plus, if you buy on iTunes, it comes with a bonus rocker “Pressure Drop”

15-“Father Christmas”– The Kinks
This is upbeat and “it’s easy to dance to Dick, I’ll give it a 95” This always reminds me how much I forget I love Ray Davies.

Glancing over this list, I see I’ll have to add some more subjective favorites soon.

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When Your Music Is OLD

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There comes a time in every music lover’s life when you discover  your favorite music that WAS new, and you still consider “newish”, is actually  in reality an “oldie”. (((waa wa waaaaa))

Or as the radio peeps call it these days “Classic Hits.” Sounds better than Moldy Oldies.

Case in point: The other morning, a Depeche Mode song was used as a *bumper during the CBS This Morning  news program.

And a small part of my old rebellious self went into a fetal position.

AND yes, I am old and watch said news program.

*A bumper is the transition music you hear into spots (commercials) 

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His Purple Majesty Has Passed

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More later on the passing of Prinprincece. 

I am devasted. He was such a HUGE part of my musical growth. Saw him 3 times at 3 different venues. Could have seen him a million times more. Had is albums, his CD’S, maybe a cassette even.

Always prolific.  Always a musician’s musician.  Will always be missed.

 

 

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Song in My Head: “End of the Party”

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There was a meme going around recently asking “what are your fave albums that you will never get rid of?”

Or something stated more  eloquently.  Those types of questions stress out my musical heart a bit.  How can I pick just a handful?  Although that is a whole other interesting discussion, who really buys and listens to entire albums anymore?

But at any rate, if I have to choose- The English Beat  Special Beat Service  album has got to be one of my ALL-TIME faves then and now.  I still have the actual vinyl,  just don’t have the turntable.

So many classics make-up this disc including “I Confess” and “Save it for Later”  But today, for some reason, this is in my head.

“She said to leave it ’til the end of the party, do it now you know there’s never a next time”

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You’ve got the Disease…We’ve got The Cure

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That title is an old cliche I always fall back on when talking about The Cure, but it makes me chuckle every time.  I even had the T-shirt,  faded and nubby from a myriad of washes and adorned way too many times during my hopelessly punk/nerd days.

The Cure were, and still are, I imagine, an acquired taste. The dreamy dirgy works of frontman Roger Smith aren’t for everyone.  And at times, the music could be detrimental to the fragile psyche of a moody teen.

At any rate, with the announcement of a new tour at hand, it seemed only right to play some old favorites and commiserate on the fact that somehow for a variety of reasons I have not managed to see The Cure live.  Strange days indeed.

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We interupt New Music Tues-For New Music Fri

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This happened over the summer.  In July. It took me a few weeks to notice it because I was busy being in the summer.

In 1989, the recording industry settled on Tuesday as the day every retailer could start selling new releases at the same time — but that was just in the U.S.   Albums came out on Mondays in the U.K. and Canada, Fridays in Australia and Germany. Recently, the industry decided it needed a global standard. And just like that, the change was made.  Not sure if this really affects anyone else but a few stodgy old radio people.

And in fairness, the change threw me off a bit for a second. Like I should have been notified? Hubris indeed.

One of my favorite places for new music? Spotify.  More on the magic of streaming coming up later.

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Happy Birthday Mr. Petty

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TomPetty660Tom Petty wasn’t an artist I cared for when he first came on the scene. But somewhere down the line I started to appreciate his striking mix of southern rock and catchy lyrics.

At 65, he has a new biography coming out and shows no sign of runnin’ down the dream anytime soon.

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Song of the Day-Panic does Depeche

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“Far too Young to Die”-Panic at the Disco

Randomly stumbled across this-it’s Panic doing their best ever Depeche Mode impression.

( I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumors..wink wink)

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When opposites combine: R Kelly & Phoneix “Trying to be Cool”

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I love it when artists that are sort of polar opposites combine. It’s like Stevie Wonder says (and I quote this alot) “Music is universal, in a language we all understand” It doesn’t matter what genre you are tops in, playing nice with other kids in the playground can only expand your repertoire and your experience.

Phoneix is one of those bands that some people think are fairly new, but the truth is they have been around awhile. They first came into my heart via the hipster cool flick “Lost in Translation,” soundtrack that featured some of Phoenix’s music. It was 2003 and “Too Young” was THE song for me that year.

Once upon a time in another life I worked for Premiere Radio Networks in NYC., and by some sheer accident had an office for a short time. Of course, when the head honchos on the other coast came to visit and realized the error, it was out to  the cubes.

At any rate, I have fond memories of rising up from the subway and then rising higher to the 19th floor right across from the “Lion King” theater in Times Square and walking to my office (which had a poster of “Snatch” up on the wall. A movie that at the time was 3 years old and I still have not watched.) But it was in that office I would just JAM to Phoenix.

And R Kelly? Well, not the biggest fan, but I do respect him as an artist. And I like what he’s done here with the boys from Paris.

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