Oh, anyway, this week's twist is: Christmas Music. Hopefully you all have a nice little Christmas music playlist in your iPod/MP3 player/iTunes like good little elves. Hit the shuffle/random button and list the first ten songs that play. Just Christmas music...or, perhaps holiday music. Always love a good Adam Sandler song. Let's go for it! And...I know many of us don't have huge holiday music selections, so feel free to post only 5. Or 3. Or...whatever. Here is my list:
1. Mrs. Santa Clause - Joy Electric - kinda boring techno song from one of Tooth and Nail's Happy Christmas CD's. Not a big fan of the band...but...there it is.
2. I Celebrate the Day - Relient K - Not too bad. Softer song from Relient K's Christmas CD.
3. Room In My Heart (full length version) - The Violet Burning - Michael Pritzl is a genius. Love this song, especially this longer version. Best song on this short little Violet Christmas CD.
4. O Holy Night - Seven Day Jesus - Not too bad, rather traditional version from another Tooth and Nail CD.
5. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Chasing Furies - I really like this version. Female lead vocal is really nice. Once again, from Tooth and Nail collections. There are four of those CDs so I have a lot of this music on my computer.
6. I Saw Three Ships - Bruce Cockburn - Good solid Christmas CD. This is a fairly fast version of the classic.
7. Silent Night - My Morning Jacket - One of the newest additions from my collection. Not a huge MMJ fan. Very soft and quiet version for these guys.
8. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Sufjan Stevens - Part of the 5 CD set of Sufjan Christmas tunes, done in true Sufjan style. Raw, bare bones, and lo-fi. Very nice.
9. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Bruce Cockburn - Yikes! another artist/album repeat. But hey, Bruce is cool, right? I think this one is a little slow though.
10. Snow Day - Lisa Loeb - Ok, so it's not a Christmas song. But it's sorta about snow. I'll let it pass. Lisa Loeb is so freakin' adorable. Love this song.
Now it's time for all of Santa's elves to contribute their lists. And if you don't have a music library on a computer or other device, just list 5 or 10 random Christmas songs. It's the holidays! Go drink some egg nog, eat some fruit cake, and celebrate with music!!!
Oh wait...is that mistletoe I see over there....?
Posts
7 comments:
Jingle Bells - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
White Christmas - The Drifters
Carol For Another Christmas - Henry Mancini And His Orchestra
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Sixpence None The Richer
Mary, Did You Know? - Kathy Mattea
Children Go Where I Send Thee - Natalie Merchant
Christmas Yodler - Konrad Plaickner Chorus And Orchestra
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies
Must Be Santa (Polka) - Brave Combo
Lonely Christmas Eve - Ben Folds
Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith
"Where Are You Christmas" - Faith Hill
And I'm really liking the Yo-Yo Ma/Alison Krauss version of The Wexford Carol released this year
Nice list! I gotta get me some o' those tunes!
Here we go...
1. Christmas Time Is Here - R.E.M. - Meh. The rhythm's kinda plodding here; loses the jazziness of the original.
2. Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie & Bing Crosby - Gorgeous, if bizarre.
3. Blue Christmas - Sheryl Crow - Kinda weak, to be honest. Feels very trippy, particularly when she brings out the out-of-tune harmonica solo.
4. I Have a Little Dreidel - Barenaked Ladies - One of those songs that you know they spent an entire 15 minutes picking out, learning the song, and recording it. Still, very fun.
5. New Redemption Song - Over the Rhine - Still trying to get my church to allow my wife to sing this during a service some time. Gorgeous vocals, atmosphere, message, everything.
6. Night, Pt. 1: Snow - George Winston - Part of my collection of "eggnog music". Great tunes that you can sit on the sofa, drinking nog, in the light of the tree, and know that somehow, somehow everything will be just fine.
7. Evergreen - Jars of Clay - A nice, melancholic instrumental, evoking "Christmas Time Is Here", and the image of moonlit snow.
8. What Child Is This? - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Dark, brooding, emotionally-laden ... everything this song should be, yet isn't anytime a school or church production performs it.
9. Amelia's Last - Over the Rhine - More eggnog music. No idea what it means, but seems meaningful.
10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - The Fab Four - HtHAS done as Help! by the Beatles. Amazing how well this song works as a mid-60s rock and roller with jangly guitars and falsetto-laden, Liverpudlian harmonies.
Wow...didn't even hit Sarah McLachlan, Harry Connick, John Denver & the Muppets, or one of my favorites: The December People, where they do traditional Christmas carols in the style of 70s-era progressive rockers. "Carol of the Bells" like Yes sounds amazing. :) Special extra mention: "O Holy Night" as performed by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and other New Orleans musicians from the dear-departed TV show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" is a wonder to behold. Google it and enjoy.
1. Circle of Joy -- Lisa Lynne, from the Celtic Christmas III Windhim Hill sampler. This has Celtic melodies but doesn't have the die-hard "Celtic-ness" to it. Nice, upbeat non-traditional Christmas tune.
2. Silent Night -- Over the Rhine. This version comes from OTR's first Christmas album and is a poppy arrangement of the Christmas classic.
3. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies -- Tchaikovsky. From the Nutcracker, one of my wife's favorites during the holidays. I loaded it onto my iPod for some diversity.
4. In the Bleak Midwinter -- James Taylor. Uh, ok, I'll admit having JT's Christmas album. There are better arrangements of this tune.
5. Santa Claus is Coming to Town -- Crap. James Taylor again.
6. The Wexford Carol -- David Agnew and David Downes. Windham Hill Sampler. Another nice non-traditional Christmas song with a great melody.
7. O Come All Ye Faithful -- The Chieftains. So I dig the Windham Hill Celtic versions and The Chieftains. Actually, this arrangement starts with a Celctic flute and then slides into a beautiful choir arrangement with an organ, strings and flutes. Sounds like it belongs in a cavernous cathedral lit with hundreds of candles.
8. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -- Russ Taff. Easy listening Christmas music a la the contemporary Christian music scene.
9. Sails of Galway -- Snuffy Walden. Another Windham Hill sampler tune, and a good one at that. But why doesn't the shuffle function seem to understand shuffling?
10. Rocking -- The Cathedral Singers. From a CD called "The Christmas Collection," which has some gorgeous a capella choir music.
10 more in hopes of getting a wider shuffle:
1. Battle -- Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker.
2. Riu Riu Chiu -- Bruce Cockburn
3. Minature Overture -- Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
4. Silent Night -- Bruce Cockburn
5. For Hearth and Home -- Phil Keaggy
6. Scene: Clara and the Nutcracker
7. North Pole Man -- Over the Rhine
8. The Huron Carol -- Bruce Cockburn
9. What Child is This -- Russ Taff
10. O Come O Come Emmanuel -- Phil Keaggy
So much for a quality shuffle ...
4.
Oh wow this is fun...
1. Blue Christmas - Johnny Cash
This song is as funny as it is awesome. The Man in Black captures the holiday blues better than anyone could.
2. Fairytale of New York - Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues
How many Christmas songs mention the "drunk tank?" I love this one... best holiday drinking song ever.
3. Sister Winter - Sufjan Stevens
It's a good one.
4. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - John Denver and the Muppets
Also incredibly funny... Animal's additions in the background are the best
5. 2000 Miles - the Pretenders
Sad and beautiful - like much of the Pretenders catalog
6. River - Joni Mitchell
Also sad and beautiful - I love that they used this song in the movie "Almost Famous"
7. One More Sleep 'Till Christmas - Kermit the Frog
My ipod is leaning toward the whimsical today, apparently. Again, few capture the holidays like the Muppets. If you haven't seen A Muppet Christmas Carol, stop reading this immediately and go and watch it. Pronto :)
8. Merry Christmas Baby - Otis Redding
Soulfully fantastic.
9. Chanukkah Song - Adam Sandler
Words can't even describe how funny and awesome this song is... except for the actual words to the song.
10. Linus and Lucy - Vince Geraldi
I know you're all doing the Peanuts characters' dance in your head right now.
Honorable mention (next two)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Sinatra
O Holy Night (Shoes Interruption) - My Morning Jacket
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Hey Guys! It's Christmas Time! - Sufjan Stevens
Oh Holy Crap - Larry the Cable Guy
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Amy Grant
Sing, We Now of Christmas - Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson
My Holiday - Mindy Smith
Deck The Halls - Vienna Choir Boys
Feels Like Christmas - Al Green
Down In Yon Forest - Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning
Christmas In New Orleans - Louis Armstrong
1. Vince Guaraldi Trio- Oh Tannenbaum
2. Hem- Let It Snow
3. Rufus Wainwright- What Are You Doing New Years Eve?
4. Nat King Cole- The Christmas Song
5. Tchaikovsy- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies
6. Jack Johnson- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
7.Sarah McLachlan- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
8.John Mayer- St. Patricks Day (sorta a Christmas song I guess)
9. Vince Garaldi Trio- Christmas Time is Here
10. Stevie Wonder Someday at Christmas
Post a Comment