Happy Holidays: David Bowie and Bing Crosby, “Little Drummer Boy”

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Yes. A classic.

Happy Holidays: Julian Casablancas, “I Wish It Was Christmas Today”

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Happy Holidays: Brian Setzer meets The Beatles, “Rockin’ Around the Xmas Tree”

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Swear, it took me a whole verse before I started listening to the words, and realized this was not “I Saw Her Standing There.”

Wham! Legendary Pop Band Celebrates Last Christmas

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Here’s their version of Last Christmas. All six minutes and 44 seconds of it. You’ll get the idea in about 30 seconds evem if you’re not paying attention.

And here is the tune stretched out to 35 minutes long, by a guy named phone.o. Beautiful.

Thanks, Dangerous Minds

Happy Holidays: Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

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Ringing.

The 11 Best Songs By the Beatles

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Earlier today I compared Kanye West to the Beatles, and named his best 11 songs. Good stuff.

Here’s my fast take on the top 11 Beatles songs. Just like Kanye, the Beatles have way more than 11 good songs. So both lists skew to my preferences at this moment. I tried to write notes, but it seemed silly. Great song. Favorite. etc etc. Make your own faves known in the comments.

I Want Hold Your Hand, Meet the Beatles

Eight Days a Week, Beatles for Sale

In My Life, Rubber Soul Continue reading →

Night Music: Pearl Jam and Dave Grohl, “Against the 70s”

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Kids today should defend themselves against the 70s. And 1968.

Happy Holidays: The Raveonettes, “The Christmas Song”

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Once again, my wonderful KTKE played another tune that was new to me and also in a holiday spirit.

Don’t–or didn’t–know the Raveonattes, but I am going to find out.

I like this tune, though:

 

The 11 Best of Kanye West

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I somewhat facetiously said elsewhere that Kanye West is to the recent years in music as the Beatles were to the 60s. That my friends elsewhere hadn’t heard West’s music, at least not knowingly, demonstrates the fallacy. This modern world is more segmented than the more expansive world of the Beatles. But that’s okay. The following is a very quick pass at 11 songs that make a nice demo of Kanye’s talents, plus two bonus tracks, avoiding as much as possible his self-centered petulance (which is a part of his thing, too).

Chronologically.

We Don’t Care, The College Dropout: I heard this, the sour distortion, the thumping bass, and wildly ironic rapping, and my eyes opened wide.

Spaceship, The College Dropout: Work, resentment, anger, ambition, wrapped up in a universal metaphor and slow oozing soul setting.

Jesus Walks, The College Dropout: This was the third single from his first album (the first two singles were Through the Wire and Slow Jamz). It is huge, giant, plaintive, beseeching.

Golddigger, Late Registration: The giant hit has a massive beat and a relentless Ray Charles hook (sung by Jamie Foxx). Continue reading →

Song of the Week – Little Girl Blue, Nina Simone

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Christmas music is like Obamacare. Either you like it or you don’t – and no one is going to persuade you to change your mind about it. I happen to like holiday tunes. They even bring a smile to my face when one comes up on “shuffle” in July. But in deference to those of you that are on the other side, I offer a compromise.

Today’s SotW is “Little Girl Blue,” one of Nina Simone’s signature songs. It is an American songbook standard, written by Richard Rodgers and with lyrics by Lorenz Hart in 1935 for the Broadway musical Jumbo. So what does this show tune about time passing have to do with Christmas?

In the hands of Simone, a classically trained pianist, it is transformed into a quodlibet – a song that uses a combination of melodies from different tunes. In this instance, Simone uses the Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” as the intro to the Rogers & Hart song.

This reminds me of the way Joni Mitchell used “Jingle Bells” to connect her breakup song “The River” to the wintry feel of the holiday season.

The SotW is a wonderful version of “Little Girl Blue,” beautifully played and skillfully sung by Simone. Whether you like holiday music or not, this recording will warm your holiday.

Enjoy… until next week.