Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Open Thread: Holiday mixes!

I've read two stories in the past two days about holiday mixes. I just read this one today in tbt* (ok, so I don't really read tbt* that much but it's sorta my job to be in the know, y'know?) . Then there was this one in the Trib from over the weekend that I just didn't get around to reading until yesterday. That one's a 3-disk cycle no less.

There's of course the radio stations that flip to all-Christmas, all-the-time only seconds after most have finished Thanksgiving, but those playlists never quite seem that adventurous, or frankly that interesting. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that music directors in today's globalized radio industry aren't really interested in having taste, just remaining flatlined enough so that the robots don't change the station.

I'm feeling direct today. Anyway, I could (and should) go off on that elsewhere.

I've been making holiday mix cds for several years now. All the way back to high school I used to make people mixed tapes for Christmas (not themed to the holiday or anything, I would have lost massive goth points for that). My latest trend has really been to make two cds - one more traditional or at the very least "grown up" and the other light and silly.

After reading those playlists in the paper, I recognized most of those songs. Among them were some of my perennial inclusions: "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC, Louis Armstrong's "'Zat You Santa Claus?" and Dean Martin's "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

How David Bowie and Bing Crosby's duet of "Little Drummer Boy" was left off both of those lists, I'll never know. That's possibly one of the best Christmas recordings of all time. Or what of the majesty that is Eric Cartman singing "O Holy Night?" I'm also very fond of the Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLaughlin version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and Dar Williams' "The Christians and the Pagans."

But we can all be a critic, right? So, I'm sure there has to be a ton of good holiday music I don't know or have forgotten about. I'd love for you all to share your holiday playlists here in the comments field. Think of it as a virtual tape swap. You leave the track lists, and we can find the music on our own (legally, of course).

I'll throw up a few of mine when I get home ...

-dj

4 comments:

Angela Lakin said...

Though I'm not Jewish, nothing says the holidays are here like Adam Sandler's "Thanksgiving Song" and both versions of "The Hanukkah Song".

Dominick F., bean counter/TBPAC said...

Some favorites--

From "Merry Axemas":

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd (lively rendition in KWS fashion)

"Silent Night/Holy Night Jam" by Joe Satriani (slow, with a lot of feeling)

From "Merry Axemas, Vol.2: More Guitars for Christmas":

"White Christmas" by Zakk Wylde (on acoustic--does not sound anything like his shredding with Ozzy)

"Deck the Halls" by Ted Nugent (a tour-de-force in true Ted fashion)

Also, Twisted Sister just put out "A Twisted Christmas" which has a rousing rendition of "12 Days of Christmas" entitled "Heavy Metal Christmas"

Dominick F., bean counter/TBPAC said...

For some traditional Christmas favorites, and some really off-the-wall, unusual, wacky, and otherwise funny Christmas songs try streaming free "somafm.com" in Windows Media. Their "Xmas in Frisco" station is only up and running during the holiday season, and is probably the most unusual online radio station playing Christmas-related songs.

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