It’s the last Friday Music before Christmas, and so I’ve got a special holiday mix for you. You’ve got a choice — you can download the individual tracks linked below, or simply click the cover image to download a zipped collection of the whole mix, ready to go:
The tracks, in order:
My favorite Christmas song this year — a surfed-up version of a Christmas classic, adding influences from “Pipeline” and “Runaway”, performed by men in Luchador masks. Can’t go wrong there…. Los Straitjackets – “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
According to a recent post by
A bit of Louis Armstrong hipster chic to give the collection a name: Louis Armstrong – “Cool Yule.”
A wickedly funny mash-up, combining Black Sabbath and Dean Martin: ToToM – “Rudolph the Paranoid Reindeer.”
A folksy story-song of different sides of a family coming together for the holidays. I’ve been there, and I’m sure a bunch of you have as well. Dar Williams – “The Christians & The Pagans.”
Some classic early-70s soul. You can probably still hear this on some so-called “urban” stations during the season, or maybe in a K-Tel “Funky Christmas” collection, but I think it deserves wider exposure: Donny Hathaway – “This Christmas.”
One of my favorite Christmas songs, of all time, in the history of Ever. ‘Nuff said. The Kinks – “Father Christmas.”
The cheese-tastic Christmas Single from Bill Nighy’s aging-rockstar character, Billy Mack, in the film “Love, Actually.”
Howsabout a tongue-in-cheek Muder Ballad for Christmas? Angry Johnny and The Killbillies – “6 Bullets for Christmas.”
And lastly, a cover of a sugary-sweet Wham! Christmas single, done by Billie Piper when she was in her teenage pop siren phase. Sit back and imagine Rose (or perhaps Belle Du Jour) singing this one: Billie Piper – “Last Christmas.”
There you go, kids. Merry Christmas.
Totally with you on “Father Christmas”. That, and Tom Petty’s “Christmas All Over Again” are my two favorites.
“Billy Mack: But wouldn’t it be great if number one this Christmas wasn’t some smug teenager, but an old ex-heroin addict searching for a comeback at any price? All those young popstars come Christmas Day, they’ll be stretched out naked with a cute bird balancing on their balls and I’ll be stuck in some dingy flat with me manager, Joe, ugliest man in the world, fucking miserable because our fucking gamble didn’t pay off. So if you believe in Father Christmas, children, like your Uncle Billy does, buy my festering turd of a record. And particularly enjoy the incredible crassness of the moment when we try to squeeze an extra syllable into the fourth line.
Mikey, DJ interviewer: I think you’re referring to “If you really love Christmas…”
Billy Mack: “Come on and let it snow”. Ouch.”
My favorite line of the whole movie. Second favorite: “Let’s get pissed and watch porn!”
Totally agree with you. Father Christmas by the Kinks is my all-time favorite x-mas tune.
Thank you!
What a wonderful gift! Good crossings, happy holidays, & have a fantastic weekend!
…did you know that The Dan Band has a Christmas album by the name of “Ho”???
And no…I’m not joking. ^.^ And yes, “I Wanna Rock U Hard This Xmas” is the first track. I’m particularly interested in hearing “Please Don’t Bomb Nobody This Holiday.”
cd can be found at Borders…just thought you might get a kick out of that.