Friday Music

You get a bit of a super-sized edition this week.

Just like last year, I’ve put together a holiday album for the last Friday Music before Christmas, which you can download from YouSendIt by clicking on the cover below. Sadly no individual song links this year, either grab the entire album or don’t — but I do provide liner notes, below. Then, after the Yule goodies, I’ve got a handful of non-holiday tracks for you — your regularly-scheduled Friday Music.

First up:


Click to download album

Here’s the tracklist:

1) Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel – “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” I’ve become a raving fanboy for actress Zooey Deschanel’s voice. Her new album with M. Ward, under the group name “She & Him” will feature on a future Friday Music, I’m sure of it.

2) The Moonglows – “Hey Santa Claus.” Uptempo holiday-themed four-bar blues. Apparently, Santa has a lot of Babies to Bring Back Home, if these sorts of songs are any indication.

3) Bobby Lloyd and the Skeletons – “Do You Hear What I Hear/You Really Got Me.” Love this — a non-electronic mash-up. The band blends a holiday classic with a Kinks classic, and does it well.

4) Marah – “New York is a Christmas Kind of Town.” It really is — this time of year is probably when I miss it the most.

5) Pearl Jam – “Santa God.” Eddie Vedder reminiscing about when Santa was God. Still is, Eddie. Still is.

6) The Ting Tings – “Shut Up & Let It Snow (Live on BBC1).” The Ting Tings do an accoustic holiday filk of their hit song. Goofy and fun.

7) And What Will Be Left of Them? – “Have Yourself A Filthy Little Christmas.” Love the lyric “hope you choke on cheer.” Ah, punk.

8) Fleet Foxes – “White Winter Hymnal.” An absolutely beautiful song by the new Seattle-based Indie darlings.

9) The Bellrays – “All I Want to do is Shag for Christmas.” Soul-revival garage band does a smokin’ tune, double-entendre referencing the dance style and…um… the other kind of shagging, too.

10) The Ronettes – “Sleigh Ride.” Pretty traditional, but I love me some Phil Spector wall-of-sound, and the ring-a-ling-a-ling-a-ding-dong-ding is a household favorite.

11) Derek B – “Chillin’ With Santa.” Christmas hip-hop breakbeat. Fun.

12) National Lampoon – “Kung Fu Christmas.” From National Lampoon’s 1974 comedy album, written by Christopher Guest & Paul Shaffer– a spot-on perfect parody of the earnest ghetto soul of the early-70s. The lyrics. Listen to them.

There you go — Happy Holidays. Now for our usual mix of eclectica:

First, for , who has recently become a Smallville fan via DVD (we’ve just finished season one): Remy Zero – “Save Me.”

Massive guilty pleasure time. This is a track from Britney Spears’ new album, and, again, the producers have done a bang-up job — a blistering glam-disco track that makes you want to dance. I only wish it was someone other than La Spears, so I could try to retain some level of cred here. Ah well. Britney Spears – “Womanizer.”

More music that’s been drifting through my Far West inspiration playlist: Beck – “Farewell Ride.” (I discovered this when it was used as a promo for the series finale of The Shield.)

My all-time favorite Bauhaus track. Some little gothlings preferred the spooky crackle of Bela Lugosi’s Dead, but I cranked this one: Bauhaus – “Dark Entries.”

Lastly — I’m a big fan of the soundtrack to To Live and Die in L.A., composed by Wang Chung. Here’s one of my favorites from the soundtrack: Wang Chung – “Wait.”

There you go. Enjoy.