Category: Music

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 , this is one of the differences between UK and US Christmases — this song is *everywhere* over there: Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody.”

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.” loves this one…Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) – “Christmas is All Around.”

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.

Here we go again…remember, if you’re enjoying this, please speak up!

First off — David Bowie has released a new boxed set of rarities from his 90s and later output. Lots of unreleased material. For example — Bowie provided a track for the mediocre religious-horror movie Stigmata. I loved the song in the film, and so ran out and got the soundtrack, only to find out that the version on the CD is not the version used in the movie. Now, the film-only version has been released, as part of this boxed set: David Bowie – “The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell (Stigmata Film-Only Mix)”

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings did an amazing live set for Santa Monica’s public radio station, KCRW, last week, and recordings of it have been posted online. It should be no surprise that their live stuff is as brilliant as their studio work. Check out this amazing retro-ized cover of Janet Jackson: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings – “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”

Emilie Autumn has released a new limited edition 2-disc CD, hot on the heels of last year’s Opheliac (which I posted tracks from almost exactly a year ago). This new release, Laced/Unlaced is all instrumental. Disc one (Laced) are the virtuoso recordings made of her as a teenager, performing Bach, Corelli, Ortiz, etc., as well as original compositions, performed with period instruments (Harpsichord, Violin, etc.). Disc two (Unlaced) are recent instrumental compositions in her trademark “victoriandustrial” style — electric violin, guitar, drums, electronica…. Good stuff. Here’s a track from the second disc, which starts sort of period-ish, and then changes: Emilie Autumn – “Syringe.”

Now, some more classic South African pop from Johnny Clegg and Savuka — this is the track that introduced the group to me: it was the lead single from their US Debut, Shadow Man. Johnny Clegg and Savuka – “Take My Heart Away.”

Sometimes, I just want to hear this song — and it gets a helluva lot less airplay than “White Room” or “Sunshine of your Love.” I still think this is their best: Cream – “Tales of Brave Ulysses.”

Yes, it’s goofy. Yes, it was used in that absolutely horrid 80s movie, Iron Eagle. But damn it, I loved this song, and putting it in my walkman made me feel like I was rocketing through the skies in a fighter plane, dogfighting with eeevil Russians, rather than just pedaling my ass off on Johnson County bike trails. Face it — it rocks. The synth-string intro, building until broken by Brian May’s guitar….classic stuff. Queen – “One Vision.”

Why this song wasn’t a big hit I’ll never know. I expect it’s probably because it didn’t fit comfortably into any of the Clear Channel – approved radio formats. It was R&B, it was Alternative, it was Pop, it was Soul…. But in 2001, when it was released, nobody knew what to do with it. Brilliant stuff, though: Res – “They Say Vision.”

Enjoy!

A mix of new and old this week —

First up, one of my favorite songs, that few people know. This singer was a member of Berlin, but quit before the first album was released. Then, she got a deal at Island Records, in return for working as a janitor at the offices, and toured but never released a record. In 1985, she signed a deal with A&M, performed backing vocals for David + David on “Boomtown”, and then, finally, in 1988, released her debut album Union — and I fell in love with this track, based on the strength of her voice. This is what I think of when I hear the word “belt” in relation to singing. Toni Childs – “Don’t Walk Away.”

I grabbed a copy of Kate Nash’s debut album, Made of Bricks, this week. Listeners of Friday Music should know that I’ve been completely obsessed with Nash recently, loving everything I’ve heard from her so far. The album is no disappointment. Here are two tracks to demonstrate the coolness: Kate Nash – “Mouthwash”, more of her bouncy piano-based pop….and then the quirky almost-blues of Kate Nash – “Dickhead”, which, as you might guess from the title, features some not-safe-for-work language.

Another old song, which I first heard when it was released and my friends and I were raiding the record collection of one of my friend’s college-age brother, back in the early 80s. Later on, I would perform this song in a band at a couple of high-school parties. Marshall Crenshaw – “Someday, Someway.”

Nashville ‘alternative’ singer Alison Krauss and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant have teamed up and released an album, Raising Sand, which manages to be blues, country, rock, folk, bluegrass and more, all at the same time. Brilliant stuff. Check out this vaguely rockabillyish track: Alison Krauss and Robert Plant – “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On).”

More neo-retro from Daptone Records: Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings – “Keep On Looking.” I have got to get this album.

Lastly, a slice of total cool from Robbie Robertson, who released his debut solo album in 1987, eleven years after The Band had called it quits. Featuring musicians like Peter Gabriel and U2’s Adam Clayton sitting in, the album was great, but nothing on it struck me as much as this track: Robbie Robertson – “Somewhere Down The Crazy River.”

Enjoy.