WELCOME TO THE 2011 HOLIDAY MIXES

Old Fezziwig's Ball returns for its ninth and penultimate year of delivering holiday tunes. Despite a very year filled with many highs and lows, it's nice to slow down as the year draws to a close, reflect on all the good and the challenging, and take some time to assemble a new batch of music. As I promised last year, I'll be ending this nonsense next year at the 10 year mark, and that feels about right. At this point, embedding dropbox folders with mp3 files on this blog feels quaint and outdated, what with Spotify and Turntable.fm making it much easier to create playlists and share music instantly. However, I made a promise and I sticking to it...

Some notes for this year: I'll be cleaning up past entries and making sure that each year's worth of mixes are available for zipped downloads. Also, some bigwig record companies decided to block some of the videos I have featured in the past, so those will be removed. And, I'll be honest, I can't really remember if certain songs have appeared on past mixers, and the search function on this blog site seems to be malfunctioning, so if you hear a repeat, just remember the sheer volume that I have thrown up here!

For the first time since 2008, the majority of my music is accessible to me. I have moved away from storing on my older computer and keep it with me on the laptop now. Last year's compilation that featured the top of the pop chart hits in America and the UK during the holiday season of the 50s and 60s prompted me to seek out the legendary Beatles Fanclub Christmas 45s that they put out each year between 1963 - 1969, so I have included that as a bonus comp among the batch. You'll also find one mix where I leaned heavily on a spoken word theme and included several nuggets from a certain holiday classic that most folks will try to catch at least once this year (preferably in black and white). As always, I am throwing together mixes of indie, jazz, country, pop, and soul (no yacht rock yet - that's next year for the big finale). Hopefully a few of these tunes will get you in the spirit of the season. Happy Holidays everyone.

GOOD VIBES AND BIG WAVES or CHRISTMAS DAY (I WAS I WAS SURFING)

We recently spent our first holiday together as a family on the west coast, and boy, what a very different and wonderful vibe that turned out to be. Even though I enjoy a mug of hot cider and a roaring fire, I'd trade it all in to hang out on a small beach, catching a glimpse of a dolphin and watching the surfers tackle some December waves. With this mix, we dive right in with a tune from the Beach Boys who play a prominent role throughout this comp. You'll hear a couple of Beach Boys covers, and you'll get an appearance from the pride of Hawthorne CA - Mr. Brian Wilson. Before we close out with The Ventures, you'll also get some appearances by Lowell George and the Encinitas surfer-turned-grunge-icon Eddie Vedder, and there will be a large Wham! presence for no particular reason, except it just felt right. Surf's Up. Peace On Earth...

1. Melekalikimaka - Beach Boys
2. A Christmas Song For You - Kik
3. Ding Dong, Ding Dong - George Harrison
4. Secret Santa - Buffalo Killers
5. You Won't Have To Wait Until Xmas - Lee Rogers
6. Black Santa - King Salami & The Cumberland 3
7. Psychedelic Santa - Buzz Zeemer
8. Little Saint Nick - Salvation Alley String Band
9. Candy Cane Madness - Lowell George & The Factory
10. Christmas All Over This Town - Plimptons
11. Snow On Snow (The Bleak Midwinter) - Rue Royale
12. Tiny Tree Christmas - Guster
13. Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time) - Pearl Jam
14. It Won't Seem Like Christmas - Elvis Presley
15. Christmas Day (I Wish I Was Surfing) - Emmy & Tim
16. Merry Christmas Baby - Ash Reiter
17. Santa a Go-Go (Wham! Vs. The Jackson 5) - DJ Schmolli
18. Christmas List (Fa La La) - Jody Glenham
19. This Christmas - Shoes
20. Hey Santa! - Hannah Peel & Tunng
21. Santa On The Run - Davie Allan & The Arrows
22. Christmas Island - Bob Dylan
23. It's A Wonderful Life - Sparklehorse
24. Hallelujah (Christmas Is Here) - Sunturns
25. Last Christmas - Frank Turner
26. Happy Xmas Everybody - Tony Christie
27. Peace on Earth - Brian Wilson
28. We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Ventures

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

EVERYBODY'S DOING THE XMAS TWIST

This mix is not messing around - alternating all the way through with some nice soul and country-tinged tracks. If the first song sounds familiar this holiday season, you've probably heard it blasting from your TV and you did a double take. If you want a nice recap on the wonderful rise of the Alabama Shakes over the past year, check out this link. Lots of other nice little gems on this one, including the cut that gives this mix its title, from the Twistin' Kings, better known as one of the greatest bands ever assembled, the mighty Motown house band - the Funk Brothers.

1. You Ain't Alone - Alabama Shakes
2. Go-Go Round - Gordon Lightfoot
3. Lonely Christmas - George Bowers
4. Christmas Time For Everybody But Me - Hank Ballard
5. White Christmas - Ernest Tubb
6. Out Of The East - Charley Pride
7. Soulful Christmas - Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience
8. Christmas Light - Keegan DeWitt & The Sparrows
9. Here It Is Christmas - Old 97s
10. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Billy Taylor
11. Christmas Clock - Del Reeves
12. Christmas Time's a Comin' - Buck Owens
13. Xmas Twist - Twistin' Kings
14. Christmas Elf - Professor Anonymous & The Marshalls
15. I Still Miss Someone - Whiskeytown
16. Almost Time For Santa - Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns
17. Christmas Is Saturday - Don Dixon
18. The Friendly Beasts - Louvin Brothers
19. Merry Christmas Baby - Hank Crawkford
20. Not On Christmas Eve - Boca Chica
21. Santa Claus Boogie - Hasil Adkins
22. Let It Snow - Diplomats of Sound
23. Christmas With The Band - Ox
24. Please Come Home For Christmas - Willie Nelson
25. Every Day Is Christmas (When I'm Lovin' You) - Charles Bradley
26. Winter Wonderland - Allen Toussaint

Download the songs here as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

BLANKETS OF SNOW

As I have done each year, I usually put together at least a couple of quieter, acoustic, folk / country tinged mixes,and here's the first one for 2011. Title for the comp is swiped from a lyrics one of my all-time favorite non-traditional Christmas-themed songs, Houses On The Hill, by Whiskeytown, included here as an earlier rendition that surfaced on the reissue that came out a few years back for Stranger's Almanac. This mix also features a tune by Richard Laviolette, who put out an album in late 2010 that I listened to more than anything else over the past year.

1. You Are A Gift - Basia Bulat
2. Xmas Lights Spin - Mark Eitzel
3. Christmas Time's A Coming - Bill Monroe
4. Tracks In The Snow - Civil Wars
5. Winterbreath - Richard Laviolette & The Oil Spills
6. Silent Night - Evan Dando
7. Only At Christmas Time - Sufjan Stevens
8. Winter Fawn - Matt Pond PA
9. Snow Will Fall Tonight - Peter Bradley Adams
10. Winter Song - The Head And The Heart
11. Houses On The Hill (Early Version) - Whiskeytown
12. Oh, So Many Years - Everly Brothers
13. The Bells of Dublin / Christmas Eve - Chifetains
14. Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees - Elvis Presley
15. This Christmastime - Mascott & Gramery Arms
16. A Snow Year - Steve Wickham
17. The Gift Of Grace - Denison Witmer
18. The Snow Angel And The Icicle Sword - Ian McGlynn
19. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Travel By Sea / Greater Pacific
20. The Man In the Santa Suit - Neil Halstead
21. Just Like Christmas - Fanfarlo
22. You Never Come Home - Caitlin Rose & Keegan DeWitt
23. I Know The Reason - Mindy Smith & Thad Cockrell

Download as a zip file here, or stream the songs in the player below:

JINGLE BELL JAZZ

So this first mix is my nearly annual stab at a fairly jazz-centric collection of tunes. I even went so far as swiping the cover from the classic 1980 Columbia Records compilation of the same name, which featured Duke, Lionel Hampton, Carmen McRae, Brubeck, and Miles, among others. This mix is a bit more down home and funkier than that (and even approaches disco courtesy of the Reverend Al Green), and also includes several vocals that caught my ear over the past few years.

1. Holiday Breakdown - Binky Griptite
2. Santa Stole My Lady - Fitz and the Tantrums
3. Snowfall - Ahmad Jamal
4. I'd Like You For Christmas - Christabel & The Jons
5. Let's Call It Quits - human
6. Holiday For Strings - Sue Raney
7. Here Comes Santa Claus - Ramsey Lewis
8. Buffalo Gals - Dimitri Tiomkin & Orchestra
9. Christmas Means Love - Sam Cooke
10. Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby - Amos Milburn
11. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Willie Nelson & Norah Jones
12. Frosty The Snowman - Ella Fitzgerald
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Jimmy Smith
14. Close Your Mouth (It's Christmas) - Free Design
15. It Feels Like Christmas - Al Green
16. O Come All Ye Faithful - Chet Baker
17. Santa's Second Line - New Birth Brass Band
18. O Holy Night - Irma Thomas
19. Winter Wonderland - Sonny Rollins
20. Noel Blanc - Michel Legrand
21. I Am Blessed - Nina Simone & Wouter Hamel
22. I Ain't Gonna Let You See My Santa Claus - Victoria Spivey
23. Christmas in New Orleans - James Andrews
24. The Christmas Song - Dexter Gordon

Download these songs as a zip file, or stream from the player below:

EXILE IN WHOVILLE or WHEN THE LIGHTS ON ALL THE CHRISTMAS TREES WENT OUT

This mix, with its nods in the titles, was centered on the murky worlds of the Rolling Stones and uh..Dr. Seuss. I think by the end of the mix, you're left in a good place, but there are definitely some dark patches ahead before you arrive. And that's a theme that always emerges around this time of year. Lots of folks will and should be thankful, and others are going to be much less so. But it always makes for a decent mix - remember, sunshine bores the daylight out of me. And this mix takes its time, stretching out with some longer, fuzzier tunes. Hope you enjoy...

1. London, You're A Lady - Pogues
2. Northern Light Letdown - Jason Collett
3. There's A Star Above The Manger Tonight - Red Red Meat
4. First Christmas - Boyracer
5. Winter Dies - Midlake
6. St. Stephen's Day Murders - Chieftains & Elvis Costello
7. Gonna Make It Through The Year - Great Lake Swimmers
8. Icicles (Plastic Snow Session) - Let's Go Sailing
9. Winter Winds - Mumford & Sons
10. Scarlet - U2
11. Winter - Rolling Stones
12. O Christmas Tree - Layaways
13. It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas - Toad The Wet Sprocket
14. Little Stars - Holly Golightly & The Greenhornes
15. Christmas Skies - Thin White Rope
16. Xmas Time Is Here Again - My Morning Jacket
17. Handle With Care - Traveling Wilburys
18. Winter Sunshine - Dropkick
19. Another Year Again - Sadies
20. This Will Be Our Year - Mynabirds
21. The Warmest Part Of Winter - Voxtrot
22. Deck The Halls - R.E.M.

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

I'LL BE YOUR SANTA, BABY...

Any long time readers of this blog are going to recognize my affinity for lots and lots of soul and r&b. Here's a slinky, slow burning, mostly soul offering with just a touch of country, reggae, doo wop, funk, and a few other things thrown in for good measure. Grab the eggnog, cuddle up with your loved one and marvel at the vocal stylings of Dr. Cliff Huxtable. Every day will be a holiday...

1. Mary's Baby - Charles Bradley
2. You're All I Want For Christmas - Persuasions
3. Merry Christmas Mama - Bill Cosby
4. Party Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - DJ McFly
5. Deck The Halls - human
6. Pauvre Jesus-Christ - Henri Salvador
7. Lonesome Christmas Blues - Blind Blake
8. Empty Chair At The Christmas Table - Bob Wills
9. White Christmas - Corporal Blossom
10. Winter Rose - A Band Of Bees
11. The Last Month Of the Year - Staple Singers
12. Just A Sad Christmas - Soul Duo
13. Merry Christmas Darling - Uniques
14. A Funky Christmas To You - J Hines
15. Christmas Time Is Here - Mayer Hawthorne
16. Merry Christmas Baby - Ike & Tina Turner
17. Tis Yuletide - Roscoe Robinson
18. Merry Christmas To You - Salem Travellers
19. I'd Like To Find You In My Stocking - Vincent Lopez
20. Christmas Time In The City - Mary Chapin Carpenter
21. The Gift Of Giving - Bill Withers
22. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Booker T & The MG's
23. Christmas In Heaven - Charles Brown
24. Every Day Will Be A Holiday - William Bell
25. Have Yourself A Santatastic Little Christmas - DJ BC
26. I Want You To Come Home For Christmas - Marvin Gaye
27. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Carla Thomas

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

CHRISTMAS MORNING FEELING

My other fairly quiet, folk/country mix for this holiday season. Lots of favorites pop up on this mix, including Camera Obscura's great take on a Richard Hawley tune, and producer John Keane teaming up with his daughters for a nice take on two traditional tunes. And it goes without saying that any mix is improved 1000 percent by the mere presence of the Louvin Brothers.

01 The Falling Snow - Damien Jurado
02 Snowfall - Josh Rouse
03 The Nights Are Cold - Camera Obscura
04 All That I Want - Weepies
05 God Rest Ye... / We Three Kings - We Three Keanes
06 I Heard The Bells On Christmas - Pedro The Lion
07 Christmas - Leona Naess
08 Wanting And Regret - Jason Anderson
09 Baby It's Cold Outside - Haunting Party
10 Snow Angels - Boca Chica
11 River - Lex Land
12 Christmas Song - Denison Witmer
13 Gone The Bells - Cotton Jones
14 Song For A Winter's Night - Erica Wheeler
15 Merry Christmas From The Family - Lindley Ruth
16 I Do Not Care For the Winter Sun - Beach House
17 A Long December - John Craigie
18 New Year's Eve - Team Five
19 Same Old New Year's - Ben Smith
20 Good Christian Men Rejoice - Louvin Brothers

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE DRUNK TANK

I thought I had all my mixes lined up this year, and this one just sort of evolved and I heard a distinct sound emerge - lots of emotion, lots of anthems, lots of joy, a couple of scary thoughts expressed out loud, and a few tinges of regret. You know, like most trips to your local watering hole, especially round this time of year. I am pretty certain that, aside from Ella Fitzgerald, the Pogues have made more appearances on my mixes than any other act. That sounds just fine to me. So Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday to Shane MacGowan - born 25 December 1957!

1. Waking Up On Christmas Morning - Smithereens
2. Psycho - Thirsty Dave's Western Caravan
3. City Of Christmas Ghosts - Goldblade & Poly Styrene
4. X Is For Christmas - Sin Ropas
5. Who Sez There Ain't No Santa Claus - Ron Holden & Thunderbirds
6. Jingle Bells - New Birth Brass Band
7. What Next Dear One - Rue Royale
8. Christmas Time Is Here - dB's
9. Christmas Don't Be Late - Caleb & The Caroling Caravan
10. Xmas Eve - Damnwells
11. The Song The Season Brings - Beta Radio
12. Train Of Love - Pogues
13. Christmas In Nevada - Willard Grant Conspiracy
14. Winter - Moon Duo
15. Hear Oh Hear - Kris MacQueen
16. It Won't Seem Like Christmas - Attwater
17. Lonely Christmas Again - Dave Dudley
18. Season Cyclics - Sunturns
19. Go Tell It On The Mountain - Branches
20. Pretty Paper - Salvation Alley String Band
21. It Christmas (Go On And Say Hello) - Roman Candle
22. It Christmas So We'll Stop - Frightened Rabbit
23. Room To Roam - Waterboys
24. A Very Whiskey New Year - Three Day Threshold

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

A VERY ZUZU CHRISTMAS

So this mix leans heavily on audio clips and score selections taken directly from Franks Capra's perennial holiday favorite, It's A Wonderful Life. I've placed these clips alongside some 40s / 50s / 60s vocals backed by full orchestras, and I've also hunted down some other notable spoken word segements, from the like of John Prine, Elvis, and the greatest and weirdest holiday pairing ever, David Bowie and Bing Crosby, on their unique Little Drummer Boy duet...

01 Overture - Dimitri Tiomkin & His Orchestra
02 Icicles, Holly, Redd Berries, and Snow - Caroleer Singers
03 Winter Wonderland - Johhny Long & His Orchestra
04 Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - Three Suns
05 Christmas Bride - Ray Martin 7 His Orchestra
06 Space Age Santa Claus - Gus De Wert Trio
07 The Christmas Song - Ray Bloch & His Orchestra
08 The Only Thing I Want For Christmas - De John Sisters
09 Our Christmas Waltz - Karen Ford & Bill Snary
10 Dearest Santa - Eddy Howard & His Orchestra
11 The Mistletoe Christmas - Russ Morgan & His Orchestra
12 Little Drummer Boy - Bowie & Crosby
13 George And Mary Meet Again - Film Audio
14 Just To See Santa Come - Michelle Scott Singers
15 Be-Bop Santa Claus - Babs Gonzales
16 Clarence's Leap Of Faith - Film Audio Clip
17 Every Christmas We Know - Lois Lynn
18 A John Prine Christmas - John Prine
19 We Need A Little Christmas - Skitch Henderson & His Orchestra
20 Christmas Message From Elvis - Elvis Presley
21 I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - Harry Belafonte
22 Snowbound For Christmas - De Castro Sisters
23 The Richest Man In The World - Film Audio Clip
24 Auld Lang Syne - human
25 My New Year's Wish For You - Frank MacCormack

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs and clips below:

DON'T MESS AROUND WITH THOSE SILLY TOYS

A snot-filled, mash up (pun intended) of punk and rock converging for a nice little one hour blast of music. There are a couple cuss words here and there buried in the guitar mix, so a warning that this is perhaps best heard when the kids are in bed, or you're drinking heavily.

1. Joy To The World - Bad Religion
2. The Grinch - Blue Meanies
3. Child's Christmas in Wales - Superchunk
4. Santatage (Otis / Beastie Boys / Run DMC) - Divide & Kreate
5. Merry Christmas - Face To Face
6. O Holy Night - Smoking Popes
7. It's Christmas At The Airport Bar - Cuban Mistletoe Crisis
8. Christmas On Mars - Groovie Ghoulies
9. Snake Oil Tanker (Xmas) - Alkaline Trio
10. There Ain't No Sanity Clause - Damned
11. Christmas Vacation - Descendents
12. Sexy Christmas Baby Mine - Morphine
13. Up on The Housetop - Oblivian
14. Snowflake - Gauge
15. All I Got For Christmas Was Drunk - Better Off Dead
16. Last White Christmas - Basement 5
17. Merry Christmas - Silkworm
18. Nothing Else Matters But My Favourite Things - G3RST
19. Deck The Halls - Twisted Sister
20. Merry Fucking Christmas - Mr. T Experience
21. Christmas Is Over - Plimptons
22. A Christmas Duel - Hives & Cyndi Lauper

Download as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below:

A VERY FAB FOUR CHRISTMAS

As promised, here's a little bonus this year - with the kick-off of Beatlemania, and continuing on until the break-up, the Beatles released a Christmas record through their fan club each year on a flexidisc record - a flimsy record roughly the size of a 45. As you listen, you'll delight at the charm and humor of the Mop Tops, and things will get increasingly weirder as we hit the end of the decade. The production leaps ahead in 66 and 67 as the Beatles became studio wizards themselves. By 1968, the tension between bandmates was so high that for the '68 and '69 records, each contribution was captured separately and compiled at a later date. I guess that was it for Rudolph the Red Nosed Ringo. And yes, Yoko makes an appearance. So does Tiny Tim...

01 Christmas 1963
02 Veejay Christmas / Another Beatles Christmas Record (1964)
03 Beatles Third Christmas Record (1965)
04 Pantomime, Everywhere It's Christmas (1966)
05 Christmastime is Here Again (1967)
06 Christmas 1968
07 Happy Christmas (1969)

Download as a zip file, or stream the clips in the player below: