WELCOME TO THE 2010 HOLIDAY MIXES

Old Fezziwig's Ball returns for its eighth year of delivering just way too many holiday tunes. With that said, I think I'll cap it at 10 years - so 2012 will be my final foray into this insanity. The scary thing is...well, despite the wealth of tunes here, we're really just scratching the surface.

Some notes for this year: a lot of you ungrateful types complained about last year's move away from the zip file option. Well, I didn't like it either, but I had reached the cap on the account that allowed for the zip file option. However, the good folks at box.net finally realized that 5 GB of space does not cut in this day and age, and with a lot more room, I have returned to the zip file option. So, for 2010, as you hit each entry, you'll be able to stream the songs from the player, download individual songs that you like, or click on the link to go straight to a zip file download option. Also, it looks that all past mixes (including years 2003, 2004, and 2009) are now back up online with the zip file download option.

For the second year in a row, the majority of my music is not accessible to me as my computer is in storage while we fix a nagging issue in the basement (read: drain tile!). So, a couple of themes I wanted to explore will just need to wait for the final two years. However, I was able to roll out a couple of special mixes this year. These compilations include a look at what was at the top of the pop charts in America and the UK during the 50s and 60s during the holiday season, as well as a tribute to a legendary musician who should have had a ton of hits. And, as always, you'll also find the usual assortment of indie, jazz, country, pop, and just plain weirdness. I hope you find a couple of new holiday gems. Happy Holidays everyone.

One last note: Most of you have probably already seen this, but if you haven't, head on over to my other project this past fall: friends from the Uncle Tupelo mailing list contributed original and cover tunes to raise funds for Feeding America. Veteran readers of the Old Fezziwig blog will see that the idea for that project came about through one of my themed holiday mixes posted in 2009.

CHRISTMAS PARTY USA!

Sit tight kids - the adults are going to throw some drinks back and the party is going to start hopping. Everyone is going to try out some new dance moves, and then things get really interesting. Many folks are going to become a lot more attractive, and a few will awake in an unknown locale. You've been warned...

1. It's Christmas Time (Hey We're Gonna Rock) - The Flat Duo Jets
2. Snow Girl - Ron Winters
3. Christmas Party - Eddie & De Havelon
4. Christmas Will Be Just Another Lonely Day - Brenda Lee
5. Santa, Teach Me To Dance - Debbie & The Darnells
6. Merry Christmas Loopy Lu - The Kaisers
7. Rock Around The Christmas Tree - Big Bud
8. Christmas Blues - Washboard Pete
9. Christmas Train - Corey Bell
10. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
11. Santa Done Got Hip - The Marquees
12. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery
13. Christmasville USA - Jimmy Charles
14. Santa's Got A Bag of Soul - Soul Saints Orchestra
15. Teenage Christmas - Eux Autres
16. Rock And Roll Christmas - Cordell Jackson
17. Hey Santa Claus - The Chesterfield Kings
18. Don't The Girls All Get Prettier? - Mickey Gilley
19. Rocket Ship Santa - The BellRays
20. Christmas (Doesn't Have To Be So Sad) - The Backsliders
21. Xmas In The Jailhouse - Ox
22. Xmas Time - Jan Bradley
23. It's Christmas - Marvin & Johnny
24. Don't Plan No Party This Christmas - Mel Brown
25. Dancin' With Santa - The Trashmen
26. Santa Claus - Billy Childish
27. Christmas Eve - The Galaxies
28. On A Christmas Day - Leadbelly

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

IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER

Another in the series of country-tinged mixes that I put out each year - this one featuring a bit of everything - swing, rockabilly, old time, bluegrass, folk - with the general theme of what a tough holiday season it will be for many this December - for a variety of reasons.

1. Christmas Is Near - The Stanley Brothers
2. If We Make It Through December - Blue Shadows
3. Merry Christmas To All - Al Dexter & His Troopers
4. I Hate Christmas - Asleep At The Wheel
5. Kisses For Christmas - Marti Brom
6. Christmas In My Smokey Mountain Home - Bobby Bare
7. Forgive Me Santa - Jimmie Davis
8. Goin' Home For Christmas - Merle Haggard
9. Cowboy Santa Claus - Bill Lacey
10. Song For A Winter's Night - Gordon Lightfoot
11. Just Like The Rain - Richard Hawley
12. Peace Behind The Bridge - Carolina Chocolate Drops
13. Down On Christmas - Stompin' Tom Connors
14. Bastard Brothers - Chip Taylor
15. Christmas Dinner - Tennessee Ernie Ford
16. Winter Hours - The Deep Dark Woods
17. Po' Folks Christmas - Bill Anderson
18. Mommy For Awhile On Christmas Day - Johnny Paycheck
19. The Blizzard - Camera Obscura
20. Daddy, Will Santa Claus Ever Have To Die? - The Martins
21. Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton
22. Alcoholiday - Better Off Dead
23. Here Comes Santa Claus Again - Buck Owens
24. Rockabilly Santa Claus - Wanda Jackson
25. Barefoot Santa Claus - Sonny James
26. Christmas Day - Strayfolk
27. Santa And The Kids - Charley Pride
28. Dear Mr. Santa - Doye O'Dell
29. When Santa Comes Round - Dropkick

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

SOUNDS OF JOY

We kicked off the holidays really early this year by attending a pre-Thanksgiving production of a A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre. We absolutely loved it, in large part to the amount of music that was featured so prominently throughout the show - a really nice blend of quiet, softer carols with the awesomeness of a full blown Fezziwig dance party. With that in mind, here's a mix of a lot of jingly jangly tunes from modern day folks, with the frequent appearance of a mellower, boozier tune from an earlier era.

1. Jingle Jangle Christmas - The Metro Jets
2. Winter Wonderland- Doris Day
3. It's Christmas - Coconut Records
4. The Christmas Waltz - Frank Sinatra
5. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - R.E.M.
6. Joyous Sound - Van Morrison
7. Oh What A Christmas - El Perro Del Mar
8. Blue Christmas - Dean Martin
9. Cold Blue Halo - Jason Collett
10. Pure - The Lightning Seeds
11. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town - Peggy Lee
12. You'll Never Find My Christmas - Bishop Allen
13. Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy - Chocolate Snow
14. Snow Is Falling - Darker My Love
15. Run Away With Me - Jens Lekman
16. The Christmas Song - Ella Fitzgerald
17. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Willie Nelson with Norah Jones
18. Christmas Isn't Christmas - The Boy Least Likely To
19. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day - Harry Belafonte
20. Got Something For You - Best Coast
21. Christmas Lights - The Yule Logs
22. All These Winter Nights - The Higher Elevations
23. Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects - Sharon Jones
24. Jingle Bells (Part 2) - Pastor T.L. Barrett
25. Christmas In The Cross - Dropkick
26. Silent Night - Richard Hawley

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

THE CHRISTMAS SINGLES COLLECTION

The idea for this mix came about as I was compiling this blog last year. As I wrote up the introduction for the mix entitled This Will Be Our Year, I acknowledged that despite its tag and association with the Summer of Love, lots of the great 60s pop music has a seasonal feel to it. Remembering the importance that the Beatles associated with the Christmas single, I took it a step further and looked back upon how the UK Christmas single shaped how certain bands would prepare something on an annual basis (note: the Stones, at their second most drug-addled state, were getting into the holiday spirit).

Flipping over and reviewing the Billboard charts - a few things became really crystal clear - the holiday season was a time for the heavyweights - with a quick review, I realized that the Supremes and the Beatles pretty much owned the charts. So, for this mix, I backed up a bit, and headed back as far as 1952, when the New Musical Express in UK first started charting the Christmas single. The following mix is a smattering of the hits that made it to the top of the UK or US charts between Thanksgiving and New Years up through 1969. I had a lot of fun researching and putting this mix together. And I left off multiple classics by both the Fabs and the Supremes. This just in - those folks were pretty darn good.

1. I Feel Fine - The Beatles
2. Here In My Heart - Al Martino
3. Come See About Me - The Supremes
4. Just Walkin' In The Rain - Johnnie Ray
5. Christmas Alphabet - Dickie Valentine
6. Stay - Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
7. Answer Me - Frankie Laine
8. To Sir With Love - Lulu
9. Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis Presley
10. Little Saint Nick (Single Version) - The Beach Boys
11. We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
12. It's Only Make Believe - Conway Twitty
13. I Hear a Symphony - The Supremes
14. The Poor Side Of Town - Johnny Rivers
15. Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte
16. What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For - Emile Ford
17. Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean
18. I'm Leaving It Up To You - Dale & Grace
19. Merry Christmas, Baby - The Beach Boys
20. Mr. Lonely - Booby Vinton
21. Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds
22. She's a Rainbow - The Rolling Stones
23. Wedding Bell Blues - The Fifth Dimension
24. Green Green Grass Of Home - Tom Jones
25. Leaving On A Jet Plane - Peter, Paul & Mary
26. Hello Goodbye - The Beatles
27. Someday We'll Be Together - The Supremes
28. A Christmas Message from Dennis Wilson

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

THAT'S CHRISTMAS TIME TO ME

Another mostly twangy compilation that feels just about right when blankets of snow are covering the streets and you've got a nice fire already started. This mix also features one of my top recurring favorites, the mighty Asleep At The Wheel. They make it sound effortless.

1. Ole Tex Kringle - Tex Ritter
2. Christmas Morning Comin' Down - The Tall Pines
3. Party Hard - Little Isidore
4. Merry Texas Christmas Y'All - Asleep At The Wheel
5. That's Christmas Time To Me - Bill Monroe
6. The Christmas Cannonball - Hank Snow
7. Going Home - The Maldives
8. Tracks In The Snow - The Civil Wars
9. Santa Never Made It Into Darwin - Bill & Boyd
10. Can I Sing A Christmas Song For You? - Dave Dudley
11. Perfect Gift - Natalie Hemby
12. Squat - Shelby Lynne
13. Oh Sweet Christmas! - Oh Sweet Music!
14. Daddy's Drinking Up Our Christmas - Smiley Bates
15. Stocking - Sarah Siskind
16. Get Off The Stool - Marvin Rainwater
17. Cowboy Santa Claus - Bill Lacey
18. Angels We Have Heard On High
19. Sleigh Bell Rock - Marti Brom
20. Old Toy Trains - Roger Miller
21. North Pole Rock - Cathy Sharpe
22. Holly And Her Mistletoe - Jim Lauderdale
23. Houses On The Hill (Early Version) - Whiskeytown
24. Merry Christmas From A Bar - The Starkweathers
25. Hard Candy Christmas - Dolorean
26. Up On The Hill - Dropkick
27. Call On God - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

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

A BIG STAR CHRISTMAS

December boys got it bad...

Back in March, the music world lost Alex Chilton - the teenage soul shouter with The Boxtops, the uncompromising artist who put out challenging and interesting solo works, and...oh yeah...the leader of Big Star - the Memphis-based Power Pop legends whose three albums were heard by few initially, but made a lasting impact on everyone who heard them and decided to go out and put their own spin on American music - The Replacements, R.E.M, The Posies, Elliott Smith, and Wilco, to name but a few. And the impact reached far beyond these shores. Two of my all-time favorite bands named albums in tribute to Big Star's work: Scotland's Teenage Fanclub named an early album Thirteen after the gorgeous ballad that appears on Big Star's debut, #1 Record, while Australia's You Am I named their fourth album #4 Record - as a nod and wink to Alex. Passing away just days before he was to reconnect with former bandmates at Austin's South By Southwest festival, their reunion show turned into the first of many elegant eulogies for a musician who consistently astounded.

Like many folks, I tend to classify certain artists and their music by different seasons and/or events. For example, when the temperatures drop and the leaves change color, no doubt Van Morrison and Nick Drake will receive a few more spins. With Chilton and Big Star in particular, I tend to identify him with two different times of the year: the power pop templates, with their heavy riffs and their catchy choruses, remind me of a late night summer gathering of teenagers or early twentysomethings - in a parking lot of an abandoned building, sipping cheap beer and even cheaper alcohol, and blasting music, all under the cover of night. But there's also the other side to Big Star - the quieter moments that seem more akin to the very early morning when it's probably too cold to step foot outside - the music that seems to be directly descended from the Beatles and Byrds just a few years earlier. Alex has been featured on past compilations - most notably his song "Jesus Christ" - but given his passing this year, I wanted to pay my own small tribute - so amidst a smattering of some of his greatest work with Big Star, I have included some peers, some admirers, and some heroes. And, as we discovered later in his career, Alex was a big fan of interpreting old standards and classics, so I've included his heartfelt take on The Christmas Song, which he recorded for Chris Stamey's holiday album in the mid 80s.

1. The Ballad Of El Goodo - Big Star
2. Hannah & Gabi - The Lemonheads
3. The Nights Are Cold - Richard Hawley
4. Time Of The Season - Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
5. Watch The Sunrise - Big Star
6. Violence In The Snowy Fields (Acoustic) - Dolorean
7. Sugar and Spice - Basia Bulat
8. Cold Enough To Cross - Joe Henry
9. Nightime - Big Star
10. Winter Song - The Quarter After
11. I May Never - Dropkick
12. Christmastime In The Mountains - Palace Songs
13. At My Most Beautiful - R.E.M.
14. Blue Moon (Demo) - Big Star
15. In Christ There Is No East Or West - Mavis Staples
16. This Xmas Eve - The Radar Bros.
17. Skyway - The Replacements
18. Live With The Seasons - Teenage Fanclub
19. September Gurls - Big Star
20. Knee Deep At The NPL - Camera Obscura
21. Christmas Is The Only Time - The dB's
22. Here We Are In The Years - Neil Young
23. Thank You Friends (Demo) - Big Star
24. The Christmas Song - Alex Chilton

If you're new to the music of Big Star, I highly recommend you check it out. Head on over to the music blog of my pal Lance Davis and check out his musings about Alex since his passing - a lot of fascinating information. If you've been a long-time fan of Alex, hopefully I've done it right here.

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

HOLIDAY HANGOVER

We've all been there, haven't we? For as fun and festive and joyous as this season can be, it can also lead to a lot of headaches and heartaches. My new favorite scene in A Christmas Story comes right near the end - after the hysteria of Christmas morning, the bunny suit for Ralphie, a visit from the Bumpus hounds, and the family's first exposure to Chinese turkey, the Old Man and Mrs. Parker pour a glass of wine and sit and watch a beautiful snowfall. So, if you've got a few quiet moments this holiday season, this may be the mix for you - I've slowed it down and stretched it out a bit here. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Autumn In New York - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
2. Christmas In Washington - Steve Earle
3. Soukora - Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder
4. All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue - Over The Rhine
5. Shine - John Legend & The Roots
6. The Promise - Bruce Springsteen
7. River - Herbie Hancock with Corinne Bailey Rae
8. The Time For Loving Is Now - The Mustangs
9. The Day The Word Gets 'Round - George Harrison
10. Crazy Cool Christmas - Kermit Ruffins
11. Good Time Coming - Eddie Clearwater & Los Straightjackets
12. Home - Magnolia Mountain
13. Too Close / On My Way To Heaven - Mavis Staples
14. Christmastime Blues - Jami Shuey
15. Celtic New Year - Van Morrison

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

WELCOME TO THE 2009 HOLIDAY MIXES

Is the the sixth or seventh time I've done this? I'm going to need my head examined. I figure I'm good for a few more years before I put this thing to bed. In the meantime, a few more not-so traditional holiday tunes for you. Some tension in the past several weeks as both my home PC and work laptop crashed within a few weeks of one another. I salvaged all the home desktop files (but lost the preliminary playlists) as everything was backed up, but not so lucky with my work laptop files. Which is a shame as some of my music finds were only located on that piece of equipment. Oh well, such is life. A shout out to some of the better music blogs out there (most notably the realbigrockcandymountain) that have a love for the same types of music that I do - I recovered many lost music files there.

A few quick notes in 2010: In 2009, due to space issues, the 2003, 2004, and 2009 mixes required individual downloads. Not so anymore - as box.net has increased available space, all mixes can be downloaded once again as zip file. Moving forward, I'll attempt to make all future mixes available for download as zip files. Further, you can stream all the songs through the players. The 2009 mixes include some video from an infamous holiday special that first aired a long time ago in a galaxy far, far way...

A HIGH AND LONESOME CHRISTMAS

I recently started listening to this new Seattle group known as the Maldives, and these fellas have spent a whole of time listening to The Band and Blue Rodeo and early Wilco and the quieter moments by the Old 97's. Needless to say, I'm now a big fan and their lead track off their new album kicks off this mix of mostly contemporary songs that have a country or folk 9and the occasional bluegrass or western swing) feel - there are few classic cuts and covers thrown in for good measure as well - check out Dale Ann Bradley on her take on a U2 song. Lots of firepower on this mix, but the show might be stolen by the two Pattys - Griffin and Loveless...

1. Cold November - The Maldives
2. Pretty Paper - Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel
3. Darlin' (Christmas Is Coming) - Over The Rhine
4. Dark Streets Of London - The Pogues
5. Plastic Rosary (Winter 1970) - Will Quinlan & The Diviners
6. 'Cause Cheap Is How I Feel - The Cowboy Junkies
7. Winter Soldier - Jason Collett
8. A Voice From On High - The Haden Triplets
9. Here Comes The Sun - Nina Simone
10. Mary - Patty Griffin
11. Calling And Not Calling My Ex - Okkervil River
12. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Dale Ann Bradley
13. I Felt The Chill Before The Winter Came - Elvis Costello
14. Something To Hold On To At Christmas - Ron Sexsmith
15. Till The Rivers All Run Dry - Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane
16. Eldery Woman Behind The Counter... - Pearl Jam
17. Bluegrass, White Snow - Patty Loveless
18. Come On Now Inside - Izzy Stradlin & The JuJu Hounds
19. Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart
20. Pilgrim - Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band

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

A QUIET CHRISTMAS BY THE FIRE

This year's mostly acoustic affair, leaning towards some darker folk takes, and mixing in the usual assortment of classic country tunes as well as some interesting covers that tackle Prine, Modest Mouse, and...wait for it....Wham! Personal favorites on this mix include the Felice Brothers song and the demo of the Big Star classic, pulled from the recently issued (and stunning) box set Keep An Eye On The Sky. Grab a cup of hot cider and enjoy...

1. It's Almost Christmas - Chris Garneau
2. Jesus Christ (Demo) - Big Star
3. Snow Covered Mound - Ralph Stanley
4. Christmas Time - The Krayolas & Augie Meyers
5. Hello Santa Claus - Cecil Grant
6. Christmas Is Coming Soon - Blitzen Trapper
7. Goodbye England Covered In Snow - Laura Marling
8. Grey Ice Water - Sun Kil Moon
9. Last Christmas - Erlend Oye
10. Snowballs And Icicles - Brendan Canning
11. Christmas On Ward #7 - Chris Flew
12. Blue Shadows On A White Christmas Tree - Onbekende Artiest
13. Merry Christmas Darlin' - James Hand
14. Christmas Evermore - Mary Margaret O'Hara
15. Christmas Eve Can Kill You - The Everly Brothers
16. Christmas In Prison - Emmy The Great & Lightspeed Champion
17. Christmas Past - Mike Ireland
18. I Heard The Bells On Christmas - Pedro The Lion
19. All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue - Over The Rhine
20. Murder By Mistletoe - The Felice Brothers
21. Cold White Christmas - Casiotone For the Painfully Alone
22. Silent Night! Holy Night! - The Rhodes Kids
23. Be My Valentine On Christmas - Glenna Bell

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

THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR

A case can be made that lots of the great 60s pop music has a seasonal feel to it (I think I just stumbled on one of the themes for my 2010 mixes). That came to mind recently as I rediscovered Odyssey and Oracle - the 1968 album by The Zombies, and proceeded to listen to it incessantly for several months. So, with that mind, one of their songs anchors this fairly mellow mix, which features a bunch of rock heavyweights, some indie stalwarts and cult heroes, and a couple of newcomers who sounds like they have been around forever (e.g., Naomi Shelton)

1. Bells of Christmas - The Beach Boys
2. Winter Song - SF Seals
3. I Dreamed I saw St. Augustine - John Doe
4. The Light That Guides You Home - Jim Cuddy
5. Brick - Ben Folds Five
6. I Am A Pilgrim - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
7. Country Disappeared - Wilco
8. Seasons (Surf Style) - Neil Halstead
9. Snowbound - Donald Fagen
10. First Of May - The Bee Gees
11. Winter On Victoria Street - The Clientele
12. Lonely Christmas - Marshall Crenshaw & The dB's
13. December Sparklers - Paul Burch
14. White As Snow - U2
15. Time Is Passing - Pete Townshend
16. 'Cross The Green Mountain - Bob Dylan
17. A Change Is Gonna Come - Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens
18. Ooh La La - Faces
19. Tomorrow Never Knows - Bruce Springsteen
20. This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies

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

SOCK IT TO ME, SANTA!

Everyone knows that the greatest holiday album of all time is Atlantic Records' Soul Christmas compilation, first released in 1968 and then reissued in 1991 (this is not up for debate). And, everyone also knows that A Christmas Gift You From Phil Spector is the second greatest holiday album of all time (this is also not up for debate - and remains at #2 despite Phil's descent into madness and murder). So, the burning question remains - what is in fact the third best holiday album of all time? Elvis? The Beach Boys? Ella Fitzgerald? All worthy candidates, but the answer is simple - New Orleans native Huey "Piano" Smith and His Clowns take everything up about 10 notches on their 1962 effort Twas The Night Before Christmas. Bonus points for Huey as this album features a very young Dr. John. So, Huey kicks things off for a rollicking mix which includes a bit of everything quite frankly - rockabilly, country, blues, twist music, surf, Keith Richards, and some absolutely naughty tunes courtesy of Jimmy Butler, Charlie Stewart, Roosevelt Sykes, and the mighty Kay Martin. "All I want for Christmas is a little bit of music..." Truer words never sung...

1. All I Want For Christmas - Huey "Piano" Smith
2. Christmas With The Snow - Marah & The Christmas Players
3. Barefooted Little Cowboy - Little Jimmy Dickens
4. Chimney Top Twist - The Robin Sisters
5. Gotta Get Lucky For Xmas - Johnny Rabb
6. I Don't Want To Spend Christmas Without You - Claudine Longet
7. Cool, Cool Christmas - Bobby and Boobie
8. Santa's Magical Bag - The Peppermint Kandy Kids
9. Rootin' Tootin' Santa Claus - Pee Wee King
10. Holly Jolly Christmas - Old 97's
11. Trim Your Tree - Jimmy Butler
12. Merry Twist-Mas - The Marcels
13. Santa Claus Won't Come This Year - Charlie Stewart
14. Boogaloo Santa Claus - J.D. McDonald
15. Santa - Lightnin' Hopkins
16. Donde Este Santa Claus - Toni Stante
17. To Heck With Ole Santa Claus - Loretta Lynn
18. Santa's Gonne Shut 'Em Down - The Untamed Youth
19. Let Me Hang Your Stockings... - Roosevelt Sykes
20. Mr. Santa Claus - Nathaniel Mayer
21. Freedom Train - James Carr
22. Blue Grey Christmas - King Coleman
23. Santa Claus Is From The South - Benny Martin
24. The Empty Xmas Stocking - Lulu Belle & Scotty
25. Run Rudolph Run - Keith Richards
26. Crazy Santa Claus - The Debonairs
27. She's Underneath The Mistletoe Again - Antsy McClain
28. I Know What You Want For Xmas - Kay Martin And Her Bodyguards
29. Santa's Messin' With The Kid - Eddie C. Campbell

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

A VERY COLTRANE CHRISTMAS

One of my all time favorite recordings is the monumental set of John Coltrane recordings from the Village Vanguard in 1961. At the height of his powers, Coltrane and his legendary quartet (McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones) were joined by some other heavyweights (most notbaly Eric Dolphy), and proceeded to blow the roof off the Village Vanguard for five nights in early November. Coming off the heels of his "Africa / Brass Sessions" that summer, Coltrane pushed all of these players to the their limits, and although many compositions were repeated each night, the improvisation is fast and furious (and powerful) and there's little redundancy between takes. This music scared the heck out of critics back then, and within the last 10 years, folks are still a bit scared by it, but recognize the dates for what transpired, espcailly between Dolphy and Coltrane.

For this mix, I selected two cuts that definitely fall into the holiday category - Coltrane's take on Greensleeves, featuring the quartet, and very warm and wonderful take on Spiritual with Dolphy bringing the bass clarinet to the forefront as a legitimate jazz instrument. There's a slow build here, and the Coltrane cuts come near the end. Listen how the literally punch out and separate themselves from the other songs here. I threw in some vocals from some of my favorite female singers, as well as a nice father son take where Josh Haden (Spain) joins his dad Charlie on a down home take on Josh's own composition, also entitled Spiritual.

Personnel for the 1961 Village Vanguard Sessions:

John Coltrane (soprano & tenor saxophones)
Jimmy Garrison (bass)
McCoy Tyner (piano)
Elvin Jones (drums)

Guests:
Ahmed Abdul-Malik (oud)
Garvin Bushnell (oboe, contrabassoon)
Eric Dolphy (alto saxophone, bass clarinet)
Reggie Workman (bass)
Roy Haynes (drums)

1. Warm December - Julie London
2. Theme From Hockey Night In Canada
3. Snowbird - Chet Atkins
4. Noite Feliz - Forro In The Dark
5. I've Got My Love To Keep My Warm - Reinhardt & Grapelli
6. Count Your Blessings - Sonny Rollins
7. Swingin' Silent Night - Asleep At The Wheel
8. Gulf Coast Blues - Teddy Grace
9. Now At Last - Blossom Dearie
10. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Herb Alpert
11. Winter Moon - Stan Getz & Laurindo Almeida
12. Jingles - Wes Montgomery
13. Spiritual - Charlie & Josh Haden
14. Greensleeves - John Coltrane
15. Both Sides Now - Herbie Hancock
16. Bag's Groove (Christmas Eve 1954, Take 2) - Miles Davis
17. Spiritual - John Coltrane

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

MUST BE DYLAN

"Many are the musical atrocities committed in the names of Christmas and charity; but rarely can they have been as downright weird as Christmas In The Heart." - The Independent Review

"It's a bizarre and bewildering collection...the man's serrated croon isn't just jarring -- it actually gives these chirpy old chestnuts a sense of menace. And it is awesome." - Washington Post Review

Clearly, you know where I stand. His video for "Must Be Santa" is pretty much how I always figured a yuletide bash thrown by Bob would unfold (Note: Sony won't allow me to link to the video anymore!) Sure, his "animals in a slaughterhouse delivery" is more than a bit jarring when paired with the super slick backing vocals that recall Ray Conniff in another dimension. But you know what? The playing is top notch and he sounds sincere, and that's good enough for me.

Anyway, for the blog mix, I selected only one tune (go out and buy the damn thing - all proceeds benefit the excellent and worthwhile Feeding America charity). The rest of the mix is a very quick trip spanning his whole career, from folkie to provocateur to recluse to born again to grizzled old bluesman - with some occasional help from his peers and his followers - covering Dylan always seems to bring out everyone's best effort. And that's all you can really ask for, right?

1. Talkin' New York (from Bob Dylan)
2. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan)
3. My Back Pages (from Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
4. Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
5. If Not For You - George Harrison
6. Visions Of Johanna (from Blonde On Blonde)
7. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (from John Wesley Harding)
8. I Shall Be Released - Nina Simone
9. Girl From The North Country (from Nashville Skyline)
10. Tomorrow Is Such a Long Time - Rod Stewart
11. Forever Young (from Planet Waves featuring The Band)
12. Pressing On - John Doe
13. Buckets Of Rain (from Blood On The Tracks)
14. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Antony & The Johnsons
15. Every Grain Of Sand (from Shot Of Love)
16. Ring Them Bells (from Oh Mercy)
17. Love Rescue Me - The Omagh Community Youth Choir
18. Marchin' To The City (from The Bootleg Series, Volume 8)
19. The Christmas Blues (from Christmas In The Heart)

Special thanks to Susan and Ted for figuring this would be the ideal music-related and holiday-related gift this year.

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

HAPPY LIFE DAY: A CHRISTMAS ODYSSEY

A mix that I'm sure the kids will flip over - featuring two of the songs from the 1980 Star Wars Christmas album - even the disastrous 1978 holiday special could not slow down the Lucas merchandising juggernaut - so it was probably inevitable that this album would surface. Sadly, the producers failed to include some of the gems from the special, such as Bea Arthur's saloon serenade and Carrie Fischer stoned out of her gourd warbling through a few choice cuts:



I think Carrie immediately left the taping of the holiday show, boarded a plane for Chicago and headed to the set of the Blues Brothers where the fun times continued. The goodness does not stop there. Check out Harrison Ford in his finest acting moment:



Without further ado, some Flaming Lips, some Pet Shop Boys, some Shonen Knife, and a few remixes sprinkled in for good measure. I'll be honest - there are more than a few head scratchers here with these songs, so it may not be your thing. But, in the spirit of the season, keep and open mind and give it a try. Oh, and here's a shot of the kids with their best buds when we recently attended Star Wars in Concert (featuring C-3PO as the narrator)! Several hours of awesomeness...


1. Harmony (Mellotron) - Spiritualized
2. Christmas In the Stars - A Star Wars Christmas
3. Beatnik's Wish - Patsy Raye
4. I Believe In Father Christmas - Emerson Lake and Palmer
5. Star Of Wonder - Sufjan Stevens
6. Harmony (Piano) - Spiritualized
7. Anoraak Christmas (Remix) - Sally Shapiro
8. The Christmas Song (Tonal Remix) - Jimmy McGriff
9. It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas - Pet Shop Boys
10. Holiday Mood - Apples In Stereo
11. Harmony (Voice) - Spiritualized
12. Christmas Reindeer - The Knife
13. Space Christmas - Shonen Knife
14. The Ice Storm - The Go! Team
15. Harmony (Accordian) - Spiritualized
16. Carol Of The Bells - Sleeping Kings Of Iona
17. Christmas Eve - TPGM
18. Ring The Bells - James
19. Harmony (Glockenspiel) - Spiritualized
20. Do You Realize?? (Floating In Space Remix) - The Flaming Lips
21. What Can You Get a Wookie... - A Star Wars Christmas
22. Christmas Wish - Andre Williams

Download these songs as a zip file, or stream the songs in the player below. And remember folks, if Christmas is just not cutting it this year, there's always Happy Life Day. Happy Life Day indeed:

THE DEAREST DAY IN ALL THE YEAR

Another year, another set of mixes. A lot of lost gems surface through these 2008 mixes. Who remembers the Albert Finney musical version of 'A Christmas Carol'? Well, this mix features one of my favorites from the musical, and also serves as the inspiration for the name of the seasonal blog. One of these days I am going to quit the rat race and open up a pub named Old Fezziwig's. Good tunes, good drinks, good food, good friends. In the meantime, you are all subjected to these mixes.

December The 25th - Fezziwig (Scrooge Original Soundtrack)
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem - Connie Smith
Last Month of the Year - The Blind Boys of Alabama
Your Christmas Whiskey - Minus 5
Exotic Night - Martin Denny
Purple Snowflakes - Marvin Gaye
Country Christmas - Faron Young
Christmas in the Congo - The Marquees
On A Christmas Day - C.W. Stoneking
We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo - Big John Greer
Christmas Ain't Christmas - The O'Jays
Writing To Santa - Dropkick
Zydeco Christmas - C.J. Chenier
World of Love - Binky Griptite & the Dee-Kay's
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Temptations
My Mom and Santa Claus - George Jones
The Merriest - June Christy
Santa Can't Stay - Dwight Yoakam
Christmas By The Bar-B-Que - Lynn August
Santa's Messin' With the Kid - Eddie C. Campbell
Happy Christmas - Toots and The Maytals
Here Comes The Fattest Man In Town - Bob Chester
Happy Christmas Day - Charley Pride
Rock and Roll Santa Claus - Babs Gonzales
Santa to the Moon - Sonny Cole
Long as I Can See the Light - Ted Hawkins
Jingle Jangle Jump - Dexter Gordon
After New Year's Eve - The Heartbeats
Silent Night - Tom Waits

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below:

A HIGH FIDELITY CHRISTMAS

A mix that came together rather quickly with the premise that regardless of the genre, the music must swing and get your toe tapping. A big hit with the twins and the Mary, whose nonstop talking and energy often reminds me of a swarm of bees!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Johnny Maestro
Christmas Boogie - Barnstompers
Dominick the Christmas Donkey - Lou Monte
Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy - Buck Owens and Susan Raye
Deck The Hall - Veo Gray and the Jodie Lyons
Jesus is Just Alright - The Byrds
Mama's Twistin' With Santa - Mark Anthony
Child's Christmas in Wales - John Cale
Nut Rocker - B Bumble and the Stingers
What Will Santa Claus Say? - Louis Prima
Christmas Cha Cha - The Merry Macs
Frosty The Snowman - Rev Frost
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - The Jackson 5
Nutcracker Suite - Brian Setzer
Christmas In Vegas - Dale Watson
I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus - Brenda Lee
Scampi for Xmas - Dropkick
Sleigh Ride - The Late Greats
My Christmas Baby - The Refreshments
Jingle Bells - Booker T. and The M.G.'s
Happy Holiday - Peggy Lee
Christmas Lights - Billy Childish
Santa Claus is Back in Town - Dwight Yoakam
Silver Bells - Clarence White
Do You Believe in Santa Claus? - Billy May
Snoopy's Christmas - The Royal Guardsmen
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Roy Wood with Wizzard
Snow Squad - The Sadies

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below:

WE HAD THE SNOWFALL

Another mostly indie rock collection of "non-holiday" holiday favorites - the Okkervil River song may have the single best holiday title ever - and it's a fine song to boot. Artwork on this one comes courtesy of the wonderful online Gang of 7 gallery.

White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
It Covers the Hillsides - Midlake
In The Bleak Midwinter - Bert Jansch
December - Basia Bulat
Gift X-change - Calexico
The Mods of Christmastown - Zumpano
The Fairest of the Seasons - Nico
In This Home On Ice - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Snow Don't Fall - Townes Van Zandt
Lonely Holiday - Old 97's
Gift Of The Magi - Squirrel Nut Zippers
Listening To Otis Redding At Home During Christmas - Okkervil River
Cold Wind - Bob Egan
Merry Christmas, Baby - Chuck Berry
15th December - Dropkick
Christmas 83 (Make Fun Of My Sweaters)- Centro-matic
Family Life - The Blue Nile
Merry Xmas Everybody - REM
Beautiful - Blue Rodeo
Christmas Song - Mogwai and Summer
The Spirit Of Giving - The New Pornographers
I Love N.Y.E. - Badly Drawn Boy

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below:

DRENCHED IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

Another in the series of "cocktail" mixes featuring big band vocals from the 40 - 60s. For this collection, I mixed it up a bit more, throwing in some contemporary country and roots music.

Jingle All the Way - Lena Horne
And The Angels Cried - Allison Krauss & Alan Jackson
Merry Christmas, Baby - Lou Rawls
In Santa's Bag - Ferlin Husky
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Wayne Newton
Put The Loot In The Boot, Santa - Mae West
Here Comes Santa Claus - Elvis Presley
I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Julie London
Christmas In The Mountains - Faron Young
Amen - Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions
Winter Wonderland - Dean Martin
Merry Texas Christmas You All! - Ernest Tubbs & the Beasley Sisters
The First Noel / Silent Night / O Holy Night - Kate Smith
Away In A Manger - Patty Loveless
Frosty the Snowman - The Ventures
Christmas Carols by the Old Corral - Tex Ritter
Buon Natale (Means Merry Christmas to You) - Nat King Cole
Christmas Ain't Like Christmas Anymore - Kitty Wells
I'll Be Home for Christmas - Tift Merritt
I'm Tired Of Playing Santa Clause To You - Cowboy Copas
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Ruth Brown
Christmas on the Plains - Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
This Time of the Year - Los Lobos
Merry Christmas To You From Me - Marty Robbins
Please Come Home For Christmas - The Uniques
Sleigh Ride/Jingle Bells - Al Caiola, Jimmy McGriff, & Riz Ortolani

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below:

IN SWEETEST REJOICING

A holiday mix that stresses elaborate vocal arrangements, highlighted of course by the mighty Waverly Choir. In addition, check out some of the unique vocals presented by The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, the Royal College Choir, and Fogelberg. Oh, and continuing my trend of featruing "non-Holiday" tracks penned by Bob Dylan - listen to that sound by the criminally underrated Howard Tate.

In Dulci Jubilo - The Waverly Consort
November - Aram with the Watson Twins
Girl from the North Country - Howard Tate
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
Blue Christmas - Johnny Cash
Fairytale of New York - The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
Tea For Two - Bishop Allen
I'd Like To Have An Elephant For Christmas - Hank Thompson
Angelina Forest (Christmas Comes So Soon) - Trudgernaut
Run Run Rudolph - Dwight Yoakam
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Lena Horne
Christmas Day - Red Star Belgrade
In The Bleak Midwinter - Royal College Of Music Chamber Choir
Country Christmas - Loretta Lynn
Yulesville - Ed "Kookie" Burns
Jingle Bells - Johnny Mercer
Old-Fashioned Christmas - Jimmy Martin
Save Me Jesus - Bobby Charles
At Christmas Time - Dan Fogelberg
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Lou Rawls
Gone Home for Christmas - Red Simpson
Father Christmas - Cast, Scrooge Original Soundtrack
Silent Night - The Temptations
Ave Maria - The Waverly Consort

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below:

FIGHTING THE HOLIDAY BLUES

A neat little mix in which I tried to feature certain tunes that offset the inherent melancholy of the season with some joyful music.

All Alone On Christmas - Darlene Love
Merry Christmas Baby (Alternate Take) - Otis Redding
There Was A Star - The Staple Singers
Sweet Little Baby Boy, Pts. 1 & 2 - James Brown
Santa's Blues - Charles Brown
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Urbie Green
Why Don't You Go Home For Christmas? - Jim Backus
Looks Like A Cold, Cold Winter - Bing Crosby
Christmas Time Is Here - Rosie Thomas
Lost Winter's Dream - Lisa Mychols
Winter Wonderland - Akiko & The Ska Flames
Felicidades - Cheo Feliciano
Christmas Will Really Be Christmas - Lou Rawls
The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot - A Girl Called Eddy
Santa Will Find You - Mindy Smith
Blue X-mas - Bob Dorough
You Were All There - Maia Hirasawa
Christmas Time - The dB's
Santa's Wish - Hawaii Mud Bombers
Run Rudolph Run - Chuck Berry
All I Want For Christmas Dear Is You - Buck Owens
It's Not the Presents Under My Tree - Narvel Felts
Alone on New Year's Eve - The Manhattans
Auld Lang Syne - Akiko

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below:

A LOVELY CHRISTMAS IN HELL, PARTS I & II

So, our Christmas Tree fell over about a week after we put it up. One of the loveliest trees we ever picked out now looks diseased and menacing. Was it too big to begin with? Did the damn cat knock into it one too many times? Or did Mary run and jump into it in her effort to reach a pretty ornament? Needless to say, the fallen tree has left us grouchy and we have opted not to put up any outdoor lights, and we're somewhat annoyed with the whole holiday season. Note that this did not stop me from creating more mixes and revisiting every mix created over the past 5 years. So for all the grinches out there, here's a double dose of tales of woe, abandonment, imprisonment, dashed hopes, drunken debauchery, and just general malaise - you know, sort of like life. A couple of these tunes feature some cussing, and the subject matter on most is probably not appropriate for the Yo Gabba Gabba set. There's your last warning - so now enjoy the misery...

PART I
Christmas Hell - Billy Childish
Will Hell Be Your Santa Claus? - Reverend J.M. Gates
Christmas Tree On Fire - Holly Golightly
Santa Stole My Whiskey - The Rimshots
Christmas In Jail, Ain't That A Pain - Leroy Carr
Drinking Up Christmas - The Dwarves
Santa's Out Of Rehab By Christmas - Adam's House Cat
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Reverend Frost
Daddy's Drinking Up Our Christmas - Commander Cody
Christmas On The Bowery - Michael Packer Band
Red Nosed Reindeer Blues - The Asylum Street Spankers
Bring That Cadillac Back - Doc Bagby Orchestra
Christmas In Jail - The Youngsters
The Downside Of Being A Fuck-Up - Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby
Old Man Spivey's Egg Nogg - Dalhart Imperials
Blue Grey Christmas - King Coleman
The Giant Of Illinois - The Handsome Family
Somerville - The Pernice Brothers
Please, Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas) - John Denver
Christmas On Boone's Farm - The Driveway Drinkers
Father Sgt. Christmas Card - Guided By Voices
At The Christmas Ball - Bessie Smith
A Man Named Jesus - Otis Gibbs
Carol Of The Bells - The Polyphonic Spree
Messiah Complex Blues - Clem Snide
Ghost Of David - Damien Jurado

Download Part I here, or stream the songs in the player below:



PART II
Cold Grey Light Of Dawn - Nick Lowe
Watch Out! Santa's Been Drinking - Tiger City Jukes
Civil War - Joe Henry
Xmas Blues - Harmon Ray
Christmas In Southgate - Ry Cooder
Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk - Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison
Where's My Christmas Morning? - Princeton
All I Want For Christmas Is My Daddy - Buck Owens & Susan Raye
Bandits - Midlake
Santa Came Home Drunk - Clyde Lasley & The Cadillac Baby Specials
Little Mary Christmas - Roger Christian
Drunk This Christmas - Paul Sanchez
Holy Ghost - Scud Mountain Boys
December's Child - Mark Olson
Rain On Christmas Day - Mark Nosowicz
Coats Of Ice - Damien Jurado
Bags' Groove (Take 1 / December 24, 1954) - Miles Davis
Christmas Is Cancelled - The Long Blondes
December - The Lemondheads

Download Part II here, or stream the songs in the player below:

A VINCE GUARALDI HOLIDAY

We just attended the twins' annual holiday concert, and the music that played before the show, during intermission, and immediately following the performance was selections from Vince's legendary 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas. Over the course of the next 11 years, Vince would score 15 Peanuts specials and one feature length film, but his crowning achievement was his first effort for the Christmas episode - Vince Guaraldi IS Christmas music. The jazz purists may scoff, but lovers of music cannot deny that the man could write and play a tune with cheerful gusto. My lifelong love of jazz is definitely rooted in hearing this music at a very young age and hearing his original blend of jazz filtered through his appreciation of rock, Latin, and French pop music. Whenever it snows, I can hear the piano intro of "Skating." When Charlie and Linus go to pick out a tree and discuss the increasing commercialism of the season, I hear "O Tannenbaum." As we waited for the boys, "Linus and Lucy" kicked in over the loud speakers and Mary went absolutely bananas. You know what? So did I...

Since I had sprinkled past mixes with cuts from the holiday album, I used this mix to focus on some of this other Peanuts work as well as his highly celebrated compositions from works such as Cast Your Fate to The Wind, Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, and The Latin Side. Finally, since it's Vince, this entry gets 3 pieces of artwork.

Great Pumpkin Waltz
Happiness Is
Samba De Orpheus
Surfin' Snoopy
Baseball Theme
Treat Streat
Joe Cool
Freda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
O Nosso Amor
Heartburn Waltz
Blue Charlie Brown
Star Song
Greensleeves (Alternate)
Track Meet
Charlie Brown Theme
Manha De Carnaval
Charlie's Blues
Oh, Good Grief
Mr. Lucky
Pebble Beach
Schroeder
Corcovado
Cast Your Fate To The Wind

Download this mix here, or stream the songs in the player below: