What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Given the countless songs inspired by Christmas events both secular and religious, you'd think New Year's Eve would have its share. Let's see: there's Frank Loesser's romantic classic, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" (covered admirably by Rufus Wainwright, BTW), Robert Burn's traditional Scottish poem set to a folk song over 200 years ago, "Auld Lang Syne" and...what else? Even the Dan Fogelberg song people tend to associate with New Year's Eve, "Same Old Lang Syne," is about a real-life encounter Fogelberg had with an old high school girlfriend - on Christmas Eve. One of my favorite bands, U2, has a song for January 1, "New Year's Day."

I imagine there have been novelty songs about NYE that have quickly slipped from fashion, but I'll be darned if I can name them for you. New Year's Eve is often a time to go out partying and dancing, so that is perhaps the kind of music we associate most with this holiday, whether our tastes run to Cee-Lo or AC/DC or Vampire Weekend. (Or Guy Lombardo.) Do you have any favorites that help you ring out the old, ring in the new? Will you be going out this NYE or laying low? (Perhaps conserving your energy for da Bears/Packers game on Sunday?) Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve and a prosperous, healthy 2011. Oh and P.S. since our funding came in late 2010, you can expect lots of new music on our shelves in the next few weeks - awesome!

O Holy Night!

You might think that some of the holiday music in our collection is not top-notch but I can guarantee that nothing we own is as disastrous as the recording of "O Holy Night" you can hear in the above video. Long lay the world, debating over whether this was a professional singer having a joke at our expense or a legitimate attempt at recording the song by a singer whose gifts are lacking. I even wondered if it was a Homer Simpson impersonator. Librarians love a good research mystery and it has taken some time for the offending vocalist to be found, but ladies and gentlemen, he is Steve Mauldin (wow, is that close to maudlin...), and in the video below you can hear his explanation and proof of his identity, as well as his attempt to recreate his shining moment of glory. Yow.



Whatever music you enjoy this holiday season, I hope it sounds absolutely NOTHING like this. :) Peace and cheer to you this Christmas and New Year.

Bring 'Em Home For The Holidays!

And I mean our holiday CDs! I know what you're thinking: Karen, all the good stuff is checked out, right? Depends on how you define good stuff, my friend. Due to our year-end budget crisis, we were not able to purchase the newest holiday titles. Here's hoping next December will bring us Susan Boyle's "The Gift," easily the hottest holiday album out right now (take THAT, ditzy young talentless singers!), along with well-reviewed new offerings from Mariah Carey and Annie Lennox, amongst many others.

To inspire you to think outside the gift box this season, I just took a stroll up to the third floor music area and flipped through the stacks to see what's in right now that will put some ho-ho-hoedown in your holiday. Or, something like that. I think I ate too many cookies today.

1) James Brown's Funky Christmas - HUH! WAAAAAAH! He might not be the first singer that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but come on, make a place for the Godfather of Soul. You can get a taste of this one here on YouTube: "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto." I love him hearing exclaim, "Tell him James Brown sent you!" It is funky but surprisingly heartfelt.

2)  Sing Christmas And The Turn Of The Year - On Christmas Day, 1957, "Alan Lomax assembled and narrated a holiday celebration on the BBC, featuring music (much of it live) from all walks of British folk styles: skiffle, Welsh choral music, children's choral music, folk ballads, a flute band, a brass band, and more." With all that going on, there's bound to be something you like! I clicked on a sound sample and heard an original tune about Christmas in London done in a Trinidad calypso style - really! It's all just a little bit weird but if you wanted normal you could just put on LITE-FM, no?

3) Bummed Out Christmas - I occasionally suffer from seasonal depression and perhaps you do, too, so give a listen to "Bummed Out Christmas." Released in 1989, Amazon still has it available on audio cassette, should you feel like truly reliving the 1980s. This is a compilation much like a violent mood swing, so it's the Everly Brothers advising that "Christmas Can Kill You," the Sonics' stray cut strutting through "Don't Believe In Christmas," on through George Jones making a "Lonely Christmas Call." Samples here.

4) Music Box Melodies, volume 1 - Yes, it's just what it sounds like. 33 tracks of Christmassy tunes, performed by music boxes. From the familiar, like "Silent Night," O Come All Ye Faithful," ("Adeste Fideles" is also listed - same song, but in Latin. Does the music box translate???) and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing," to music not at all associated with Christmas, like "Jesus, Lover Of My Soul" and "The Skater's Waltz." One reviewer on Amazon calls this "the best Christmas CD." I think it would drive me stark raving mad. You make the call.

5) Merry Xmas From The Space Age Bachelor Pad (I am not making that up)  by Esquivel! - Esquivel! was Juan Garcia Esquivel, considered by many the king of 1950s-1960s era "Lounge" music. His groovy chorus of vocalists often sang only nonsense syllables, like, "zooma-zooma-zoo...POW!" His instrumentation was overloaded and quirky - kettle drums, mariachi bands and Chinese bells all thrown into his Mixmaster. And that's exactly what happens here, transforming your favorite Christmas songs and even "Auld Lang Syne" into an otherworldly experience. Esquivel occasionally speaks on the recording, like a heavenly Ricky Ricardo, awash in echo and Theremin. Charming and eerie all at the same time.

Yep, there's more: A Very, Very Yellow Christmas with reggae artist Yellow; Tiny Tim's Christmas album; and for you traditionalists, three Christmas recordings by Roger Whittaker.