Brant's December 2011 Playlist

Jiminy Crickets! Is it time for another holiday playlist again already? The dancing Santa Claus on my hearth makes me think that it IS! Well, in that case - here is this month's playlist. I tried to find a balance of personal favorites and unusual suspects. Hopefully the result is a playlist that feels both fresh and familiar. Ho Ho Hope you enjoy!

1. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams) - This optimistic anthem seemed like a great way to start this year's mix. When Andy sings it, I almost believe it.

2. Do They Know It's Christmas? (Band Aid) - The original version that inspired countless other celebrity choruses to sing for charity. As usual, this first attempt is much better than the efforts that would follow.

3. Ole Santa (Dinah Washington) - Peaceful Christmas ditty. You can almost visualize the children drifting off to sleep with smiles on their faces as they wait for Santa.

4. The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot (Vera Lynn) - Something tells me Vera was NOT the life of the party. Definitely a Debbie Downer tune, but I love the 1940's feel.

5. Snowflakes (Jeremy Fisher) - Sweet, nostalgic holiday stylings from Jeremy Fisher.

6. Christmas Island (Ella Fitzgerald) - I think the Andrews Sisters version is my fave, but since that was on last year's list I've substituted Ella's swinging cover.

7. Fairytale of New York (the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl) - Hot-headed Irish couple visits New York, discovers the meaning of Christmas, gets arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication.

8. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Dean Martin) - Dino's version of the holiday classic.

9. The Christmas Waltz (Kristin Chenoweth) - Broadway & Glee star graces us with a Christmas greeting.

10. One Happy Christmas (Tammy Wynette) - I think the best Christmas songs are the ones that fit the vocalist and their personal style. It seems a lot of singers will pick popular songs and try to sing them and it just doesn't sound right. This tune, from Tammy's 1970 album Christmas with Tammy, sounds like a song she would have sung anyway. It just happens to be a Christmas song.

11. Angel /Holiday version/ (Jack Johnson) - Holiday version of his 2007 acoustic ballad

12. White Christmas (Bing Crosby) - A classic.

13. Chilly Winds Don't Blow (Nina Simone) - Nina's not trying to have a White Christmas. Snow is cold, bitches.

14. Flowers in December (Mazzy Star) - Quiet, wistful winter ballad

15. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus (Mabel Scott) - Mabel's barn-storming boogie will melt the snow off anyone's chimney.

16. Merry, Merry Christmas (Koko Taylor) - We lost Ms. Koko in 2009, but her bluesy vocals keep the spirit alive.

17. Operator (Manhattan Transfer) - I checked out their Christmas albums, but somehow kept coming back to this gospel song off their 1975 debut album. Probably not intended as a holiday song, but I love it anyway.

18. O Holy Night (Mahalia Jackson) - Okay, this is a gospel holiday song. Amen.

19. I'll Be Home for Christmas (She & Him) - New Girl Zooey Deschanel teams up with M. Ward for an uber-cool Christmas album. Once again - the laid back instrumentation seems perfectly suited for her voice (see comments from #10). No bells and whistles, just awesomeness.

20. Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me (Elvis Presley) - A bodacious Elvis holiday song that ISN'T "Blue Christmas".

21. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (the Carpenters) - Karen Carpenter could pretty much sing anything and it would sound good. Well, maybe not Heavy Metal...but anything else.

22. Sleigh Ride (the Ronettes) - Ronnie & the gang frolic in the snow. Not sure if Cher is singing back up on this song, but she sang back up on several Ronettes tunes.

23. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Diana Krall) - Smooth and mellow rendition that reminds me of sipping hot chocolate and watching the snow fall.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas and holiday season! See you in 2012!

Brant's November 2011 Playlist

Okay, I'm a few days late with this one. Between Halloween and work, it just wasn't gonna happen. But I'm happy to finally be getting around to posting November's playlist. Probably more than some of my others, this one kind of reflects the way songs wander into my life. It's very stream of consciousness...Virginia Woolf would be proud.

1. Lover to Lover (Florence & the Machine) - Flo returns with some gospel, and the rejoicing begins.

2. The Walk (Mayer Hawthorne) - Now that Amy Winehouse has cleared the way, many are exploring the '60's soul sound. This one does it quite well, but don't play in front of the chil'rens. There are more curse words in 3 and a half minutes than you'd find in a week's worth of Temptations songs.

3. Roosevelt Island (Eleanor Friedberger) - Fiery Furnaces lead singer, who shares the same birthday as yours truly, busts out some 70's funk vibes.

4. I Think I Love You (Voice of the Beehive) - Here is where the stream of consciousness begins. Jill shared a playlist with me called 'Expo Girls'. The original had a VOTB song on it, but the song wasn't on Spotify so she substituted this great Partridge Family cover.

5. Betty's a Bombshell (Grouplove) - Great wave-your-lighter-in-the-air chorus. And you have to love a song that has glitter and suffering in the same refrain.

6. I'll Be Your Mirror (Rainy Day) - Stream of consciousness note #2. Expo Girls had a rare song on it, which was a great Bob Dylan cover by Susannah Hoffs (from the Bangles) and Mazzy Star. The cd was called Rainy Day. I tracked it down and was thrilled to find Susannah singing lead on this Velvet Underground cover.

7. Take It or Leave It (Sublime with Rome) - Unexpected return from the 90's group, with a new lead singer.

8. She Bangs the Drums (Stone Roses) - This popped up on my iPod while I had it on shuffle the other day so I decided to add it to this month's playlist.

9. Gidget Goes to Hell (Wrong Beach) - This was another of Jill's substitutions on Expo Girls, since Spotify didn't have Suburban Lawns' excellent original version. This cover is great too.

10. Set My Baby Free (Ian Brown) - Stream of consciousness #3. After hearing the Stone Roses, I started to wonder if any of the band members had done anything after the band broke up. I found this spooky song by former band lead singer, Ian Brown.

11. Lay Myself Down (Mazzy Star) - Stream of consciousness #4. After finding the Rainy Day cd, I checked to see if Mazzy Star had done anything recently, and found this song!

12. Second Hand News (Matthew Sweet & Susannah Hoffs) - Stream of consciousness #5. When checking to see if Susannah Hoffs had done anything recently, in addition to a new Bangles cd I found this duet with Matthew Sweet - a Fleetwood Mac cover.

13. This City /Breathe Electric Remix/ (Patrick Stump feat. Lupe Fiasco) - Breathe Electric breathes shimmery new disco life into the Patrick Stump tune. Free on PumptheBeat.com.
http://pumpthebeat.com/?cat=286

14. Break of Dawn (Goapele) - San Francisco siren returns with some smooth inspirational jazz

15. You Know That I'm No Good (Wanda Jackson) - Jack White works his magic on another country legend - this time by having rockabilly bad girl Wanda Jackson warble a Winehouse classic.

16. Fixin' to Die (G. Love) - G Love gets his blues on! Free (for now) on Daytrotter - they are soon going to have to start membership fees to cover expenses.
http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/g-love/20054814-12982

17. Gimme Sympathy (Metric) - Fun female led alt-rock.

18. If (Janet Jackson) - This month's throwback. Janet grooves along to a Supremes sample as she imagines the love that might have been (and still could be!).