2013 - The Year in Pics

Another year is coming to a close.  Got to say, 2013 has been a pretty good one.  Hope you enjoy this year's photo collection, set to "Top of the Pops 2013" by Audiomaniac.



HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Brant's Christmas 2013 Playlist

You'd think with all the hours I recently spent on the sofa digesting holiday food, that I'd be on time with this year's Christmas playlist, but I guess turkey is not a very motivating meat!  And I was catching up with friends over the Thanksgiving weekend.  But now my eyes are on the prize, or at least on the gifts under the tree.  Merry Christmas, folks, and enjoy!  To listen on Spotify, click HERE.

1.  This Christmas (Mary J. Blige) - R&B legend covers an R&B legend.  MJB gives Donny Hathaway's 1970 classic all the props it deserves.  What better way to start our holiday playlist?

2.  Marshmallow World (Dean Martin) - Another Christmas Classic sung by a musical icon.  Impossible to listen to and not smile.

3.  Santa Baby (The Sugar Thieves) - This is one song I thought I'd NEVER put on another Christmas playlist - after hearing Madonna's version along with numerous other covers a million times over.  Happily, this one was quirky enough to pique my interest!

4.  Dig That Crazy Santa Claus (Oscar McLollie and His Honey Jumpers) - Here's one you may not have heard before!  Found this on a collection of Doo Wop holiday songs.  This version was recorded in 1954.

5.  I Won't Decorate Your Christmas Tree (Loretta Lynn) - Jill had "To Heck with Old Santa Claus" on one of her previous holiday lists, so I looked at some other Loretta Lynn holiday tunes.  This one feels very true to her "I'm not putting up with men's bullsh*t" philosophy.  I love her.

6.  Donde Esta Santa Claus (Guster) - Augie Rios' holiday hit, which I put on last year's playlist, gets an update from the boys in Boston band Guster.

7.  Everybody's Waiting for the Man with the Bag (Brian Setzer Orchestra) - One of my favorite Christmas tunes, sung by the former Stray Cat!

8.  One More Sleep (Leona Lewis) - The British Mariah Carey (in my head, at least!) serves up some holiday goodness, similar to MC's "All I Want for Christmas Is You".

9.  Christmas Ain't Christmas, New Year's Ain't New Year's (the O'Jays) - Some songs just seem to keep crossing my path, and I assume there must be a reason for that.  I found this 45rpm single while browsing through an antique store over the weekend.  The next day, Pandora played it TWICE!  So here it is. 

10.  I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Frank Sinatra) - Irving Berlin's holiday anthem gets the Rat Pack treatment. 

11.  Mele Kalikimaka (the Puppini Sisters) - I love the Andrews Sisters, and apparently so do the Puppinis.  Here they give a pretty spot-on rendition of the ladies' Hawaiian holiday greeting.

12.  I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day (Wizzard) - When I think Christmas, my mind doesn't necessarily think Glam Rock - but maybe it should!  To my knowledge, it was never a hit in the US, but was just listed as one of the Top 10 Christmas Songs in the UK.  Lead singer Roy Wood went on to found ELO ("Don't Bring Me Down", "Evil Woman").

13.  Santa Claus Is Back in Town (Elvis Presley) - The Elvis I remember from my early childhood was the chubby, cheesy guy in the sequined jump suit, so it's always a bit of a shock to hear him in the early days and realize how awesome he was.  Great blues performance here!

14.  Christmas Is the Time to Say 'I Love You' (Darlene Love) - Lead singer from the Crystals tackles a Billy Squier tune, and makes it her own.  Not as fabulous as "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", which I've put on previous lists, but still a fun seasonal song.

15.  There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays (the Carpenters) - Another familiar favorite that goes down as easy as hot chocolate.  Never get tired of this one.

16.  Santa's Gonna Come in a Stagecoach (Buck Owens with Susan Raye) - Sometimes my search for rare Christmas songs leads me to strange places.  Seems like if Santa's sled could fly, he wouldn't need to worry about the lack of snow - but who am I to question a host of "Hee Haw"?

17.  Back to December (Taylor Swift) - Merry Christmas, Gary!!!  Not a Christmas song, but it does reference December and the drama that usually accompanies the holidays.

18.  Holly Jolly Christmas (Burl Ives) - This will forever be sung by the Snowman Narrator from "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" in my head!  Hearing it immediately brings back my childhood.

19.  Gaudete (Erasure) - EDM act from the 1980's parties like it's 1599!  Andy Bell and Vince Clarke sing the Medieval Christmas Carol (meaning "rejoice") on their newest album of holiday tunes.

20.  Snowbird (Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem) - I know nothing about this band except I stumbled across this while browsing versions of the Anne Murray signature tune.  Kinda liked their fresh take on it, though.

21.  What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (the Head and the Heart) - This is another one of my personal favorite holiday songs, but I've never heard it sung without the Big Band treatment (strings, horns, etc).  Here, the Seattle band gives it an Americana flavor.  Me likey. 




So that's our final playlist of 2013!  Hope everyone has had a great year, and that the upcoming holidays are good to you.  Best wishes, always!  I'll see ya in 2014 (God willing)!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!