Guys,

The universe really wants me to be in the mood for Christmas. I mean, it's snowing in Seattle in NOVEMBER, and it reminded me of how much I kind of miss the way snow dampens sound and simultaneously mutes colors and reflects light. I miss real winter.

So, as a pre-Thanksgiving Christmas treat, the Cambridge Choir performing "Gabriel's Message."



(Or, if you prefer Sting's version)

25 Days of Christmas Music: I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day

Merry Christmas! My last musical gift to you is the 1977 performance by Johnny Cash and June Carter for a Christmas program with Billy Graham and family:


These two are the sweetest couple. I love them so much.

25 Days of Christmas Music: She's Right On Time

This music video is ridiculous, but I always find Billy Joel's love songs heart-warming in their originality. 1982's "She's Right On Time":

25 Days of Christmas Music: Cryin' Christmas Tears

A 1998 performance by Eric Clapton. Blueseriffic. "Cryin' Christmas Tears." Go.


Hey, look! The Clintons!

25 Days of Christmas Music: Little Saint Nick

Why are the Beach Boys singing about a "Little Saint Nick"? I don't know, but I find their vocal harmonies adorable. Also adorable? Their 1964 performance on Shindig:

25 Days of Christmas Music: A Glummy Christmas

As I am writing this, I'm punchy from late night studying and the decision to plan out the last ten 25 Days of Christmas Music posts all at once because I don't want them to progressively get worse. I mean, Christmas should be the best, right? Anyway, I got 9 of them planned out, but for whatever reason I still didn't have one for the 21st, and I couldn't think of another Christmas song that I didn't hate. And then the Christmas miracle of a sidebar video option came up: "A Glummy Christmas." This is either the funniest thing I have ever seen, or the lamest, but I'm laughing hysterically. It's making fun of all the Christmas songs I hate (ones I've sung too many times/those involving claymation-based Christmas characters/drummers) all sung by one grim puppet.

Just watch it. And then tell me whether this is funny or not because I'm beyond repair at this point. I've watched it 5 times in a row, and it's not getting less hilarious.


Although I would still want to hear "Frosty the Snowman" with Michael McDonald. Am I right?

25 Days of Christmas Music: For Unto Us a Child is Born

My mom always says it's not Christmas until she hears "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from GF Handel's The Messiah. I tend to agree. Here's my favorite version from the 1983 recording of Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus.

25 Days of Christmas Music: White Christmas

This is Otis. I love Otis. And while I don't dream of being stuck in snow before I make it home for Christmas, I do love Mr. Redding's 1968 version of "White Christmas":

25 Days of Christmas Music: Thank God It's Christmas

Hey! Did you know Queen had a Christmas song? Me neither! Released in 1984, here's Queen's "Thank God It's Christmas":


Note: sometimes I feel like I'm a radio host via my blog. That's all.

25 Days of Christmas Music: Dormi Jesu

Have you caught on to my love of choir boys yet? I'm hoping that doesn't sound creepy.

Anyway, I bring to you the very first performance of John Rutter's "Dormi Jesu" by the Choir of King's College in 1998:

25 Days of Christmas Music: I'll Be Home for Christmas

John Mayer covers "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (1943) in 2008 for WPLJ's Scott and Todd in the Morning.

25 Days of Christmas Music: The Christmas Song

My last name has subjected me to year-round assaults of people quoting or singing the opening line of "The Christmas Song" at me. It usually causes me to sigh in discontent, barely withholding my urge to punch the person singing it in the face. The one person I won't punch in the face for singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"? (The ghost of) Nat King Cole. His is the most well known and most played version of the 1944 Mel Torme classic, and we should leave it to him to sing these words. Otherwise, I will punch you in the face.

The ever classy Nat King Cole, ladies and gentlemen:



As this posts, I will be either done or almost done with my hardest final. Yay!

25 Days of Christmas Music: Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto

Occasionally, if I search hard enough, I find things on the internet that blow my mind. Take "Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto" by Snoop Doggy Dogg featuring Dat Nigga Daz, Nate Dogg, Tray Deee, Bad Azz. Apparently Death Row Records released the seasonal album Christmas on Death Row in 1996 for charity. The result? Little kid dreams of Santa Claus, family togetherness, a little social awareness, and Snoop Dogg in a beard.

25 Days of Christmas Music: Pat-a-Pan

From Wikipedia:

"Patapan" (or "Pat-a-pan") is the title of a traditional French (specifically, Burgundian) Christmas carol. The carol revolves around the birth of Jesus Christ, and is told from the perspective of shepherds playing simple instruments—flutes and drums—the onomatopoetic sound of which gives the song its name; "patapan" is meant to mimic the sound of the drum, and an accompanying lyric, "tu-re-lu-re-lu," the flute.

Also known as the antidote to "The Little Drummer Boy,"* here's a cool 2003 rendition of "Pat-a-pan" from the Dale Warland Singers:

*Um, in my own head. Let's just say I hate "The Little Drummer Boy" almost as much as I hate "The 12 Days of Christmas." Do either of those songs end? Ever?

25 Days of Christmas Music: Born on Christmas Day

Country tends to divulge in sentimentality more than other musical genres, and that's not always a bad thing. Proof: the always charming Brad Paisley's "Born on Christmas Day." Written when he was 13 years old, this recording from his 2006 album Brad Paisley Christmas combines 1985 Brad and 2006 Brad into one tune. It's not a spectacular song, but it's adorable.

25 Days of Christmas Music: O Tannenbaum

Is anything better than the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio? No? That's what I thought. Here's a jazzalicious rendition of "O Tannenbaum" from the 1965 special.


Fact: tannenbaum means "fir tree" in German.

25 Days of Christmas Music: Gabriel's Message

I love the melody of "Gabriel's Message"--I just have a thing for minor key, mystical sounding religious music. Now imagine a rendition done by 80s-era Sting. Mind. Blown. It's a fairly sparse arrangement, with light instrumental accompaniment drowned out by layered harmonies of Sting's uniquely bombastic, almost out-of-range vocals.

This version of "Gabriel's Message" appeared on 1987's A Very Special Christmas. Here's by my favorite find for this series so far, the surreal video to this song directed by the prolific Matt Mahurin:

A gentler(?) version of this song appears on Sting's If on a Winter's Night... (2009).

25 Days of Christmas Music: Christmas Song

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds sum up Jesus' life in one lovely acoustic song, "Christmas Song" (1993). Here's a live 2003 performance at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina:

25 Days of Christmas Music: Sleigh Ride

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of "Sleigh Ride," but in the context of "Mr. Krueger's Christmas" (1980), it's pretty awesome. In this short film, Jimmy Stewart plays a lonely old widower who's only company on Christmas Eve is his cat George and a MoTab Christmas album. It is possibly the saddest movie I've ever seen, but I've probably seen it every year thanks to lazy Sunday school teachers. Even this clip where Mr. Krueger fantasy-directs the choir singing "Sleigh Ride" makes me tear up a little bit. Every. Time.


You can find the full version of this Mormon classic here.

25 Days of Christmas Music: Christmas

The Who's 1969 rock opera Tommy is both an admirable feat of storytelling and the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. But man, is it a good album. Anyway, the song "Christmas" comes at a point in the opera when Tommy's mom and step-dad are still coming to grips with the repercussions of Tommy's deaf, dumb, and blindness.

Here's a live performance at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (with a bonus but unChristmasy track "The Acid Queen"). Please try not to be overwhelmed by Roger's fringe, Pete's extraordinarily high-waisted pants, and Keith's insane drumming.

See that bassist to the left? I just learned his name is John Entwistle. He's apparently incredibly mellow.

Note: I could have used a scene from the film version of Tommy, but I promised quality. Also, the combination of Ann-"overwhelming vibrato" Margret, Oliver "tone deaf but still cast in musicals" Reed, and the glassy eyed stare of a small child gives me the creeps.