"Little Saint Nick"

via AndrewGold.com

 ❄  In honor of today being St. Andrew's Day -- a fete of Scottish nationalism -- here's Andrew Gold (not Scottish but from the San Fernando Valley), with "Little St. Nick", yet another Beach Boys ode to a car but with a Christmas flavor. The Brian Wilson charmer gifted the oeuvre with the over-obvious lyric:

"Christmas comes this time each year"

and performed with more guts here by L.A. Guns.

Gold has a great pedigree, son to an Oscar-winning composer (for Exodus") and the top dubbed-in singing voice in movies (Marni Nixon).

"Best Christmas Ever"

 

via WonderGirlsWorld.com

K-Pop (that's "Korean pop" for the uninitiated) doesn't stop at Psy and his earworm "Gangham Style" (a video perhaps you haven't seen). Among that cultural tsunami is The Wonder Girls, and included here for their version of "Best Christmas Ever" -- a remake of the Ronnie Spector tune from her 2010 EP of the same name, a much grittier but scratchier song. This catchy K-Pop'd treatment has all the edges buffed off from the original but none of hip-hop stylings which put the Wonder Girls on the map, and consequently on the Very Special Christmas 25th Anniversary collection (the entire series is worth investigation).

Not to be confused with the alt-rock supergroup, the Wondergirls.

"The Coventry Carol"

via Sufjan.com

In this season of joy and giving, love and charity, it may be a bit discordant to learn that a traditional seasonal carol is about genocide. "The Coventry Carol" is a Middle Ages lament for the executed children of ancient Israel at the behest of King Herod: Wikipedia entry.

Sufjan Stevens has a version here: "Coventry Carol" -- because he is remarkably proficient and has a couple of Christmas compilations (two 5-EP sets each), at this pace, he'd have gotten around to this infanticide jeremiad eventually.

It ain't "Jingle Bells":

Herod, the king, in his raging,
Charged he hath this day
His men of might, in his own sight,
All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!
And ever mourn and sigh,
For thy parting neither say nor sing,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

 It's also called "Lully, Lullay" or some variable thereof. Regardless, versions tend toward the traditional, like this from the Eurythmics' Annie Lennox "Lullay Lullay (Coventry Carol)". Consequently, this song is one the few songs to get posted that is not updated, rebooted, or tweaked in much of any way at all. Yaz' Alison Moyet turns in a good version too, here "The Coventry Carol".

"Que Verdes Son" ("The First Noel")

"Que Verdes Son" is a mashup of tradition and reinvention of a holiday standard from the surf/latino-billy rebooted remakes from behind Mexican wrestlers' masks and out of Nashville, Los Straitjackets on their cool  Yuletide Beat Christmas record.

"James Bond"

The Skatalites The Skatalites – James Bond

Moby – James Bond Theme - Moby's Re-version

Desmond Dekker – 007 (Shanty Town)
<< 007, 007
At ocean eleven
And now rudeboys a go wail
'Cause them out of jail
Rudeboys cannot fail
'Cause them must get bail

Oh, dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail
A shanty town
Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail
A shanty town

Dem rudeboys get a probation
A shanty town
And rudeboy a bomb up the town
A shanty town>>

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

Since retailers have determined it's Christmas time, let's jump right in with the late-too-early Amy Winehouse (which proved to be a Dickensian name -- and what could be more Christmas than that?)

"A Gallon of Gas"

via enotes.com

NEWS ITEM: Plenty of oil, except if you're in California owing to our specialized gas mix and 2 refineries and a pipeling shutting down.

The Kink's were prophetic in many ways, presaging alt rock and punk, but this punchy blues tune is especially apt for those of us in California: A Gallon Of Gas. Some lyrics (some others allude to how it's easier to buy drugs than gasoline):

''I've been waitin' for years to buy a brand new Cadillac
But now that I've got one, I want to send it right back
I can't afford the gas for my luxury limousine
But even if I had the dough, no one's got no gasoline

''I love your body work, but you're really no use
How can I drive you when I got no juice?
Because it's stuck in neutral and my engine's got no speed
And the highways are deserted and the air smells unnaturally clean

''It's got power assisted overdrive and carpets on the floor
But it's parked out front just like a dead dinosaur
And I'll be paying off the bank for 45 years or more
It should go 100 miles an hour but it's never moved away from my door

''Who needs a car and a seven forty seven
When you can't buy a gallon of gas
Who needs a highway, an airport or a jet
When you can't get a gallon of gas''

"Christopher Columbus"

via findagrave.com

In honor of the holiday: The King of Swing put a nice beat to the beginning of the end for indigenous culture in North America. Christopher Columbus by The Benny Goodman Orchestra. The guy sure rocked; sure he looks like a banker from a WWII movie, but for a long while he was one of the coolest guys on the planet.

And now for something completely different: Punk rockers The Left offer up Columbus Day from their album Jesus Loves The Left.

"Autum Leaves"

Henry T Berglund's  Autumn Leaves opens the season, and since retailers have already deemed it "The Holidays" I figured it's  time to dust off the ol' Spotify and get back into the merry.

"Fannie Mae"

via AirPlayDirect.com

In the news

U.S. securities regulators accused six former executives at mortgage firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac of playing down the risks to investors of the firms' foray into subprime loans. WSJ.com

Elvin Bishop – "Fannie Mae" 

on Spotify.com

"Do They Know It's Christmas"

The Bob Geldof-organized Band Aid benefit record for Ethiopian famine relief was the catalyst for truckloads of charity efforts that saved lives, which pretty much solidifies the song's status as Best Christmas Song Ever.

"We're a Couple of Misfits"

Originally written for the Rankin/Bass stop animation TV special "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, "We're a Couple of Misfits" is redone by alt-rockers Bowling For Soup on their "Merry Flippin Christmas" collection.

on Spotify.com

"Getting Ready For Christmas Day"

Paul Simon's "Getting Ready For Christmas Day" takes a decided un-"holly jolly" look at Christmas, including this timely lyric:

I got a nephew in Iraq it's his third time back 

But it's ending up the way it began 

With the luck of a beginner he'll be eating turkey dinner 

On some mountain top in Pakistan

on Spotify.com

"Natal"

via OurWorld.com

In honor of: Cesaria Evora has passed away; here she's singing about (presumably, it's in Portuguese) Christmas birth on "Natal" from the Special Olympic's awesome benefit album "World Christmas."

on Spotify.com

"God's Song (Why I Love Mankind)"

In honor of Etta James, who was great at singing great songs; it was announced today that she has terminal leukemia.
   "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)" is a Randy Newman-penned song takes a particularly harsh view of God and the suffering of people, which seems especially potent in light of today's news.

They said "Lord the plague is on the world

Lord no man is free

The temples that we built to you

Have tumbled into the sea

Lord, if you won't take care of us

Won't you please please let us be?"

And the Lord said

And the Lord said

"I burn down your cities--how blind you must be

I take from you your children and you say how blessed are we

You must all be crazy to put your faith in me

That's why I love mankind

You really need me

That's why I love mankind"

And since this blog is preoccupied with Christmas songs, it would be remiss to bypass a mention of her superb "12 Songs of Christmas" with this great but little-heard ballad "This Time Of Year"

both on Spotify.com

"Shopping"

via tehparadox.com

In recognition of the national shopping spree expected today, here's Lady Linn & Her Magnificent Seven – "Shopping" from "here We Go Again," a swing/jump blues mannerist thing that was very trendy a few years ago but remains tasty still.

on Spotify.com

"All I Want For Christmas Is You"

via Last.FM

Romanian popster Andra has shifted from trying to find a space in the over-full Mariah Carey niche (as with this "All I Want For Christmas Is You") into being more alt rock, more Eddie Vedder... which is vastly more interesting. Check out that later album "Ever Had That Feeling"

Spotify.com

"O Come, All Ye Faithful"

via Kazaa.com

A solid, if traditional, version of a traditional song from big band leader Stan Kenton – "O Come, All Ye Faithful"

on Spotify.com

"Silent Night"

A live Gospel record, "Christmas in New Orleans," by Janice Harrington with Linda Fields – "Silent Night" is a gumbo of everything you'd expect, stylish but nothing brash.

on Spotify.com

"Happy Christmas (War Is Over)"

The classic Lennon/Oko missive to the world is doubly topical today.  Almost anything is possible when people of goodwill act for the empowerment of others, and if no one cares who gets the credit.

"Santa Claus, Santa Claus"

via The "B" Side blog

Influencing every R&B crooner, swing band and rocker before that sound had a name, the revolutionary Louis Jordan joined the Christmas chorus with this bluesy  "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" 

on Spotify.com

"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"

via Universal Press Syndicate

Post bop retooling by the Paul Bley Trio of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"

 on Spotify.com

Possibly the coolest true Christmas cut ever. 

"We Wish You A Merry Christmas"/"Sweet Georgia Brown"

via tatamirando.nl

FEATURED:

Even tame Christmas music doesn't have to make you sleepy. Tata Mirando plays Roma music (gypsy) with his string band (by way of Holland) and turns in a swinging mash-up of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Sweet Georgia Brown" 

via Spotify.com

"Christmas Don't Be Late"

FEATURED:

David Seville & The Chipmunks do "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)"  from Christmas With The Chipmunks via Spotify.com

Forget the CGI movies, of which there are now 3, and forget the cheesy sped-up vocal track, these are solid -- albeit uninventive -- contemporary jazz arrangements for the era... but don't forget it's just a cartoon.

"Christmas Oratorio"

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones from Jingle All the Way – "J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio - BVW 248 # 41" 

via Spotify.com 

"O Tannenbaum"

FEATURED

Paulo Lorenzo, from Christmas for Violins 

"O Tannenbaum"
via Spotify.com

"I Just Shot John Lennon"

via Radical.ru

On this date in 1980:
John Lennon was gunned down in NYC. Irish alt rockers, The Cranberries mark the event  with "I Just Shot John Lennon" with the lyrics:

"A sad and sorry, sickening sight; 

What a sad and sorry, sickening night"

on Spotify.com

"Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy"

Guitarist/producer Joe Thurber's holiday project dubbed Christmas at the Devil's House is the embodiment of this site's premise that seasonal songs should rock -- "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" from the "Nutcracker Suite" will fray the curtains. Crank it.

on Spotify.com 

"Skating"

FEATURED: Cyrus Chestnut covers the Vince Guaraldi "Charlie Brown Christmas" classic in this audio-only YouTube video.

"O Holy Night"

pic: soulbounce.com

Angelique Kidjo from World Christmas

 "Zan Vevede (O Holy Night)" on Spotify.com.

 

"Shoplifting"

via DestroyBeforeReading.com

A PG-rated song for Black Friday by iconic '70s female punk bank The Slits – "Shoplifting"
through Spotify.com

"Do You Hear What I Hear?"

via Roches.com

For openers, this eponymous post highlights a favorite Christmas album: The Roches' We Three Kings selection of "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

at Spotify.com