"A Winter Fairy Is Melting a Snowman"
I just got a happy yum yum seizure!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, dear readers! Here's hoping all of your wishes get fulfilled today. Or, at the very least, one or two.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I find tinsel distracting.
Wishing you and yours a very happy Festivus. I know I say this every year, but I'd love to throw a Festivus party. Maybe next year...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
My favorite (Christmas album) things of 2010
Like pretty much all types of music, a very high percentage* of Christmas music that comes out each year is crap. Most of it is bland, overproduced, extremely saccharine, and cheesy. Or, if some indie band wants to put their stamp on Yuletide songs, it may be underproduced, discordant, and drenched in feedback. This year is no exception. Only two full length albums honked my bobo this year.
Pink Martini - Joy to the World: These multicultural folks put on a heck of a live show and, based on their back catalog, I was expecting all sorts of sublime merriment. I was only a *tad* disappointed, but it's still better than pretty much the rest of the stuff out this season. It's twinkly, twirly, and very international. It's no wonder that Starbucks commissioned this album. But don't hold that against the band.
Christabel and the Jons - The Christmas Album: This band is completely new to me, but another blog recommended it and, wow, I'm impressed. The Squirrel Nut Zippers' Christmas Caravan is one of my favorite seasonal albums and this one sounds like its spiritual successor. It's jazzy, swinging, and brassy. I love it.
These two new albums will surely join my other favorites at the forefront of my hifi's festive rotation.
*I'd say a good 70% or so, but then again, I have a very high threshold for Christmas music. Your results may vary. For reference, I maintain that a good 90% of all music releases range from "blah" to "sucks".
Pink Martini - Joy to the World: These multicultural folks put on a heck of a live show and, based on their back catalog, I was expecting all sorts of sublime merriment. I was only a *tad* disappointed, but it's still better than pretty much the rest of the stuff out this season. It's twinkly, twirly, and very international. It's no wonder that Starbucks commissioned this album. But don't hold that against the band.
Christabel and the Jons - The Christmas Album: This band is completely new to me, but another blog recommended it and, wow, I'm impressed. The Squirrel Nut Zippers' Christmas Caravan is one of my favorite seasonal albums and this one sounds like its spiritual successor. It's jazzy, swinging, and brassy. I love it.
These two new albums will surely join my other favorites at the forefront of my hifi's festive rotation.
*I'd say a good 70% or so, but then again, I have a very high threshold for Christmas music. Your results may vary. For reference, I maintain that a good 90% of all music releases range from "blah" to "sucks".
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
You better watch out. You better not cry.
Here's a video I took at the 5th Annual Jones Family Christmas Caroling Extravaganza, which was held a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was raining that night, so there we didn't grace the neighborhood with our lovely singing voices. But, as you can see, a jam session did break out inside.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
A Very Micah Christmas 2010
As we rush headlong into Christmas week, I figured it was the right time to unleash this year's A Very Micah Christmas mix upon your precious, little ears. This being my twelfth year of making these mixes, I've pretty much exhausted all of the Lite 98 December staples, so enjoy some less familiar takes on your old favorites, as well as some great Yuletide originals.
Without further ado, here is the soundtrack to your seasonal anxiety disorder:
1. "Everybody Wants to See the Lights" - Kevin McKinney
2. "Darlin' (Christmas Is Coming)" - Over the Rhine
3. "Winter Wonderland" - Dean Martin
4. "O Tannenbaum/We Wish You a Merry Christmas" - Liberace
5. "It Snowed" - Meaghan Smith
6. "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" - Big Al Carson with Lars Edegran and His Santa Claus Revelers
7. "Believe in Me" - fun.
8. "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" - Julian Casablancas
9. "Christmas Party" - The Sweptaways
10. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" - C.W. Morris
11. "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" - Frank Sinatra
12. "When the Leaves" - Ingrid Michaelson
13. "There Are Worse Things to Believe In" - Stephen Colbert and Elvis Costello
14. "Grateful For Christmas" - Hayes Carll
15. "White Christmas" - Jamie Randolph
16. "In the Bleak Midwinter" - Paper Route
17. "Away in a Manger" - Hyperbubble
18. "Fruitcake" - The Superions
19. "Up on the House Top" - The Jackson 5
20. "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" - Wizzard
21. "Party Hard" - Little Isadore
22. "Pour Another Ounce of Rum in the Eggnog" - Heather Blush and the Uppercuts
23. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Jo Stafford
24. "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" - Yogi Yorgesson
25. "Year End Letter" - Garfunkel & Oates
26. "Auld Lang Syne" - Pink Martini
27. You'll see
Grab an .rar file of the mix here.
Merry Christmas to all! And to all, RAWK!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Welcome!
Hey, there. I'm just getting this page off of the ground. I intend to eventually post all of my A Very Micah Christmas mixes here for your downloading convenience. So keep checking back.
In the meantime, poke around my main blog Micah World. Each day during the month of December I'm posting a favorite Christmas song of mine over there. Or, at least, that's the plan.
In the meantime, poke around my main blog Micah World. Each day during the month of December I'm posting a favorite Christmas song of mine over there. Or, at least, that's the plan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)