Final Singles of 2007 – Looking Forward to 2008!

My desk is close to being cleaned off and ready for lots of new music. Thanks to all the artists & their management & publicity teams for a great year here at eartaste!

While still not perfect, more and more the record companies are allowing the sale and download of single tracks so you can have a full ear taste of what an artist sounds like. I applaud this movement, and here are some singles I’ve tasted that you should take some time out to hear – for all the various reasons I’m always blabbing on about – the most important being these are great entertainment. Enjoy!

Alter Bridge - Watch Over You
Steve Earle - Satellite Radio
Carter USM - Perfect Day To Drop The Bomb b/w The Impossible Dream
Switches - Give Up The Ghost b/w Killer Karma
Ocean Colour Scene - I Told You So
Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt
Iron and Wine - Devil Never Sleeps

Even More Singles

Weakerthans - Bigfoot!
David Ford - Nobody Tells Me What To Do
Good Life - On The Picket Fence b/w Heartbroke
Jack Penate - Have I Been A Fool
Backstreet Boys - Nowhere To Go
Shaggy - Bonafide Girl b/w Reggae Vibes
Alison Moyet - It's Not The Thing Henry

More Singles

Angels & Airwaves - Everything's Magic
Vincent Black - The House Of Tasteful Men
Royal We - I Hate Rock And Roll b/w Wicked Game
Color Fred - Get Out b/w Empty House
Calexico, Iron & Wine - Dark Eyes
Wallis Bird - Blossoms In The Street b/w Counting To Sleep
Electric Six - I Don't Like You

Singles You Should Hear

More and more the record companies are allowing the sale and download of single tracks so you can have a full ear taste of what an artist sounds like. I applaud this movement, and here are some singles I’ve tasted that you should take some time out to hear – for all the various reasons I’m always blabbing on about – the most important being these are great entertainment. Enjoy!

Nine Black Alps - Bitter End
Saves The Day - Lonely Nights
Serj Tankian - Sky Is Over
The Hoosiers - Worried About Ray
Stephen Duffy - No Direction
Wombats - Tales of Girls, Boys & Marsupials b/w Let’s Dance To Joy Division
Changes - When I Wake

Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place

“Just as you take my hand/just as you write my number down/just as the drinks arrive/just as they play your favorite song”. The sound is surprising – like any decent garage band. That’s a compliment. They’re not going out of their way to be “different”, but to rock my socks off. That’s cool, very cool. “Before you run away from me/before you're lost between the notes/Just as you take the mic/just as you dance, dance, dance/Jigsaws falling into place/there is nothing to explain/Regard each other as you pass/she looks back, you look back/Not just once/not just twice”. Poetry for the ears. Shoutouts for All I Need (“I am a moth who justs wants to share your light. I’m just an insect trying to get out of the dark”), Nude (“Don't get any big ideas, they're not going to happen”) & House Of Cards (“I don't want to be your friend, I just want to be your lover, no matter how it ends”). Radiohead

Karmic Whiplash - Pool

First there’s the lyrics. “Just because I genuflect doesn’t mean you have respect.” No, don’t ask me if I’m sure I know what it means. Just sounds really cool when he sings it. But, better than that. It really sounds like he’s dribbling a basketball back and forth between his hands as he’s singing. Really. Now, that’s cool. Never heard that done before, and I have respect for that. A bit into the song there is a guitar entering, but the ball still dribbles. Then, we’re back to the lyrics. “We were chained together by the things inside that let us fly.” Catchy enough to make me think it’d deeper than it probably is. Okay, picture the scene by the pool, and he sings: “You keep standing more erect, you have a steel rod in your neck.” There’s a lotta things happening in this song, and it bears up to repeated listening and contemplation. A+ in eartaste’s view. Shoutouts for Second Brain and Blindfold. Karmic Whiplash

Eat Sugar - I'm A Carrier

This humpday party continues on the dancefloor. Fun organ-like sounds run a riff, and the drums make sure my feet stay moving as the singer repeats “be yourself, not someone else”. The bass takes a quick solo that adds to the general attitude of joy. The shoutout tune is also a blast of energy, Sixteen. “Go girl!” Eat Sugar

Lancashire Hotpots - I Met A Girl On Myspace

You can’t enter this joyful day without a joyful group to listen to. I won’t give away too much of the fun stuff, just be prepared to LYAO. “Oh, I got myself a myspace page, it really is the best. I logged onto it t’other day, it said 'new friend request'. It were from a lass in Lancashire, and I logged onto it. I saw the pictures in her profile. She had absolutely massive a-toora-oo-ly-ayes.” And on the story goes, with wonderfully natural Lancashire accents. Huge shoutouts for He’s Turned Emo & Christmas In Lancashire. Lancashire Hotpots

Jaymay - Hard To Say

“When will I get my chance to make the lilacs bloom, to decorate the tomb.” Definitely a wake up-song, complete with just the right amount of humor to make this Monday morning wake-up song a pleasure to hear. Bouncy, happy, and off-the wall. “Some children are so strange. I love the energy, especially when she becomes the scatting trumpeter. Shoutout for Grey Or Blue, a new favorite love song. "I watched you very closely, I saw you look away. Your eyes are either grey or blue, I'm never close enough to say." It’s exciting when one word can transform a life. The word here is “shake”. I am transformed. “I notice she’s your lover, but she’s nowhere near your heart.” Jaymay

Dion - Son Of Skip James

What a wonderful way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon. The voice has spoken to me personally since I first heard Runaround Sue & The Wanderer. Later, it was Abraham Martin & John. A few years passed and I discovered there was joy in Christian Music when Dion put out a trio of superb albums to dance and sing praise with. That was back in the days before Christian Music became a genre, and there were folks like Keith Green and Larry Norman along with Dion simply pouring their heart out in song. The days before dollars and greed ruled. Well, never one to be a part of a trend, Dion is now convincingly singing the blues starting with last year’s Bronx In Blue, which has shared many a moment on my turntable. I can assure you that the Son Of Skip James will also be next to the player for many months to come. Right from the opening bars of Nadine I knew I was hearing an instant classic. Acoustic blues, as if played on a modern recorder sitting next to Chuck’s bed as he was writing a blues that a few hours later in the studio would became a rock and roll classic. Shoutouts include the whole album. Dion - Son Of Skip James

Celine Dion - Can't Fight The Feelin'

“I don’t know what it is, I really like the change.” That about says it all – I am excited by this new incarnation of an artist I usually can’t listen to longer than 5 minutes. “I’m hooked on a feeling, a natural high! You better believe it!” Celine has pulled out all the stops and put together a dance record worthy of any dance floor. Cute little line here “Love, love, love. And John Lennon said that’s all you need.” Not quite as cute as Larry Norman, who said “The Beatles said ‘all you need is love’ and then they broke up.” But then, Larry is in it for the irony & laughs. Celine is in this for entertainment, and she’s convinced me she wants to extend her audience to include fools like me. Shoutout for the soulful That's Just The Woman In Me. Celine Dion

Wyclef Jean - Fast Car

“Yeah, it’s those Jersey boys.” This Saturday night dance continues with a bit of fun and a lot of energy. “Every day is like the wild wild west, some of us are bad boys – some of us are outlaws.” The musicians carry on the beat of fun with obvious pleasure and joy. But the buildup of fun is quickly devastated as the fast car story expands is at the foot of a sixteen year old who will not see 17 because she was hit by the fast car. Excellent build-up, and a fascinating downer moment that knocks our emotions around – as they should be from time to time. Literature hidden in the form of popular music. I love it. Shoutouts for Any Other Day, On Tour and Heaven's In New York. Wyclef Jean

Kid Rock - Rock 'n' Roll Jesus

“Get up and dance, I’m gonna set you free.” Gotta say, as much as I think there’s a bit of sacrilege going on, it’s all done in fun. “Just like a cold wind blowin' can you feel me comin' for you/Just like a freight train rollin' packed tight full of rhythm and blues.” Rock this Friday night away with total freedom, while Kid Rock is spitting out vindictive against racism and the control big business has over our lives. “Sittin' high on a mountain top, holdin' shop singin' the raw dog blues like in old Mississippi's dirty cotton fields, or in Detroit City's unforgotten wheels. It's the same song spinning but the same song's always been true.” Shoutouts for Amen, All Summer Long, Roll On, New Orleans, and Lowlife (Living The Highlife). Kid Rock

Killers – Tranquilize

“Silently, reflection turns my world to stone/Patiently, correction leaves us all alone/And sometimes I’m travel man/But tonight this engine's failing.” Advertised as a collection of b-sides and rarities, it’s all new to me, and I had a great time listening to this song. The voice can’t be hidden, so if you haven’t heard it yet, this is one of Lou Reed’s most energetic performances in a long time. I love Lou Reed, but lately he hasn’t made me dance this hard. Or pray so hard. “We’re the ones who still believe/And we’re looking for a page/In that lifeless book of hope/Where a dream might help you cope/With the Bushes and the bombs/Aha, Tranquilized.” Shoutout for the wonderfully retro-flavors of Take Me To The Place Where The White Boys Dance.” Killers

Michelle Shocked - Lonely Planet

Marguaritas on a hump day on my lonely planet. Michelle whispers in my ear and I am not reluctant to dance in my backyard with the trumpets blaring. “Te quiero, te amo. ¿Quieres casarte conmigo?” I am pleased to sing in the chorus. “Me gustaria que quederamos como amigos.” I am pleased to know that loneliness can be shared. Shoutouts for Wanted Man, Picoesque, 180 Proof, Weasel Be Poppin' and Blackjack Heart. Wait? What am I saying? You got it. The whole album is great fun. Enjoy! Michelle Shocked

Jazz Singles 2007

Bill Frisell - Misissippi Rising b/w Swamped
David Douglas – Scopes b/w Flood Plain
David Liebman - Bessie's Blues
John Abercrombie - Vingt Six b/w Tres
Dean Schmidt - I Know Nothing b/w Oct 10
Vignola - Summertime
Randy Crawford & Joe Sample - Feeling Good b/w Last Night At Danceland
Scott Colley - Architect Of The Silent Moment b/w Smoke Stack
John Scofield - House Of The Rising Sun b/w Trio Blues
Sara Gazarek - Just Let Me Be b/w Makes Me Feel This Way

Richie Kotzen - Can You Feel It

It’s Monday, and having wake-up songs is important to me on Monday. This definitely foots the bill. The lyrics are a good-old-fashioned love song, but the star here is the guitar playing. I can feel it, and I’m very glad to feel it. “I have a feeling you’re gonna make me love again, I really mean it.” Don’t judge a lyric on a page – you need to hear it with the shredding guitar solos. Great fun, and perfect wake-up tune. Richie Kotzen

Boyz II Men – War

“War has shattered many young man’s dreams, made him disabled, bitter and mean.” Excellent album. These men (no boys here anymore, except in spirit) add subtle changes to classic Motown tunes, making them their own without overwhelming the power Motown has always held over our hearts and minds. I chose war to discuss, but all the tunes are good listens. “They say we must fight to keep our freedom, but Lord knows there's got to be a better way. “
Boyz II Men

SPiN – Playing Dead

I love it when a group is truly a group. This cut starts with the drummer keithmooning all over the place, and the lead guitar player chasing a metal pop sound through the heavens of beautiful noize. The lead singer convincingly growls “first impressions can delight me”. My first impression of these guys is absolute delight, especially as the song progresses and band members vocally join to create harmonies that are especially delicious in this power-pop tune. ½ way through they begin a vocal call & response that has me hopping all over the room in glee. Exciting! SPiN

Ween – Fiesta

Friday party album. Good for every flavor you need. Fast dance, slow dance, old dance, new dance, stodge dance, freak dance. These guys pull it all off, with their tongues deep in their cheek as I chew up each piece with pleasure. Shoutouts for Shamemaker, Sweetheart In The Summer, Woman And Man, and Your Party ( great way to end a party – “I could have danced all night”!). Ween

Rocky Velvet - Poor Poor Lonely Me

I hope your rubber souls are siliconized, because you’ll be burning. I prefer leather, stuck some cardboard in the holes because the blisters on my feet kept smoking off. These guys have no mission in life other than getting us all out on the dance floor. Retro? Maybe. Sounds kinda like a good 50’s R&R band, but the clarity of the sound lets you know this was recorded more recently. Shoutout for Built Like a Rock & Screamin' Mimi Jeanie. Rocky Velvet

Modest Mouse - Missed the Boat

“While we’re on the subject, can we change the subject now?” The music is focused on invited me to dance, and it does a good job of that. The narrator begs me to listen, and I try (while his bandmates keep adding curious little flavors of enjoyment making it difficult to focus). Who wants to focus while dancing? Sure, there’s probably a good story here, but my feet are happy enough for you to figure it out yourself. “We didn’t read the invite, we just danced it all away.” Shoutouts for Dashboard, Education and Little Motel. Modest Mouse

Alicia Keyes – Superwoman

“Put an ‘S’ on my chest.” I’m one of those guys who think this song should be in the repertoire of all women who deal with the crap dealt with them by society every day. “I hang my head from sorrow/Slave to humanity/I wear it on my shoulders/Gotta find the strength in me.” My favorite piece of crap philosophy handed out by our government is that a mother can be ‘non-working’. “For all the mothers fighting for better days to come. . . no one knows me underneath these clothes/But I can fly. . .we can fly!” Tasty & danceable. Shoutouts for No One & Lesson Learned. Alicia Keyes

Brian Setzer Orchestra - Wolfgang's Big Night

Out A full album of stand-out cuts. Wolfgang woulda been dancing with me. In fact, he is. He’s not rolling over in his grave, he’s here dancing with me. These are Brian’s arrangements of some classical tunes, including Mozart’s 5th Symphony. If you’ve somehow missed Brian’s work, this is 40’s jazz in full bloom with great sound & fuller depth of field due to current recording techniques. Deep, rich sonics. And, just as some folks have put lyrics to some classic jazz tunes, Brian has added some up-to-date boogie lyrics to go along with a few of these boogie classics. I’ll never hear Grieg exactly the same again! Thanks, Brian, for the blast! Mozart is very close to a Spike Jones send-up! The Blue Danube is another trip altogether. And, how the heck is God going to let those Meryy Gentlemen ever rest again? They are the new dancin' fools! A full album of fun. Brian Setzer Orchestra

Blake – Hallelujah

While this is not a Christmas album, per se, the choral arrangements make the release of this at holiday time make sense. Hallelujah, the old song by Leonard Cohen, is surrounded by angels here, despite (or perhaps because of) its thoughtful questioning of "god above". The shout-out tunes also work well as holiday music. Vide Cor Meum (“I am in peace my heart”) is performed in the original latin written for the movie Hannibal, based on a sonnet by Dante. In The Bleak Midwinter, the poem by Christina Rosetti, speaks eloquently of the birth of Jesus:

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God incarnate, Jesus Christ

The final verse is one we all ponder. What gift can I bring to my Savior? Of course Christina provides the answer of the catechism, one I’ve never found a way to improve upon: “Give my heart”. Blake

Norah Jones - Peace

An old song, re-released for Christmas 2007. Still beautiful.

there's a place that i know where the sycamores grow
and daffodils have their fun
where the cares of the day seems to slowly fade away
and the glow of the evening sun
peace when the day is done

if i go there real late, let my mind meditate on everything to be done
if i search deep inside, let my conscience be my guide
then the answers are sure to come
don't have to worry none

when you find a piece of mind
leave you worries behind
don't say that it can't be done
with a new point of view
life's true meaning comes to you
and the freedom you seek is one
peace is for everyone
peace is for everyone
peace is for everyone

Dana Fuchs Band - Oh! Darling

This cut is featured in the soundtrack Across The Universe. Let’s not talk about the album. The performances by the Dana Fuchs Band, tho, are great fun; truly believable. The other shoutout by this band is Helter Skelter. One other cut on this set worth hearing many times is Joe Cocker pulling out all the stops on Come Together. The link that follows will allow you to download single cuts. Across The Universe

Metal Friday – Hammerfall & Helloween

Hammerfall - Steel Meets Steel: Ten Years Of Glory
I don’t often review the “best of” collections that come here, but Hammerfall is not a household name. Should be. The musicianship is excellent, the song composition, tho retro, is well done. The focus of these guys as songwriters appears to be an age of glory with heroes,swords & dragons. Pure fanstasy, pure fun. Hammerfall

Helloween - Gambling With The Devil
These folks are much more well known, a great group of musicians from Germany. While I might quarrel with their theology, that’s not what makes for good music. I admit I am not enthralled by people encouraging young folks to gamble with the devil – the truth is Dante wrote a long treatise on Hell that is not supposed to steal a young man’s faith. These guys are definite masters of the genre, and perform with an intensity worth enjoying. As I listen along to these guys, I kinda get the message that they feel the gamblers will win. “The saints are marching again and harvest souls/the saints are marching again in harmony”, and “I Don’t Know If Heaven Tells No Lies” give new the impression that they are leading the listener into different mindscapes worthy of the journey. A youngster needs to question their faith so that they become stronger on their understanding of why they believe what they believe. If a pop group leads them “astray”, chances are very good their faith was not deeply rooted in truth. Helloween

Andy Votel - One Nation #3

Humor and music have always been friends. I’m thinking of this guy as a one-man Spike Jones Orchestra. His instrument is old records, with bits taken off to become new creations. Sounds a bit off? It is, but also, obviously took a lot of time and energy because it all works seamlessly. None of the cuts have titles, so I have simply called this one #3 because it’s the third cut. Starts of with a guitar, some horse-like yelling, some German sounding pop-soul. Although the back covers makes it clear it could also be Finnish or Swedish, or even Japanese. Sounds like “Who culled the booze from Harvey Benershein?” This morphs into some 70’s funk, complete with horns. “Ich mienen singin kann.” Returns to 60’s psychedelic, and beyond. “Cinderella’s seen her day.” Great fun, from a funny guy. Andy Votel

Music Trivia Contest!

NOTE: The contest is officially over. I am leaving the folder available for download for those folks who enjoy playing parlor games with their friends. The answers are posted below. Lots of ways to play - make up your own rules =:-)

Welcome to our music trivia contest. There are 31 songs (one for each day of December) that were huge hits between 1950-1999.

The rules are simple. Listen to the few seconds of each song, write the artist & song title down next to the file #. [Example: 000 Beatles - Hey Jude.] When you are finished send your answers to eartaste(at)gmail.com.

The first 5 people to send in a complete list will receive 4 random disks from my desk.

As a bonus, if you include the year in which the song was a hit, I'll send 10 disks from my desk. [Example: 008 1968 - Beatles - Hey Jude].

Right-click on the url below to download the 31 files (1MB)

http://www.eartaste.com/ETContest_Dec2007.zip

Have fun, and good luck! EDIT: Still need 2 winners!!!

EDIT Dec2: Tony from Noises626 sent in 24 correct answers just a few hours after this was posted. There's still a lot of time this month, so he may just find the rest! Great work, Tony!

EDIT Dec2: Jorge from Argentina is our first winner. Package will be in the mail soon.

EDIT Dec2: 2nd winner - Erin from California! Package will be in the mail soon.

EDIT Dec3: We have our 3rd winner! Judy, the manager of the Eartasted band, The Spoon Benders, sent her list in, complete with dates! Her package will be in the mail soon!

EDIT Dec4: 4th winner is Brett from Maryland!! Package soon!

EDIT Dec 5: This contest is officially over. John from Wisconsin shall receive a packet in the mail.

I've also decided the right thing to do is award a small packet to Tony, who was the first responder and is too busy creating music for us to enjoy nest year to focus on 7 stray cuts =-) Tony, by the way, recorded one of the top 23 albums of 2007 on eartaste's lists! Thanks to all the participants, and thanks for the encouragement to try this again in the future. I'm thinking of something a bit harder, like name the song that instrumental break comes from =:-) We'll see.



001 1957 - Chuck Berry - Rock and Roll Music
002 1954 - Big Joe Turner - Shake, Rattle & Roll
003 1968 - Steppenwolf - Born to Be Wild
004 1966 - Percy Sledge - When a Man Loves a Woman
005 1971 - Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
006 1976 - Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town
007 1982 - Joan Jett - I Love Rock N Roll
008 1989 - B-52s - Love Shack
009 1994 - Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
010 1990 - Sinead OConnor - Nothing Compares 2 U
011 1965 - Rolling Stones - I Cant Get No Satisfaction
012 1956 - Elvis Presley - Hound Dog
013 1991 - Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
014 1987 - U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
015 1972 - Stevie Wonder - Superstition
016 1957 - Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away
017 1979 - Donna Summer - Hot Stuff
018 1976 - Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
019 1965 - Temptations - My Girl
020 1964 - Bob Dylan - The Times They Are a-Changin
021 1956 - Little Richard - Long Tall Sally
022 1963 - Kingsmen - Louie Louie
023 1971 - John Lennon - Imagine
024 1971 - Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On
025 1967 - Aretha Franklin - Respect
026 1965 - Beatles - Yesterday
027 1954 - Ray Charles - I Got a Woman
028 1972 - Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
029 1973 - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
030 1970 - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Who'll Stop the Rain
031 1968 - Otis Redding - Sittin on the Dock of the Bay

Olympic Lifts - I Am Cursed

Give me a monkey laugh and I am ready to party. This record starts off with a great monkey laugh, then jumps right into a bubble-gum babble of barely beveled eye-I-eyes. This first single from an album to be released next month is truly fun stuff. “The best song title ever written in the history of the world, I wrote it on the back of my hand” begins the narrator. The battle of the background horns alternate between sounding brass and sounding plastic, which is not as bad as it sounds on paper. You just have to hear some things to appreciate them, and this is worth digging out. Remember how good Charlie Parker sounded in Canada with a plastic saxophone, and you’ll understand. “Monkey, monkey do, I am cursed!” Olympic Lifts

John Fogerty - River Is Waiting

An anthem of hope. I need hope, and John is helping me face the future with this small island of understanding that everything we are facing can change by a simple election. Now, if only we can get these gals and guys who want to be President to start talking about their plans for the NCLB, I’d have some true hope. In the meantime, I’ll allow John’s music to help me float away down the river and hope that one, just one, will stop accepting the money from the testing companies and rise up against the collateral damage caused by the sad state of corruption present in our public schools. Thank you John, for helping me to maintain some sense of hope for the future, and the prayer that I can soon “lift my face to the new day that’s rising.” Shoutouts for Somebody Help Me & the cow-bell ridden Longshot. John Fogerty

Aly & Aj - Potential Breakup Song

Wake up this week dancing to high-energy pop! With a fun lyric. The song starts like a 60’s song in space (“as I walk along I wonder”), but quickly pops my brain into 2007 when the synthesized drum pops the speaker out about two inches! “It took too long for you to call back, and normally I would just forget that, except for the fact it was my birthday, my stupid birthday.” I can hear the fireworks slamming hard, and the title tells what the narrator is thinking. Fun song, fun beat & great start to a work-week. And, hey, if your girlfriend’s birthday is this week, pay attention! Shoutouts for Bullseye, a treatise on sexists (“every guy is out for the kill”), and Like Whoa (“Life is good, I can’t complain. I mean I could, but no one’s listening.”) Aly & Aj

Jade Gallagher - Leavin'

The guitars & bass make this Sunday afternoon come alive as Jade doesn’t “mind leaving the lie.” Actually an upbeat song where she is free to closes her “eyes in freefall” and steadies herself on the freeway. “I look over my shoulder and don’t see you anymore.” The town nearby has a factory closing after the first of next year, and there’s lots of bitterness in the air about that. 250 people will be out of work. In a town of 9,000 folks, that’s a huge amount – especially since it’s the only employer that is not a school or a walmart. I’m sure with all the bad tastes in people’s mouths, they’d love to be singing this song as they leave to find their future elsewhere. “Got a trunk full of tricks, gotta lotta ideas flying through my head!” Shoutouts for Iris, Haunting Me, and the beautiful cover of The Way You Look Tonight. Jade Gallagher

Christmas Time Is Here Again

The Beatles sang this little ditty on their 1967 fan club recording and for some reason it comes back to my ears every year. It’s time to buy some holiday music, and I will again recommend the
New Fountain Christmas as a good place to start if you enjoy good old fashioned down-home holiday music floating around the air where you live. I’ve pulled it out again this year, along with a few new ones that popped in that make me reach for eggnog & cookies. I’m not going to bother with the loads of compilations that came in this year. They are all fun, but I know you can find them just about anywhere you’re shopping this season. I saw some at my local food mart. You know those – Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Elton John, etc. I’m going to focus on those you’ll need to purposely seek out that are worth the search.

Deviations Project - Hark The Herald Angels Sing
An interesting concept – mix what we used to call “new age” music with a great violin player, and a drop or two or ginger with the sugar and you have some cookies worth eating all season long. What we call in the trade – a fun stocking stuffer. However, I just read in their blog that the actual album has been delayed, so you will need a fast download site to access the album from emusic or itunes if you want your copy this year (which you should). That’s actually pretty cool, cause you can stuff the stocking with an mp3 player this year.

Joe Wrabek - I'm Giving Mom A Dead Dog For Christmas
I have to let you know I’ve been listening to this song since early Spring, and I have been itching to tell you about it forever. Sure, it’s a Christmas song, but it’s also just plain fun. I almost did a mid-summer Christmas special for this one, but decided to wait till now. This one is a classic that will ride along with Grandma got Run Over By A Reindeer for years and years to come. The link I found to this song includes the lyrics, so I won’t bother to re-create them here. Well, since you insist, I’ll share just one line, “I know she’ll think that he’s all right ‘cause he don’t bark, and he don’t bite and he’s not the kind of dog that runs away…” Now you should add a bit of brandy to your eggnog right now (unless you’re a Christmas beer fan only, then go raid the fridge), go read the rest of the lyrics, and be ready to laugh this Christmas season away with honest, heartfelt joy. Thanks, Joe! And thanks also for the shoutouts, Santa’s Fallen And He Can’t Get Up, and the equally hilarious Can I Have Your Car When The Rapture Comes?

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!