Christmas songs fascinate me. Hundred of thousands of songs are recoded and played for 30 days straight, and then disappear until the next year to do it all over again. I like Christmas songs. There are good ones and bad ones, originals, and poor covers of songs. For today's Three for the Road, I choose three that you probably know, but are not radio mainstays. Don't get me wrong, Springsteen, Sinatra, Andy Williams,Vince Guaraldi, and even the Waitresses are special, but I thought, why not look at three that I would be glad to sing along with in the car.
"I Wish it Was Christmas Today." - Julian Casablancas
Originally written and performed on Saturday Night Live by Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and the dancing styles of Tracy Morgan, this song has been a reoccurring skit that has been done live several times. The Strokes voice, Julian Casablancas obviously got the joke and covered it. Something about it is catchy.
"Mele Kalikamaka" - The Puppini Sisters
An odd holiday song, but the cover by the "Swing Punk" trio (they are not really sisters) is clean and peppy. Their influences range from the Andrew Sisters and Fred Astaire to the Smiths and Tom Waits. I couldn't even tell you how I found them.
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" - Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
There is something pure and simple in this version from our neighbors up North that I really like. Funny, for neither the group of the founder of the Lilith Fair do much for me otherwise, but this version lakes me back to, what I imagine, are simpler times.
Man, Christmas songs aren't my thing. But I've got a few I don't mind -- they're fairly obvious choices -- and I'll get to them after a few comments on your picks.
First, the SNL skit sounds like a Strokes song. No surprise, then, when Julian Casablancas covered it. And he does a great job -- it's actually a very listenable song.
Mele Kalikimaka always reminds me of this classic scene from "Christmas Vacation":
I love cousin-in-law Eddie.
Here's three from me, and again, they're obvious.
RUN DMC - "Christmas time in Hollis Queens" With the best opening couplet of the season. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR07r0ZMFb8
The Waitresses - "Christmas Rapping" Yeah, I know. But I found myself singing it yesterday, unprovoked. And I haven't even heard it yet this year. (I find it particularly funny that there's a "20th Century Masters" CD of the Waitresses.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_qck_zNUNk
David Bowie & Bing Crosby - "Little Drummer Boy" You gotta love the pairing here. And it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiXjbI3kRus
All three are great choices. RUN-DMC made a modern classic. "It's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens. Mom's making chicken and collard greens. Rice and stuffing - macaroni 7 cheese, and Santa leaves gifts under Christmas trees!
No shame in liking the Waitresses. I think it's a cool song. It's Nick's favorite. To me the Dan Folgelberg "Anotehr Auld Lang Syne" is it's wussy cousin.
The Bing & Bowie combo works for so many odd reasons. We can thank MTV for revitalizing this, otherwise it might have been a forgotten Christmas song.
Man, Christmas songs aren't my thing. But I've got a few I don't mind -- they're fairly obvious choices -- and I'll get to them after a few comments on your picks.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the SNL skit sounds like a Strokes song. No surprise, then, when Julian Casablancas covered it. And he does a great job -- it's actually a very listenable song.
Mele Kalikimaka always reminds me of this classic scene from "Christmas Vacation":
I love cousin-in-law Eddie.
Here's three from me, and again, they're obvious.
RUN DMC - "Christmas time in Hollis Queens"
With the best opening couplet of the season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR07r0ZMFb8
The Waitresses - "Christmas Rapping"
Yeah, I know. But I found myself singing it yesterday, unprovoked. And I haven't even heard it yet this year. (I find it particularly funny that there's a "20th Century Masters" CD of the Waitresses.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_qck_zNUNk
David Bowie & Bing Crosby - "Little Drummer Boy"
You gotta love the pairing here. And it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiXjbI3kRus
Oops... forgot the link to the Christmas Vacation scene:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWN5Chp1Hyg
All three are great choices. RUN-DMC made a modern classic. "It's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens. Mom's making chicken and collard greens. Rice and stuffing - macaroni 7 cheese, and Santa leaves gifts under Christmas trees!
ReplyDeleteNo shame in liking the Waitresses. I think it's a cool song. It's Nick's favorite. To me the Dan Folgelberg "Anotehr Auld Lang Syne" is it's wussy cousin.
The Bing & Bowie combo works for so many odd reasons. We can thank MTV for revitalizing this, otherwise it might have been a forgotten Christmas song.