Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Year's Eve Song Of The Day: "My Dear Acquaintance" - Regina Spektor



It's December and as a devotee to all things Holiday I thought I'd roll out some of my favorite Christmas/Winter music throughout the month. Check back every day for tracks old, new, classic and unique. Happy Holidays!

Other than the obnoxious "Auld Lang Syne" I cannot think of many New Year's songs in the popular music canon. "My Dear Acquaintance (Happy New Year)" is a Peggy Lee cover, but I'd never heard of the song until this version was free through iTunes right after I got my first Apple product.

It's a cute little ditty and great way to wrap up the year.


Further Listening: "Twenty Years Of Snow" - Regina Spektor

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Winter Song Of The Day: "Winter Wonderland" - Eurythmics



It's December and as a devotee to all things Holiday I thought I'd roll out some of my favorite Christmas/Winter music throughout the month. Check back every day for tracks old, new, classic and unique. Happy Holidays!

The most '80s holiday pop song ever. That beat, Annie's detached vocal, the synths everywhere. I can't even imagine anything more dated yet more awesome. 


Saturday, December 28, 2013

Winter Song Of The Day: "Back To December" - Taylor Swift



It's December and as a devotee to all things Holiday I thought I'd roll out some of my favorite Christmas/Winter music throughout the month. Check back every day for tracks old, new, classic and unique. Happy Holidays!

There's a reason breakup songs reference winter. If the split was unwelcome, it feels like the dead earth under a blanket of snow is the only thing that gets what you're going through.
Taylor Swift's "Back to December" references the winter month for a relationship-specific reason but that snow-struck month is part of why it feels universal. Going back to December means going back to the cold time when the roses are dead.

Also, this song is reportedly about her breakup from Taylor Lautner. Her brain must've been buried under a foot of snow to lose that grade-A beef. Silly Tay-Tay.


Friday, December 27, 2013

Winter Song Of The Day: "Winter Song" - Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson



It's December and as a devotee to all things Holiday I thought I'd roll out some of my favorite Christmas/Winter music throughout the month. Check back every day for tracks old, new, classic and unique. Happy Holidays!

Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson are two of my favorite female singer/songwriters. This song they did together for a Hotel Cafe Christmas album is winter perfection. The production is icy around the edges but the harmonies are sweet like hot chocolate. So pretty, like lazy snowflakes taking their time to drop to the ground.


Further Listening: "The Hat" - Ingrid Michaelson

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Winter Song Of The Day: "Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)" - Kelly Clarkson



It's December and as a devotee to all things Holiday I thought I'd roll out some of my favorite Christmas/Winter music throughout the month. Check back every day for tracks old, new, classic and unique. Happy Holidays!

Kelly Clarkson's new Christmas album is the best holiday release in years. "Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)" is a one of the many highlights of the collection. Full album review here.


Further Listening: "Wrapped In Red" - Kelly Clarkson

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas Song Of The Day: "On Christmas Day" - Dido



It's December and as a devotee to all things Holiday I thought I'd roll out some of my favorite Christmas/Winter music throughout the month. Check back every day for tracks old, new, classic and unique. Happy Holidays!

Did you know Dido was born on Christmas day? So were Isaac Newton, Jimmy Buffet and Sissy Spacek. Jesus was not, but we usually had a birthday cake for Him anyway. Any excuse for a spice cake with cream cheese icing is OK with me.

Did you also know that Dido's holiday single "On Christmas Day" was written by the singer herself and was not an old Celtic love song? It has such an old fashioned melody, I didn't realize it and I wondered how I had never heard it before.

Now I know, and so do you. Happy Christmas, kids.