Nothing screams the holidays more than four dudes wearing lucha masks and playing some seriously righteous rockabilly. So of course I had to witness the Los Straitjackets Christmas Pageant with The World Famous Pontani Sisters in 2005. It was a rockin' good time daddy-o. I ended up buying two copies of their Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets Christmas CD. One for me and one to give away as a Christmas present.
28 November 2012
28 November 2012 - Luscious Jackson - Let It Snow
Today is the day that I, once again, set my ringtone for the holiday season. This is my ringtone, straight from a Gap commercial.
Here is Luscious Jackson, performing their fantastic "Let It Snow", interpolating a little play on Gary Numan's "Cars". This was performed live on Jay Leno's Tonight Show. It's not the same without Carson.
They did release a real live video for this song. It's cute, but it doesn't include "Sleds", which is pretty amazing. Still, here it is. It's a cute video - Jill Cunniff and Gabby Glaser make sure we know they aren't REALLY in snow thanks to their wardrobe - and a good version of the song.
Of course, this song was first performed as part of a Gap Christmas ad campaign, where Gap took artists they used through the year in their hip commercials and had them reinterpret Christmas tunes (This is Luscious Jackson's original commercial). It is THIS version that is my ringtone, and has been for many Decembers. 30 seconds is enough to realize genius on this song.
Here is Luscious Jackson, performing their fantastic "Let It Snow", interpolating a little play on Gary Numan's "Cars". This was performed live on Jay Leno's Tonight Show. It's not the same without Carson.
They did release a real live video for this song. It's cute, but it doesn't include "Sleds", which is pretty amazing. Still, here it is. It's a cute video - Jill Cunniff and Gabby Glaser make sure we know they aren't REALLY in snow thanks to their wardrobe - and a good version of the song.
Of course, this song was first performed as part of a Gap Christmas ad campaign, where Gap took artists they used through the year in their hip commercials and had them reinterpret Christmas tunes (This is Luscious Jackson's original commercial). It is THIS version that is my ringtone, and has been for many Decembers. 30 seconds is enough to realize genius on this song.
27 November 2012
27 November 2012 - KT Tunstall - Sleigh Ride
In case y'all haven't figured it out, Wicked Guilty Pleasures is celebrating the holidays for the next month. I for one support this plan (well, seeing that it was kind of my idea it's hard not to get behind it). Like Tony, I can't wait for Thanksgiving so I can bust out my Christmas music collection. The first song I listened to Thanksgiving night was KT Tunstall's cool version of Sleigh Bells. Here's an live acoustic version.
And now here's the awesome version from The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs album (I imagine I'll be posting a few more from this record as the month goes on). Just try not dancing around the room like a happy fool when you hear this one. I dare ya!
And now here's the awesome version from The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs album (I imagine I'll be posting a few more from this record as the month goes on). Just try not dancing around the room like a happy fool when you hear this one. I dare ya!
26 November 2012 - The Sonics - Santa Claus
A little late? Yes.
But here is a garage band classic of a Christmas song that everyone should know - especially if you read Totally Covered - but hasn't gotten enough attention by anyone that isn't my 8 year old daughter. Enjoy!
But here is a garage band classic of a Christmas song that everyone should know - especially if you read Totally Covered - but hasn't gotten enough attention by anyone that isn't my 8 year old daughter. Enjoy!
23 November 2012
23 November 2012 - Arthur Fielder and the Boston Pops - Sleigh Ride
Christmas begins now.
What better way to celebrate Black Friday than the song that defined the Christmas season for me as a kid, and still does today? Arthur Fielder's interpretation of Leroy Anderson's 1940's classic - the two often worked together - is both delightful and bombastic, and remains the gold standard for orchestral holiday music to this day.
Even The Gap found this version cool enough to feature in holiday commercials. Here it is, slightly remixed.
What better way to celebrate Black Friday than the song that defined the Christmas season for me as a kid, and still does today? Arthur Fielder's interpretation of Leroy Anderson's 1940's classic - the two often worked together - is both delightful and bombastic, and remains the gold standard for orchestral holiday music to this day.
Even The Gap found this version cool enough to feature in holiday commercials. Here it is, slightly remixed.
21 November 2012
21 November 2012 - The Divinyls - I Touch Myself & Temperamental (& Pleasure and Pain)
In 1991 - I think - I saw the DiVinyls live. Riverside Park (now Six Flags New England), Agawam, MA. I went with Heather Deane, and we were right up next to the stage. Her ears are probably still ringing from that show. They put on a great one, too! Sure, they were playing all their new songs.... but they weren't all that bad. Straight-ahead pop rock, and the gravelly vocals of Christina Amphlett really sold it all. That was great fun with a great friend (who I really should call sometime).
This was the DiVinyls only hit single in the United States, but it was a doozy that everyone - EVERYONE - knows. We all know what it's about. It's mildly naughty.
The one thing that bothered me is that they didn't do much of their older catalog - they used a familiar old song during sound check that I heard when I was on the amusement park rides. They did do one older song, which I was not as familiar with before, but has become one of my favorite songs by them afterwards. Here it is, performed live.
Update (22 April 2013): Christina Amphlett will be missed. She passed away over the past weekend from complications from MS and breast cancer. In tribute, I have added that song they played during the sound check.
Not surprisingly, she sings about getting off.
This was the DiVinyls only hit single in the United States, but it was a doozy that everyone - EVERYONE - knows. We all know what it's about. It's mildly naughty.
The one thing that bothered me is that they didn't do much of their older catalog - they used a familiar old song during sound check that I heard when I was on the amusement park rides. They did do one older song, which I was not as familiar with before, but has become one of my favorite songs by them afterwards. Here it is, performed live.
Update (22 April 2013): Christina Amphlett will be missed. She passed away over the past weekend from complications from MS and breast cancer. In tribute, I have added that song they played during the sound check.
Not surprisingly, she sings about getting off.
20 November 2012
20 November 2012 - Abra Moore - Four Leaf Clover
Seeing that I posted Jen Trynin and Heather Nova last week, I might as well keep the 90s alternative female singer/songwriter party going. Here's Abra's most well-known song off of 1997's Strangest Places record.
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