Holiday music need not be same old, same old - list at bottom of article.
http://www.pe.com/entertainment/stor...4.167d458.html
06:06 PM PST on Thursday, December 13, 2007
By TODD VANDERWERFF
The Press-Enterprise
Looking for some new (old) holiday sounds? Two of the Internet's savviest holiday music collectors give their advice.
Ernest Haynes runs Ernie Not Bert (
http://ernienotbert.blogspot.com), which shares numerous out-of-print Christmas albums from the 1950s and '60s. His recommendations run the gamut.
"Compilation-wise, you aren't going to do better than Capitol's Ultra-lounge Christmas compilations, especially the first two. Those are what re-introduced people to the great music from the '50s and '60s," Haynes said. "Single artist records that I enjoy would be that original Elvis Christmas album, either of the Brian Setzer Christmas CDs, almost anything Motown, The Ventures Christmas album. I can go on and on."
Haynes also recommends the Esquivel Christmas CD and holiday offerings from The Beach Boys and Ira Ironstrings. As for other compilations, he says most of the record label Rhino's sets are good and also applauds the John Waters Christmas CD.
"There are a ton of independent labels putting out Christmas collections every year that I'd love to recommend, but I don't have time or money to get them all, but most, if not all, are worthy of investigation," he says.
Hunter Peters compiles the "Why Fidelity" podcast (
http://whyfidelity.blogspot.com) and runs Senses Working Overtime (
http://senses.typepad.com). He provided a comprehensive list of things to look out for, whether in the CD store or online.
"There are some songs that are simply perfect and almost no matter who performs them they sound right," he says. " 'The Christmas Song,' 'Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow,' 'Silver Bells,' 'White Christmas,' 'Sleigh Ride,' 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,' 'Snowfall,' 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,' 'Happy Holidays,' 'We Need a Little Christmas.' These are all cliché picks but they simply are that good."
He also says "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman" get a bad rap as "kids" songs. "They're brilliant holiday pop."
He's also got albums to keep an eye out for.
"Once you've gotten your Bing (Crosby), Frank (Sinatra), Nat (King Cole), Andy (Williams) and Perry (Como) discs, start looking for anything out there from Fred Waring (especially 'Now Is the Caroling Season' and 'Christmas Magic'), Ray Conniff, The Caroleers ... , The Mike Sammes Singers, Billy Vaughn, The Voices of Walter Schumann, 'Merry Mancini Christmas' by Henry Mancini, and The Harry Simeone Chorale's 'Little Drummer Boy,' " he says. "Pretty much anything your parents (or grandparents) had in their record collection when you were a kid but you thought was totally uncool when you were a teen is ripe for yuletide rediscovery."
He also recommends recent releases "One More Drifter in the Snow" by Aimee Mann, "My Holiday" by Mindy Smith, "Snow Angels" by Over the Rhine and "Christmas Kind of Town" by Marah.
The No-Christmas Zone
It can be hard to find seasonal songs worth listening to if you don't celebrate Christmas. Fortunately, there are a handful of great Hanukkah songs and even more good songs that are just about the winter in general. Here's a quick sampling. All of these are easily available on CD or from iTunes.
"Winter Wonderland" by The Ramsey Lewis Trio: Bouncy piano and light drums highlight this jazzy take on the story of lovers out walking in the snow.
"Frosty the Snowman" by The Ronettes: Phil Spector's production turns the tale of a magical snowman into girl-group heaven. Despite the animated special, the song itself never mentions Christmas.
"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" by the Eddie Higgins Trio: A modern successor to Ramsey Lewis' fun jazz, the trio turns this ode to staying indoors when it's cold outside into a bright bounce.
"Song for a Winter's Night" by Gordon Lightfoot: What's lonelier than being alone on a cold winter's night? Lightfoot's sad, sad song has been covered by many, most notably Sarah McLachlan.
"Hanukkah O Hanukkah" by Barenaked Ladies: There aren't a ton of Hanukkah songs, but the Canadian band has three wry and loving tributes to the holiday on its holiday music CD, "Barenaked for the Holidays."
"Sleigh Ride" by the Boston Pops Orchestra: Who goes on sleigh rides anymore? Even if no one does, this song still captures the feeling of rushing through snowy drifts. Just avoid the Chipmunks' version.
"Jingle Bells" by Brave Combo: One of the most popular songs in history distilled into under a minute of Latin-infested rhythm that makes the song sound like the soundtrack to a Looney Tunes short.
"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" by Rufus Wainwright: Get ready for the last night of the year with Wainwright's plaintive plea for someone to kiss at midnight.
"Rebel Jesus" by Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Jackson Browne's ultimate Christmas song for non-Christians skeptical of the holiday season gets a new coat of paint.
"Auld Lang Syne" by Marah: The indie rock band turns the ancient standard into a polka rocker.
--Todd VanDerWerff/The Press-Enterprise
Winter and Christmas/Hannukah songs
