joshcast: tunes for the holidaze!
Music: The Allman Brothers: Live at Fillmore East (2008 remaster).
I recently picked up the remaster of the Allmans' Fillmore East and am simply blown away. I've been playing it all day today because I remember that Greg breaks into "Joy to the World" in the "You Don't Love Me" extended jam (remember?). How quickly I forget how easily these guys just blow the Grateful Dead out of the water; hands-down, this is the best jam-band record of all time. And it's got a forgotten Christmas song riff buried on the first disk. Amazing, and timely!
And speaking of music, I hope to have my annual "best of" music posts done this week. We had some amazing albums drop in pop this year, and my challenge is going to be narrowing my recommendations. I do know that my number one worst album of the year is the new Of Montreal, which is an overhyped, attention deficit disaster. Why that guy gets praise for never writing a complete song is beyond me.
Anyway, I'm sipping tea, doing laundry, and in general tying up loose ends in preparation for traveling next week. Starting tomorrow I'll get to see family in Lilburn, Georiga and friends in Athens, Atlanta, and Snellville. Alas, this means I'll be away from the Tubes for some hours. To tide y'all over, I thought I'd share this year's holiday music mix! Woohoo!
You can download the entire, seventy-minute mix as a mp3 file by clicking this link. Should you prefer to burn the file to a disk, you can print out the cover art for a regular CD jewel case by clicking on this link. The track listing is as follows:
- coil: the snow (driftmix)
- cranes: here comes the snow
- enya: o come, o come emmanuel
- the hacker: electronic snowflakes
- sufjan stevens: sister winter
- sarah mclachlan: silent night
- loreena mckennitt: noel nouvelet!
- cocteau twins: how to bring a blush to snow
- tori amos: little drummer boy
- low: just like christmas
- trembling blue stars: snow showers
- sixpence and none the richer: angels we have heard on high
- siddal: in the bleak midwinter
- robin guthrie and harold budd: snowfall
- aimee mann: calling on mary
- sufjan stevens: what child is this, anyway?
Of course, this holiday music mix is offered for preview purposes only, and if you like an artist you are morally compelled to go out and buy their music. Specifically, I give the Sufjan Stevens Christmas music box set, as well as the Sixpence None the Richer CD, very high marks. The Enya and McKennett holiday specials are just that, a bit too special and you can only take about three songs before you're totally annoyed. The Aimee Mann album is awesome, but you really have to love Aimee Mann (cause all her music does sound the same)---oh, and by the way, her regular 2008 release will make my "best of" list this year. Finally, one more thought: does anyone else miss Elizabeth Frazer? I thought she was releasing a solo album . . . aside from a few of you readers appearing nude on my doorstep (you know who you are!), all I want for Christmas is a new Elizabeth Frazer album . . . and the courage to get tattoo sleaves.