New Music Monday (Monthly) - Holiday Edition
This month instead of posting the typical "Favorite songs of 2014" I've opted for a more seasonal playlist, after all we are all officially in holiday mode. Thanksgiving has come and gone, Black Friday, Grey Saturday(?), Cyber Monday and all of the other made up American shopping days have descended upon us and it's time to put up your wreaths and lights, right?
Okay, I've added a little twist this month, the great Alex Naser-Hall has compiled this holiday list. Who is Alex? Alex is a man of culture -- he is trying to finish writing a book right now. He can mainly be found tweeting about Degrassi here. A few choice words from him:
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It seems the new holiday romanticism is, to quote Jaden Smith, “the melancholiness of everything.” Instead of feeling the accustomed holiday cheer of yore, we’re only truly experiencing “the season” if we feel alone and isolated. At least, that’s the popular idea of the company I keep.
It’s a shame because all these ads on television are telling me I should be incredibly happy and spending oodles of time with my family and my pets and my products. Instead, I’m usually sitting at a café drinking the cheapest form of the largest container of coffee trying to work on some creative project that I told myself I’d finish by the new year.
So, here’s this YouTube playlist of what I think could soundtrack these neo-holiday vibes where we vacillate between feeling the festivity of the holiday season and feeling that crippling isolation that the tail end of December brings out in us all. Balance is healthy, they say, and I hope this brings that for you.
(I tried to give a good variety of genres / sentiments and structure a #GenuineJourney in the song flow for you. So, I hope you enjoy.)
Good tidings to you + urs.
PLAYLIST: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi1nNyl5VdjgTp9apI7Qnk88cJtmUVX2
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Here's is a look at Alex's curated, holiday playlist for your delight:
Elton John - Step Into Christmas
The Shins - Wonderful Christmastime
Stevie Wonder - Someday At Christmas
Kanye West - Christmas In Harlem
TLC - Sleigh Ride
Fiona Apple - Frosty The Snowman
Wham! - Last Christmas
Alice Smith - Silver Bells
Rufus Wainwright & Sharon Van Etten - "Baby Its Cold Outside"
Rachael Yamagata - River
Kate Nash - Faith
Paloma faith & Josh Weller - Its Christmas And I Hate You
Tom Odell - Happy Xmas (War is Over)
Amy Winehouse - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Xmas Cake Rilo Kiley
Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter
Now at Last - Feist
Mariah Carey - Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)
Camera Obscura - The Blizzard
First Aid Kit | New Year's Eve
Same Old Lang Syne ~ Dan Fogelberg
Regina Spektor - My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)