1 Snowbird | Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem | Cocktail Swing (2:59)
2 Run Rudolph Run | Chuck Berry | The Chess Box (2:44)
3 Sugarplum | Bond | Explosive (2:21)
4 Do You Hear What I Hear? | Whitney Houston | A Very Special Christmas Vol. 1 (3:33)
5 It Really Is (A Wonderful Life) | Mindy Smith | My Holiday (3:42)
6 The Day It Snowed | Amusement Parks on Fire | It’s Not Like Christmas (4:09)
7 No Christmas For Me | Zee Avi | This Warm Christmas (2:41)
8 Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree | The Smithreens | Christmas with the Smithreens (2:08)
9 We Three Kings | Building 429 | We Three Kings (4:54)
10 Last Christmas | Glee Cast | Last Christmas (3:38)
11 Bring Me Love | Marie Digby | Bring Me Love (3:25)
12 Medley | Bela Fleck & The Fleckstones | Jingle All The Way (5:41)
13 Winter Song | Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson | The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs (4:27)
14 Christmas Island | Sixpence None The Richer | The Dawn of Grace (2:34)
15 River | Indigo Girls | 1200 Curfews (3:53)
16 The Christmas Can-Can | Straight No Chaser | Christmas Cheers (2:42)
17 The Hounds of Winter | Sting | If On a Winter’s Night (5:49)
18 Why Can’t It Be Christmastime All Year | Rosie Thomas | A Very Rosie Christmas (4:22)

Past Albums:

• 2008 XmasMix (Blues Traveler, Alabama, Hall & Oates, Sufjan Stevens, Barenaked Ladies)
• 2007 XmasMix (Perry Como, Jack Johnson, The Weepies, Leigh Nash)
• 2006 XmasMix (The Waitresses, Five for Fighting, Blind Boys of Alabama, Billy Mack)
• 2005 XmasMix (Louis Prima, Dolly Parton, B.B. King, Whitney Houston, Dixieland Ramblers)
• 2004 XmasMix (Guster, Bobby Vinton, The Eagles, Yutaka, Rhonda Vincent)
• 2002 XmasMix (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jars of Clay, Jimmy Buffet, Sting, Tina Arena)

P.S. All the song links send you to iTunes.

Enjoy this year’s Christmas mix and links to those from the past.

1 Season’s Greetings | Robbers on High Street | Seasons Greetings – Single (2:25)
2 Christmas | Blues Traveler | A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3 (5:48)
3 Christmas in Dixie | Alabama | The American Farewell Tour (3:37)
4 Christmas Must Be Tonight | Daryl Hall & John Oates | Home For Christmas (4:29)
5 The Christmas Yodel | Riders In The Sky | Christmas the Cowboy Way (2:40)
6 Holy, Holy, Holy | Sufjan Stevens | Songs For Christmas, Vol: V Peace! (3:50)
7 Three Kings | Eclipse | Three Kings (4:04)
8 Santa’s Got A Brand New Bag | The Bobs | Too Many Santas (3:30)
9 Deck the Hall (With Boughs of Longboards) | Rick Springfield | Christmas With You (2:15)
10 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Bebo Norman | Christmas…From the Realms of Glory (3:17)
11 Goodbye Charles | Over the Rhine | Snow Angels (2:22)
12 Santa Will Find You | Mindy Smith | My Holiday (3:53)
13 J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio – BVW 248 #41 | Bela Fleck and The Fleckstones | Jingle All the Way (4:30)
14 Mr. Heat Miser | Big Bad Voodoo Daddy | Everything You Want For Christmas (4:24)
15 Hallelujah | Brandi Carlile | KCRW.com Presents (4:25)
16 I Saw Three Ships | Barenaked Ladies | Barenaked For The Holidays (1:07)
17 Still, Still, Still | Garrison Keillor and the Plymouth Series Music Ensemble | Now It Is Christmas Again (2:49)
18 This Time of Year | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | A Santa Clause – It’s a Punk Rock Christmas (2:22)
19 Merry Xmas Everybody | Camp Freddy | Merry Xmas Everybody (3:45)
20 Someday At Christmas | Jack Johnson | This Warm December: Brushfire Holiday’s, Vol. 1 (2:13)

Past Albums

• 2007 Christmas Album (Perry Como, Jack Johnson, The Weepies, Leigh Nash)
• 2006 Christmas Album (The Waitresses, Five for Fighting, Blind Boys of Alabama, Billy Mack)
• 2005 Christmas Album (Louis Prima, Dolly Parton, B.B. King, Whitney Houston, Dixieland Ramblers)
• 2004 Christmas Album (Guster, Bobby Vinton, The Eagles, Yutaka, Rhonda Vincent)
• 2002 Christmas Album (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jars of Clay, Jimmy Buffet, Sting, Tina Arena)

P.S. All the song links send you to iTunes.

I know they have been going for a couple of days already (our family even exchanged some Christmas gifts on Thanksgiving), but starting tomorrow we are going to be serving up some holiday cheer in the form of seasonal music.

First, I am going to post the list of songs from my annual mix CD. I am on year 7 of this exercise. You’ll also find links back to the prior lists.

And starting Monday, I am going to post a song every day on my Twitter account that you can listen to and in the majority of the cases download if you like. If you want to follow along, follow me on my twitter account or subscribe to my tumblr blog.

• Bon Iver – Justin Vernon wrote his album “For Emma, Forever Ago” in a Northwestern Wisconsin cabin.
• Collections of Colonies of Bees – My good friend Jon plays drums in this Milwaukee-based group. They just returned from a SXSW performance, and a little bee told me that we are doing a project with Justin.
• Juniper Tar – They get another piece of link love because I like them and their album a lot.
• What Made Milwaukee Famous – Paste Magazine introduced me this month to this Austin-based band. The name is what first caught my attention, but their pop rock hooks drew me in.
• The BoDeans – this master of the bar band genre is from my town of Waukesha. Find a live version of Still The Night; I have never heard a song where the audience has a part. Kurt and Sammy have a new album called Still, which is solid and familiar.

Juniper Tar is a Milwaukee based band. Brothers Schleicher are members and they just released their first album “To The Trees.”

http://www.myspace.com/junipertar

Give it a chance. I think you will like.

…pick up Over The Rhine’s Snow Angels. The twelve song album is all original holiday music in the group’s laid-back, acoustic style. My favorite is Goodbye Charles, which pays ode to cartoonist Schultz and the Vince Guaraldi Trio. White Horse, Here It Is, Snow Angel all feel great. As the iTunes review says, the whole album captures the wonderful highs and the desperate lows of the season.

I have been creating Christmas albums for family and friends since 2001, something I really enjoying doing. Enjoy this year’s mix and links to those from the past.

1. (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays – Perry Como
2. Underneath the Mistletoe – Blondfire
3. Mary, Did You Know? – Kathy Mattea
4. O Holy Night – New Orleans Musicians/Tipitina Foundation (featured on Studio 60 last year, Download MP3 Here)
5. River – Travis
6. Come on! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance! – Sufjan Stevens
7. Christmas Time Is Here – Ivy
8. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – Jack Johnson
9. Frosty The Snowman – Fiona Apple
10. I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas – Gayla Peevey
11. Greatest Time of Year – Aly & AJ
12. Silver Bells – Swearing At Motorists
13. Jingle Bells – Jack Ingram
14. All That I Want – The Weepies
15. I’m Coming Home For Christmas – Joe Puerta (local Milwaukee musician, featured on ER last year)
16. Wishing For This – Leigh Nash
17. Do You Hear What I Hear? – Third Day
18. Holiday Mood – The Apples in Stereo
19. My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas) – The Click Five
20. Christmas Tree on Fire – Holly Golightly

Past Albums

• 2006 Christmas Album (The Waitresses, Five for Fighting, Blind Boys of Alabama, Billy Mack)
• 2005 Christmas Album (Louis Prima, Dolly Parton, B.B. King, Whitney Houston, Dixieland Ramblers)
• 2004 Christmas Album (Guster, Bobby Vinton, The Eagles, Yutaka, Rhonda Vincent)
• 2002 Christmas Album (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jars of Clay, Jimmy Buffet, Sting, Tina Arena)

P.S. All the song links send you to iTunes.

It seems word is getting out about my new favorite artist Missy Higgins. I wanted to make sure I publicly acknowledge my fandom.

I randomly jumped onto the Live Earth concert broadcast. I jumped to the Australia concerts and saw Crowded House live and then checked out who else had been onstage. Missy had been on in the morning and I was immediately hooked up when I heard Steer.

I can’t buy the new album On A Clear Night from iTunes. It is available in the Australian version of the store, but you need an AU address to buy from there. The every useful Wikipedia tells me the album will not be released in the US until early 2008. Ugh.

Amazon says they can get it for me, and westendentertainment is going to get my business.

🙂

My mother will periodically bring me things she has found from leftover from my childhood.  The latest is a true treasure.  She found an LP with recordings of my high school pep band.  I couldn’t find a year anywhere on the package, but I fairly certain it was put together in 1987, my sophmore year.  You will find me listed as a member the trombone section.  I played baritone and valve trombone through high school and college.

For your listening pleasure, I had the recordings converted to mp3s (thanks, Dylan).

CATCH THE PANTHER SPIRIT with the WILMOT PEP BAND

SIDE ONE

Catch The Spirit (Wilmot High Panthers Cheerleaders, 1:21)

All Right Now

Proud Mary

Charge Medley – Live

Can-Can

Takin’ Care of Business

SIDE TWO

Uptight

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Panther Prowl

Gimme Some Lovin’

Barbara Ann

Panther Spirit Supplied By The Following:

Flute
Karin Corder
Jenny Smolik
Jonna Franz
Melissa Bartuska
Erin Swanson

Trombone
Dave Anderson
Todd Sattersten
Bill Moore
Val Clause

Clarinet
Amy Anderson
Donna Chase
Tina Ishmael
Julie Kaphengst

Saxophone
Paul Mozzocci
Andrea Pryor
Dale Kaphengst
Marc Vershowske

Guitar
Rob Chapleau
Bob Lucksted

Trumpet
Lisa Raimonde
Michelle Ceremuga
Mike Kaphengst
Mike Hartman

Drums
Dan Yeh
Jenny Myra
Ron Rozell

Cheerleaders
Melaine Adams
Dina Dietschweiler
Heather Miller
Jonna Franz
Melissa Bartuska

Directors
Lance Haas (Band)
Dorothy Wentland (Cheerleaders)

I caught up on the Christmas episode of Studio 60 last night.  The closing number by the New Orleans musicians is beautiful.  These musicians were organized by the Tipitina Foundation.

You can watch the clip on YouTube. 

There is talk that NBC will be posting that rendition on iTunes.  I’ll post again when I see it. You can download the song from the NBC site or I have mirrored it here .

I started these six years ago.  At the time, it was hard to find good Christmas music.  You had to buy lots of CDs to get the good stuff.  I started pulling that stuff together for friends and family. 

iTunes has changed that somewhat.  Music is easier to get, but the filters they have still send you to the same old stuff.  I try to stay pretty far off the beaten off, but there are always a couple familiar renditions. 

The links below will send you to iTunes.  You can download the others because they were free or cannot be found anywhere.

Enjoy!

1. We Need A Little Christmas by The New Christy Minstrels
2. Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses
3. Santa Clause Blues by Champion Jack Dupree
4. Hot Chocolate (from The Polar Express) by Tom Hanks
5. I Bought You A Plastic Star For Your Aluminum Tree by Michael Franks
6. Miss Hooglian’s Christmas Cake by David Sinclair
7. Silent Night by Five for Fighting
8. Blue Christmas/Let It Snow by The Gypsy Hombres
9. Merry Christmas From The Family by Montgomery Gentry
10. Gloria by MercyMe
11. The Bells of St. Mary by Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans
12. Joseph’s Song by Michael Card
13. Last Month of the Year by The Blind Boys of Alabama
14. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Fugato and Friends [Download MP3
15. The Man With All The Toys by Brian Wilson
16. Christmas Night in Harlem by Lester Lanin
17. Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah by Barenaked Ladies
18. Christmas Is All Around (from Love Actually) by Billy Mack [Download MP3 ]
19. Joy To The World by Clem Snide [Download Link from Coudal]
20. Merry Christmas Baby by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Also:
2005 Christmas Mix
2004 Christmas Mix
2002 Christmas Mix

Check out the squidoo lens I made for holiday music and gifts. You might get an idea or two.