On Christmas music

[hazliya]

I like Christmas music in general. When it's after, say, December first? Yes, okay.

But not modern Christmas music. I like carols and simple recordings by people like Bing Crosby and Burl Ives. I like instrumental arrangements.

Not the overproduced, overplayed, oversung covers of every christmas ballad ever by every pop star ever. Those will make me instantly change the station, slapping the tuner buttons as if they were on fire and I needed to put them out.

Seriously. If I have to hear one more poptart warble out their own very special "allllll I want for ChristmaaAAAaaaAAaaaAAAasssss iIIIIIIiiiIIIIiiiiiiiiiIIIss... [cymbals crash and children's choirs rise] yoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" I will probably break my dashboard with the sheer amount of force I will use to change the station.

Don't even get me started on that musical bugbear about the red shoes.

Thank whatever gods are out there that this will hopefully be the last holiday season I spend in retail.

EDIT: David Bowie was not a pop star, he is a god.

Comments

[zombie-dog.livejournal.com]

Haha, I remember you raging about this last year too! 'tis the season!

Course, I laugh from behind my media bunker of safety. I have the luck to be able to completely avoid any Christmas music I don't want to listen to, and Pandora has some great new tracks for my holiday station this year.

[darkangellove46.livejournal.com]

i used to LOOOOOVE christmas music but this year it started so damn early (and i was aware of it being in the car so much) that i don't want to hear ANY of it. Every time i hear the beginning of a seasonal song i actually say out loud "shut up!" as i flip the station. At this point i don't think i ever want to hear another modern carol (ie on the radio more than like once by chance) again! i'd rather sit in my car and listen to the christmas madrigals that my high school chorus recorded! So i'm with you all the way, traditional or classical carols only need apply!

[offside7.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I don't do the whole Christmas shopping thing- it is impossible to avoid this kind of stuff in any stores. I can't stand jingles, and I much prefer the classic versions to the schmaltzy recent stuff.

I do love the Bare Naked Ladies version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, though.

[hazliya.livejournal.com]

I actually really like the BNL God Rest ye, too. There are a few modern ones that I've discovered, but they're never played on mainstream radio. =/

[bleemoo.livejournal.com]

Gods can be pop stars too.

[hazliya.livejournal.com]

True.

[darkoni]

Thankfully, my job does not play Christmas music over and over again. Instead, I get video game trailers and clips from the Big Bang Theory over and over again.

Otherwise, I tend not to listen to much holiday music. I've heard most of it way too much. Unless something interesting catches my ear, I avoid it. Straight No Chaser, a acapella group, is pretty good.

[hazliya.livejournal.com]

I've heard some of Straight No Chaser's more goofy stuff - I haven't heard any more traditional stuff from them.

[darkoni]

Goofy stuff done well appeals to me. They are just very good singers. I can't recall if they've done more traditional stuff.

Mostly, I tired of most holiday music, even the traditional stuff. I mostly go for the unique thing that catches my ear. Most pop stuff is not unique. It is a inferior version of the traditional songs I've gotten tired off. Someone has to do something special with it to make it good. The BNL song someone else mentioned is one of those.

My favorite humorous Christmas song is the Twelve Drunken Days of Christmas, where the woman is sent increasingly large amounts of alcohol as gifts.

[anitra.livejournal.com]

You said: "Goofy stuff done well appeals to me."

You should check out Moxy Früvous, in particular, their Christmas song "The Norbals" and winter song "Huge on the Luge".

[darkoni]

*nods* I will check them out and see if I like their stuff.

[nightskyre.livejournal.com]

:blink: Hm? Which store do you work in? Worcester area?

[darkoni]

North of Boston.

[nightskyre.livejournal.com]

Ah. I'm in the Lincoln St, Worcester store.

[jalawingedone.livejournal.com]

So far I've managed to avoid the Elvis version, the Reba McIntire version, and any other version of "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me".

[purple-dj.livejournal.com]

There is good modern Christmas music, but you will probably never hear it on commercial radio.

I highly recommend trying either of SomaFM (http://somafm.com/)'s Christmas streams.

[hazliya.livejournal.com]

Any specific recommendations?

[ninja-report.livejournal.com]

"Santa Baby" makes me want to smash radios with hammers.

[darkoni]

This makes me want to hide disposable radios around that only play "Santa Baby" ... then hide the hammer and watch.

provides access

[(Anonymous)]

Superb blog post, a bunch of great data. I am about to show my girlftriend and ask them what they think.