So much for bahhumbuggery. The outpouring of charitable donations & goodwill from #hohoto warmed this Grinch’s cockles (huge aside: like manna from heaven a perfect lil’case study floated down demonstrating the power of online tools, social networks & digital communities when they manifest themselves in the *gasp* real world to affect change – let’s scroll down & tag this bad boy under eAdvocacy, shall we?). Of course I jest, this year has been filled with loads of NGO-time/volunteering/donations/etc…Here’s hoping that 2009, with all of its financial navel-gazing & wallet-snappin’, brings out the best in the uber-lucky-gainfully-employed peeps & reminds all that there’s more to life than griping about our investments tanking.
Photo w/ Sharanwrap courtesy of/snapped by Rannie
Top Twenty Xmas Tunes – Annotated, natch.
- Baby It’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin (Gotta love Deano’s studio chatter at the beginning of the track…you know he was totes sexually harassing those poor backup babes.)
- Linus & Lucy – Vince Guaraldi Trio (Classic. Will be playing this on the ol’upright in 3 days!)
- You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft (Three words: Stink. Stank. Stunk.)
- Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley (C’mon. Total cheesy goodness. You know he’s hurtin’.)
- The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole (Ditto. From the good’ol days, before your royalty-grabbin’ kids’d sing creepy duets w/ya)
- Frosty The Snowman – The Ronettes (Ok, has there ever been a feminist scholar that’s appropriately dissected the strength, essence & impact of the Ronettes? They survived Spector’s insane maniacal clutches & triumph over one of the lamest, flattest Xmas carols of all time – RESPECT.)
- The Little Girl’s Wish – Spike Jones (No he wasn’t married to Sophia Coppola, you silly goose. Before the Avalanches’ 9zillion samples & before digital shorts on SNL – there was Spike. Bow down you musicomediantypes.)
- Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt (Annie says this song should be embargoed. But Eartha’s version is sultry without being slutty. You know you love it.)
- Little Drummer Boy – Neil Diamond (Buddha bless the heart of the Jewish crooner that can pull off first-person-recounting the gifting inadequacies felt by a percussionist accompanying baby Jeebus’ birth. You go Neil.)
- Christmas Bells – Bing Crosby (Just can’t upload the Bowie duet. It’s pa-rum-pa-pa-creepy.)
- Snoopy’s Christmas – Vince Guaraldi Trio (close your eyes, lift your head up, shake your arms & dance like the dog already)
- Have yourself a merry little Christmas – Judy Garland (Y’all knew I’ve ALWAYS been a friend of Judy
- Let it snow – Frank Sinatra (Frank’d be cool during a tsunami with his Rat Pack aloof sensibilities)
- Here comes Santa Claus – Elvis Presley (He’s the King – of course he gets 2 spots!)
- Christmas time is here – Alvin & The Chipmunks (If this song doesn’t make you smile, you probably eat kitten cereal in a baby seal bowl)
- Run Rudolph Run – Chuck Berry (Badass scorching guitar mastery)
- Rockin’ around the Christmas tree – Brenda Lee (Two words: Home Alone)
- Jazzy Christmas – Duke Ellington (The Duke’s jazz approach – crisp’n'clean’n'clear makes for sharp edges & bright touch – perfect for xmas tunes & frosty weather)
- Socko the littlest snowball – Spike Jones (Sooo goofy & good, worth a double dip)
- Winter Wonderland – Tony Bennett (The master of all things smooth…pre-ChiliPeppersEndorsement/Unplugged lauds, elder fam statesman turned me onto TB’s LPs)
But where is the *real* top ten, you ask…I, sigh, dunno…quite yet. Got a buncha other cool (charitable! volunteer-iffic!) events & projects on the go…& that whole work thing…yeah. Thankfully today’s snow allowed me some catchup time & I suspect this undergrad-style campout will continue throughout the weekend…but there have been so many amazing albums out this year…I’m overwhelmed!
