Jingle Bells Ringing in my Ear

It’s a cool, breezy Saturday.  And it’s also the close of Big Ten Football.  PC is snuggled up in Columbus with his boys, ready to watch the Buckeyes.  I’m ready to watch Penn State take down the Michigan State Spartans.  And, after that, time to decorate the house for the holidays—luckily, I have some great music to listen to.

And thus begins our annual Christmas extravaganza.  A post a day until Christmas Eve.  And, I’m trying to dig deep this year, posting some tunes that haven’t been posted yet.  And, I think there will be a very nice post commemorating our fifth anniversary in the coming weeks as well.  Oh, this our 300^th post!

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2

Sure, we’ve had this one up lots of times, but around here, Darlene Love’s version is our “Amazing Grace.”  And while U2 might have dropped off the past few years (a Spiderman musical, anyone?), they can still bring it home on their cover.

Little Drummer Boy – Lou Rawls

I was saving this for someone to answer my Garfield question from a few days ago.  Yes indeed, it was Lou Rawls singing in that great Christmas special.  And here’s the man’s great rendition of an old standard.  (And a bonus clip!)

I Hear Jingle Bells – Freddie King

If you don’t hear those jingle bells, get out to some stores.  Today marks a new campaign to buy from your local, community owned stores.  Who needs to stand in line at the big box stores or wrestle the crowds at the mall?  If you’re in the market for some holiday presents, get out there to the shops owned and run by your friends and neighbors.

Today’s album cover?  Pretty self-explanatory.  

Hey. Ho. Where’d You Go?

As someone in the comments, we’re kicking things off a little earlier this year.  But, once Turkey Day comes around, you can expect to see daily posts like always.  In the meantime, I’m having fun giving you a little taste of what’s to come.  And, we also announced the Santa drawing contest.  Wow, I wish you could see some of what we’re received so far!  Because there are no entries.  Seriously.  This is embarrassing.  Now we just feel like clodhoppers.  Prove us wrong, folks.  Prove us wrong.

It’s a special week for PC and I.  Hate week.  It’s the one week out of the year when our beloved college football teams play each other.  PSU v. OSU.  And, coincidentally, this year PC and I also play each other in our fantasy league.  I know what you’re thinking—it’s going to be a rough weekend for PC.  Hate to see his Buckeyes and fantasy team both fall, but that’s just how things go.  If you’d like to send his condolences, feel free to write something in the comments.

Winter Symphony—The Beach Boys

I think this is an underlooked Beach Boys holiday song—and, I suspect there are a lot of songs from the 70s that the band produced that deserve more attention.  But, it’s especially noteworthy since the band made its name on sunny beach songs—here’s something a little darker, lushly produced, about wintertime.  The burnt, rusty leaves still hang in the trees, but soon winter will come in full blast.

Santa Claus, Santa Claus—James Brown

JB bringing down the house with that voice.  When he pleads that he’s been good, something tells me that he wasn’t.  But no matter, Santa Claus visits everyone, even the hardest working man in show business.

All I Ever Get for Christmas Is Blue—Over the Rhine

Blue.  As in blue and white.  As in Penn State.  And this is sung by a band from Ohio.

White Christmas—The Tractors

A piano-based instrumental of the old standard.  White.  As in a white out.  As in the pure helmets PSU wears onto the football field, only to be dirtied with the mud and the blood of Ohioans.

Lion’s Jaws—Neko Case

Nope, it’s not a Christmas tune, but I needed to throw something in here about a lion.  And I’m sure the Buckeyes will be firmly chewed up and spit out by the lions’ jaws Saturday afternoon.

My City Was Gone—The Pretenders

I guess I should give PC his due.  Here’s a song about Ohio.  Unfortunately, it’s the most uplifting one I could find.  Hey.  Ho.  Where’d you go Ohio?  Down in the BCS rankings?