I can scarcely abide Christmas music. I'd rather decorate a Christmas tree in October than hear "Jingle Bells" before Christmas Eve. Enough already! That said, I've discovered two extraordinary new holiday songs by local songwriters. I think so highly of them that in a There Stands the Glass first, I'm posting MP3s that aren't represented by a CD in my collection.
Tony Ladesich is a true believer in the redemptive power of rock'n'roll. His band Pendergast operates squarely in the No Depression camp. Uncle Tupelo and Steve Earle are obvious touchstones. As I suggested last week, the imaginative "Christmas Eve" is the equal of seminal seasonal songs by the Pogues and John Prine.
In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Howard Iceberg is one of the coolest people I've ever met. Rather than going into his intriguing back story, I'll simply note that on any given day I'd just as soon listen to Iceberg instead of James McMurtry or Prine. The wry "Christmas In Missouri" is pure Howard.
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I was puzzled when James Blunt's "Beautiful" was received with such vehement loathing. It didn't bug me at all. When I heard the sad news about Dan Fogelberg's passing, I think I finally figured it out. I grew up hearing ultra-lite hits like Fogelberg's "Longer Than" and John Denver's "Annie's Song". Blunt's ballad comes across like Aerosmith by comparison.
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Did you happen to see the crazy Mary J. Blige solicitation in Best Buy's Sunday circular? They offer four purchase options. They'll sell you a physical CD or a digital download of the album at Bestbuy.com. Each is $9.99. Then there's the CD plus five bonus downloads ("choose from over 4 million songs"). That's $11.99. The final $13.99 option throws in a Blige ringtone with the CD and five bonus downloads. Growing Pains indeed.
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Kansas City Click: The Jazz Disciples host a jam session tonight at the Blue Room.
1 comment:
RE: Fogelberg. 3 Words: High Country Snows.
That one I like very much.
Of course he the best to nudge him along. But he pulled it off and probably too few today even remember it.
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