Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Music, New to Me



I like all kinds of music, and love the second-hand iPod
I bought from my daughter when she upgraded herself to an iPod Touch. 

For most of the year, I have a blend of music I like,
consisting of 80s pop/rock, country, oldies, indies
and just whatever I stumble across that I find I enjoy.
Also have quite a few TV show themes
and a load of Halloween/horror tunes, too!

At Christmastime, however, I switch over to holiday music.
Between CDs I have bought or traded for (thanks, Swap-A-CD!)
and free and legal music online (thanks, generous musicians!),
I have a Christmastime music folder that has 1,628 holiday songs - and growing!
Yes, you read that right.
What can I say? I like Christmas music!

This Christmas, in addition to the new music I have found online
from artists who post free tunes hoping to gain more fans,
my lovely wife gifted me with some holiday CDs:


James Taylor
at Christmas

From 2006, this is a reissue of his limited edition
Hallmark CD from a couple years earlier.

He has a great voice and the arrangements are definitely James Taylor-esque,
so I like it. His duet with Natalie Cole on Baby, It's Cold Outside is great.

Wonderful CD, as expected. Mellow and relaxing.

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elf 
Music from the Major Motion Picture

This is the 2003 soundtrack for the Will Ferrell film of the same name.
The CD is pretty much a traditional Christmas album, with a few surprises.

The Zooey Deschanel/Leon Redbone version of Baby, It's Cold Outside is fun.

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New this year is A Very She & Him Christmas,
featuring the always fun Zooey Deschanel and her musical partner M. Ward.

Fun, a definite indie-sounding album, and Zooey has a fun, easy voice to listen to.

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Also new this year is Christmas, by Michael Buble.

This one hit the top of the charts, not surprisingly.
His voice is always great and from the liner notes,
he says he modeled this CD after the classics he listened to growing up,
like Bing Crosby's Christmas album.

I love it, his voice is great as always and the fresh sounding
yet respectful to their origins.

Awesome CD for Christmas music lovers!

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As for non-Christmas music, I was also gifted with Dolly Parton's latest CD, Better Day.

Was concerned this was going to be an "off" album, but I was worried for nothing.
Dolly is spot-on her game here, as usual.

Songs are great and her voice is beautiful, as always.

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Finally, my brother and his wife gave me Cyndi Lauper's At Last, from 2003.
I have had this on my Amazon with list since 2004,
it was the oldest item on the list and now I finally have it!

It is a collection of Lauper's covers of jazz standards.
She has such a great voice and it is interesting to hear her take on these songs.

Going to need a few listens to truly appreciate this one.

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So, that's what's new for me, music-wise.
I could try to cover all the new music from the online musicians,
but I really didn't keep track.

Maybe this Christmastime I will post the new music as I come across it,
so anyone who wants it can get it as well.
Give the musicians some more notice, as well,
which is always a good thing for those trying to get noticed.

Thanks for the gifts & Happy 2012!

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7 comments:

  1. Absolutely great post. I have a few of them....and love them....and glad to find a fellow Dolly fan....very underrated songwriter and singer. Off to add that to my list.

    BTW - get Cyndi's new Memphis album, too....they are both great!!

    Cheers!

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  2. FQ: Yeah, Dolly is an amazing songwriter and if that was all she did, that would be enough. But she also sings so beautiful, naturally. She is just great, so I am so happy this was her still at the top of her game. Hope that continues for a long time!

    I didn't know Cyndi had a Memphis album! Will have to search it out! She has such a unique voice, as well.

    Happy 2012!

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  3. Great selection of music. I gave my husband music as well: stuff missing from his vast collection like The Kinks' Low Budget and an album of Buddy Holly covers - one was done by Zooey Deschannel, I do like her voice (it wasn't the Rave On album that Paul McCartney just released, it was an earlier one with a track by Eric Idle, I kid you not)

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  4. Kate: Sounds like great gifts! Never heard of the Holly cover album, but Eric Idle never ceases to surprise, huh?

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  5. I like Christmas music too but like I've posted before, I find it a curious phenomenon that nearly EVERY artist has to do their own version of Christmas music. In the end we'll have a bazillion versions of the same twenty or so standards and an occasional original.

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  6. VE: People like the traditional songs, myself included. I don't mind it, love hearing new and interesting takes on things, such as Buble's album this year.

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  7. Definitely looking into the Cyndi Lauper songs. I like jazzy standards a lot.

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