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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Happy 2012!

Hope you all have a very happy, healthy 2012!

(via The Daily What)

Movie Monday - Yes! Time Travel!? Gold?

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Yes Man (2008)

[Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper]

Received this as a Father's Day gift, and we watched it right away. I was pleasantly surprised!

Carrey plays Carl, a man who's life is not what he had hoped for, very negative and lonely. After reluctantly attending a seminar about always saying "yes" when confronted with choices in life, he grudgingly agrees to it.

Soon he finds his life changing in ways he never thought it would. He has fun, makes new friends and has some interesting (to say the least) experiences. The best of which is love.

Fun and funny, this movie is one of the better ones to come from Jim Carrey in the past few years. Sometimes he can be too much, too over the top, but here he is great in his role. And Zooey Deschanel is wonderful, as well. Loved her in Elf and love her here, too.

Recommended for almost all. There is one scene that is tough to explain to little kids, so you might want to send them out of the room. Or fast forward, at least.

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Timecrimes (Los cronocrímenes) (2007)

[Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernandez, Barbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo]

I watched this movie on the recommendation of Jason, from The Mad Ravings of an Entertainment Junkie. He raved about it, giving it 5 out of 5 skulls.

Well, he was right. Great film, even if I had one plot issue.

Don't want to give too much away, as anything would really spoil it for your enjoyment. I will just say it is about time travel and why it is really NOT a good idea.

This is a Spanish film with English subtitles, and the director has a role in the film, as well. Decent way to spend an hour and a half, that's for sure.

I see a remake is in development for 2011. Might see it, just to see how it turns out.

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"The Long Ravine" (1965)

[Jack Lord, Andrew Prine, Broderick Crawford, Lisabeth Hush]

This was an hour-long episode of the short-lived 60s series "Kraft Suspense Theatre".

A young veteran comes to visit his sister and her husband, a man who has been like a father to him. The couple has been living in a very small town, as the husband is still pursuing his dream of striking gold in the mountains.

A great little "movie", showing the desperation people feel being so close to fulfilling their dreams, and the lengths to which they will go for them.

This show aired late last night on a new (to me) Cable TV gem called the "Retro Television Network". Some of the shows in their lineup included Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Mike Hammer, Hardy Boys, Black Sheep Squadron, Wagon Train, Dragnet, Emergency!, Adam-12 and many more! Very cool!

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