[secondary artif@cts]

Rab's Eclectic Christmas Mix 2007

here is the tracklist for my annual Christmas mix tape. actually a cd, plus a partial iTunes iMix, but thinking of attempting podcasting or streaming video or something next week… because this is becoming more and more of a collaborative effort every year that i do it, i want to share more about what went into song selection, influences, what the kids said, the album art that i created for liner notes (will post soon i promise), who gave me what tracks (much props to you all), and what tunes i really likes or what i wanted to include but had to cut. plus, i may have a b-sides disc for rock music, like i did in ‘04 this year. stay tuned.

12/25: added cd liner art for this year.

here’s the tracklist format: song track, artist, album, run time. i’ll try to include source linkage if i’ve got it. enjoy; oh and Merry Christmas!

1. Carol of the Bells, MystiQuintet, Christmas Re-Grooved 4:34
2. Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!), Sufjan Stevens, Songs For Christmas 3:22
3. Shake Hands With Santa Claus, Louis Prima, Silver Bells 2:28
4. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Sara Evans, Hear Something Country Christmas 2007, 3:55
5. The Christmas Song, Sammy Davis Jr., Silver Bells, 3:22
6. Mele Kalikimaka (Single), Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters, A Merry Christmas with Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters (Remastered), 2:54
7. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm, Frank Sinatra, Baby, It’s Cold Outside, 2:56
8. Winter Wonderland, Eurythmics, A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 1, 3:36
9. O Come All Ye Faithful, Martina McBride, White Christmas, 4:03
10. Jingle Bells, The Singing Dogs, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - EP, 1:43
11. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) [DeeTown Rock Mix], Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alvin and the Chipmunks (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 2:15
12. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Gayle Peevey, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - EP, 2:38
13. Underneath the Mistletoe, Blondfire, iTunes Exclusive Holiday EP (Digital Only), 3:05
14. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, Crash Test Dummies, Jingle All The Way, 2:50
15. Angels We Have Heard On High, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Dig That Crazy Christmas, 4:22
16. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Relient k, Let It Snow Baby… Let It Reindeer, 2:12
17. Christmas In Hollis, The A.K.A.’s, A Santa Cause - It’s a Punk Rock Christmas, 3:39
18. We Three Kings, The Reverend Horton Heat, We Three Kings: Christmas Favorites, 3:54
19. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Los Straitjackets, ‘Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets, 2:24 
20. Santa Drives A Hot Rod, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Dig That Crazy Christmas 4:05
21. Sleigh Ride, Relient k, Let It Snow Baby… Let It Reindeer, 3:33
22. Sister Winter, Sufjan Stevens, Songs For Christmas, 5:05
23. Amid the Falling Snow, Enya, Sounds of the Season, 3:38

holiday music gets me in the mood

so i saw the other day that some radio channel was advertising that it had started 24 hour holiday music play (i’m thinking it was like 102.9 or something. listen live.) and thought “wow that’s early.” i alway think it’s early when i see holiday stuff come out. i thought it was early when i saw the decorations out at Crabtree Mall a week before before Halloween (when Wayne was standing in line for Leopard). i like a neat separation between my seasons and a line between Halloween and Christmas is a must. one is scary, one is happy. or is it the other way around? heh. but now i see that Raleigh has a holiday music cd out. and then it hits me. the Raleigh Chrismas Parade is this weekend? Thanksgiving is next week? Black Friday is this Friday? Crap! when did that happen? it’s here. it’s on! it’s time to make the “Rab’s Eclectic Christmas Mix^TM” and start spreading the holiday cheer!

so, i need your help people. every year, this gets to be more and more of a distributed and collaborative effort. last year my cousin Caroline introduced me to Sufjan Stevens. 3 years ago, the kids demanded the Polar Express (every year now, actually). in years past, my wife’s cousin Mel suggested an Alabama track that she had been playing on a compilation in her shop. i’m partial, and always search for, old timey blues and soul as well as danceable techno remixes. go figure. 2 years ago it was all about rock from Relient K inspired by my brother. i ask everyone each year to lend me their random, cheap, old and obscure Christmas cds, in search of rare jems and finds. each year i’ve used some sort of image of Will Farrell for the album art. first from his Santa switch ads for Apple, later from the movie Elf. what should i add and reuse this year?

come forth invisible audience and let your festive thoughts and suggestions shine brightly. send your ideas for album art, tracks, etc to secondaryartifacts [at] gmail [dot] com or message me on my twitter stream. if you have a drm-free track you want to share via pownce, go for it! (maybe i’ll actually find a use for pownce after all) and if you want to snail mail me an old cd you don’t listen to any more, email or direct message me on twitter. surprise me. i <3 mail. plus i promise everyone gets a big shout-out in the liner notes. liner notes rock.

enjoy my previous Rab’s Eclectic Christmas Mixes:

• 2006 (complete)
• 2005 (05 iMix)
• 2004 (04 iMix)
• 2003
• 2002