Christmas CD 2008

About 5 years ago I came up with the idea for our family to exchange personalized mixed cd's instead of presents. Each year each person or couple makes a mix tape of whatever they want, and burns a copy for each person. In years past I have done favorite slow songs, all classical, all dedications, and a few general mixes. Clayton usually does his favorite from the past year. It's a lot of fun. Sadly it has petered out to where only Clayton, my brother Adam and I do them anymore, but I still hope it will keep up.

So here is my mix for this year with a few details. A few old ones, a few new ones and a few baby ones. If anyone wants a copy, let me know and I will burn you one. Otherwise this list is for my family who already have theirs. Merry Christmas.

1-4th of July. Azure Ray. Definitely a great passing of the torch, if Mazzy Star were passing her torch. So pretty, almost haunting.

2-Grapevine Fires. Death Cab for Cutie. This is my favorite track off the new album. They always tell such interesting stories in their songs. Little bits of snatches of stories from some one's life. And who doesn't love a chorus that sings: "Everything will be alright"?

3-Blue Headlights. Shout Out Louds. I just love this song. One day I was listening to my I-Pod on shuffle and it stopped me dead in my tracks. (We have a lot of songs on our i-pods I have never really listened to.) I love the lyrics.

4-Heartbeats. Jose Gonzales. This is a cover of the original by The Knife. It reminds me of Iron & Wine's version of Such Great Heights by The Postal Service. Both amazingly well done, just two great versions.

5-Space Oddity. Natalie Merchant. Lovely cover of David Bowie's classic. My sister in law Rachel sings this one at her shows. Don't have her version, or the Cat Power version (which is mind blowing but sadly not for sale, durr) which are superior to this one. But this one is lovely too. Such a great song.

6-America. Josh Groban. This is probably my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song. (Well, and The Only Living Boy in New York, and...) I love Josh Groban, I know he is a bit much for some of the guys, but this is a great pared down live version I hope everyone will like. As a kid I was always shocked at the cigarette references. Man I was such a goody two shoes.

7-Rocky Took A Lover. Bell X1. This is Damien Rice's old band. Great song. Sorry- there are two swear words in it. One is a**h*** which is unfortunate and the other is arse. Which is just funny. Technically the same word, why is one ok and one not. Oh, they both aren't ok? Oh well.

8-Buildings & Mountains. Tiger Republic. Great song by a relatively unknown band. Good stuff. Of course this is my list, so naturally I think it's all great.

9-The Ballad of Love and Hate. The Avett Brothers. This is just cute and adorable. I like the imagery of the two "characters". Also- "whatever" is one of my favorite words.

10-Joyful Girl. Ani Difranco. She could sing the phone book and I would listen.

11-Wintersong. Sarah Mclachlan. This is a Christmas-y song, which I normally try to leave off my cd's. But it is just a touching song about a lost love. Julie's cousin lost her husband last year and I always think of this song when I think of her. And it usually makes me cry. Then again so did X-Men this year. (Darn hormones.) Don't we love to get way too emotional sometimes? No? Just me? Oh well. It is still a good reminder to remember the good times of the season with our families.

12-Watercolours in the Rain. Roxette. Forgive the spelling. They are European. I've loved this song since I was 13 or something. Another song lately is blatantly stealing this melody, and every time I hear that one, I get annoyed and want to hear this one. So I have revisited this a bit lately. PS. I can't think of the stealing song, but it will come to me.

BABY SONGS

13-Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel). Billie Joel. Here starts the baby songs. This is just sweet and pretty. Who doesn't love Billie Joel? Besides his neighbors whose houses he keeps crashing into.

14-What a Good Boy. Barenaked Ladies. This isn't exactly a song for a baby, but I love the beginning two lines about the expectations placed on children. One swear word. D***. Sorry. I like the live version of this song better than the album versions for the piano at the end.

15-When You Dream. Barenaked Ladies. This is a song for babies. Great lyrics.

16-Daughter. Loudon Wainwright III. This is Rufus's father for those of you that remember Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk from my cd two years ago. Interesting names huh. Anyhow, this is just the cutest song from a father about a daughter. The lyrics are so so cute.

17-Three Little Birds. Elizabeth Mitchell. (Not the actress) This is a cover of Bob Marley's feel good anthem. The child singing is her daughter Story. And I think her husband is the other voice. Pretty adorable.

18- Everyday. Carly Comando. Familiar boys? This is from the NBA commercials. I love piano pieces like this one, dynamic and powerful without other instruments. I put it at the end with the baby songs although I don't know if it qualifies as a lullaby.