The Big DumpTruck

I used to have a reputation of being a collector of Christmas Music. I think it was a lot easy to be such a thing when you had to buy entire albums, cassettes or CDs of Christmas music. It's much too easy now to just buy one or two songs today.

I did buy an entire CD via MP3 Purchase on Amazon last week, and that is going to be my 2009 recommendation for you. If Trans-Siberian Orchestra toned it down about 2 notches and didn't have any vocal tracks, you'd get the Arctic Express CD "A Christmas Rock Experience."

Some of the reviewers called it the love child of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller but I don't want to turn people off because they dislike one or the other. It really is just rock and roll Christmas music. Listen to the samples, and if you're like me, you'll just pony up the $6 to download the CD. PLEASE NOTE: There are apparently two versions of this CD up on both Amazon and iTunes. On both sites, one is about half the price of the other. I have no idea why this is, other than that the album has a slightly different name and track ORDER, but the same tracks. I have linked to the cheaper version on Amazon. My gift to you. Disclosure: If you do buy it from Amazon and you use the link above, I think I get a dime or two. If you use the link above and buy other things, I get a few more dimes. I like dimes.

Labels: christmas, Christmas_music, music, Xmas

But I'll probably do it again. Last night, I, um. Well, rip it off like a bandaid, right? Last night I listened to a Christmas song on 103.3.

There. I said it. I'm sorry.

I learned from Universal Hub that they had stated their 24/7 Christmas music thing the other day, and I held off over 24 hours. But I gave in to the dark side on the drive home last night. Two songs, and one of them was "Do They Know It's Christmas" which, let's be frank, is more of an 80's "Where are they now" game than a Christmas Carol.

I changed it back to WBCN after that, but I think the damage was done, because when I got home I ripped the cellophane off Josh Groban's "Noel" and ripped it to iTunes. I assume I'm going to give it a look-see at work today.

So Happy Holidays, everyone!

Labels: Christmas_music

In preparation for Leon (the anti-Noel, duh, June 25th), I stumbled upon some podcasts on iTunes of some awesomely collectible Christmas music in the form of podcasts. I'm busy grabbing as much of it as I can to burn to CD for next Christmas, on the off chance it isn't here in 6 months.

My greatest find of the day is "Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland." I don't know if the artist is a fan or not, but I suspect he is. Either way, it's bloody fantastic. Look up the podcast "B-Sides for X-mas" and just try to not download the whole damned lot of 'em.

I think I'm going to call my sister and ask her if she wants to have a Leon party this year. I think it could be pretty darned fun.

Labels: Christmas_music, itunes, music

No, I didn't get the same parking space today. That was yesterday's Christmas Miracle. Today's is the discovery of a website with links to some of the most obscure, fantastic and totally downloadable Christmas music EVER. You doubt me? Well, they have the Snap-On Male Chorus's Christmas Album "Carols of Christmas". Dude. DUDE. Do you already have a copy of Charo doing "Donde Esta Santa Claus? No? Then shut up!

http://easydreamer.blogspot.com/2006/11/christmas-audio-2006.html

Lists them by title, click the link to go to the site where you can download them. Don't forget to come back to thank me while you're listening to "Les Djinnes Singers - 60 French Girls with the Christmas Bell Ringers-Joyeaux Noel."

Wow, I have some downloading to do. Foo, this post is dedicated to you.

Labels: Christmas_music, holy_crap