Offbeat Holiday Music: The Blizzard and The Christmas Song

Camera Obscura: The Blizzard

[purchase]

Raveonettes: The Christmas Song

[purchase]

One of my longest playlists is my Christmas list. If it's a Christmas song, I want it. I don't care if it's good, bad or someplace in between. I simply enjoy the music of the season. I don't remember hearing either of these two in a mall but I did learn of them both on TV in commercials so if either tune got played too much it likely was on TV rather than in a mall. But I wouldn't know that. All I know is I like both of them. They're Christmas songs! I might be pushing the envelope a bit here in that Camera Obscura's cover of Jim Reeves' The Blizzard isn't five years old just yet. The original line 'You can bet we're on her mind for it's nearly suppertime' was changed to 'Christmastime' in the C O version therby making my playlist. I'm not sure that it was originally intended to be a Christmas song. It's quite a sad song really. So to balance that we've included a happier one by the Raveonettes. This is always the first song we play when we turn on the Christmas lights for the first time each year.

Fifty states: Alaska

Johnny Cash with June Carter: When It's Springtime In Alaska (It's Forty Below) (cover of Johnny Horton)

[purchase]

In honour of perhaps my favourite television show ever...although does anyone else think that Maggie's (beautiful) head looks disembodied in the picture above??

Here are some choice words from the character Chris Stevens, ever the philosopher:

"There's a dark side to each and every human soul. We wish we were Obi-Wan Kenobi, and for the most part we are, but there's a little Darth Vader in all of us. Thing is, this ain't no either-or proposition. We're talking about dialectics, the good and the bad merging into us. You can run but you can't hide. My experience? Face the darkness. Stare it down. Own it. As brother Nietzsche said, being human is a complicated gig. So give that ol' dark night of the soul a hug. Howl the eternal yes!"

Bonus tracks:

Camera Obscura: Alaska [purchase]

Liz Phair: Ant In Alaska [purchase]

1984: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? [purchase]

Camera Obscura: Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken [purchase]

A theme we might do around here someday is Answer Songs (you know, songs that respond to other songs). In which case I’ve jumped the gun with this post. Oh well.

Way back in 1984, Scotsman Englishman Lloyd Cole and his Scottish band, The Commotions, put out a pretty cool record in which they asked the musical question: “Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?” It was one of my favorite records of the year and it still sounds good now. Twenty-Two years later, fellow Scottish band Camera Obscura finally answered the question with their tune “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken.” This might be the longest time ever between the original song and its answer.