It's that time again!

Here's this year's selection of Christmas songs. Some firm favourites and some new gems. So sit back, light the log fire, open your favourite bottle and enjoy.

Sleigh Ride - Zigo feat. Joan Rochette

Joy To The World - Lalo Schifrin
Frosty the Snowman - Esquivel

Jingle Bells - Sufjan Stevens
It's Clichéd To Be Cynical At Christmas - Half Man Half Biscuit

Merry Christmas Elvis - Michele Cody

Child's Christmas In Wales - John Cale

Christmas on the Moon - Troy Hess

Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis - Tom Waits

Christmas Day - Jim White

Christmas Letter Home (Peel Session) - Laura Cantrell

Just Like Christmas - Dudley Corporation

Another Lonely Christmas - Prince

O' Holy Night - Sufjan Stevens

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Daniel Johnston

Xmas Rhapsody - Pledge Drive
A Junkie's Christmas - William S. Burroughs

Hark the Herald Angel Sings - The Fall

All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit - Half Man Half Biscuit

Candy Cane Girl - The White Stripes

Santa Claus - The Sonics

Rock 'n' Roll Santa - Yo La Tengo

Angels We Have Heard On High - Sufjan Stevens

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - The Beatbox Sabatures

Silent Night - Dirk Keysser
The Chipmunk Song - Alvin & the Chipmumks

The Chipmunk Song - Patton Oswalt
Karen's Tangerine - John Shuttleworth

T'was the Night Before Christmas - Henry Rollins

Ding! Dong! - Sufjan Stevens

Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio

Little Drummer Boy - Low

Have a Merry Little Christmas - Tori Amos

Snake River Canyon Was Nothing

As a kid Evel Knievel was my hero a daredevil that gave his name to one of the best toys ever created The Stunt Cycle. The greatest stunt Evel ever did was the jump off a folded Monopoly board raised by Beano Annuals down a flight of stairs to land safely in our hall way back in the mid 70's. It was his greatest unrecorded stunt. I was saddened to hear of his passing and it sent me on a hunt to track down this The Original Stuntmaster. I guess we won't see his like again.

No Talking Just Listening

I've neglected you blog yet again so to say sorry... Martan 5.0

Trax
Pump Up The Volume - Art Brut - It's A Bit Complicated
Fuck Nicole - The Teenagers
I've Had It With Blondes – Cud - When in Rome, Kill Me
Rise Above - Black Flag - Damaged
Rise Above - The Dirty Projectors - Rise Above
Fri/end - Thurston Moore - Trees Outside The Academy
A Beautiful War - Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
Soup – Tunng - Good Arrows
Guitar Minaiture - North Sea Radio Orchestra - Folk Off-New Folk And Psychedelia From The British Isles And North America Compiled By Rob Da Bank
Vampire State Building - Julian Cope - You Gotta Problem With Me
I Do Have Weapons – Mogwai - Zidane-A 21st Century Portrait
After Hours – Caribou - Andorra
C + F - Sam Prekop - Who's Your New Professor
A Heavy Sigh - Edwyn Collins - Home Again
Glorious Chorus - Go-Kart Mozart - Tearing Up The Album Charts
I Had A Little Boat - Ivor Cutler - Ludo
Métro, Boulot, Hippo - Tim Gane & Sean O'Hagan - La Vie d'Artiste
Oho My Eyes - Ivor Cutler - Velvet Donkey
The Dance Of The Hours - The Clientele - God Save The Clientele
Girl's Song in Winter - Vashti Bunyan - Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind
Rain - Martin Stephenson and The Daintees - Boat To Bolivia
Waitin' around to die - Townes Van Zandt - Texas Troubadour
Crash Into The Sun - Jim White - Transnormal Skiperoo
Bottom Line Man - Giant Sand - Chore Of Enchantment
Seeds of Night - The Cave Singers - Invitation Songs
Hard Days - Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
Your Arms Around Me - Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Asthmatic – Windmill - Puddle City Racing Lights
Good Morning Cockerel - Underworld - Oblivion With Bells
Seoul – Amiina - Kurr
Dream (1948) - John Cage - In A Landscape
From Here We Go Sublime - The Field - From Here We Go To Sublime

Feeling Neglected....

Time flies, where did the last two months or so go since my last blog entry?

Put it down to my laziness, lots of interesting bits and bobs going on since last I wrote. Really!

Can't recommend highly enough Ne le dis à personne (Tell No One) best film I have seen in a long time.

Lisa Hannigan's set at the Electric Picnic was a revelation and her solo album cannot be released soon enough.

The return of Edwyn Collins brightens anyday.

I knew, Jim Carroll has a great ear for music and Windmill must be checked out, cracking album.

More updates soon!

In the time of your life

This says all that needs to be said.
Wise words from William Saroyan interpreted by Fog & MF Doom.

Turn the Podcast on...

It just doesn't have the same ring as "Turn the Radio on" line as sung by Jonathan Richman on Roadrunner. But I'm back on xfmdublin.com doing the show after a too long hiatus. So sit back and listen keenly after you download a brand new musical biscuit. Adventres in Stereo

Have a great weekend

This track encapsulates what a good weekend could/should be. Bobby who has written one of the great anthem's of his generation with 'never get a head', excels on this track. Telling of his weekend exploits and how he hides his real life once Monday morning arrives. He's 'King for a day'.

I Love Animals......

Take me to the River

It's 10 years since the death of Jeff Buckley, I was reminded today. Where does the time go? Who knows what music he would have created in those 10 years to match 'Grace'. There have been many inferior releases since his passing, but this live recording from l'Olympia in Paris just shows the wonderful artist he was. Just give it a listen. That's all I ask.

Bedtime Story

This book was sitting on my shelf gathering dust for to long. Then I heard the Coen Brothers were making a film of it. Nothing can destroy a good novel better than a bad movie adaptation, especially on the Coen Brother recent output. The novel is chilling, meditative and a damn fine read. The film has just premiered at Cannes to rave reviews.

Hey Don't Falter!

Even in the depths of winter; this track can bring a little sunshine into your life. In the summertime Mint Royale's - Don't Falter makes the day even brighter. The optimism from this song is infectious and it lasts longer then the four minutes or so the track plays. It also features the delicious voice of Lauren Laverne.

Smash and Grab

Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band

Y's is a fantastic album, but the tracks lose there lustre on listening to the complete album repeatedly. There are so many elongated song, that I lose track of which song is which. But all is not lost, Ms. Newsom has brought out an EP with this gem of a track 'Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie'

Looks like she's going back to smash and grab again.

Songs can be written about anything!

Eric Matthews is one of those musician/songwriters who never gets the acclaim he deserves. He writes wonderful pop songs and this one about changing hair colour is a peach and all of two minutes.

Eric Matthews - Black to Light Brown