Song #20 - Little Drummer Boy (aka Jesus and Juggling)

Little Drummer Boy is without a doubt part of the classic Christmas canon. Written in 1941 by prolific American classical composer, Katherine Kennicott Davis, this choral piece was covered by many of the big names in Christmas. Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Ray Conniff, and Andy Williams all included a copy on their early Christmas albums.

The song was first recorded by The Trapp Family singers, led by Maria Von Trapp of Sound of Music fame. The version you are likely most familiar with, however, was recorded seven years later in 1958 by, The Harry Simeone Chorale.

The Harry Simeone Chorale (1958)

Before we jump to the modern renditions, of which there are many, I want to share something I learned about the song. I assure you this is the first and last time I share a biblical story on the blog...

The story in the song depicts a little boy who is summoned to the birth of Jesus by the Three Wise Men. With no gift to give, the little boy plays his drum and receives the approval of Jesus' mother, Mary. The story is loosely based on a 12th Century legend, Le Jongleur de Notre Dame (Our Lady's Juggler). I kid you not, there is a religious miracle story about a juggler who has no gift for the statue of Virgin Mary and chooses to showcase his talents instead. Witnesses accuse him of blasphemy until THE STATUE COMES TO LIFE AND BLESSES THE JUGGLER. This is the best story ever. I hope Mary would've approved of my sick beach juggling. 

(Warning: Loud)

Okay, enough blasphemy, onto the modern tracks. There are a lot of covers and none that are particularly noteworthy. I think Josh Groban's deep voice does well with this one so I'll give it to him.

Josh Groban (2007)

If you're looking for some real variety, you could give the Justin Bieber/Busta Rhymes duet a listen. I give them credit for making something original, but that's about as far as I'll go.

Justin Bieber feat. Busta Rhymes (2011)

Spotify Singles: Christmas - A Review

  The 2017 holiday season is upon us and music streaming behemoth Spotify has given us an early present with its newly released Spotify Singles: Holiday playlist. The collection draws upon a wide breadth of artists, bringing them into the Spotify studios to bring their own voice to this year’s Christmastide.

  Although many of the selections are predictable covers – Miley Cyrus does well with country/western-tinged romps through “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Sleigh Ride” – some of the selections are surprising. If anyone was expecting DMX’s cover of “Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer” to bring the Christmas spirit up in here, then we could have used you on the 2016 election polling teams. What is perhaps most shocking is just how well the song actually works with DMX’s gravelly voice, complete with forceful “UH!”s and “COME ON”s. It’s an eye-opening listen, but one that likely won’t have enduring impact beyond Christmas 2017.

  On one of the playlist’s few originals, Kelly Clarkson brings her vocal power to her newly released “Christmas Eve” that features a beautiful, soaring hook about waiting to “see that sleigh fly into the night.” The production is big and perhaps too much so; there’s a longing to the melody that feels at odds with the full-throttle Christmas cheer of the music.

  As expected, much of the list is composed of covers of Christmas standards. Wyclef Jean appears for a rendition of “The Christmas Song” that meanders between soft jazz piano and fleshed out R&B grooves, the latter elevating what initially seems like a highly traditional cover to something altogether more unique and compelling.

  In fact, the artists that took the greatest risk in their covers are rewarded most here. Xavier Omar and producer Sango’s floating, effortless R&B take on Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” has such a different and refreshing feel from the original. Likewise, Yoke Lore’s sparse electronic atmosphere cuts some of the sugar from the pop smash hit “Last Christmas” by Wham!.

  On one of the compilation’s highlights, Lalah Hathaway takes on her father Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” Whereas many versions of the soulful Christmas song are replete with grooving baselines and bright horns, Lalah is accompanied solely by a gorgeous keyboard arrangement, bringing to life the feeling of both an intimate recording session and an intimate holiday evening.

  It is a reminder of the changing times to think of the pull Spotify has to bring in so many well-known artists for this project, including Demi Lovato, Norah Jones, Fifth Harmony, Sam Smith, and Josh Groban. Nevertheless, the streaming service has curated a pleasing blend of the traditional and the unconventional in this addition to the Christmas music soundscape, showcasing the diversity of what holiday music can be.

A Very Spotify Christmas

Drumroll please...................................!

As promised, we now have Spotify playlists for our 25-Day Countdown songs, both modern and classic! I'll be sure to keep them up to date as we finish out our countdown.

I've embedded the modern playlist on the sidebar as a nice way to listen as you read. Unfortunately, Spotify only allows 30s snippets of each song, so I recommend following the prompts to open spotify (or just clicking the links below) to get the full playlist. Don't forget to hit follow once you do!

Modern Playlist

Classic Playlist

And if you haven't already given it a listen, Spotify released their own "Holiday Singles" playlist. Standby for a very special review of this playlist from our newest staff writer, Ryan.

Ryan has been behind the scenes helping brainstorm new ideas for the blog since its inception. In fact, I have a screenshot from the early days where I was texting him and briefly lost contact:

Anyway, we're excited to have Ryan on board this year and I have no doubt you'll enjoy some of the new perspectives he brings.

Thanks!

Album Review: Everyday Is Christmas - Sia

I've never been the biggest Sia fan. That's not to say I dislike her, I'll sing Chandelier in the shower like a normal person, but she was just never really on my radar.

All that changed on Nov 17th, 2017 with the release of Sia's premier Christmas album, Everyday Is Christmas. In doing so, she may have set the bar for all future pop-Christmas releases. Allow me to explain.

As we already know, there exists a canon of Christmas classics that have stood the test of time. Not surprisingly, then, most new albums feature a high percentage of cover songs. It's an almost guaranteed method of securing album sales and radio play. Sia and co-writer, Greg Kurstin, went a different route and produced an album entirely of original holiday songs. This is an incredibly rare and risky move for a pop Christmas album. Let's take a look at some figures.

In this graph we have the percentage of cover songs on the top holiday album from each of the last twenty years. Two things of note: 1) The average percentage is well above 50% and 2) There's some trend suggesting higher cover percentage yields higher album sales. Sia's original-only album is in unchartered territory.

I wholeheartedly believe Sia made the right decision. What typically separates the good from the bad Christmas albums (for any genre really) is the time and effort dedicated to the project. For many musicians, a Christmas album is an easy 8hr studio day of cover songs. For Sia, this was a passion project; her love of holiday music has shone through.

On to the music...

Everyday is Christmas has a little something for everyone. There are a few catchy bangers, some over-the-top holiday cheer, and a strong set of ballads. Here's a little breakdown:

• Catchy Hits
• Candy Cane Lane - A fun, traditional pop-Christmas feel.
• Ho Ho Ho - A "misfit" song reminiscent of something from The Grinch.
• Over The Top
• Santa's Coming For Us - Less creepy than the name would imply
• Puppies are Forever - a public service announcement disguised as a holiday song
• Ballads
• Everyday is Christmas - a Christmas power ballad
• Snowman - A poignant remark on the impermanence of love

Candy Cane Lane - Sia

With the relatively weak offerings in 2017, Sia didn't have to do much to set herself apart. Everyday is Christmas went above and beyond and will hopefully soon have the sales to prove it.

Will Sia's next venture into holiday music follow a more traditional cover-song style? It's too early to say. All I can say is, it's a shame we'll never hear a Frank Sinatra rendition of Puppies are Forever.

New Christmas Music - 2017

Right around October/November each year I start researching new Christmas album releases. It's pretty typical to find one or two exciting albums, a few with promise, and a truckload of garbage. This year was no different. Here's the breakdown:

• Exciting
• Sia - Everyday is Christmas
• Promising
• Gwen Stefani - You Make It Feel Like Christmas
• Fantasia - Christmas After Midnight
• Cheap Trick - Christmas Christmas
• Lindsey Stirling - Warmer in Winter
• Ugh
• Hanson
• 98°
• Blake Shelton
• Reba
• Josh Groban

Disclaimer! I haven't listened to the majority of these yet. But if you examine the track lists and know a little something about the artist, you can make a pretty solid prediction. A few quick examples:

Exciting: Yes, we're excited for Sia because this is her first foray into holiday music, but that's not all. Her entire album is originals! There is certainly nothing wrong with mixing in a few covers, but Sia is going all out and-SPOILER ALERT- it pays off.

Promising: I don't know that I'm the biggest Cheap Trick fan, but rock Christmas albums are always a fun addition to the canon.

Ugh: What usually ends up in the "Ugh" category are what I call "Obvious Money Grabs" (OMGs); When an artist throws together an uninspired Christmas album just for some easy revenue. This includes your frequent offenders (Reba, Amy Grant, Pentatonix (sorry, not sorry)) and your 90's pop-stars trying to become relevant again (Hanson, 98°) among others.

We won't be rash and outright discard a Christmas album on a hunch. So, my gift to you: I'm going to listen to all of these, and I'll report back with what's worthwhile and what's a lump of coal.

And We're Back...Again!

Welcome back to the Christmas Music Countdown.

At this point you might be thinking "he really doesn't give up does he." No, no I do not. If this blog was about any other genre of music, I might feel bad about popping back up once a year to annoy my friends, but this is Christmas music. You can dread it all you want, but the music, and my blog, will be back every year (and earlier and earlier in November if I can help it).

Last year we made it to Day #19 of the countdown leaving us with just 6 days to finish. The plan this year is roughly the same, with a few major goals:

1. Introduce what's new in Christmas music for 2017
2. Finish the Countdown
3. Put together a few Spotify Playlists

What happens if we finish the countdown? Ask me in 2027. For now, hop in and get ready to sample all that Christmas music has to offer.

Humbly,
Jesse C.

P.S. This has been my apartment since Nov 2nd (vertical video apologies).