Everything And Nothing

A Merry Country Christmas Playlist

In the December 2010 edition of Southern Living, Dan Rogers, senior marketing manager for the Grand Ole Opry and a lifelong country music fan, offered some of his favorite country Christmas songs (and the story behind them):

• "Po' Folks Christmas" by Bill Anderson
• "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Toby Keith
• "Hard Candy Christmas" by Dolly Parton (one of my faves too!)
• "Born on Christmas Day" by Brad Paisley (Paisley wrote this song at age 12.)
• "All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan" by Kenny Chesney

 What are your country Christmas favorites?

Keith Urban's Favorite Summer Songs

• Let My Love Open the Door, Pete Townshend
• Fool to Cry, The Rolling Stones
• Wild West End, Dire Straits
• I'm Alive, Kenny Chesney (with Dave Matthews)
• Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way, Waylon Jennings
• Alive, Black Eyed Peas
• Highway 20 Ride, Zac Brown Band
• How 'Bout Them Cowgirls, George Strait
• Something to Talk About, Bonnie Raitt
• Funky Tonight, John Butler Trio

[ via Redbook magazine, July 2010 ]

Herding Cats (and Chasing Artists)

In February, Peter Gabriel - one of my favorites as a musician and a songwriter - released a new album, Scratch My Back. That I hate. Passionately.

Even though I wouldn't admit it to myself, at first. I just hadn't listened hard enough, I told myself. Well, months later, I still hate it. (And I haven't forgiven him yet for what he did to Paul Simon's "Boy in the Bubble.")

And it seems Radiohead did too. (So that makes me feel better anyways.)

On the album's Amazon.com page, Gabriel fans debate whether the album is "sublime" or "the worst thing ever released on an expensive coaster."

Gabriel is unfazed. He says the album does exactly what he wanted it to do. He channels the sparse orchestral style of Arvo Part (no drums, no guitar) and breaks each song down to life and death as best he knows how.

The album's tracks are now being released, one by one, at every full moon.

So I find myself going back to listen again... It's always almost a full moon, after all. 

Summer Solstice Party Playlist

DJ Jason Darrow of www.robotsinheat.com put together this playlist for Sunset magazine (June 2010) to get the vibe flowing at a summer solstice party. What would you add?

• "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield
• "Metal Guru" by T. Rex
• "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates
• "Feel It All Around" by Washed Out
• "Cangote" by Ceu
• "The Top" by Francis and the Lights
• "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" by Mayer Hawthorne
• "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers
• "A Roller Skating Jam named 'Saturdays'" by De La Soul
• "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• "Me and Jane Doe" by Charlotte Gainsbourg
• "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" by Roy Ayers
• "Draggin' the Line" by Tommy James
• "I Saw the Light" by Todd Rundgren

Let the Tinbot Play

The Tinbot is an impact-resistant iPod case constructed from tin and neoprene that features original designs from creative contemporaries. The top has access to the headset port, and the bottom has access to the charging port, so you never have to take your iPod out of your case.

$29.95

Ashley Tisdale's pre-concert workout

Before a concert, Ashley Tisdale sings as she runs on the treadmill. These tunes keep her moving:

• Glamorous
• The Great Escape
• He Said She Said
• Toxic
• Borderline

[ via Self magazine, November 2008 ]

Here and Gone

David Sanborn, 63, recently released his 23rd album, Here & Gone. It has an old-school jazz feel to it.

Sanborn told USA Weekend, "I was downloading stuff onto my iPod, and I got to some stuff by Hank Crawford [Ray Charles' music director] I hadn't heard in a while, and it just struck me how much I loved that music. So I found myself going there more and more, and before I knew it, it became this record."

As a child, David had polio. His doctor suggested he play a wind instrument to improve his lung strength. His father took him to a basketball game in his hometown of St. Louis. Hank Crawford performed during halftime. Sanborn was inspired and immediately took up the saxophone - the rest, as they say, is history.

Sanborn had a little help from his friends on the album. Eric Clapton and Joss Stone are both featured in songs.

Because sound matters

Warner Bros. Music recently relaunched a vinyl-focused Web site, www.becausesoundmaters.com. Strangely, shipments of LPs grew by almost 37% from 2006 to 2007, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. (And sales in 2008's first quarter were at 1.25 million units according to Carl Winfield of Businessweek - up 70% from a year earlier.)

Mario Batali's Dinner Playlist

In the Wall Street Journal, Juliet Chung gives us the albums Mario likes to put on for dinner...

Take Five Live by Dave Brubeck w/ Carmen McRae (1961) - A favorite of Mr. Batali's father. "It's a little jumpin' but you don't have to listen to it on loud," says Mr. Batali.

Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits (1983) - "He was a little bit more of a crooner on that record. It's less high art and just more of the regular, basic, beautiful ballads that he's really a specialist at."

Automatic for the People by R.E.M. (1992) - "Every song on that is an unbelievable masterpiece," he says. "People get goosebumps when they listen to it."

Cesaria by Cesaria Evora (1995) - "The vibe, it's unbelievably sexy."

Cê by Caetano Veloso (2006) - "It's just got this very beautiful, relaxing, not obstreperous rhythm and song to it," says Mr. Batali.

Northern Lights

My blog friends Gretchen Peters and Barry Walsh have a new Christmas album available Oct. 1, Northern Lights. It's Gretchen's 6th CD and follows her popular 2007 Burnt Toast and Other Offerings. Pre-sales begin October 1 - all preorders will receive an autographed copy, and orders will be shipped for delivery on the release date, October 21, 2008.

In the spirit of Christmas giving, $2 from every sale will go to the Nashville-based homeless outreach program, Room In The Inn. From November to March each year, Room In The Inn partners with more than 150 local faith communities and other volunteers to offer clean beds, warm meals, hot showers, and medicine in these houses of worship to more than 1000 homeless men and women during the cold months when they need it most, and thus seeks to reverse that ancient story’s ending by providing Room In The Inn. During the daytime, Room In The Inn operates the Campus for Human Development, Nashville’s only comprehensive site of services, offering literacy and computer classes, addiction treatment, respite care and other essential care to more than 4,000 homeless men and women throughout the year.

For more information or to pre-order the album, visit www.gretchenpeters.com.