Last Christmas

I'll admit it, the Christmas season last year was really hard for me. For one it was hard for me to get presents for anyone and I wouldn't have been able to if it hadn't been for Santa Dad dropping a shopping fund into my bank account. Things at home were strained. Things elsewhere were... odd*.

Last Christmas seems like it was a thousand years ago. On another planet even. It's hard to even imagine myself in the situation and I was right there in it, you know? Anyway enough vague musings.. let's get down to the point.

I was watching "Glee" last week (really I'm ashamed, I have a campy side and I can't deny it. It's how my friend Megan and I have stayed friends for YEARS.) and the Glee kids did one of my favorite Christmas songs, (well one of a few of them... shoot me) and I giggled a little. "Last Christmas," by Wham! is one of my favorites ever.

Oh George, that hair!

Why do I love this song? I'm actually a big George Michael fan... Don't even start me... and because it's perfect. Duh. So perfect it's been covered a million times. And I love most of the covers too! Let's investigate shall we...

Before you watch this one, know that this isn't the real band in the video and the audio quality is so much more "HISSY" than I wanted, but I'm at home so I can't clean it and re-upload. Please survive.



I love Jimmy Eat World. I blame Jennifer for it to be honest. She was always playing Jimmy Eat World at our old house. But I love love love this version of this song and when I make CD Christmas cards, it's ALWAYS on it.

Look there's even a trance remix of it. Let's get a glow stick and freak out on E by the tree! Where's my pacifier?

Speaking of dance music, I just found this version today and I'm not gonna lie, I like it. Cascada (Little Miss Natalie Horler sings "Evacuate the Dancefloor") was one of my favorites when I was over at Wild and I enjoy her take on this song:

Nothing sadder than a beautiful girl in a beanie singing about her ex boyfriend effing her over at Christmas right? Even to a dance beat. Actually she looks like my friend Lauren over at KLUC. I imagine if Lauren went to Germany she might get mobbed.

Finally here is the Glee cast version of it.

So yeah.. that's one of my favorite Christmas songs... I'll share a couple of my other favorites before the holiday for sure.

I don't really know what this Christmas is going to be like. What I do know is I'm getting on a train on December 23rd to go home. That drive is straight up murder. The weather here makes it seems like Christmas but other than putting up my tree, I haven't "gotten the spirit" yet. I have "Love Actually," sitting on my hard drive so I may have to hit that up tonight.. :)

(*Definition of odd: knowing something is going on but choosing to ignore it, HARDCORE because you feel like you're hallucinating? I mean one of those "Did I just imagine that ish?" kind of feelings. And being bound and determined to ignore anything going on in your own head because, yeah.)

this is your birthday pony

My birthday is Saturday. This is only interesting in the fact that my family is coming up to visit me in Chico. This should be fun!



I love Fugazi. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that before, but I do. I've seen them live several times and man, they're just amazing. Meeting Ian Mackaye was one of the top 20 coolest things I've ever done.

Seven Days to go

Another song from the now defunct Lost City Angels from Boston, MA. Their 2004 album "Broken World," is by far one of my favorite records composed about drinking lots of booze. They are also excellent bartenders.

Considering the sheer amount of shows I saw on the tour that this video was filmed during, I might actually be in it somewhere, but I doubt it. Wouldn't be the first time YouTube surprised me....

7- Lost City Angels - "Today's the Day"

yet again playing catch up

I've been a bad slacker with this blog and I apologize. Between planning our party here at the homestead, working on the playlist and watching the Oscars and almost taking a nap in my yard afterwards, I have been a busy gal. No worries, I'll just catch you up on my St Patrick's day countdown

11- U2 - "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

I love U2 which I know to some people makes me a dork, but they're definitely the biggest band to ever come out of Ireland. This is a gorgeous song. Listen, love it. Be happy!



10- Street Dogs - "Two Bottles"

These guys have to write the best drinking songs ever. You know, after Dropkick.



9- Dropkick Murphys - "Tessie"

While this song is about baseball (hey spring training just started, go Red Sox!) you drink beer at baseball games, making this count.



So cool.

8- House of Pain - "Shamrocks and Shenanigans" (Butch Vig Remix)

I like the original version of this song too but the Butch Vig remix makes me want to turn over cars and light trash cans on fire. I don't know why, but it do. So here you go.

12 days!

Here we are, 12 days away. And a Friday! So enjoy one of my favorite Flogging Molly tunes: Black Friday Rule

12: Flogging Molly "Black Friday Rule"

13 days till St Patrick's Day

Aside from the singer of this band once being very rude to a friend of mine, I enjoy the Street Dogs and their music. This is an especially good one for St Patrick's Day.

13- Street Dogs - "Tobe's got a Drinking Problem"


A drinking problem? What is he out of booze?

14 days to go!

Here we are with 14 days left until St Patrick's Day. I really, really, really love the Dropkick Murphys, not just because they let me drink beer in their dressing room once, either. Because that's just awesome on top of awesome.

This is off their first record they released on their new label (i.e. not their first record ever, duh) called "The Meanest of Times"

14- The Dropkick Murphys- "The State Of Massachusetts"

15 days to go!

Today I've got the Dubliners here with a song that could almost be a horror story

15- The Dubliners - "A Pub With No Beer"

playing catch up

When I last left you, there was 20 days until St Patrick's Day. I obviously have some catching up to do!

Number 19-The Muppets do "Danny Boy"



Number 18- Stiff Little Fingers - "Suspect Device"



Stiff Little Fingers are from Belfast, Ireland. They also did a mean cover of Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" once. I'm including that as a bonus because it's awseome.



Number 17- Black 47 - "Livin' in America"



Sorry it's the live version, still AMAZING.

Number 16 - The Pogues - "The Fairytale of New York"

Yeah it's a Christmas song. It's also the most awesome song in the WORLD. RAHHHHHH



I'll catch up with my Project 365 stuff later...

twenty days to go

Hey look, it's the Tossers again. This is a great song, and it's true. Ha ha.

20- The Tossers "No loot, No booze, No fun"

twenty one days to go

I've seen Flogging Molly play countless times and I never get tired of their live show. This song is one of my favorites.

21 - Flogging Molly - "If I Ever Leave This World Alive"

22 days to go!

Number 22 comes to us from Kings Cross, North London. The Pogues play pretty much the most Irish of Irish music. Shane MacGowan, the singer and songwriter of the group is a pretty wild guy and has a very interesting history. More recently he worked on a song with the Dropkick Murphys for their album "Blackout," and I'm sure that collaboration will see the light of day on this countdown before it's through.


Number 22 The Pogues "Hell's Ditch"

24 and 23

So I failed at life yesterday and didn't post a video, which is good news for you actually because you get TWO today. Amazing, right? Isn't life grand?

Frankly I need to get my Irish music on right now as I am in the planning stages of my annual party, which let me say, never sucks.

Okay on with the music. Number 24 comes to us mostly from Boston, MA. The Lost City Angels music was introduced to me through a former roommate who I miss so much, but she's back on that side of the country. Anyway we had this epic adventure that kicked off with seeing Social Distortion on St Patrick's Day one year, that lead us to see these guys in Anaheim after seeing Flogging Molly the night before. Trust me it was a long weekend and I still am legally advised not to get into details. The point is that I saw these guys about 13 or 14 times over the next year and gave them a place to crash when they came through SLO with Guttermouth. While not all the boys in this band are of Irish heritage like myself, they make Boston styled punk rock about drinking and fighting and I think girls. Also they made a mean cocktail and fantastic asparagus.

24: Lost City Angels - "Broken World" (really poor audio quality, which sucks because this song is hot.)



In the same spirit (and another band I met because of LCA, ha ha) number 23 comes to us from the Dropkick Murphys. I love this band. And I can honestly tell you they're very cool guys in person. I have a feeling we'll be hearing from them again on this little countdown of mine.

23: Dropkick Murphys - "Heroes of our Past"



Enjoy!

25 days to go

So the countdown to St Patrick's Day continues. I love Sinead O'Connor. Most people just remember her as that bald chick who ripped up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live and pissed off Frank Sinatra, but she's been making music since then, if you don't know. And it's brilliant. There's more to Sinead than "Nothing Compares 2 U"

25: Sinead O'Connor - "Fire on Babylon"

26 days to go

You can't have a countdown to St Patrick's Day with Irish music without mentioning U2 at least once. This is one of my favorite U2 songs, so here you go. Happy Friday, yo.

26: U2 "Bullet the Blue Sky"

It's that time of the year again

Here we are, twenty seven days out from my favorite holiday of the year, St. Patrick's Day. Part of the reason I love it so much is my family's heritage is mostly Irish. The other of course is the music. So without further ado I will now begin my annual countdown to St Patrick's Day in Youtube video form.

27: The Tossers - "Siobhan"



Enjoy

OOOhhh it's coming

best christmas gift ever

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Happy Holidays

So I've been lacking a little holiday spirit this year for many reasons, mostly that Christmas isn't really my thing to begin with but money, being busy and it just not feeling like Christmas hasn't helped much either.

But yesterday I got a Christmas Miracle of being able to shop for my family and a few of my friends and today I went out and picked up a few things and I am feeling a little less doom and gloom about the holiday season than I was last week.


I know Christmas isn't about presents but it does make me feel good to be able to make the people in my life that I love know that I appreciate them and love them as well.

In case you don't hear from me until after the holidays (yeah right, I'm a total blabbermouth) have a safe and wonderful Christmas.

xoxo
Stephanie



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