R.I.P. Lemmy

Sad news friends.  

Pour one out for one of the greats.  Lemmy Kilmister died today.

Was it years of chain-smoking, ingesting bottomless Jack & Cokes with speed chasers, and wild sex parties with groupies that finally caught up to the Motorhead frontman?  Nope. 

Reportedly, it took some super aggressive form of Cancer to kill that fucker. 

Shitty way to end to 2015.

Godspeed to one cool mother...

Merry Christmas!

Few things say Merry Christmas like Christmas morning at the Davenports!

Hope Santa brought you everything you wanted!

And to all a good night!

Rick Danko - "Christmas Must Be Tonight" (1977)

Another one of our favorites!

This was recorded about a year after the "The Last Waltz" concert documenting The Band's last ever show.

Willie Nelson "Pretty Paper" (1979)

Hello Friends,

Happy First Day of Winter!

Enjoy this little ditty by Mr. Nelson, an all time holiday classic!

Hi-Fi Holidays: Christmas with the Platters

The Platters - "Christmas with The Platters" (1963) - Mercury Records

Hello Friends,

We've got one of the most successful vocal groups of all time helping on the turntable as we get busy wrapping our last few presents and getting the final decorations up on the tree!

This is a great, hip record from the R&B quintet who never sounded smoother!

There's bouncing, upbeat tunes like the great "Jingle Bell Jingle", "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town", the surf rock-ish "Blue Christmas" and the blistering Spector-inspired, "Jingle Bell Rock."

The record was produced by the legendary Buck Ram who handles the arrangements and gets songwriting credit on the nostalgic, "Come Home for Christmas". His influence as an arranger is felt throughout the album especially on the string-heavy "White Christmas" and "I'll be Home for Christmas".

As far as Platters' songs go "Christmas Time" is right up there with their classic, "Twilight Time" and "Silent Night" is heartfelt, sublime & so soulful it hurts.

The only real stinker on the record is the lispy and annoying novelty-song "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth".  Ugh... No Thanks!

RATING: 4 sister susie's sitting on a thistle out of 5

The Mattoid - "The Christmas Time" (2015)

Hello Friends,

Its Christmas Party Time with this crazed Finnish rock star.

If this song doesn't get you in the Holiday spirit, then you have no spirit my friends!

Subversive Lo-fi Holiday Deliciousness!

\M/

Joe Perry – "Run Run Rudolph" (2014)

Hello Friends,

It seems even the guitarist from Aerosmith is getting in on the Christmas game.

What's next? A novelty coffee line by the band's drummer?

link

Oh, oops!  

Kay Starr - "(Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man With The Bag" (1950)

Now this is more like it!

A little Kay Starr will really get the Christmas cocktails flowing!

(Although, listening to the lyrics, this song may be about waiting for your Christmas cocaine dealer to arrive!?!  Let it snow?)

Old Mr. Kringle is soon gonna jingle
The bells that'll tingle all your troubles away
Everybody's waiting for the man with the bag
'Cause Christmas is coming again

He's got a sleigh full, it's not gonna stay full
He's got stuff to drop at every stop of the way
Everybody's waiting for the man with the bag
'Cause Christmas is coming again

Hi-Fi Holidays: A Keely Christmas

Keely Smith - "A Keely Christmas" (1960) - Dot Records

Hello Friends,

A fun and fairly mellow offering from everyone's favorite Native American/Irish lounge singer.  Based on what we've heard from Keely Smith from her days with Louis Prima we were expecting a jumpin', jivin' and wailin' LP that really gets the party started. Instead we get thirteen songs-- all very pleasant-- but overall its a very saccharine, very middle-of-the-road affair!

With the exception of the ukulele-heavy "Christmas Island" and the medium-tempo closer "Blue Christmas" nothing really pops off the record player at you.  Come on Keely, you're puttin' us to sleep!

At times it reminds us a little of Ella Fitzgerald's Swinging Christmas LP from the same year which, unfortunately for Keely, is vastly superior.

Now don't get us wrong, not every record is a classic and A Keely Christmas its not a bad record by any stretch!  its just that we were hoping for some flaming rum punch and instead we got some room temperature Harvey's Bristol Cream!

RATING: 3.5 stockings hanging from a big ol' coconut tree out of 5