Lopez Blogs

Oh my days and a half! It is actually only five days til Christmas! And I am in full festive spirit. The weather outside is genuinely frightful (snow snow and more snow), i've decked my halls, i've hung my stockings with care, etc. I've trudged into work through the (centi)metres of snow and ignored all around me while singing festive faves at the top of my voice, regardless of who else was around (my walk is usually quite deserted)... I've played a fair few of them on Larry Flick's Morning Jolt t'other day, but this weekend decided that there had been such a delightful plethora of brand new Christmas recordings this year, I would kick off my Best Of lists (singles coming Dec 27th, then lists all that live long week) with the best new songs of Christmas 2010. Magnifico!

20= ~ Big Time Rush, Beautiful Christmas: Hurrah! Boy band mania rules. Not content with covering Mariah's All I Want For Christmas as part of their festive episode, the foursome managed to whip out an original tune full of perky rock-pop jolliness and good times.
20= ~ St Etienne, Come On Christmas: Frankly this would probably be much higher up the list if my postman (sort of hot, so forgiveable) hadn't taken two weeks to deliver the Christmas album it features on. Still, it arrived today so I have a full week of playing it non-stop until next year. This track is vair good and DanP76 approved...
19 ~ Todd Alsup, This Christmas (above): Todd is all sorts of quite lovely as it happens. His music has serenaded me all throughout 2010 and then to top that off, he records a cover of the 1970 Donny Hathaway classic This Christmas. With backing singers. And a video. And looking like he's having a rollicking good time around the piano doing it. In amazing glasses. Watch it. Love it. Worship the ground he walks on.
18 ~ Gavin Mikhail, Evergreen: Gavin is frankly one of the most underrated singer songwriters out there, and I've been a fan of his since I heard Brave in 2006. He has released a Christmas EP this week with some covers on, some instrumentals and this soaring piano-vocal only track that he penned himself. Gorgeous piano work, lovely to listen to over and over again. And interestingly, sounding as classic as any of the other tunes on the EP...
17 ~ Wilson Phillips, Warm Lovin' Christmastime: Oh glorious. Wilson Phillips get back together with Glen Ballard (of their debut album fame) and produce a festive album of material that is like a lovely steaming cup of hot cocoa. With marshmallows. Their harmonies are still exquisite and produces an aural alchemy that just keeps on giving...
16 ~ Glee Cast, Baby It's Cold Outside: I wasn't hugely taken with this at first but having actually seen the Christmas episode and my continuing (and growing) obsession with lovely Darren Criss has put the tune in a whole new light. Expect to find my Darren (non-Criss but obviously equally as lovely) and me miming to it at any given point over the next week...


15 ~ Puppini Sisters, All I Want For Christmas Is You: You may think there are more than enough Mariah cover versions out in the Christmas marketplace as it is and you are probably correct in that assumption. However, when a unique take on this perennial fave emerges it's a joy to behold. It's a jazzy-tinged, Andrews Sisters-esque marvel that holds up to many repeated gleeful listens :)
14 ~ Hurts, All I Want For Christmas Is New Years Day: Hurts have had quite a good year haven't they? Duetted with Kylie, covered by Kylie and produced a sombre but elegant seasonal tale which they have generously given away for zero pennies. And it mentions New Years Day which so many people (other than Abba and Sugababes) forget about. Plus they look proper good in suits. (PS embedding disabled by request? Bah humbugs!)
13 ~ Coldplay, Christmas Lights (above): I felt that Viva La Vida was quite festive sounding anyway, so an actual proper bonafide Christmas tune from Chris and the guys has proved to be incredibly welcome. It sounds immense, gets better with every listen and has lovely festive themes such as sadness, sorrow, hope and redemption. Plus an amazing to the power of balls video (as evidenced above). Tremend.
12 ~ The Killers, Boots: And for the fifth year in a row, the lovely Killers manage to whip out an altogether amazing Christmas single to raise money and awareness for HIV charities. And this is their second best of all their efforts to date (Don't Shoot Me Santa Claus still remains their finest festive moment). And the video has an entirely lovely story to go along with it. Absolutely delightful and as charming as anything on Brandon's still quite good solo album...
11 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, December: Mans does big band at Christmas and the results are both surprising and delicious. Mans remains as genetically perfect as you can get and this swinging little tune does nothing to dampen my need to smooch him ferociously underneath the mistletoe. Here's to more Mans in 2011...


10 ~ The Pipettes, Santa's On His Way: I'm still vaguely amused at the text that alerted me to this song "'av you heard that new Pipettes song Satan's On his Way?" marvelous. perhaps they can consider a bit of a downbeat dub remix of the tune to give away next hallowe'en?! This is as perky and bouncy as a ride on Rudolph's back and will no doubt be as essential at Christmasses to come as mince pie and milk left by the fireplace for old Saint Nick...
09 ~ DeeDee, Winter Wonderland: I wrote about this just a few days ago, so I'm not going to go on about it too much. It's brilliant. As is DeeDee. As is the video. It shows that people with swagger can do sweet just as brilliantly as they tackle pop-venom and errant lover bashing. Check out her interview on lovely Dontstopthepop...
08 ~ Mariah Carey, Oh Santa!: Oh it was never going to reach the levels of amazosity that All I Want For Christmas has attained but actually what transpired was a totally fun, quirky little ditty that got better upon each listen, got people hand clapping away (essential for those cold winter mornings) and made me feel like I could go outside and do some skipping rope contests to the tune along with the best of them :)
07 ~ Kylie, Let It Snow: A new version of Santa Baby and a feather coat filled appearance at Rockafella Centre in NYC performing this tune? Could Kylie give her fans a better Christmas present?! The answer to that question is no she could not, though the news that Steve Anderson is working on new Aphrodite tour arrangements is the bow on the present, the icing on the christmas cake if you will :)
06 ~ Indigo Girls, Feel The Christmas Spirit: Perhaps the most surprising Christmas album of the year came from one of my long time faves. Their bluegrass take on Christmas was often fun, often poignant but always excellent and this exuberant tune was a sheer joy from start to finish. Much like the Wilson Phillips song earlier in the list, it's a song that embodies the ethos of the title from first note...


05 ~ Luke Leighfield, So Confused By Christmas: Ok, I'm cheating. it's actually a song from 2006, but it's new to me and it's my blog so nuh! A vividly clever look at the self imposed rules of enjoying Christmas that hit home a little too hard at times (I'm sure I had a strop as a child over the colour of my hat from the cracker) and makes you want to concentrate on actually just being a better person. This song has actually made me do nice things for people so hopefully Luke's sense of hope isn't kicked too much. Do check out Luke's Christmas tour blog. It's rather brilliant...
04 ~ Pink Martini, Snowglobe Christmas (above): Thank you Starbucks for having this album by your delicious polar bear cookies while I was in Florida. This track in particular made me absolutely swoon over it's lovely islands lilting tune, it's dreamy Doris Day-esque vocals and the timeless beauty of it all that will be forever encapsulated in my heart, just like the flakes of snow in the globe they sing about. divine.
03 ~ Owl City, Peppermint Winter: This song basically lists everything that I love about Christmas in a musical wrapping that is so twee and glorious that it makes the already brimming with goodness festive season seem even better. It's just so so me. E.G. "I twirl down the driveway with angelic grace/til i slip on the sidewalk and fall on my face". Happened to me this morning and still i felt no need to complain. If you feel down this season, just listen to this. It's as good a tonic as Love, Actually. Yes, it's that good!
02 ~ Glee cast, We Need A Little Christmas: I initially was quite loyal to the lovely Kimberley Locke's version of this tune, but Glee have worn me down and won me over. There is something so wonderfully happy and innocent about the tune that is utterly in line with the theatrically needed to perform it. What I love about the version is that the backing vocals are as important in the mix of the track as the main vocal, there is actual delight in the voices of the singers (there is no way they were frowning when they were recording this) and some truly edifying instrumentals - particularly that instrumental breakdown before the end that makes you want to leap for joy. Is played every morning on my walk to work and never feels to imbue me with some Christmas magic :)


01 ~ Bananarama, Baby It's Christmas: Sigh. It's just so utterly glorious. Not only have Britain's still premiere girl group managed to whip out an absolutely edible teardrops on the disco floor christmas boogie on down number, but it's also one of the more amazing pop treats of the entire year. Entirely in line with their Viva sound, yet moving towards a new era of dancefloor dominance that absolutely must continue in 2011. Love the juxtaposition of the sad lyrics against a joyous grab the one you love and shimmy soundtrack. A deserved and brilliant number one :)

Back on Wednesday with the 5th annual Myfizzypop Online Christmas Card. It's going to be amazes!