Riu Riu What??

So I was looking through my Christmas music selection cause I'm taking my playlist to a party this weekend (I don't really trust their music selections as I think they're all quite young, LOL, also I think there may be square-dancing or something if that gives you some insight in what I must contend with). Realized there was no Ríu Ríu Chíu, which one must have. I like this song because: it is so gorgeously distinctive and medieval, a song in Spanish is a nice break from other overplayed Christmas songs, and it has a great name (Riu Riu Chiu are supposedly the sounds of the Nightingale? Fascinating).  Did some searching, and... awesome discovery time! 

Someone has awesomely remixed this very ancient song into electronica - no longer solemn, but still quite beautiful in its own way, I think. It might be just the ticket for a holiday workout? Or jazz up your otherwise quiet holiday get-together? Do it.

I believe you can listen to the whole thing here - although at 6 minutes plus, it might be a bit long for those of you with non-electronic-drum-and-bass tastes. (This version is also available, and cheaper, I think, on iTunes and Amazon, but they limit their preview length, so this link works for that.) 

"Riu Riu II" - DJ Breaks : http://www.digital-tunes.net/releases/riu_chiu_ii?fb_share=on

Then for the slightly more traditionalists, you can hear a standard version by Chanticleer. 

Or, maybe The Monkees are more your style? I love it, this version is fantastic. Though their voices are softer than the version above, they all sound lovely together, very sweet and reverent. The song goes only about 1:33 - then the candle is blown out (cute) and the video continues with them wishing a Christmas message and bringing their crew out to thank them and etc. It's all very adorable.

What is your favorite lesser known Christmas song? I have a contribution towards those coming up (if I remember to post).

Or a favorite remix discovery? Share!

(I am working on more Hanukkah music for next week, don't worry!)

Who else is listening to Christmas music already?!

Because I certainly am! It makes the dark grey afternoons at work seem ever-so-slightly more festive.


Mildly embarrassing admission: I love me some Hootie (the man himself, not his band so much). He is so smooth-voiced and calming. The man can sing.

The song itself is nothing special lyrically (pretty bland), and I would probably not think twice about it, but something about the warm and reassuring way his voice sounds ensures that this song worms its way into my brain at this time of year. Also I like the random fiddling bit. His "Winter Wonderland" is a little too heavy-handedly countrified for me so it did not make the cut for my Christmas mix (although I also secretly love that he sings country now, I think his voice is perfect for it), but this blend of smooth, swingy, slightly-country Christmas I really like. Lull me to sleep anytime, sir.

"Candy Cane Christmas" - Darius Rucker







And then just to remind ourselves.... Hootie greatest hits. I knew this person once whose teacher (math I think) in like, Junior High or some such, made a quiz that was like all the answers were tied to trivia about Hootie & The Blowfish? Something like that? Not sure. I probably don't have permission to share that story either, LOL, sorry I can't clarify. I bring it up because they always claimed they did really well on the quiz because they knew already knew all the Hootie facts, that's how much they liked them.

"Only Wanna Be With You" - Admit that you know all the words. This song reminds me of being a teenager.  Also, the video is hilarious... it's super random. Basketball. Golf. It has Keith Olbermann in it. Love the head slide @1:16ish, and the supremely dorky dance @2:02ish. I love that over on YT one commenter calls it "probably the most 90s looking video ever" LOLZ.


Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With  You by AtlanticRecords



"Hold My Hand" another great YT comment "God damnit I love the 90s"


Hootie & The Blowfish - Hold My Hand by AtlanticRecords



"Let Her Cry"

Hootie & The Blowfish - Let Her Cry by AtlanticRecords





I may or may not share some more Christmas and Hannukah favorites. What is your mildly-embarrassing Christmas music secret?

Twitter vid roundup

Consider this also your Follow Friday roundup if you like good music'n'stuff. Heavy dose of the quirky today, with a shot of hysterically terrible at the end.  Enjoy!

Via @killrockstars -

"Rip Up Your Stitch" - Ashia and The Bison Rouge - It's got a lot of look going on with costumes, dolls and paper dolls and circusy folk... Also, keep an eye out for the guy whose hat appears to maybe be a bison head? I love that. Also the almost-angry faced child dancing @3:04. . .




And "Top Ranking" - Blonde Redhead (video starring Miranda July of  "))<>((" fame)





Via @laughingsquid -

"Thick as Thieves " - Kalle Mattson - aka 'a stopmotion history of the world' - very cute. I love the mix of textures / paper / craftiness. My favorite part it the end. So true.






And possibly the best/worst for last, via @pajiba
"pajiba Dustin Rowles 

It will melt off your face, stab you, and take your wallet: RT@JarretMyer: The Worst Music Video Ever Made. bit.ly/tjwhnG

"Hailing from Cleveland, Alternate Reality's video was shot on location at historic Squire's Castle in Willoughby Hills, Ohio between July and November 2011. Interesting factoids: The video features 20 actors, 3.5 lawyers, 4 Slovenians, 4 lead singers, 7 employees from 4 Cleveland area law firms, 3 horses, and one historic castle"

"The King That Never Was" - Alternate Reality 

Shake it out

I have had a really rough Thanksgiving weekend. My beloved cat Alfie went into respiratory distress on Wednesday, and I will spare you the whole dramatic retelling (traffic, a long car ride, a lot of fear, how broke I am going to be for some time), but it was not fun. This was also the first year I have ever eaten Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, so I was already going to be feeling out of sorts a little (I really love Thanksgiving & I miss cooking for my fam), although I was there with friends and it was a pretty fantastic gastronomic delight. (+Wine pairings! So. Good.) But it was still weird. Especially with the cloud of not knowing about Alfie until later that night hanging over my head. But I was thankful for a lot - thankful for my friend/coworker who immediately volunteered to go with me and ended up driving my car so I could sit with Alfie and really went above and beyond in being super supportive all day Wednesday. Thankful that I did have friends to invite me to eat with them and offer some supportive thoughts and ensure I wasn't totally alone. And I am especially thankful for the vets, and that while Alfie might be a little tired and grumpkiny today- he is sitting in the sun on the window ledge pretty much like normal.

So for this Black Friday - I am feeling better, though still a little overwhelmed with having to manage Alfie's meds from now on (the weight of it is unexpected), and the uncertainty of the future - which I know is all around us all the time, but we sometimes can slip past it without confrontation for a long time and try not think about these things too much; but not forever. An unexpected Thanksgiving season chain of events, that's for sure. No crazy shopping for me. I am trying to resist the urge to buy an unnecessary sequin party dress. So far so good.

For videos today I offer three selections - 2 songs that I heard on hold while calling to check on Alfie Wednesday night/Thursday morning at his emergency animal hospital that were weirdly interesting and moving to me at the time (illusory pattern perception, maybe - I know it's just nice quiet/bland music they play on hold) and 1 that has been bouncing around in my head and I thought might be a nice closer.

"Thank You For Being A Friend" - Andrew Gold  - (the hair/beards... are alone worth seeing)





"Let's Get Together" - The Youngbloods



And finally - gotta' keep moving forward / looking ahead so-

"Shake it Out" - Florence + The Machine - I love that this video is so over-the-top drama all the way - the dresses, the masquerade party, a seance, dancing... A lot going on, all very gorgeous. However, this has to fall into my category of videos of people at a party which make me happy I don't go to parties - as most party videos do, they mostly look terrible to me, people 'having a good time' but not really... but this is my own personal bias because I'm not a fan of huge parties. Perhaps this is one of the underlying themes of sadness and bitterness (among many other feelings/memories/things) that could therefore be shaken out/off?

Why don't you like me? Why don't you like yourself?

Had a good Friday night out for a bit, meeting up with coworkers for a pint or two at a local "meadery" LOL. The PacNW is a great place for that kind of place, where people knit in bars, and everyone rocks the beard and ponytail and flannel shirt (or androgynous hipster lady) look and sports at least one homemade/etsy item. And heavy on the ironic handlebar pedo mustaches.

 Haven't posted in quite some time - I am trying and failing (as usual) to NaNoWriMo... so that has been tough. I may or may not improve at regular posting. I try. Sometimes.

But yeah. Kinda in a great mood, so it is time for some cheerful videos. The great thing about MIKA videos (besides his bangin' hair) is how they look exactly how they sound. You hear the song, you're like, wow, I can kinda see this in my head - and yeah, it's pretty much what you expect (and maybe just slightly better than you imagined - very ultra glam pop and yet somehow retaining some class, somehow, even with crotch-lasers... just so earnestly sunny it's almost impossible to dislike). Exuberant, super colorful, over-the-top, very very uptempo poppy delight. Usually I despise videos where people dance around having a party/good time, but these are kind of infectiously joyous. Pretentiously twee, maybe, but in the way that kind of makes you want to hug him. His first main album "Life in Cartoon Motion" is one of the most satisfyingly, thoroughly, consistently, cheerful albums ever made.


"Grace Kelly" -  prob his most famous song



"Rain" - a slightly more "serious" mood, LOL. As one of the YT comments says: "EPIC DANCING" - this is like, so my song - also: fireworks! And running/dancing with/from forest animal people.

"Baby, I hate days like this

When it rain and rain and rain and rains
When it rain and rain and rain and rains
When it rain and rain and rain and rains
When it rain and rain and rain and rains...
...Trying to be ordinary,
Was it me who was the fool? "

"We are Golden" - he dances around, a lot, glittery shoes



"Love Today" -  he dances around, a lot



"Lollipop" - cartoon/fairytale/kids book gone mad type video



And his latest, in French - "Elle Me Dit" - a variety of people /outfits/patterns/ages dance around






Have a cheery Friday night! Stay warm!

Tell the ghosts in your head that it's time for their break

A little "Grace" for your Friday, courtesy of the dreamy Eef Barzelay (Clem Snide):


Clem Snide - 'Grace' @ MTV Urband Beats from binalogue on Vimeo.

Well you know November's come, when it's gone away

Hope you had a happy and safe Halloween. Not sure how the year has already turned to a wintry November (silly tilted planet), but here we are.


"Riding Trains in November" - Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer - pretty sure this is just a personally made non-official video someone set with the song, but it fits nicely with the introspective/drifting/time-passing mood of the song.






"November Has Come" - Gorillaz -  very smooth





My beloved Morrissey contributes the great song and hilariously bad insanely cheezetastic video of "November Spawned a Monster" (on which my beloved Henry Rollins has some choice words, LMAO)...  O. THE. WRITHING.   Video cuts off abruptly, sorry.





And leading up to the iconic video that you know one has to end with in a "November" post, first please enjoy the adorable video by uber-talented and delightful Regina Spektor who references the aforementioned iconic post-ending song twice in:

"On the Radio" (which also deserves a mention for its non-annoying use of kids, which is rare)





And of course, the grand finale, the sweeping epic that is "November Rain" - Guns N' Roses:
Fantastic.







Any November songs that I should have included? Seasonal/mood songs that you're feeling this month? What see through shirt would you wear in your writhing-in-the-desert video? Care to describe your dream early 90s music video wedding and funeral for us? Hit the comments!