The Mevio team got together for a little holiday celebration last week, and while they were handy, we sat them down and did some interviews. The result is Holday Memories, which can be seen on Mevio Today.
In this episode, we asked about their favorite holiday songs. Their answers ranged from the sublime (White Christmas) to the absurd (Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer) to the bah humbug, as in, “I hate Christmas music.” Amidst traditional favorites such as “O Holy Night” and “The Little Drummer Boy” – and 80s favorites like “Last Christmas” and “Christmas In Hollis” – it seems odd that nobody mentioned the song that ranked number one on the Rolling Stone Reader’s Poll: John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”
Here are the top ten, according to Rolling Stone readers.
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon
- Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues
- Thank God It’s Christmas – Queen
- All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – Bruce Springsteen
- Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie
- Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
- Father Christmas – The Kinks
- Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney
- Christmas In Hollis – Run-DMC
If you look at the hot holiday records for 2011, it gets even more depressing. According to the iTunes charts, Justin Bieber has three songs in the top twenty, and Andy Williams is at #19, sandwiched in between two Glee covers. At least Nat King Cole made the top ten.
Whatever you’re listening to this Christmas, we hope that it puts you in the Holiday Spirit. Here’s wishing you the very best of all things as we close the books on 2011, and good health and prosperity in the year ahead.
A little something to get us into the holiday spirit this week, as Music Video Reform School takes on Train’s video of Shake Up Christmas.
Train got their first big radio exposure in 1998 with the song “Meet Virginia” from their debut album “Train.” The song made the top twenty of the Billboard Charts. In 2001 the San Francisco Pop-Rockers had another massive hit with “Drops of Jupiter.”
Their latest album is called “Save Me San Francisco,” which was released in 2009, and Train had another big hit on their hands as “Hey Soul Sister” brought them back into the limelight.
This Christmas single, “Shake Up Christmas,” is included on the “Golden Gate” edition of “Save Me San Francisco.” It was also featured in Coca Cola’s Christmas commercial series last year, and rose to the #12 spot on the “Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.”
Jackie and Martina both loved the song and the video. As they note, you’ve got to love a song that has you singing along the first time you hear it. The story is a nice expression for the season as well, with what the Germans call “Das Happyend.”
The final report card for this one? Double A.
Shake it up!
British Power-Pop heroes The Kooks playe live at the Fillmore in San Francisco last evening. Our man Eddie was there with his trusty camera to score these shots.
More information, including tour dates and info about their latest album, Junk of the Heart, is on the official site at http://www.thekooks.com.
Black Box Revelation opened for Beady Eye at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco on Friday night and Eddie was there. The Belgian Duo are touring the States for the first time, and causing quite a stir wherever they go.
Here are some photos from the date.
More info and tour dates on the Web at http://us.blackboxrevelation.com.
Jamie Scott from Graffiti6 dropped by Mevio’s Studio B for this live set from Mevio Underground. He played ”Over You” from the debut album “Colours” and “Free” from the most recent Graffiti6 EP.
Hailing from Great Britain, Scott first came to prominence in a band called “Jamie Scott and the Town” touring with artists like Alicia Keys, Ryan Adams and Kelly Clarkson. He teamed up with producer and songwriter TommyD (who produced Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy”) for what was intended to be a solo album, but the two of them soon realized that the whole was bigger than the sum of its parts. Graffiti6 was born.
Graffiti6 Discography:
Stare Into the Sun (sampler) – 2009
Stone In My Heart (EP) – 2010
Annie You Save Me (single) – 2010
Colours (Full Length Album) – 2010
Free (EP) – 2011
Click here to watch these exclusive live performances from Jamie Scott of Graffiti6 on Mevio Underground.
Visit the official site at http://www.graffiti6.com for tour dates and more.
