Date December 9, 2009Miracler Laura Compton
Location San Francisco
This week's Miracler is Laura Compton, the golden-eyed Style editor of the SF Chronicle and creator of this popular gem from June '09, inspiration of such ringing endorsements as "I have most-favorited pretty much every track here," "Lots of keepers" and "Good band that I wouldn't have noticed without the 3MPMP."
Fast forward to the just-arrived holiday season, in which a Miracler looks at the pop calendar, realizes the paydirt opportunities, and like Jeanne-Marie Greiner before her, puts together a fabulous one-of-a-kind seasonal mix for our lucky group.
Mix Notes by Laura
Some time in November, I usually have the urge to start listening to Christmas music. But I find that melanchony holiday songs speak to me more than cloying carols and the piped-in gaiety of the retail landscape. My beloved, music-loving father passed away in September of 2002, and that year especially, hearing “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” everywhere I went seemed like a cruel joke. This mix was inspired by Holly Cole's cover of Merle Haggard's "If We Make it Through December," and from there it wasn't hard to compile other favorite bittersweet takes on the classics, plus some originals. I could easily go through the entire season listening to only Sufjan Stevens'"Songs for Christmas," Mary Margaret O'Hara's holiday EP, and Aimee Mann's "One More Drifter in the Snow," on rotation, and hope you will be similarly hooked.
Mix is here. Enjoy, XOK
9 comments:
Ok Miss Laura, since your last mix was one of my favorites I had to listen to this immediately. I have to say, it will be another one that I listen to all the time. I am in December melancholy heaven!!
jani
Beautifully done, Laura. I'm particularly enjoying the M.M. O'Hara tune, among others. Thank you, my dear!
I enjoyed this mix a lot, and I'm definitely a grouch when it comes to "holiday music." Thanks very much for some fun selections!
a day later and I love it more.
Thanks for kick-starting the season for me. Great mix, difficult to avoid the temptation to just copy it for the annual Office Christmas-mix Challenge (tm). But I won't I won't I won't.
Fabulous melanc-holiday mix, Laura. If only this could be the seasonal soundtrack at all the mall stores. But then, it would probably just drive the shoppers into the nearest pub.
Wow, thanks everybody -- I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciates the melanc-holiday (tm, Kelly Niland).
Thanks Laura for this real if disheveled alternative to the glittery cardboard variety. The darker side of Christmas can still be sweet especially coming from you.
Thanks for this wonderful mix. I make a similarly sad Christmas mix each season, and yours adds some nice new songs to my collection.
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