The Style Council - Shout To The Top

When Paul Weller disbanded The Jam after the great 1982 LP The Gift, he'd at the same time laid the foundations for his next outfit, The Style Council. With keyboard wizard Mick Talbot in tow he started recording soul-infused pop music, straying far from his mod/punk roots, but in a very good way. "Shout To The Top" was released in 1984 between the band's first two albums. It's a joyous-sounding affair, but the lyrics are far bleaker. Still, they do carry more than a glimmer of hope for better days ahead. The song featured in the film Billy Elliot, so many people may know it from having heard it there as well.

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Erik's musical Advent calendar - December 17

Mud - "Lonely This Christmas"

Hitmakers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman owned the British charts in the early to mid-seventies, writing and producing singles for (mostly) glam rock acts like Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie and Mud. The latter's fabulous Christmas single "Lonely This Christmas" was the band's second number one hit, topping the UK charts in December 1974. It's an Elvis-imitating, self-indulgent, super-sentimental and very beautiful ballad taht is also one of my all-time Christmas favourites. Soppy and sad in a good way.

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The Smiths - Asleep

The Smiths were masters of the B-side, something "Asleep" is a perfect example of. It was the flipside to the band's 1985 single "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", and with its funereal theme and darkly beautiful atmosphere it's a perfect Smiths song, just as good as the A-side or of any of their songs really.

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Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin

Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" was something of a signature song for Frank Sinatra, singing it for the first time in 1946, and then recording it with The Nelson Riddle Orchestra ten years later. He even re-recorded it in 1963, and also in 1993 as a duet with Bono. I'm pretty sure this is the 1963 version, a swinging triumph of a recording.

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Erik's musical Advent calendar - December 16

Cee Lo Green feat. The Muppets - "All I Need Is Love"

Although I posted this brand new Christmas recording only a few weeks ago, I've found it worthy of a spot in my Advent calendar. Cee Lo Green's recently released Christmas album is a mixed bag of nuts, but "All I Need Is Love" is outstanding. Here's what I wrote about it earlier:

Who in their right mind do not love the Muppets? Kermit, Miss Piggy and a lot more Muppets join Cee Lo Green for his new video for the song "All I Need Is Love" from his new Christmas album, Cee Lo's Magic Moment. The video is of course exceptional fun, also featuring Craig Robinson from The Office as an eggnog-loving Santa Claus, and a muppet version of Cee Lo called Lo-Co. And by all means, don't quit watching when the actual song is over, there is a lot more fun to be seen during the video credits. If you're somehow in a sour mood, you won't be after watching this.

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Jools Holland & Hir Rhythm & Blues Orchestra feat. Rumer - Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive

British TV host and master pianist Jools Holland, formerly of Squeeze, a memorable recording with The The and not least, host of his own show Later... With Jools Holland, has recorded a number of albums with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and an incredible array of famed guests, featuring songs mostly from the past. So why he's called his latest album The Golden Age Of Song really is beyond me, but it's nevertheless a great collection of classics, with songs sung by the likes of Tom Jones, Mick Hucknall, Amy Winehouse, Cee Lo Green and others. So far, the song that has gotten the most airplay is the version of the classic Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer song "Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive" as sung by the fabulous Rumer. And boy, does it sound great! Just listen to this!

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Randy Travis - Look Heart, No Hands

Country singer Randy Travis made a mess and a fool of himself some months ago when arrested drunk and naked, apparently after crashing his car. Upon the arrest he is said to have threatened the officers' lives, and was subsequently bailed out of jail. His problems sadly continues, but let's not forget what an extraordinary singer he is. With the best and deepest voice this side of George Jones, Travis is one of my favourite country singers, touching all the right strings whenever he opens his mouth. "Look Heart, No Hands" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Russell Smith (formerly of the Amazing Rhythm Aces) that Travis recorded for his 1992 compilation Greatest Hits, Volulme 2. He completely inhabits the song and turns it into a heartfelt tribute to unrequited love. Great, great stuff!

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Erik's musical Advent calendar - December 15

JD McPherson - "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)"

Today's song is brand new. Oklahoma-born singer/songwriter JD McPherson is going for an all out rockabilly Christmas with his holiday single "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)", a perfect celebratory track that rocks, shimmies and shakes - but only for two short minutes, so you can safely play it a few times and have some fun. Let me also use this oppurtunity to mention McPherson's excellent debut album Signs And Signifiers which got a worldwide release this year after its initial independent release in 2010. It's worth checking out.

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Erik's musical Advent calendar - December 14

Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

So, it's time for a real Christmas classic in Erik's musical Advent calendar. Paul Young, Boy George, Phil Collins, George Michael, Simon Le Bon, Sting, Tony Hadley, Bono, Paul Weller... and those are just the first you see and hear in the charity classic "Do They Know It's Christmas?" from 1984, credited to Band Aid. The song was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, and was a vehicle to raise awareness of and money for the famine that had hit Ethiopia so severely. It sold a staggering one million copies in the UK in the first week alone, and became the biggest sellling single in the UK singles chart history, staying at number 1 for five weeks. It's also one of the songs I need to hear repeatedly every December, because it's so incredibly good!

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My alternative Christmas list

Excellent Norwegian streaming site WiMP has published my alternative Christmas list today, featuring 36 songs that are a bit to the left of the classics that we all know and love. Instead you'll fint Yuletide spirit as interpreted by the likes of Laura Marling, Sufjan Stevens, Mew, Melody Club, Tracey Thorn who has released this year's finest Christmas album, and others, and last, but not least, the Katzenjammer/Ben Caplan/The Trondheim Soloists version of "Fairytale Of New York".

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