1979 was a good year

John Denver + Muppets = Happiness.

I remember watching this Christmas special when it first aired in 1979. I even had a copy of the album that I would play every year. I especially love the midpoint of the video where they show my fellow Gen-X'ers. Many memories, not to mention some fine '70s fashion.

Merry Christmas!

Free jazz album

Tonight's happy discovery is the Amazon Jazz Sampler - a 12 song album to download at no cost.

If jazz isn't your speed, there are over 500 other free mp3 downloads available, including 25 holiday songs. Enjoy!

Chris Isaak Christmas

I'm ambivalent about Christmas albums. I enjoy my Boston Pops album immensely, but pop star versions of the classics leave me cold (of course, they play incessantly in stores - as if Christmas shopping weren't stressful enough). The one exception is the Chris Isaak Christmas album. Yes, I am biased to love all things CI, but his retro, beachy, rockabilly vibe is a wonderful change of pace every December. While his original songs ("Brightest Star", "Last Month of the Year, "Gotta Be Good") are my favorites, he also puts a fun new spin on the classics. The only weak spot is his duet with Stevie Nicks. I like him. I like her. Together? Not so much.

Here's a sample from YouTube. Enjoy!

'90s night

It's '90s night for me on iTunes. I downloaded Fiona Apple's Criminal, Tasmin Archer's Sleeping Satellite, and Sophie B. Hawkins's Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover for a whole 99 cents each. Single song downloads are a beautiful thing. I used to own a boatload of cds with one or two good songs apiece. Such a waste. My music purist friends give me grief for jumping to the "good songs" on a cd. Something about art and the album being a whole and that sort of stuff. Bah. I'm a simple girl. If I can't sing it, hum it, or shake my booty to it, I'm skipping it. Next on my list is to dig out my college cds and import the choice songs to my computer. Four Non Blondes and Blind Melon on the scene!

If you'd like to enjoy a flashback of your own, check out One Hit Wonder Central. Good stuff.

(In the name of full disclosure, I also got Kanye West's Gold Digger and Christina Aguilera's Keeps Gettin' Better, but that ruins the whole '90s, retro, college vibe, huh? Shh!)

Ernie's song

Love TED. Love Nellie McKay. Love The Dog Song. Ernie and I (ok, mostly me) sing this one on our walks.

Rhapsody music channels

I'm loving Rhapsody's music channels. No ads, no moronic DJs, and a wide variety of genres from which to choose. My current addiction is 'Cafe Montmartre' (French pop). Best of all, it's free!