"Mery Crisma"

Happy Christmas to you, yours, and anyone else. Hope you’re having a great holiday so far.

This picture was circulating around work. Hialeah is a subdivision of Miami. I don’t want to slam the area too much, because I know people who live there, but I’m not sure this isn’t entirely accurate. Spelling, pronunciation, and all.

Moving on.

A last couple of holiday songs. The first, by Elvis Costello and The Chieftains, is “The St. Stephen’s Day Murders.” Celebrated on Dec. 26, the day commemorates St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. It’s a popular day for visiting family, and the lyrics address how that seems to work out sometimes: “For that is the time to eat, drink, and be merry / ‘Til the beer is all spilled and the whiskey has flowed. / And the whole family tree you neglected to bury / Are feeding their faces until they explode.”

I couldn’t find any information about Jimi Hendrix’s version of “Little Drummer Boy.” I remember seeing a performance on a grainy video probably 15 years ago and was blown away. I’m sure the song is on at least one album, but I was never able to find it until the digital age started; now the the rendition is pretty widely available.

All I really know about the Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs is their name comes from the opening line of Iggy and the Stooges’ “Search and Destroy.” Their sentimentally titled “Fuck Christmas” was part of a compilation titled “A Vital Gesture Xmas Vol. 1,” from Vital Gesture Records. I don’t really know what year it was released, but I think it was maybe 1999. If you want, go to the Cheetah’s site for free downloads and other things you shouldn’t live without.

St. Stephen’s Day Murders.m4p Elvis Costello and The Chieftains
Little Drummer Boy / Silent Night.mp3 Jimi Hendrix
Fuck Christmas.mp3 Street Walkin’ Cheetahs

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And sadder news, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown died this morning. He was hospitalized with pneumonia in Atlanta on Sunday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas, but the cause of his death still is uncertain.
James Brown was one-of-a-kind. You’ll be missed, my man. You will be missed.

May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006

posted by aikin @ 9:47 AM