It's Christmas Eve in my part of the world!
While I am not a Christian I do love the secular holiday aspects of Christmas. Getting together with family. Relaxing at the end of the year. Making some great food (homemade pizzas tonight) and yes giving presents.
So let's get this Christmas going with some of my favorite Christmas songs!
Here are some of my all-time favorites.
Not everything I post here is game-related.
Friday Night Videos is a prime example. And in truth, there might not be a Friday Night Videos (or even an MTV as we used to know it) without the pioneering work of Mike Nesmith.
Nesmith, who passed away on December 10 at the age of 78 was one of the members of the fake rock band, The Monkees. LAter he created the show PopClips that was later sold to Time Warner and gave us MTV. This is not a surprise since the Monkees show was essentially a surreal sitcom with music video sensibilities. It played in reruns to kids like me that would grow up into teens with MTV.
Mike Nesmith is the Godfather of Music Videos. Yes, there were music videos before, some WAY before, but he turned them into entertainment for the masses.
So here's Nes and some of my favorite songs he has written.
He also was featured on songs written by others.
His best though, is one he wrote and performed and became something of a signature song.
Weren't they good, they made me happy. Miss yeah Nes.
The day job was crazy today! Didn't get my last post in for Norse Week, so I thought I'd throw in a Friday Night Videos for it!
So what are Viking Songs?
Glad you asked!
Well, maybe not Viking songs exactly, but certainly ones that want me to play a Viking/Norse-themed game.
So up first, the most Viking song there is.
Is this a Viking song? No. But the band, Saga, always makes me think of the TSR Mini-game Saga, and that is good enough for me.
Do you know who does know about Vikings? The British. And who better to tell us about it than Iron Maiden.
Ok. So. This song is not at all about Vikings, not even if you try REALLY hard. But it is a song Saxon and I dig it.
Sabaton is a Swedish symphonic metal band that pretty much only sing about Vikings. I want to include them here too since I feel my "Norse Week" might have weighted too heavily on Norway.
Let's not forget the haunting "If I had a Heart" from the series Vikings.
Skol!
Today is the last day of the A to Z Challenge.
Since today's monster was a zombie I thought some Zombie music was in order.
So let's get to it!
Up first, the original Zombies.
I have to include the next big Zombie band, White Zombie.
And Rob's solo work singing about a couple of undead.
And since it IS Walpurgis Night lets have some witches, Zombie style. Plus lots of monsters in these.
Don't wory, the poor witch killed in the first video comes back and gets a kickass Harley.
Honestly I could Rob Zombie songs all night. But we have other Zombies tonight.
Not a zombie, but rather a song about the violence in Northern Ireland from the sadly late Dolores O'Riordan and the Cranberries.
Dolores was to cover the song for the Nu Metal Band "Bad Wolves" but she died on the same day.
There are some more I am sure!
Happy Zombie Day.
It's been a bit since I did a Friday Night Videos, but maybe it's the dark of winter that has my mood looking to some new music from some of my favorite women-fronted bands. And while we are at it let's make this a #FollowFriday too! Follow them all and don't forget to buy their songs, albums, or whatever they have. People have been saying "we don't need artists during this quarantine" and to that I say bullshit! Artists have kept me living in all of this. We need them more than ever.
Let's get into it!
Up first is a favorite of The Other Side, Arden Leigh.
Arden fronted the band Arden and the Wolves. Now she has a new project she is doing Prospertine. Which consists of her and Jeremy Bastard. Their first single is Home.
You can follow her, The Wolves, and Prospertine on the web at:
Arden
Arden and the wolves
Prospertine
Another favorite here is the sister group Neoni. Their newest song Notorious is now out. It has a serious Lorde vibe and I mean that is the best possible way.
Neoni also gave Fandom the gift of covering "Carry On (Wayward Son)" for the Supernatural Series Finale. For this alone they have earned a solid place in geekdom.
You can find and follow Neoni at:
Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless has been putting out some great music for while now. Their newest album, Death by Rock and Roll has a lot of great songs on it. Personal, Taylor is getting better with each album and I have to admit I am pleased she quit acting to do this full time.
Witches Burn grabbed my attention right away.
It's going to be interesting to see where she is in a few years because I think she is just getting better with each album.
Find The Pretty Reckless here:
Speaking of getting better.
Confession time. When they first came out I really didn't care for Evanescence. I mean I recognized that Amy Lee had a powerful voice, but they never connected with me really. Fast forward a few years and I am listening to her doing duets and singing background on other artists' songs and I am just impressed with her. I think she is a better singer now than she was 20 years ago. Here is Evanescence's most recent one and as a bonus Lzzy Hale is singing backup.
You can find Evanescence on the web here:
Check them all out!
One of the things I love about this time in music is not just how much of it is being made, but the unlimited access to new music and talent.
One I have been following for a while is Arden and the Wolves, although these days it is just Arden.
There is something about her voice and lyrics that just call to me at some level. Not sure what it is really, but I like it and want to share.
https://ardenandthewolves.bandcamp.com/album/who-can-you-trust
I am going to start out with my favorite song of hers.
What Arden calls "another year of rain" I would have called my "sojourn in Hell." Though for different reasons.
You can do far worse than covering the Ramones. Arden covers them well and gives this song a new meaning.
The Who Can You Trust album is one of the most emotionally raw things I have listened to since The Lion and the Cobra.
She has more, but these are the ones I listen to a lot.
It's Friday! It's October! Let's start some Friday Night Videos!
Since I am also doing my October Horror Movie Marathon posts I am writing these posts early to autopost.
So let's get started.
Last week I did the Hex Girls, a fake all-girl band. Tonight lets do a real all-girl, witch-themed band. And these women have more in common with the Ostrogoths than they do with eco-goths.
Here they are, The Burning Witches!
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| Jay, Romana, Laura, Larissa, Lala |
They have seen some line-up changes over the years, but right now the current coven consists of lead singer Laura Guldemond, guitarist and founding member Romana Kalkuhl, bass player Jeanine "Jay" Grob, Lala Frischknecht on drums, and newest member Larissa Ernst on guitar.
This is the first video of the Witches I ever saw and features their former lead singer Seraina Telli (now of Dead Venus) and former guitarist Sonja "Anubis" Nusselder.
After this Lead singer Laura Guldemond took over and oh does she has some energy!
And just released two weeks ago, The Circle of Five! With new Witch Larissa.
I am looking forward to seeing some more new material with Larissa!
Links
It's Friday! It's October! Let's start some Friday Night Videos!
Since I am also doing my October Horror Movie Marathon posts I am writing these posts early to autopost.
So let's get started.
Tonight I have the music of my favorite all-girl, eco-goth band of witches, the Hex Girls! Not just the songs from their Scooby-Doo episodes but some clever coplayers and cover bands.
And all the Hex Girls songs in one place.
Happy Halloween!
