We cover more listener requests! Warm up your love-lights for the stirring Bing Crosby classic “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, followed by Relient K’s dirge of adolescent holiday heartache, “I Hate Christmas Parties”.
Thank you to Philip for these requests!
RJ’s birthday is this week, and so it is time again for BIRTHDAY BOI’S CHOICE. Similar to Ian’s 2018 birthday selections, RJ goes for two songs off of the same album – the best-selling holiday album of 1997, Hanson’s Snowed In! In Hanson’s third appearance on HARK, we discuss two more tracks penned by the brothers themselves – “At Christmas” and “Christmas Time”.
Who you gonna call? HARK PODCAST! We indulge in our annual Halloween tradition and listen to some winter holiday music with a spooooky twist. First up is “Christmas Spirit” by Tele Novella, a macabre pop ditty celebrating well-behaved monsters. Then “Buffy, It’s Cold Outside” by Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo elevates a much-maligned classic tune by mashing it up with the campy homoeroticism of our two favorite vampire slayers.
This week on HARK we dive back in to our repeat-requester pile and take on a needlessly aggressive rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” titled simply (sigh) “Santa’s Coming” by CKY. We pair it up with another strange tune about a scary Santa, “Santa Came On a Nuclear Missile” by Heather Noel.
Thanks to CJ for the request!
How many ways are there to sing that standard of Christmas standards, Jingle Bells? By request we cover two unique takes – “Jingle Bells” as performed by America’s problematic beach uncle Jimmy Buffett, and the intriguingly punctuated “Jingle Bells?” performed by Barbra Streisand.
Thank you to Andy for these requests!
This week by request, we’re listening to DMX’s 2017 cover of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, which – hey! You know what! Could have been much worse! Then we treat ourselves to another rendition of this classic as performed by The Temptations.
Thanks to Anna for the request!
It’s almost Leif Erikson Day, and so this week we’re covering songs from the land of fire and ice, Iceland! Perhaps predictably, we listen to a song by Bjork, whose rendition of “Jólakötturinn” is the perfect spooky song to kick off October. Then we revisit a Christmas standard with an Icelandic twist – “Ég fæ jólagjöf” by Katla María.
This week’s episode falls on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, so we’re marking this occasion by adding two new Hanukkah songs to our ever-growing list of winter holiday music. “Pass the Candle” by Michelle Citrin is an upbeat little tune perfectly suited for a Hanukkah montage, while “Not By Might, Not By Power” by Debbie Friedman brings a powerful performance and a message of peace.
This week by request, we’re covering two holiday songs hailing from the Ozarks – and more specifically, from Alligator Records’ Genuine Houserockin’ Christmas! We’re charmed by Koko Taylor’s enthusiasm in “Have You Heard The News?”, but put off by Shemekia Copeland’s “Stay A Little Longer, Santa”, both for its unreasonable demands on Santa’s schedule and its… y’know.
Thank you again to Caleb for these requests!
Coinciding with the coming new year on the Jewish and Islamic calendars this week, we’re talking New Year’s songs! “Bringing In a Brand New Year” by Charles Brown brings us a charming, festive holiday anthem, while “Champagne (I’m Ready)” by Lisa Loeb delivers something slightly different than we were expecting from the iconic 90s glasses-wearer.