OK, look. We’ve run out of funny things to say about April 20th, the weed holiday, here in the episode description. But we will never, ever run out of winter holiday songs about weed: for 4/20/2018, we listen to “Weed (All I Want for Christmas)” by Nellie McKay and “Have a Willie Nice Christmas” by Kacey Musgraves featuring Willie Nelson.
This week on HARK, we cover two songs by request: the haunting reverie of Loreena McKennitt’s “In Praise of Christmas” and the playful brevity of the Squirrel Nut Zipper’s “Winter Weather”. We also have our biggest disagreement about a song since covering Ian’s sworn enemies The Killers!
Thank you to merikus for the requests!
In honor of Passover, we’re listening to some new music about another Jewish festival – this week features Hanukkah songs released in 2017! Incidentally, both are raps about food – “8 Days of Latkes” by Ben Schwartz (THE Ben Scwartz) and “Bimuelo” by Sarah Aroeste featuring Kosha Dillz.
Easter approaches, so this week be get biblical – “What Child Is This” as performed by Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige offers a powerful rendition of a familiar tune, while “A Baby Changes Everything” by Faith Hill is a wholly underwhelming original.
By request, this week we cover a kitschy tune from a 70’s children’s record – and then try to out-do it. “10,000 Santa Clauses (But Not One Gift For Me)” by The Caroleers is a strange delight, but it’s in “Roly Poly the Polar Bear” by the Peppermint Kandy Kids that we discover a cool new friend.
Thanks to Thom and our anonymous listener for requesting The Caroleers!
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re listening to holiday music about the Emerald Isle! Join us for “Christmas in Killarney” by Bing Crosby and “Christmas Hooley” by Declan Nerney, songs about which we feel just as ambivalent as we do about the whole dang holiday.
This week, we fall in and out of love with two songs that were totally new to us – “Christmas Love” by Martha Bass and “Love Is Christmas” by Sara Bareilles.
Thank you to the anonymous listener who requested “Christmas Love”!
The Oscars are this weekend, so we’re talking about Christmas songs from movies! Good songs, from good movies? Naaaaw. Grab your popcorn and listen in to our discussion of “Grinch 2000” by Busta Rhymes featuring Jim Carrey and “Ludacrismas” by Ludacris from the Fred Claus soundtrack.
Correction: In this episode, we said that we did not choose from films that won Oscars, but How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) actually won an Academy Award for Best Makeup. Live and learn!
This week we cover a request for two animated holiday musical numbers! We delight in the Seussian turns of phrase in “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” performed by Thurl Ravenscroft and ponder the murky moral implications of “Oh, Santa!” performed by Larry the Cucumber and the cast of VeggieTales.
RJ was a guest on the Book Club for Masochists podcast this week, check them out!
Thank you to kiragecko for this week’s requests!
It’s Ash Wednesday! It’s Valentine’s Day! And possibly more relevant to this episode, it’s International Condom Day! We listen to two Christmas songs about sex, a sub-genre of holiday music that runs deep enough to haunt us for the rest of our days. Enjoy our slightly extra-long, extra-spicy musings about “Dick In a Box” by The Lonely Island featuring Justin Timberlake and “Not Tonight Santa” by Girls Aloud.