Ian and RJ celebrate Mardi Gras the only way they know how: talking about Christmas music. Specifically, New Orleans themed Christmas music: “Christmas in New Orleans” by Louis Armstrong and “Santa’s Second Line” by New Birth Brass Band.
This week we listen to selections for Black History Month, covering Billie Holiday’s 1937 recording of “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” and the 1973 single by father-daughter team Akim and Teddy Vann, “Santa Claus Is a Black Man”.
We keep knocking out requests with two songs for Valentine’s Day! “Santa Forever” by Mia Crosby and “Dear Santa” by Girls Generation both implore Father Christmas to help solve romantic troubles – though one song pretty explicitly seeks matchmaking services while the other is asking for, I don’t know, cheer? Who knows, but the costumes are amazing.
In our third straight week of covering requests, we tackle a recent Christmas original, “No Snowmen in LA” by Ms. Maura and the Misters. And since the Superbowl approaches, we make a tenuous sports connection, pairing it with a song we like MUCH less about a city we like much more: “Merry Merry Merry Frickin’ Christmas (World Champion Red Sox Anthem)” by Frickin’ A.
We joke a lot about not knowing anything regarding music on this here music podcast. This week, we take a request that has us analyzing another medium we’re not particularly qualified to talk about: TV! Hear what we had to say about “California Christmastime” performed by the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and “That’s What Christmas is For” performed by the cast of Community, plus our unpopular opinions about some other beloved/not-beloved shows.
This week, we get back to requests and cover two very different songs about the haves and/or the have-nots – “No Christmas in Kentucky” by Phil Ochs and “Toy Jackpot” by Blackalicious. Thanks again to Benito for the request!
This week on HARK, we cover a pairing of songs that we’ve had in mind for one hundred episodes – cover versions of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” and “Wonderful Christmastime” by two bands that make us talk about high school again, The Polyphonic Spree and The Shins.
After some travel mishaps and a busy holiday season, we finally sat down to record this week’s episode of HARK – with our family/friends, Emma Holliday & Ian Burnette! You may remember Emma and E from their fabulous parody episode of our show, “Hey You Over There” – in this episode, we talk with them about two satirical songs from “A Colbert Christmas”, and also the nature of comedy, and Christmas, and maybe capitalism? Thanks again to Emma and E for being on the show, and also for letting us record with their microphone in their apartment so that there could be a new episode sort-of kind-of on time this week!
As the Great Holiday Equinox of 2016 continues, we celebrate this rare overlap of winter festivities by introducing a new holiday to the list. It took us one hundred episodes to get there, but “Seven Principles” by Sweet Honey in the Rock marks our very first Kwanzaa song! We also hear a new jam from the band that produced one of our Hanukkah favorites – The Macaroons, who urge us to “Hurry Up and Light the Candles”.
You there, boy! What day is this? Why, it’s the day of the 100th episode of HARK! As per tradition, RJ and Ian introduce the 199th and 200th songs in the list by surprising each other with picks for the top and the bottom. RJ’s pick for the top comes from the heart – will they sell you on their favorite song, or is this the episode in which we expose ourselves as a couple of sentimental know-nothings? Meanwhile, Ian (with help from a listener!) submits a pick for the bottom that is so revolting, the incredible fact that literally every unsold copy of it was court-ordered to be destroyed is only a small comfort. Thanks for listening, and until the next 100 episodes, happy holidays.