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Underground > Radio & Music >

Winter Complilation CD?

04:52 / 13.11.01

I need the help of the 'Lithers for this one.

I'm working on making "winter"-themed mix CDs for my friends. Not necessarily holiday carols, but songs that sound as if they should be played when it's 30 below outside and it sounds like a good idea to stay inside, read a book, and drink hot chocolate. Or maybe just watch the snow falling, and mope. Whatever.

Anyway, I've got Tori Amos' "Winter", Radiohead's "Pyramid Song" and K's Choice "Shadowman" running through my head. Anybody want to suggest songs? Carols, if they are done by non-traditional artists, are allowable, as are any other "cold" sounding songs. I'm hoping to make some unique mixes, so give me your best!

Kopi

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

06:20 / 13.11.01

Howzabout Sorrow... anything, really... they just make me think wintry in general...
OR
... ummm, actually, I'm at a loss, here. When I get to winter, and get cold, I seek refuge in comforting shit..
AAAHHH!!!
Coil did a series of CD singles, each being for a solstice/equinox... the winter solstice one had "Christmas is Drawing Near", which was kind of cool, AND had Rose McDowall singing (which in my world is always good)...
ALSO... get close to Xmas, and "Happy Birthday Pigfaced Christus" by Current 93 is always a winner... (or Phil Spector's Xmas Album, tho' that seems kind of hard to find...)

06:40 / 13.11.01

Joy Division's "Atmosphere" is beautiful. Once had in on my walkman trudging through the snow to get home one winter in the North East and it fitted my mood perfectly.

Sack Trick "We're going back to live in the snow" - a song about peguins that tire of living on the moon as there are no fish so they return to the antarctic.

Pin

06:43 / 13.11.01

Meanwhile Back In Communist Russia - Morning After Pill

Regrettable Juvenilia

07:16 / 13.11.01

Great topic. I've been thinking about this a lot myself recently - as I do pretty much every winter...

Something off the new Bjork album, definitely! Probably 'Pagan Poetry'.

On a similar note, something from Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love - almost any track will do, it's a very chilly, frosty album... 'Hello Earth' might be the best one.

DJ Shadow's 'Building Steam From A Grain Of Salt', if that's the title, always makes me think of winter, but that may have a lot to do with listening to it a lot a couple of winters ago.

More soon...

No star here laces

08:15 / 13.11.01

Bomb the Bass - "Winter in July"
Ha! It even has winter in the title...

A trio of female singer-songwriters:

Joni Mitchell - "Wish I had a river"
Glacial.

Roberta Flack - "First time ever I saw your face"
Brrrrrr. Good for smooching on that ol' bear rug in front o the fire, too.

And, fuck it:
Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing compares 2U"
A very, very cold-sounding record, and actually an extremely good one at that.

Plus anything by Cold Crush Brothers, Ice Cube, Kool G Rap, Chill Rob G, Cold Chillin Records for the pun value.

08:23 / 13.11.01

Freeze a jolly good fellow.

No. That's just stupid.

For some reason, winter always makes me dig out The The - "Uncertain Smile", off the Soul Mining album.

"Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues and Kirsty Macoll always a classic.

Big up to the man who said Kate Bush - but I prefer "Sensual World" for those shagging-on-the-sheepskin-rug moments.

"Sometimes" by James - all wet, windy and wild.

Anything by Nat King Cole.

Send us a tape when you're done!

12:07 / 13.11.01

Xfm and Jeepster presented
It's a Cool, Cool Christmas a year or so back.
This is a rich source of stuff.

Low, Belle & Sebastian, the Eels - all vaguely Christmasy, and largely (although not entirely) originals.

I like it.

“Kings” by the Magnetic Fields also sounds like it’s frozen.

12:11 / 13.11.01

"In the Bleak Mid-Winter," as performed by Jane Siberry and band on the live album Child.

"Paper Snow," by the Heads, vox by XTC's Andy Partridge.

"Walking on the Moon," by the Police--for the way you feel walking across a virgin field of snow, hearing the soft crunch-crunch of your boots, leaving footprints behind like writing on a blank sheet of paper.

"The Uninhabited Man," by Richard Thompson.

Zbigniew Preisner's bolero--either of the versions on the soundtrack to the film Blue (bookending the tape).

Don Cherry's instrumental "Desireless."

[ 13-11-2001: Message edited by: Jack Fear ]

12:15 / 13.11.01

Robyn Hitchcock - School of Ice (?)
It's the fragile instrumental on "Eye" with that shimmering, icy piano.

Oh, and put me down for a CD trade!

[ 13-11-2001: Message edited by: grant ]

12:45 / 13.11.01

"Lyke Wake Dirge" by Pentangle.
A 30-second sample is available in a couple formats here: http://www.emusic.com/albums/13420/

Check it out. I'm pretty sure Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker used the words for something. Can't remember who or what.

It definitely has a cold, midwinter sound to it. Trudging out to the woodpile to get something more for the fireplace.

13:22 / 13.11.01

Sorry to have to do this, but "Wondrous Stories" by Yes.

Oh, and Smokebelch II by the Sabres of Paradise, which always reminds me of Christmas

13:41 / 13.11.01

Henry Rollins recites "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to a background noise of car crashes, machine guns and Hellicopters - from the Lump of Coal Christmas Compilation.

13:50 / 13.11.01

'Summer Babe (Winter Version)' - Pavement

'Elijah' - The Mountain Goats

'Song of Joy' - Nick Cave

'Ice Cold Ice' - Husker Du

Ronald Thomas Clontle

14:02 / 13.11.01

re: summer babe

there are a lot of Pave S+E era songs that have a very 'winter' feel to them... I'd like to nominate "So Stark (You're A Skyscraper)", "Shoot The Singer", "Here", "Zurich Is Stained" and "Haunt You Down"...

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:17 / 13.11.01

Tindersticks have quite a few wintry songs - I'd say 'Walking', most of all, probably.

14:25 / 13.11.01

I'd have thought "Snowy in F# Minor," myself.

14:26 / 13.11.01

Oh, and you cannot forget Ray Charles and Betty Carter's duet on "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Sexiest song ever.

And Duke Ellington's arrangments of tunes from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker suite.

14:48 / 13.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Tyrone Mushylaces:
[b]

Joni Mitchell - "Wish I had a river"

I was gonna suggest this one... but it IS pretty sad. On the other hand, it's not like "Winter" is a bag of joy (love that song as well though).

quote:[qb[And, fuck it:
Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing compares 2U" very, very cold-sounding record, and actually an extremely good one at that.

[/QB]

Yes. She did manage to take all of Prince's soul right out of the thing. Strangely, I've been listening to this song a lot recently, and I have decided I could kick the ass of anyone who dared compete with me were I to choose this song for karaoke.

But I digress. I gotta think about this one for a bit.

14:51 / 13.11.01

Oh definitely definitely definitely Billie Holiday's "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." This song could be perhaps THE only song that makes me nearly like Winter (nearly).

And Jack, I'd go with the Dean Martin version of "Baby It's Cold Outside." Not as sexy, but it's always fun hearing Dean-o sing drunk.

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:54 / 13.11.01

But what about the Tom Jones / Cerys Matthews version? Complete with sexy video and I'll get my coat...

15:07 / 13.11.01

quote:Originally posted by Flyboy:
But what about the Tom Jones / Cerys Matthews version? Complete with sexy video and I'll get my coat...

Good, because I hear that it is cold ouside.

HAAAAH!! Oh God I'm (not)funny!

Anyway, bad jokes aside I have never heard this version. I have however, done a duet of this song with a friend of mine, which was particularly frustrating because I can sing and he is essentially tone-deaf. We never made it past the first chorus.

Right! Back on topic!

08:26 / 14.11.01

it's cold inside, too. well, in this place, anyway.

julie london did an album called calendar girl, with songs for every month of the year and one extra ("the thirteenth month"). that's worth a look-in.

hmm...that muct've been one of the earliest concept albums, too...

08:34 / 14.11.01

Josef Suk's "A Fairytale" summons up those cold winter nights in Prague very nicely as well, thank you.

12:07 / 14.11.01

Things in Herds, who have a page on mp3.com, have a GREAT song called "Cold and Long".

It's nearly perfect.

Oh look the suns gone out
I don't want to think about that
Animals have gone to sleep
and it's dropped 10 degrees and

I don't know
How the world is going to go
But it's gone cold & blue
and long

20:37 / 14.11.01

Drunk and Trying to get laid. Yes, we need Dean Martin to remind us what the Holidays are really all about.

04:14 / 15.11.01

Okay, here's what I have so far. I'm making two mixes.....one for my boyfriend Rick, who is more into jazz and alternative commercial pop, and one for Graham, who's into techno, punk, and a quirky sense of humor. If you have better suggestions, please tell me. Especially with Rick's....I'm at a loss.
I apologize for the long post.

Rick's:

1. Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
This is his favorite carol.

2. Duke Ellington - Nutcracker Suite
Anybody know if he did the whole thing, or just the overture? I love this!

3. Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Couldn't download the Billie Holiday version, but I think I like this one better.

4. Louie Armstrong - Winter Wonderland

5. Robyn Hitchcock - College of Ice

6. VAST - I Don't Have Anything

7. Counting Crows - She Doesn't Exist Anymore (Hitchcock cover)
Keeping this in as it's a favorite song of his, and it fits the mood.

8. Radiohead - Pyramid Song

9. Coldplay - Trouble

10. Tori Amos - Winter

The rest of these are just instrumental filler.......the only one I want to keep is Carol of the Bells, as that's my fave carol. If anyone's got suggestions, please let me know!

11. Liz Story - Pavane

12. Paul Candleless - Winter Bourne

13. Chip Davis - The Holly and the Ivy

14. Various Artists - Carol of the Bells

Graham's:

1. The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight)

2. DJ Shadow - Building Steam with a Grain of Salt

3. Pavement - Summer Babe (Winter Version)

4. David Bowie & Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy

5. Sack Trick - We're On Our Way Back (To The Snow)

6. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York

7. Frank Sinatra - The Christmas Song
He loves Frank.

8. Bjork - Pagan Poetry

9. Nick Cave - Song of Joy

10. Vandals - Oi to the World

11. Servotron - Christmas Moog
Looooong story.

12. Tow Waits - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis

13. Combustible Edison - Sleigh Ride

14. Queen - Thank God It's Christmas

As you can see, it was easier to get a mix for Graham, but as for Rick, I'm stumped. Maybe now that you know what theme I'm looking for, you can help? *sigh* This is harder than I thought. Thanks for everything!

Kopi

[ 15-11-2001: Message edited by: Kopi ]

08:24 / 15.11.01

ooh! oooh! one i forgot and abolutely adore:

galaxie 500: listen the snow is falling (it's a cover of a yoko ono song, and naomi sings. very shoegazey, lovely and slow.)

and also luna: superfreaky memories ("it's winter in new jersey, and it's christmas in new york")

oh, and try this page, it's fantastic! (and actually, yeah, i groove on santa baby by eartha kitt. there's a neat version by madonna, too.

13:56 / 15.11.01

I second the 'Listen, the Snow is Falling' for EITHER mix.

I'll also say, if you want Christmas, and you want jazz, hie thee to Vince Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas" album.
It's hokey, yeah, but the music is *great*, and it has a valuable nostalgia element, nowadays.

There's also some vaguely Christmas-sounding stuff on the album "Come Bach" by the 60s French jazz group Le Second, but that's pretty obscure. Cool jazz covers of Bach pieces.

And, seriously, I can't plug Things in Herds and the Cool, Cool Christmas CD enough.
It's got Belle & Sebastian doing "o come, o come emmanuel." and the dandy warhols. and teenage fanclub (radio-friendly alternative ahoy!)

14:02 / 15.11.01

Rock on with the Charlie Brown Christmas album! BAH Hokey!! It's great, it's beautiful, it gives me the chills, it is the absolute perfect music to be listening to on a snowy day in urbantown. I highly recommend "Linus & Lucy" as well as "Christmastime."

Also how 'bout "Santa Claus & His Old Lady" by Cheech and Chong?? Fabulous!

"on DONNER, on Blitzen, on CHEWEY, eh.. c'mon, vato!"

15:47 / 15.11.01

grant, I wouldn't mind putting some Cool, Cool Christmas stuff on there, but both Audiogalaxy and Morpheus are turning up dry, and I'm not about to pay 36 dollars for an import copy. LOL. So unless anyone wants to help me out, I'm stuck there.

uncle retrospective

21:45 / 17.11.01

Oi to the world! Brilliant! If ever a song was written to make a person bounce round the place.

01:01 / 30.11.01

The Stars arre Projectors - Modest Mouse
Clipped - Tanya Donelly
Snowman - The Nields
The Christians & the Pagans - Dar Williams

and, um Little Drum Machine Boy - Beck

03:04 / 30.11.01

quote:Originally posted by uncle retrospective:
Oi to the world! Brilliant! If ever a song was written to make a person bounce round the place.

I don't know about all that...punk rock christmas songs get on my nerves a bit, 'cept "Fuck Christmas" by FEAR, but that's a different story...

20:56 / 10.12.01

I can't believe that no one mentioned...

I forget the name but I think it's called "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite" by the Beatles of the Sgt. Peppr album. Imagine if you didn't understand english, how the song would sound like. Like being snowed in. Now, imagine that you do understand english. now it seems like the song is a carnival... that's playing in the middle of a snowstorm.