happy merry
The end of the year has never been a gift-giving holiday for me; we celebrated a more traditional Hannukah when I was a child, and my nonreligious inlaws celebrate Christmas by eating a lot, drinking Bourbon and playing poker (which I approve of, totally). But that doesn't mean I don't like prezzies! So thank you to mergatrude and 
mtl (or rather, her characters!) for the cards, and to saramwrap for the squidly cat toy, and to all of you who are posting your year-end music favorites, because yay, prezzies for everybody!
So, speaking of year-end music favorites, here are mine. They tend to the folkish and non-English-language, and I've posted some of them before. Not all of these are new in 2009 but they were all new to me in 2009, and they are the songs that I played the most (with the exception of one I am holding back because it would give away my festivids vid, and the bonus Christmas carols at the end). On my website, feel free to download any or all, no comments required but I do enjoy knowing what people take and what they like. And if you like this kind of stuff and I don't have you friended on LJ, you should subscribe to
isis on DW where I will give you access to, um. Stuff and things.
Richard Thompson - Mingulay Boat Song - I have always loved Richard Thompson's growly voice, and I love sea chanty type music, so, match made in heaven for my ears.
Livio Morosin - Stani More - I got this one from triestine, who is one of my sources for amazing music in languages I don't speak. (This one's in Croatian.) I love the gentle repetition, and it translates into a lovely poem.
Mirabai - Aportua - I saw this duo play at our farmers' market, and when I had finished shopping I sat and listened to them until the market was over. Then I bought one of their CDs.
Planxty - Follow Me Up To Carlow - More strident than most of these songs, this is a classic Irish war tale. I bought the album for this song, but the rest of the album is nearly equally awesome.
Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine - I got this reggae-ish cover version from
resonant, and I like it best of all the versions I've heard. (I have it by The Byrds and by Peter, Paul and Mary, too.)
Tom Chapin - The Wheel of the Water - Also from
resonant, this is the best song about the hydrological cycle I have ever heard. I guess it's supposed to be a kids' song? I don't care. The harmonies are a thing of beauty.
Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller - Burning of Auchindoun/Pint of Wine - I shared another song from this album a while back, so here's a different one that I also really love. Gorgeous, ethereal voices, and I totally recommend their album.
Mordewind - Tlusty Szef - A song from the Polish Celtic folk rockers I adore. This is a more bouncy, rocking song than most of the others in this post.
Eels - Mr. E's Beautiful Blues - Got this from someone on my flist, or fflist, and I don't remember from whom, but it's another rocking song that makes me smile.
And as a bonus, have some Christmas music. This first one is a quite awesome mashup arrangement by, would you believe, a high school friend. He posted it on Facebook (shut up, that is what Facebook is for - staying in vague touch with people you don't really want to stay in close touch with) and I was blown away. It sounds very Jethro-Tullish. The second is a more traditional version by the Mediaeval Baebes.
Teejay - Shine On You Coventry Carol
Mediaeval Baebes - The Coventry Carol
Merry happy, everyone!
Also posted on Dreamwidth where there are
comments.
mtl (or rather, her characters!) for the cards, and to saramwrap for the squidly cat toy, and to all of you who are posting your year-end music favorites, because yay, prezzies for everybody!
So, speaking of year-end music favorites, here are mine. They tend to the folkish and non-English-language, and I've posted some of them before. Not all of these are new in 2009 but they were all new to me in 2009, and they are the songs that I played the most (with the exception of one I am holding back because it would give away my festivids vid, and the bonus Christmas carols at the end). On my website, feel free to download any or all, no comments required but I do enjoy knowing what people take and what they like. And if you like this kind of stuff and I don't have you friended on LJ, you should subscribe to
isis on DW where I will give you access to, um. Stuff and things.
Richard Thompson - Mingulay Boat Song - I have always loved Richard Thompson's growly voice, and I love sea chanty type music, so, match made in heaven for my ears.
Livio Morosin - Stani More - I got this one from triestine, who is one of my sources for amazing music in languages I don't speak. (This one's in Croatian.) I love the gentle repetition, and it translates into a lovely poem.
Mirabai - Aportua - I saw this duo play at our farmers' market, and when I had finished shopping I sat and listened to them until the market was over. Then I bought one of their CDs.
Planxty - Follow Me Up To Carlow - More strident than most of these songs, this is a classic Irish war tale. I bought the album for this song, but the rest of the album is nearly equally awesome.
Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine - I got this reggae-ish cover version from
resonant, and I like it best of all the versions I've heard. (I have it by The Byrds and by Peter, Paul and Mary, too.)
Tom Chapin - The Wheel of the Water - Also from
resonant, this is the best song about the hydrological cycle I have ever heard. I guess it's supposed to be a kids' song? I don't care. The harmonies are a thing of beauty.
Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller - Burning of Auchindoun/Pint of Wine - I shared another song from this album a while back, so here's a different one that I also really love. Gorgeous, ethereal voices, and I totally recommend their album.
Mordewind - Tlusty Szef - A song from the Polish Celtic folk rockers I adore. This is a more bouncy, rocking song than most of the others in this post.
Eels - Mr. E's Beautiful Blues - Got this from someone on my flist, or fflist, and I don't remember from whom, but it's another rocking song that makes me smile.
And as a bonus, have some Christmas music. This first one is a quite awesome mashup arrangement by, would you believe, a high school friend. He posted it on Facebook (shut up, that is what Facebook is for - staying in vague touch with people you don't really want to stay in close touch with) and I was blown away. It sounds very Jethro-Tullish. The second is a more traditional version by the Mediaeval Baebes.
Teejay - Shine On You Coventry Carol
Mediaeval Baebes - The Coventry Carol
Merry happy, everyone!
Also posted on Dreamwidth where there are
comments.