Happy Xmess Crunchdown Y'all

Hey

looks like the final Xmess crunch ...is truly upon us all now...

I just got a call from a frantic & forlorn father friend o mine looking for a Dora Explorer Kitchen Set at a sold out Toys R Us...

The shopping is indeed brisk, the end of the year holiday parties are coming hard & fast...

and the cookies and eggnog and winter blues are making ya heavy around the waist...

I'm like officially outta money and even time to grab extra gifts for others it seems...

after helping out at a fashion show & concert blast off with Late Night Dates & Space Vacuum tomorrow at 111 Minna, I'm then leaving town...

stop by if ya wanna see some rad rags & stay for the aural excitement...

DEL GERONIMO and The Star Project Design Present :

HEAVEN 11 / a Fashion Show + Trunk Sale and a Concert Event

730pm TRUNK SALE / MINNA ANNEX
930pm FASHION SHOW / MAIN FLOOR
1030pm CONCERT / w/ Late Night Dates + Space Vacuum

Music By:
DJ NoMe Edonna

Videographer:
Ellina Talian
SEAMUS + JULIAN

Video Projection:
Lil Mike + EventMagic

Photography:

Paul Yem
James Wyatt
Desi Arnaz Hyter
Colin Hussey

FASHION DESIGNERS +

K Skin Designs
Jasmin Zorlu
Studio Kristiana & Silver Trailer
Lindsay Daunell
Antuan Designs
Detox Designs
Rae Palmieri
Fluidance Jewelry
Tavi Adinasi
+
Miranda Caroligne


Produced by: DEL GERONIMO

Sponsored in part by: JUXTAPOZ


After I put away the projection gear, I'm headed outta town southward towards LA ...

this room or a reasonable facsimile will be my home this weekend.

I look forward to FREE Deluxe Continental Breakfast

as well as






Free Newspaper
Heated Pool
Refrigerator
AM-FM Alarm Clock
Continental Breakfast
Copy Service
Elevators
Fax
Free Local Telephone Calls
Ice Machine
Microwave
Modem Line in Room
Telephone
Turndown Service
TV With Cable
TV Remote Control

So anyhow, I hope ya all get a chance to check out my gift to y'all... my New Year's Eve show list...

here's a link to the world's most comprehensive breakdown of concerts going down on 12-31-2006



as we roll into the holidays it's nice to see all the celebrating going on around the globe

and in the interest of whatevahz, i want everyone to know what everyone else is doing...

here's a few more xmas tracks for yer last minute x-mess mixes...

from NYC Dipset rap thug Jim Jones "N" word filled take on the holidays to some sappy white trashy country Christmas classics and others I had laying around on the ol' H drive...



Lillian Briggs - Rock n Roll-y Poly Santa Clause

Lillian had a career peak from the mid 50's to early 60's selling well over a million singles for the Epic label. This was an Epic Christmas single circa 1961. She also later released tunes via Paramount, Coral, Sunbeam and Phillips and later after showbiz, invested in some resort property in South Florida. In fact it was her yacht "Monkey Business" that was lent out for a trip that included Senator Gary Hart and jeans model Donna Rice as fateful passengers. Lillian eventually died of lung cancer in 1998.

Anton Barbeau - Xmas Song

Sacramento based popsmith Anton Barbeau has risen from the paisley bubblegum stew and collaborated with neo-psychedelic tribe members like Bevis Frond, and Kimberley Rew of the Soft Boys. He's playing on New Year's Eve in his hometown as well...

Another up & coming indie rocker outfit with Xmas audio offerings is The Layaways from Chicago. They've put forth a few tracks for free online at their website including this version of O Christmas Tree...

The Layaways - O Christmas Tree



Rev Horton Heat - We Three Kings

The mighty Rev should need no introduction, but just in case you are not prepared for his twisted holiday surfabilly... hit google and what you find in reverance to him should clear it all up for ya...

Jim Jones - Ballin for Xmas

Rapper Jim Jones is affiliated with The Dipset posse in NYC and on his latest Christmas EP and thows the N* word around a lot more than that Kramer dude... almost like Santa and his Ho Ho Ho's...

now one talented Holly Jolly mofo you don't want to miss, nor mess with is Bootsy...

He earned his chops playing bass with James Brown back in the day... and went onto much glory with Parliament Funkadelic and has been a solo cat and producer for many moons... dig his new Xmess vibes he's laying on ya...

Bootsy Collins - Sleigh Ryde


...now for sumpin' completely different...

Alabama - Christmas In Dixie

Down in Dixie, when Ma & Pa trailer trash sit by the warm glow of the space heater, they put the Alabama on the boombox...and make goo goo eyes at each other...

Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - I Believe In Santa Claus

When the Alabama cassette gets chewed up, they reach for Kenny & Dolly, cuz when the going gets inbred... ya gotta go pro...

Louis Prima - Shake Hands With Santa Claus

Debonair with the slick back hair, New Orleans' own son Louis Prima knew everybody way back when, and Santa was no exception...

Jimmy McGriff - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Jimmy McGriff ranks right up there with Jimmy Smith amongst the great jazzy Hammond B-3 organ players, and this relaxed take on a xmas standard is easy on the ears... cheers!

The Dwarves - Drinking Up Christmas

what more can I say?

oh well how about a Hannukah cut written by the one and only Woody Guthrie fer y'all as well eh?

Klezmatics - Hanukah Tree





"Hanukah Tree" (mp3)
from "Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah"
by The Klezmatics

Jewish Music Group

• Buy at iTunes Music Store
• Buy at eMusic
• Buy at Napster
• Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody

Soul Scissor Xmas Tunes Redux

Last night I attended a holiday shindig featuring one of my all time fave bands Soul Asylum, and the popular "stadium disco" band Scissor Sisters...

It's always good to see Dan & Dave of Soul Asylum, even if audiences only know them for that one song. I happen to be a huge fan, and recall them as one of the best & most passionate live acts ever.

They may have mellowed with age, death, kids, meteoric media rise and inevitable fade from platinum status, but they still have some chops to share...

here's atrack that never made it onto one of their LPs...only a soundtrack thing

Soul Asylum - Losin It

It was a somewhat weird juxtaposistion to see Soul Asylum opening for a an act like Scissor Sisters...

The Scissor Sisters are hugely popular in Europe, recently playing Wembley and on New year's they will perform at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate likely in front of a crowd of almost a hundred thousand...

I was amused they played a small nightclub for a couple hundred folks here in SF, but it was a party organized by a radio station, so go figger...

Some backs were no doubt scrateched to get em in...and here in the states they haven't "crossed over" quite as much...likely due to some homophobic corporate radio paranoia.

The first thing I ever noticed by 'em 4 years back or so was this cover of Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, after which I expected them to quickly disappear...

Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb

They are an amazing success story overall, even if a lot of the material seems stylistically borrowed, most obviously from the stylings of Elton John, but I heard traces of everyone from Tony Orlando & Dawn to the Bee Gees, Faith No More and Queen...

Here they are jamming with Franz Ferdinand live on a Bowie cover...

Scissor Sisters/ Franz Ferdinand - Suffragette City

here's a mash up featuring their only real US track with any chart traction , Take Your Mama Out Tonight, jammed up with George Michael & The Beatles...

DJ Earworm - No One Takes Your Freedom

However they were quite good onstage, the frontman demands attention and rightfully gets it...

The Scissor Sisters displayed an informal charm often lacking in bands that do the big sheds and whatnot, and playing to a friendly San Francisco crowd likely helped...

They told an amusing tale of a recent holiday themed show with Buena Vista Social Club in Holland in which most of the audience was in garish blackface...

they also mentioned that they had just taped an appearance for the soap opera Passions on NBC airing February 8th and 9th. Along with performing onstage, the band 's resident diva will play some sort of imaginary conjured spirit summoned by a young witch...

ya can't make this stuff up... here is some pics of their time on the set...

and their latest video for their UK number 1 smash hit "I Don't Feel Like Dancing"



oh aand if ya want the hit song alone, sans visuals, click here monkey




This music here was composed for play at the Disney Theme park attraction Haunted Mansion, and based on Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. They were composed in the style of Danny Elfman by other talented Imagineers working within the vast Disney empire ...

This one has the Nightmare theme and was used in 2001 for holiday themed the exhibit... it has since been retired from use, and a new Danny Elfman score is used. Here is John Debney's stretching room theme

John Debney - Nightmare Before Xmas Styretching Room Theme

check 'em all out and read and learn lots more Disney arcana at the really well done behind the scenes tribute site called http://www.soundofmagic.com

John Debney - Haunted Mansion Scary Christmas
John Debney - 13 Days of Christmas


some more random XMAS tracks, some of which I posted previously, but hey get em while ya can folks...



Tom Lehrer - Christmas Carol

Common Heroes - Burl The Ives With Hecks Of Dolly

Hanley Johnson - Yep Pi Ky Yo Christmas

Crazy Frog - Jingle Bells

Rev Glen Armstrong - Even Squeaky Fromme Loves Christmas

Mr. Hanky - Merry F-Ing Christmas

Burl Ives - Holly Jolly Christmas

Roomful of Blues - White Christmas

Billy Mack - Christmas Is all Around

Vandals - A Gun For Christmas

Easy Roy & The Flux Capacitors - Little Drummer Boy

Dido - Christmas Day

Ryuchi Sakamoto - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence ( piano version)

Ventures - We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Exhumed No Presents For Christmas

Third Eye Blind - Fairytale of New York

Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis

Third Eye Blind - Christmas reincarnated

Nat King Cole - Christmas Song

George Shearing Quintet - Ding Dong ! Merrily On High


Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Darkness - Christmas Time ( Don't Let The Bells End)

Automator Xmas Redux

Last week got a chance to catch Dan The Automator's live set with a full band and lotsa guest MC's. It was the 2nd night of his ensemble's tour, so things weren't nailed down super tight quite yet, but the group locked onto some tight grooves early on in the set and did not relent...

The tour & it's big red branded bus is sponsored by the video game 2K sports and the whole thing was a first class production. Following the sucess of the animated Gorillaz project, the Automator's latest deal has tie ins including the Automator's production of the latest NBA game soundtrack, 2 albums (one with guest rappers & of course my fave, the instrumentals...)

Oh and in the video game, with it's hyper realistic graphics, Dan The Automator appears in "NBA 2K7" as a playable character.

Dan The Automator w/ E40 & San Quinn - Baller Blockin'

from the Y2k7 Instrumental disc, with some scratch skills on display in the cut

Dan The Automator - Fade Away Instrumental



Twas a packed house, at SF's Mezzanine, with hundreds of hip hop heads enjoying an opening set from Seattle's Common Market. I missed the Rondo Bros. apparently, and woulda liked to have seen what that was all about. I've enjoyed some of the remix work they've done.

As for the full Automator experience... it was never off, just not always on.

It was only the 2nd show of a 13 show west coast run with this lineup... but it was an overall great experience, sort of a live mixtape of sorts...

Amidst the chaos of all the musicians & rappers, The Automator his bad self was chill & relaxed before the show, enjoying a glass of wine on the couches in the backstage ...

He had assembled a combo of white boys in black suits, and for indie dork cred backing band leader Jim Greer of the Rondo Bros. of course wore wack white sneaks...

Greer is a folksy, ex-college radio DJ dude originally outta New Hampshire that has become one of the Automator's main "go to" guys in the Bay Area. The cat has joined Nakamura on many projects in the studio and live including Deltron 3030 with Del, Dr. Octagon with Kool Keith, Handsome Boy Modeling School with Prince Paul and Lovage with Mike Patton.

Amongst the folks Greer and crew were backing onstage were Chali 2na from Jurassic 5, Casual and Domino from Hieroglyphics and AG from DITC.

Oh and there was some bearded sorta semi heavy hindu-tallica hippie cat named Gavin from some San Jose major label "nu metal" concept act called Dredg. All I know is I couldn't really hear him...

The MC's were lively and ran the stage when they were up. Occasionally Nakamura would venture out from behind the turntables and flaunt a beatbox or meekly use the mic. I was surprised how few funky moves a guy who once ran a "A Handsome Boy Modeling School" had. I think the Automator might need to learn the robot...

But he's a sweet fella, and is definitely running things... so who cares if he can mambo or stalk the stage in a rage...

he' up to a whole lot more than basic bragging & dick wagging these days...

Some more audio Automator moments for y'all...

Automator does Depeche Mode - Only When I Lose Myself


Here's for those of you not paying attention last week week of The Automator's holiday remix of Dean Martin doing Jingle Bells

Dean Martin vs Dan The Automator - Jingle Bells

After the show... not only did I pay props to Nakamura and his frayed at the edges Franz Ferdinand lookalike back up group, I got to chat with one of the MC's on the tour.

That being straight outta the Bronx... world... meet AG formerly of the legendary Diggin' In The Crates crew...

psst ...I offer a track from this old school hip hoppers latest Look Records disc, on this one he recounts his legendary crew outta NYC... and he claims to be so cool he's "frozen like a coke habit"...

A.G - Frozen

plus a Hip Hop classic he's responsible for from the early 90's...

Showbiz & AG - Soul Clap
Soul Clap courtesy the awesome 1st year end review going on now at Dilated Choonz

and an interview where he & the Automator get real with Davey D on Hard Knock Radio just before the show I caught last week...

Dan The Automator & AG with Davey D on Hard Knock Radio

Dan The Automator
2K7 West Coast Tour Dates

Dec 1 2006 8:00P	Catalyst	Santa Cruz, California
Dec 2 2006 8:00P	The Senator Theatre	Chico, California
Dec 4 2006 8:00P	Berbatis	Portland, Oregon
Dec 5 2006 8:00P	Nightlight	Bellingham, Washington
Dec 6 2006 8:00P	Neumos	Seattle, Washington
Dec 8 2006 8:00P	Suede	Park City, Utah
Dec 9 2006 8:00P	Belly Up	Aspen, Colorado
Dec 10 2006 8:00P	Fox Theatre	Boulder, Colorado
Dec 12 2006 8:00P	Sunshine Theatre	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dec 13 2006 8:00P	TBA	Flagstaff, Arizona
Dec 14 2006 8:00P	Canes	San Diego, California
Dec 15 2006 8:00P	El Rey	Los Angeles, California

Download the free mixtape hosted by Clinton Sparks that Automator assembled of the 2K7 NBA soundtrack...

Here's a bonus tune The Automator co-wrote and produced for Jamie Cullem awhile back that was a hit in the UK

Jamie Cullum - Get Your Way

and another bonus track from Mike Patton's Peeping Tom project, this one featuring Rahzel & produced by yer pal The Automator

Peeping Tom - Mojo

oh and here's more regular merry frickin' xmas tracks for the insatiable holiday mp3 collectors out there...

( i know, for i am one)

Flip Baber aka Johnny Random - Bike Part Nutcracker Suite

from Nutcracker Suite Played Exclusively on Bicycle Parts at Create Digital Music blog

Vandals - A Gun For Christmas

Dwarves - Drinking Up Christmas

The Db's - Holiday Spirit

Easy Roy & The Flux Capacitors - Little Drummer Boy

Nat King Cole - Christmas Song

George Shearing Quintet - Ding Dong ! Merrily On High

God Rest Ye Merry Emails From Nigeria

I promised y'all some more xmess music last week.... so here goes...

first up a nice holiday rave up on everyone's fave xmess pasttime, from everyone's fave porn punkers, The Dwarves

The Dwarves - Drinking Up Christmas

From their 2005 collection of rarities and whatnot known as the Greedy Boot...

here's a quick blast of tuneage

first something from a band that should need no introduction, who started doing instrumental surf christmas tunes back before I was born...

Ventures - We Wish You A Merry Christmas

and Run don't walk... to Queens where DMC, the late great Jam Master Jay, and all the cops shooting up strip club patrons action is...

Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis

In a speed metal mode... we offer the crushing sentiments of Exhumed...

Exhumed - No Presents For Christmas

Even cock o' the walk Steven Jenkins get's sentimental with his band's take on the Pogues classic
Third Eye Blind - Fairytale of New York

This is next track is by an artist that goes by the humble name Epic Hero

I don't know if they are qualified for such mythical status yet... but here's a decent moderne version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen sung by Epic Hero front dude Justin Milbradt.

Epic Hero - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Buy at eMusic

I don't know about y'all but around my household during xmess season... we have a tradition and that tradition includes exhanging emails & gifts

and no email is more of a gift than those special ones from Nigeria...

Dr. Elmo - Email From Nigeria


Enjoy this new holiday track from Dr. Elmo who brought you Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer all those years ago...

Download Dr. Elmo - "E-mail From Nigeria" (mp3)
from "Hip Hopped Grandma"
by Dr. Elmo
Laughing Stock

• Buy at iTunes Music Store
• Buy at eMusic
• Buy at Napster