It's hard to go wrong with the Phil Spector Xmas album.

Before I start with the threadsucking, though, can anyone recommend an interesting/good/favorite Christmas album?

I'm planning on posting at least three different xmas mixes on Buffistarawk when we get closer to December, Kathy. So do check in occasionally.

As for immediate recommendations, there's a good Motown xmas set. The classic Atlantic Soul Christmas. For originals, I really love the 5 Chinese Brothers Window Shopper's Christmas.

But I'll be posting an uptempo fun xmas mix, a bluegrass/folk mix and a Merry Fucking Christmas mix (for people who need to fend off the holiday spirit). If I'm feeling ambitious I'll also post my Power Pop Christmas and my Beatnik Exploitation/Jazz xmas mixes.

I'm planning on revising last year's Christmas mix so I can give it as gifts around the office. Unfortunately, I can't do this until JHymn gets updated for iTunes 6.0 (because I'm making more than seven copies).

Around my mom's place it's Christmas music 24/7 from the First Sunday of Advent til the last package is opened. I think half her CDs are Christmas music.

But I'll be posting an uptempo fun xmas mix, a bluegrass/folk mix and a Merry Fucking Christmas mix (for people who need to fend off the holiday spirit). If I'm feeling ambitious I'll also post my Power Pop Christmas and my Beatnik Exploitation/Jazz xmas mixes.

Ohoh-uhuh (or a delighted quiver) to that whole paragraph.

I stick with the classics at Xmas: Low's Christmas and Yo La Tengo's Merry Xmas From Yo La Tengo.

Thanks Kate P. for the African music. I'm liking the West African stuff a little more than the South African stuff -- it's a little funkier. But you reminded me that many a moon ago I downloaded a Fela Kuti album I never really listened to. So that's now on the iPod. But anyway, you rock.

I'm been applying for better jobs tonight and listening to iTunes; here's a sample of tonight's music:

One Of These Days - Camper Van Beethoven
Interlude - Jay-Z/Beatles/Danger Mouse
We Suck Young Blood - Radiohead
All For Swinging You Around - New Pornographers
Fins - Jimmy Buffett
Smokestack Lightning - John Lee Hooker
Let Love Speak Up Itself - Beautiful South
Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley
Shouldn't Be Ashamed - Wilco
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Fernando Ortega

I don't know why iTunes thought Buffett and a Christmas carol were worth playing. But "One Of These Days" seems appropriate for the dark Seattle night and for applying for better jobs, and the Beautiful South always seems appropriate for my irony-tinged life.

Wow, I've never heard Mississippi John Hurt do "Smokestack Lightning." When's that from?

Also, what Fela do you have? Pretty much everything I've heard is brilliant, but I've only heard four or five albums.

You're welcome, dw! I did eventually find where my compilations were stored, so I might try to put up a couple more tracks tonight or tomorrow. I think I mentioned the "Love's a Real Thing" compilation in one of the buffistarawk emails, but if you like the West African funk, you should definitely check it out, and of course it's hard to go wrong with Fela Kuti.

Wow, I've never heard Mississippi John Hurt do "Smokestack Lightning." When's that from?

Oops. I meant John Lee Hooker. My bad.

Also, what Fela do you have? Pretty much everything I've heard is brilliant, but I've only heard four or five albums.

Turns out I have two -- No Agreement and With Ginger Baker Live.

No Agreement and With Ginger Baker Live.

You know, I don't think I've heard either of those. The one I listen to most often is Expensive Shit/He Miss Road, and also the best-of compilation that came out several years ago, The Best Best of Fela Kuti. There are a few afrobeat comps out now, Nigeria '70 and Afro Baby, I think are the names. I downloaded several comps (the aforementioned, plus Ghana Soundz, 2 volumes) around the same time a few months ago and have been listening to them on shuffle, so I can't say which is the best, but they're all fun and funky.