If It Isn't Scottish, It's Crap: Special Beach Boys New Year's Eve Edition

From November 1964, and their epochal Christmas LP, please enjoy the incomparable Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, and the humongous dickitude that is Mike Love and their incomparable a cappella rendition of that Scottish New Year's eve song whose title escapes me.

With an extra special holiday message from Denny at the end.

And if you're out tonight, please drink responsibly. Or not. After all, you guys can do anything you want -- you're college students!

The Hiccup Song

I did not previously know this existed.

And while it has an undeniable relevance to the medical conditions that have been kicking my ass since Saturday, if I ever encounter the people who wrote and recorded it, I guarantee I will put a bullet through their brain(s).

Thank you.

U2 Sings Their Ode to the Medical Condition That Has Been Kicing My Ass Since Saturday Morning.

Which, I might add, was the last time I was able to leave the house. God, it's annoying and deeply uncomfortable.

Seriously-- apart from barely being able to sleep or eat, the worst indegestion in the world(!), non-stop hiccups, and having everything spinning mst of the time, I've thrown up in a really explosive painful way twice in the last two days. For the first time in thirty years.

In short -- none of my post Christmas experiences have been any fun whatsoever.

Regular, non-kvetchh musical posts return on the morow, the Lord wiling.

Hey, In a Pandemic, a Boy's Gotta Have a Hobby!

From his just released solo album McCartney III, please enjoy the cutest surviving ex-Beatle and his delightful "Find My Way."

As you probably know, as he did with his previous two solo records, Paul did did everything on it at home by himself.

In any event, it's nice to know in these trying times that Macca's still got it. The rest of the album, which you can find for free on YouTube, is darned good as well.

A Lump of Coal Week (Best Rock/Soul/Pop Xmas Songs of All Time) Part III : Special "It's a Three Way Tie!" Edition

From the David Letterman Show in 2014, Darlene Love!

And from Shindig in 1964, The Beach Boys!!

And finally, from South Park in 2010 --- it's Kyle!!!

Have a great holiday weekend, everybody!!!!

A Lump of Coal Week (Best and Worst Rock/Soul/Pop Xmas Songs of All Time) Part III : Special "It's a Tie!" Edition

And now today's Holiday Hit Parade of Horror!

George Michael/Wham's "Last Christmas"...

...and Mariah Carey's possibly even worse...

...which is so appalling I can't even type its name.

Swear to god, everybody involved in those two songs on any level deserves to burn in the sulfurous fires of Hell.

Tomorrow -- something, er, nicer.

A Lump of Coal Week (Best and Worst Rock Xmas Songs): Part II -- Special "The Shop Around the Corner" Edition

From his 1993 album The Greatest Living Englishman, please enjoy actual greatest living Englishman Martin Newell and his fiendishly ingratiating ode to "Christmas in Suburbia."

I should add that the first time I heard that song was -- presumably in 1993 -- when friend of PowerPop and moi Sal Nunziato was blasting it over the sound system at my then neighborhood record store NYCD.

And since if memory serves I've never said it -- hey, thanks Sal!!!

We Interrupt "A Lump of Coal Week" to Bring You The Only Good News of 2020

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson tells you about his forthcoming re-edit/re-model of The Beatles Let It Be movie.

Wow. Seriously, wow.

[h/t Eric Boardman]

A Lump of Coal Week (Best and Worst Rock Xmas Songs): Part I -- "Tried to Smoke A Rubber Cigar" Edition

From the absolutely fantastic 1991 alt-rock Christmas compilation A Lump of Coal -- thematic unity, people --

--- please enjoy the incomparable Odds and their gloriously Crazy Horse-ish version of "Kings of Orient."

Those guys are gods in Canada, BTW.

But hey -- Canada, right?

Let Me Be Perfectly Frank About Frank

There's a very interesting piece in the current New Yorker about a forthcoming documentary on Frank Zappa.

Which you can read over HERE.

I should add that Zappa was obviously a very amusing guy, so I have no doubt the film will be worth seeing.

I should also add that Zappa and his music otherwise sucked hippo root, IMHO. He was the world's most tedious guitarist, and as far as I'm concerned, he wrote and recorded exactly one really good song.

And I say this as somebody who, as you can see above, spent an hour in a hotel room interviewing him. Which because I love you all more than food, you can also read about over here.

Have a great weekend, everybody!!!