I’m going to keep my intro short, since it’s been a very busy weekend, since my birthday was yesterday (Sunday), and my mom had a birthday celebration for me, my brother, and my sister (my brother and sister are twins, their birthday is on Wednesday – I know, it was always crazy having 3 out of 4 kids’ birthdays to deal with just 2 weeks before Christmas!)

When I was young, I was a little miffed to be ‘sharing’ my birthday with my brother and sister. Especially since they got to open their presents 3 days early. How fair is that?! But as adults, it’s quite convenient to have our birthdays so close together – get that celebration done in one fell swoop! heh!

Meanwhile, it’s Monday, and Monday means music! For the month of December, the running theme for the entire month is Christmas Song/Music/Tunes! Let’s get into the spirit, and let’s get this party started!

Usually I pay attention and make sure I have a Chanukah song at the beginning of the 8 nights, but this year it got away from me. Today’s the last day, so better late than never, especially since I found this awesome a cappella song. This group is anchored by a strong Jewish identity and driven by a mission to connect Jews around the globe with their heritage through music, they are the originators of today’s Jewish a cappella sound.

They’ve performed to rave reviews for millions of people — at synagogues, religious schools, major sports events, JCCs, fundraising events, B’nai Mitzvah and private affairs alike, received numerous awards for their five best-selling CDs, and were selected as finalists for casting in NBC’s “The Sing-Off”.

Get ready to be impressed by Six13 with “Bohemian Chanukah (a Queen adaptation)”:

Next up is a song that’s becoming a tradition each year to dedicate to my brother for his birthday. His birthday is Wednesday, so it’s the perfect time to play this song. Happy (early) Birthday, Mikey – here’s a  for ya! You know I love ya!

Here’s The Song Trust with “Box Of Rocks”:

Next up is a Utah-based a cappella group that has combined the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with the Broadway smash “Hamilton,” and what a delightful result it is!

“How does a young buck reindeer, one who was constantly mocked and dropped in the middle of a forgotten island full of misfit toys where nobody could tell you what his name is, grow up to be the one who’s the most famous?”

That’s a question that Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t think to ask when he was composing a musical about the guy on the 10-dollar bill. Not to worry, though — these good folks, with seven albums to their name, have taken Miranda’s “Hamilton” music, mashed it up with a Gene Autry classic, taken several detours into a beloved stop-motion Rankin/Bass animated Christmas special, and produced a fresh new take on the tale of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

One of the members was quoted as saying:

“We feel like everyone’s enjoying it. All of our kids have it memorized, even though they have no idea what ‘Hamilton’ is. But people who are ‘Hamilton’ fans really geek out over the parallelisms.”

Enjoy the fun Eclipse 6 with “Hamidolph”:

Last, but certainly not least, is the second chapter in the Claymation trilogy showcasing songs from Sia’s seasonal LP Everyday Is Christmas.

Picking up where the “Candy Cane Lane” video left off, “” finds Sia’s yarn-haired Claymation character pursuing a snow monster into a secluded house in the middle of the woods.

After befriending the creature, the little girl discovers the root of the snow monster’s anger – an icy Midas touch – and, with the help of gloves, helps the monster string up Christmas lights and celebrate the holiday.

I’ll be sure to share the finalé of the trilogy next week!

Here’s Sia with “Ho Ho Ho”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

 

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:   PhotobucketI have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and while our beloved Callie of JAmerican Spice is taking a break, our friend Michelle from Musings and Merriments with Michelle is helping out with hostess duties! And, for the month of November, our Honorary Conductor and Spotlight Dancer is me!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!



9 Comments

  1. Stacy,

    You shared nearly all new-to-me tunes this week. The only I knew is “Box of Rocks”. That’s a fun one, too. lol Have a joyful week, dearie!

  2. A good set! I really enjoyed the first two. Six13 did a good job summarizing Hanukkah and integrating it into “Bohemian Rhapsody,” while the little girl was adorable. I have a feeling I would have enjoyed the third one more if I’d seen “Hamilton.” Sia’s voice sounded like it had been compressed and came out like gangbusters, so I muted her and enjoyed the video.

  3. I loved the Eclipse 6 “mashup” of Hamilton and Rudolph. Clever! And the Bohemian Chanukah has become a brand new favorite – I can listen to to it endessly. Box of Rocks was cute. Hope you are having a good week, and Happy Belated Birthday to you. I am another mid December birthday and can well identify with trying to deal with the birthday/holiday mashup.

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