December has arrived, and this week is an extra special week, because it’s my birthday week! Nothing special planned, other than the usual birthday dinner out – which will be either Friday or Saturday night, so I can go to my favorite local restaurant when they only serve prime rib on Friday and Saturday. I can wait a day or two for that!

Meanwhile, since it’s Monday, you know that Monday means music! For the month of December, our Spotlight Dancer is our friend and the brain child of Monday’s Music Moves Me, our very own Marie of Xmas Dolly! The theme selected for this month is “For the entire month, you’re invited to share all things Christmas. Get inventive, let’s make this the hap-happiest Christmas season ever!” I’m down with that! Let’s get this Christmas party started!

Let’s start with a song that was inspired by this artist’s own small town, located in the New York City suburbs in Westchester County. And when it came to depicting that small town in the song’s video, he knew he needed something that reflected his family’s real-life holiday experiences. He said:

“We had shot all the live footage of me playing the song and that just didn’t make a video. And then, they wanted to use B-stock footage of, like, families having nice Christmases in small towns. And that just didn’t feel personal enough.”

So the artist and his wife decided to give fans a peek into their actual lives in their small town.

“Mari and I got together one night and just compiled together all the video that we had…that we have taken of ourselves, just from our phones and Instagram and stuff like that,” he says.

“We pooled together everything that we had of celebrating Christmas over the last few years up here,” he says of his town. “And then we put that in there and edited it together into the video.”

The video features shots of the artist and his wife and their dogs celebrating in front of the Christmas tree and playing in the snow, as well as scenes of them shopping for decorations, sledding, buying wine and other holiday activities.

Here’s Rob Thomas with “Small Town Christmas”:

Next up is another Christmas tune from one of my favorite Australian singer-songwriters, whose Christmas album was just released early last month. While the song is a melancholy ode to the Yuletide season, it should definitely be added to your Christmas day playlist this year. Might be best saved for the end of the night though when things are winding down. When your auntie and uncle start slow dancing, that’s your cue.

Give a listen to Sia with “Pin Drop”:

Next up, we can’t kick off the Christmas season without including our favorite silly family with a new fun goofy Christmas medley, it just wouldn’t be right.

Get ready for some laughs, here’s The Holderness Family with “Honest Christmas Songs”:

Last, but certainly not least, this a cappella group is getting into the spirit with the release of this new music video. The clip features the a cappella group and the guest violinist sporting dramatic costumes and performing the tune against different backdrops. Lots of fun energy!

Get ready to dance, here’s Pentatonix featuring Lindsey Stirling with “Over The River”:

That’s a wrap for this week – see you on the dance floor!

Now on to the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:   Photobucket

I 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, Callie of JAmerican Spice, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

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!

INTRODUCING OUR “SPOTLIGHT DANCER”:

Marie of Xmas Dolly



9 Comments

  1. Honestly, I don’t know if there is anything better than Christmas in a small town. When we moved to Bentonville, Arkansas 34 years ago it was a small town of around 10,000 people. Today is is a small city of over 50,000. To be perfectly honest, I liked this town when it was smaller, but time marches on. Have a blessed week.

  2. Merry Christmas, Stacy, ole pal! I hope everyone is doing well on your side of the monitor. “Small Town Christmas” lyrics are spot on for this time of season. I have so many memories growing in rural West Virginia where town are definitely that small, so small that you can throw a rock from one end to the other…if you are a good thrower that is. 🙂 Pentatonix modernize the old Christmas classic “Over The River” with their harmonizing vocals and interesting sounds. Thanks for sharing the dance floor with me, darlin’! Have a boogietastic week!

  3. Lindsey Sterling is a remarkable player, and a fantastic dancer. She definitely stole the show from Pentatonix in that video. Great vids all around!

  4. HOLY COW & MERRY CHRISTMAS GIRLFRIEND! I’M SO SORRY I’M LATE! I had to run for an appointment! The one I’m looking forward too is this coming Monday at 9:15 a.m. he’s a new doctor and I’m hoping he’s smart enough to let me know what the hell’s wrong with my leg. Anyway, some laughs, at The Holderness Family with “Honest Christmas Songs”: hmmmm I’m listening right now… heyyyyyyyyyyyyy RUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!???? Anyway, Pentatonix always has something cool to listen too! Luv them! Sia has a pretty voice, but why she dresses like that is beyond me, and your first tune I think is the best… Rob Thomas with “Small Town Christmas is awesome. Gonna have to put that one on my tape player… Great job Stacy… my forever friend… dang how many years have we been together??? I’ll have to figure that out… hahaha JUST CURIOUS…. WHAT DO YOU SAY??? Anyway, stay warm and good luck with your Christmas shopping I’m starting mine next Monday… hahaha HAVE A GREAT WEEK! 20 DEGREES TODAY????? AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK have a great week girlfriend!!!

  5. Well, gosh…The Holderess Family has a real winner here. My spouse worked in retail for years and can not stand hearing Christmas music – he was enjoying this! Rob Thomas – my spouse is a native of Westchester County and I grew up just a couple of miles from its county line (in New York City), so I had to look up where Rob lives. Lindsey Stirling is performing here on Friday so that was quite timely, too. Most enjoyable set this week!

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