Recent Posts
Surprisingly my Christmas Day suspended in musical air post feast. I didnt realise how musically adept my family was.
Obviously the experienced guitar skills of my brother triggered the concert and far outweighed the rest in musical talent. I on the other hand, could not stop with the carols drummed into me from work. Think of Cher singing the following, I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas, I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas, I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heart. Shocking I know, but after a few wines, one doesnt seem to care at all, even after the threats. There were even dare I say suggestions to contest on Australian Idiot, I mean Idol. I dont think so.
There was a duet between my brother and my father, guitar of course. Moving on my Uncle jumped in and started playing some random number, to which we later discovered he doesnt actually know how to read music or can decipher the difference between the notes. This, from a man, that used to play gigs at his local pub.
Henceforth the night ended with one of my Auntys singing, screeching, yodelling, whatever you may wish to interpret it as, covering musicians from Bob Dylan, U2 to other baby booming tunes. My Nana also joined in, with her frail voice. She hardly ever does, so I look at the evening, yes now with a hangover but also with a smile of achievement and relief that nobody told us off.
What musical shenanigans occurred on your Christmas Day? And how did they start?
I was posed the question today, " How was Boxing Day given its name?".
Well, after much speculation and research, nobody could give me a straight answer.
Alot featured around the following -
- The day when you throw out your boxes from presents
- The day when you fill the boxes with stuff for the homeless
- The day when the sales start and there is a super discount for the first few no hopers slammed against the frame of any major department store
I had a feeling of deja vu, when asked this, as I perhaps I did as a child. Like that Great Wall of China advertisement, I posed the same question, but do not remember the answer.
I have a feeling this day has religious significance... Or more that you drink so much in the week that you feel like hitting someone, most likely a family member.
Let us see what Wikipedia has to say on the matter...
1) In feudal times, the rich would give to the poor, boxes filled with stuff (hey that rings a belll!)
2) Christmas bonus from employers to their staff, putting money into boxes
3) Donating in church was a traditional activity on this day, I remember that happening back in the day when I went to church
4) This is my favourite version, so much so I have left it word for word -
Boxing Day was the day when the wren, the king of birds[citation needed], was captured and put in a box and introduced to each household in the village when he would be asked for a successful year and a good harvest. See Frazer's Golden Bough.
Evidence can also be found in Wassail songs such as:
Where are you going ? said Milder to Malder,
Oh where are you going ? said Fessel to Foe,
I'm going to hunt the cutty wren said Milder to Malder,
I'm going to hunt the cutty wren said John the Rednose.
And what will you do wi' it ? said Milder to Malder,
And what will you do wi' it ? said Fessel to Foe,
I'll put it in a box said Milder to Malder,
I'll put it in a box said John the Rednose.
etc.
5) The boxing of food again from employers to their staff to take home to their families
Does anyone know any other version of the Boxing Day label, or perhaps the truth ?
Hooray for Christmas, for some the cherished times of carols about a winter wonderland bring joy. I on the other hand, am receiving much pleasure out of my newest gift, Evermores Real Life CD.
Cast your minds back a year and this is probably when these guys became really big. Like Jet they sold their track to companies with money, for these guys it was Channel 10, primarily on the teen soap, The OC.
I loved these guys before The OC, but not too long before as it was all pretty new for this great kiwi band. I am glad to hear some more music coming from New Zealand, because even though it is so close there isnt much that I hear coming from our closest neighbour.
I was fortunate enough to see them live and learned they are all brothers, The Humes. So, Real Life huh? With saturated tracks like Running and Its Too Late, one can only think of their music in those frames. Like many Indie bands, their tracks have a similar quality and theme in each, so if you like one, you can be assured you will like them all.
The thing that makes Evermore stand out for me is the story telling focus is quite evident, which as I mentioned previously in a separate post, enhances the musical meaning for me.
www.evermoreband.com
Tell me if you like or dislike Evermore and why? Merry Christmas to all.
Yesterday afternoon (Saturday 9th December) in Sydneys CBD, there was a protest for David Hicks to mark his five year detainment in Guatanomo Bay. With speakers like Mahmdou Habib and greens senator Kerry Nettle, one cannot help but pay attention to such a revolt.
[ Click here to read more ]
The most straightforward way to extract meaning of words or lyrics in song is by looking at the background of the group or solo artist and their genre of music. Other than that, there are some wacky ways to draw from those genres, dont you reckon?
[ Click here to read more ]
I have often been posed the question, if you had to choose which sense would you keep?
Most of us would say, well it really depends on the situation. But in the name of discussion and boredom, I am now flipping a coin
[ Click here to read more ]
I have to say as there are some very odd places where you find background music. I can never quite get over it when you hear it in the toilet of a club, hotel or fancy shopping centre or even a not so fancy shopping centre. It is thoughtful, but strange.
There is of course the most notorious of all background music, the elevator. Whether you live in a block of swish apartments, just jumping the escalator hype in Myer or cruising the levels in a hotel you are bound to be faced with the inevitable background music.
[ Click here to read more ]
Originally labelled Weedstock, Homebake 2006 was everything I had hoped for from the pinnacle of the years Austrlian music talent. I was pleasantly surprised by Wolf & Cub, Macromantics and Infusion.
[ Click here to read more ]
Fresh sounds from Ireland these days bring you bands like Snow Patrol. I admit I have been a bit slow on the uptake in buying their album, Eyes Open, but they definitely are now. After playing it all day, I have come to realise how many of their tracks I actually know, pretty much all of them. Good old commercial radio, you can hardly get away from the most popular stuff can you?
[ Click here to read more ]
|
|
|
Add Comments
Comments (1)
Read More
Comment by Whatever
on another way to die. krispy kreme burgers.
WHATEVER