Have you ever had a sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something? If so, then you've had an epiphany. That's what these songs are all about. Enjoy! ~ JH 1) Taylor Swift ~ "Epiphany"
It's that time of year again...when I drag out a classic Christmas song we all know and love and find a number of different versions of it and gather them all in one place. (Hint: Right here.) And the key word is "different." Herein you'll find the song rendered by human voices alone, you'll hear full orchestra, mass choir, hip-hop, dubstep, metal core, boys' choir, and alternative versions, just to name a few. I dare ya to listen! Oh, and enjoy! ~ JH
1) Pentatonix (Gorgeously intricate rendition by the current kings [and queen] of a cappella.)
2) Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Actual title: “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”) (Classic orchestral/heavy metal medley of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and this particular carol.)
3) Family Force 5 (I don’t even know how to describe this one. Weird? Terrible? Inventive? Slightly off? Perhaps it’s all of the above.)
4) BarlowGirl (One of my favorite “girl groups” sings one of my favorite carols in a medley with “Sing We Now Of Christmas.” Breathtakingly beautiful!)
5) DeStorm Power (There just *had to* be a hip-hop version of this song out there somewhere, right? Yup. And this is it.)
6) Capital Kings (And a dubstep version, apparently.)
7) August Burns Red (Then there’s the metalcore rendition that you’ve all been waiting for. No? Well, maybe you should listen anyway. It’s rather awesome!)
8) Celtic Woman (It almost seems like the song was written for them to sing. Great stuff!)
9) Sesame Street Cast ft. Jennifer Hudson (A Dreamgirl and Muppets. What else is there to say?)
10) David Hicken (Never heard of this guy before, but he tickles the ivories quite adeptly.)
11) Straight No Chaser (Because we needed a more traditional a cappella version of the song, I suppose.)
12) Mormon Tabernacle Choir (And a mass choir with handbells version, of course.)
13) Libera (Something about a choir of boys dressed like wingless angels just screams Christmas! And weird. It most definitely also screams weird.)
14) The Piano Guys (Like the TSO song above, this is a medley of “Carol” and “God Rest Ye.” I dunno why he calls himself “The Piano Guys,” but he sure can play a mean cello!)
15) Jessica Simpson (This is what happens when a singer of generally vapid pop songs bothers to actually record “real” music. She should do so more often.)
16) Fallulah (Slower, darker, and vaguely menacing. Definitely different. In other words, I like it.)
17) Kenny G (Medley of “Carol” and “We Three Kings.” Leave it to a saxophonist to provide a breath of fresh air to an oft-recorded tune. Pun fully intended. And fully awful.)
18) Josh Wilson (I’ve seen this guy work his magic in concert. This may sound like the work of a full band, but I’ll bet you he played nearly every note and instrument you hear all by himself.)
19) The Calling (To all these other renditions, I add this post-grunge/alternative rock offering. You’re welcome?)
20) Richard Carpenter (The only thing this one’s missing is Richard’s sister Karen’s velvety vocals. One thing it could do without is all the cheesiness. But I guess it was the '70s...so there ya go!)
It's the Winter Solstice, so here's a bunch of songs for the new season. (Although where I live, it feels like summertime, but whatevs.) There were too many good songs by well-known and emerging artists to include in just one post. So there will be a Volume 2 tomorrow. Enjoy! ~ JH
1) Pentatonix ~ “White Winter Hymnal”
2) The Piano Guys ~ “Let It Go / Vivaldi’s Winter”
3) Mumford & Sons ~ “Winter Winds”
4) Gwen Stefani ~ “Early Winter”
5) AFI ~ “Love Like Winter”
6) Kanye West ~ “Coldest Winter”
7) Bush ~ “The Sound Of Winter”
8) Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson ~ “Winter Song”
