Weezer: "Say It Ain't So"

I haven't posted any vintage Weezer since March, so today I'm pulling this favorite out of the vault -- a '95 performance of "Say It Ain't So" on Letterman. Rivers Cuomo had lost the bowl cut of the prior year, but his charged vocal performance and the band's tight sound had gotten even better. Cuomo is active as a lead singer, jumping and moving around, but he was wearing a leg brace during this performance after undergoing a procedure to lengthen his left leg, which was more than an inch shorter than his right. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) The leg brace forced him to stay rooted in front of the microphone, which makes this one of my favorite versions of this song. It goes from quiet and understated to jarring and heart-wrenching as Cuomo speaks directly to his alcoholic father. Watching him sing the bridge at 2:28, speaking to his father -- "Dear Daddy, I write you in spite of years of silence" -- his eyes squeezed shut, drummer Patrick Wilson rocking out in the background -- "The sun is drowning in the FLOOOD!" -- that's my favorite part of this video.

This song was the third single off Weezer's very first, self-titled album back in 1994, when they'd been playing together for just two years. "Say It Ain't So" remains one of their very best songs, a solid member of my own Top 10 Songs of the '90s (and others agree). This video also appears on the live Weezer DVD Video Capture Device.

I'll be taking a long weekend to properly ring in the new year. See you in 2012!

James Blake: "Limit to Your Love"

I honestly can't stop listening to Adele's live CD on repeat, so it's a good thing Juke Box Hero is here today to tickle your ear drums with something new.

Have you heard of James Blake? He put out an amazing debut album this year - I'd definitely slow jam to "Limit to Your Love."

Blake is a British dubstep-electro DJ. He's all about breaking down tracks of various genres and then splicing them back together in interesting, techy ways. After a few singles and EPs, the 23-year-old released his first full-length album in February, 2011 -- and he finally opened his mouth. Out came a sultry soul singer.

It's uncanny: He looks a little like Napoleon Dynamite without the merm, yet he sounds like chocolate syrup. His falsetto is strong and haunting, but somehow infectious, catchy. He might be the best electro soul DJ ever.

I'm not in love. It's an album you might drive off the road to; the sometimes-droning melodies can lull more than entertain. But you've got to give him credit for covering so many miles of sonic ground. On a journey through his music, James Blake may make you wonder how far till the next rest stop. But not always in a bad way.

Adele: "Set Fire to the Rain" & "Rolling in the Deep"

Adele is not a well-kept secret. The 23-year-old British soul songstress has been raking in the critical praise, the commercial success, and the hardware accolades over the past year -- and it's continued even after she had throat surgery last month.

The top item on my Christmas list this year was Adele's new live DVD/CD release, filmed at Royal Albert Hall in London this fall. Apparently I didn't fall too far off the Good Blogger Wagon in 2011, because Santa rewarded my efforts, and on the drive from Iowa City to Chicago yesterday I listened to the album twice through. I'm only a little embarrassed to admit that I burst into tears more than once during the 108-minute concert. (Tears of joy, tears of sorrow, tears of recognition, what have you.) Any casual listener might notice that the woman's got some serious baggage to work out via song, but I'd heard these songs before, so I reason that my reaction was due purely to Adele's performance. Her voice is breathtaking. She sings on the edge of her vocal chords, as if she's giving her entire physical and mental being to the music. It runs through her and escapes from her mouth, dripping with emotion and raw with power. The woman's got one-of-a-kind pipes.

I already posted one song from that concert on this blog -- the stunning "Turning Tables" -- and above you'll find the only other official VEVO video from the Royal Albert Hall performance, "Set Fire to the Rain." (I guess they had to save the rest for the DVD.) The craftsmanship of both the music and the cinematography is lovely, but I think the bootleg video below is even better. It's the finale, her #1 hit "Rolling in the Deep," and the video includes a little intro during which you can see Adele standing in stocking feet, wiping tears from her eyes, and thanking the audience for making one of her dreams come true. It's a humbling moment, both to watch on the DVD and listen to on the CD. Just before the end, Adele leads the audience in singing the refrain -- which makes her late entry into the final chorus even more magnificent.

Add in glittering gold confetti and Adele's gleeful bounding off-stage at the end -- she is just SO HAPPY -- and you'll see why everyone thinks the guy who broke her heart is the biggest sucker in the world. The woman will rule the music industry for as long as she can sing. She's promised us a Grammy performance in February and a third album sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wholeheartedly advocate that everyone buy this album. We could all use a good cry every once in awhile.

Nat King Cole: "The Christmas Song"

Merry Christmas from Daijams!

Charlotte Church: "Silent Night"

I went to church with my family today. It had been awhile, but I grew up going to Christmas services with my grandparents, and I never really minded because the Christmas worship is about 80% singing and 20% candle-lighting, both things that even fidgety kids can get behind. The pastor tells the Christmas story and we sing through the Christmas catalog, from "Hark the Herald Angels" to "O Little Town of Bethlehem," ending with "Silent Night." In order to experience this song properly, stick a white taper candle in a plastic cup, turn off all the lights, surround yourself with family, and sing along. If you can hit the notes Charlotte Church hits, the Christmas spirit is truly with you.

If you can't, you're probably just not a child prodigy soprano. Don't be too hard on yourself, it's still Christmas!

Daijams' 12 Days of Christmas wraps up tomorrow, then back to your regularly scheduled programming. I hope you've enjoyed the romp through all the different styles of Christmas celebration!

Lady Gaga: "White Christmas"

So I made it to Iowa for Christmas weekend. The family time is splendid, though I'm hiding for a few minutes to type this up. This video cuts straight to the core of a great live performance. Gaga invokes an almost Disney princess-level vibrato on a cool jazz classic. She's even got an adorable speech in the middle to introduce an extra verse she wrote about a snowman. Not necessarily what you'd expect from the artist behind the songs "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" and "Love Stick" -- both of which are about exactly what they sound like. I'll take the snowman, and the live band, and the whole bit. Is this testing ground for a full-scale Gaga Christmas album next year?

Two more posts to go in Daijams' 12 Days of Christmas -- which means I'll be posting over the weekend for the first time, uh, ever. So I hope you tune in! Happy holidays and safe travels!

Judy Garland: "After the Holidays"

I'm hitting the road for Iowa to celebrate the holidays, so a very quick post today -- but really, with Judy Garland, not many words are needed. Just close your eyes and listen to her voice in this song. She slides in and out with the piano. They're joined by strings, and then the rest of the band swells and, wait a minute, is that...is that a flute? Why yes. That's a flute. There's a high woodwind section. Don't you miss music like this sometimes?

And Judy always sounds so eager, so sincere. "Just stay with me 'til after the holidays," she pleads. "I know it's hard, but try. Try to pretend 'til New Year's, then we can say goodbye." Talk about a doomed romance. But she still wants it. Don't you miss storylines like this sometimes?

The holidays make me all nostalgic. I think I've been listening to too much top 40 lately. It's just so damn catchy. Three more posts to go in Daijams' 12 Days of Christmas! Which video is going to be the partridge in the pear tree? Any suggestions?