December Favorites

"Stay In Love," Plastic Plates feat. Sam Sparro: I downloaded this back in February, but it didn't make it onto my shuffle until October, and then I kept forgetting how happy it makes me every time I hear it. So finally, before the year is out, here I am declaring my love for this song.

"Do It," Tuxedo: Oh Em Gee! I am so very happy this track exists! You see, it had a previous life as the bridge and chorus of a Pitbull song of the same name. The problem with that was of course the fact that you had to listen to really stupid rap verses by Pitbull in order to hear Mayer Hawthorne totally kill it on the melody. Now, thanks to Tuxedo, I can listen to a Mayer Only version of "Do It," and that pretty much made my year.

The Christmas EP, Jon McLaughlin: This is the only new Christmas album I got this year, and it's a good one. In fact, after I listened to it once, I ordered another copy of it to give as part of my office Secret Santa gift. Jon puts his own jazzy piano spin on three Christmas classics, and also gives us two of his originals. It's a festive and happy little EP that makes a great addition to any jazz or pop Christmas music collection.

Nick Jonas, Nick Jonas: I bought this album because I just couldn't get "Jealous" out of my head, and was surprised to find that I love the album as a whole. It is perfect, fun dance pop than can boost a good mood or elevate a bad one. There are several songs ("Warning," "Wilderness, "Take Over," "Nothing Would Be Better") that remind me of Take That's more recent material, and even a song ("Closer") that reminds me of Kylie Minogue! I guess it makes sense that it would take a former boy-bander to bring UK pop sensibilities to the US mainstream. And then there is the dark disco deliciousness of "Teacher," in all its campy dance glory. By this point, I've accounted for half the album, and the other half is just as enjoyable, if not quite as memorable.

This Is Gonna Hurt, Nikki Sixx: I really should have had my sticky page flags handy when I was reading this book because there were so many passages that imparted excellent advice or just made me think, "Nikki really gets it!", and now I don't exactly know where most of those passages are. However, my main take-away was that Nikki's outlook on life and relationships is closely aligned with my own, and I sort of feel like he's a kindred spirit, despite our very different life experiences. It was a little weird to read about his feelings for Kat von D now that he's married to Courtney, but it just goes to show that each of us can have more than one great love in our lifetime. But anyway, this is another excellent book from Nikki Sixx, who has been one of my favorite rock musicians and songwriters for quite some time and will remain so for years to come based on all current indications.

Honeymoon in Vegas: Honeymoon in Vegas is a fun show on many levels, but one thing makes it amazing and memorable: Tony Danza's tap dancing. Judging by the way the crowd reacted to this nice little interlude (Danza dances solo at the end of a song while a set change occurs), this was the high point of the show for most in the audience. Not that Honeymoon in Vegas doesn't have other delights to offer, but it's hard to beat a good tap number by a beloved entertainer. Among the other charms of the show are the female lead's excellent voice, well written and witty songs that nicely move the story along, fun costumes, and set design that is creative without being too over-the-top. Somehow, I've never seen the movie on which this musical is based, so I need to fix that ASAP, because if the movie is just twice as good as the adaptation, it will be more than worth my time.

Chase Rice at Irving Plaza: While Irving Plaza is only a few degrees away from being as awful as Terminal 5, as soon as Chase hit the stage, I didn't really care where I was. The set list was similar to that of the Bowery show, minus a Lil Jon cover, but with the addition of "Friends in Low Places," Luke Bryan's "Drunk On You," and a couple of other cover snippets -- which is more than a fair trade. I'm am eating up every minute that I get to see Chase Rice perform in small venues, because I don't think it's going to be very long at all until he's headlining Madison Square Garden. His talent and charisma continue to increase and impress.

Rodin's Debutante, Ward Just: I am so lucky to have worked at the premier independent bookstore on Martha's Vineyard, because I'm not sure I would have ever picked up a Ward Just book otherwise. I am further blessed that Just is an extremely popular author on the island, and I can always find a book or two of his at one of the annual town library book sales. This summer's find was Rodin's Debutante, which proved the perfect book to carry in my purse while I read a huge WFB book (below) at home. Just, like James Salter (see All That Is on last year's best list), is able to capture the sensibilities of the 40s and 50s so well that it's hard to believe this book was written just three years ago. Just's prose is gorgeous and evocative with a lyrical and dream-like quality, and the pace of his writing fits the era about which he writes. The story meanders a bit, but the world Just creates is so beautiful that I always wanted to keep reading so I could be in it more. Looking back on the mid 20th century, there is a romanticism to the era (thanks, Mad Men) - the sense that things are changing so quickly that something is always slipping away or being lost, no matter how hard one tries to resist - and Just captures that ethos perfectly. Rodin's Debutante is perhaps more simplified than true life at the time, but that fairy-tale quality is what gives the story a bit of a magic halo.

Miles Gone By, William F. Buckley, Jr.: If you've never read any WFB before, this book would be the perfect introduction to his highly intelligent, unfailingly witty writing. Miles Gone By, subtitled A Literary Autobiography, is a large collection of short pieces that span Buckley's life and career. The writings are divided by topic, and of course my favorite section was "Sailing (and Skiing, and one Fly-by)." I really love all of Buckley's books about sailing, and it was a delight to revisit some of his boats and journeys. However, my favorite piece in this entire book is "Six Freshmen and an Ercoupe," a rollicking airplane-centered misadventure filled with droll wit. Buckley also offers fascinating anecdotes about the first time he encountered a number of his famous friends (Roger Moore, Princess Grace, Ronald Reagan, David Niven, and Alistair Cooke among them), insight into his more political endeavors, and tales of adventure - all told in his distinct and charming style.

Florida Georgia Line: One of the pleasures of being at home is that I get to be in a car and listen to the (satellite) radio. However, once I determined that the possibility of hearing "Uptown Funk" a couple of times a day amid all the drek was not enough to make listening to one of the Sirius XM hits stations worthwhile, I quickly moved my listening allegiances over to The Highway. On this station I got to hear my beloved Chase Rice and Sam Hunt, and also get introduced to up-and-coming Country artists. Additionally, I finally came around to Florida Georgia Line because I really like the song "Get Your Shine On" and because I was in the mood for something fun and sunny as we head into the heart of winter. In the six days I was at home, I decided that I liked these guys enough to buy both their albums and a ticket to their February show at MSG. I think 2015 might be a little more countryfied than usual, and I'm okay with that.

"Love You Like That," Canaan Smith: This was another find from The Highway, and it was the new song I looked forward to hearing the most when I was tuned into the station. Smith doesn't have an album out yet, but I'm looking forward to hearing more from him next year.