Chistmas Morning - Top 3 Classic Christmas songs

Season's Greetings readers,

From my lovely home in Toronto I wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas. I was hoping it would snow this morning but unfortunately that was not the case this year. It is still quite a lovely morning as the field across from my apartment remains quite white from the last time we had some snow. 

The neighborhood is awfully quiet (quite surprising, actually) but it makes for a great first-day off, after having worked for seven days in a row. Sometimes complete calmness is a great way to rest (hence why I'm blogging).

As many of us take the day to rest and recover from the agitated holiday season, let us remember some classic Christmas tunes that have accompanied us throughout time. I want to highlight fond holiday memories through the next few songs:

1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon

This single was written in 1971 by the one of Rock's greatest legends, Mr. John Lennon, who later joined forces with his loyal companion Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band in an effort to take a stand against the War of Vietnam. The song came to life in the Shaved Fish compilation during the Christmas of '75. 

The lyrics are based on a campaign done by both Lennon and Ono in late 1969 when they rented billboards and posters in eleven cities around the world (New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Helsinki), which read: "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko".

At the time of the song's release, the United States was deeply entrenched in the unpopular Vietnam War. The line "War is over, if you want it, war is over, now!" as sung by the background vocals, was taken directly from the billboards.


I personally have a tremendous appreciation for this song as it evokes an enormous feeling of nostalgia, which isn't necessarily bad. Every year I look forward to hearing this song during the Christmas season, since the first time I came across this song in 2003.

2. Jingle Bell Rocks - Bobby Helms


This song is older than my mother, as it came into existence in 1957! How can you NOT love this single? It is probably one of the most "modified" Christmas tunes of all times, as it has been played in rockabilly, country, modern Rock and Roll and who knows what else.


This song has also been featured in various movies, such as  Home Alone 2: Lost in NY, Cookie (1989), and Lethal Weapon among others.


To me this tune kind of makes me want to do the Macarena around the Christmas tree or dance like a little Japanese cartoon. I feel that unless I magically turn into a reindeer and wear green and red, I will never be cool enough to enjoy this song at its maximum.

3. Baby,  It's Cold Outside -  Dianne Reeves and Lou Rawls
Even though this song's first intention was not to refer to a particular time of the year, it is usually associated with the winter and thus with Christmas. There is an interesting story behind this one, which I think you will find amusing.Sometime in 1944 Mr. Frank Henry Loesser had a great idea and wrote this duet to debut it, along with his wife Lynn Garland, at the house warming party of their Navarro Hotel in they city of  New York. It was such a marvelous evening and everyone (hosts included) was so mesmerized by the song to the point that it became their signature tune; even the couple denominated it as "theirs" (well, it was more like Ms. Garland considered it as "theirs").  

Like many men out there, Mr. Loesser was probably thinking of more interesting things (not caring so much about the whole our-song situation) so he sold the rights of the single to MGM. Now, imagine the reaction of Ms. Garland... Not a pretty scene, right?  Anyway, damage done. Who knows how Frank got out of that one. Either way thanks to his aloofness towards his lady's feelings, we get to hear this song throughout the year, particularly during Christmas time.
There are countless versions of this songs interpreted by many of the masters of Jazz, such as Mr. Louis Armstrong, Mrs. Ella Fitzgerald, Mr. Dean Martin, Ms. Dinah Shore, Mr. Buddy Clark, and Ms. Norah Jones, among many others.This time I have chosen the version of Dianne Reeves and Lou Rawls because I find that this one truly evokes a warm feeling associated with the holiday season. I honestly prefer the version interpreted by Louis Armstrong and Velma Middleton, however when I hear it, the first thing that comes to mind it not quite "Tis the season to be jolly, falah lah lah lah lah lah lah lah"  
Merry Christmas to youDre - dnklschwrz, 2010

Merry Christmas to me ^.^

To commemorate this year's holiday season I decided to be selfish enough and get me gifts instead of cherishing my loved ones (or at least that's what I tell myself, to justify my lack of economical fluidity during this gift-giving season). Beside, isn't the world supposed to end in exactly two years from today? No point in being egoistic with one's self... right?   

Inspired on that mentality, I gave myself a pre-Christmas gift today, which was completely unplanned for, but has kept me smiling all night long ^.^

I got meself a copy of Cradle of Filth's Cruelty and the Beast, S.P's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (which I think was the equivalent of Muse in 1995) and the latest edition of Decibel, which has a crap-load of interesting bands I had completely forgotten about. Now THAT'S a gift!  

Merry XMAS Dre <3

-Stay Metal-

MM Dre - dnklschwrz, 2010 

Cradle of Filth makes a come back, really?

Definitely exam time is the best time to blog about more interesting things, such as music and new album releases.

Oh boy, where to start!? Oh yes, the almighty Cradle of Filth... ^.^

Personal perspective:

Since the release of Midian (2000) I have been skeptical about their new musical direction. Damnation and a Day (2004) had a few interesting songs but not enough to make a tremendous impact (no point of comparison between their earlier albums, of course). Then, there was Nymphetamine... which is when I really started to question whether or not to give up on their music completely, as they seemed to be focusing on selling albums rather than making real music. The only track I would save from that album would be Nymphetamine (Overdose); the rest are really fillings and a way to justify the release of an album. After that there was HOPE, or at least that's what I thought at first, with the release of Thornography, but once again I was not completely sold on it. I enjoy listening to songs such as Dirge Inferno, The Byronic Man, The Foetus of a New Day kicking and for a while Temptation, but at this point I wonder if my acceptance for those songs has to do with my loyalty to the band vs. whether or not I really like those songs. Regardless, I have kind of gotten used to listen to them.

As I was hoping that some weird ass miracle would take place and they would come to their senses eventually, before releasing a new album, Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder came out when I was least expecting it. I listened to it once, twice, three, four.... and who knows how many times, really, and I could not find it attractive! Aside from the theme behind it (and the whole Gilles de Rais story narrated by the spectacular voice of Doug Bradley), there was NOTHING appealing about it, not even the artwork... To tell you the truth I was hoping for great raw-ass-demented COF but once again they had let me down. Out of loyalty, and aside the fact that I was interviewing Mr. Dani Filth himself on January 20th 2009, I went to the show ready to rock on but to my disappointment (and to illustrate the discontentment of the crowd) I was the only one screaming for an encore (very sad indeed). That night Satyricon stole the show completely and even though my beloved COF (yes, I am still loyal to them) was the main act, at least 40% of the audience was gone before they were done their set. I think you got the picture.

Anyway, back to discography and possible HOPE. I just found out that the band had released their ninth studio album titled Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa about a month ago. I have been kind of too busy to keep track of new music, so I got very excited when I found out about it! Before listening to some of the main tracks, I stumbled upon a few interesting reviews where the album seems to be that very-expected comeback. This build up even more expectations and right now I am glad I chose the right track to begin with: Lilith Immaculate Comments: Truly refreshing, indeed! That makes me think that not everything has been lost. I have been listening to the other tracks of the album and they are very decent. I am very VERY content at the moment with my recent discovery, HOWEVER there is one thing that already bothered me (well, actually two things): "Forgive me Father (I have Sinned) and ITS TACKY VIDEO! Yes, we know you guys are doing incredibly but honestly, could you not have come up with something more creative? High Definition does not automatically make it better. I would much rather you used the same quality of The Ghost in the Fog, which looks a lot more macabre and authentic (for lack of a better term).

As usual, I am willing to give Cradle a second chance (or this may actually be the fifth or sixth chance I give them) to get their act together and to stop messing around with ways to make their music more appealing to a general audience. I will be at the Sound Academy on February 26th 2011, hoping to see the COF that made me fall in love with songs such as From Cradle to Enslave, The Forest Whispers my Name, To Eve the art of Witchcraft, A Gothic Romance, Malice Through the Looking Glass, Haunted Shores, Cruelty Brought Three Orchids, Her Ghost in the Fog, Creatures that Kissed the Cold Mirrors among many other great classics. The same Cradle of Filth that made me say WOW to Hollowed be Thy Name, which got me into countless arguments with many Iron Maiden fans about which one is better (I will always think that COF outdid that cover!).

Quoting an old saying: "Amanecera y veremos..."

Dre - dnklschwrz -2010

Tal Ronnen Veganizes Toronto

Celebrity Chef captivates our city with his Conscious way of eating.

If you had asked me five years ago about attending a workshop focused on vegetarianism, I would have thought twice about it before even considering it. Now a days it would be a hard thing to refuse because, in all honesty, after all the talks regarding animal rights, genetically modified food, mad cow disease and even global warming, not being a vegetarian in the XXI century seems a rather inefficient way of living. There are really no excuses and yet we find ourselves falling into one or more of the following categories:

• We need animal protein to function (false)

• Vegetarian meals are boring (false)

• There is no variety within a vegetarian meal, not to mention veganism (false)

• I cannot live without meat because there is nothing that will replace it (false)

I am guilty of being in all of the above, so I had nothing to lose by going to see what Tal Ronnen had to say. I went with an open mind, not knowing what to expect.

Before the event started, they gave each of the members of the audience one of Chef Ronnen’s recipes (courtesy of Chef Douglas McNish, head of Toronto’s Raw Aura organic and raw food restaurant): Celery root soup with Granny Smith Apples and chive oil. That was absolutely DELICIOUS! I found out later on that this is Oprah’s favourite soup and now I can see why. The soup was very rich (without being extravagant) and the apples gave it a nice contrast. The dish was a full experience: appearance, variety of flavours, texture and colour. After this treat, he got my full attention.

Chef Ronnen explained the importance of being a vegetarian in the XXI century and how conscious eating can have a tremendous positive impact, not only on each individual but also on a larger scale. Armed with facts, Chef Ronnen illustrated how a carnivore consumes over four times the resources a vegetarian does and over eight times those the vegans use. By resources, he meant water, animal treatment, maintenance, soil cultivation, processing factories and many other things that go hand to hand with the production of meat. In other words, if we all suddenly became vegetarians, there would be enough resources available to significantly diminish world hunger; not to mention that we would be making a great contribution towards decreasing global warming. In other words, being a vegetarian makes sense! End of the story.

To a carnivore like yours truly, it would be very hard to simply give up meat all of a sudden. This is where everything gets more interesting… There are tasty alternatives that will make the transition VERY smooth! Chef Ronnen himself has been working to promote a product branded under the name of Gardein, which features a complete line of delicious meat-free products made from a variety of alternative protein sources such as organic ancient grain flour (kamut®, amaranth, millet, quinoa). According to Chef Ronnen, the secret success behind this new line is that unlike previous vegetarian lines, which are made out of processed soy and taste like rubber, Gardein’s products take on the flavour of the spices you prepare them with. This product has been featured in shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and Oprah and is now being used in over 30 restaurants in the United States. Gardein’s line is perfect for the conscious eater who doesn’t quite have the heart to give up meat but still wants to give vegetarianism a try.

If you are still sceptical about finding a variety of options within the vegetable world, you should most definitely check out Tal Ronnen’s book The Conscious Cook, which not only will provide you with endless combinations to make every meal an unforgettable experience, but it will also introduce you to the world of Vegetarian and Vegan options which are both tasty and healthy. As Chef Ronnen tries to recreate some of which used to be his favourite dishes as he was growing up (not vegetarian, by the way), he offers new approaches by substituting the meat products for other interesting ingredients making them solely vegetarian, without forgetting the importance of texture and flavour. The Conscious Cook is the first full-colour vegan book to make it into the list of the New York Times’ Best Sellers. Before this book was released, vegetarianism was not taken very seriously. Chef Ronnen has created a cooking revolution, which he hopes will be adopted by the conscious eaters from all corners of the world.

Right after hearing his message, I seriously thought of becoming a vegetarian. Even though I am still pondering about it, who knows, maybe I will join the thousands of people that have given up meat for good, or maybe I am not yet ready to take such a serious step. The only thing I can say for sure is that in the meantime I will be searching for the complete line of Gardein products and try to teach my palate that vegetables can also be fun .

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Stay tuned to the reviews done by Yours Truly on YummyLocal

Dre - dnklschwrz, 2010