My 2021 Christmas Playlist to Make the Season Bright

Christmas is just days away, and what better way to get into the holiday spirit than playing and listening to yuletide music.  Music is very much part of our celebrations in my country.  Pre-pandemic, radio stations and stores would start playing carols as early as September. 

However, the pandemic seemed to have put a damper on Christmas since last year. We didn't get to hear much music on the radio or in other places last year.  Even this year, we only started hearing the tunes in late November.  Anyway, it's not too late to clean our vinyl collection and start spinning and listening to our favorite records.

from pinclipart.com

While I already have several Christmas records in my collection, I also bought some new ones this year.  These records will comprise my playlist this holiday season.  By the way, this article isn't a review but a list of vinyl records on rotation on my turntable this year.  The list is also not in order of my preference.

ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS

Frank Sinatra

One of my newly bought albums, Ultimate Christmas, has become a favorite. This record is a compilation of 20-holiday classics from the Chairman of the Board.  This album is like listening through Sinatra's long career and life.  

From a debonaire crooner in the 50s to a father singing the 12 days of Christmas with his children, and on the last side of this double-LP set, Sinatra becomes the grandfather wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Mariah Carey

Since its release in the early 90s, this album has become a Christmas staple that Mariah crowned herself the "Queen of Christmas."  Thanks, of course, to the worldwide mega-hit "All I Want for Christmas is You."  This record gets a spot on my playlist because Mariah included her interpretation of several traditional tunes focusing on the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ, including Silent Night, O Holy Night, and the gospel-tinged Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child.

If you're spending Christmas heartbroken, skip "Miss You Most (At Christmas time) unless you want to wallow in tears while we celebrate.

WONDERLAND OF CHRISTMAS

Andre Kostelanetz

This album puts "merry" in Merry Christmas to the next level.  It's fun to listen to this all-instrumental album while wrapping Christmas gifts or just waiting for Christmas to come.  It has a great selection of traditional carols and contemporary music for the season, some presented in medleys.  

Since it puts the listener in a really festive mood, I should issue this warning.  Don't put this record on or stream it on your phone while shopping for gifts.  You might get caught up in the fun and spend more than you planned to.

CHRISTMAS WITH CONNIFF

Ray Conniff Singers

What's Christmas without the Ray Conniff singers singing holiday songs with enthusiasm in the background?  At any time of the day during the season, one could hear songs from the album (and from the "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" record) in shopping malls, the bus, a taxi, the MRT, and even in the elevator.  But I am not complaining because these singers have been bringing yuletide cheers during this festive time for generations.  Never mind if many tunes are about things we could never experience in the tropical Philippines (sleigh ride? let it snow and winter wonderland? white Christmas?)

I'm still playing this record just to get me into the festive mood.

CHRISTMAS SING-IN

Gunter Kallmann Choir

Sometime in the 1980s, we couldn't get hold of a copy of any Ray Conniff Christmas album.  Many record stores offered this album as an alternative, and it took over the job of bringing holiday cheers through music.  I love the selections on this album which include traditional, religious, and contemporary songs. Each track is a medley of two to three songs.  Some tracks begin with a slow song with the choir singing softly, followed by festive music with the chorus singing lively.

The enthusiastic singing of the choir is a plus. Even Scrooge would find it hard to not feel merry and bright.    

TINSEL AND LIGHTS

Tracey Thorn

I consider this the Christmas album for adults.  Tracey Thorn, the other half of one of my favorite 1980s acts, Everything But The Girl, covered tracks from artists and came up with a very sober holiday album.  There's also a self-penned track (Tinsel and Lights) and "25th  December," originally sung by her husband and partner, Ben Watt, on Amplified Heart.  

I think it's best to listen to this album while resting from all the season's frenzy or after the guests have left and you're sitting at the table having a cuppa.  

ELLA WISHES YOU A SWINGING CHRISTMAS

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald gives holiday songs a swinging treatment, and the result is simply fabulous.  Although the album does not contain a single traditional or religious carol, Ella's unique rendition of familiar ditties gave them a new level. It made them a joy to listen to. 

I first heard this record at a party hosted by a fellow record collector. It played in the background while the guests were busy chatting and eating.  I thought then that was not the way to treat Ella Fitzgerald.  I now usually put this on my turntable, sit down and listen to it from start to finish.  Given that Ella has one of the sweetest voices ever recorded, I could even listen to it even when it's not Christmas time.

JACKSON 5 CHRISTMAS ALBUM 

The Jacksons

Here's another Christmas album playing during this season like forever. Not a single track on this record refers to the Nativity, but a not-yet-teenager Michael tells us to "Give Love On Christmas Day."  Like Ella before them, the Jackson 5 gave some old familiar tunes their unique style and the Motown sound.  The result remains funky almost 50 years later.

This album will always be on my playlist because it brings back memories of elementary school Christmas parties and presentations. Each of which usually started with the singing of a medley of traditional carols and capped by, you guessed it, "Give Love On Christmas Day."

CHRISTMAS IN OUR HEARTS

Jose Mari Chan

This album must be the ultimate Christmas collection and a must-have on every Filipino's playlist.  Chan, a talented songwriter, and singer came up with what could be THE national Christmas anthem and a required sing-a-long during celebrations.  This song, "Christmas in Our Hearts," is so famous that it has become a meme.  I'm beginning to suspect that parents are passing the tradition of singing it to their children before they could even speak.  Some songs are not as festive as those on the other albums, but they still bring the Christmas Spirit to the listener.  

I usually put this at the end after listening to the more lively and festive albums on this playlist.

This is my Christmas playlist for this year.  If you couldn't find your favorite album here, it means I don't have it yet and couldn't find a copy.  I still have to find some albums we listen to during the Yuletide season in my childhood so expect an update as this list gets longer in the future.

For now, these albums will surely help to make this season bright.  Now time to start spinning them on my turntable.

Note: Album cover photos are from various sites on the Internet.

Collecting Stuff

You probably know by now how much I love collecting things.  I have a collection of Disneyland Pins, shot glasses, and mugs from places I have visited. For a time, I also collected PinkySt dolls up until the makers decided to stop producing them. 

I also have a lot of labbits and dunnys from Kidrobot, but the local distributor has ceased making them available.  Unfortunately, Kidrobot doesn’t accept my credit card, and the sellers at eBay price them ridiculously. So my collection stalled for now. I hope some enterprising person brings them back so I can go on collecting them.

It's the same with my 3A action figure collection.  The local distributor closed the shop, so I don't have a supplier anymore.  The nearest place to get them is in Hong Kong, and I am not into traveling overseas at the moment.

My collection of vinyl records, both old and new, is still a work in progress.  It’s my latest passion, and vintage records are so easy to get nowadays since there are online sellers and independent stores that sell them at reasonable prices.  I also go to the quarterly vinyl sale – and – swap meet, which is a good place to start a vinyl collection.

Another collectible I am amassing at the moment is the Funko Pop! line. I collect them because they’re so cute and have several items already. However,  they’re taking up some space in my room.  I think I need to slow down and only focus on Disney, Star Wars, and Harry Potter Pops for now.

So people ask me why I collect these stuff and I usually say, “I enjoy collecting them.  It relaxes me.”  I don’t know if I convince them, but I don’t really care if they agree or not.  I just enjoy collecting things that pique my interest.

I don’t usually let go of the items in my collections, and I don’t understand people who start a collection, and then when they grow tired or lose interest, they sell their items. I see a lot of items on Facebook for sale, and it’s sad. To some collectors, it's good because they can get items at lower prices, although the items show some wear. Anyway, to each his own as they say.  I’ll just collect until there’s nothing left to collect.

Rega Announces Planar 3 Turntable

While I was busy from February to March, something great slipped my attention. Rega announced an update of their award-winning turntable RP3, which they called the Planar 3 2016.

I guess by now, you have guessed that I am actually looking for a new turntable to upgrade my Rega RP1 with.  I love my RP1, but I feel that I have outgrown it.  It still is running very well, but I did give it the performance pack as a minor upgrade.

Rega explained on its website that it took them two years to develop the new Planar 3, rebuilding it practically from the ground up and with only two components being carried over.  The improvements promise to bring "improved ergonomics, usability and first and foremost, sonic performance."


Here are the details of the Rega Planar 3 2016 straight from the Rega website:

RB330 tonearm - Designed using the latest 3D CAD & CAM technology, the new RB330 is the culmination of more than 35 years of tonearm design experience.  Featuring a brand new bearing housing and our latest tonearm tube designed using intelligent redistribution of mass ensure this arm will exhibit fewer points of possible resonance. Extreme stability with almost friction-free movement from the new high precision bearing assemblies guarantees to gather more information from your vinyl than ever before.

•  Featuring a new bias assembly, re-designed stiffer vertical bearing housing, integrated

•  arm clip and an improved spring housing with easier-to-read numbers.

•  Rega made, new low capacitance phono cable with Neutrik plugs,

•  Improved lower friction, precision horizontal and vertical bearings

•  New design 100g mild steel balance weight.

Plinth - High gloss acrylic, laminated plinth, stiffer and vastly improved appearance, ergonomically positioned power switch. Two plinth finishes at launch: gloss black & gloss white.

Double braces - Improved thicker 3mm phenolic bottom brace and new metalized skin phenolic top brace.

Bearing housing – Re-designed brass main hub central bearing, improved fit and construction reducing stress on the bearing itself.

Sub platter - Re-designed sub platter, improved accuracy, and improved stiffness.

Platter - New float glass ‘Optiwhite’ polished rim 12mm – Improved accuracy in manufacture and stunning looks.

Re-designed foot - New, improved foot to increase stability and reduce vibration transfer.

24V motor - Improved new motor control PCB with integration for the addition of TT-PSU for electronic speed change and improved advanced anti-vibration circuit (sold separately).

Motor cover tray with integrated cooling.

There are still no details on how much this baby will cost. I hope it will be within my budget so it can be my early bonus for myself.  As to when it will reach our shores, I asked a local dealer, and he gave me a "probably by June" period.

Where Have You Been All My Life? by Villagers

This is not a review, just my impression of this album.  However, I have to confess that its title might also be my initial reaction after hearing this album from the Irish band, Villagers.

I didn't know anything about this band until Spotify recommended them - this particular album -  since I listened to Sufjan Stevens. I don't even know the kind of music they make until I listened to it and instantly liked them.

I found out later that the album is actually a re-work of materials from their first three albums.  Now, what band would come out with a compilation of limited earlier works?  And they even completed the album in one day in London.

The 11 songs on this album are stripped-down versions of the original release, but they worked for me.  Besides, I am not particularly fond of music with too heavy production and overdubs.  Here, the voice of the singer, Conor J. O'Brian, was pushed front and center with only a minimal number of acoustic instruments backing him up (although in some songs, there was quiet electronic music). The effect was a quiet, introspective album that makes its listeners focus on the lyrics.  It was as if O'Brian was confessing to his listeners.  In some songs, he openly talks about his sexuality.

As it is, I think this is a good introduction to the band. My copy is green-colored vinyl with a voucher to download its digital version with three bonus tracks. This is one album that I could listen through from start to finish.  The album closes with one of my favorite country songs, "Wichita Lineman," and I have no complaints about their version.   

I will also listen to the records where these materials came from, though I already listened to Darling Arithmetic, where I believe most of the songs in this album came from.

This 8" Sketracha Dunny will definitely spice up my collection

kidrobot.com

Here's something I want to include in my Dunny Collection. It's an 8" Sketracha Dunny from LA artist SKET ONE.

SKET ONE has been doing Dunny impressions of different condiments from Heinz like its ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard.  So it isn't surprising that he will do what is fast becoming a very popular spicy condiment, the Sriracha.

 The Sketracha Dunny comes with two chopsticks but take note that it does not contain any edible Sriracha.  

This Dunny actually puts two favorite things in one package: the sriracha sauce which I put on a lot of food and of course Dunnys which I collect.  I hope it becomes available here soon as it is a welcome hot member of my growing collection.

There is also a clear "half-full" version in 8-inches.  Both variants are also available as a 3-inch Dunny.

kidrobot.com

kidrobot.com

Funko turns Pac-Man & Company into Pops!

Funko must have heard me.  Just look at their recently announced Pops!

Classic video game character Pac-Man is coming soon in Pops! The yellow dots gobbling blob will be joined by Ms. Pac-Man in this adorable form.

funko.com

funko.com

Of course the series will not be complete without the four ghosts - Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde - who'd probably chase Pac-Man around until they turn into a Blue Gost.

funko.com

I'm sure I am not the only one feeling nostalgic about this.  The series will come out in March this year.

Panasonic Unveils new Technics SL-1200G, will reportedly sell at $4,000

Panasonic recently unveiled the new direct-drive Grand Classic SL-1200G at CES and sent every music aficionado in a frenzy. Why, even my friends got excited upon seeing the photos and specs. The question on everybody's lips was of course, ‘How much?’

We all knew that it won't be cheap but we almost fell off our seats when we found out that the new model will reportedly cost $4000.  That's according to this article from What Hi-Fi.   

That basically takes the new SL-1200 out of reach for many of us.  At an exchange rate of 47 pesos to a dollar, the new machine will set us back by almost 200 thousand pesos!  That doesn't even include the taxes and other costs levied upon imported goods.  So it is not really an overstatement that the initial excitement turned to outrage,

There's no official word yet from Panasonic but there's buzz in the Internet that the huge price increase was due to the complete redesign of the deck to improve its performance.  It will also have a set of unique features that will control vibrations in the motor.

The new SL-1200G (I suspect it's for Grand Classic) will come our in Summer this year.  There will also be a 50th Anniversary edition which could even be pricier than this one.

And here are the specs straight out of the Technics website:

All New Design for Redefining the Direct Drive Turntable

Twin-Rotor Surface-Facing Direct Drive Motor

Direct Drive Motor ControllerHigh Sensitive Tonearm
Brass-Top Turntable Platter
Insulator

Technics Definitive Design
Inherited SL-1200 Series
Heavy Aluminium Top Plate

Turntable Speeds33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm, 78 rpm

Variable Range Pitch
±8%, ±16%

Dimensions & Weight
W: 453 mm (17-27/32 inch) H: 170 mm (6-11/16 inch) D: 372 mm (14-21/32 inch)
Approx. 18 kg (39.7 lbs ) *Tentative *Height including dust cover

Terminal
Phono Output x 1 / SIGNAL GND x 1

Images are not mine and came from various sources in the Internet

Kidrobot Reveals Dunny 2013 Designs on Facebook

The title of the blog says it all.  Kidrobot reveals the artists and their designs for the 2013 Dunny series on their Facebook fan page today.

Not only that, since the series is always in blind boxes, the illustration also showed the ratio of each design per case.  Unfortunately some of the ones I like are at 1/40 which means 1 for every two cases.   I will get one case and maybe try my luck pulling out the rest that are not in my case.

So who's your Dunny 2013? Take your pick from below.  The series will be released in the US on June 14.

Dunny Series 2013: The Wait Begins

So it's that time again when Kidrobot  previews its Dunny series for the year.  Unlike before when it leaves us guessing the release date of the series, this year Kidrobot already announced the official date: June 14.

I'm not sure if I'm right but I believe this is the first regular series with a theme.  It's called the side show.  More like a carnival show as the site itself describes it:

Dunny series 2013 invites you to tour the tent, point & wonder, and behold a collection of freaks for the geek you didn’t know you were. Artists from off the beaten path and the road less travelled lure you to embrace the strange and scary. Featuring 20 designs across 14 artists, each artist applies his or her custom style to bring fantastic, eccentric and sometimes downright frightening designs to homes and shelves throughout the world.

And it's first teaser is obviously a Julie West:

I can't wait to see the rest of the designs, especially photos of the actual Dunny figures.

(all images from kidrobot.com)



Cyborg Labbit from Kidrobot

It seems my resolve to avoid buying too much toys this year will be broken after all.  Just when I am about to congratulate myself for lasting two months without buying a toy, Kidrobot announces the limited release of  the Cyborg Labbit, Frank Kozik's collaboration with Chuckboy.

Cyborg Labbit Nemisis is a dark rogue non-stop smorker. 7-inch vinyl with two ends that always glow, this Chuckboy upgrade to the Kozik classic is stronger, faster, and smorkier than ever before. Only 1,000 Labbits went hybrid and they hit the streets March 14 at Kidrobot stores, kidrobot.com, and select retailers worldwide for $60 US.

 

 (all images from kidrobot.com)

More Labbits on the Way!

Kidrobot has just released their 8-Deadly Sins Labbits when they surprised us with another set of Labbits! This time the Smorkin' Labbits, now with fried chicken.

The new18 enticing character designs by Frank Kozik feature Labbit at war, glossy, camouflaged, royal, hungry, clear, chatty, bolted, nuclear, detained, cut up, bloody, dotted, and of course, armed with chicken.  They're so outrageous, they're addictive!  I for one would get a case of these critters once they come out.

These will be available on August 9 at Kidrobot stores, kidrobot.com, and select retailers. Each of these Smorkin’ Labbits retails for $4.95 US.  Hopefully, they also come to our shores just like the Happy Mini Labbits.

(all images from kidrobot.com)

Kronk x Kozik = 8 Deadly Sins Labbit Series

I just got my Happy Mini Labbits last Thursday and look what Kidrobot revealed with this weekend! Another series for Frank Kozik's iconic smorkin Labbits, this time committing the 8 Deadly Sins!  (Hmmm... my memory says there are only 7 deadly or capital sins though.)

South African native designer Kronk makes the smorkin' labbits even badder by committing "the oldest sins, the newest kind of ways".  These 2.5-inch vinyl figures embody the vices that have plagued us all since creation.  Which is Labbit’s favorite: Greed or Lust? Pride or Wrath? Gluttony or Sloth? Envy or Dejection?

These will definitely be part of my collection!  They are bigger than the usual 1.5-inch mini Labbits and will come with a US$9.95 price tag per blind box.  Find your vice on July 26 at kidrobot.com, Kidrobot stores and select retailers worldwide.  

(all images from kidrobot.com)

Meet Puck from Okedoki X VTSS

Meet Puck, a cute little pug designed by Okedoki and produced by VTSS Toys.  He is coming out on July 5.  We're a lucky bunch because we're one of only 5 countries where Puck will be released.

Below is the colorway for our country which will be available from SecretFresh.  Only 30 pieces will be available for all of us.

Watch the video below to know more about this cute doggie.

A slew of labbits

I think it will be a very busy year for my pocket. I've just purchased two version of Frank Kozik's labbits (the glossy and bondage) that were released this year when news came out of his latest creation, the pink and blue clear smorkin' labbits.

It's been almost a month since Kidrobot released the clear labbits and they still have not reached our shores.  I am still waiting for their arrival here and availability in my favorite local store when Kidrobot announced the release of mini Labbits happy version next week (June 7).

from kidrobot.com

I am so tempted to buy a case of these labbits from an online store and have them shipped here.  My only problem is customs might charge me more than what I paid for the figures. Sigh...