Music--from of the moment to Xmas to 80s

Time for another catch-up of recent Beef Jerky Time playlists. With the holidays and end-of-year, end-of-decade roundups, this was an unusual month for my radio show, Beef Jerky Time (WVEW).

The 12*16*09 show was fairly normal, with good scatterings of recent stuff (loved the Jookabox!) plus a few older things for good measure.

• Norway: Beach House
• Space Woman: Venus Gang
• You've Changed: Sia
• Hanuman: Rodrigo & Gabriela
• Janglin: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
• When They Fight, They Fight: The Generationals
• Phantom Don't Go: Jookabox
• Florida: Starf**ker
• Dragon Chasers: Wax Tailor
• Sleepyhead: Passion Head
• I'd Have You Anytime: George Harrison
• Romeo: Juliette Lewis
• Tacobel Canon: Ratatat

The 12*23*09 was an all-Christmas hour, though I tried to play some unusual ones (James Brown has a GREAT song title, and the Pet Shop Boys touched me deeply).

• Shepherds on the Hill: Ensemble Choral du Bout du Monde
• Christmastime: Yo La Tengo
• Hark the Herald Angels Sing: Vince Guaraldi Trio
• Blue Christmas: Bright Eyes
• Christmas Waltz: Frank Sinatra
• Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto: James Brown
• I Wish it Was Christmas Tonight: SNL performance
• I Wish It Was Christmas Today: Julian Casablancas
• Get Behind Me, Santa: Sufjan Stevens
• It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas: Pet Shop Boys
• Twelve Days of Christmas: John Denver & the Muppets
• Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow: Joe Williams
• Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney: Ella Fitzgerald
• Santa Claus is Back in Town: Elvis Presley
• Glow Worm (Christmas arrangement): Mel Tormé
• Nutty Jingle Bells: Al Hirt
• Jingle Bells: George Melachrino & His Orchestra
• Jingle Bells: Jimmy Smith

The eve before New Year's eve was my best of 2009 show, 12*30*09. I've written about all of these songs at length throughout December.

• Happy Up Here: Royksopp
• An Anniversary Away: Reverie Sound Revue
• True Stories: Datarock
• Day'n Nite (Crookers remix): Kid Cudi
• Tonight's Today: Jack Peñate
• From Africa to Málaga: jj
• All the King's Men: Wild Beasts
• S'vive: Bibio
• Lisztomania: Phoenix
• Prefiero el Asfalto: Niña Dioz
• The Great Defector: Bell X1
• Nadine (Memory Tapes version): Fool's Gold
• Raindrops: Basement Jaxx
• No Reasons: VEGA

I did an 80s nite show on 1*6*10, as a "new broom," going back to basics to clear the decks for a new year of shows and discoveries. Please stick with me into 2010!

• Lucky Star: Madonna
• Freedom: Wham
• South Central Rain: R.E.M.
• I Ran: Flock of Seagulls
• Jenny/8675309: Tommy Tutone
• Spirits in the Material World: The Police
• Master & Servant: Depeche Mode
• Close to Me: The Cure
• What Is Love?: Howard Jones
• (I Just) Died in Your Arms: The Cutting Crew
• Shake It Up: The Cars
• Saved By Zero: The Fixx
• Radio Head: Talking Heads