mixtape maestro (2.0)

Omit the distractingly sublime, soft-focused R&B sheen and measured blue-eyed soul vocal that supports Wham!’s 1984 gem “Last Christmas” and it’s a bit easier to grasp the soapy devastation brought forth through George Michael’s pen. As proof of this point, look no further than this stunning live take of the Yuletide classic by Florence + The Machine.

With tender guitar pluckings weaving a somber lullaby melody behind her, Miss Welch sounds like she’s nearing ever close to an emotional breakdown as the memories of the way her cruel ex shattered her heart the previous Winter re-play in her mind over and over again.

Yeah, the familiar lyrics may express the notion that she’s since moved on (“Now I’ve found a real love…”), but the quivering fragility and caterwauling peaks captured in her performance throughout this armhair-spiking rendition tell quite the opposite story.

Grab it below, followed by a peeping of the hilarious “Literal Version” of the original music video.

(shouts/shouts)

DL: “Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)” (alt)

On this, The Killers’ fourth consecutive Christmas charity single installment, the Vegas boys team up with former touring mates New Hampshire indie-rockers Wild Light and the previously MM-praised The Bronx alter-ego Mariachi El Bronx to spin a beautifully Latin-flavored yarn about a big brown-eyed, “lovely señorita” named “Guadalupe”.

Second in appeal for us behind their 2007 entry “Don’t Shoot Me Santa”, “Happy Birthday Guadalupe” is essentially inspired after Mexican icon Our Lady of Guadalupe, but it sounds just as good when looked at as a holiday-themed, tortured love story between a man and a one-night stand bedmate he struggles to dismiss from his brain, while also suggesting a musical style The Killers should consider tackling on their next album (even if they do end up looking like Mariachi El Bronx style-jackers as a result).

Check out the “Happy Birthday Guadalupe” video below (all proceeds from the single go towards (RED), the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa) followed by the newest clip from Bronx’, “Holy”.

“Happy Birthday Guadalupe”:

“Holy”:

Mariachi El Bronx – Holy from Our Videos on Vimeo.

BONUS DL: The Killers “Read My Mind (Like Rebel Diamonds Mix)” (alt)

The guys from Coldplay give into the holiday spirit by temporarily offering this free-to-download Thin White Duke remix of “Viva La Vida”, which fixes the song’s soaring hurrah to the usual playground of can’t-sit-still dance beat franticism.

It’s best trick: the majestic hook release doesn’t pop up until three-quarteres of the way in, while in it’s inter-song place, we get more doses of that breathtaking harmonics exercise that tagged the original’s fade-out.

Pick it up from their website. Below, catch a small clip of the band performing an harmonica-led rendition of “Jingle Bells”.

Of all the Xmas tunes that typically bombard come holiday season, there’s only a handful that truly put Maestro in a Yuletide mood and sometimes, even warrant a secret spin during non-Christmas-y points of the year (I know…LOSSEERR!!). Those include Wham’s “Last Christmas”, Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, “Christmas Time Is Here” from Charlie Brown and “Wonderful Christmas Time” that extremely cheery gem that Sir Macca blessed us with back in 1979.

“Stop Me” dynamic duo Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather tackle the latter here fantastically, with Danny’s smoove R&B vocal alleviating some of the original’s corny chirpiness; meanwhile, following an initial faithful arrangement, Ronson suddenly shifts musical gears, reaching back into his standby bag o’ classic-soul tricks for a joyous, smorgasbord-like serving of disco-meets-big band lounge-meets-“Tighten Up”. And just for some added modern appeal, Daniel even throws in a bit of “Cash In My Pocket” on the tail-end, re-writing “All I really want is…scrilla in my stocking”.

Listening to this makes you not feel as angry because you’re broke from buying all those damn presents.

DL: “Wonderful Christmas Time (Paul McCartney Cover)” (alt)