Hoping you have yourself a merry little Christmas. Cheers, and thanks for reading.

MP3: Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
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The Pretenders wrote a great Christmas song when they wrote "2000 Miles." But Coldplay's wistful version on the piano takes it to a whole other level that really opens up the emotion of Chrissie Hynde's original. One of the best Christmas love songs I've ever heard. Because of how many people come together and get close with one another, Christmas is a time of the year when people really think about the distance between themselves and their loved ones. That's what makes the imagery and soul of this Christmas song so pertinent, and special.

MP3: Coldplay - 2000 Miles (Pretenders cover)
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Ai'ght, my nose has been away from the rabbit hole too long. Thanks again to all those who showed interest and/or bought themselves the Songs For Relay mix. Back to the grind.

And what better way to suit back up than by rattling off some recent bits and pieces of I've seen, and heard... from Johnny Rotten.

Allow me to pose a conundrum. When the sole album your group put to tape is vastly considered the flagship recording of an entire underground genre that celebrated the essence and demolition of rock n' roll while slamming conventional rock with a battering ram between the eyes, followed by taking a casual wizz on it's moaning corpse, what's the most ironically punk thing you could possibly do while peddling quickly past middle age? Say you ain't punk, never were punk, and never want to be punk.

Or, you could say Coldplay are really just a bunch of bloaks who wear anoraks.

Hi, I'm in Coldplay. I think The Sex Pistols are a bunch of guys who wear pink lingerie.

Oh, and Johnny Rotten also admits that the Pistols have discussed the possibility of a second album. But without Sid Vicious' horrendous bass playing on board, such a Pistols recording would not likely sound awful enough for me to want to hear it.

You know that awesome trailer for Iron Man that's been getting fan boys around the net-o-sphere all hot and bothered? Well, trusted news source, The Onion, is now reporting that Marvel Studios are planning to adapt said trailer into a full-length movie which will be hitting theaters May 2. Well, buckle my britches!

Of all the quality media outlets which Coldplay could have let hear their new upcoming record, "Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends" (the coolest phrases that ever made up the dumbest album title ever, btw), they KIDNAPPED New York Magazine's blogger, Vulture, for the first exclusive listen of one of this year's most anticipated records. Check out his HILARIOUS track-by-track review. Turns out you can have more than one "weakest moment" to a record. And I am REALLY looking forward to hearing "Cemetaries of London."

It's been a bit since I Top-Fived your humble little Tuesdays, ha'ant it? And there's soo much I want to spill my guts on in the entertainosphere, so I thought, "Yo dude, put one and two together!" So that's what we're going to do today here at S & H. These are the Top 5 entertainment stories I should have blogged about in the past few weeks, but haven't.

5. Movies!
Rambo 5 is apparently building sound stages abroad already. Wicked. The next Clint Eastwood movie--Gran Torino--is (believed to be) a Dirty Harry sequel in clever disguise. And Jason Reitman is already teaming again with Juno writer, Diablo Cody. But this time, they got demon-possessed cheerleaders and our favorite Cohen, Adam Brody!

4. Big screen comic talk geek corner
The Xmen Origins movie of Wolverine is filming in Australia, and we can expect roles from Gambit, Deadpool and Sabretooth to pop up. However, it also sounds like (thankfully) there will not be a Fantastic Four 3. Not that I'm against Marvel's first family at all, but those movies were comic blockbuster kryptonite. And it also sounds like Marvel is planning lots of cross film cameos, with Robbie Downey Jr's Tony Stark popping up in The Hulk.

3. Chapter 27
A movie titled "Chapter 27" doesn't sound entirely creepy. But then you learn it's about the dude who shot and killed John Lennon. And then you see the movie poster with Jared Leto and learn he's put on 60 pounds for the role. By then, you're probably creeped out.

2. Good Vibrations!
Let's just stream of conscious talk about everything music, here at our Number 2 spot. Coldplay's new record, Viva La Vida, will hit stores June 17 and that makes me a happy sentimental boy. Scorsese to direct Bob Marley biopic for 2010 and that makes me a happy biopic fiend. Scott Weilend is breaking up his supergroup Velvet Revolver because he doesn't like that Slash sings backup. Rock's sharpest act going, The Raconteurs, pulled a fast one today by releasing an album no one knew a thing about. "Consolers Of The Lonely" was only announced last week and went under absolutely no promotion. Take that Radiohead. You can bet I'm heading to Best Buy when I get done work today.

1. Where The Wild Things At?
Aside from a mild return to "acting on" sitcom "How I Met Your Mother," Britney Spears has NOT been in the news. No melt downs. No umbrella incidents. No kidnappings. Nothing. And so, if you think about it...that's like, headline news. The gossip world is without a light, a beacon of truth, a leader. The tabloid system may have to revert back to fabricated stories soon if this keeps up.

If there are two things I enjoy in this world, it's music and Christmastime. Marry the two together, and you get one extremely happy blonde dude for about a month. And since you've been such good readers this year, I wanted to share some of my favorite holiday jingles this year with you. Consider it an early Christmas gift, without any annoying gift wrap or tape or bows. Just some good sentimental holiday jams. Enjoy it, friends.

Scene & Heard's Top 5 Christmas Songs: the mix

1. Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
Who knew anyone could make a Wham song sound absolutely incredible? Well, Jimmy Eat World came along, and did. It makes you shake your hips, tap your feet, curse the girl you were crushing on last year, and realize that the greatest gift you can give on Christmas, is your heart (and mixes with this song on it).

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2. Sex Pistols - Punk Rock Christmas

I've looked and looked, trying to find out where this song actually came from, which is what anyone does when they stumble across a Sex Pistols jam that isn't off their only real album, "Nevermind The Bollocks." But screw it, it doesn't matter where it came from. Point is, this song completely decks the halls. And oddly enough, it's not really that harsh, snarling, or punk. It's just a good rock song with a big hip-swinging beat...and Johnny Rotten. Ok, well maybe there's a LITTLE snarl..

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3. As Talls As Lions - It's Only Christmas

Jumping to the other end of the holiday music spectrum, this bruising ballad is for the lonely hearts out there. Let's face it; Christmas makes the sad and lonely folks feel even worse than Valentines Day does. With all the togetherness whirling around, it's easy to dig up some of your saddest ghosts. And there is no voice more hauntingly gorgeous and fractured than Daniel Nigro's when it comes to such.

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4. Damien Rice - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)

This stinking John Lennon song has probably been covered more than any contemporary Christmas song. And that's fine, but no one has ever came close to doing it as well or making it their own. Until this delicate cut by Damien Rice began circulating around the net this year, that is.

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5. Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
We've heard this song over and over throughout our lives. Almost as much as those dang Chipmunk songs. But when I first heard this song last year swelling through the speakers with Chris Martin's lovely voice holding the reigns, the song ventured off into a whole other place for me. I'm convinced there is no more perfect encapsulation of Christmas into a 3-minute song anywhere in the history of music. Seriously. Wait till midnight rolls around on Christmas Eve night, listen to this through a pair of headphones outside in the cold, looking up at the sky. I promise, you'll have yourself a merry little Christmas, right then and there. I'll be doing the same at my house.

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***These songs are for promotional purposes only. Please purchase the music from these artists if you like what you hear. If you represent one of these bands and wish to see the song removed, please email me and it will be taken down immediately***

We're doing something new on Tuesdays here. Every week, we'll compile a Top 5 to help push you through the middle of the week. Whether it be 5 favorite records for a particular occasion, 5 movies, 5 things to do, 5 things NOT to do, you get the idea. And if there's ever any particular Top 5 you'd like to see, send me a hollar at cmarch@pottsmerc.com. I'll make it happen.

For our first one, I thought I'd give you my Top 5 Favorite Albums to sit back and melt to in the autumn. The air is getting a little crisp around the edges. The spring green is bleeding out of the leaves, leaving them crunchy golden and brown. The sun is losing it's heat of summer reds. Summer romance is over, and you're just starting to get over it. It can be sad, but full or promise too. Pumpkins, rakes, and sweatshirts are lining peoples driveways and porches. Life is going into retreat, coiling back for the upcoming winter. I love this time of year as much as I love spring because it's a season of movement. You feel like you're headed towards something. But the music that goes best with it is calm, cool, and crunchy. It's colorful, but not young and budding. It's gruff and seasoned, but not frigid and dead. Think about driving through wooded back country roads with brown and red leaves blowing across the road while jamming these babies.

Here is the soundtrack to our autumn here at Listening In. Enjoy! (comment if you're disappointed on something I missed.)

TOP 5: Autumn Records
1. Jeff Buckley - Grace
2. Appleseed Cast - Mare Vitalis
3. Jets Overhead - Bridges
4. Coldplay - Parachutes
5. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left