(And how he, in turn, inadvertently got me to write something about him,
and about good music for the just-passed holiday)

It all started earlier in the week when I was reading one of the comments that another contributor to this site had written. The thread of conversation had to do with my work as a gas-pumping dude. I thought I could make a joke or two and move on. But instead I dropped Kyle a real gem. I said, “…maybe I have a next post idea too.”

Has anyone ever heard the expression “I set ‘em up and you knock ‘em down”? Well, I set that little monster up with a potential insult and guess what he did? Yep, he Knocked It Down!”

Kyle came back at me with a whole, “Wait? Leigh has post ideas? You wouldn’t know it from looking at the site, since he’s blown off his last couple of deadlines and all.”

Now, after reading that comment I was (as you would expect) totally awestruck. I mean the originality oozing out of our newfound shit-loving friend is probably exactly what you would expect to hear from a “writer”. My eyes pretty much popped right out of my skull as my mind struggled to process the magnitude of Kyle’s New Yorker wit.

How does one make ready the proper response to such a cunning jab? Well, my friends, instead of insulting him back (that’s tooootaly not my scene) I thought I’d tell you about a couple of my favorite Christmas songs.

1. Christmas by The Who’s Tommy
2. High gear by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3. Pete’s Dad by Porno for Pyros (this one is actually Chanukah friendly)
4. The entire Charlie Brown Christmas album by The Vince Guaraldi Trio
5. Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC
6. Christmas Wrapping (everyone knows this one right?) The Waitresses

But as far as I’m concerned the best Christmas song ever written is from none other than The Pogues. I had a chance to see them in Boston last February when they came (in full) to the Orpheum…and they actually performed Fairytale of New York. It’s a goddamn good song.

Later.