As I write this, I’m sitting on a train, headed for New York City. It’s absolutely appropriate to continue this series of songs representing Christmas around the U.S. of A. with a trip to NY. It’s an incredibly festive place this time of year. Today we have a couple of songs that capture a little bit of that magic.
Even though the band Marah is originally from Philly, they recorded their 5th album If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry in Brooklyn, along with the holiday album A Christmas Kind of Town. Some of the resulting songs were performed as part of This American Life’s 2005 Holiday Spectacular. The song “New York Is a Christmas Kind of Town” hits a lot of the highlights: Broadway, Times Square, Washington Heights, Rockefeller Center, and so on.
Kid Creole takes a different approach, heading to the Upper West Side on Riverside Drive. That route runs along the Hudson River and features some very tony real estate. I guess I shouldn’t assume the neighborhood, since Riverside runs from 72nd Street up to Washington Heights, but you listen to the lyrics and tell me.
Kid Creole was the creation of August Darnell and in the Eighties he delivered a potent blend of swing, Latin, funk, and pop. Along with the Coconuts, his backup singers, and sidekick Coati Mundi (Andy Hernandez), Darnell managed to evoke the spirit of Cab Calloway, while tapping into the energy of the new wave scene in New York.
(Incidentally, both Was (Not Was), posted yesterday, and Kid Creole were on the ZE Record label at the same time in their early careers.)
All of which only serves as a testament to New York’s continuing importance in music and culture, bringing together a huge swath of influences into a melting pot of pop.
Marah – New York Is a Christmas Kind of Town — BUY
Kid Creole and the Coconuts – Christmas on Riverside Drive — BUY
Tags: Christmas music, Marah, August Darnell, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, New York