(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)

Something in music: origin

One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.

One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.

‘Something’ in Music 346

Something Old

Our “something old” in this edition is the classic cut “I'm a Believer” recorded by the American band The Monkees. It was written by Neil Diamond and recorded and originally released as a single in 1966. It climbed to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and camped there for seven weeks.

Something New

Our “something new” this time is the new single “White Winter Hymnal.” It’s an original audio adaptation of the 2008 Fleet Foxes song recorded by The Pinkerton Raid. The Pinkerton Raid’s digital-only cover cut includes Jesse James DeConto on vocals, bass, acoustic, and electric guitars; Andy Reed on drums and percussion; Cameron Collier on trumpet; producer James Phillips on keyboards; and Sarah Shearin, Alex Mitchell, Suzanne DeConto, and Derek Skeen on background vocals.

Frontman DeConto spoke of the piece in a recent email. He stated: "[‘70s folk-rock revivalists Fleet Foxes’ lead vocalist] Robin Pecknold has said that ‘White Winter Hymnal’ is a nonsense song that Fleet Foxes wrote for the musical feel more than any lyrical meaning. But, damn, it makes me feel something.”

DeConto concluded: “It’s also the song that one of my best friends sent to me from Seattle when Fleet Foxes first signed with Sub Pop and instantly became one of my favorite bands. It moves along at a quick tempo, so I think of a dog-sled team or the reindeer pulling the sleigh, or 12-year-old me racing through the New Hampshire woods on my cross-country skis. It’s cheerful energy in the midst of a frigid winter.” It is reportedly the premiere single from “an upcoming album, Winter Songs by Other People.

Something Borrowed

Our “something borrowed” for this edition is the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” It was co-written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg in 1939 for the film The Wizard of Oz. This instrumental cover version is by Los Angeles, California’s own all-gal mariachi band known as Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. Founded by Shea in 1999, they released this track on their 2020 disc titled Esta Distancia.

If you are in the L.A. area for the holidays and would like to see the band perform live, you’re in luck! Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea will be performing at the 64th annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration on Sunday, December 24th, 2023 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. According to a recent email, the event will also include another 22 music acts, “choirs and dance companies representing the county’s many neighborhoods and cultures.”

This year's co-hosts will be Mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzmán and actor, model, and disabilities advocate Danny J. Gomez. The event will feature a variety “of diverse L.A.-based artists and performing arts groups who will showcase their talent, artistry and holiday traditions, colorful costumes and global sounds from China, Korea, Japan, India, Mexico, France Ukraine, Bulgaria and more.”

The performers “hail from communities across L.A. County: from West L.A. and Culver City to Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley, and from the northern reaches of the Antelope and San Fernando Valleys to Downtown L.A., the South Bay and South Los Angeles.” Other returning faves include the “10-piece Latin jazz band Gabrielito y La Verdad; the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles; Jewish culture revival band Mostly Kosher;” the JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble; and Japanese drummers TAIKOPROJECT in a collaboration with the Indian-inspired act known as the Blue13 Dance Company.

There will be additional new acts as well such as the Carnegie Gospel Choir; “America’s Got Talent quarter-finalists Divas and Drummers of Compton; the Hiza Yoo Korean Dance Institute; Mexican folklórico company Técnica Arte y Folklore; and Bulgarian dance ensemble XoroTroptzi.”

The program will be broadcast live “on PBS SoCal'' and streaming “live on the pbssocal.org website.” After “the live broadcast, the Holiday Celebration will remain available to stream on-demand on pbssocal.org, as well as on the free PBS app. An encore presentation will be broadcast by PBS SoCal on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 6 p.m., and on KCET on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 9 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 25 at 12 p.m.”

Admission is free. No reservations or tickets are needed but seating is “on a first-come, first-seated basis. RSVPs are recommended, but do not guarantee seating. While the doors do not open until 2:30 p.m., the line generally “begins to form around noon.” Free parking is available in the Music Center parking garage. For more information, visit the official website.

Something Blue

Last but not least, our “something blue” in this edition is the song “Midnight Blue” written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Denise Jordan Finley. It originally appeared on her 2007 album titled Hauntress released on the Dome Island Records label. The song also features producer and bass guitarist Daniel Pagdon.

Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!

(Images courtesy of Rock n Roll Bride, Ed Krieger, Lucy Pollak Public Relations, and/or original owners)