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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) (click to enlarge) (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, December 8, 2008 Liner notes: Seasonal releases By Andy Rathbun Herald Columnist You know how when you learn a new word, it starts popping up everywhere? Barry Manilow is kind of like that. This December, the singer is all over Everett. Tickets for his March 15 show at Comcast Arena go on sale at 10 a.m. today. His new album, "The Greatest Songs of the Eighties," debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 last week. And at 7:30 tonight, he narrates the ABC Family channel special, "Cranberry Christmas," singing two new carols for the show. While that's fine, I'm no Manilow devotee. So, for people like myself, here are some Christmas alternatives. Some may strike a chord with Manilow's audience. Others would send them screaming. "Christmas Rocks!" The Brian Setzer Orchestra WHY CARE?: Brian Setzer bundles up his big band versions of Christmas carols in one massive 20-song package. HIGH POINT: Setzer is at his best when he steps away from the mic and lets his stylish guitar carry the show. Nowhere is that more evident than on a mostly instrumental version of "Angels We Have Heard on High." FANS ALSO LIKE: Digging that jive ANDY SAYS: Setzer carols are best enjoyed like rum in eggnog -- in small doses. Listening to all of these in a row gets a bit trying, as Setzer's hep posing and hammy delivery starts to grate. GRADE: C-plus "And Winter Came..." Enya WHY CARE?: The hugely popular singer releases her first holiday album. HIGH POINTS: Enya sings "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" in sotto voce, making the song feel as ethereal as its subject, while the original composition "My! My! Time Flies!" is wondrously catchy, even if lyrics referencing the Beatles and Isaac Newton are a bit odd. FANS ALSO LIKE: Meditation ANDY SAYS: New Age music can be cold and impersonal, the type of stuff you hear in a soap stores. Enya, though, warms up this material, keeping it from totally drifting into the background. GRADE: B-minus "Christmas on Mars" movie and soundtrack The Flaming Lips WHY CARE?: The psychedelic rock band finally releases its long-gestating 86-minute movie, shot in singer Wayne Coyne's Oklahoma back yard. HIGH POINT: The black and white cinematography is impressive, as is the soundtrack. FANS ALSO LIKE: David Lynch ANDY SAYS: Where to start. I mean, I really like the Flaming Lips, and this was tough to stomach. As expected, the film is fiercely bizarre -- the subtitles on the DVD, for example, only come in Russian. But the movie itself, about an isolated group of humans on Mars who are visited by an alien on Christmas Eve, is poorly acted and sometimes stupidly profane. It may be memorable, but so is a bad dream. Devotees should see it. Others, steer clear. GRADE: C-minus (movie); B-plus (soundtrack) Andy Rathbun, 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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