December 21, 2016

BW Yule Log: Does God Want Bells In Notre Dame

Alright (Darius Rucker song)

Alright (Darius Rucker song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A capella music hasn’t been mainstream since Bobby McFerrin (as much as we love Rocapella and Straight No Chaser they aren’t household names), at least until Pentatonix crashed the scene, and even had a Christmas special this year. So let’s add another amazing performance from the a capella group we looked at yesterday, Voctave. A group from Central Florida formed in 2015, Voctave already got to work with a celebrity, as we saw yesterday. They’ve even worked with Kirstin Maldonado, the female member of the aforementioned Pentatonix. And they’re amazing alone…well, as a group. Here’s their rendition of “Carol Of The Bells Of Notre Dame”, a mixing of “Carol Of The Bells” and “The Bells Of Notre Dame”.

Our second video features a country singer wondering what God would like for Christmas, sung by the singer in the picture above. Enjoy.

Continue reading →

Posted by on December 21, 2016 in Christmas Spotlight, Music Spotlight and tagged , , , , , .

Leave a comment

December 21, 2016

BW’s Morning Article Link: Did Blade Runner NEED A Sequel?

Blade Runner

Blade Runner (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, at least it isn’t another reboot. ICv2 has the teaser for a new Blade Runner movie, Blade Runner 2049. And like a certain space smuggler, Harrison Ford will reprise his role as Deckard at least in cameo if not a stronger role. I remember there was a sequel video game but I never played it or seen any footage of it. I’m mildly curious and hoping Deckard doesn’t become a replicant, because I’m part of the “Deckard is human who fell in love with a replicant, thus sending a stronger message about how human replicants have become in that universe” camp.

Posted by on December 21, 2016 in Movie Spotlight and tagged , , , , .

Leave a comment

December 20, 2016

BW’s Yule Log: Mary, Did You Know Porky Pig?


http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/627748440

Mark Lowry is a comedian and parody singer who has also performed with the Gaither Vocal Band. He has also done a number of gospel albums, and wrote the recent Christmas favorite “Mary Did You Know“, a song that asks Mary if she knew that her baby would grow up and become the Messiah. The song was based on questions asked of Mary during a play that Lowry wrote (not the whole play I think, just the questions asked during scene changes) and 12 years later turned into a song, with Buddy Greene writing the music.  In one of the new additions to the BW Yule Log he performs his song with acapella group Voctave to perform a powerful rendition of his multi-covered song. As to how Porky Pig fits in, check out the bonus video. Otherwise, he honestly doesn’t fit at all.

Continue reading →

Posted by on December 20, 2016 in Christmas Spotlight, Music Spotlight and tagged , .

Leave a comment

December 20, 2016

BW’s Morning Article Link: Free Comic Book Day 2017 Sneak Peak

Free Comic Book Day logo

Previews has the (possibly tentative) list of offerings for next year’s Free Comic Book Day. I’ll revisit it when we get previews of the comic, but right now I’m looking hard at that Underdog comic. Will they have the guts to keep Super Energy Pill? Free Comic Book Day is May 6th, 2017, and hopefully I can actually go next year. It depends on whether or not 2017 hates me as much as 2016.

Posted by on December 20, 2016 in Comic Spotlight and tagged , .

1 Comment

December 19, 2016

That One Christmas In World War 1


Embed from Getty Images

You may have seen an ad for Sainsbury’s, a supermarket chain in the UK depicting a Christmas day during the first (and sadly not last) World War where both sides of a battlefield stop fighting and actually spends the holiday together. Well if you haven’t you’re going to now, because you really should.

Continue reading →

Posted by on December 19, 2016 in Christmas Spotlight and tagged , , , .

1 Comment

December 19, 2016

BW’s Morning Article Links: History Of The Yule Log

A Christmas tradition in New York City is WPIX...

A Christmas tradition in New York City is WPIX’s yearly yule log program (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You know how the Christmas video playlist on my YouTube channel is called the “Yule Log”? Ever been slightly curious as to why? Well, originally a yule log was an actual log burned during the 12 days of Christmas (not to be confused with the song) Here’s an article on that. As to why a music/skit/history collection of Christmas videos would be called a Yule Log, you can blame WPIX in New York. Here’s a Wikipedia story explaining that.

Posted by on December 19, 2016 in Christmas Spotlight and tagged , , .

Leave a comment

December 18, 2016

Jake & Leon #299: Fizzbin Learn About Hanukkah

You get the feeling Leon gets worried coming to work around the holidays ever since Fizzbin came on board?

You get the feeling Leon gets worried coming to work around the holidays ever since Fizzbin came on board?

Yes, there is a backstory to Hanukkah besides the actual miracle. Something for you to look up.

There won’t be any reviews or articles this week. There will be Morning Article Links and some new additions to the BW Yule Log I’ll be posting this week, leading up to Christmas Eve, which I hope will be the video review, and Christmas Day, which may or may not be the next overdue installment of Captain Yuletide. Like I said during Art Soundoff, getting motivated has been a problem this year, as well as doctor visits and a cold that keeps coming back. I actually want to spend the holiday with my family, which I wasn’t able to do on Thanksgiving. (Although given the current political climate I might have been better off. There are so many reasons this year sucks, and dividing families and friends is one of them.)

This is why I ask for help finding Christmas videos and articles online from you guys, so I can focus on making my Christmas specials and still giving everyone good Christmas content. Hopefully next year, but the reviews and commentaries (including the weekly comic reviews…luckily there are no cliffhangers this time) will return in two weeks.

Posted by on December 18, 2016 in Jake & Leon and tagged , , , , .

3 Comments