Deck the halls with beers and Stoli! The nutcracker of scrutiny was applied to this week’s noisettes of news and the following discussed over a glass of port …

... are a lot of new song catalogues just blogs set to music?

… can any actor be convincing playing someone really famous?

… Robbie Williams’ Better Man: it’s the way forward! Who can his CGI’s monkey play next?

… why no-one writes songs with opinions anymore.

… Lola Young’s ‘charming’ press release.

... when Elvis met Nixon (and was “crackling with drugs”).

… why we miss the one pound note!

… Dickens, Bing Crosby and why the concept of Christmas is rooted in the past.

… is part of the joy of Powerpop that it’s doomed to commercial failure? Big Star, the Shoes – perfect; Blondie – too successful!

… St James Infirmary, I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, Stormy Monday – and other great songs about money - ‘These shabby shoes I'm wearing all the time/ Is full of holes and nails and brother if I stepped on a worn out dime/ I bet a nickel I could tell you if it was heads or tails’.

… the return of “a bankroll big enough to choke a donkey”.

… plus Hank Williams, Brenda Lee, Tom Waits and birthday guest Kevin Walsh wonders ‘what’s the classic Powerpop look and sound and who are its standard-bearers?’

Happy Christmas, all! … from us and ‘Bob Dylan’:

https://x.com/FallonTonight/status/1597460887446900736?lang=en

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