a freezing fog’s descended on london town making the more salubrious areas looks suitably dickensian just in time for the crackling fireplaces of the ancestral living room to begin their festive clarion call.

having made an executive decision to take a day’s holiday pre-holiday just, you know, to make sure we’re relaxed enough for the upcoming break, i figured i’d spend this last hour shackled to my paying keyboard pre-empting what might be a fallow period for these here horse latitudes…

and totting up my super6 bringers of great joy and gladness for double Oh-6.

1) horse latitudes - finally, an outlet for my incessant cod philosophical muso musings. shared, of course, with two of the finest minds of my generation and committed to bringing you the bestest thing since the last best thing we brought you.

2) j.tillman records - i might have to self-edit my tillmania for the whole of january just so you don’t get bored but if you’ve not bought minor works for someone in your immediate family this christmas then they will be terribly disappointed.

3) high heels - making me nearly six foot, causing blisters galore and forcing a strut like a peacock but i never really wore them before and now i love them probably a little bit too much.

4) the beast’s blow-outs - laying down some serious cooking time dans la cuisine i’ve made some killer food this year and best of all shared it with more than appreciative audiences - all that and i invented the 2nd best breakfast ever (raspberry french toast parcels, fried in butter and dusted with icing sugar, anyone?)

5) family - mine and other people’s, officially and unofficially, related or just on the same plain (man)… this year’s been all about growing/adopting/appropriating/rediscovering amazing families all over the place.

6) right back atcha.

to round off, my contribution to the christmas track paean is by sufjan stevens, from his much blogged/touted christmas box set but it also happens to be one of my tracks of the year.

sufjan stevens - sister winter