Colbert hosting Costello, Feist for "Christmas"

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN1638329220080917

Colbert hosting Costello, Feist for "Christmas"
Tue Sep 16, 2008
By Ann Donahue

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert is getting an early start on Christmas, enlisting musicians Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend and Willie Nelson for a one-hour holiday special that will air November 23 on the cable network.

"A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!" has something of a narrative arc: Colbert will be snowed in at his cabin in upstate New York and will pass the time with his musically inclined friends.

Original songs will be written for the special by David Javerbaum, the executive producer of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," and composer Adam Schlesinger, from Fountains Of Wayne and Ivy. The duo recently collaborated on the Broadway musical "Cry Baby."

Songs and their performers include "Another Christmas Song," to be performed by Colbert; "Have I Got a Present for You" by Keith; "Little Dealer Boy" by Colbert and Nelson; "Hanukkah" by Colbert and Jon Stewart; "Nutmeg" by Colbert and Legend; "Please Be Patient" by Feist; "There Are Much Worse Things To Believe In" by Colbert and Costello and "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" performed by the entire ensemble.

The DVD of the show will be released November 25, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the charity Feeding America. DVD extras will include a "book burning Yule log," a video advent calendar and alternate endings.

Video of the Year: "1234" by Feist

Video of the Year
"1234" by Feist

With all the pointless media hype surrounding the VMA awards, it's easy to forget MTV was once a TV station dedicated to music videos. The shutout of the video "1234" by Feist at the awards show, even for nominations, makes all the more clear that MTV has become lost in the world of celebrity hype over great music and videos. Parts of this video are now being used in Apple iPod commercials, check the URL below for the whole video. This is the kind of thing that was once a staple of MTV, back when guys like Spike Jonze were directing these mini-masterpieces:

http://search.music.yahoo.com/search/?m=all&p=feist