By Olivia Dunn

With Christmastime approaching, it’s time to start listening and appreciating the season before it passes you by. Rather than opting for the classics such as “Jingle Bells” or “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” at every chance you get (although there’s nothing wrong with that), consider checking out the multitude of pop music various stars have offered over the years with the convenient broken-down guide provided below. Happy Holidays!

Classics:

These pop hits have stood the test of time and are just as likely to be heard on the radio as any other Christmas carol. Out of all the classics, these three are the best of the best.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey – Say what you want about this song, as it has gained a reputation for being overhyped, but it’s simply not Christmas without at least a few (or hundreds of) listens.

“Last Christmas” by Wham! – This song is the perfect choice for those who could do without the same cheery tone of most Christmas songs.

“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber – Upon its release in 2011, this song easily became a staple for both middle school girls and non-Justin Bieber listeners alike.

Sleepers:

While these songs often get overshadowed by their more-famous counterparts, they are just as deserving of multiple listens throughout the holiday season.

“Cold December Night” by Michael Bublé – While Michael Bublé has become known for other famous tracks off his beloved holiday album simply entitled Christmas, “Cold December Night” deserves fame in its own right.

“Christmas Eve” by Justin Bieber – One of the more soulful tracks off of Justin Bieber’s Christmas album, “Christmas Eve” makes for the perfect listen during your family’s Christmas commute.

“Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson – Once you hear this song for the first time, you’ll never be able to get it out of your head, and you’ll enjoy every minute of it. 

Worthy Covers:

With a limited amount of Christmas carols in existence, it can be difficult to decipher which covers are the best. Over the years, these three have remained tried and true staples.

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé – While it was hard to choose just one cover from Michael Bublé, this song sums up the simultaneous anticipation and nostalgia associated with Christmas perfectly. 

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith – This slowed-down take of a classic Christmas song is a match made in Christmas heaven with Sam Smith’s vocals.

“Winter Wonderland/Don’t Worry Darling” by Pentatonix – Pentatonix gives a fun and unique spin of “Winter Wonderland” by pairing it with Bob Marley’s fan favorite hit, “Don’t Worry Darling.”

View my full holiday playlist below. From all of us at Falvey, we hope you give these picks a listen and have a happy and healthy Holiday season! 

Olivia Dunn is a senior at Villanova University. She works in Falvey Library as a Communications and Marketing Assistant and majors in Communication with specializations in both Journalism and Public Relations.

By Ethan Shea

Last Wednesday was a big day for people who love to overshare.

That’s right, it’s Spotify Wrapped season! For the uninitiated (and Apple Music listeners), Spotify Wrapped is an annual recap of listening habits that Spotify sends to every user at the end of the year. This time around, there was greater focus on what your music reveals about your personality. Spotify wants the raw numbers we receive to teach us something about ourselves.

As much as I enjoy analyzing my annually released statistics, there’s something deeply personal about these numbers. How is this possible? What does my 58,293 minutes of music streaming say about me? Presumably a lot according to this article.

Everyone is much more than a collection of numbers, but focusing on data is helpful even in the humanities. For me, the overwhelming interest in Spotify Wrapped feels similar to the growing interest in the digital humanities.

Digital Scholarship Lab Hours

The digital humanities, according to Falvey’s Digital Scholarship/Digital Humanities Subject Guide, “is an area of research, collaboration, teaching, and creation concerned with the intersection of computing, digital technologies, and humanities scholarship.”

Just as Spotify attempts to reveal information about our complex personalities through listening data, the digital humanities provides a new perspective of subjective literary texts. For example, what does it mean that James Joyce uses the capitalized word “National” in Ulysses eleven times but the same word in lowercase twenty times? With statistics provided by the digital humanities,  readers have even more questions to ponder!

If you would like to learn more about the digital humanities, in addition to our subject guide, you can find the Digital Scholarship Lab in Room 218A at Falvey. The Lab is open by reservation-only, so make sure to book a visiting time in advance!

Ethan Shea is a graduate student in the English Department at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Roger Rabbit said, “A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it’s the only weapon we have.”

For many of us, we’re at the point where the semester is in full swing. Workloads are increasing, and you might be beginning to feel the effects of the semester. With midterms around the corner, it can be easy to get overwhelmed, overworked, and burnt out. (I know I feel like I’m practically army-crawling my way towards Fall Break).

With all of this in mind, try to give yourself a moment to laugh. Whether it’s a funny TikTok, one of your favorite movies, or a moment with your friends, a little laughter in your day can have the power to relieve some weight off your shoulders.

THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, September 26

Mindfulness Monday | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Tuesday, September 27

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Wednesday, September 28

Fall 2022 Falvey Forum Workshop: Present Real-Time Analytics with ARCGIS Dashboards | 12-1 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to the Villanova Community | Register Here

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

2022 One Book Villanova Author’s Visit and Book Signing | 5:30 p.m. | Villanova Room, Connelly Center | Free & Open to the Villanova Community

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas is available here.

Friday, September 30

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public

Sunday, October 2

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 3-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Do you ever feel like you’re absolutely confused in class and your professor is making no sense? Well, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, you can be festive and celebrate National Ask a Stupid Question Day by, as the name suggests, asking a stupid question. I promise you that we all ask stupid questions, and sometimes it’s even the smart thing to do.

For all our coffee-drinking readers, this week holds not 1, but 2 coffee-related holidays. Thursday, Sept. 29 is National Starbuck’s Day, and Saturday, Oct. 1 is International Coffee Day. Celebrate by picking up your favorite brew at your favorite shop. (Holy Grounds and Dunkin’ are definitely on my list of stops for the week).

Sept. 30 is International Podcast Day, a perfect excuse to tune out the world and listen to your favorite podcast. Although I’m not a huge podcast fan myself, but I might check out a new true crime podcast or the latest episode of The Leftovers.

Saturday is also International Music Day. Celebrate by listening to your go-to album, by checking out a new artist, or, if you’re musically gifted, playing an instrument you enjoy. (I’ll probably still be riding the wave of the My Chemical Romance reunion, jamming to The Skallywags, and relaxing with Hozier).

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

By Ethan Shea

Nearly a year ago I wrote a “Cat in the Stax” blog titled “What are you listening to?”. At the risk of recycling old ideas one too many times, I’ve decided to bring the topic back for a “What are you listening 2?” if you will. 

This blog is especially fit for this week because nothing pairs with music like dance, and in a matter of days, Villanova will be welcoming a highly acclaimed dance company to our campus. Specifically, on Tuesday, September 13, the Liz Roche Company will put on the first professional dance performance in the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. 

Photo Credit: José Miguel Jiménez

This performance, titled “Yes and Yes” celebrates the centennial of James Joyce’s Ulysses. The performance will lead the audience through the eighteen episodes of Ulysses, which are based upon Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey.  You can learn more about Joyce’s Ulysses from this blog. 

On another tangentially related note, at the beginning of the year, it’s important to get acquainted with Falvey’s subject guides, so I recommend any and all audiophiles check out the guide dedicated to music. Here, you’ll find contact information for Falvey’s Subject Librarian, Robert LeBlanc, our First-Year Experience and Music Liaison Librarian. Especially if you’re interested in researching music in a more academic sense, Falvey has your back. 

However, at its core, this blog isn’t exactly academic. It’s a brief reflection on the music I’ve been enjoying lately, so without further delay, here are a few recently released albums I’ve been listening to! Don’t be shy, and share your favorite 2022 releases in the comments below!

Gemini Rights – Steve Lacy 

Alternative R&B and pop artist Steve Lacy is a multi-talented musician who got his start as a high schooler by producing viral hits on his iPhone. This sophomore solo album from Lacy is indicative of his eclectic taste. From the latin influence that drives the song “Mercury,” to the lovable, boyish hit “Bad Habit,” Lacy has a little bit of something for everyone. A personal highlight is the song “Amber,” which delivers Lacy’s storytelling skills over a charming piano medley. A crescendo occurs throughout the entirety of the track, culminating in a wailing guitar solo that cries in unison with Lacy’s falsetto ad-libs, perfectly encapsulating the regret this song portrays.

RENAISSANCE – Beyoncé

I don’t think anyone saw this stylistic shift coming, but per usual, Beyoncé delivered with her latest release “RENAISSANCE.” Almost every song has an irresistible groove, and the transitions from track to track are incredibly smooth, so the party never stops during the album’s 62-minute runtime. In addition to the record’s electronic and funk influences, Beyoncé’s vocal performances, especially on the song “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA” are top-notch. In spite of what might seem like a chaotic groove, you can tell this album was meticulously crafted, and each vocal inflection is calculated. If you’re looking for music to play at the gym or something to give you an energy boost in the middle of a long work day, I recommend giving this album a listen!

Upstate – Almeda 

I’d like to introduce everyone to Almeda, a band formed five years ago by a group who were undergraduates at Georgetown University at the time. Since then, the band’s members have gone their separate ways, but the music they recorded during their time together has been thoroughly mixed and mastered over the past few years. It wasn’t until recently that Almeda’s debut album, “Upstate,” was finally released after five years in the making. This R&B rock band features Adaeze Eze, an incredibly talented vocalist with a silky voice that glides over a range of catchy tunes. Danny O’Brien is both a guitarist and keyboard player for the band, and Dan Sheehan is featured on the drums.

One of my favorite songs, “Artificial Wings,” is one of the project’s jazzier cuts. It features a groovy bassline performed by bassist Nick Quirk and an impressive tempo change that highlights the band’s ability to perform complex rhythms in unison. If you’re into alternative rock and R&B, or even if you’re a fan of cover music (this album features a jazzy cover of Kendrick Lamar’s hit “Swimming Pools”), check this record out!

Ethan Shea is a graduate student in the English Department at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library

By Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Memorial Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Beyond the Wildcats clinching their spot in the Final Four, the weekend brought additional excitement with what was poised to be the first “normal” Oscars since pre-COVID. However, in actuality, the Oscars were anything but. From a big win for Deaf culture to the slap heard ‘round the world, we’re breaking down everything Oscars-related, whether you have 2 minutes or 14+ hours. 

If you have 2 minutes and 39 seconds… watch Megan Thee Stallion perform “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” 

If you have 5 minutes… read this article breaking down everything you need to know about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock and why Chris Rock’s joke was problematic. Synopsis: You don’t joke about a Black woman’s hair. 

Bonus: On a lighter note, look up the memes that have resulted from the incident! 

If you have 1 hour and 14 minutes… Listen to Hans Zimmer’s score for Dune, winner of best original score category in last weekend’s awards. 

If you have 1 hour and 52 minutes… watch the 2022 Oscar’s best film CODA, a movie bringing Deaf culture and Deaf actors to the forefront. 

If you have 14 hours (and no work to do)… read the novel Dune. Because let’s be honest, the books are better than the movie nine times out of 10, and the movie had a pretty good showing Sunday night. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

Ad from The Villanovan in February 1974

Photo by William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress

Next Tuesday will mark the 47th anniversary of Miles Davis’s performance at Villanova! The ad above is from an edition of The Villanovan published in February of 1974. Check out his beloved music on Spotify or click here for a quick synopsis about “arguably the most influential jazz musician in the post-World War II period.” Be sure to look into more resources and information on this iconic performer in the Falvey Collection, or check out the books linked below.

• MILES ON MILES : INTERVIEWS AND ENCOUNTERS WITH MILES DAVIS
• MILES DAVIS, MILES SMILES, AND THE INVENTION OF POST BOP
• THE STUDIO RECORDINGS OF THE MILES DAVIS QUINTET, 1965-68

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

Happy Holidays, Wildcats! Enjoy this new mashed potato mashup playlist while studying for finals, traveling home, or just for some relaxing backgrounds tunes. These calm tracks are perfect for any gathering. Looking for more music? Check out the original mashup here.

• 1) “Where’s My Love” by SYML
• 2) “Oh My Stars” by Andrew Belle
• 3) “The Bones” by Maren Morris & Hozier
• 4) “I Will Not Take My Love Away” by Matt Wertz
• 5) “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles
• 6) “Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke
• 7) “Rearview” by Andra Day
• 8) “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges
• 9) “Willow” by Taylor Swift
• 10) “Buckets of Rain” by Bob Dylan
• 11) “Seven Hours” by Lucy Schwartz & Aqualung
• 12) “Tip of My Tongue” by Kenny Chesney
• 13) “Love Is Everywhere I Go” by Sam Phillips
• 14) “Present Tense” by Pearl Jam
• 15) “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac
• 16) “Promise” by Ben Howard
• 17) “Lost Stars” by Adam Levine
• 18) “All Is Well” by Austin Basham
• 19) “Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton & Willa Amai
• 20) “She’s Got A Way” by Billy Joel

Bonus playlist: Kallie’s Chords—Merry Everything. Play the holiday hits here.

• 1) “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry
• 2) “Good King Wenceslas” by Jane Lynch, Kate Flannery, Tim Davis & The Tony Guerrero Quintet
• 3) “O Christmas Tree” by Tony Bennett
• 4) “Merry Christmas Darling” by The Carpenters
• 5) “Winter Wonderland” by Kenny G
• 6) “Hallelujah” by Pentatonix
• 7) “Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
• 8) “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Home Free
• 9) “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy” by Bing Crosby & Davie Bowie
• 10) “Snow” by Leslie Odom Jr.
• 11) “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” by Vince Guaraldi
• 12) “Lights On” Tyler, the Creator feat. Ryan Beatty & Santigold
• 13) “Jingle Bells” by Frank Sinatra
• 14) “Glow” by Kelly Clarkson & Chris Stapleton
• 15) “O Come O Come Emmanuel” by The Civil Wars
• 16) “Frosty the Snowman” by Fiona Apple
• 17) “Last Christmas” by She & Him
• 18) “We Three Kings” by Ella Fitzgerald
• 19) “Little Saint Nick” by Surfaces
• 20) “Joy to the World” by Whitney Houston & The Georgia Mass Choir

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.

By Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! After a year off, Falvey Memorial Library is bringing back Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Whether you have accepted it (or are still in denial like I am) finals are upon us, and the Holidays somehow seem farther away than they did last week. This week I’m sharing recs that help you stay in the know about what’s going on in the world, but also will help you relax and crush the end of the semester. So take a deep breath and add some news reading and stress-buster activities into your weekend.  

If you have 3 minutes… download a mindfulness app like “Insight Timer” or “Headspace” to clear your head and re-center your focus.  

BONUS WEEKDAY REC: On Monday, Dec. 13, attend Mindfulness Monday via Zoom from 1–1:30 p.m. More information and the link can be found here. 

If you have 5 minutes… read The Skimm’s daily newsletter from Thursday that breaks down everything from the Daunte Wright trials to the Beijing Olympics to the latest on the omicron variant. Their quick daily newsletters will help you stay in the know, so the world doesn’t seem entirely different when you emerge from finals in a week. 

If you have 1 hour… and are near Falvey from 4–5 p.m. Friday evening, stop by Room 205 for the Stress-Free Healthy Happy Hour event. Take a break from studying and join in for an hour of pet therapy, giveaways, and stress-reducing activities. Learn more here. 

If you have 1 hour and 3 minutes… listen to the Little Women movie soundtrack on Spotify while you study. It’s one of my go-to focus and study albums! 

If you have 1 hour and 39 minutes… go see Encanto, Disney’s newest animated film that features music by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda. Relax watching a Disney movie with great music!  

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Anna Jankowski and Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! After a year off, Falvey Memorial Library is bringing back Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. This week, student worker Anna Jankowski will be joining her in the search for news!

Miss Americana is back and better than ever. Taylor Swift re-recorded her iconic 2012 album Red and the world is loving it. In the first 24 hours, Red (Taylor’s Version) became the most streamed album in a day by a female with 90.8 million global streams. This weekend, sift through our recommendations below to find out more about the new 30-song album and why it is changing the music industry forever.

If you have 14 seconds… watch this behind-the-scenes Tik Tok from Taylor’s newest music video “I Bet You Think About Me.” The video features Blake Lively in her directorial debut! Then be sure to watch the full 6-minute video featuring Miles Teller.

If you have 3 minutes… scroll through this tap story in the Wall Street Journal that details how Swift’s re-releases are having an actionable impact on the future of the music industry.

If you have 15 minutes… watch “All Too Well: The Short Film” on YouTube starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink. This film was both written and directed by Taylor Swift and uses her 10-minute version of the song as a background soundtrack.

If you have 2 hours and 10 minutes… listen to Red (Taylor’s Version) on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music. And then, if you want more Taylor, listen to the other albums she fully owns, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Evermore, Folklore, and Lover. 

If you have 3 hours and 11 minutes… have a Taylor movie weekend and watch Miss Americana on Netflix, the documentary where Taylor reveals intimate details of her life while showcasing backstage and onstage concert footage, followed by Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions on Disney+, an intimate concert performance of Folklore.

Jenna Renaud is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library. Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS  is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

By Ethan Shea

It might seem like the semester just began, but believe it or not, in just a couple weeks it will be time for midterm exams. Luckily, that also means Fall Break will be at our doorstep in no time.

I hope everyone’s had the chance to get into the rhythm of their new daily routines. If so, we can all take advantage of this relatively calm time of the semester and prepare for the trials to come. One habit that’s crucial to surviving midterms is a productive study routine. At least for me, when it comes to lining up my idiosyncratic study tendencies neatly in a row, I’m always left with questions and concerns.

In general, I can never decide how I want to study. Where should I be studying? Should I be listening to music? What time is best to study?

For this week’s “Cat in the Stax” I decided to answer these questions once and for all. I hope you’re able to use the answers I found to improve your academic experience here at Villanova. Enjoy!

Does listening to music help or hurt study sessions?

A study carried out by the University of Wollongong in Australia concluded that the answer to this question depends on the music you’re listening to. Because music tends to reduce stress, students will be more likely to buckle down and focus with greater intensity when aurally occupied. This revelation disproved the complex theory that classical music stimulates specific parts of the human brain that make studying more efficient. Contrarily, just about any instrumental music can help you study if it improves your mood. Songs with lyrics tend to make reading comprehension a bit more difficult, so if possible, stay away from vocal performances.

Where is the best place to study?

At the risk of sounding a bit biased, I’ll posit that all the best places to study are located right here in Falvey Library, but I’m not just saying that because this is a Falvey blog. In fact, I’ve got science to back me up. The ability to retain information and concentration levels are increased when studying in new locations. Being in the same place over and over again does not stimulate the brain to the greatest possible extent in the same way that focusing on one subject for too long can lead to burnout. Studying in an area with very few distractions and relative quietude is also important to learning efficiently. Stimulation overload prevents you from focusing intently on anything because your focus spreads too thin.

Thankfully, Falvey Library has plenty of quiet spaces, such as Third and Fourth Floor Stacks in addition to the Reading Room. There are also many different places to study in Falvey, so you can try a new one everyday without rendering your mind weary!

When is the best time to study?

Odd as it may seem, research has shown that studying when you’re tired is actually helpful. For example, if you study right before bed, your brain will essentially be reviewing the material in your sleep, causing the information to soak in a bit deeper. On the other hand, studying after a workout session has its benefits as well. Because of the increased flow of oxygen and blood that exercise causes, our brains get neurological boosts immediately after exercise. With that being said, feel free to take a jog over to Falvey Memorial Library when it’s time to hit the books!

Ethan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.