AIMEE MANN has a video medley of all of the songs o­n One More Drifter in the Snow.

HOLIDAY MUSIC from various artists is streaming from AOL.

GO ELF YOURSELF: Sylvia Hauser just turned me into a dancing elf, but she must know that turnabout is fair play.

SEASON of the LIST: Even the Times of London now embeds plenty of video for their Songs of the Year. Pitchfork has lists for the Top 50 Albums, plus individual lists, the Top 100 Tracks, plus individual lists, the 25 Worst Album Covers, and the Top 25 Music Videos.

YEAR in REVIEW: Jody Rosen leads a discussion at Slate by calling 2006 "not half bad" for pop music.

FROM THE BASEMENT is a music series that features the most intimate live performances -- available via download o­nly -- of artists like Thom Yorke and The White Stripes. Windows Media folk can preview clips before they buy, though.

MUSIC VIDEO DOWNLOADING: I was recently asked by a Pate fan and reader who is getting his kids MP3 / video players for Christmas about suggestions for safe places to download music videos -- pay or free. Obviously, iPod users have iTunes, which seems to be the leader in video as well as audio. Non-pod people may take a look at signing up for AOL Music Now, though I would check the Terms of Service and use the search engine to see whether it carries what the kids want. MSN used to have a video dl service, but shut it down this month. Some labels -- like Sony -- sell music videos through the Google Video Store, but others -- like Warners -- do not. And while you can find free streaming music videos plenty of places, I did not find any that do free downloads. Of course, some people hack YouTube, which I can't really advocate, being a lawyer and all. But anyone following that last link could figure it out.

THE SHINS have posted a video for "Phantom Limb" from their upcoming album. But if you've never seen them pay tribute to indie cover art in the video for "New Slang," you should watch that, too.

ELVIS PERKINS recently talked to North Carolina's News & Observer about his upcoming debut album, Ash Wednesday. You can stream a couple from his World Cafe gig via NPR.

WOLFGANG'S VAULT, which sells rock T-shirts, pictures and memorabilia such as vintage concert posters and tickets, as well as streaming soundboard recordings collected over 30 years by legendary concert promoter Bill Graham, is being sued by major rock names, including Grateful Dead Productions, Carlos Santana and members of Led Zeppelin and the Doors. The rockers claim their images and material are being exploited without their permission.

STAX is BACK: Concord Music Group is reactivating the imprint after a 30-year-hiatus with new signings, re-issues, and special events. The first new signings to Stax include soul luminary/Stax patriarch Isaac Hayes and vocalist Angie Stone. Concord will also honor the label's 50th year by releasing definitive collections, rare performances and unreleased tracks in deluxe packages.

THE POGUES' Spider Stacy talks to Harp about Shane MacGowan's inebriated but undeniable charisma, which London's Independent reports was on full display at Brixton Academy.

DENIS PAYTON, a multi-instrumentalist for the Dave Clark Five, has died after a long illness at age 63. A few weeks ago the band was nominated for induction to the 2007 American Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame, which must have made him "Glad All Over." BONUS: "Anyway You Want It" and "Do You Love Me."

MISS USA TARA CONNER was not fired by The Donald, but she will be going into rehab. Let's go to the video. Or would you rather just watch the Miss USA 2006 swimsuit competition. Tara is first, so you o­nly have to watch the first minute or so.

BRITNEY SPEARS jumped o­nstage between striptease acts at a Los Angeles burlesque club, and had to be chased off by the manager... twice.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Gibson now calls his anti-Semitic tirade a gift, "because it