Stocking Stuffer
* Sufjan Stevens: Amazing Grace (5.5 mb) | Only At Christmas Time (3.0 mb) | Come On! Let’s Boogey To The Elf Dance! (6.0 mb) | Little Drummer Boy (5.0 mb) | Get Behind Me, Santa! (6.0 mb)
From Songs For Christmas : Asthmatic Kitty Records : AKR028
Well, it’s that time of the year again. Sometimes I feel like a total scrooge when it comes to the holidays, but c’mon, I feel like I’m totally justified here, with the lights, the fakey good cheer and that ubiquitous (and likewise horrible) muzak christmas music piped everywhere.
Well, Mr. Sufjan Stevens has given me a little something to look forward to this year, with honest-to-goodness, actual, good Christmas music. If you haven’t heard of this fellow by now, then I’m not really sure what to tell you. Sufjan Stevens who, a number of years ago embarked on an ambitious 50-state recording project, blew up with his second release, Illinois, and hasn’t looked back since. He somehow managed to pull everyone into his corner with his infectious blend of witty lyrics and intelligently done pop music. But even before that, he was exploring other thematic musics such as his series of Christmas EPs, starting in 2001.
Having an inherent aversion to the standard Christmas carol, Sufjan indulged in the project initially as an exercise to make himself “appreciate” Christmas more. It was a tough childhood, but you can’t be a Christmas Curmudgeon forever, can you? What he discovered, for better or for worse, was a fascinating canon of Yuletide hits, some emotionally rewarding, some painfully cliché. Jingle Bells. Silent Night. We Three Kings. The whole nine yards. The musical undertaking led Sufjan (and his coterie of friends) to reckon with a holiday that celebrates, above all things, the spirit of excess–Santa Claus, popcorn balls, mistletoe, and Kmart blue light specials, to name a few. What does it all add up to? A headache, a hangover, and sentimental ruminations of Baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and all those animals in the manger. Is there any other holiday that so seamlessly mixes the sacred and the profane? (Asthmatic Kitty site)
I was, when I first heard of the project, a little leary of the concept. I just couldn’t get my head around the idea of “good” Christmas music. But Mr. Stevens has definitely opened up my eyes. With a great mix of traditional and self-penned songs, Sufjan has really given us something to be happy about. This release is a collection of all the previous Christmas EPs along with a new one, 5 EPs in total.
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If you haven’t checked out The Eye on Brainwashed, then you’re really missing out. The staff at Brainwashed have managed to produce a slew of 30 minute interview/live sessions with some of my favorite bands. With everyone from Akron/Family, to Comets On Fire, to The New Year, they’ve got some fabulous bases covered.
