What Do You Want From Me?

This year's xmas album is finally available for free download! I took a day off from work and cranked out a 5 original songs and 1 old standard.


CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!

While you're listening or downloading, here's a wordy rundown:

1. Xmas Got Wrecked: A song about a person pinning their happiness on someone else. That seems to be the theme of a few of these songs.

2. Hooray!! I Got You A Giftrcard!!: A song sardonically extolling the benefits of giving someone a giftcard. Gift cards are basically like giving money but restricts where you can spend it, making it less valuable than money. Still, I give them because it appears more thoughtful than money even though it's less useful.

3. What Do You Want From Me?: A song about a character agonizing over what gift would be appropriate for their special someone. The song began as an attempt to write a song for the "Sufjan Stevens Xmas Song Contest" which i ended up not entering. I don't know any of Sufjan's music or anything about him (adding some double meaning to the first line), but I like the idea and was going to make an xmas song anyhow. I put a lot of pressure on myself to try to finish the song in time for the deadline, but crumbled and found myself not having fun. so I spent a couple days playing video games and not worrying about it until I was ready.

4. RED-GREEN: A song intended to be a short incidental between-songs-song listing items that could be either red or green. I like the drums from my busted keyboard too much to keep it short, and ended up adding nonsensical items to the 'lyrics' making it sound almost like an Applied Communications outtake.

5. Just Add Some Bells!: The theme of this song is how adding bells can make a song suitable for inclusion on an Xmas album, even if nothing else about the song is particularly festive. The character in the song has a terrible life and is advised to "Just Add Some Bells!" to their life to make things easier. In this case, 'Bells' could be the literal act of playing a musical instrument, or the metaphorical act of doing something that you enjoy even if it isn't particularly productive. This song shows that I am not comfortable screaming in my apartment.

6. Blue Xmas: This song was added at the last minute because I wanted the album to have something comfortable and familiar on it, and end on a straightforward christmassy feeling. I recorded it originally as an acapella barbershop quartet one morning before work, but when I got home that evening and listened to it I realized that barbershop quartets have 4 people with different vocal ranges and planned musical arrangements, and don't just try to harmonize on the fly. Too many cringeworthy moments meant I rerecorded the vocals and drowned everything in record-hiss and reverb. The part at the end came about because I was using the BeverlyHillsCop soundtrack to make the record hiss.

While I think I could definitely have polished it a bit more, I was afriad of tearing out the heart and I'm definitely proud of what I made and hope you like it! I think it sounds better in headphones, but you can listen however you like!

If you're still hungry for more Xmas Album fun, try these from past years:
XMAS 2005: Have a Great Xmas (Don't Kill Yourself)
XMAS 2006 (It Sucks A Lot)

Click to go to homeworkparty.com