I-am-Rock

We already brought you Soof news today, but it’s close to Christmas and Santa Stevens has selected the winner of his Xmas Xchange. You can hear the prize tune by Alec Duffy over at Asthmatic Kitty. That said, the best part of the whole thing is SS’s description of the the other 600-something entries, and his reasoning for choosing the croon-y winner:

I fell in love with them all. Even the songs with expletives, the songs with Christmas clichés, the many songs about ex-girlfriends, nativity scenes, snow globes and apple cider. Rummaging through these songs was an arduous and fascinating sociological project! They were all glorious, gorgeous, intimate, whimsical musical meditations on the holiday that never ceases to capture our imagination, year in and year out. A hundred million thanks to all of you who labored over these gifts of song! A hundred million holiday thanks! Oh how I wish I could choose them all!

There were songs with banjos and ukuleles, songs with synthesizer strings, songs with Casio beats, techno beats, beat boxing, sugary shaker sounds and tambourines. There were songs in Latin, songs in Danish, songs in multiple key signatures, songs with vocoders, songs with Rhodes pianos, toy pianos, multiple xylophones, precious songs with Midwestern accents, sardonic songs with English accents, whistling songs, songs with wrapping paper as metaphor for an overbearing lover, songs as advice columns to Santa, as advice columns to ex-lovers, songs with reed organs and mouth organs and pipe organs. Songs with references to Henry James, in-laws, more ex-girlfriends, abstract ambient songs with twinkling bells and silver glitter, no-nonsense songs with the curmudgeon-y sneer of a Grinch, songs about innocence and forgiveness, songs about spite and regret, songs with great big bear hugs and songs with wintry gazes, songs with reminiscent, sentimental choruses, songs with the names of soccer players and American tycoons, songs with sleigh bells and happy rapping, songs with the thumping back beats of reindeer hooves, screaming children, bumbling boo hoos, bah-humbugs, songs with the beating hearts of all mankind. These were the generous songs of many creative voices participating in the convoluted mysteries of the Christmas tube sock! Yes!His reasoning for Duffy’s tune along with our after-the-deadline submission to the XX contest post-jump.

Fonte: Stereogum