christmas countdown: #7

This entire album is a revelation. The Hotel Café presents... Winter Songs is one of the best holiday compilations with songs by the most awesome indie artists. "Winter Song" by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles is my third favorite song from this album.



It's sad, and it's not really about Christmas, but still. I love the harmonies, the cello, the piano and the "bum-bum-bums."

When you listen to the song and get to the 3:50 mark, listen to all that layering -- so beautiful!

Only 6 1/2 weeks until Christmas! :)

music monday: "sitting on the dock of the bay" by sara bareilles

I found this song on iTunes searching for a song I heard on TV that I thought was Sara Bareilles. I went to see her live when she was touring with Rachael Yamagata a couple years ago, and we actually left in the middle of her performance. She's a great singer, but her stage presence and humor were so awkward!

And, especially compared to Rachael Yamagata, her songs can seem a little over-produced and too neatly put together, kind of like a movie that resolves every story line in a nice little bow. 

But this song... wow. The lyrics aren't particularly clever and the song isn't very catchy, but it has so much soul! And this song also shows how amazing a singer she is.



I downloaded the only version I could find online, which is a live performance. Too bad it's not as good as this video.