free christmas music is BACK!

Hello dearest internet beings, I bring news… some good, some less than good.

The Good:

• All four of my past volumes of “festive.mood.inducing.music” are back and ready for your downloading or streaming consumption now!
• I put together a special Christmas album called “the best-ish of… festive.mood.inducing.music.” This features my favorite 12 songs from all of my Christmas EP’s. The album is a great place to start if you’re new to my Christmas tunes and not sure which EP to get first. You can download it on my site, or at Noisetrade.com
• I got married back on October 15th to the most beautiful and literally most wonderful person I know on earth, Mary. YEAH!

The Bad:

• It’s been a crazy busy year for me personally, so honestly there hasn’t been much time for music. Especially no time to  record 5 new Christmas songs… so I have to break the news that there will not be a new Christmas EP this year.
• I know the lack of a new EP after 5 years of putting one out every year is a bummer, but I am really enjoying being a newlywed and there just aren’t the hours to be stuck in my studio all winter. I wish I could be a good new husband and spend hundreds of hours in the studio at the same time, but I’m pretty sure that is impossible.

The Promising:

• DON’T WORRY, I will be back in years to come… this is just a bit of a “Christmas music sabatical” for me. So enjoy the old tunes and share them with your friends who haven’t heard them before. And stay tuned for new non-Christmas music from me in 2012 too!
• Now don’t quote me on this… but there may be a Christmas single and/or Christmas remix in the works so check back later on in December.

The Part Where I Bribe You With A Wedding Photo In Hopes Of Making Up For Not Releasing A New Christmas EP This Year:

• Ta-da.

Thanks for understanding, I hope you still enjoy the Christmas music and keep hanging around. Peace

new song = the dictionary version

Hello there… I am still alive believe it or not, and have actually even been writing a few new songs.
I performed a brand new song called “The Dictionary Version” a few nights ago at 3rd and Lindsley during a special Music City Unsigned 4th Anniversary show.

It’s always a bit nerve-wracking for me to unveil a new song, especially one like this where I’m still fine-tuning it. However, this show had a great and welcoming crowd so I’m glad they got to hear it first!

Here’s a video clip with a little bit about the story behind the song, and me performing it. Let me know what you think!

free EP download + bonus track

So for the next month or so, I’m going to be giving away my first EP, “A Sudden Change in the Atmosphere” and a special acoustic bonus track.

This album was made back in 2008 in Nashville with up & coming producer, Mike Odmark. It was a really fun record to make, and I still play a few of these songs live.

Read More »

so i am an uncle and my song was true!

A quick update…

For those who were following along with my Christmas tunes this year, you probably remember the last song I released, “Nobody Wants to Be Born on Christmas Day” was an original song about my future nephew.

My nephew was due on December 23rd, which was alarmingly close to Christmas day. So I wrote this song from his perspective and how “he hoped” he was born any day other than Christmas! (more details about the song here.)

Well good news…

Read More »

2010 christmas ep recap

This year’s volume 5 of festive.mood.inducing.music was a lot of fun to make. Overall, I was pretty proud of how it turned out. Recording the album during November/December and releasing them each week is a bit stresssful at times, but it’s really worth it and I’m glad so many folks streamed and download the songs!

To all of the new folks who stumbled on to my music thanks to the glorious Internet, stick around and check back so often, believe it or not – I create original music too (not just Christmas tunes!)

Read More »

top albums/ep’s/songs of 2010

These are just my personal favorites of the year. What I really loved.

Comment back with your own “top-whatever” lists if you’re up for it.

Top 20 Albums

20. Judd & Maggie – Choose
19. Trent Dabbs – Your Side Now
18. Andrew Peterson – Counting Stars
17. Dave Barnes – What We Want, What We Get
16. Jenny & Tyler – Faint Not

Read More »

f.m.i.m.v.5 song #5 = “nobody wants to be born on christmas day”

Every time a new song is released I will post a little write-up about the song from festive.mood.inducing.music.vol.5

Song #5 = “Nobody Wants to Be Born on Christmas Day”

Phew… the last song! I didn’t know if I was going to make it with this one. Typically, when I’m recording these Christmas songs I give myself at least a two or three week headstart before I have to release the song. That way I have enough time to record all of the parts and mix the song adequetely. Well, with this last song, I started recording on Monday of this week, and finished all of the recording and mixing late Thursday night. Just a bit stressful.

Read More »

f.m.i.m.v.5 song #4 = “wonderful christmastime”

Every Monday I will be posting a little write-up about the song released that week from festive.mood.inducing.music.vol.5

This week, song #4 = “Wonderful Christmastime”

Some people really love to hate on the song “Wonderful Christmastime.” If we’re being honest here… it IS a bit annoying and repetitive. And Paul McCartney can really do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, but this song is surely near the bottom of his quality scale. However, who cares… it’s FUN! Am I right or am I right?

Read More »

“god rest ye merry gentlemen” @ the bluebird cafe

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of playing at the historic Bluebird Cafe with some dear friend’s in special “Christmas-ized” writer’s round.

See below for video footage of me playing the Christmas Carol, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

Make sure to check out my studio recording of this song too.



(Video footage filmed by Ryan Mitchell)

f.m.i.m.v.5 song #3 = “o holy night”

Every Monday I will be posting a little write-up about the song released that week from festive.mood.inducing.music.vol.5

This week, song #3 = “O Holy Night”

“O Holy Night” is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs. I’ve tried to tackle it for the last three years on my Christmas EP’s but I’ve never ended up with an arrangement I was satisfied with. So I’ve always kept it on the back burner, and knew one year or another I’d be ready to try it out for real.

Read More »