Winter Wonderland

Sleigh bells ring and et cetera

This is a version of "Winter Wonderland." I slowed it down a lot and with it so slowed down, the best part of the original (the "in the meadow, we can build a snowman") sounded really weird and didn't fit. Originally, there was a harmony in the center, but it was really pitchy and I couldn't get it right so I cut it and just left the unison vocals on the left and the right. I tried to fit some more instruments in but it seemed to want to be sparse. The sound I was going for in the last verse was like what I think it might sound like in the inside of a really emo snowglobe.

• play
• pause
• min volume
• max volume

posted by raisindebt (10 comments total)

I can't wait to put this on a disc an listen to it in my car.
In the middle of nowhere. really loud. Wow.
posted by at the crossroads at 6:53 AM on December 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Thanks a lot!
posted by raisindebt at 7:58 AM on December 6, 2009

I listened to this on repeat many times yesterday with my girlfriend and it made us so happy!
I love how the vocals are panned, how the piano measures time and that there's not one shaker and no jingle bells-- the synth on the bridge ! and the minimal percussion really brings it home. Super smart and well done. I love it. Thank you.
posted by at the crossroads at 7:33 PM on December 7, 2009

I was going to say something backhanded like "this is the only version of this song I've ever heard that didn't make my ears bleed", but it deserves an actual, er, forehanded (?) compliment: this is awesome, and it made my day a lot better and warmed my Scroogelike little heart. I love the gentle piano and the relaxed feel in your vocals.
posted by dorque at 10:42 AM on December 8, 2009

Aw, thank you both so much, that's so nice.
posted by raisindebt at 2:40 PM on December 8, 2009

Normally, I find the Christmas spirit depressing. It's the combination of commercialism and lost innocence, I think, and remembering that my innocence involved being a greedy little snot.

This made me happy. It's relaxing and reminds me of falling asleep on Christmas Eve. You posted it on my birthday too, which makes it even better, even though I didn't find it until today.

Thank you!
posted by vogon_poet at 3:33 PM on December 8, 2009

I think I said in one of your other songs how you toe a fine line self-conscious seriousness/jokeness in your songs, but I've never heard you go wrong! Glad to see you're posting again. This is beautiful. The instrumentation is really well chosen.
posted by Corduroy at 8:30 PM on December 8, 2009

Great version -- you brought something new to it and made it your own. Love the e-piano, it's very pretty. I thought it was chococat singing! That means the vocal is good, too.
posted by edlundart at 10:44 PM on December 8, 2009

Thanks guys. And happy belated birthday, vogon_poet!
posted by raisindebt at 5:51 AM on December 9, 2009

Dreamy music to sip a nice Christmas whiskey too.
posted by andyfallon at 12:41 AM on December 11, 2009