My Weird Taste in Christmas Music

I discovered Sufjan Stevens about three years ago, when I was trying out web radio stations... literally, I did this once, and the one time I did I heard his stunning song "Casimir Pulaski Day," and proceeded to purchase his entire ouevre on the strength of it.

I've had his Christmas collection (which I believe is made up of a bunch of EP's he made for family and friends) for about two years. It is made up of his eclectic renditions of familiar Christmas carols and hymns, along with many original compositions with titles like "Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? (Well You Deserved It)." This is one of my favorite Christmas carols from the collection, which he titles "What Child Is This, Anyway?" I love it because it sounds entirely ominous and threatening, which seems utterly in keeping with the apocalyptic flavor of many of the Advent readings.

The video is oddly compelling. It is simply a series of shots, with very minimal panning, of this house, in all kinds of light and all kinds of weather. I thought it would be boring, but taken together with the music, I find it creates a kind of dramatic tension and draws you in. I found myself assuming all kinds of personality attributes on the part of the house.

Enjoy.