The Force-Cast, a Christmas Compilation, and Remixes!

I wanted to take a moment to wish everybody a Happy Holiday and to post a couple of interesting bits of Christmas related news.

First off, I'm delighted to report that the good folks at Artist House Music included "The Millennium Falcon for Christmas" on their Artist House Music Community Christmas Compilation. The entire 22 track album is available as a free download right now! Download it here.

I'm honored to be included on such a wonderful compilation that features so many talented artists. I'm particularly fond of the songs by Dunham van Dunham, Freddy Litwiniuk, Josh Belville, Secretary feat. Big Boss, Tracy Newman and The Reinforcements, and Bev Barnett and Greg Newlon. The whole compilation is great and free! There is also a track called Space Zombie Christmas by Hector Zick Zack and Deathray.

The next bit of exciting news is that "The Millennium Falcon for Christmas" was featured on the most recent episode of The Force-Cast (an excellent Star Wars Podcast). Go here to download "A Galaxy of Music Vol.21 - 12 Days of Force-Cast Christmas!" On a related note, TheForce.net linked to the song as well, in this post here.

Finally, some of the great musicians over at ccMixter applied their talents to remixing "The Millennium Falcon for Christmas". Check out Scomber's funky, disco take on the song here, and radiotimes' wildly creative holiday music collage here.

Happy Holidays,
John

Kreativ Blogger Award

Mulluane, the proprietor of Dragons, Heroes, and Wizards was kind enough to nominate Sci-Fi Songs for the Kreativ Blogger Award! Thanks Mulluane!

Here are the rules and my nominees:

1. Mention the blog that gave it to you.
2. Comment on their blog to let them know you have posted the award.
3. Share 6 values that are important to you.
4. Share 6 things you do not support.
5. Share the love with six other wonderful blogging friends.

6 values important to me:

1. Community

2. Creativity
3. Accountability

4. Sincerity
5. Honesty
6. Kindness

6 things I do not support:

1. A small world view
2. Ruthless Self Promotion
3. Spamming
4. Cruelty

5. Criticism that isn't constructive
6. Orcs

6 wonderful blogs and friends:

1. Best Overall Sci-Fi Blog: SF Signal

2. Best Blog for SFF reviews: Grasping for the Wind

3. Best Blog by an editor: Lou Anders' Bowing to the Future

4. Best Blog featuring cover songs: Cover Lay Down

5. Best Blog listing free SFF content: Quasar Dragon

6. Best Remix Blog: MC Jack in the Box's Cool Music Show


Thanks again Mulluane,
John

Sci-Fi Song #13: The Millennium Falcon for Christmas

The Millennium Falcon for Christmas.mp3

The process of writing a few seasonal songs back in October gave me the idea to write a Sci-Fi themed Christmas song. Other than traditional carols, Christmas songs can come off as being pretty cheesy. This is my attempt at a sincere Christmas song with a Sci-Fi Theme.

Like many people my age, Star Wars played a huge role in my childhood (and a lot of my adulthood for that matter). When I was 6 years old, the only thing that I wanted for Christmas was the toy version of the Millennium Falcon.

The following song is a true story recounting the trials and tribulations that my mother went through in order to get the Millennium Falcon in time for Christmas day.

The Millennium Falcon for Christmas

by John Anealio

My parents took me to the movies

in the spring of 1979

Something happened to me

as we waited on that line

There was a New Hope in my life

Than later in that December

as we got closer to the holiday

My mother asked me to tell her

What I'd want for Christmas Day

There was just one thing on my mind

I just wanted the Millennium Falcon for Christmas

and a season full of cheer

I just wanted the Millennium Falcon for Christmas

but I didn't get it that year

And then in 1980

when the Empire Struck Back

The YT-1300

survived a Star Destroyer attack

I hoped that I was good enough that year

My mother went to the drugstore

and put the ship on layaway

They told her that it would be ready

in plenty of time for Christmas day

but on Christmas Eve it still wasn't there

I just wanted the Millennium Falcon for Christmas

I was good enough that year

I just wanted the Millennium Falcon for Christmas

and a season full of cheer

My mother cried when they told her that it wasn't there

The clerk said he was sorry but he couldn't find it anywhere

Please don't cry, they have one at our store 30 miles away

I'll go and pick it up so you can have it for Christmas day

Here are some of the tools that I used to record the track:

1. Martin Acoustic Guitar in Open G tuning (DGDGBD)
2. G&L ASAT Telecaster-style Electric Guitar in Open G tuning (DGDGBD)
3. Washburn Bass Guitar
4. Rode NT-3 microphone (to record the acoustic guitar and my vocals)
5. Apple Logic Pro 8 recording software
   1. The EXS24 Sampler and EVP88 software instrument plug-ins for the synth and keyboard sounds.
   2. Logic's included compressor, delay, and reverb plug-ins
   3. The electric guitar parts were recorded through Logic's Guitar Amp Pro plug-in
   4. The drum parts were created using Beta Monkey's Drum Werks V loop collection

Related Posts:

1. Sci-Fi Song #11: Lonesome October Night: A Halloween themed song based on the work of Roger Zelazny.
2. Sci-Fi Song #10: Angels and Vampires: Another song appropriate for October.

Remix #4: Rachel Rosen

Rachel Rosen (John Anealio remixed).mp3

This month I have the great privilege of having my song "Rachel Rosen" (inspired by Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep") used as the December song at remixfight.org. Remix Fight is a monthly competition where a group of remix artists duke it out by remixing the same song. It is a wonderful example of the wealth and breadth of talent that exists on the Internet.

There are seven different contestants in the remix fight of "Rachel Rosen". Each one is wildly creative and completely unique. Go here to check it out and vote on your favorite one.

Remix #4 is the remix artist who goes by the name of Undesirable's version of "Rachel Rosen". I will eventually post all of the remixes that entered this month's contest but this re-imagining of the song was the first one to grab me.

Undesirable managed to keep the spirit of the original song while creating something completely different. This remix accomplishes the difficult task of being both robotic and emotional at the same time. I love how he constructed a new melody from the samples of my vocal, and how he created the glitching and stuttering droid-like effects that inhabit his arrangement. It is a stellar piece of work.

I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do,

John

Special Thanks to MC Jack in the Box for picking "Rachel Rosen" for this month's remix fight.

Related Posts:

1. Sci-Fi Song #6: "Rachel Rosen": This is my original recording of the song
2. "Rachel Rosen" radiotimes remix
3. "Android Girlfriend": A great mash-up using "Rachel Rosen" and a few other songs.