the gifted children - christmas releases

christmas, volume 12b: Holiday Sexytime For Adult Partners
Release date: December 24, 2021

We don't have a new Christmas album this year, but we do have a great holiday treat for you - original member Jim took his favorite holiday sexytime music from the past 11 gifted children Christmas releases and compiled it into this album, Holiday Sexytime For Adult Partners. Jim had this to say about the inception and curation for the 13-song compilation:

"(Our version of) 'Blue Christmas' reminded me of a David Lynch movie Xmas strip club scene. That was pretty much it. The past GC sexiness just took it from there..."

The album runs the gamut of holiday sexytime music, from sleazy to soft, slinky to spaced out, and your free download includes the '12 Sexytime Cards of Christmas', featuring a dozen gifted children members edited into the cover collage.

We hope this enhances your holiday sexytimes, wherever and however you celebrate them - huzzah!

christmas, volume 12a: holiday!
Release date: December 23, 2021

we planned to put out another installment of our semi-annual christmas music series but alas, the muses were not with us this year... this track is the only thing we managed to finish, so figured we'd at least release it as an advance single for next year's christmas EP...

christmas, volume 11: christmas ghosts
Release date: December 24, 2020

we're closing out our 25th anniversary year with a look back at some ghosts of christmas songs past - we combed through our archives and found five original, unfinished christmas songs, spanning most of our history, and put the finishing touches on them all at long last.

the first half of the EP collects three christmas-themed songs from the first few years of our existence, while the second half pulls some previously unused and forgotten music beds for some of our more recent annual christmas releases…

Credits:
isabel hernandez-cata - voice(s) on 2, 3, 4, 5; piano on 4
lord quaszczynski - voice on 4
jim sahr - electric guitars on 2, 5; voice(s) on 3, 4; loops on 4; keyboards on 4; bass on 5
emma sanders - voice on 1
justin sheehan - drum machine and keyboards on 5
jeff suszczynski - piano on 1; voice(s) on 1-3; keyboards on 1, 3; acoustic guitars on 2, 3; drumset(s) on 2, 3, 5; shakers on 2; sleigh bells on 3, 5; organ on 3; congas on 5
bill trautman - upright bass on 1, 2
bob r. trumpet - clangings on 3; snowmans on 4

writing and recording credits:

track 1 written by jeff suszczynski in 1997. main tracks recorded december 1997 on tascam 424; additional tracks recorded december 2020.

track 2 written by jeff suszczynski in december, 1995. main tracks recorded december 22, 1995 on tascam 424; additional tracks recorded in december 2020.

track 3 written by jeff suszczynski in december, 1996. basic tracks recorded december 1996 on tascam 424; additional tracks recorded december 2020.

track 4 written by jim sahr in 2014. basic tracks recorded in 2014, with additional tracking recorded in december 2020.

track 5 music written by justin sheehan in 2008; lyrics and melody written by isabel hernandez-cata in 2020. basic tracks recorded in 2008, with additional tracking recorded in december 2020.

christmas, volume 10
Release date: December 21, 2018 

this year's christmas release from the gifted children is just five songs, but covers a lot of ground: 

it starts with a plaintive and simple piano/voice version of 'home for the holidays'; then there's a rendition of 'frosty the snowman' that captures the melancholy we felt when watching frosty melt away in the original animated tv special; a nice indie pop take on 'winter wonderland' adds a much-needed bit of sunlight; 'merry christmas, baby' sounds like a laid back outerspace blues jam; and 'happy holiday' closes things off as a dark, loop-driven banger that ends with some haunted loops that recall the ballroom scenes from 'the shining'... 

we hope you enjoy! merry christmas, happy holidays!

Credits:
jim sahr - guitars, voices, bass, and loops on 2; feedback guitars and harmony voices on 5. 
jeff suszczynski - pianos, voices, sleighbells, ebow and guitar on 1; bowed psaltery on 2; loops, keyboards, guitars, voices and knob twiddling on 5. 
bill trautman - guitars, bass, voice and loops on 4. 
alex trimpe - guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, sleigh bells and voice on 3. 
sarah trimpe - voice and violin on 3.

christmas, volume 09
Release date: December 23, 2017

the slightest entry in the gifted children christmas music canon, this 6-song/12-minute EP is still filled with plenty of interesting takes on some holiday classics.

Credits:
james earl sahr - drums, guitars, voices on 6
jeff suszczynski - loops on 1; keyboards on 1; sleigh bells on 1; guitars on 1; voices on 1; cut-and-splice on 4
bill trautman - keyboards on 3; bass on 3, 5, 6; drum machine on 3; guitars on 3, 5; voices on 5
alexander trimpe - guitars and bass on 2
sarah trimpe - voice and violin on 2

christmas, volume 08
Release date: December 23, 2016

after taking a year off from the annual holiday recording (due to jeff moving in december 2015), the gifted children are back with their eighth christmas release. this 8-song EP features interpretations of original christmas songs from the 1980s, including songs by Billy Squier, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, Fay Lovsky, Chris Rea, Queen, Run D.M.C. and Wham! …

Credits:
jess collins - voice on 3
emma dole - trombone on 7
james earl sahr - voices on 1, 2, 6, 7; loop on 2; bass on 2, 7; guitars on 2, 6, 7; drums on 7
justin sheehan - voices on 1, 6, 7; keyboards on 6; acoustic guitars on 6
jeff suszczynski - voices on 1, 5, 6, 7; loops on 1, 4; keyboards on 1, 5; guitars on 1, 6; drum machine on 5; drums on 5, 6; sleigh bells on 5; piano on 5
pam swarts - voice on 1, 3; keyboards on 3; mandolin on 3; autoharp on 3
bill trautman - bass and guitar on 8
bob r. trumpet - aborted guitar solo on 1; melody guitar on 8
wikiloops - drums on 8

christmas, volume 07
Release date: December 15, 2014

more excellent and varied christmas covers, ranging from midi manipulations to dark jazz to cut-and-splice beats to art rock.

Credits:
isabel hernandez-cata - voice on 4, 5; pianos on 4
josh lankford - voice, keyboard and percussion on 9
pat muldowney - acoustic guitar and voice on 9
tim rizzo - voice on 5
james earl sahr - voice on 1, 5, 11; keyboard on 11; drums on 11; guitars on 11; bass on 11
justin sheehan - loops on 2; keyboards on 2; voice on 2, 5
jeff suszczynski - loops on 1, 5, 7; keyboards on 1, 7; sleigh bells on 1, 7; voice on 1, 5, 7; guitars on 1, 7; manipulations on 12
pam swarts - midi manipulations on 3, 6, 10
bill trautman - voice on 5, 8; drum program on 8; bass on 8; guitars on 8
alexander trimpe - bass on 7
calvin trimpe - hurrah on 7

christmas, volume 06
Release date: December 21, 2013

another expansive christmas release for the gifted children, this sixth annual release features 14 performers over the course of 11 tracks, ranging from the art rock of opener ‘have yourself a merry little christmas’ to the bombastic return of bob r. trumpet (‘here comes santa claus’) to a jazz turn on ‘snowfall’ to perhaps the most depressingly beautiful version of ‘christmas (baby please come home)’ ever recorded. once again, many disparate styles cohering…

Credits:
reverend elmore blackwings - background voices on 3
mike ‘group hug’ devaul - guitar on 2
tim grimaldi - drumset on 9
nick hall - middle section drumset on 5
isabel hernandez-cata - keyboards and voices on 8
tim rizzo - guitars on 9
james earl sahr - loops on 4, 10; keyboards on 4, 10; bass on 4, 10; guitars on 4, 10; voice on 4, 6, 9, 10
justin sheehan - voice on 4, 6, 7, 9, 10; keyboards on 7; midi programming on 7
jack simchak - engineer on 8
jeff suszczynski - loops on 1, 5; keyboards on 1, 9; voice on 1, 6, 9, 10; sleigh bells on 1; manipulations on 5; guitars on 6, 9; pianos on 6, 9; cut and splice and effects on 11
bill trautman - bass on 6
bob r. trumpet - loops, guitars, bass and voices on 3
alexander trimpe (as alexander strung) - guitar, bass, loops and voice on 2
sarah trimpe (as lady rain) - violin and voice on 2

christmas, volume 05
Release date: December 18, 2012

the fifth annual christmas album by the gifted children once again raises the bar for sheer eclecticism that somehow sticks together in a coherent whole. 

there's too much on this excellent album to properly describe - over the course of 16 tracks and 45 minutes, the band ventures into dark electronic pop, barnburning indie rock, folk, 8bit midi programming, ambient, art rock, indie pop and much more... there are also 4 new original christmas songs for the ages, including 'the list' and 'carol of the squad'. 

Credits:
cranky - drums on 13
debase face - guitar on 13
tim grimaldi - drumset on 3, 6
nick hall - drumset on 8
meaghan o’brien - whistling on 9; voice on 12
jim sahr - drum manipulations on 2, 15; guitars on 2, 5, 15; bass on 2, 15; keyboards on 2, 5, 15; voices on 2, 15
jeff suszczynski - keyboards on 3, 6; sleigh bells on 3; guitars on 3, 6, 9, 12; voices on 3, 6, 9, 12; loops on 8; manipulations on 8, 16; piano on 9, 12; whistling on 9; ebows on 12; field recordings on 16
pam swarts - midi manipulations on 4, 11, 14
bill trautman - drum program on 1, 7; guitars on 1, 7, 10; bass on 1, 7, 10; voices on 1, 7, 10
alex trimpe - guitars and bass on 13
sarah trimpe - voice on 15

christmas, volume 04
Release date: December 16, 2011

Credits:
cranky - drums on 2
debase face - guitar on 2
jim sahr - voice on 4, 10, 13, 14; guitars on 9, 10; bass on 10, 13; drum machine on 10; drum program on 13; keyboard on 13
mom sahr - hurdy-gurdy on 4
justin sheehan - voice on 4, 10, 13, 14; digital manipulations on 13
jeff suszczynski - keyboards on 1, 5, 9; guitar on 1, 5; loops on 1, 5, 9; drum program on 1; sleigh bells on 1; voices on 1, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14; samples on 8; piano on 11; organ on 14; ebows on 14
pam swarts - voice on 5, 11, 14; midi manipulations on 6, 12
bill trautman - acoustic guitars on 3; bass on 5, 7; loops on 7; guitars on 7; voices on 7
the thither - manipulations on 14
alex trimpe - bass on 2; samples on 2
sarah trimpe - voice on 2

christmas, volume 03
Release date: December 17, 2010

Credits:
lauren rutledge - voice, piano and toy xylophone on 9
jim sahr - keyboards on 7; drum programs on 7; voice on 7; samples on 7
justin sheehan - voice on 7; samples on 7
dan slaiman - wookiee voice on 7
jeff suszczynski - samples on 1, 4, 6, 10; loops on 1, 4, 9, 10; programming on 1, 6, 9, 10; voices on 1, 4, 9; guitars on 1; drum machines on 4; field recordings on 9
pam swarts - samples on 8; loops on 8; programming on 8
bill trautman - guitar on 3, 5; voices on 3, 5; bass on 5
alex trimpe (as alexander strung) - acoustic guitars on 2, bass on 2
sarah trimpe (as lady rain) - voice on 2; violin on 2
also featuring:
the filthy frenchman - electric and acoustic guitars on 2
the raging cortez - programming on 2
and the pink rivulets (nick hall, tom proctor, becky sahr, jim sahr, justin sheehan, dan slaiman, bill trautman, bob r. trumpet) - phone and wookie voices on 7

christmas, volume 02
Release date: December 15, 2009

Credits:
aaron boucher - samples and drum program on 3
tim grimaldi - drumset on 6
jim sahr - drum machine, keyboards, guitars and voices on 9
justin sheehan - voice on 9
jeff suszczynski - samples on 1, 8; loops on 2; keyboards on 2; voices on 2, 6, 8; handclaps on 2; typewriters on 2; bass on 6; guitars on 6
pam swarts - voices on 2, 7; midi and synth programming on 5; keyboards on 7
bill trautman - drumset on 4; bass on 4; guitars on 4; voice on 4

christmas, volume 01
Release date: December 16, 2008

Credits:
aaron boucher - voice and samples on 8
jim sahr - guitar on 2; voices on 2
justin sheehan - voice on 2, 7; keyboards on 7
jeff suszczynski - guitars on 1,5; piano on 1, 3, 9; sleigh bells on 1, 3; samples and effects on 3, 10; keyboard on 9; snare drum on 9; ride cymbal on 9; voices on 9
bill trautman - bass on 2, 4, 6; samples on 2; voices on 4; drum loop on 6; guitars on 6