An Indie Christmas- Guest Post by The Thinking Closet

My amazing sister had the amazing idea of doing guest post swapping! Check out my room tour on her blog, the thinking closet, and enjoy her great indie music christmas post below!

Hi dear readers of squeeze it into little inkdrops (the coolest blog on the block). My name is Lauren, and I am the proud older sister of Lisbeth. Here we are pictured a year ago. Can you tell us apart?

“Never were there such devoted sisters….”

(I’m on the right.) Even though I’m three years older, we have oft been mistaken for twins!

Well, I’m truly honored to be guest posting here today…the same day that Lisbeth is over at my blog, The Thinking Closet, sharing her room tour. If your curious about my blog, I’ll tell you that it is a space designated for creativity to splish splash, and spill, so you’ll find a wide variety of d.i.y. projects and tutorials that span from home decor to sewing to handmade gifts. I’d love for you to stop by sometime!

But let’s get down to business.

I sort of take pride in my mix-making abilities. As a wee lass, I used to craft mix tapes from songs on the radio, and later, when things got high-tech, I even burned mixes on CDs. I know CDs have become old school now and that the new Macbook doesn’t even have a drive for them (sniff!). Nevertheless, I still sit by candlelight in my homespun clothes (wink), burning mixes onto “compact discs” for family and friends as gifts and road trip companions. Mix-making is one of my love languages.

And today, you (yes, YOU) will be the recipient of some of that love because I have mixed for you a collection of *new* Christmas music. The mix includes 21 Christmas songs by indie artists such as Over the Rhine and Sufjan Stevens and Rosie Thomas and is all ready for your ears over at 8tracks. Click over to hear the playlist right now!

Click here for Lauren’s mix, “An Indie Christmas,” on 8Tracks.

Not only can you listen to this mix while wrapping gifts and baking cookies in the days to come, but…you can burn your own copy of the mix onto an old-fashioned CD fo’ FREE!

“Say what? I didn’t think anything was free these days….”

Me, neither! But let me ask this: have you heard of NoiseTrade? My tech savvy Mom first turned me onto NoiseTrade in November, and I was able to download the entire Over the Rhine Christmas album for free. It took me a few days before it finally dawned on me that ALL of the music on NoiseTrade is free. Their motto: “Thousands of albums. Completely free. Completely legal.”

“But how is this legal?”

Good question. I did a little research and learned that the artists themselves upload the music to NoiseTrade and offer it to their fans free of charge for a variety of reasons that you can read about here. Mainly, it’s a way for artist to connect with new fans. If you’re feeling thankful and would like to leave the artist a tip (as low as $1), you can leave one on NoiseTrade…but there really is no obligation.

As of today, all of the music in this playlist is still free and posted on NoiseTrade. This likely won’t last forever or long after Christmas, so don’t waste any time downloading this fantastic music.

Track List

Now, if you’re excited about creating your own copy of “An Indie Christmas,” here’s the how to:

1. Download the free Christmas music by the following artists (each artist’s name is hyperlinked to take you right to their page on NoiseTrade): Rosie Thomas, Branches, Ben Rector, Zerbin, Paste Magazine, Fiction Family, Over the Rhine, Beta Radio, Blood:Water Mission.
2. Drag and drop your newly downloaded music into iTunes.
3. Create a new playlist in iTunes that mirrors the playlist I have created. (Review the track list above.)
4. Burn your CD, label it with a sharpie, put it in a case.
5. And just because this is necessary to any good mix, CLICK HERE to download a free printable I created of a CD insert with a festive cover, liner notes, and the track list of the songs. Print it in color, double-stick tape it together and call it a day. Heck, call it a holiday!
6. Optional: repeat steps 4&5 if you’d like to create instantly awesome and inexpensive stocking stuffers for your friends and family. Share the love!

Click here to print your CD insert over at the file-sharing site, “Box.”

Thanks again, sweet sister Lisbeth, for having me here today! Your blog is sacred space. (I mean that.)

And dear readers, if you’re itching for some crafty Christmas projects, I’d love it if you’d stop by The Thinking Closet and check out my D.I.Y. Wedding Invitation Ornament, No-Sew Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt, D.I.Y. Wrapping Paper Tutorial, and Punched Tin Ornament Tutorial.

May your days be merry, bright, and music-filled.