**NOTE: Contest is now closed. You can still participate but will no longer be eligible for the giveaway.**
You could say that Mindy Smith was born to sing Christmas songs. The adopted daughter of a pastor and his wife who raised her in Long Island, NY. No doubt her Christian upbringing played into her interest to cut a Christmas record so early in her career. Prior to release this year’s My Holiday (released 10/09/2007), Smith had only released two previous records, the knockout debut album One Moment More featuring “Come to Jesus” and the solid follow up album Long Island Shores whose “I’m Not the Only One Asking” made one of my Best of ’06 playlists.
Now with the help of such artists as Alison Krauss (harmony vocals on “Away In A Manger”), Mindy Smith brings us her first holiday record consisting of five Christmas classics and six original tunes written or co-written by Smith herself to add to the countless number of songs that have been written for the holiday. So far, this is the Christmas album that excites me most in 2007. Listening to songs like “My Holiday”, “Santa Will Find You” and “I Know the Reason”, her vocals are simply breathtaking. The press release accompanying the album compares her to artists like Gillian Welch, The Sundays, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Lucinda Williams. I’d say that most of those comparisons are true from listening to her previous albums, but on My Holiday the folk pop comparisons are probably more accurate. There’s very little country here though there’s a few songs where she a dead ringer for Kathleen Edwards whose really more of a folk rocker anyway. The classic cuts “Away In a Manger”, “Silver Bells” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” are reason enough to buy this record, but you also have to love the original tunes like “Follow The Shepherd Dog” and “Come Around” the latter of which could easily sit next to some of the best alternative songs of the year.
Here’s a track from the record available for download:
Mindy Smith, “Santa Will Find You” (MP3)*
[audio:http://www.ontargetmediagroup.com/audio/mindysmith/03SantaWillFindYou.mp3]
Purchase “My Holiday” at Miles of Music, Amazon and iTunes
Thanks to Mindy Smith, Vanguard Records and the fine folks at On Target Media, I’m pleased to offer a promo copy of Mindy Smith’s “My Holiday” as a giveway from Twangville. Simply leave a comment below and name your favorite Mindy Smith song or any favorite holiday album (see Mike’s favorites) and we’ll randomly select a winner from the comment entries. Contest ends Wednesday, 12/05/07 at midnight EST.**
http://www.mindysmith.net/
http://www.myspace.com/mindysmith
*MP3 posted with permission from On Target Media.
*By participating in this contest you agree to allow Twangville to post your name and city on our web site. We will never use your info for any other reason than getting the giveaway to you (of course).
About the author: Washington, D.C. area creative by day. Music is my muse. I host Twangville’s weekly Readers‘ Pick.