Jonathan tasked me with writing a robot themed song, and I took him up on the challenge.  After all, everyone needs a robot in their lives.

Crazy Hearts is the song that started it all.  After re-connecting with Jonathan Hughes at the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts (where he attended a Shady Grove gig), Doug Lambert informed me that Jonathan had invited us to participate in his songwriting collective.  Crazy Hearts is based on a radio essay that aired on WBFO, Buffalo’s local Public Radio Station, and was awarded a Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI) Award in 2009.  The essay (and song) is about my interaction with some “local personalities” on Elmwood Avenue one lonely Christmas Eve. If not for Doug’s encouragement in turning that essay into a song, it never would have happened. One chilly fall evening, I sat down with the essay and wrote out solid lyrics and chords for the verses.  I was still having a lot of trouble with the music on the chorus, so brought the song to Douglas, who took out his guitar and worked his musical magic in about five minutes.  This song remains my favorite of all the songs I’ve recorded for the Robot Holiday collective (Jim’s heart breaking pedal steel solo helps keep it at #1).

The most underreported news story of 2010 was first featured in a mid-January expose‘ in The Drudge Report. In a rare example of muckracking journalism, Drudge exposed the horrid working conditions of Santaland Factories. The most shocking discovery was that Santa was having elves handle toxic chemicals for no reason other than for his own amusement. Then the Rip Torn fiasco broke and the story was buried by special interests. This song is dedicated to working elves everywhere..