October is generally known for leaves falling from trees and the ghosts and ghouls that accompany Halloween. But, it also marks the time of year when stores start selling Christmas items two full months in advance.
"I think it's our consumer driven economy that makes a holiday that's about religion and peace into a money-making scheme," Graduate student Dana Kappel said.
Similarly, junior Tessa Giordano said she feels overwhelmed by the amount of Christmas items being sold.
"It's too much too soon," Giordano said. "I need to get through October and November before I even start thinking about Christmas. I do love Christmas music though, like the classics."
In addition to the tinsel and holly hitting the aisles, many artists choose to release their Christmas albums throughout October.
In Rod Stewart's Christmas album, "Merry Christmas, Baby," the rock star teams up with other well-known artists, including Michael Bubl?©, Cee Lo Green and Mary J. Blige to create an album that attempts to add contemporary flair to classic songs.
While Stewart's raspy voice pairs well with his guest artists, his songs lack the unique twist necessary to make this album stand out from other Christmas albums. In fact, his most successful song on the album is the only original song, "Red-Suited Super Man," which features Trombone Shorty. The wailing of brass instruments combined with Stewart's rock and roll voice leaves listeners wishing that he could have done the same thing with the rest of the album. "Merry Christmas, Baby" is set to release on iTunes on Oct. 30.
Other artists who will be releasing Christmas albums in October include Lady Antebellum and Cee Lo Green. Lady Antebellum's album "On This Winter's Night" which hits stores on Oct. 22, has a different sound from their previous. The band hopes that their change in direction will ensure that their album persists for many years.
Green's album "CeeLo's Magic Moment," which will be released on Oct. 30, features guest artists Christina Aguilera, Rod Stewart and The Muppets. The album's track list shows that the album has the potential to be successful, balancing upbeat Christmas songs with soulful classics.
While students may find it annoying that stores start selling Christmas things in October, they may find this month's Christmas albums exciting because artists in a specific genre are trying new things and featuring popular guest artists.
Melissa Murray can be reached at Melissa.murray@student.shu.edu.
