For those who don't know about this song, here is the low down, from Pitchfork:
monday, february 9

"Unheard" Sufjan Song Gets Exclusive Listening Parties

Back in 2007, Sufjan Stevens conducted "The Great Sufjan Song Xmas Xchange," in which the singer-songwriter asked fans to send him holiday tunes. The person behind the best entry would win the rights to an exclusive Sufjan Christmas track, while Sufjan would gain the rights to the winning song. As his label, Asthmatic Kitty explained: "Sufjan's song becomes your song. You can hoard it for yourself, sell it to a major soft drink corporation, use it in your daughter's first Christmas video, or share it for free on your website. No one except Sufjan and you will hear his song, unless you decide otherwise. You get the song and all legal rights to it."

In early 2008, we reported that the Xchange winner, Alec Duffy, was quite the purist. He had decided that the Sufjan song, "Lonely Man of Winter" would be kept away from the greedy clutches of the internet, and instead would premiere in a 2008 holiday show put on by his theater company, the New York-based Hoi Polloi.

So what happened? There was no holiday show, and more than a year later, very few have heard "Lonely Man of Winter". But now he's letting people hear the track...four at a time.

Yep, Duffy's holding exclusive listening parties in his apartment every Wednesday this month. (Sunday listening sessions may be added as well.) Duffy claims the low-capacity get-togethers are a way "to counter the cheapening effects of internet all-availability, and to recapture an era when to get one's hands on a particular album or song was a real experience." Some fans say Duffy is hoarding the song like an indie Scrooge. (Yes, there really is a minor web hullabaloo about these sessions-- people take their Sufjan seriously!) According to this insider report, the listening parties seem pleasant.

I give Duffy credit for using the opportunity to promote anachronistic indie rock ideals of community. He's fighting a losing battle. (I wonder if he pats down attendees for recording devices...) I sort of wish he would've sold the song to some ridiculous conglomerate as a goof. But something tells me Sufjan would approve of this method...