several tracks were recorded and mixed that were not included on "rival factions". these songs were compiled with their previous remixes to form an ep. a cover of "lucretia, my reflection" by the sisters of mercy was also included. "the kane mutiny ep" was released exclusively on itunes in november 2007. shortly after its release, the band uploaded a cover of "this time of the year" by brenda lee on itunes. "our version was a little bit more like "a nightmare before christmas" ," declared schwab. the single was well received and led project 86 to build an entire ep around the christmas concept. "this time of year ep" was released in november 2008. unlike the previous ep, "this time of year" was made available in digital and physical formats. jason martin of indie rock outfit starflyer 59 helped record both albums.