New music worth a listen

I have been enjoying some new music lately, and a couple of friends have asked me to share what I'm listening to, so I thought this would be a good place to do that.

I have to admit, I went through a long period of not adding any new music to my collection.  I was disenchanted by most of the new Christian music (all sounds the same), and the secular stuff is so weak lyrically, I can't stomach it.  I don't care how catchy a song is, if there isn't anything lyrically for me to connect with, I'll turn it off.

I've also found that I enjoy music more if I've seen the artist live first.  Maybe that's because I've had some bad experiences the other way around.  It also helps if I get to actually meet and talk with the artists, as that gives me a better feel for what they are trying to do with their music.  Frankly, if it's all about them, I'm not that interested.

So, since Kelsey and I had to interview lots of bands this summer for the book we are writing, I got to hear some new music live and meet the artists.  That sparked my interest in pursuing new tunes, and here's what I'm enjoying so far:

ROCK


Skillet: Awake
We did not get to meet Skillet this time around, but I have met them in the past.  If you liked Comatose, you will love Awake.  I was streaming this one all week last week.

Willet: Somewhere In Between
I was unfamiliar with this band before Sonshine.  We met and interviewed Jeremy Willet before their performance.  This band is passionate about helping the poor and has been to Africa several times, as well as Haiti.  Through their concerts, they are able to find sponsors for various villages in need of help.  Jeremy is somewhat of a soft spoken guy, so when Willet took the stage and rocked my socks off, I was pleasantly surprised!  They also have some acoustic worship music some of you non-rockers would enjoy.

Silverline: Start to Believe
I've seen this band live twice.  Although I'm enjoying the CD, you really should see them live if you can.  Great guys from Minnesota, and they have played several times in the La Crosse area.  I believe they are playing in Spring Grove, MN this weekend (www.whatconcert.com) and it's free!

I Am Terrified: I Am Terrified EP
I first discovered this band while watching the Gospel Music Channel.  This is much harder rock and includes some screamo, so if you're not into that, you may not enjoy them.  I like the song "To The Service" - great worship song.  Someday I need to find out the story behind the band name!

POP/ROCK


Nevertheless: When I'm With You EP and In The Making
Kelsey and I interviewed this guys at Sonshine and were really impressed.  Some of the nicest guys you will meet, as well as excellent musicians.  I had been listening to "In The Making" before we saw them, and particularly love the song "Sleeping In".  "When I'm With You" just released last week and is an acoustic collection of love songs.  Very touching lyrics and musically interesting, something that appeals to me.

Philmont: Attention
Interviewing Philmont was fun, and we appreciated them accommodating us when they were trying to man their merchandise booth.  I had already heard their song "The Difference" on GMC, and I was blown away by their high energy live show.  You never have a chance to be distracted by anything else! Just started listening to "Attention" yesterday, which includes "The Difference" and another new favorite of mine, "Another Name."

Hyland: Quotients EP
Another Minnesota band with a great live show, Hyland is a star on the rise.  Their EP was produced by Ben Kasica of Skillet.  Jon, the lead singer, was our guinea pig, i.e. our first interview, and got us off to a good start.  This band tours a lot, so if you live within a 200 mile radius of the Twin Cities, you should get a chance to see them.

Manic Drive: Blue
Another find from GMC, this band first caught my ear when I heard a familiar voice on the title track, Blue.  It was Kevin Mac from DC Talk - there's no mistaking that voice!  Another song I'm really enjoying off this album is "Eleven Regrets".  The thing that impresses me most about this band is their uniqueness in sound.  Give them a listen, and you'll see what I mean.

WORSHIP


The Glorious Unseen: The Hope That Lies In You
I'm not generally a big fan of "worship music" (I use that term loosely because I feel any kind of music can be used to worship), but The Glorious Unseen reaches outside the walls of traditional Sunday morning music.  Frontman Ben Crist has an unusual voice that makes you want to keep listening, and he was one of the most humble artists we interviewed.


That's it for now, but I may blog in the future about good tunes I find!

Matthew revisited

Anyone who knows me very well is aware of my love for all things Christmas.  I love everything about the Christmas story, especially music inspired by it.  Yesterday, my youngest daughter was walking around the house singing Christmas music.  (Yes, it appears she may have inherited her mother's passion for Christmas.)  Her songs inspired me to read the accounts of Jesus' birth this week and infuse a little Christmas into August.

I decided to start with Matthew's account.  I'll admit, I've gotten very used to skimming over the first part of chapter one, the genealogy of Jesus.  But today, I decided to read it more carefully.  It's interesting what can happen when we truly open ourselves up to God's Word.  Even though you may have read a passage hundreds of times, the living, active Word of God can reveal something new to you.

Such was the case today.  As I worked my way through the list of names, I came to this: "and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." (Matthew 1:16)  Wait a minute, I thought, this is the lineage of Joseph, not Mary.  How interesting we are given the family history of Jesus' father, who was not his biological father.  I'm sure there are Bible scholars out there who can shed light on that for me, but for now, I am just enjoying the revelation of something new.  

I went on to chapter 2, in which the Magi make their appearance.  Again, a question was raised in my mind by a passage I've read a thousand times.  "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written:  'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

Hmmmm, this made me wonder, if the people knew the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, why weren't people constantly camped out there, checking out every baby that was born?  Was it because they weren't convinced about the prophecy?  Was it because too much time had gone by and people had forgotten?

This makes me think about the prophecies still to be fulfilled, in particular, when Jesus returns.  Why aren't we watching for Him?  Has it been too long and we've forgotten?  Are we convinced He's really coming back?

Things to ponder and pray about today.

Talk about your humble pie

Here I sit, in my comfortable home, with plenty of food in the frig and pantry, a nice blanket on my bed, playing around on my computer, worrying about stupid things.

Then I come across this:  Invisible TV

Watch the video about Joseph.  Or any of the others.  It will make you incredibly thankful, and I hope, inspire you to be generous.

Here we go

Well, I've been kicking around this idea for a long time now.  So many random thoughts and crazy ideas that go through my head every day.  So little time to write them all down.  I already blog about parenting teenagers (PARENtEEN), but there are so many things that fall outside the lines of that box:  politics, cooking, music, and most importantly, the amazing journey I have each day in following Christ (just to name a few).

I hope you will come along for the ride.  It should be interesting!