Mariah Carey Is a Calvinist

Don't believe me? See for yourself. This cracked me up.

Has Derek Webb Gone Too Far?

A couple months ago, I blogged that the recent hubbub about his latest album had me concerned that might be the case. Now that the pre-release of the album is out, I can certainly understand why the label was up in arms. Offensive language to make a convicting point isn't something new for Webb ("Wedding Dress," anyone?), but after listening to "What Matters More," the song in question from his new album, Stockholm Syndrome, I think this is certainly the furthest he's pushed the envelope yet. Have a listen yourself and give me your opinion - needlessly crass or powerfully provocative? Warning - the song does indeed contain profanity.



I want to think about this one for a while before I give my judgment.

Start Planning For Next Year

Check out these good thoughts from Bob Kauflin on recognizing civil holidays (such as July 4th) in worship. Patriotic music in Christian worship has long bothered me (usually, I'll simply abstain from singing if I find myself in such a situation), and I think Kauflin strikes a good chord (no pun intended) here on how to approach intersections between the Christian calendar and the secular one.

HT: Vitamin Z

Check This Guy Out

I'm listening to an absolutely beautiful song by a guy who's currently one of my favorite artists, Micah Dalton. The song is called "This Day," and it includes backup vocals by Sandra McCracken. Here are the lyrics...

I knew that you'd free me
You never did leave me
But the chains on my soul
Are too comfortable to let go
And the life that I live
I've forgotten how to give
I've forgotten how to give
My patience, my pride and my soul

CHORUS

Crucify this day
So that I can see the way
You love your beloved
Show your resurrection
Through the way you kill my pride
Please take control (x2)
And let me die (x2)

Let your life live on through me
Let your breath breathe on through me
So that they can see in me
How you love me

REPEAT CHORUS

Seems like I've died to you a time, a time or two
At least that's how it seems when I'm closest to you
I'm losing this world on pace, my place
Is realizing your embrace
So that I can rest

REPEAT CHORUS

You can get Micah's latest EP, the bluesy Advancement, for free on Noisetrade. His debut record, the more pop-ish These Are the Roots (which includes "This Day"), is available on Amazon and iTunes, as is his sophomore release (and my favorite of his), the folk-funk-country-soul Pawn Shop, which is inspired by a collection of short stories.

Nintendo: A Capella

To celebrate E3, the big annual video game showcase going on right now in Los Angeles, here's a very clever and funny tribute to some old 8-bit classics.

What's Derek Done Now?

As you'll already know if you're on his email list, things are getting pretty weird surrounding Derek Webb's upcoming fifth album, Stockholm Syndrome. In the past two weeks, he's sent two emails discussing a conflict with his label over the content of the album. Today, derekwebb.com went offline, with only the two emails posted in its place. Granted, this isn't the first such clash he's had, and I'm a big fan and supporter, but this all just seems a bit strange. I'll be curious to see what the fuss is about, but I must say, I'm starting to get a little concerned. I've loved his solo stuff, but his last couple albums have been increasingly political. I've enjoyed them, but I've also missed the rich theology of his first couple albums. Given that fact, and this new dustup, I worry that perhaps he's crossing a line that he shouldn't cross. However, that's just speculation, and I'll wait to see the whole story. Don't let us down, Derek.

Funk-tastic!

What do you get when you take a bunch of unrelated YouTube music clips and put them in the hands of somebody with a good editing program and an incredible creative vision?

This...



HT: The Blazing Center

Another Hidden Gem

Alright, if you still haven't visited NoiseTrade.com, then seriously, what are you waiting for? Go check the site out now. Right now. Stop reading my silly blog and go. Well, I suppose you could go after you finish reading this post. And maybe a couple others.

Derek Webb's brainchild is a fantastic way to discover indie artists of all shades, all for free. You can download any music from the site for free in exchange for emailing 5 friends, or if you'd rather you can pay whatever you think is fair for the music. It's a fantastic tool, both for artists and for fans. I blogged a while back about finding Rick Hopkins' excellent Where We Are and Where We Long to Be through the site, and last week I found another comparable jewel - Matt Papa's Your Kingdom Come.

After listening through the CD, Heather and I decided that Papa sounds like what you'd get if you threw U2, Queen, David Crowder Band, and strong theology (he has a doctrinal statement on his website, and a darn good one at that) in a blender. The music is an edgy pop-rock that for the most part maintains a fresh feel throughout, though there are a couple tracks that were a tad derivative for my taste. Some of the more subdued songs pack the biggest lyrical punch, including the beautiful "Hymn in C," the closing "I Will Trust in You My God," and the brutally prophetic "Woe to You" (which reminded me a lot of Derek Webb's early solo stuff). Papa is a treat vocally, evoking (strange as it seems) echoes of the late, great Freddie Mercury at times. Your Kingdom Come would be a great pickup if you bought it in a store, much more so thanks to the no-lose nature of NoiseTrade. Go take a look. Seriously, now you can go. Thanks for finishing the post.

This Cracked Me Up So Bad

HT: Justin Taylor

Every Band-Nerd's Dream

Is to grow up and be like this guy. Awesome.



HT: Vitamin Z

Are You Second?

Check out the very cool testimony of Brian Welch, formerly of the band Korn, from the great website I Am Second.

John Newton Is Rolling Over In His Grave

Oprah Winfrey, on her feelings upon arriving at the Obama inauguration...

"It's beyond the dream. We're just here feelin' it with the throngs of people. It's amazing grace personified."

Do people even know what that song is about anymore?

Go Get This CD. Now.

For my 7-hour solo drive to North Carolina on Friday, I wanted some new music to listen to. So, I headed over to NoiseTrade (if you haven't been to the site, you're missing one of the best ways ever to check out indie bands and artists), and downloaded a few CDs that looked interesting. I expected to find some decent music, I didn't expect to find one of the best CDs I've heard in years.

The album is by Rick Hopkins, a part time musician from Michigan. Entitled Where We Are and Where We Long to Be, the whole album is a meditation around one theme - the "already/not yet" tension of the Christian life. The songs explore our current foretaste of salvation, our struggle to live in a broken world and our craving for the hope yet to come. Each song explores a different aspect of this theme, from the hope of the resurrection ("Sleeper") to the doubt and depression that hide God's face ("Psalm 42") to the craving to see and know ever more of God ("Beautiful That Voice") to explorations of these themes in Biblical narrative ("Lift Up Your Eyes," "Gate Called Beautiful"). The album brings it all together in thunderous doxology with the final track, a great version of the familiar "Lord Most High." There is not one throwaway song on the album, but as good as they are individually they are exponentially more powerful when heard as a thematic whole. Do yourself a favor, and the first time you listen to the album, block out an hour and listen to it in one sitting.

Musically, it's every bit as good as it is lyrically. Hopkins takes a genre (contemporary rock) that is all-too-often stale and predictable and injects it with originality and beauty. Just when you think you know what's coming, he changes things up, whether it be through rhythm, chord progression, or the way that the instrumentation is richly layered. There's a depth to his sound that is lacking in most music in this genre. The way his voice is sampled over itself gives the vocals great power and a memorable sound.

I really can't say enough good things about this record. It brought me to tears multiple times during my Friday drive. Oh, and did I mention that thanks to NoiseTrade, you can get it for free? You've got no excuses. Download the album, block out a distraction-free hour with your iPod or CD player, and prepare your heart to be riveted with a beautiful artistic exploration of our craving for the fulfillment of redemption.

Wow. Just Wow.

New Lecrae Album

It's official - I love me some Caedmon's Call and Derek Webb, but I can't deny that the best Christian music being produced today is coming from the hip-hop realm. There has been a steady stream of guys who have wedded solid and strong theology with well-produced music, and if you've missed it you need to turn off your local Christian station that plays the same 20 songs over and over and go pick up an album like the 116 Clique's 13 Letters. Lecrae is another such guy, and he's got a brand new album out. Check out this track, "Rebel," which includes some nice samples of Mark Driscoll's preaching.



HT: The Resurgence

It Has Begun

I'm not really a big David Crowder Band fan, but I've gotta give them props for attempting what surely must be the first ever cover of the mega-hit "Jesus is My Friend."



HT: Vitamin Z

Jesus Will Zap You, We'll Just Make Your Ears Bleed

Any words I add would simply dampen the hilarity of this video. Wow.



HT: Vitamin Z

Free Derek Webb!

No, he's not in prison. My favorite recording artist, Derek Webb, has released his most recent CD The Ringing Bell for free on Noisetrade.com. All you've got to do is tell 3 friends, or you can pay whatever amount you choose. Derek is a fantastic Christian recording artist (and sadly, those can be quite rare) who writes beautiful, cutting lyrics and memorable melodies. Formerly of the band Caedmon's Call, The Ringing Bell is Derek's 4th solo CD, and in keeping with his penchant for changing up his style it features a retro-rock feel. This is the second time that he's released a CD for free about a year after its release. I'd encourage you to enjoy his music and to support a guy who feels that the music industry should be about more than just money.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

We sang this song last night at Sola5, and I absolutely loved it. It's an update of George Matheson's classic hymn, performed here by two of my favorite artists - husband and wife duo Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken.