Capps Lock

First Reaction: Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

2012-01-25T14:22:00.002-06:00

Generally I prefer album reviews that have been written after listening to the album a few (or more) times and thinking about it. But Lana Del Rey, the Internet star/phenomenon/meme, has prompted almost exclusively knee-jerk responses, so I feel this is appropriate. I have just finished listening to the her debut album Born To Die for the first time, and I am going to write a reactionary review of it.

When I saw Lana Del Rey's performance on SNL, I hoped that it would be one of the low points in her career. While I do think “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans” are good songs, the performances were admittedly pretty horrendous. After all, she's a girl who is very new to this. If you were booked to play SNL before even having your debut album out, I'm sure you would be nervous, too. Despite that, many of the reactions people had after the performances weren't just attacking the specific performances or the songs themselves.

Some weren't even about Lana Del Rey as an artist. A lot of the reactions were wholly unconcerned with the musical aspect, instead commenting on her fake persona or the faux-hipster music video for “Video Games.” (After all, when she originally released an album under her actual name, Lizzy Grant, two years ago, she looked quite different, with noticeably smaller lips.) Diamond Rugs (the new supergroup featuring members of Deer Tick, Black Lips, Los Lobos, and others) recently told Paste, “Musicians are the people that sell you guitar strings at a guitar store, and entertainers are the people you go out and have fun to watch, and we are entertainers....”

Tom Waits has shared similar thoughts in regards to stories in his songs that are not always completely believable—he is an entertainer, not a historian. Yet I doubt nearly all the LDR critics who harp on her manufactured look would say the same thing about Diamond Rugs, Tom Waits, even Lady Gaga. As an entertainer, these things don't matter much, and criticizing them both is unnecessary and misses the point.

Earlier this month she released an EP of four songs to appear on Born To Die (and which had also been online for awhile), and the songs were not bad. “Video Games” is a great pop song, as is “Blue Jeans;” “Born to Die” was good; and “Off to the Races” wasn't that bad, either. These are the first four songs on the album. This is a bit of a bad move on the label's part, because while it's fine to start off the album with a bit of familiarity, by the fourth song I found myself thinking, “Okay, I've heard this, let's get on to the new stuff.”

Another reason why they might have done better to space these four songs throughout the album is because they are by far the best on the album. I was hoping they would establish the feel of the album. While they did this—technically—they were only able to do this because the rest of the songs are more or less copies of these songs. The subtle differences lie in hokey electronic instruments and faux-hip hop backing beats; they all do a sufficient job at blending together into a mediocre mess.

It is very clear that most of all Lana Del Rey wants to be the token hipster princess—one part glamour, one part thrift store. But it is also clear that her knowledge of hipster culture is observed from a distance more than she has actually been living it. In the last track, “This Is What Makes Us Girls,” her attempt to seductively say, “Pabst Blue Ribbon on ice” made me audibly chuckle. Just call it PBR, Lana/Lizzy! Even despite that, it just sounds silly and out of place, which is actually kind of a theme on the album.

I had (some) hopes for this album, if for no other reason than I hoped her SNL performance would have been the low point of her music career. I think everyone has realized that this album could not possibly live up to all the hype it has gotten on the Internet, w kind of bums me out for LDR, especially since the whole Lana Del Rey persona (including the songs) seems more controlled by managers and producers than by Lizzy Grant. The fact remains that she is a young songwriter/performer and has a lot of growing to do. However, barring a few good tracks, Born To Die on the whole proves that an album can simultaneously be lazily produced and overproduced. Sorry, LDR. I tried to like it. But just so you know, I will still be keeping up with your modeling career.

New Year, New Tunes

2011-12-21T14:04:00.000-06:00

Amazon MP3 has over 1,000 albums for only $5 each for the month of January (but the sale actually starts today). As always, there are some good ones, and as always, I have decided to list them. Here are some of my favorites (and some that I have been told, and I assume, are very good), which are in no particular order.

Top Albums of 2011

2011-12-16T08:37:00.001-06:00

This was a good year for music. I enjoyed several albums, and so I have put them into a list for you to read. First is the top albums of 2011 with my boring commentary on all of them. Following that is top non-traditional releases of 2011 (EP's, re-issues, singles, Christmas albums, soundtracks...anything that isn't a traditional, new, full-length release from an artist). Here we go.

Albums:

Bon Iver, Bon Iver — It's been about six months and I still haven't gotten over this album. It is a bit of a sonic story from birth to death (to rebirth?), in which the sounds of the words are much more important than trying to figure out what words Justin Vernon is singing and what they mean. I saw this band twice this year, and it was among the best concerts I have ever seen. They also just released video companions to go along with all the songs (also very good).
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues — When asked to describe this album, the only word I could think that was broad enough to describe it was "more." The songs are richer, more diverse, and more connected than the band's self-titled debut, which was great in its own right.
Gotye - Making Mirrors — "Somebody That I Used To Know" is one of the best songs of the year. "I Feel Better" inspired me to make a whole "Get Glad" playlist of happy songs. And how many artists devote an entire song to singing about an organ? Awesome. I don't even know how to pronounce this guy's name, but it doesn't matter.
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming — I know the Internet has really made us overuse the word "epic," but this album is epic. Some of it will make you feel like you're in Tron. Some of it will make you want to go on a long night drive. And if that doesn't persuade you, "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" is a track of a child telling a magical story about "this frog, it's a very tiny frog, but it's also very special." Who wouldn't want that?!
Tom Waits - Bad As Me — When you first hear Tom Waits' gravely voice and bombastic, theatrical music, it's a bit disorienting. I once described Tom Waits as a bit like coffee: Some people like it the first try, but a lot of people have to acquire a taste for it first. He is one of the greatest living songwriters, and this album proves that even in his 60's, he can make an incredible album. (Oh, and here is an informative chart that explains his voice.)
My Morning Jacket - Circuital — It's no Z, but it is still a great combination of folk/southern-inspired rock that's still got me holdin on to black metal. Jim James' songwriting is top-notch.
Seryn - This Is Where We Are — I would like to lump this album and a live Seryn show in together. This album's only limitation is that it doesn't quite capture all the dynamics and intensity of their live show. Think a bit of an organic Anathallo? But more than that, just go see these guys live. (I would also like to note: They're pretty good at Super Smash Brothers!)
The Decemberists - The King Is Dead — After the massive rock opera The Hazards of Love, I wasn't sure how The Decemberists would follow it up. Thankfully, they didn't try to top it. They did something different entirely. Ten simple, solid folk songs (only one exceeding 5 minutes, wow!) with tons of Gillian Welch. Golden.
Wilco - The Whole Love — If I hadn't heard it on their website, I would have thought the first track, "Art of Almost," was some fan-made mash-up of Wilco vocals and Radiohead demos. Even if that had been the case, it would be among the ranks of best mash-ups ever.
James Blake - James Blake — Arguing over what is and isn't dubstep is the new arguing over who and what is and isn't hipster. Some call James Blake dubstep. Whatever. Get it.
The Black Keys - El Camino — This just came out a couple of weeks ago, but I'm hooked. A bit more straight-forward rock than their previous album Brothers, and really good. Plus, Danger Mouse produced/sort of co-wrote it, so it is already intrinsically good, more or less.
Sigur Rós - Inni — A Sigur Rós concert experience is a very special thing. This live double album captures it as well as one can capture it without actually being there. (But if you get the chance, go to one of their concerts. And also bring me with you.)
Adele - 21 — The worst part about Adele is that a lot of people seem to spend more time listening to countless half-baked covers of her songs than her actual songs. Her songs are pretty much all sad, but as SNL demonstrates, we all need a good cry. (Dear the Internet: PLEASE STOP ALL THE ADELE COVERS.)
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest — Proof that when you're an incredibly competent songwriter with an incredibly competent bandmate, you don't need any other instruments to make an incredibly competent album.
Cœur de pirate - Blonde — I don't even speak French, but hey guess what, that doesn't matter. This album is still quite enjoyable. A bit like Regina Spektor, minus the weird grunts.
Feist - Metals — A bit darker and heavier than her other albums, this is the only album that I have, as a whole, kept in rotation. I could probably listen to "The Bad in Each Other" all the day long.
The Kernal - Farewellhello — This album is only available via a download code sealed inside a bottle, which you have to break (say farewell to the bottle) to get (say hello to the music). Very much informed by classic country music (read: NOT Rascal Flatts or The Band Perry), with hints of modern influences? The latest chapter in the ongoing saga of "Awesome Music Made By Joe Garner."
Katie Herzig - The Waking Sleep — Nashville has an (over)abundance of music artists. Katie Herzig is one of the best there is. This is a really great (indie) pop album. Her song "Lost and Found" is the best Coldplay song to come out this year.
Alison Krauss & Paper Airplane — Out of all the singers I have heard, Alison Krauss might have my absolute favorite voice. Angelic.
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know — Laura Marling is 21 years old and has now put out three full-length albums that rival many albums written by people double or triple her age. There is a certain delicacy and intentionality to the songs. She has a high value of both lyrics and music and makes an effort not to waste either.
Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing — We're at the point where we can compare other artists to Bob Dylan without being chastised, right? This album is a folk and rock and fun album, and a few songs sound pretty Dylan-escue, if you want my opinion (and if anyone is still reading by #21 on this list, apparently you do).
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow — This year was the year for The Civil Wars. Opening for Adele, garnering fans like Taylor Swift, and being featured on Later With Jools Holland alongside acts such as Laura Marling—they're everywhere now. This is a great album. Also, as an aside, and to toot my own horn just a bit, I'd like to invite you to visit my Civil Wars history museum...
Childish Gambino - Camp — Donald Glover used to write for 30 Rock (one of my favorite shows) and currently plays Troy on Community (my favorite show on TV right now [Save Community!]), and his alter-ego Childish Gambino has now put out my favorite rap/hip-hop/genre-blending album of 2011. Where else are you going to find raps that reference Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, and Sufjan?
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care — Explosions in the Sky: Not as violent as it sounds.
The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade — Who would've guessed that John Williams would have two grandchildren—brother and sister—who form a folk/pop/rock band that puts out a really diverse and enjoyable album?
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy — Annie Clark is a badass.
White Lies - Ritual — It's a little like if Tears For Fears had more upbeat songs, a few more synths and better production, but not in a The National way.
Over the Rhine - The Long Surrender — This is, what, like their 40th album or something? Something like that. The best they've put out in years.
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean — Taking cues from Sufjan(?) to leave the acoustic guitar picking behind a bit in favor of some synth, Sam Beam makes a very good electro-folk(?) album with a mildly trippy album cover.
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi (feat. Jack White & Norah Jones) - ROME — You probably weren't thinking this, but I thought to myself, "How can an album featuring Danger Mouse and Jack White and also Norah Jones and some guy who I haven't heard of Daniele Luppi be all the way back at spot #30?" Well, Stephen/reader, this is only because there have been very many other good albums that have come out this year, and also don't you remember how Danger Mouse helped a lot with The Black Keys album, so this is actually his second occurrence on ths list? "Oh, yes, well, I guess that's a pretty good point." Well, thanks. Also, this album is a little down the list mainly because it is not very long. It plays like a soundtrack (as is its intention) to a pretty short spaghetti western film.
Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire — When Ryan Adams put out that "fully realized sci-fi metal concept album" a couple of years ago (yeah, I'm not even going to link to it), I got pretty worried that any good music from this guy was in the past. Thankfully, this album heartily puts those worries to rest.
Trent Dabbs - Southerner — Trent is another Nashville singer-songwriter who also heads up the Ten Out of Tenn tour every year, which is always a treat. This is his new album, which differs a fair amount from generic Nashville singer-songwriter full-length album. A bit of rock, a bit of blues, a lot of good music...
James Vincent McMorrow - Early In The Morning — If you read past #1, I assume you do not have a strong aversion to music with a guy singing in a falsetto.
Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three - Middle of Everywhere — This album will transport you back to the early-mid part of the 20th century, where washboards and harmonicas co-existed peacefully.
Panda Bear - Tomboy — Tomboy is a bit like going on a tour of what might manifest if computers and keyboard synthesizers had dreams. Sound weird? You betcha.
Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne — If you are expecting this to be like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or The Blueprint 3, I'm sorry. This is neither. But still great. "Otis" is worth the price of the album alone.
Givers - In Light — If this album doesn't make you giddy, you're probably six feet under.
The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh — Because not all albums are meant to make you giddy.
This Will Destroy You - Tunnel Blanket — This Will Destroy You: Not as violent as it sounds.
Seasick Steve - You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks — Son House, is that you with an electric guitar?

Other releases:

The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions — These sessions are far from new, but I am very glad they have finally be released. The deluxe edition is like peeking into the band's brains as they're writing all the songs on it. Over 30 versions of "Heroes and Villians"?!
Leagues - Leagues [EP] — I'm pretty sure I listened to this album at least once a day for the whole duration of the summer.
The Alabama Shakes - Alabama Shakes [EP] — This band is on the rise, y'all. Follow 'em before you're a follower. I'm anxiously awaiting more music from this band.
Broken Bells - Meyrin Fields [EP] — Hey there again, Danger Mouse! Oh, and you have James Mercer with you this time. Cool!
Chris Thile and Michael Daves - Man in the Middle [Single] — These guys recorded a full-length in Mr. Jack White's recording studio (that barely did not make the cut on albums of the year), and he also got this out of 'em. Mm, good.
Drive [Soundtrack] — Ryan Gosling is the man, and every movie in which I have seen him (I do not count The Notebook, because I am certain it was just a lapse of judgment that he wishes he could take back) he is great. This movie was great. But rivaling the movie itself is the soundtrack.
fun. - We Are Young / One Foot — Glee covered "We Are Young" and it was awful and I don't want to talk about it but this song is really good, the real version, not the Glee version, so listen to it, not the Glee version.
Sleeping At Last - Yearbook — Starting last October, this guy put out an EP a month for 12 months. Pretty impressive.
Seryn and Friends - Seryn and Friends Christmas — Seryn and Friends Christmas.
Timbre - Silent Night — Christmas album from one of the best alternative harpists around that's also pay-what-you-want—even free!

See you in 2012?

October--Amazon MP3 100/$5

2011-10-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

New month, new $5 albums from Amazon MP3.

*Today only: The Head and The Heart – The Head And The Heart
David Bowie – The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
The Postal Service – Give Up
Ellie Goulding – Lights (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version) [+Digital Booklet]
Coldplay – Parachutes
James Vincent McMorrow – Early In The Morning
Ben Folds – Rockin' The Suburbs
The Swell Season – Strict Joy
The Beach Boys – The Greatest Hits Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations
She and Him – Volume One
M. Ward – Hold Time
Friendly Fires – Pala (Bonus Track Edition)
Cold War Kids – Mine Is Yours
Tom Waits – Glitter And Doom Live
Robert Plant – Band Of Joy

A Brief (Clumsy) Word on Lady Gaga...

2011-05-23T01:02:00.002-05:00

I will admit that I'm not one who listens to the radio ever--my iPod and records keep me musically satisfied--so I'm not always up to date on the latest artist. It took me a good while to even hear a Lady Gaga song. At the point I'd heard my first Gaga song, I had heard so much about the mystique of Lady Gaga, both from those who absolutely love it and those who are vehemently against it (and all shades in between), that I almost felt pressured to have an instantly strong reaction to it--and since I'm a Christian, and Lady Gaga is provocative, I should probably denounce her entirely.

I will admit at this point that while I am by no means a huge Lady Gaga fan, I enjoy a few of her songs on occasion. Everyone has to have a pop music fix every once in a while, right? Sure, there is much of the product of Lady Gaga that I could do without, and, because I heard so much about her before actually hearing/seeing her, I avoided (e.g., the "Telephone" video). We could talk about that for a long time, but let's save that for another time, cool?

Lady Gaga is worth our attention. I'm not saying we should do so because we should pay attention to every pop singer who comes on the radio or star who wears ridiculous dresses. In fact, usually those things dissuade me from paying attention to respective person. Here are a few reasons why I think we should pay attention to Lady Gaga (namely those who are Christians):

1. Her music is popular. Sure, it's easy to get on the slippery slope of having one's time consumed by becoming informed on what's popular (because that changes constantly). But in this day and age, at least in America, one would be hard-pressed to find many people who haven't heard at least one Gaga song. Like it or not, she is one of the more important voices of our generation, for better or for worse. One should not denounce something that one has not first examined.

2. Her lyrics are not polished. Some sects of Christianity are concerned with only listening to "Christian" music, reading "Christian" books, watching "Christian" movies. Derek Webb has spoken wisely when he said (roughly [from memory of tweets of his]), "The term 'Christian,' when applied to anything else besides a person, is a marketing scheme." Christians can become concerned with overly polished, "safe for the whole family" material. But the fact is that this world is not "safe for the whole family," and we are not "safe for the whole family" people. We are grimy, sinful, and deceitful. When we only absorb things that are happy, we develop a skewed view of the world. Even much of the Bible recounts people blatantly and repeatedly sinning--even the people of God. Even those who are redeemed still sin. Lady Gaga at points demonstrates the sinful condition of all of us, which leads to...

3. She speaks truth (sometimes). Take for example her latest single, "Judas." In the song there is a lyric, "Jesus is my virtue, but Judas is the one I cling to...I'm still in love with Judas, baby." What a true statement! Even when doing our most "holy" actions, they are still tainted by our selfish desires. Lady Gaga hits on what nearly all of "Christian" music shies away from--human depravity. We as Christians, do we not often find ourselves loving our sin and ourselves, and sinning often? I added "(sometimes)" because I have not listened to a large amount of her music, and I can't make that claim. No one, especially one who is blatantly not a Christian, always speaks truth (but no one is exempt from finding/speaking truth).

4. The kingdoms of God and man are at work in everything. This sentence is stolen from my visits to the Festival of Faith and Music at Calvin College in 2009 and 2011. It is in essence a better articulated summary of my previous three points, which is this: A.) There are themes of sin and redemption in everything, not just in "Christian" art. B.) No person (sans Jesus) ever only speaks truth or acts perfectly. C.) No person is beyond realizing, understanding, and speaking truth.

I've been spreading the link of the new Lady Gaga album, Born This Way, which is on sale via Amazon MP3 for only $0.99 right now, and I wanted to explain myself a little bit--albeit a bit clumsily. I think that, for less than a buck, an entire album is worth examining, thinking about, and looking for truth in. Hopefully this at least causes you to approach Lady Gaga a little more thoughtfully and intentionally.

[Note: If any of you keep up with this blog, you have noticed an absence of posts. This is due both to my amount of schoolwork this semester as well as my computer, of which the battery and power cord have been unpredictable. Hopefully my computer will be back up and running soon.]

I Am a Hipster: the Campaign

2011-03-13T20:28:00.000-05:00

The word "hipster" has become the universal insult. Those who aren't one despise being called one, and those who are one vehemently deny being one. It's become a taboo – and I hate taboos. Enter: I Am a Hipster: the Campaign. The premise is simple. Rather than going out of one's way to deny being a hipster, one readily declares himself/herself (or the group to whom they are talking) to be one(s) instead. A few examples:

"As a hipster, I really like listening to underground music on vinyl."
"We hipsters realize that this photography is aesthetically flat and uninteresting, and we could do better."
"Though I am a hipster, I like Mumford & Sons, even though they are popular and I shouldn't."
"My favorite place to grow my hipster wardrobe is Urban Outfitters."

You get the picture. Until we get a working time-traveling Delorean with which we can go back in time and prevent this whole hipster-denying phenomenon from happening, this should work in diffusing the whole situation. We can do it. We have the technology.

Take your choice of ways to end this blog:
- Today, we are all hipsters.
- I am a hipster, and so can you.
- Hipsters unite!

Barefoots iPod Music

2011-03-07T18:59:00.008-06:00

I thought it might be a good idea to put a list of the songs currently on the Barefoots iPod online so that people can look them up if they so choose. They're separated by the playlists on which they are found, and I made a note if I took out certain tracks because of "bad words." And if you want to request music, I suppose you can do that in the comments or something. (Last updated: 9.1.11)

Morning

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Paper Airplane
Bon Iver - The MySpace Transmissions [FREE]
Brooke Waggoner - Go Easy, Little Doves
Chris Thile - Not All Who Wander Are Lost
The Civil Wars - Daytrotter session [FREE]
Fleet Foxes - False Knight On The Road
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Joe Garner - SUB Hallway Session
Joe Purdy - This American
Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim (sans tracks 2, 10, 12)
The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh (Deluxe)
Madi Diaz - Wherever You Are (Single)
Mavis Staples - You're Not Alone
My Morning Jacket - "Now That I Know"
My Morning Jacket - Z
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Sandra McCracken - Red Balloon
Wilco - "The Jolly Banker" [Woody Guthrie cover]
(Some of) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (feat. Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and more)

Afternoon

The Apache Relay - American Nomad
The Beatles - "Revolution" (from 1967-1970 [The Blue Album])
The Black Keys - Attack and Release
Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
Broken Bells - Meyrin Fields EP
Chris Thile and Michael Daves - Sleep With One Eye Open
Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi (feat. Jack White and Norah Jones) - ROME [$5 album this month!]
Death Cab for Cutie - "You Are a Tourist" (from Codes and Keys), The Photo Album
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Delta Spirit - The Waits Room EP
Efterklang - "Modern Drift" (from Magic Chairs)
Fanfarlo - Reservoir
fun. - Aim and Ignite
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean (Deluxe) [Explicit] (sans tracks 4, 8)
James Blake & Bon Iver - "Fall Creek Boys Choir"
Jenny and Johnny - "Committed"
Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit - A Larum
Katie Herzig - "Make A Noise," "Free My Mind" [FREE]
Leagues - Leagues EP
Manchester Orchestra - "Simple Math"
Mates of State - "Now" (from Re-arrange Us)
Matthew Perryman Jones - new album demos
Mt. Desolation - Mt. Desolation
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Panda Bear - Tomboy
Phil Collins - "In the Air Tonight" (from Face Value)
Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
Radical Face - "Welcome Home" and "Glory" (from Ghost)
Son House - "Grinnin' in Your Face" and "John the Revelator" (from The Original Delta Blues)
St. Vincent - Actor
Various - selections from Rave On Buddy Holly

Evening

Bon Iver - "I Can't Make You Love Me/Nick of Time"
The Civil Wars - Poison & Wine EP
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Gillian Welch - "Black Star"
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
James Blake - James Blake
Jamie Barnes - "Vampire Movie" (from The Recalibrated Heart)
Joe Pug - Nation of Heat EP
Melissa Myers - The Diorama EP
Monsters of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
The National - High Violet, "Think You Can Wait"
Ólafur Arnalds - Found Songs
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Robin Pecknold [of Fleet Foxes] - Three Songs [FREE], "Silver Dagger"
S. Carey - All We Grow
Saxon Shore - The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore

Worst 2010 Album I Heard In Its Entirety

2010-12-31T06:29:00.001-06:00

I thought it would be nice to provide a brief interlude between parts 1 and 2 (the latter still forthcoming) of my favorite 2010 albums by telling you my least favorite album of 2010. There were of course many songs that I heard that I enthusiastically disliked, but I didn't listen to the respective artists' full albums from which those songs came. You might recall that the Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack came out this year, but despite the otherwise awfulness that the whole Twilight franchise puts out, their soundtracks are fantastic (for example, this one has Fanfarlo, Muse, Cee-Lo Green, Vampire Weekend, Band of Horses, The Black Keys, The Dead Weather, and more). Perhaps the new Kings of Leon album failed to grasp your attention and impress you, but this too is not the worst. Maybe you too bought Dave Barnes' new album when it was the Amazon MP3 daily deal only to realize that no music should sound that much like a pink-walled candy store – but no, while it is close to the bottom of the list of 2010 albums, it does not take the cake.

The worst album of 2010 that I heard in its entirety was Sky Sailing: An Airplane Carried Me To Bed. This is the "side project" of Adam what's-his-name from Owl City, the "band" that always tempts me to rhyme the second words of its name with something else. I put "side project" in quotes because despite the different name, it's just more Owl City crap. The only difference between the two is this: Owl City sounds like the singer of Blink-182 trying incredibly hard to rip-off the Postal Service while reading through a children's picture book with a CCM producer's sterile over-production; Sky Sailing is less overtly a Postal Service rip-off (though it is still quite similar in the worst way possible), because someone taught the guy four chords to strum on a guitar – but everything else is the same.

Just like Owl City's "Fireflies" and "Hello Seattle," these songs can get stuck in your head when you are at a weak moment. Lots of people like lots of awful songs lots of the time – mainstream radio is more often than not proof of this (e.g. Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Black Eyed Peas) – so there are certainly a good number of people who liked this album. But for me, I just can't recognize any redeeming qualities about this album. This is a warning post, lest you should be tempted to buy it.

I will close this blog with a Sky Sailing/Owl City inspired song that I will make up right now. Remember that it is sung in his voice, so "my eyes," for example, are pronounced "moy oyes."

My eyes open from my glitter dream;

I wash my hands in the sparkling stream,

Rub my face in the warm, green grass,

Glad I am finally here at last.

Swarming around me are dragonflies

As I harness them and ride them through the diamond skies:

Airplanes, clouds, planets, stars,

They take me further – I go so far!

Dancing on gumdrops, eating gummy bears,

Look at the city lights and start to stare,

At the city and the nature, and sing my ditty

And planets, rainbows, candy canes! Yay Owl City!

My Favorite Albums of 2010 - Part 1

2010-12-25T20:25:00.000-06:00

Today is Christmas, and since many people are getting iTunes/Amazon/Best Buy/etc. gift cards and money, I figured I'd give a list of some of my favorite albums of the past year. Currently my computer, with my iTunes and list of 2010 albums, is dead and waiting for a new power charger to come in the mail, so I'm likely to miss some and come back later and add some in. In fact, let's just call this " Part 1 - The Ones I Found Listed on Wikipedia and My Amazon Digital Orders." But hey, I figured I'd give myself a deadline of today. Why not? These are loosely in order, but not necessarily. You'll also notice the blurbs getting shorter as I continue on...

Mumford and Sons: Sigh No More - This is too obvious, and it's kind of cheating putting it on this list. Since it officially came out in the States in 2010, I included it, but I heard it at the end of last year and put it on my best of 2009 list (which I posted in a Facebook note, because why not?). The album has grown on me since then and has been my most played album of all year. Their concert was one of the best I've ever been to. Other music they released this year:
Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling & Dharohar Project EP - An amazing mixture of folk, rock, and traditional Indian music.
The Wedding Band EP - The band and five of their friends got together in March and recorded this four-song EP, available only on vinyl. It's just really fun.
This is one of my top two favorite bands. The other, Sigur Ros, did not come out with an album this year as a band. However, their singer did...
Jonsi - Go: The simplest I can think to describe this album is happy and beautiful. He sings in English - how neat! A few of these songs are considerably more upbeat than the music from his band, and the rest - for example, "Tornado" - are reminiscent of Sigur Ros' prettiest songs. It's hard to describe this album, but you should really just hear it. Also of interest: Go Live (I don't have this yet, but I've heard/seen clips and it looks fantastic.)
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs: This album has been ridiculously cheap on Amazon MP3 pretty much the whole time it's been released. Hopefully you all have this by now. This album is considerably more laid-back than their previous two albums - and just as great. It's hard to pick out individual songs that I like more than others, because the album is so great as a cohesive unit. It's only $3.99 right now; why not get it?
Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP / The Age of Adz: Sufjan is crazy. First, in August he releases an "EP" out of the blue that is an hour long. Then two months later releases a full-length that's even longer and has a 25 and a half minute song on it. All Delighted People is more reminiscent of the Sufjan we've known for the past several years. The Age of Adz is something completely different and still really really good. Trade in that "plink plink" of the banjo for a "bleep bloop" of a synthesizer, let's shake 'n' bake!
(P.S. I wrote about him earlier this year.)
Vampire Weekend - Contra: I can't help but be happy when I listen to this band. How many bands can sing "Ooo..." and have that be the entire chorus to a song ("White Sky"), and get away with it? This album took me about a week to really like, but now it's, obviously, one of my favorites of the year. It builds on a lot of the sounds of their first album. If the cold, cloudy weather this winter gets you depressed, this album will help.
She and Him - Volume Two: If you're not a Zooey Deschanel fan, you're probably not hipster enough to be reading this blog. Just kidding. This album is the sequel to Volume One (crazy how that works). Volume One was great, but it was a collection of songs Zooey had written over years. For Volume Two, she and Matt Ward wrote them all around the same time-ish, so it sounds more holistic. It's good. Retro, indie pop. Get it.
The New Pornographers - Together: I always feel awkward mentioning this band's name - I think it's pretty obvious why - but the fact is that this was one of my most played albums this year. Don't worry, there's no vulgar language or sexual content; it's all clean, and all good. Wow, this little blurb alone has great potential to bring a very wrong crowd to my blog. I should stop now.
The National - High Violet: Modern-day Tears for Fears? Basically. But heck, I'm not complaining. This is one of those albums you have to sit with and concentrate on a little bit to really appreciate it, but once you do, you won't be disappointed.
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening: I never thought I'd be able to listen to an hour-long, primarily electric album. This album proved me wrong. Really good songwriting, really fun.
School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire: Take the previous band, shorten the songs, and add a girl singer and a bit of 80's influence, and...well, with a little work, you've got something like this band. Some of these songs make me feel like I should be watching Donnie Darko.
Broken Bells - Broken Bells: While we're on the subject of electronic bands with the word "Bells" in their name... Most of these songs aren't rave-able songs. It's a project from The Shins' James Mercer and the infamous Danger Mouse, and it sounds pretty much like that - indie + processing.
Sleigh Bells - Treats: One more band with "Bells" in the name. I like how Paste described this band: M.I.A. meets My Bloody Valentine. The guitarist used to be in the metal band Poison the Well (crazy, huh?). Um...yeah, you should just listen to this when you're at your crunkest moment.
Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone: Mavis Staples is in her late 70's and has been performing music for over half a decade. The fact that she even came out with an album at this point is respectable enough. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco produced this album and wrote two songs on it, including the title track Soulful gospel music with a touch of indie folk.
John Legend and The Roots - Wake Up!: Well, it's The Roots and John Legend. Do I really need to say any more? Well, just for posterity: "Musical powerhouses John Legend & The Roots present Wake Up!, eleven profoundly evocative songs pulled from the soulful music of the 60's and 70's all with an underlying theme of awareness, engagement and consciousness."
Mt. Desolation - Mt. Desolation: This is what happens when two of the members of Keane get together to write a folk album and bring lots of friends, such as members of Mumford and Sons and Noah and the Whale, to record with them.
Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love: I stayed away from this band for a good while simply because of how often their name was tossed around as the textbook "indie band" in a someone snarky manner. This album is fairly calm, girl and guy both singing. Typical "indie" stuff, I guess. Plus the songs are really catchy. I'm supposed to be writing a review on this soon for a website, so...maybe you'll hear more on it soon.
Jimmy Eat World - Invented: My music taste has changed a lot throughout my life, and aside from The Beatles, there aren't many bands I've liked for more than five or six years that I still like. I got my first Jimmy Eat World album (Bleed American) in 2002, and I've been a fan ever since. This album is a little less poppy than their previous album (also good), more RAWK!
Whoops. sorry about that little outburst there.
Taylor Swift - Speak Now: Half of you will roll your eyes at this, and the other half will clap your dainty, Hannah Montana-tattooed hands together when you see it. Everyone is split on T-Swift: either she's really great, or she's the worst person to ever open her mouth and sing. I hold that she is great at writing pop songs, and this album proves it. She wrote all the songs herself, no co-writers used, which is more than nearly all the rest of pop music can boast. I've found myself humming at least one of these songs many days. I'm not complaining. You know what?! I might even get this album on vinyl! For what it is - a pop album written by a 20-year-old girl - it is great. And who doesn't need to listen to some feel-good pop every once in a while?
Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer: If you have an aversion swearing, you definitely will not like track three on this album, and I recommend you find the clean version of the song, "Forget You." However, I will tell you that the song "F*** You" is the happiest cussing song I think I've ever heard. Additionally, the rest of this album is really catchy R&B/soul. Cee-Lo is the man.
Andrew Belle - The Ladder: One thing is certain: Once I get back my computer and find my list of albums from this year, Nashville artists will get a more proper treatment. But this is one of them who had a pretty big break this year with this album. Really nice pop/singer-songwriter tunes. Ch-check it out!
Trent Dabbs - Your Side Now: Another Nashville artist. This album came out at the very beginning of January, which means you're almost a year behind. Get on it!
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Edited): I hesitate putting this album on this list. On the one hand, musically speaking it's really great. On the other hand, many of the lyrics are not always very wholesome. I linked to the edited version because it's...well, edited. But still, use your discretion on this one.
Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now: Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley is neat. She and her boyfriend (the "Johnny" part of the band) came out with this album, and it sounds like they're having fun now. I've been humming songs from this album all day today.
The White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights: Jack White is the man. So is Meg. This live album is fantastic, including their cover of "Jolene." The DVD is also great, so...check that out. Speaking of Jack White being the man...
Anything from Third Man Records: Last Christmas I got a turntable, and I've been lovin' me some vinyl since then. I was thrilled to find Third Man Records, Jack White's record label/store in Nashville, whose motto is "Your Turntable's Not Dead." All the blue series singles are available on iTunes as well, so look for them. Anyway, some records I got this year:
Conan O'Brien & Legally Prohibited Band - Live at Third Man Records
The Racontwoers - Live at Third Man Records
Jenny and Johnny - Live at Third Man Records
Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks
The Greenhornes - ★★★★
Laura Marling - Blues Run the Game [Blue Series Single]
Jack White - Fly Farm Blues [Blue Series Single-ish]
Transit - C'mon and Ride
Pujol - [Blue Series Single]

Okay, kiddos. That's all for now.

A Fourteen-Year, Radiohead Puzzle?

2010-12-14T13:24:00.000-06:00

Today I came across this article. If you don't want to read it, it basically says that the Radiohead albums OK Computer (1993) and In Rainbows (2007) complement one another to make one complete mega-album. Did Radiohead intentionally do this? Who knows. But I'm about halfway through trying it out, and it sounds great so far. If you want to try it, here are the steps:

1. Starting with "Airbag" from OK Computer, alternate tracks between the two albums in sequential order.
2. When you get to "Karma Police" (which will be track 11 on the playlist), put "Fitter Happier" next. This is the turnaround, because OK Computer has 12 tracks and In Rainbows only has 10. [Hint: The screenshot at the top of this blog shows the right order.]
3. Set the crossfade playback to 10 seconds. If you're using iTunes (and I hope you are), do this:
4. Go to Preferences, Playback, check the box that says Crossfade Songs, and drag the slider to the next to last hash, then click OK [Computer].

If you don't have these albums already, shame on you! And also you can get them here:
OK Computer
In Rainbows

The Best of the Last 100/$5 of 2010

2010-12-01T23:45:00.001-06:00

This month Amazon MP3 has their normal deal: 100 albums for $5 each. But they also have 100 Christmas albums for $5 each this month. This, along with the convenience of being able to "gift" songs/albums on Amazon MP3 to others, made me say to myself, "'Tis the season, am I right?!" So I am making this list for you of some highlights.

1. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More: If you don't already know how I feel about this band, then you must be a stranger to me and this blog. Get learned. If you don't have this album, you must.

2.   She and Him – Volume Two: Zooey Deschanel is the indie princess of today; M. Ward is an anti-folk rocker. Together, they make a very pleasing, retro pop album. Volume One was great, and this one shows Zooey's maturity as a songwriter.

3.  Coldplay – Viva La Vida: Coldplay is good. Don't be a super-fan and tell me they're the best band in the world, but don't be a super-hipster and tell me they're too mainstream to listen to.

4.  Radiohead – Kid A: There seems to be a different Radiohead album on sale for $5 on Amazon MP3 every month, but I'm not complaining. This is just one of many great albums by Thom Yorke and Co.

5.  Ben Folds – Way to Normal: Ben Folds. Piano rock master. This isn't his best, in my opinion, but it's far from his worst and definitely not bad.

6.  Midlake – The Courage of Others: Midlake is just a solid band, and this is their first release in a few years. The songs will mellow you out rather than pump you up, and you'll love them for it.

7.  Mogwai – : This is speculative, putting this on this list, because I myself don't have this album. But I have listened to Mogwai enough to know that they are some of the best post-rock out there, and a live album of theirs is bound to be something special.

8.  Gram Parsons – GP: This guy liked drugs and UFO's and making great music. Emmylou Harris also sang with him a lot before he roamed into the desert and died of a drug overdose. Cool right?

9.  Johnny Flynn – Been Listening: For a while now, I have been on a hearty music diet that largely consists of British folk, and this man is one of the greats. Plus, Laura Marling is on one of the tracks.

10.  Katie Herzig – Apple Tree: I'm from Nashville, and I like a lot of Nashville artists. Katie Herzig is one of my favorites, and this album is a fantastic collection of fantastic songs.

11.  Leeland – Sound of Melodies: This is the first of the band's three full-length albums, and it's the only one I've listened to much. It's good pop rock, written by the singer who was 18 at the time.

BONUS CHRISTMAS SECTION
Two Christmas albums I can't resist including:

12.  John Denver and The Muppets – A Christmas Together: Do I really need to say anything?

13.  Sara Groves – O Holy Night: Great songwriter. I am about to buy this album myself.

Go ye thereforth and listen!

Life Group "Circle of Life" Teaser

2010-10-02T01:41:00.001-05:00

You will want to be in attendance for the world premiere, I'm sure.

This Is Neat: Sleeping At Last's Yearbook Project

2010-10-01T10:49:00.000-05:00

I found out about Sleeping At Last through NoiseTrade, and they've been a pretty consistent staple in my iTunes since then. Today they released the first installment in a project called Yearbook. Every month for twelve months they will release a 3-song digital EP. I can be a pretty big stickler for full-length LP's sometimes, but I think this is a great idea for building a fan base. Being able to observe the band's musical and lyrical growth on a monthly basis, as well as observing their diligence, is sure to win over some new fans. They have a subscription for all twelve months that's $30 ($6 cheaper than the individual purchases), but if you'd rather shell out small amounts of money over a long period of time, the EP's are only $3 each. If you're interested, check it out here.

I Like My Music How I Like My Lattes...

2010-09-29T03:22:00.004-05:00

...Good. Well, there's a way to start a blog. It's gotta happen somehow, so I'm just going to go with it. If you don't know, Sufjan Stevens has a new full-length album, The Age of Adz, coming out in two weeks, which you can currently hear in its entirety on NPR. It's a pretty huge departure from his earlier folk/orchestral music, but we won't get into that now.

Last week his record label, Asthmatic Kitty, sent out an email that "takes (polite) aim at Amazon." In it, they said that they like to believe that an artist's work is "worth more than the cost of a latte." This is certainly an understandable outlook. Artists shouldn't have to feel pressured to give away or cheaply sell their art because of the digitalization of the music industry. There are certainly many acts that should not be given the privilege of making a full-time living off of music (e.g., Nickelback, Ke$ha, other bands that make me shudder), but there are also quite a few artists and bands whose diligence in creating art should be paid.

If I were to make a list of artists who deserve to make a living off of their music, Sufjan Stevens would be one of the top people listed. This is why I have bought all of his albums on iTunes/on Bandcamp/in stores and drove eight hours to see him play live in Illinois(e) last year. Many people feel similarly – exampled, for one, by the fact that whenever he goes on tour, most–all of the tickets sell out within hours, if not minutes.

I am an Amazon MP3 fan, especially of their Daily Deals and monthly $5 albums. I am a pretty big music consumer and cannot afford spending full-price on physical CD's for every album, and the deals help in my consumption (though perhaps hurt my bank account nonetheless). To be frank, chances are I will buy this album on Amazon MP3 when it comes out. I think it's a good idea. Why?

First, the duration of the cheap price is short. The price of a Daily Deal lasts for...well, a day. This gives people a minor sense of urgency. If an album is full-price, it's easy to put off buying until later, but at the least on the front end, it attracts a lot of attention and enthusiasm. I have been the beneficiary of music artists, app developers, and other miscellaneous providers of things I like who give away for free/a deeply discounted rate for short periods of time. Their idea is what I just mentioned – lots of enthusiasm and exposure in a short amount of time, which reels in new people.

Second, from an income perspective, neither the artist nor the label are losing money. Amazon sells these albums at a loss in order to get more traffic to their site. The artist and label still get paid.

Third, the exposure it brings is worth the price cut. As I mentioned earlier, the urgency of something that only lasts a day causes lots of attention. As Asthmatic Kitty notes in the email, it will bring in tons of potential new fans. Their concern – and rightfully so – seems to be that people become so accustomed to cheap pricing that they are unwilling to pay anything more for music. I don't think this is the case. As I mentioned, Sufjan is one of the most deserving artists to make a living off his art form. There will be plenty who buy the album on Amazon MP3 who will also be willing to buy other music of his/attend shows and buy merch there/etc. With Sufjan especially, I am confident there will be no shortage of these people. Sure, there will be people who don't do that; but there are people who buy an album for full-price and never do anything else related to the artist, either.

Asthmatic Kitty's concern, I think, is a legitimate, good one. However, just because people pay the same price for an album as they pay for a latte doesn't mean it only grabs their interest as long as a latte does. Even with a latte, people often come back to the coffee for another the next day. How much more will people come back for more from an artist who continues to put out music and tour?

I love Sufjan and his new album. I love Amazon MP3. And on October 12th, I will listen to The Age of Adz while drinking a latte with an extra shot of irony.

Update 10.12.10: It is the daily deal on Amazon for only $3.99 right now, right here.

If Record Labels Adopted the Radiohead Model...

2010-09-28T10:30:00.003-05:00

(via Toothpaste for Dinner)

Unreleased(!) Concert Review: Goo Goo Dolls

2010-09-13T02:52:00.002-05:00

On May 3rd, I saw Goo Goo Dolls at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. I want to make it clear that I only saw it because I got the tickets for free in order to review it. I remembered that I never posted the review I wrote for it, and I thought I would amuse myself at 2:45 AM while I cannot sleep. Enjoy.

Record-breaking floods can’t stop the Goo Goo Dolls; they just reschedule them. The weekend prior to Goo Goo Dolls performing, the city of Nashville experienced heavy flooding, threatening to flood the Ryman Auditorium and cancel the concert. Due to a fortunate set of circumstances, the show went on, and the excited looks on people’s tired faces were clear. The opener was The Rocket Summer, playing infectious pop rock songs and bidding people to “Let me see your cell phones!”

The Goo Goo Dolls took the stage, a confusing faux-stone texture as their backdrop. The audience was filled with Dawson’s Creek fans in their 30’s, thrilled out of their minds to see the band, now in their mid-40’s, that was the soundtrack for their high school days. Front man and main singer John Rzeznik wooed more than a few ladies with his perfect teeth as they flashed their cameras incessantly. He sang out the classics that the crowd knew by heart – “Black Balloon,” “Dizzy,” “Big Machine” – as well as songs from their upcoming album, due out this summer. Johnny switched between playing real chords on the electric guitar as well as his classic open chords on the acoustic guitar – “Look, no hands!” He hit most of the notes he went for. As for the ones he missed, who can blame the guy? He’s in his 40’s at this point; give him a break!

When Mr. Rzeznik needed a break from singing, he passed the microphone to bassist Robby Takac, who both looked and sounded like Gríma Wormtongue from The Lord of the Rings – large, piercing eyes; black, wiry hair; and a rapsy, eerie voice. Maybe the band has Robby sing so that when John sings, it will sound that much better. Whatever the case, it is difficult to see why it would be pleasing to listen to. As for the rest of the band, the drummer was solid. The keyboardist/third guitarist/saxophonist took the “pretty” factor of the slow songs to the next level. And their rhythm guitarist never smiled, despite his semi-regular guitar solos. It is hard to imagine that he was having a good amount of fun, since it looked more like he was simply doing his job. Overall, however, the band sounded tight, and their long-time fans ate up every minute of it.

The final song before the encore was “Iris,” the song that shot the band into stardom in the late 90’s. Despite John not being able to hit the high notes in the chorus, the crowd sang along, remembering the sweet ending to City of Angels. Finally the band ended things out with an acoustic version of “Sympathy” and a final, full-band hurrah with “Broadway.” For a Goo Goo Dolls concert, the crowd will be almost exclusively long-time fans; and the long-time fan will likely find it pleasing to hear their favorite songs live. However, for those who did not grow up on 90’s chick flicks, it might difficult to find the concert more than “okay.”

Ping Me!

2010-09-11T23:04:00.001-05:00

A week and a half ago, Apple unveiled iTunes 10. Along with some minor performance tweaks and a new, sort of hokey-looking logo, the main thing that was revealed was Ping, a social media service reminiscent of Facebook and Twitter but just for sharing, following, reviewing, and otherwise talking about music. I'm still not sure how much I like the interface, but I do like being able to talk about music without clogging up my Twitter or Facebook feeds. I buy most of my music from Amazon MP3 or from the artists, but I'll hopefully still be keeping the recommendations pretty up-to-date. If you aren't following me or don't have a Ping, here are a few samples of reviews I've written. (I recommend them to you just the same.)

1.Brooke Waggoner – Go Easy Little Doves

Masterpiece – There's no other word I can think of that more fittingly describes this album on a whole other than "masterpiece." Maybe "beautiful" or "tantalizing" work, too. Brooke's talent in writing warm pop songs and playing piano have both been consistently good on all of her releases. But this album brings to the forefront another truth: Her singing and playing often both sound best when backed by a mass of strings. The orchestral parts are carefully arranged, warmly played, and thoroughly captivating. One would be hard-pressed to find any legitimate reason not to like this album. Whether a burgeoning music lover who's not quite sure where to start, an indie critic who's more jaded than any of your other friends, or just a person who wants more substantive music than Katy Perry or Britney Spears, this album is a must-buy.

2. Sandra McCracken – In Feast or Fallow

If "Christian" music exists... – ...it sounds an awful lot like this. These days, "worship music" usually means sterile, shallow, happy songs. This album sets the standard more where it should be: a glorious companionship of well-crafted melodies with substantive, Christ exalting lyrics ((and all produced wonderfully by Derek Webb). In Feast or Fallow paints a fuller picture of true, biblical worship than much of the American Church today knows – worship that addresses real life, including pain and sorrow, rather than singing away our struggles as if they are not there, all against the backdrop of music that is of artistic merit. This album is a great tool to the Church and an enjoyable, satisfying record for individuals.

3. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

Incredible – It's hard to believe that Laura Marling is still only 20 years old. Her lyrics are very poetic, and her voice is beyond her years. From the dark yet energetic "Devil's Spoke" and the haunting "Hope in the Air" to the calm ballad "Goodbye England" and optimistic, almost anthemic-sounding "Rambling Man," this album is a well-made album. And the iTunes bonus track "Nature of Dust," called "the first Laura Marling song you can dance to," is just very fun. Great album. Worth it.

If you aren't following me, why not?

"You Can't Mandate Cultural Change"

2010-08-24T00:25:00.000-05:00

The Recording Industry Association of America isn't the most popular organization in the music business these days. In fact, they're becoming one of the most hated, even by the artists whose work they are "protecting" from piracy. This "protection" has manifested itself over the past several years by hundred-thousand and multi-million dollar lawsuits with people who have downloaded music. Cary Sherman, the president of the RIAA's board of directors, is seen as the face of the lawsuits.

He recently admitted that their approach has failed to change a culture of downloading pirated music. I think pretty much everyone would agree with him on that. However, it brings up an interesting discussion. How deeply entrenched in our culture is pirated downloading? Sure, the RIAA miserably failed to turn the culture off to the option, but is it even possible to change the culture? The accessibility of pirated music certainly has increased greatly over the past few years, making its usage more widespread. But what does this mean for artists who want to "break" – to make it as a full-time artist? Is the future of music really just piracy?

Will Gray has been working on a documentary called Broke*, which addresses some of these very topics. As a side note, I saw Will in concert for the second time last week, and he is one of the most musically diverse, fresh, and talented artists that I've seen in a long while. How many artists can have both hip-hop songs played with folk instrumentation and a beautiful Patty Griffin cover with Buddy Miller playing guitar – and everything sound great? Very very very few. Anyway, here's the documentary for Broke*. Check it out.

Broke* Trailer (in production) - http://www.brokedoc.com from Mindfree Entertainment on Vimeo.

Mumford & Sons Are Wretched Men - And So Are You

2010-08-11T00:26:00.002-05:00

If yesterday's blog and this one aren't enough to make you realize it, I'll spell it out for you: I really like Mumford & Sons. Sure, their music sounds like a (not so) distant cousin to The Avett Brothers and Noah and the Whale; and their full-length Sigh No More isn't perfect. A lot of the songs border on being redundant: an acoustic beginning, then kicking in after the first chorus with a driving bass drum. The redundancy with this is pretty minor, in my opinion, and doesn't stop me from listening to the album (ahem...basically non-stop). So, what is it about this band that's so tantalizing?

The band's biography on their website begins, "Since they formed in December 2007, the members of Mumford & Sons have shared a common purpose: to make music that matters, without taking themselves too seriously." A lot of bands make promises and goals similar to these, but they don't always have the substance to back them up. I think it's interesting that they use the phrase "music that matters." This is a bit of a subjective claim, since people's opinions about music and what "matters" are as numerous as the number of people who hold them. In the interest of clarity and space-saving, you can read my opinions I hold and under which I'll be operating for this blog right here.

What struck me when I first listened to Mumford & Sons was their brazenness in talking about matters of God and guilt – in areas where Contemporary Christian Music is often silent! Just look at a couple of these lyrics:

"Can you stand before the king and say, 'I'm clean, I'm clean'?"

"Awake my soul, awake my soul. You were made to meet your maker."

"There will come a time I will look you in the eye; you'll pray to the God that you've always denied."

"Love, it will not betray, dismay, or enslave you; it will set you free."

Of course the last two lyrics especially can be adapted to any sort of deism or moralism. But there is still much that can be gleaned from this music. If this Biblical imagery wasn't blatant enough, listen to an early demo of theirs. I came across this accidentally yesterday, and I was greatly surprised at the lyrics – especially in the first verse:
Wretched Man

Sound familiar? This is a clearly, unambiguously Biblical allusion. The lead singer, Marcus Mumford, is apparently the son of John Mumford, who is in charge of Vineyard Churches, a branch of churches in the UK. (Fun fact: Marcus also seems to have a tattoo of the word χαρις, the Greek word for "grace.") What I'm not saying is that the band is made up of all Christians; he's explained that they all have different views on faith. However, what I am saying is that he does confirm that they do write through the lens of "faith," and several of the songs seem to show that things he grew up learning still frequent his mind. The topics present in much of the songs can be a great springboard for discussions with both Christians and non-Christians.

There is much that can be gleaned from this music by the Christian. Relevant has a great article entitled "When the Secular is Sacred" about the band. The article brings up what is sadly very true: that "most of the songs we sing—out of the hymn book or the WOW worship mix—don’t address a lot of the feelings we inevitably come across in our relationship with God." Mumford & Sons do not avoid what "Christian artists" do and shouldn't avoid: Actual feelings, questions, and guilt.

Too much of music that is heralded as "Christian" paints life as a happy journey with occasional pseudo-problems that can easily be eradicated with Instant Jesus Spray and vague, moralistic deity called "God." CCM can learn much from the example of Mumford & Sons. It's not a secret – nor is it surprising – that the CCM scene is pretty corrupt these days (Did you know that Katy Perry started as Christian artist Katy Hudson?). Still, it's deeply saddening that some "secular" bands get closer to biblical truths than their more generic, less talented "Christian" counterparts.

Christians are defined by the Gospel – the "good news" – and before it is ever "good news," it is "bad news": We are guilty, and guilt is not simply swept under the rug. We, who are prone to arrogance, need more reminders of this – especially in the modern church culture in America. We all need reminders that one day we, as wretched men, will stand before the king and will be far from clean if not for Christ's atonement. And while I'm not saying that we should replace our hymnals with Mumford & Sons songbooks, there is much worship that can be done listening to this music. This is a band who aspires to make "music that matters" and succeeds.

Some Miscellaneous Mumford & Sons Songs Worth Hearing

2010-08-09T21:48:00.001-05:00

Mumford & Sons are a folk rock band from England, and if you don't like them, you should. Their album Sigh No More is one of my favorite albums that I've gotten in the past year. Many of the songs have Biblical allusions (which I'll blog more about later), but even regardless of that, the lyrics are thoughtful and the harmonies and folk-based instrumentation are incredible.

I spent a bit of time today perusing the Internet for M&S songs I didn't have (i.e., not on the full-length). Here are a few of my favorites:

"Untitled"
This song is the b-side to their single "The Cave," a song that currently has 100 plays in my iTunes, making it the most played song there. This song is now well on its way, too. The only way to get the studio version in the US is to get it from here for 0.79 GBP (about $1.25 in US dollars).

"Lover of the Light"
There hasn't been a studio version of this song released yet, but they've been performing it for several months now. Here's an early, acoustic version of it to download (right-click and save link as...) which is also great. The above video is more recent, and it's apparent that they've spent the past several months filling it out as a song for the full band.

Mumford & Sons, The Dharohar Project, and Laura Marling – "To Darkness/Kripa"
This is from a new EP that isn't available in the US yet, but I hope it comes over soon. I had never thought that British folk rock and Indian music could sound so curiously good.

"Liar"
This is from their first EP that is now sold out. The EP contains three songs that later appeared on Sigh No More; this, ironically, is the only one that didn't make it. While the other songs are still incredible – more so on their later versions – this song was the highlight of the EP for me.

"Hold On To What You Believe In"
This is from another pre-Sigh No More, now unavailable EP – Love Your Ground. It showed up as the b-side for "Winter Winds" (presumably re-recorded), but I haven't found the single anywhere in the US to see if it is. Regardless, it's a good song.

More M&S posts coming later...

Which to Sell — the Toy or the Music?

2010-08-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

The music industry these days is in a sad estate. The sales of physical CD's have dropping steadily every quarter and so quickly that even some of the major labels are struggling to pay the bills. The labels have for the most part failed to adjust to the digital music revolution, which along with their own revenue suffering has led to record stores suffering the ramifications of the labels' lack of compensation. The faithful few who still prefer physical CD's can be left empty-handed because of the low demand from consumers and high prices of labels, as this NPR article explains.

Universal Music Group, one of the four major record labels, has proposed a price restructuring in an attempt to regain some of the revenue from physical CD's. Still, the packaging and marketing of CD's can be a hassle – printing the CD's, printing the album sleeve and tray inserts, buying the packaging, wrapping it up, shipping it (and promo materials for it) to the stores.

While making physical CD's cheaper than the digital forms of the albums will make some difference, is there another way to go about it that requires less unnecessary work and materials? One record label has been thinking of creative marketing solutions to stay afloat.

SELL THE TOY, NOT THE MUSIC

Sub Pop Records puts out albums from some of my favorite artists – Fleet Foxes, Sunny Day Real Estate, Iron & Wine, The Album Leaf, The Postal Service. They too have realized that physical CD's, while not on their way out the door, are certainly being diminished as the primary means of obtaining music. However, rather than simply repricing their CD's, they've come up with a new option.

They have discussed "flipping the basic music sales proposition on its head."Rather than selling the physical CD and adding "toys" to entice people more, the idea is to sell the toys and include the music for free. Sub Pop's art director Jeff Kleinsmith explains, "Regardless of age, there's always going to be people who prefer to touch and make stuff that's like, physical." The label would sell all the goodies and include a music download rather than the physical CD.

This is certainly a more novel idea that would be interesting to observe, whether or not it achieves the intended goal. Would people respond more positively to being sold the toys and given the music free, rather than being sold the music with the toys added on? I remember how much I wanted the Radiohead USB drive, and all that stopped me from getting it was that it was twice as much as the physical box set with the same amount of music. It was different, it was exclusive, and it was cool.

The Internet is making music acquisition – especially of pirated music – easier and easier. Thus, many people are even sidestepping the convenience of buying from an online music store and simply pirating all the music they want. As Hypebot explains, the number of clicks it takes to download music from an online store is far greater than the number of clicks it takes to download it from less than legal sources.

People are attuned to and begin to think in terms of free music. This option seems to elicit that mindset while still giving the consumer something that he wants and will buy; something that he can't download. This certainly seems to make sense in terms of profit. However, what will the effects of selling the toys rather than the music be over time?

PUT THE RECORD ON

I finally got a turntable for Christmas last year. I shot up three hipster levels with this gift. I was finally able to listen to all the vinyls I'd gotten in my hardcore music days, pressed on clear, "blood-splattered," red/white/blue, seafoam green, and a smattering of other colors (...if I actually did still want to do so). I bought them before ever having a turntable because they were limited edition! Numbered! Cool colors! It was something collectable, interactive, and listen-able.

These same sentiments, I've discovered, are actually shared by many. This is the main reason that though CD sales are continuing to decrease, vinyl sales are continuing to increase, to the point that they are threatening to take over CD sales. The compact disc, in its heyday, greatly changed the music industry. Most people these days have CD players in their cars, computers with disc drives that can copy music from CD's, iPods and other MP3 players that can hold said music, and at the very least an old portable CD player.

However, though we live in an age of (extreme) convenience and often like to have all of our music a click away, there's still something appealing about vinyl, which CD's – and even vintage cassettes – don't have. It is the way that the listener is able to interact with it: pull it out of the sleeve, put it on the turntable, carefully put the needle on the edge, and turn it over when the first side gets over – the whole time getting to actually watch it play through. CD's, despite what medium you play them on, are never seen. It's not surprising, then, that the shift from disc to download has happened so quickly and greatly.

INTERACTION FOR THE SAKE OF INTERACTION?

The attraction of vinyl is similar to the attraction of what Sub Pop's proposal seeks to do. We are given the option to get hands-on and interact with the artist and music, and sometimes (when albums/packages include stickers, posters, and other things) we're even able to create, manipulate, and affect our relation to the artist and music, being given the freedom on how we want to display these things.

But the difference with Sub Pop's marketing strategy is that the goodies, while appealing on many levels, are still antecedents of the music itself, which is primarily the art form that the artist seeks to create. When the antecedents of the music are pushed to the foreground as worthy of purchase with the music added on, the music can be cheapened. You, the purchaser, are told to buy "Exciting toys and goodies!" with the music parenthetically added to that.

In infomercials, there is a product being sold; and without fail, there are bonuses that come with it – "But wait, there's more! Call in the next ten minutes!" The bonuses are of course meant to be appealing, but they're still not supposed be more appealing than the product itself. There's a reason they're advertising the product and not the bonuses. The bonuses add more incentive to make the product more worthy of purchase, but the push to the consumer is the importance of buying the product. Similarly, when the goodies are sold and the music is given as a bonus, the purchaser is being told that the goodies are what is most important to purchase.

Am I saying that Sub Pop should scrap this idea? Not at all. I think it's a very creative marketing strategy that will potentially appeal to a lot of people. This is especially true of our culture that, whether you like it or not, is becoming so accustomed to having unlimited free music at their disposal and has to be sold toys in order to get the free music that they're already getting for free.

I've found that when I listen to an album on vinyl I tend to pay more attention, even without a conscious decision to do so. It comes back to the interaction with the actual music itself. It causes a person to slow down and pay attention. The music becomes more than just music that plays in the background of any given activity throughout the day. What I hope this marketing strategy, if implemented, does is to push people back towards this mindset.

As I've discussed before, music is not intended simply to be background noise or something that takes place in isolation; it is meant to be hands-on and help build community. This idea from Sub Pop hints at this more than anything I've seen from the four major labels. I hope the "vinyl" mindset continues to grow, and if it takes selling toys to do that, then more power to them.

Why Spend More? Good $5 Albums This August on Amazon MP3

2010-08-04T00:13:00.001-05:00

I don't know how Amazon MP3 offers such good deals. I just take advantage of the prices. Their normal prices are usually a couple bucks cheaper than iTunes and their Daily Deals are way cheaper. I only use the iTunes store if there's music on there that's not on Amazon MP3. Every month, they select certain albums to sell for five bucks each. It started out as 100 albums a month; now it's over 1000. I thought I'd make a list of some good ones, to save you, the reader, some time it takes to wade through them all. A lot of these I own – some of which have even been previous $5/Daily Deal albums on Amazon MP3 – and the rest I give the benefit of the doubt because I know the artist is good. (Don't worry; these are in no particular order.)

La Roux – La Roux (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)
I like electronic/dance music. It's a new thing of mine. This is electronic/dance music. It's fun. (And it's pronounced "lah-roo.")

Coldplay – X & Y
C'mon, let's be honest here. Coldplay is good. Don't be too indie to like them because they're "mainstream." This isn't my favorite album of theirs, but it's still good.

A Fine Frenzy – One Cell in the Sea
This is just really good, catchy pop music written by a chick with bright red hair. And no, I'm not talking about Paramore.

Regina Spektor – 11:11 Eleven Eleven
Regina Spektor is one of my favorite female artists. She's a great pianist, she writes catchy songs, and sometimes her songs are just so dang weird that it's intriguing. I don't even own this album; I have most of her other albums and I've seen her in concert, though, so I feel confident recommending it.

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
If I had to recommend one album that came out this year, it might be this one. This album has grown on me consistently since I got it. Well-crafted songs married with thoughtful lyrics that's hard not to sing along to.

LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
This is less overtly dance music than La Roux, and it's an album that takes a bit more dedication, as it's 1+ hour long; however, the only thing that would prevent listening to the whole thing would simply be not having enough time. It's not as instantly accessible as some other electronic music, but its intricacies and catchy melody lines are really addicting.

Stars – The Five Ghosts
Stars is from Canada, and they're really good. I mean...what else is there to say?

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
If you're not familiar with Grizzly Bear, chances are you've already heard their music. They've had songs in commercials and are even writing songs for Beyoncé now? Believe. I saw this album classified as "chamber pop," which I think is a fitting genre.

Radiohead – OK Computer
It seems that everyone has a different Radiohead album. I suspect this is because they're pretty much all incredible. This is my favorite, and I think it's perhaps the most easily accessible for those who are new to Radiohead. I would put this album in a "favorite albums of all-time" list if I were to make one.

M. Ward – Transistor Radio
He's the "him" of She & Him; he's one of the folk monsters; and he also has solo stuff. M. Ward is a great guitarist/song-writer and an okay singer – but don't worry, because much of this chill album keeps the vocals out or low in the mix.

My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
Speaking of those folk monsters, another one of them (Jim James) sings for this Louisville band. This album is of course folky, but some songs can bring the rock in a way that their earlier albums didn't (see: "Highly Suspicious").

Old Crow Medicine Show – O.C.M.S.
Some of the best bluegrass/folk around today. This is a fun album.

mewithoutYou – Brother, Sister
mewithoutYou is one of my favorite bands. They've progressed and matured on every album, but one thing that's consistent is the poetic, thoughtful, and profound lyrics written by frontman Aaron Weiss. The band kind of makes its own genre with this album. There's singing, there's some talking, and there's some shouting (but not the grating, screaming kind). It's well-written music that's very sincere.

Bach – The Complete Brandenburg Concertos
Anyone who doesn't think Bach was the man, and one of the greatest songwriters to ever walk this earth, I will fight you.

Ray Lamontagne – Trouble
If you don't like Ray Lay for his raspy voice and sultry music, you should at least like and support him for his masculine beard.

These are most of the ones I like (and a couple I assume I would like) the most from the options. What are suggestions you have of other $5 albums I should check out?

I Find Your Lack of Deodorant Disturbing

2010-07-24T00:58:00.006-05:00

I work at Barefoots Joe, my school's on-campus coffee shop. During the school year, it is graced by a collection of studious peers, fatigued teachers, a few social butterflies, and occasionally one of the few people who go to school there that I would consider clumping into the "hipster" category. It's an odd smattering, but it works. We have concerts, open mic nights, film screenings, and the occasional unbirthday party or Pam and Jim wedding reception - "anything to please the rugrats."

Every year for seven or eight weeks during the summer, Centrifuge invades. Centrifuge, for those unaware, is a Southern Baptist church camp – 7th-12th grade youth group kids who are ready for a cuh-RAZY week with their fellow teenagers. Every year this falls after the time when these teenagers come of hormonal age when they begin to need deodorant and before the time when they realize this fact about themselves. Add nasty games, team sports outside in 100˚ weather, swimming in the pool (acceptable) and in the fountain (not acceptable), and general running amuck and hoodrat things to this – and needless to say, it gets a bit smelly around campus. I say this lightly. The campus actually begins to produce a collective, great, and incredibly foul stench from 700-800 kids a week put in these conditions.

This is my second year working in Barefoots during Centrifuge. Because I work for the school and not Centrifuge, I am not forced to be at any of their games or track times or anything of the sort – I just work in the coffee shop. My perspective is one that merely smells, sees, and hears the kids and fills in the gaps of what ridiculous activities from which they have just come. (Despite my best efforts, my senses prevent me from imagining anything pleasant.) These kids come in with bills that are worth twice as many dollars as their own age – or more – that their parents gave them to use, and they want (they "need") coffee. While internally I almost always disagree – "No, I'mpretty sure you don't need a white mocha with four shots of espresso to get through the day." – my job is to take the money and make the drinks. We're a business; that's what we do. So we, the baristas, make the drinks, and we, the shop, make the money.

Keeping cynicism at bay is trying – especially after seven weeks of the same stuff – but I try to keep from having an abrasive spirit. It's probably for the best, not just for my sake but for theirs. See, these teenagers are at a stage in their life where they are quite gullible. I refrain from making them think or do overly ridiculous things. However, much of my enjoyment in the summer comes from making them think or do things that are harmlessly ridiculous. Sometimes it's using a (bad) fake accent and making them think I'm British or Austrian; other times it's telling them that "Hey Stephen" by Taylor Swift was written about me; and still other times it's telling them we're only paid by tips and I haven't eaten in a few days (for the record, I made sure they didn't think I was completely serious and guilt them into giving me money). A saving grace of the job is our "carry-out policy" for campers: they have to get their drinks and leave. There are always at least a few groups a day who ignore this rule, and I take great pleasure in kicking them out.

Something that I did last year in the afternoons was Tuesdays With Darth – a weekly time during which I, in my Darth Vader costume, am your (friendly) barista, offering you our daily coffee (which, admittedly, is a bit on the dark side). The reactions ranged from being told "you're my idol" to literally running in fear. This year, I tried it one week, and it just didn't feel the same, so TWD was put on hold, despite the occasional request for it. The suit and mask get very hot very quickly, and the eye holes start to fog up. This is my last week working during Centrifuge, and tonight, since I didn't have to work, I figured I should pay homage to Darth's job as barista during camp.

It started with going to the soccer field where the whole camp was gathered for their closing rally and standing, still and silent, near the group, my presence slowly being noticed. Next it was getting in my car (a black car, of course) and driving by them, blasting "Imperial March." After that, I figured I should drive near where the dorms in which they were staying. During this point I got out, background music still blasting, and simply began to roam amongst the campers. Many wanted high fives or handshakes, some pushed the "buttons" on my chest, a few misquoted Star Wars lines. Several wanted pictures with Darth, so he stood, still and silent, next to the subjects of the photo. A few campers even challenged me to Ninja, so I beat them swiftly. Curfew came, and Darth Vader became the enforcer, using the Force to convince the campers to get to cease last-night-of-camp flirting and get their rooms.

All in all, the episode last about 45 minutes. It seemed like a fitting end to my relationship, or at least interactions, with Centrifuge. I know that when I had gone to church camp, I wish the most famous sci-fi villain of all time had given me a secret handshake or told me to get to bed. "So, am I a hero? I really can't say, but, yes." Michael Scott.

Another Nashville Flood Blog (By a Nashvillian Stuck Two Hours Away)

2010-05-04T22:52:00.002-05:00

I sit here in my apartment in Jackson, TN, two hours away from Nashville, my hometown. College is a strange thing that requires things like being away from home – which, though sometimes welcomed, at times can nonetheless be trying. But it is why I am in Jackson rather than in Nashville – because I go to Union University. I love my school. Two years ago, on February 5th, 2008, my school was hit by a monstrous, devastating tornado, and as a freshman, I saw my school – students, faculty, staff, family, friends – unite in an incredible way through the clean-up and rebuilding. This past weekend brought back some memories of February 5th. The sirens eerily droned outside into the early hours of the morning – 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 8:00 AM – as I sat in a dorm room with several other guys fighting off sleep, the TV turned up loud for us to hear over the roaring rain outside, from inside our storm shelter bathrooms. We watched as the weather compared storm cells coming our way to those of February 5th. Nothing substantial happened on campus, save for some very sleepy students for the remainder of the weekend.

However, as the weekend continued, I began to hear reports from my family, friends, and TV about the storms in Nashville. Though there had been damage in other parts of Jackson, this was still nothing compared to the news I started to hear and see – a portable being dragged off the back of a mostly submerged truck sitting on I-24 while other people sit underwater in their cars. Over the next few days up until now, I have been following much of what has happened on the Internet. I've seen pictures, videos, news reports, tweets, and blogs both relaying information and reflecting on the flood (for a good selection of these blogs, check out Nashvillest). I don't expect this blog to strike anyone as profound or overly moving, because my sentiments are similar to those of many other Nashville residents. I don't even have first-hand accounts with this Nashville flood, as even now I am confined to my 20-page papers and book reviews. But what I have seen from afar has made me even more proud to be a Nashvillian. Though the media has on the whole shirked the news altogether, save for a few passing comments, I have kept up to date through brief 140-character tweets, enough to – as cheesy and cliché as it is – make me feel connected. The response by residents across the board has been to unify and work to clean up and rebuild. It is how people should respond to disaster. It reminds me of February 5th. Disasters are never fun. But they reveal a great deal about the character of those involved.

Nashville, you have exceeded my expectations. The unity and resilience is infectious. I find myself being nauseatingly sappy but wanting to be there more because of the enthusiasm to help. As many have already said, "We Are Nashville." I gladly join in saying it with you.

My Top Twelve NoiseTrade Recommendations (For Now) [UPDATE 1]

2010-02-23T22:01:00.017-06:00

By now, I hope NoiseTrade.com is no secret to you. Launched a year and a half ago, it sought to put the power in the hands of the fans, similar to what Radiohead did with their album In Rainbows. Artists put up their own music, and users have been able either to pick their price to pay for it or to email three - then five - friends and get it for free. Two weeks ago they announced that getting the music free would be even easier: Since many people don't email their friends as often as they once did, now all you have to do is provide your email address and zip code and you're good to download it.

I've been a fan of NoiseTrade since the beginning because I'm a huge music fan and a huge free stuff fan. I've trolled through the growing music catalog more than a few times, and it's always proven to be a rewarding time. For those of you who don't want to take the time to wade through all this music, or don't really know where to start, I decided to give a list of my top ten NoiseTrade recommendations (for now). Artists add, remove, and change albums, so this list is liable to be less than accurate, but for now, it'll do.

Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome | It seems appropriate to list one of the founders of NoiseTrade first. Since the launch, we've been able to download his last album, The Ringing Bell. Tonight, as I'm typing this, he is uploading his new album. If you've lived under a rock and haven't heard about this album, you can read my synopsis about the hunt for the album. Things you should know: It's not based around an acoustic guitar; he cusses in one song; he's still pissed off. But it is a fun album, whether or not you agree with the lyrics, and it is sure to spark conversation
Sandra McCracken - In Feast Or Fallow [Pre-Release Sampler] | This is new. It wasn't up when I posted this blog twelve hours ago, but now it's up, and it merited an update. It's three songs from Sandra's upcoming hymns album. I want to be honest with you: Sandra McCracken is one of my favorite artists. I love everything she does. This is no exception. You have to get this. I mean that.

Indelible Grace - Arise My Soul (Sampler) | I've listed three and they all contain Derek Webb and/or Sandra McCracken, I know. But seriously, Indelible Grace is legit. They take old hymns and rewrite the melodies and record them - and they're great. This includes some great hymns as well as two lectures from founder Kevin Twit about why hymns are so important.
Sojourn - Advent Songs | I know it's not Christmas, but this is still a great album. Sojourn Community Church is a church in Louisville that makes music that is actually good and not sterile and cheesy.
Katie Herzig - Weightless | Katie Herzig has become quite established as a musician. Her music has been on multiple television shows, she's toured with some big artists this past year (e.g. Brandi Carlile, Over the Rhine), and she has helped multiple Nashville artists (e.g. Andy Davis, Trent Dabbs, Andrew Belle) with song-writing and recording. She's got a unique style. It's chill, and it's good.
The Civil Wars - Live at Eddie's Attic | These guys (er, guy and girl) have kind of exploded with popularity lately. This is a live set of theirs, and it's good. And it's free; why wouldn't you get it? You won't love it, but you always will. (Right?)
Lovedrug - +/- | Lovedrug is a great band. They've been around for almost a decade, and they're still making music that's good. This is a few demos of songs that are going to be on the full-length they are currently working on. "Pink Champagne" gets stuck in my head for days at a time.
Matthew Mayfield - The Fire EP | Matthew Mayfield puts out EP's a lot. In the past year or so he's put out at least three. You've gotta respect the guy's diligence. Plus, the songs are good. This is the first EP of his (to me knowledge), and it's a good introduction to him. He's from his Birmingham, but his music sounds like he wants to be in Nashville.
Synthar - Evenings & Weekends | This is a band I discovered on NoiseTrade and got because their name sounded intriguing and fun. Turns out, their music is exactly that. It's got a whole lot of synth on it, but it's not overbearing. It's just the right amount - in other words, you're not going to feel coerced into having a rave whenever you listen to it, but you're not going to want to try to sleep to it, either.
Joe Garner - Mourning Birds EP / TJ Hester - The Wild EP | Both of these guys are my buddies, and they both make great music. I seriously listen to both of these albums regularly, and not just because they're my friends. If you're reading this you probably already own both, but if not, get on that now.'
Waterdeep - In the Middle of It [Sampler] | They've been around for a long time with consistently great music, and they have a new album out. The sampler of it is here, and it's great.
Ten Out of Tenn - Volume One, Volume Two | Ten Out of Tenn is one of the best things in the music scene right now. Ten music artists from Nashville go on tour, play on each other's songs, and have fun. Loads of talent is found in this group. Get it.

Go on, download! Open up your mind!

Did the Internet Kill Abbey Road?

2010-02-18T17:02:00.085-06:00

If you are reading this blog, my hope and assumption is that you recognize the picture above. It is the album cover for Abbey Road, The Beatles' last recorded album and arguably their best. Whether or not you like The Beatles, I hope I don't have to convince you that they have been one of the most influential bands in modern history. They were initially signed to Parlophone Records, which was at the time primarily a subsidiary jazz label of major label EMI and was mostly a joke to the music industry at large. Their first album, Please Please Me, was released in 1962, and their last released album, Let It Be, was released in in 1970. To date they are still the most successful artist in terms of sales in history, with at least 230M+ album sales, arguably saving Parlophone's existence. Since then the record label has been the label home of artists such as Coldplay, Radiohead, and Queen - maybe you've heard of them?

The album above was recorded at its studio namesake, Abbey Road, and put the studio on the map. Does Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon sound familiar? That's just one other album that's been recorded since then. News came out the other day that EMI, in a financial crunch, might be forced to put this famed studio on the market. The recession clearly has played no small part in this, both because album sales have been on the decline and due to the fact that the cost to record at Abbey Road is very expensive. Unless you've got a great reputation with your record label or just have sacks of money lying around your house, don't expect to record your music there. But is that still as much of a necessity as it was in its heyday?

In mainstream music that fills the radio these days, not to comment on its lack of artistic integrity, autotune and electronic-based instruments play no small part in the recording process – neither of which necessitate spending the money to rent an expensive studio. In alternative music, there's an increasing interest in lo-fi, "as it is" recording – unpolished and raw – and the accessibility of recording makes this desire a reality. Today, music never has to leave your computer: Easily record on any computer with a microphone and audio recording software; make any tweaks to the levels and add any more electronic instruments on your computer; and instantly post it onto MySpace, Facebook, iLike, Lala, iTunes, Amazon, or other sites. This ease has, on one level, obviously produced a negative side to available music – the amount of music has skyrocketed, and it has quickly gotten bloated. You don't have to have talent to record music yourself, and as long as you have enough MySpace friends, you can quickly gain popularity. While this can be exasperating, as the search for good music can get quickly tiring without many results, it is a reality. As the music mentality has gradually shifted to a technologically-based nature, the music industry has begun to change as well. Most people will be familiar with names like Kazaa or LimeWire, the mediums by which pirating music became popular. The RIAA have pitched a fit over this for years, suing people and charging them as much as $80,000 per pirated song in their possession.

However, there has been a growing distaste with having such strictly enforced rules like these. I don't just mean from the people who download music without paying for it; the artists themselves have begun either to protest or to ignore this enforcement. An example of the protesting side of this is Moby saying that the RIAA needs to be disbanded. He argues that this kind of enforcement has gotten in the way of people being able to enjoy music without a large bank account. Quite a few artists have begun to understand that with the influx of new music, many people are beginning to ignore flashy advertising and turning (back) to the referral system. Music has always, in its purest form, been based around community. The same idea that has expressed itself in years past by people crowding around a turntable to listen to a new record together, by giving that special someone a mix tape, and by burning your friends a CD of some music you like, now is expressing itself largely on the Internet. It is not uncommon for one person to tell another about an album he/she enjoys, and the other person asking them to send it to them or saying they will go find it online later. An increasing number of artists are recognizing that this system has grown and now plays a large part in growing their fan base – and many are embracing it. This is why websites like NoiseTrade have popped up and are becoming very popular – artists confident and hopeful that people will become fans and tell their friends, the exchange of money for music not a necessity. And this mindset is very appealing to music consumers. Sufjan Stevens said in an interview,

I’m fairly liberal about this sort of thing. I’ve never opposed file sharing. I think the compact disc is quickly becoming obsolete. Partly because there is such an influx of music, bad music. The market is saturated. Why pay for such garbage? I’m aware that almost every one of my songs is available online. I don’t mind at all. I think it helps artists at my level. It’s great promotion. Music writers do no justice, with their limited vocabulary. Ad space is not affordable. The best marketing tool is word of mouth. File sharing is a great tool of communication. If I love a record, I’ll tell people about it. And if I really love a record, I’ll actually buy it. Besides, we don’t really own these things. That’s a myth. You don’t own anything. Especially a recording. Once you release something commercially, you lose possession of it. The commerce behind all this music is really just a formality. (Source)

Another one of the more outspoken artists on this is Fleet Foxes' lead singer Robin Pecknold. BBC has an article in which he talks about this subject, so instead of posting quotes from that, I will simply recommend you click the link and read it (it's short, don't worry). The point, he recognizes, is not accruing as much money as possible; it's about the quality of the music. And it's also about the bond that surrounds creating and listening to music. One of the best shows I have attended is the Ten Out of Tenn Christmas show in Nashville this past December. Ten Out of Tenn is a tour that started a few years back in which ten artists go on tour together, help perform each other's songs, and give people a showcase of the great, emerging demographic of songwriters. The experience at this show left me teeming with excitement. It was very obvious that these artists are all friends who are actually having fun playing music on stage, and they are letting us enjoy it. It is not a coincidence that many of the artists have music on NoiseTrade. Community should be a part in some way of the making and enjoying of music, and community is something people don't want to have to pay for. This understanding is returning to music more.

I'm not saying that community necessarily thrives on the Internet – because I don't think that. But I think the Internet has added motivation and fuel to spur on community. It is rare that I listen to music that I haven't heard about from a friend (or, sometimes, another band I already like). I think some of this is a subconscious mentality that we want to have a connection with our friends that comes from having things in common that we value. The Internet often provides a quick, more accessible means for this to happen. In an age where there is a growing emphasis on a devoted fan base rather than a large paycheck, record labels – and the RIAA – must learn to adapt. While Abbey Road is very significant in the world of music history, and though I am not saying it needs to go, the need for records with a large budget and extravagant recording is becoming less and less.

So, did the Internet kill Abbey Road? I think the Internet and technology have given an alternative (and generally a more favorable one) to an Abbey Road. There is no longer a necessity for a big budget recording because there is no longer a necessity for the artists to be center stage. Fans will come even if the music was recorded with an old guitar and electronic keyboard on a laptop and put on a website in mp3's to download at their convenience. Even the necessity of a record label is becoming less, which the major labels will (understandably) refuse to admit. The role of a record label in its current form is on its way out. With this, the concept of an Abbey Road, which in many ways is tied to and representative of this form, might be on its way out, too. The Internet opened the Abbey Road up and made it susceptible; but the current reality of the major record label is what has dealt the harshest blows. The industry has reached a point at which it can live without Abbey Road.

How Accurate Is This Statement?

2010-01-26T18:35:00.002-06:00

"Humble people don't have blogs." (Source)

Am I feeding my own pride with every word I type? Is blogging itself antithetical to selflessness?
I am interested to hear thoughts on this. Post yours. (Asking for your opinion instead of just giving mine is humble, right??)

Five Songs That Make Me Want to Cry

2010-01-24T00:52:00.007-06:00

I'm not one who cries at many things, but there are a few songs that especially move me to the point that I feel like I should cry. Here are five.

1. Sufjan Stevens – "John Wayne Gacy Jr."

2. Regina Spektor – "Human of the Year"

3. Ben Folds (with Western Australian Symphony Orchestra) – "Fred Jones Part 2"

4. Nickel Creek – "Doubting Thomas"

5. Sigur Rós – "Ára bátur"

EDIT: Addendum:

6. Karen O and the Kids – "Worried Shoes"

Concert Review: Haste the Day

2010-01-12T16:58:00.003-06:00

Note: The main reason I went to this show was as a joke and because I got the tickets for free. Hear/Say published my review but took out my sarcastic first paragraph. So here is my version of it, cynicism included to give you context about how I felt about the whole thing.

It is December 18th, 2009 – one week before Christmas. The air outside is brisk but not altogether unbearable as over a thousand kids wait in line outside Rocketown, one of Nashville’s largest and well-established underground venues. The anticipation is almost palpable in the hormone-infused air as the line slowly moves along, ushering each ticketholder into imminent metalcore bliss. On the ticket: The Devil Wears Prada, All That Remains, Story of the Year, and Haste the Day. LiveJournal and MySpace are sure to be abuzz after this show.
Metalcore heavyweight band Haste the Day has been given the duty of kick-off band. As the band makes its way onto stage, the sold-out room cheers unabashedly. Haste the Day was formed in 2001 and released its first full-length on Solid State Records in 2003. Since then, the band has released three more full-lengths and toured America and other countries extensively, gaining a considerable notoriety and making “Haste the Day” a common name in metalcore circles. This past tour, Haste the Day toured in support of Story of the Year, a band even MTV watchers would recognize from year prior, All That Remains, complete with face-shredding action, and new coming/headlining band The Devil Wears Prada, the band whose brightly colored and cultural-referencing shirts have been seen around malls everywhere. These bands fit together well enough for a tour, and that is just what they did.
Haste the Day’s set is one that should be respected. The band’s most recent album, Dreamer, came out in 2008; however, the set-list was not just a showcase of the new album. Sure, there were songs like “Mad Man” from this album; but there were also songs like “Needles” from the previous album Pressure the Hinges (2007), “When Everything Falls” from the album of the same name (2005), and even “Blue 42” from the debut full-length Burning Bridges (2004). The band also provided perhaps the show’s most mellow moment, including the song “American Love” (also from the debut album), which couples the customary screaming and breakdowns with a melodic, ballad-like interlude. Haste the Day also consists of Christians, and accordingly, the singer uses the platform to speak about his faith. Whether or not this had much of an impact on the crowd at large, no one can be sure; however, it should be respected that the band is forthright with this.
Overall, if you like metalcore, you have surely heard of Haste the Day. If you are just getting into this style of music, this band is a pretty good place to start. The band’s live show showcases music that spans its career that is performed well by its members.

Album Review: Fanfarlo - Reservoir

2010-01-12T16:57:00.004-06:00

Let me start off by saying that this album is one of my favorite albums to be released this year. Last year, Vampire Weekend was a very pleasant and fresh new sound; this year, Fanfarlo takes this honor with their debut full-length Reservoir. Thank you, England, for Fanfarlo.
Every song on Reservoir is good! Really. These songs are all enjoyable (even dance-inducing at points), complex, and catchy. As is becoming the custom in indie music, there are much more than drums, bass, guitar, and vocals on this album. Say hello to mandolin, glockenspiel, brass, reed instruments, accordion, keyboard, auxiliary percussion, saw, and more on this album. They work cohesively to make tightly knit songs rather than just having unique instruments for the heck of it. The first track, “I’m a Pilot” (group singing, upbeat, and almost orchestral sounding), is in sharp contrast to the last track, “Good Morning Midnight” (mostly acoustic, instrumental, slow); however, this helps to exhibit this band’s ability to be diverse and retain artistic integrity.
For the Beirut fan, this is similar enough for you to instantly love it but different enough that you won’t mistake them for ripping him off. Arcade Fire fans, this is something you will definitely enjoy. Other fans of alternative or indie music – or music in general – I am confident recommending this album to you as one of the best albums of 2009.

Grade: A

Album Review: Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart

2010-01-12T16:49:00.003-06:00

These days, Bob Dylan is almost as old as Santa. Perhaps this is why he undertook a Christmas album. If you haven't ever heard of Bob Dylan, you probably have no business reading this. For the majority of us, we're familiar with a few Dylan songs in the least. Far from a hardcore Dylan fan, I was still excited when I heard about Christmas In the Heart, because I love Christmas music and I know Dylan makes good music.
Unfortunately, this album on the whole failed to deliver for me. Like I said, Bob is getting old, and his voice has gone into this kicking and screaming a bit. His raspy voice is a bit of a shadow of what it once was. This would not be much of an issue if the music itself was not so generic. The instrumentation and backing vocals sound sort of like something you would get from a free, public domain Christmas sampler. It hurts me a little to say this, because I hoped so much that this would be the folk Christmas album my collection was missing.
This album is not unbearable to listen to; it just does not strike me as very creative. For the hardcore Dylan fan (I've got a friend who is), you might be more inclined to like this simply because you've been with Bob for a while. However, for the rest of us who are casual listeners of Mr. Dylan, it is worth an occasional listen, but it's not going to be my most replayed album this Christmas season.

Grade: C

Facebook "Color Statuses" and Internet Temperance

2010-01-07T23:43:00.004-06:00

The topic of the evening in Facebook circles is the introduction of the "color status." The idea of it is that females post the color of their bra in order to raise breast cancer awareness. There has been some debating on Facebook about whether or not it is right or wrong, or if it's even an issue. I fired up the old blog to give my take on it.

What I do not want this to be: Condemnation of girls; soapbox rant. My intentions are not ones of pride. What I do want this to be: A healthy reminder and encouragement to all Christians about the pervasiveness of sin and the conquering of sin by Jesus Christ.

I am a guy. I am, by nature, a sinful guy; and I am, by grace, a justified guy; but I am a guy who still struggles often with indwelling sin. This is the position of all Christians who are alive. While we have been justified through Christ, our actions are still weighted down with the sin nature that is still in us. It has a hand in everything, and giving into it is easy. In Scripture Christians are exhorted not to be a stumbling block to other Christians. Jesus is blunt with his judgment of those who do cause believers to stumble (Matthew 18:6), and Paul reminds us not to let our Christian liberty (freedom in Christ) cause others to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:9, Romans 14:13-15).

Let's be frank and mature for a minute: It is no secret that a common temptation in nearly all men is lust. Our culture and media make it increasingly harder for Christian men battling this temptation. Lust is wrong. It comes out of impure motives of the heart. Do not ever mistake me for justifying lust. Lust is always wrong, no matter what. Job 31:1 contrasts "[making] a convenant with my eyes" (holiness) with "[gazing] at a virgin" (obvious implication of lust); Proverbs 5:18-19 reminds us that a woman's breasts are to be the delight of her husband (and only her husband). If anyone were to make the argument that "breasts are not seen sexually in other cultures," if the common sense that we are not in other cultures is not enough to put it to rest, these verses seem to do a sufficient job to finish the job. That is a weak argument.

Ladies, realize this: For the average guy, when you post the color of your bra on a status, it does not immediately remind him of the awfulness of breast cancer but leads him to think about the accessibility of tempting, sinful imagination. All men are susceptible to sin, but many are especially vulnerable to this. Instead of reminding him about the health implications of the Fall, you will more likely than not aid in causing him to give into the sinful nature inherited from the Fall. Again, my intention is not to get on a soapbox. I do not want to simply preach about why you are wrong. But I do want you to realize how serious of a matter sin is. John Piper says, "There is not one man in a thousand whose spiritual eyes are more readily moved by the beauty of Christ because he has just seen a bare breast with his buddies." Do not let personal opinion and preference divide – especially something as meaningless as a Facebook status; instead, let Christ's death be what unites you with your fellow brothers and sisters in the fight against sin and fight for righteousness. The chief virtue after which a Christian should strive is humility. It is easy to sway toward pride on either side of this argument – pride manifested in the guy through anger at the girl, and pride manifested in the girl through stubbornness and angry resilience against the guy. While posting a bra color, for the girl, will surely not cause her to sin, if it causes a brother in Christ to sin, go without it.

This leads me to a more general topic, which I will just mention right now: How much of yourself do you put on the Internet? The Internet should never be mistaken as true community, and likewise, there should probably be extra precaution taken to guard oneself about investing too much in it. Don't let the Internet be your primary means of opening up and exposing yourself to others.

Just a thought.

Album Review: Brand New - Daisy

2009-11-20T19:38:00.006-06:00

Album Review: Brand New – Daisy

Brand New has evolved as a band more than most bands will ever do over the span of just a few albums. Their first full-length was written and recorded when lead singer Jesse Lacey was only 18 years old, and since then they have released three more full-lengths, including their newest one, Daisy. The progress from their first, Your Favorite Weapon, to third album, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, went from fun and angst-y teenage pop punk to mellow, mature, and thoughtful alternative. I approached this album expecting something similarly mellow; what I got was quite different.
Daisy begins with a clip from an old religious song, which is interrupted by heavy guitar, leading into what is perhaps Brand New’s heaviest song to date, “Vices.” It is raw, and it is loud. For those of you with faint ears, don’t tune out just yet. If you like bands such as Modest Mouse, you might find great replay value in this album. Take a listen to the first single, “At the Bottom.” Musically, though, this album is much more raw and less polished than their previous albums.
Content-wise, Lacey continues in his struggle with religious topics and themes that has become fairly blatant on their previous two albums. The sound clips of old religious songs throughout the album are an indicator of this, as well as the lyrics themselves. More than a couple songs include blatant religious imagery. Regardless of personal belief, it is interesting to observe this, and his openness in his writing is a point that most artists do not reach. Daisy is drastically different in some ways from Brand New’s previous albums, but its artistic integrity is still top-notch.

Grade: B+

Album Review: AFI - Crash Love

2009-11-20T19:33:00.009-06:00

I recently got involved in a website called Hear/Say. Basically, they send me albums/DVD's/concert tickets, and I review them. I am not terribly skilled in reviewing; however, I like music a lot, and since it will be posted on the internet regardless, I figured I might as well post them on here as well.

Album Review: AFI – Crash Love

These are dark days for old school AFI fans. After Sing the Sorrow, we haven’t seen much light from the band who could formerly be described as anywhere from punk to hardcore punk to borderline post-hardcore. Their last album, Decemberunderground, was a weird conglomeration of electronic sounds, Green Day rip-offs, and what can at best be taken as an attempt to sound like Joy Division. With their new album, Crash Love, I was hopeful that perhaps they had gone back to their roots some. The first track, “Torch Song,” and their first single, “Medicate,” were indications that this could be better than Decemberunderground. Unfortunately, however, this album largely fails to deliver.
Crash Love sounds like an attempt at rehashing some of Sing the Sorrow’s fun energy mixed with radio-friendly, generic, pop rock songs. In addition, some of the lyrics are just plain goofy. For example, the song “End Transmission” starts with these lyrics: “Pull the top down, use your knees to drive / I’ll make it worth your while just let me taste the sky.” This is the kind of writing I would expect to see on a MySpace bulletin.
I admit that I am partial to AFI’s old music. But I will not be so “scene” as to criticize any band that becomes popular. My problem with this CD is not that it is on a major label. After all, Sing the Sorrow’s singles were on MTV quite a bit. Crash Love is on a whole monotonous and generic. If this is your style of music, then go for it. I just wish AFI would have fun playing music again. Answer that and stay fashionable.

Grade: C-

A Brief Heart-to-Screen in More Than 140 Characters

2009-10-16T23:39:00.007-05:00

Twitter is good for what it does. It is versatile and often helpful for quickly spreading news, etc. It provides an outlet for people to post thoughts at a moment's notice for any number of people to see. Its possible uses are many.
But I have found that at times I inappropriately use it as a substitute for other things. For me it too often becomes a source of trivialization of more serious matters – a place where levity can take root. I shy away from always being serious on internet outlets, especially one that only allows 140 characters at maximum, to avoid being melodramatic. However, in doing so, I have given myself a bit of a reputation of being a joker, which I convince myself I must continue to fulfill. Joking should be appropriate, and it should come from a heart of joy; too often I joke from other motives rather than a joyful heart. The root of the issue comes back to the levity I wrongly possess at times. The world is not so horrible that there is no place for happiness, but the world is not so light that serious matters should be reduced to a cynical, half-hearted joke. I can even be guilty of trusting an outlet on the internet that sends out a brief, blanket statement to my followers more than individuals in actual conversation. I do not think these are issues that will lead me to delete my Twitter, but I think they are issues that are serious and need addressing.
Of these things, I repent.

Listening to music

2009-10-13T18:08:00.002-05:00

Chances are most of you reading this go to my school and have picked up Footnotes, the magazine our coffee shop Barefoots Joe has started putting out. But just in case you haven't read it, I wrote an article about listening to music. It's not much, but I felt like my blog has not been given the attention it deserves in a while. Here it is:

I have never met a person who does not like music, and I imagine if I did, it would be difficult for us to be friends. You like music. I know it. The specific artists, genres, and styles you like will differ, but let’s at least agree that we all like music in some capacity. My official title on the Barefoots Leadership Team is “Music Juror.” I select the music that plays during the day and help get shows in Barefoots Joe. All of you have an opinion about music, and chances are it is a pretty wide-reaching opinion, since there is so much music out there. Some of you know that a lot of secular music has a negative message and have resolved to only listen to Contemporary Christian Music. Others of you are fed up with the shallowness and sterility of CCM and have decided that you will support music based on artistic merit. Still others want to get your hands on whatever music you can, and you’ll take any music suggestions seriously. My goal is not to single out anybody because of a certain musical taste. I am currently content with my opinion about music, but I do not expect everyone to have the exact same one. Rather, I hope to present some principles from a Christian worldview for listening to music, free from a specific taste, which will at least cause you to think about your opinion.

Why should we listen to music? It brings glory to God. Some of you will roll your eyes at the answer because you are so disillusioned with the Christian culture that gives superficial, Sunday school answers. Do not let your frustration seep into your love for God and His Word. First Corinthians 10:31 is frequently quoted but no less fitting: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Music is one sense an art form. Though art is never specifically commanded in Scripture, wherever Christianity thrives, art seems to naturally spring up as well. It is evidence of God’s beauty and creative nature. If art is done correctly, even if by a non-Christian, it does not have to explicitly mention a Christian doctrine to bear witness to God’s character and His image (though flawed) in us. John Calvin said, “There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” Music exists in order for us to rejoice. Even when listening to music that has lyrics that are not in English (e.g. Sigur Rós), no lyrics (e.g. Explosions in the Sky), or lyrics that are kind of ambiguous (e.g. Wilco), we as Christians can and should rejoice (so long as it does not hinder our pursuit of righteousness).

What kind of music should we accept/reject? I could easily get on a soapbox here; however, my intention is not to condescend but provide an outlet for thought (and, perhaps, some clarity). Neither will I spend my time listing my favorite artists. The following topic I will not discuss exhaustively, so for now let it be to say that different settings can suggest the appropriateness of different types of music. For example, while we can enjoy a number of artists that are not explicitly Contemporary Christian artists, I would not begin to suggest that we should sing any of those songs in a church service. Though the categories of “secular” and “sacred” are often unhelpful and untruthful, in one sense, “sacred” music (i.e. congregational singing) and “secular” music (i.e. songs in other contexts) must be made clear so that we don’t start singing Death Cab in church. Addressing this “secular” music, I think there are a couple of loose guidelines that are important. 1. The music should not be a “cover-up for evil” (1 Pet. 2:16) or compromise our walk with Christ. However, truth is everywhere if we only look – even in “secular” music. Let it be wholesome, but don’t expect it all to sing explicitly about God. 2. We should listen to music that is of artistic merit. If we view music as an art form, we should partake in and appreciate artists who are creative do their work well. This is a broad category that must be thought about by the individual, so I will leave it at that.

How should we listen to music? As with anything, we should listen with an open mind (but not an empty mind). Use discernment. Look for truth, beauty and creativity. Let it cause you to rejoice. If you do not completely agree with the content of a song, let it be a platform to discuss worthwhile subjects with others. That is one reason Barefoots exists: to act as a place “for conversation, exchange of ideas, and appreciation of the arts," which we believe will proceed naturally from well-made music.

Hipsters - The Lost and Last Generation

2009-07-22T13:32:00.003-05:00

I recently read this article about hipsters. If you don't know who hipsters are, the article outlines it: the people who wear "[v-necks,] skinny jeans, cotton spandex leggings, fixed-gear bikes, vintage flannel, fake eyeglasses and a keffiyeh," are "[l]overs of apathy and irony," and garnish their conversation with profanity because those words might offend some of society's mainstream. The article contains some of this language, so this is a warning in case those words offend you.

The article, I think, is fairly accurate about where my generation is/is headed. I enjoy NPR, prefer local coffee shops and record stores to Starbucks and FYE (, listen to more underground, independent music than that played on mainstream radio, and go to live music shows at small venues and clubs. So, needless to say, I come in contact with this kind of people regularly. The assessments this article makes are pretty spot-on. Frankly, the apathy that comes with this persona, which is rapidly spreading, is just obnoxious. However, when times are darkest, the light – the Gospel – shines brightest. As people become more self-obsessed with their own nonchalance and hopelessness, we as Christians can proclaim to them the Good News and bring them a person to be more than apathetic about and place their hope in: Jesus Christ. The roots of human depravity run deep. Let the concluding paragraph be convicting to you Christians:

We are a lost generation, desperately clinging to anything that feels real, but too afraid to become it ourselves. We are a defeated generation, resigned to the hypocrisy of those before us, who once sang songs of rebellion and now sell them back to us. We are the last generation, a culmination of all previous things, destroyed by the vapidity that surrounds us. The hipster represents the end of Western civilization – a culture so detached and disconnected that it has stopped giving birth to anything new.

One Voicemail That Google Voice Could Not Translate...

2009-07-16T13:53:00.004-05:00

I was invited to test out Google Voice last night. It's free (sans international calls) and does neat things like call screening and voicemail transcription. Lee Wilson gave the voicemail transcription a challenge – one, in fact, that it couldn't handle. Hear the audio:

Flash Mob

2009-07-15T14:47:00.003-05:00

While we're on the subject of Michael Jackson, a much lighter post. This is fantastic.

(HT: when the summer's gone)

Michael Jackson Is Not an Archangel

2009-07-14T11:09:00.007-05:00

The thing to which I am responding in this is a bit silly. A former classmate wrote a Facebook note, and part of it was her arguing that Michael Jackson was and is an angel. I posted a comment partly out of jest and I was not offended at all when she deleted it. She sent me a message about it, and I responded. I don't have permission to post what she said, but I will post what I said in response. Comments/questions/respectful criticisms are always welcome. If I convince you that MJ is not an angel – meaning you thought he was previously – well, then...good! Hopefully this can be beneficial to you even if you don't think MJ is an angel....

I...disagree with your assertion that Michael Jackson is an angel. I do not think it would be too worthwhile to make a defense against your points. The bigger issue, I think, is your view of God – specifically how he speaks – and the Bible. Yes, according to the Bible, angels are very real beings. They are mentioned in both Old and New Testaments. Specifically in the New Testament (written in Greek), the word for 'angel' is αγγελος (an-ge-los). The definition for this word is the definition for angel: messenger. Angels are not babies on clouds with harps or timid, skinny white guys; they are powerful, and, more importantly, they are messengers of God. Their purpose is to bring a message from God that is pertinent to the audience who hears it.
I affirm that the Word of God is "living and active" (Hebrews 4:12), and I affirm that the Holy Spirit who resides within believers also animates them. However, all this activity, if truly of God, works in accordance and within the parameters of the Bible, the only infallible source of communication from God that we have today. Everything goes back to Scripture; if anything is contrary to Scripture, it is contrary to God and to the Christian faith. God alone is the ultimate authority, and he has defined this to us by the Bible.
I say this as a basis for this question: Did Michael Jackson bring a message that was in accordance with the message of the Bible (Man's wretchedness, God's holiness, Christ's forgiveness)? I think the answer is clearly and definitely no. Yes, he wanted world peace; but this shows no fruit of anyone being of God. Michael Jackson's songs possess at best a vague morality and mysticism, the basis of which says that one can achieve some sort of ultimate good if he/she believes in himself (and, perhaps, in others), and at worst a message which aids Satan in his blinding of hearts of people in this world. They trivialize and self-centralize matters spiritual, and critically blur the lines between landing on any one consistent view of the supernatural. Michael Jackson possessed a great talent for music which few people may achieve and execute as well as him. Praise God that even with our fallen nature, the image of God has not completely left us. It has been critically shattered, yes, but glimpses of God's attributes (e.g. ultimate beauty, brought to light by things such as well-written and well-performed music) can still be seen in people. Thank God that nobody is so depraved that the image of God is completely foreign and absent from them. However, this depravity is still very real, and it has real bearing on our lives – what we think, say, and do – and on our legal standing before God.
Self-centeredness, vague and subjective moralism, trivializing of supernatural matters, and post-modernism are the pillars of the American culture, and Michael Jackson is a trophy – someone who accurately and greatly embodied all of these pillars. He is the poster child of American culture. This does nothing for his spiritual condition but paving a pathway to hell for him to enter with medals of self-indulgence being proudly worn.

This may seem harsh or blunt. However, Scripture is often very harsh and blunt as well. Jesus called the Pharisees a "brood of vipers" (Matthew 12:34). Perhaps even more harshly and more pertinent to this discussion, in Galatians 1:7-8, Paul says, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." While Michael Jackson may have said some things that vaguely resemble some morality that is present in the Bible, Scripture is very clear that only by and through the Gospel are people saved, and Michael did not display any signs of being receptive to the Gospel at all. It seems very clear that Michael was not even a Christian, much less an angel.

If any of this seems to be said out of pride, forgive me. Know that my desire is humility and clarity from the Spirit.

Stockholm Syndrome: A Narrative

2009-07-04T13:45:00.008-05:00

Are you curious as to what this whole deal with Derek Webb and Stockholm Syndrome has been for the past couple months? Well, I will try to provide a concise and clear summary of it.

On May 12, 2009, those of us who were on Derek Webb's mailing list received an unexpected e-mail from Derek about his new album. He briefly and vaguely gave us some details: the album's title is Stockholm Syndrome, there are troubles with the record label, and he wants us to hear the album and will contact us again soon.
A week later we received another e-mail, this time more cryptic, containing seemingly-randomly placed underscores. My first thought was that they were trying to throw off any sort of scanner that could be monitoring for certain content. The e-mail also included information that they had a new Twitter account for this album, @ssyndrome. It turns out the underscores were not random; rather, the letters directly adjacent on the left to all the underscores spelled out 'paradiseisaparkinglot.' Add a .com to the end of that and you have a website. A website giving instructions to all Nashville inhabitants to go to Ugly Muggs coffee shop and ask for a non-existent drink. It was discovered that the first five people to do this would receive a flash drive; on this drive contained a 1.5-second audio clip with titles that, again, were seemingly-random, and a couple pictures. This practice of instructions to find these 'artifacts' continued in other cities. The pictures were found to be photographs of a certain artifact from whichever city would be next; the Twitter account served as a voice to alert people when new instructions were posted and when artifacts were found.
Meanwhile, on derekwebb.com, the texts of the e-mails had been posted, and there began to be links that appeared on random words, and one at the bottom. These led to other sites, two of which required passwords, and finding these passwords required some research about the album. One of these led to a picture of Derek with a black eye; one of these led to a song, 'The Spirit v. The Kick Drum'; one of these led to the heart and barcode, ssyndrome.info. At this website, through the next few weeks, four videos appeared. These videos included Morse Code, which directed people, in turn, to The Rutledge on 7/3 at 6 P.M.
The finding of artifacts continued, and people discovered, after doing a word search on some of the names of the audio files, that they were from a Wikipedia article about Patty Hearst, one of the first cases of someone being diagnosed with 'Stockholm syndrome.' now that the people had the order in which the files were to go, they began assembling. At the end of July 2, 19 of the 20 groups of stems (95 individual stems) were available for download and the song they made up sounded almost finished. A couple weeks prior, it was discovered in one of the stems that the record label controversy was not just a publicity stunt but was real; there was a 'bad word' on it.

On July 3, I was driving from Jackson, TN to Nashville to visit my family and pick up a couple things from home to bring back with me. Just for kicks I stopped in Downtown just to explore for a little while. It was then when I received the tweet from @ssyndrome: 'New instructions are available.' I got on paradiseisaparkinglot and saw the instructions: 'Go to Crema and tell them that you just want this all to be over.' I found the address of Crema, which happened to be less than two minutes from where I was. I went and received the first flash drive of the five, which along with a stem and two pictures, contained a PDF telling me I had won a tier-3 pre-order package for the album as well as two tickets to the Black Eye Tour. I thought this was a fantastic welcome to Nashville.
That evening, I went with two other people to The Rutledge. There were others that were waiting outside to get in. After the doors were opened, we entered to a low-lit room, a large screen on stage, and tables and chairs. We took seats/stood. Derek came out not long after that, along with INO Records exec Jeff Mosely, to confirm that yes, the record label controversies were real. Derek announced that there would be two versions of the album–one that he himself would release with the controversial song ("What Matters More"), and one that excluded this song that will be released by INO. Derek also revealed that there would be six total versions of the album (packaged with different things, etc.) and that pre-orders will start this coming Tuesday, July 7. After that he introduced an hour-long documentary about the making of the album, Paradise is a Parking Lot. While this was showing, several of us were live-tweeting with the #ssyndrome hashtag. Then @ssyndrome was updated with two tweets: 'FOLLOW THE BARCODE TO THE HEART. YOU WILL BE HANDSOMELY REWARDED.' and 'THE BARTENDER CAN SEE IT. MAKE THE CALL.' Some of us went over near the bar and discovered fliers that had this number on them: 1 (888) 312-5766. We called them and were told to go to the girl at the bar wearing a heart on her arm and ask for tickets to white noise. When we did that, we were given a wristband, told to meet 10 minutes after the thing was over, and told that we could bring one guest. After the documentary, Derek and Josh Moore came out and answered a few questions. Then a voice came over the speakers telling everyone that to hear the album in its entirety go to the place where the first artifacts were found (Ugly Muggs Coffee). This drove all the non-white noise people away.
About 10 minutes later, a white van pulled up with some identification on the windows. We were then driven to a house where we were greeted by the man (sorry, didn't get a picture of Josh). We were told this was Fort Sumner, his recording studio. He told us that he wanted us to be rewarded, and that his new album sounds the best in the studio. He gave us all copies of the new album and told us that we would also get the "mother of all pre-orders" as well (taking the count of those to which I am entitled to two). Then we listened to the album in its entirety; then we hung out for a little while and talked; then we were taken back to our cars, all with copies of Stockholm Syndrome in our hand.

The album is fantastic. It is very electronic. I won't talk too much more about it since you can pre-order/get an instant download of it on Tuesday.

EDIT: If you want a few songs, check out ShaneBertou.com.

AND NOW YOU ARE IN THE KNOW.

TV On the Radio on the TV and iTunes

2009-02-12T08:38:00.005-06:00

Let's be honest: TV On the Radio's performance on SNL last week didn't sound the best. Rolling Stone agrees with me. You can't expect there to really ever be good acoustics on TV show stages. Two days later, however, they played on The Colbert Report and the sound guys managed to make it sound fine. Because this band is good; but you gotta have a good sound guy for it to work. This is the interview from the show. I'm not sure if the actual performance is on the internet:

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Funny Political News

Christian Bale Parody
Joke of the Day

I got on iTunes and downloaded their newest album which came out on my birthday, Dear Science. If you don't know much about this album (like I didn't), you may be interested to know that "Dear Science was named the best album of 2008 by Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Spin Magazine, Consequence of Sound, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork Media's readers poll, and was ranked 7th in Q Magazine's list of the 50 best albums of 2008, where it was described as "art rock with a human face". Wireless Bollinger, Uncut and the NME placed it at #2 in their top albums of 2008.. John Earls placed it at #4 on Planet Sound's top 50 albums of 2008" (from Wikipedia, naturally). These are always good credentials to have.

I have been thoroughly impressed with this album. Take some jazzy elements (note: I do not really like jazz, so if you don't, you are still safe), some Beastie Boys-esque shouting, syncopated clapping, and add that with lot of fun and catchiness and you have an albeit mediocre summary of this album. It is very good. If you are within the reaches of my shared iTunes library, listen to it on there. If not, then listen to most of it on their MySpace.

Five, out of five stars.