Gone Eatin'

We are heading out on vacation today, driving to Virginia for Thanksgiving. On Thursday I fly to New York to attend the National Institute for Jewish Hospice training for my hospice. Then Kristi joins me that evening for a long weekend in NYC, the first time we have been away as a couple from the kids since Rhys was born (only 3rd time since first was born).

We return late Sunday night and then hang in Richmond with side trips to DC. In fact, Aedan has already hijacked the DC planning due to his obsession with Thomas Jefferson.

But, of course the focus is on the weekend away from the kids. Bring the contrarians we are, there will be no Broadway, Statue of Liberty and Tavern on the Green (or whatever is the trendy place for tourists today), no Letterman, SNL or Times Square. But, there will be plenty of Brooklyn and food.

Our plans are for an evening at a highly recommended comedy club in the Village, a Blind Pilot show in Brooklyn and seeing a few sites and old friends. Highest on my list is a place called Prune in the East Village that serves Roasted Bone Marrow with parsley salad and sea salt. I have been obsessing over this dish since seeing Anthony Bourdain and friends eat it on an episode of No Reservations. As long as I eat that dish, we can shop all Kristi wants and eat sub-par on a few occasions, even if my wife cannot believe how OCD I am being (not my norm) regarding the food portion of this trip.

I haven't decided but I may tweet a little and give some thoughts on the food in NYC for posterity's sake. Maybe I can be your own little Anthony Bourdain, minus talent, writing ability and coolness, while keeping the surliness, snobbery and bad attitude:)

Drive By Truckers: The CNN of the Working Class (Music School with DJ Word)

The kind folks at Generate Magazine allowed me to write 2 article for their wonderful new magazine. The first, a review of Derek Webb's latest, is below. The second article was a reworking of something I had first printed on this blog months ago, a critical assessment of why Drive-By Truckers should be listened to by all. It follows my thinking that we must listen to the artistic expressions and voices of those easily dismissed by those in power, or by those we respect. My thoughts are that in this brave new world of bad economy, the voices of the poor rural white underclass need to be listened to and taken seriously, especially by progressives and progressives Christians.

We need to listen to first person stories, not just stories about a group of people. According to Nigerian Novelist Chimamanda Adichie, these stories mitigate the dangers of a single story and stereotyping of a people group, whether they are African or Rural South. As she eloquently puts it, the problem with stereotypes are not that they are wrong, but that they are incomplete.

Anyway, here is that article from Generate. Please take the chance to head over to their website and say kind things (and subscribe).

Drive By Truckers: The CNN of the Working Class

What does a band that expresses the moralist therapeutic deism of disenfranchised Southern white poor people through loud country-influenced Southern Rock have to teach a group of so-called, ‘well-educated followers of God in the way of Jesus’ about life? Everything.

As I have thought of emerging churches and the recession, I have noticed one of the weaknesses of this movement. In some ways I would agree with those claiming that Emergent is a group of elitists (I being one). It is Elitists ministering to other elitists and the poor. However, we are not presently part of the middle ground, with answers for the working poor, the working class, or the blue collar—the people of my heritage from whom I ran when I got educated. Ironically, this is a place the modern church, especially the fundamentalist church, is speaking to.

I think this is incredibly important because those who may have considered themselves elites, or at least educated white collars, are recently beginning to experience parts of life from a working class/blue collar/working poor perspective. As our churches, neighborhoods, and families continue in this direction, how do we respond? When the problems of the inner city, rural America, and "trailer park" become the problems of the suburbs, new-urbanites, and upwardly mobile members of society, does the Emerging church hold any hope beyond our theological discussions, told-you-so attitude, and artistic expressions?

What does the recession have to do with music and the emerging church? While I am intentionally generalizing, I think the emerging church has a blind spot regarding the working-class and blue-collar crowd that we must address for this movement to participate in the future of the church. Our participation must move beyond “strategies for elites helping the poor” into joining and learning from those experiencing poverty. To do this, we must first listen to the stories of the lower middle class. It is my contention that the stories, issues, and problems of those in rural America, trailer parks, and ghettos will become the problems of the middle class, suburbanites, and leveraged upwardly mobile very soon (especially in the South and places where the line of demarcation between the classes is tenuous at best and the recession is causing severe strain). I’m not saying here that “we’re all poor in our own special way” but that poverty, has long been a reality as opposed to a cause, and this reality is blending into the lives of more and more people, so we need to learn from the stories of the poor and not just “combat” poverty.

Drive-By Truckers (DBT) is telling the stories of those middle American trying to survive when life has not worked out as well as it should have, mixed with a bit of religion (good and bad). While folk and country have the ability to tell such stories, I do not think the present-day manifestations are doing a good enough job. Too much folk music is cerebral and whiny, while much of today's country music revels in an unhealthy lifestyle and glorifies it (the same complaint some have with rap) without maintaining the journalistic distance or self-examination of previous incarnations. I believe this is due to marketing forces. Self-reflection is seen as weak, and people may not want to buy it—so we give fake nostalgia instead, the longing for a life we never experienced (see Tim McGraw, son of a professional ball player). This is fine on Saturday night but not helpful as a work of art to illuminate.

DBT is a prime example of a band that illuminates and tells the story of a people. Like Chuck D calling hip-hop the "CNN of the ghetto," DBT mine the depths of the southern experience, in a sometimes crass but always compelling manner. In fact, they understand this, giving themselves a name that conjures up the Inner City and South at once, naming an album The Dirty South, a term for a specific rap subgenre from Atlanta, and using the same subject matter as rap, albeit from a distinctly white southern point of view, in songs like "Wife Beater," "Aftermath USA," and "Too Much Sex (Too Little Jesus)."

A cursory examination of their lyrics reveals that this is not typical country music (if you have not heard them, imagine a combination of Lynyrd Skynyrd and REM, or The Replacements and Waylon Jennings). This is a CNN of the poor rural south, and I think it is becoming more relevant to the rest of the country and to those ministered to by churches throughout America (I would also say that inner city, mostly African American churches need to listen to rap—but many of their ministers understand this). It is hidden by those in our communities, but it is the heritage of many who are recovering fundamentalists in emerging churches, who are angry at the church (some of whom still attend), who are burdened with serious guilt, and who are trying to survive along the righteous path of good living (as DBT eloquently state in a song).

Get started with DBT’s latest album, Brighter than Creation’s Dark, with highlights including “The Righteous Path,” in which singer Patterson Hood takes on the persona of the everyday suburbanite with too much baggage keeping him down as he tries to live an ordinary life of righteousness with a God he does not understand ("I don't know God, but I fear his wrath") and bills he can’t pay (“more bills than money, I can do the math/I’m trying to keep focused on the righteous path”). On the breathtaking “2 Daughters and a Beautiful Wife,” he gives us a glimpse of heaven rooted in love for his family and a desire to spend eternity with them, more than any “orthodox” understanding of life after death. In doing so, he accomplishes a more honest confession of the actual beliefs of people and what brings them comfort without theological niceties.

Next up, head over to The Dirty South with “Putting People on the Moon,” which expresses the anger and frustration of working hard and having no money as others succeed and life continues on a downward spiral. It is written about the Reagan era but holds a message for today.

By no means their best album, Southern Rock Opera is the best distillation of the “duality of the Southern Thing” ever expressed artistically. DBT does not glorify the experience as much as it desires to walk a mile in the shoes of others and tell their side of the story, even if is hard to hear.

Can those of us who consider ourselves enlightened, nuanced, and progressive see the nuance of the struggling protagonists of the songs of these bands, those trying to live a righteous but entangled life amid the bad decisions and poor role models of their present situations? For all of our rhetoric about “missional” and “emerging” if we cannot walk in the shoes of such folk, we will be of little good to anyone beyond ourselves.

Derek Webb's latest is the opposite of the adage "show, don't tell"

Generate is a great new magazine a number of my friends have been involved in getting off the ground. It is a beautifully designed and well written tome, aside from my reviews of music. Troy Bronsink, my editor for music stuff at the magazine has graciously allowed me to share my review of Derek Webb's latest album, Stockholm Syndrome on my blog. If you want to see it in all its glory, along with actual great writing, take this chance to head over to their website and subscribe today.

Here is the review... Sorry I am such a hater.

The Opposite of “Show, Don’t Tell”

I am not sure why Derek Webb named his latest album Stockholm Syndrome, a condition in which the kidnapped begins to associate himself or herself with the kidnapper. However, to truly enjoy this album I would need Webb to kidnap me. Maybe at that point I could understand what is causing him to lose nuance and to embody everything he is railing against. This has been happening to Webb ever since leaving Caedmon’s Call. But Christian music’s dirty little secret is that we turn a deaf ear to the pedantic lyrics and pedestrian music of our best musicians. In fact, we expect too little of our artists and their art, as long as they get the “message” right.

SS is supposed to be an edgy album, one so controversial that the “Christian” industry won’t touch it. Why? Because he uses bad words and talks nicely about homosexuals. However, if slight swearing and surface-level inclusivism is as insurgent as "Christian Music" gets, our musicians have misplaced their prophetic voice. Larry Norman, Keith Green, Steve Taylor, and even Steve Camp were stirring the drink and exposing our wounds more effectively decades ago. Where Webb’s hero, Rich Mullins, would rather observe, entice, and question, Webb bludgeons us in the head by telling us what to believe (even if we agree with the sentiment). Like Mockingbird, this is a bunch of sermons with clunky rhymes set to bland music, delving into the pseudo-electronica of Bright Eye’s least successful album, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, on some cuts for no seeming purpose beyond attempting to be “different.” If you like that sort of thing, then buy this album. However, you could just read God’s Politics while listening to Moby for the same effect.

Emerging Church Hymns (The Macology)

The Macology (sung to the tune of the Doxology)

Praise Jobs from whom all iPhone Apps Flow

Praise Jobs all Elitists* here Below

Praise Jobs above all Internet Hosts**

Praise Jobs; Bill Gates Can Roast

(In Hell)***

*if you are being charitable you can insert artistes, designers, pastors, cool kids, etc.

if you are being less charitable you can insert consumers, tech slaves, Hipsters (my favorite), faux rebels or Lemmings

** for Google

***sung reverentially, like AMEN

Top 50 albums of the New Millennium (beginning 2000)*

A friend sent me a message asking my Top 25 albums of the new millennium for a radio show he is helping with (to see if I had any weird inclusions- which I do). Spending about 15 minutes looking through my iPod, my Top 200 albums ever (nothing since 2005 included) and my Top Albums for previous few years on this blog, I came up with this cursory list… which I promptly turned into a Top 50.

Of course, it could change tomorrow** and was culled from over 75 albums on my short list. That said, I feel very bad for not including great albums by Johnny Cash, Cobalt Season, Smalltown Poets, Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Death Cab for Cutie, Drive-By Truckers, Switchfoot, Jimmy Eat World, Sam Phillips, Lilly Allen, Damien Rice, M83, Tinariwen, Elbow, The Gaslight Anthem, The Avett Brothers and M Ward (along with 2nd albums by Okkervil River, Over the Rhine, Sufjan Stevens, U2, The Roots and The Hold Steady). Yes, I even had a heard time leaving a Coldplay album off (Rush of Blood). But, I will just list it and re-evaluate tomorrow. Here is the list of the Best of the Millennium- or really, just Rick’s Favorites (without anything from 2009- they haven’t had time to germinate yet):

50. Neko Case- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

49. Badly Drawn Boy- Have You Fed the Fish Today?

48. Aimee Mann- Lost in Space

47. Jim White- Drill a Hole in That Substrate And Tell Me What You See

46. The Strokes- Is This It?

45. System of a Down- Toxicity

44. Bright Eyes- Lifted

43. The Hold Steady- Boys and Girls in America

42. Elvis Perkins- Ash Wednesday

41. Gogol Bordello- Super Taranta!

40.Devotchka- A Mad & Faithful Retelling

39. The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

38. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief

37. Blitzen Trapper- Furr

36. Josh Ritter- The Animal Years

35. Sigur Ros- Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust

34. Lupe Fiasco- Food & Liquor

33. Bon Iver- For Emma

32. The Decemberists- Picaresque

31. mewithoutyou- Brother, Sister

30. M.I.A.- Kala

29. Bruce Springsteen- The Rising

28. Cold War Kids- Robbers & Cowards

27. Beck- Sea Change

26. Over the Rhine- Ohio

25. Blackalicious- Blazing Arrow

24. Regina Spektor- Fidelity

23. The Roots- Phrenology

22. Ben Folds- Rockin the Suburbs

21. Sigur Ros- Takk

20. The National- Boxer

19. Jay Z- The Black Album

18. The Divine Comedy- Regeneration

17. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

16. Okkervil River- The Stage Names

15. Kanye West- The College Dropout

14. U2- All That You Can’t Leave Behind

13. Sufjan Stevens- (Come On Feel the) Illinoise!

12. Frightened Rabbit- Midnight Organ Fight

11. Outkast- Stankonia

10. Arcade Fire- Funeral

9. New Pornographers- Challengers

8. Radiohead- Kid A

7. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins- Rabbit Fur Coat

6. Joseph Arthur- Redemption’s Son

5. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Howl

4. Radiohead- In Rainbows

3. The Format- Dog Problems

2. Arcade Fire- Neon Bible

1. K’naan- The Dusty Foot Philosopher

Yes, my White Boy, Indie Rock, East Coast Male bias shows through. Oh well (but I know my #1, 3 & 5 are not normal on such lists). I imagine some readers will think I am trying to be needlessly obscure, while others will disparage me for being entirely too mainstream. Which side are you on?

Read. Disagree. Discuss. Give me your top 10.

*yes, i know the new millennium really began in 01.

** i had to do this so fast due to time constraints. Take it seriously that this represented a moment in time and was dependent upon my iPod. I realize that Funeral should be ahead of Neon Bible and Kid A over In Rainbows.

Christianity 21 Music, part 2

click here for part 1

Here is a list of playlists I created for the Christianity21 conference. It goes with the post I created last night regarding its music:

1. Crescendo- music that is emotional and builds to a climax. This can be used at any time you want to set such a mood.

Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros, Sit Down By The Fire- The Veils, These Are My Twisted Words- Radiohead, Harry Patch (In Memory of)- Radiohead, The Feeling Begins- Peter Gabriel, Fake Empire- The National, Regeneration- The Divine Comedy, Transliterator- Devotchka, Three- Gregor Samsa, The Line- BRMC, Hollow Talk- Choir of Young Believers, Pale Horses- Moby, Kettering- The Antlers, Rebellion (Lies)- Arcade Fire

2. Ambient- This mix is appropriate at all times, but is pretty even keel. It is especially good during down times or breaks in session. Some would be good for needs during sessions (i.e. prayers).

War in Me- Abe Zydar, Anything of Son Lux Album (At War With Walls and Mazes), Harry Patch (In Memory Of)- Radiohead, Funeral Dirge; Burial Service- listenlisten, Saltwater- Beach House, Hollow Tree- Choir of Young Believers, Three- Gregor Samsa, the Road That Leads To Heaven- Jim White, Sunoight, Heaven- Julianna Barwick, In Church- M83, Mymn- Moby, God Moving Over The Face of the Waters- Moby, Ikuisuuden maailma- Paavoharju, Hope is Gone- Moby, Autumn Music 1- Max Richter, On The Nature of Daylight- Max Richter, Pale Horses- Moby, Gobbledigook- Sigur Ros, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros, Inni mer syngur vitleysingur- Sigur Ros, Study War- Moby

3. Folksy

Hallowed ground- Will Quinlan, Remember The Beatitudes- Will Quinlan, Glory and The Dream- VOL, On The Water- listenlisten, 1 Samuel 15:23- The Mountain Goats, Curse Your Branches- David Bazan, Gospel Song- BRMC, Begin Again- Cobalt Season, Like Jesus- Cobalt Season, The Crane Wife 3- the Decemberists, Rise Up With Fists!!- Jenny Lewis and the Watson Sisters, Two Headed Boy- Neutral Milk Hotel

4. Future Sounds- forward thinking music, much of which is upbeat.

Stay- Son Lux, Creator- Santogold, Heavy Heart- Ghostland Observatory, Seeing Hands- Dengue Fever, Harmony- Clinic, Two Weeks- Grizzley Bear, Earth Intruders- Bjork, Action/ Reaction- Choir of Young Believers, Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses- Thom York, The Hollow Earth- Thom Yorke, Inni mer syngur vitleysingur- Sigur Ros

5. Gothic- some gospel sounding, but dark and haunting. Sets a good mood.

Brimston Rock- 16 Horsepower, Sinnerman- 16 Horsepower, Nantes- Beirut, Harmony- Clinic, My Soul’s In Mississippi- Otis Taylor, Dig! Lazarus Dig!- Nick Cave

6. Happy and Hopeful- good for post sessions and at breaks when you want to send people out on higher note.

So Far Around The Bend- The National, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Rebellion (Lies)- Aracde Fire, No Cars Go- Arcade Fire, Always Love- Nada Surf, Doves Circles The Sky- Bodies of Water, Action/ Reaction- Choir of Young Believers, to The Dogs or Whoever- Josh Ritter, In The Beginning- K’naan, You’ve Been Loved- Joseph Arthur, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Gobbledigook- Sigur Ros, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros

7. Incidental- interesting or just plain good songs that can be used at any time but don’t fit a specific place.

Sold! To The Rich man- Welcome Wagon, Jesus- Welcome Wagon, The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts- Sufjan Stevens, Hallelujah- Bono, Pray- Clem Snide, Little Bird- Imogen Heap, Hallelujah- Martin Sexton, Stronger Than Jesus- A Camp, Wrong Prayer, Jaydiohead

8. International- mostly African music, but from all over the place. This is probably good pre-session or after/ during specifically themed sessions.

Sabali- Amadou & Mariam, La Robe A Parasol- 16 Horsepower, Bouba- Dady Mimbo, Baji Larabat- Lo’ Jo, Mokote- Madeka, Wouyouma- Positive Black Soul, the Lagos Communiqué- Thievery Corporation, Clar Achel- Tinariwen, Molalatladi- BLK JKS, Seeing Hands- Dengue Fever, In The Beginning- K’naan, What’s Hardcore?- K’naan, Tongues of Kali- Martyn Bennett

9. Moody- Sets a good flavor for some settings, especially when the lights go low and darkness sets in.

Wayfaring Stranger- 16 Horsepower, Sit Down By The Fire- The Veils, These Are My Twisted Words- Radiohead, Funeral Dirge: Burial Service- listenlisten, Bear- The Antlers, Thirteen- The Antlers, Next Summer- Choir of Young Believers, Static On The Radio- Jim White

10. Post Speaker (Exit)- Good right after a speaker, unless you want a somber mood or right after the session ends. Some end on a bang. Some don’t. I recommend picking the right song for post-session and then making the rest random.

Sabali- Amadou & Mariam, Sunrise- Yeasayer, The Wanderer- U2, Glory and the Dream- VOL, Pray- Clem Snide, Bless this Mess- David Bazan, Wake Up –Arcade Fire, Salvation- BRMC, We Are Co-Existors- Bodies of Water, Action/ Reaction- Choir of Young Believers, Strictly Game- Harlem Shakes, God’s Gonna Cut You Down- Johnny Cash, the Man Comes Around- Johnny Cash, Always Love- Nada Surf, Gobbledigook- Sigur Ros

11. Pre Session- You can use songs from Post Speaker also. But these can set a good energy in the room, some higher then moving quieter.

Wait For Summer- Yeasayer, Cler Achel- Tinariwen, Selmonaire Rock- The Selmonaires, L.E.S. Artistes- Santogold, Weight Of the World- BRMC, Supreme People- Blackalicious, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Study War- Moby, Fake Empire- The National, Beaton’s Delight- Ashley MacIsaac, First In Flight- Blackalicious, Brought To You By…- Speech, Sympathy for Jesus- The Khrusty Brothers, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros

12. Somber/ Downtempo- At times during sessions or afterwards, this may be appropriate

I and Love and You- The Avett Brothers, Watchman- listenlisten, Ezekiel 7 and the Eternal Efficacy of Grace- The Mountain Goats, Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground- Antony & The Johnsons, Skinny Love- Bon Iver, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, Charlie Darwin- the Low Anthem, Christ Saves- Lsu, Gospel- The National, Help Me Out Here- Cobalt Season

13. Spiritual- All over the map: some hymns, some Christian, most from other sources. The lyrics can be pro-Jesus or just spiritual in nature. You never know, but these would be good at any time.

Wayfaring Stranger- 16 Horsepower, Sold! To The Rich Man- Welcome Wagon, Redemption Song- Speech, Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)- Monsters of Folk, Ezekiel 7 and the Eternal Efficacy of Grace- The Mountain Goats, Hard To Be- David Bazan, Fifty One- Aaron Strumpel, Beautiful Scandalous Night- The Choir, Jesusland- Ben Folds, Orphans of God- Buddy and Julie Miller, Salvation- BRMC, The Great Inversion- Cobalt Season, Thank You- Glen Phillips, God’s Gonna Cut You Down- Johnny Cash, You Are Free- Joseph Arthur, I Am- Joseph Arthur, Sympathy for Jesus- The Khrusty Brothers, You Are The Light- Lone Justice, Christ Saves- Lsu, Come To Jesus- Mindy Smith, Jesus- Page France, Lord’s Prayer- Preson, Jesus Garden of My Rest- Robbie Seay Band, Amazing Grace- Ani DiFranco, All My Tears- Emmylou Harris

14. Transitions- Good between things when you want music, whether a speaker is coming up, something is not set up, etc.

All The Good Naysayers, Speak up!- Sufjan Stevens, the Lagos Communiqué- Thievery Corporation, Tell Me- taken By Trees, Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)- Monsters of Folk, Hard To Be- David Bazan, Walking Out of Stride- Badly Drawn Boy, Hollow Talk- Choir of Young Believers, You Love me- Devotchka, Three- Gregor Samsa, Sunlight, Heaven- Julianna Barwick, Charlie Darwin- The Low Anthem, Vladimer’s Blues- Max Richter, Fake Empire- The National, E Minor- Other Lives, Hoppipolla- Sigur Ros

15. Trippy- Some unusual songs, good for insertion at random times.

Dog Days- Matthew Dear, Bloodbook on the Halfshell- Danielson, The Crystal Cat- Dan Deacon, Sleepyhead- Passion Pit, Zoomba- Starlight Mints, Two Weeks- Grizzley Bear, When the Man Comes- listenlisten, One Twenty One- Aaron Strumpel, Fifty One- Aaron Strumpel, Stronger than Jesus- A Camp, The Hollow Earth- Thom Yorke, Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses- Thom Yorke, The Equaliser- Clinic, Blue Flower/ Blue Flame- Destroyer, Pale Horse- Moby

16. Upbeat- You never know when you need to bring the energy of the room up a notch. None of these are too hard or obnoxious

Sleepyhead- Passion Pit, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Time To Pretend- MGMT, Fleece On The Brain- Matthew Dear, Beaton’s Delight- Ashley MacIsaac, Tongues of Kali- Martyn Bennett, Start Wearing Purple- Gogol Bordello, Heavy Heart- Ghostland Observatory, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To be)- fun.

I also left full albums by Son Lux, Cobalt Season, The Mountain Goats, mewithoutyou, Aaron Strumpel, M83 and a few others for inclusion at any deemed appropriate times.

Music for Christianity21, part 1

While I was watching a Tri-suck-fa of sports yesterday with a heat index of 105 degrees in Tampa, many friends (and a few foes) were gathering in Minneapolis for the Christianity21 conference organized by my friends Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt. From all indications it was a successful event and I wish I could have been there, not just for the low temperatures.

Not wanting a conference of innovative speakers, artists and thinkers to be hostage to the sounds of Coldplay, John Mayer and Derek Webb or other uninspiring same-old sounds, I asked if I could create some play lists that would do the event justice. While I was not there, from all indications, the music was a positive element (even if I have reports of Coldplay during the setup- not on my watch). People from the event have asked that I share the play lists. So, if you were there, here is some info on the music and how I came to pick it.

I made play lists that could used at any time during the event, with titles original titles like pre-session, downtempo, transitions, etc. I will share the songs picked for those in the next couple of blogs (so I don't make one blog to long on anyone's reader. The other thing I did was send a list of songs on my play lists that would work with specific sessions.

Not sure of the subject or talking points of each session, I looked at the titles and tried to come up with songs that might create a specific mood or have lyrics that works with the topic. I hope it worked out that way. I know that I gave more suggestions that there was time for, but I wanted to give freedom to the deejay to pick songs that fit the mood better than others songs.

Here is what I shared:

Recommended Songs for specific Subjects:

Songs of Confusion or Questions: The Wanderer- U2, Jesusland- Ben Folds, There/There- Radiohead, Black Mirror- Arcade Fire, Neon Bible- Arcade Fire, Intervention- Arcade Fire, Apocalyptic Friend- Eef Barzelay, Laughing With- Regina Spektor

Songs of Female Empowerment and Strength- Gold Guns Girls- Metric, Here is a Heart- Jenny Owen Youngs, I Can't Please You- Sam Phillips, Rise Up With Fists!!- Jenny Lewis, The Charging Sky- Jenny Lewis, Shelter- Lone Justice, The Ground Beneath Her Feet- U2

Songs of Doubt- Hard to Be- David Bazan, Bless This Mess- David Bazan, Curse Your Branches- David Bazan, Sympathy For Jesus- Khrusty Brothers, Static on the Radio- Jim White, Give Me Strength- Over The Rhine, Gimme Some Truth- Sam Phillips, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, songs by Jenny Lewis, Dear God- Monsters of Folk

Songs of Simplicity/ Childlikeness- Where The Wild Things Are (soundtrack)- Karen O, Chariot- Page France, Jesus- Page France

Songs with a lyrical Edge- Apocalyptic Friend- Eef Barzelay, Sympathy for Jesus- Khrusty Brothers, Pray- Clem Snide, Wrong Prayer- Jaydiohead, Wanderlust King- Gogol Bordello, Stronger Than Jesus- A Camp

Songs of Hope- Always Love- Nada Surf, Doomsday- Elvis Perkins, No Cars Go- Arcade Fire, Man of Metropolis- Sufjan Stevens, We Are Co-Existors- Bodies of Water

Songs of Faith- Sold! To the Rich Man- Welcome Wagon, Jesus Saves- Lsu, Allah Allah Allah- mewithoutyou, Sympathy for Jesus- Khrusty Brothers

Songs for Africa- anything by K’naan (either album), anything my Amadou and Mariam, anything by Tinariwen

Songs of Compassion- Windowsill- Arcade Fire, Crumbs from Your Table- U2, Apocalyptic Friend- Eef Barzelay, Laughing With- Regina Spektor, Always Love by Nada Surf

Songs of Sensuality- The Twist-Frightened Rabbit, Fast Blood- Frightened Rabbit, Ground beneath Her Feet- U2

Go Out With a Boom- Pray- Jaydiohead, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k, Gogol Bordello songs, Gold Guns Girls- Metric, We Are Co-Existors- Bodies of Water

Go Out Somberly- Hope is Gone- Moby, My Body is a Cage- Arcade Fire, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter

Go Out into the FUTURE- Heavy Heart- Ghostland Observatory, No Cars Go- Arcade Fire, Wake Up- Arcade Fire, Daylight- Matt & Kim, Doomsday- Elvis Perkins, anything by Sigur Ros, Lovely Allen- Holy F—k

Songs of Contemplation or Prayer- All My Tears- Emmylou Harris, Jesus Saves- Lsu, hymn- Moby, Three- Gregor Samsa, Amazing Grace- Ani Difranco, Lord’s Prayer- Preson

Cool Hymns- Amazing Grace- Ani Difranco, 40-U2, Beautiful Scandalous Night- The Choir, Garden of My Rest- Robbie Seay

Songs of Confession- (antichrist) television blues- Arcade Fire, Weight of the World- BRMC, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, Laughing With- Regina Spektor, Hard to Be- David Bazan, Bless This Mess- David Bazan, Curse Your Branches- David Bazan, Sympathy For Jesus- Khrusty Brothers, Static on the Radio- Jim White, Furr- Blitzen Trapper, Intervention- Arcade Fire

Songs of Wisdom/ Thought (smart Songs)- Fake Empire- The National, Glory and the Dream- Bill Mallonee/VOL, Two Headed Boy- Neutral Milk Hotel, Rise up With Fists!!- Jenny Lewis, Thin Blue Flame- Josh Ritter, Intervention- Arcade Fire, Apocalyptic Friend- Eef barzelay, Furr- Blitzen Trapper, Modern Guilt- Beck

Songs of Justice- Rages of Babylon- Joseph Arthur, Guns are Drawn- The Roots, Windowsill- Arcade Fire, Crumbs From Your Table- U2, Fake Empire- The National, If You Tolerate This (then your children will be next)- Manic Street Preachers, Study War- Moby, Just War- Sparklehorse, Eye of the Needle- Divine Comedy

click here for part 2

less successful the "Gospel and..." television shows

I just saw online that Chris Seay, who I used to work with, is writing a new book on how the Gospel interacts with something in popular culture. Taking a cue from the "What Would Jesus Tell (name a famous person- real or fiction from pop culture)" sermon series popularized by Willow Creek Church and numerous seeker churches world-wide or the ubiquitous "God and the Movies" pretty much every church preaches during the dreary summer days to gather attention, Chris has added to his repertoire the ABC series LOST (in the past he has written critically acclaimed books about The Sopranos, The Matrix films and Enron).

When I was preaching regularly I, too, would pick artifacts of popular culture for sermons based on the interactions between that subject and the Bible (or Gospel, in Christian vernacular). Some of my favorites were the television shows The X Files and Millennium, the films Jerry Maguire, Magnolia or Dead Man Walking and musicians like Ben Folds, Pearl Jam and Lauren Hill. Needless to say, besides The X-Files I did not have Chris' propensity to pick up on cultural phenomena, usually picking things regulated to a niche very quickly (or at least a select audience).

My love of the grays and the margins usually leads me to popular culture that does not translate as well to mass audiences (any reader of this blog knows that). Sure, a series on the Gospel According to Coldplay would draw a slightly larger audience than the Gospel According to Frightened Rabbit (okay, no one would be interested in the treatment of Frightened Rabbit), but I don't like Coldplay. And who cares about Jesus and the television show Chuck, one of the better shows on television (but with no cultural resonance for some reason) or Dexter.

Now here is where I am going with this... Chris has picked some things that translate well to his idea (The Sopranos work like a warped Davidic kingdom and the Matrix threw every religious idea in history at us). But, there are many things out there that are probably left outside of the "Gospel and..." treatment (many of which have been preached less successfully in churches). I have seen pastors try to use modern classics like the Scooby Do movies, The Fast and The Furious, GI Joe, Transformers 2 and Night at the Museum 2, stretching the film (sometimes they haven't even seen it) and Gospel to a breaking point.

There are many films that just don't fit, especially some of the stuff I like. And the television shows I love would either not translate to a "Gospel and..." book or 3 people would buy it. Here are my favorites shows. Imagine a book entitled:

The Gospel and Dexter (exploring Dexter's relationship to Deuteronomic and Levitical law)

The Gospel and Chuck (Chuck saving the world as metaphor for evangelism)

The Gospel and 30 Rock (Liz as Moses leading her people to the promised land, Jack as Yahweh, Tracy as Aaron and Kenneth as the 10 Commandments)

The Gospel and The Wire (a 2000 page exploration of conflict between the differing branches within the Davidic Kingdom at the time of Solomon, with McNulty and Omar as competing Jesus figures... or something like that)

The Gospel and Pushing Daisies (about how even God cannot resurrect an under appreciated quirky series on broadcast television that is too smart for its own good)

Sure some shows would be easy, The Gospel and the Office (trivial, but sells well), The Gospel and My Name is Earl (written by an 8th grader) and The Gospel and The Simpsons (D'oh).

Some other less-than-classics could include The Gospel and Mad Men (just wait, it is coming), The Gospel and Weeds (hmmmm, what is this one about?), The Gospel and CSI (We dodged that bullet) and The Gospel and Grey's Anatomy. I am sure someone has written the Gospel and American Idol or Survivor.

So, share with me either 1) the worst "Gospel and..." thing you have ever seen/ heard/ read or (God forbid) done

and

2) The darkest or worst idea for such a book or series (no "Gospel according to Saw" types- too easy), or that thing that would stretch The Gospel or bible beyond imagination to fit. Justify it if possible.

by the way, I would buy a book called The Gospel According to District 9!

Obama’s Clove ban creates crisis in the Emerging Church

Obama’s Clove ban creates crisis in the Emerging Church

“I just ordered some from Indonesia,” declares Shawn Hopkins of Tampa, Emerging churcher, hoping to stock up for the weekend. Beyond that he is not sure of his plans.

Shawn is among thousands of young, “Emerging” Christians shocked by the FDA’s ban on flavored cigarettes which went into effect on Tuesday, September 22. “I was fine with the ban until I went to the store today and found out cloves actually contain tobacco and have been pulled from the shelves along with those goofy vanilla and tropical fruit flavors,” Atlanta's Troy Bronsink tells us, “but, then I find out they included my precious cloves. I took a deep breath and almost decided to buy a pack of menthols out of spite before storming out of the store.”

Dr. Tony Jones, former National Coordinator for Emergent, pipe aficionado and a non-clove smoker, tells us that this is a dark day for Emergent and the Emerging church. He hopes it can survive this latest tragedy. “This is much worse than the day Mark Driscoll questioned the sexuality of Doug Pagitt and challenged Brian McLaren to a cage match. In fact, it ranks up there with the day I had to move to New Jersey to work on my PhD at Princeton or that week in July, 2008 when it looked like Obama might not become president.”

According to many sources, young emerging Christians need some safe way to rebel. They are not interested in experimenting with drugs, promiscuous sex or even real cigarettes, so they have chosen microbrew beer, R-rated movies, Coldplay and cloves. It makes them feel rebellious as they question their parents’ belief system, but they don’t have to go too far down the road of dangerous behavior or real rock-n-roll music.

“Our questioning of atonement theories and the inspiration of Scripture are enough. We don’t want to be branded as practitioners of dangerous theology and dangerous activity. We just want something to do while we are standing around outside, something that doesn’t smell as bad as cigars,” says Tripp Fuller, a regular clove smoker until Tuesday’s ban. This is confirmed by Danielle Shroyer, an Emergent Village board member from Dallas, “many young women felt the emerging church was a ‘boy’s club’ when they just smoked cigars. In fact, cloves were brought in by the earliest group of Emergent leaders, known as the group of 20, as a way to be more egalitarian and inclusive. Without cloves, we would not be here today and conversation would have only been about coffee and candles.”

Dr. Len Sweet, one of the earliest proponents of what is now the emerging church conversation tells us that the importance of clove cigarettes to movement cannot be overestimated. According to Dr. Sweet, “Cloves are an integral part of the Emerging Church conversation. They are expensive, which lowers the chance of their usage becoming habit forming. They smell nice and niceness is important to everyone in Emergent. Also, there has been no proof that children are enslaved in the production of cloves and they are smoked by the cool nonChristian kids in town, so they can be used for evangelism, or so they tell their parents. This is of EPIC importance to a new generation of Jesus followers.”

However, not all Christians think the popularity of clove cigarettes has been good for Christianity. Dr. Ted Stetzler of the Southern Baptist Convention says that the utilization of clove cigarettes are a marker of the more Liberal strains of the emerging church conversation. He is hopeful that their ban will be one step towards the reintegration of Emergent Village and its followers into the mainstream of Evangelical Christianity. “While the use of tobacco products is not as important to the SBC as our bans on homosexuality, alcohol, speaking in tongues or friendship with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, we see that it can be a gateway towards apostasy, except in tobacco producing states. Of course, cloves are not from those states, so we consider them on our list of things you can’t do, which is pretty extensive and growing daily.”

No one is sure where the conversation is headed. Some are angry at the Obama administration, but they will not go on record and risk excommunication. Most are unsure that it can continue without a smoke-able product that is acceptable across the board. Some futurists believe that the advent of clove flavored cigars will be the savior of the movement. While others think people should just quit complaining and take up smoking cigarettes. Says Jeff Gentry of Boston, “stop whining and grab a carton of Marlboro Lights along with some Big Red and chew it while smoking…it’ll give you the same effect.”

Rick Bennett, Tampa

-no one listed here said anything I have attributed to them. If you want me to change your name, let me know.

- by the way, I am an agnostic when it comes to the ban. I don't smoke (asthma), but don't like people telling me I can't.

________________________________________

update to original story-

When going to press, I was unable to attain quotes from a few of my desired sources. My calls have been returned...

A spokesman for Pastor Mark Driscoll of mega-church, Mars Hill in Seattle disputes the assessment that clove cigarettes are a sign of liberal emergent theology. While disagreeing with emerging Christians on theological and cultural issues, "Rev. Driscoll applauds the behaviors that set emerging Christians apart from its backwards predecessors. Beer, tobacco, profanity, gambling (on male sports only) and fighting are perfectly acceptable behaviors for the Christian male, in fact Jesus engaged in all of them. However, cloves are not wrong because they are cloves. Cloves are wrong because they are gay cigarettes."

While disapproving of Driscoll's language and characterization of Jesus' actions, author and pastor John Piper agreed with Driscoll's assessment of clove cigarettes, adding, "this is another indication of God's displeasure with the emerging church and its atonement theory, let alone its embrace of homosexuality. God is gently rebuking these young Christians by taking their cigarettes."

Rob Bell could not be contacted for this story. Apparently, he is writing a drama in which Jesus is a clove smoking girly man that loves everyone and judges no one. At least that is what the blogs are saying.

Where Am I?

I am sure you are missing my (opposite of) pithy little blog postings. I have not been over here due to a couple of factors. The first is a lack of inspiration as a writer. I have all of these things I want to blog about, but nothing is flowing. I have blogger's block (kinda like writer's block with fewer ramifications). Hopefully I will be back soon.

The lack of blogging is not for naught. I will have a couple of things in the first issue of Generate Magazine, if my submissions make it past the editors. I am focused on music, of course.

simple ways to green your next event or church meeting

Tampa’s alternative newspaper, Creative Loafing does a great job promoting and discussing sustainability and green topics. This week they give advice on 5 ways to green your next event. None of it is rocket science and the simple practices are common sense that many are already putting into place. In fact, we have promoted these practices at our former church plants and events I have been part of in the past, namely Brian McLaren’s Everything Must Change tour and our own A Sustainable Faith event last year.

However, in case you are a church leader wondering how to make your Sunday morning a bit more sustainable (yes, moving away from a corporate event which drains a substantial amount of energy and resources once a week is even greener), consider these ideas. If you are planning an event, such as Christianity21 or the Theological Conversation, here are some ideas which you may be doing already.

One thing to think about is who you say you are and want others to see you as. If you want others to see you as someplace that respects the Earth and values sustainability and those that care about such issues, your practices must express that. Remember, your practices betray what you believe more than your words.

The key to all of these is Education.

Link to original posting by CL.

1. Use Local Products and Vendors (I wish churches would remember this when they serve coffee and scones)
2. Market through the Web (churches that spend an inordinate amount of money and destroy countless trees with their postcards really need to hear this)
3. When serving food, make sure it is local and sustainable (it was cool at the McLaren conference last year to use a local organic/ natural foods fast food joint called Evos for our boxed lunch)
4. Charity (donate leftover food and products, especially those serving poor and homeless persons- Check with them ahead of time for rules, even before you finalize the menu)
5. Reduce and Recycle (common sense. Recycling is a nobrainer, but reducing and reusing is even better)

of course these are the simplest and take very little effort. If you have other ideas, please feel free to share them.

The Palin Problem shared by all sides

In the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago the greatest speech writer of my generation, Peggy Noonan of “Morning in America,” and “Mr. Gorbechev, tear down that wall” fame eviscerated Sarah Palin a week or so after her resignation. Noonan’s mastery of the intricacies of the English language for the purpose of insult and praise is unparalleled by a writer of her stature and she has never been afraid to turn her pen or mouth on the party which she belongs to, the Republicans.

During the course of election, she was a refreshing voice, one that seemed delighted to dismiss Sarah Palin in ways the “liberal” media establishment was unable to. However, she must have sat upon her anger and let it boil, only to have it burn the faces of the Republican benefactors of the Palin Experiment when they ventured too close.

In her scathing article, Noonan takes apart each argument for why Palin has ever or will ever matter, including “She’s so working class,” “the elites hate her,” and “the media did her in,” instead claiming that she is a product (like me and most of my readers) of the self esteem generation that does not know its own limitations, instead believing we are “perfect in every way.”

Noonan goes on to declare that United States has its greatest challenges coming the next decade, including possible terrorist attacks, a continued financial crisis, possible secessionist movements, and a lack of support for the federal government. In times like this the Republican party must understand that it (and America) needs “sturdy,” “gifted” “grownups” to show it is a responsible party ready to lead America. It needs to be honest about who does and does not make the cut. It needs to find the best and brightest, not just the most likable, attractive (male or female) and electable.

It is a lesson for all in leadership or looking for leadership, including not-for profits and churches.

One line in Noonan’s article sticks out to me in a way that I cannot shake it, even after reading it yesterday. It is a line that gets to the heart of the Palin Problem, which sadly is not just a problem on of the Right Wing. It is a problem in all circles, whether they are Liberal, Conservative, Christian, Atheist, Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Mainline, Reformed, Emerging, Straight, Gay or another such label. It is the problem of assuming what the others think, know, do or say without knowing them. It is a lack of study or understanding which in turn leads to a lack of empathy. It leads to judgmentalism, dehumanization and prejudice and it comes in all forms and from all groups, even those that claim to be the most openminded or “liberal.” It is "the Palin Problem," which we are all subject to when we forget where we come from and the prejudices we all carry with us because of culture, heritage, worldview, framework and hardwiring;

She was a gifted retail politician who displayed the disadvantage of being born into a point of view (in her case a form of conservatism; elsewhere and in other circumstances, it could have been a form of liberalism) and swallowing it whole: She never learned how the other sides think, or why.

My prayer for my friends and foes alike is my prayer for myself,

Lord, let this not be said of me.

link to article

time waster- All things Potter

Waiting a few days to see Potter with the friends (9 of us), but for the sake of Potter freaks everywhere (I am not one, but count Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban as my favorite film), I leave direct you to Paste Magazine's compendium of Potter articles you will not get anywhere else, including: playlists for Hogawart's houses (musically I may be a little more Slitherin), Harry's alliance with Satan,

a trivia quiz for Potterheads only,

some truly disturbing Potter merchandise, and (oh yeah) a review.

Link to the entire compendium and some funny cartoons.

By the way, if you wonder which House I reside in, it is

Get Sorted By The Hogwarts Sorting Hat!

what I expect from the Senate Confirmation hearings for Judge Sotomayor

Nothing in American politics quite compares to the Senate Confirmation Hearings for a Supreme Court Justice. Senators know more people are watching than any other proceeding (unless the are talking baseball or steroids), so they realize this is their shot to get the spotlight. So they do. And it never changes. I can predict what is coming out of the mouth of any Senator based upon party affiliation and state representation.

Other than the refreshing candor from Lindsay Graham, yesterday's opening to the confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor was an exercise in the pompous grandstanding we have come to expect from our illustrious deliberative body (Senate). At least Joe Biden was not there to pontificate endlessly on his understanding of the law which is superior to everyone else's understanding. Of course, in his place we have to listen to the same from Jeff Sessions and his papal pronouncement of the true meaning of the Constitution and its framers, just in case the Harvard educated Sotomayor did not understand what the Constitution really meant.

If you want to play a game to see if anything every changes from year to year, check my post from the Roberts' hearings (link). My points were (1) the hypocrisy of both parties and how they want questions and answers framed, (2) this is important but we don't get real questions or answers from anyone, (3) every Senator says the same thing, which is "me, me, me, my thoughts about you, a question you are not allowed to answer, my, me, me." I said it better last time (as a predictor of the questioning, I will repost it but change Judge Roberts' name to Judge Sotomayor's):

"I would like to point out how stupid the other party is and would like to talk about how stupid the remarks of the last Senator are. Now I would like to grandstand for a few minutes and make you, the American people and the rest of the Senate listen to my ideas on the judiciary for an extended period of time. After grandstanding I will now ask Judge Sotomayor a question. But, upon finishing this question, I do not want her to answer until I pontificate for a few minutes longer and give my opinion on the matter at hand for another extended period of time. After talking about myself and how in touch I am with the will of the American public (at least from listening to my staffers tell me what the masses desire) and how I and my party have the true understanding of the judiciary and the constitution while the ninnies in the other party are _____ (unempathetic d-bags or squishy empathetic liberals with no guts), I will give you time to answer my convoluted question. Of course, I can interrupt you at any time to grandstand and pontificate a bit more. Judge Sotomayor, please answer the question."

I am being kind since these questions last, on average 10 minutes or so.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Coldplay as Jambalaya

I finally figured out a way to explain my feelings about Coldplay. Coldplay is like bland food at a fern bar (chain restaurant). It is food. It tastes fine. It fills you up and you don't complain. But that is it. It masquerades as something from a fine restaurant, but it is really nothing special.

In fact, Coldplay is like jambalaya, but not the kind you get from a good Cajun or Creole restaurant... but the kind you would get at Applebees. It smells like real jambalaya, but it has very little flavor and almost no heat, made for mass consumption not artistry and a discerning palette.

Good Cheap Music Friday

Amazon is doing its best to help keep us listening to music during the recession with good cheap music. Here is a rundown of some of the best this month...

For only $5 bucks you can get some good new music:

A New Tide by Gomez. If you have never heard Gomez, a quirky banjo loving British pop band with good hooky sensibilities that is for fans of DMB, Damien Rice and Swell Season, listen to this. It is not as quirky as older albums or as perfectly accessible as How We Operate, but it is still a very good album, especially for $5. It will make my year end "best of" list. Listen to the song Airstream Driver here.

Grand by Matt & Kim. Fun pop, kinda like a Violent Femmes for today's college students, but not as dirty. It is slight, but good for listening to at a party or with the kids, especially the incandescent single Daylight.

There is also stuff by Jason Isbell (formerly of Drive By Truckers), Daft Punk, Interpol, Benn Lee, The Verve and the great Bob Mould (of Husker Du).

And some classic stuff:

Cyndi Lauper's True Colors from 1986 with the gems True Colors, which holds up well all these years later (though not as well as Time After Time) and What's Going On. If that does not cure your 80s Jones, surely Cuts Like a Knife from Bryan Adams before we realized he was not that good will do it. If that doesn't do it WHAM! will.

If you liked college rock from the 80s, you might remember the dBs a solid band with a great songwriter, Chris Stamey. Chris and Peter Holsapple have gotten back together on Here and Now to capture the old dBs magic. They have not, but it is still pretty good for fans of alt country meets Elvis Costello.

Another alt country album on the list is Ben Kweller's latest Changing Horses. He is very talented, but I think he misses the mark on this album. I would stick with Bonnie "Prince" Billy for good country, but it is pretty good for a poppy country album reminding me of 70s Nashville, just before it went to pot.

Of course, the best of the 80s bunch is Leonard Cohen's I'm Your Man. This album is a top 3 in his catalog, lyrically stunning. The music is not strong (too much cheesy 80s synths), but Everybody Knows is his best song besides Hallelujah and it even includes I'm Your Man, First We Take Manhattan, Ain't No Cure for Love and Tower of Song. $5 for an album with 5 classics and one of the best songs ever. Do not stop yourself from buying this album!

Moving on to the 90s we have Parachutes the debut from Coldplay, back when we thought they were gonna be some amalgam of Radiohead and U2 and right before they gave us the one great album of their lives, Rush of Blood to the Head and headed down the road of mediocrity and Applebee's quality rock. Anyway, it is a good album, worth $5.

Also, I would never buy a mix of Beach Boys songs, opting for whole albums, but they have one for $5.

The best of the bunch not including Mr. Cohen is Diamond and Dogs, a good David Bowie album but not up there with Let's Dance, Ziggy Stardust or Low. CCR even has one $5 album, but I am not a huge CCR fan, so you would need to judge.

For those that want to torture Music Snobs, I guess you could lay down $5 for an overblown soundtrack to a horrible move with gloriously bad acting, Ghost.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

poor wittle bron bron

Laci sent me a link to this. Watch ESPN commentators go off on Wittle Bron Bron and Nike hiding a tape of Bron Bron getting dunked on by a college kid. Oh, if this tape ever gets out, you will see it first right here.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

thoughts on multiple subjects

because people know I have an opinion on pretty much everything and it is usually a little different from the opinion of others, I am usually asked what I think about things, especially those things I don't blog about.

So, in an effort to share all those thoughts and opinions at once, here it is:

Michael Jackson's death- Off the Wall was a superior album to Thriller and Bad. Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough was his best song. I am glad Bubbles the monkey is okay. And, I am really glad I am not in Los Angeles today.

Farrah's death- I feel old.

Billy Mays- Don't trust a product on television he was not hawking. In other words, no matter what- the Snuggie is not a good product. If it was, there would be footage of Mays wearing one.

Andy Roddick- you won my Wimbledon, friend. Plus, as Bill Simmons said... you are worth $50 million and are married to a swimsuit model. Buck up, little camper.

The Southern Baptist kerfuffles surrounding their convention, etc.- Oh, you guys still around?

Sarah Palin- if this whole thing is about making mad cash while you are the most marketable since you have lots of kids and a baby with severe needs that will cost lots of money, Go for it. I respect that, more than you can imagine. If you want to be the Conservative Oprah, good for you. Milk that cash cow until it is dry. You would be a welcome respite on television from the crazy Republican babes Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter. You may not be as smart, but you have accomplished something beyond being a mouth in a dress. If this is about positioning yourself to run for president, please give it a rest.

Mark Sanford- follow your priest's advice, go into a more silent mode. And a note to all politicians, just because Clinton had multiple affairs and became President, does not make this a template to be followed.

The latest Wilco album- "a sonic shoulder to cry on" as the song says. Much better than the last album (okay, that is not hard).

The latest Moby album- Nice. Seriously. I had written you off.

The latest Regina Spektor album- my kids love it and it continues to grow on me. I think you need to buy this one.

Monday, July 06, 2009

fighting the power 20 years ago today with Spike Lee

While reminiscing about previous July 4ths, Kristi and I found huge holes in our memories regarding the holiday. Not being particularly patriotic people and not having a great love of fireworks, we have had so many quiet Independence Days that we have forgotten most. Sure, I remember the Esplanade in Boston or the crappy Tomb Raider flick, even Mexican food with friends and a couple of parties, but that is about it, except for a couple of distinct memories, one from exactly 10 years ago and another from exactly 20.

I mentioned our July 4^th plans for 1999 in my last blog, spending time in Boston both in the city and in Schaumberg with our Arab friends. However, 20 years ago I remember the music I was listening to and the movie I saw on July 4. Why? Because this week they released the 20^th anniversary DVD of a life changing movie moment for me.

On July 4, 1989 I was a 20 year old college Junior living in the Theta Chi fraternity house in Tallahassee, FL. I had plans for later in the day to watch fireworks with my old roommate (shout out to Mike Houghton) and his friends and I had just bought Don Henley’s End of the Innocence (89 was a good music year with Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, The Replacements, Depeche Mode, De la Soul, King’s X and The Pixies releasing great albums). In fact, I would be attending a seminal show in 3 days, on my 21^st birthday.* Henley's (along with Browne's and Niel Young's) album was a late 80s Liberal college student dream work.

But, on this day before heading out to a patriotic event, I journeyed to the local cinema by my lonesome for a matinee showing of the 2^nd most controversial movie of the year** which had just opened in Tallahassee, Do the Right Thing. As became a common occurrence, I found no friends to watch a Spike Lee movie with me and was the only or near only white guy in the theater. Watching that movie is probably the single most patriotic thing I have ever done on July 4.

It blew my mind, re-oriented my world view, cemented my ideas about race and disturbed the peace-nick in me. I had always walked in between 2 worlds… frat guy but tee totaling Jesus freak that danced til 2 AM and got up early for church, Southern Baptist/ Campus Crusader but political Liberal (by the day’s standard) that sucked at packaged evangelism, member of a closeted racist organization (my fraternity) advocating racial equality in the Greek system, a poor kid masquerading as something else. This film shook up both of those worlds.

From the opening bombast of Public Enemy’s Fight The Power to the uncomfortable hilarity of the racist stereotyping scene from every ethnicity to the closing moments of racial tensions setting off a powder keg of riots and the ending quotes by Malcom X and MLK, I sat there in stunned silence, tears in my eyes and stomach churning. I remember being noticeably downbeat at the fireworks presentation that evening.

The DVD has just been released on its 20^th anniversary. Bush I has given way to Obama, but I think the power of the film has not wavered. It is simply one of the best films ever made and the gutsiest I can think of. All of my white friends judged it when it came out, but none saw it. Of course, life imitated art a few years later with the Rodney King verdict in LA, with much defamation of Spike Lee and his film. It was blamed for the riots with no understanding of what the film was trying to say (honestly, it reminds me of Fight Club in the total misunderstanding people have of the movie). See it again or for the first time on its 20^th birthday… and remember to Fight the Power.

*I saw The Replacements, one of the greatest bands to ever grace a stage in America. I was given backstage passes, sharing words and food with a noticeably drunk Paul Westerberg, strangely turning down his offer of a beer opting instead for a signed drumstick, backstage pass and t-shirt (proclaiming “I was ripped off for $18 bucks by The Replacements”).

**#1 most controversial? The Last Temptation of Christ. Proving that talking about race is only trumped by talking about religion for controversy. Looking back, that movie was pretty lame.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

National Geographic on Arab Christians (and my 10 yr anniversary of friendships with a group of them)

link to pictures

The stories in this enlightening article about Arab Christians are the stories of my friends. I have mentioned it before on this blog and talked ad naseum about the plight of Arab Christians. This is mostly due to friendships gathered during the past decade (actually this weekend marks the 10^th Anniversary of an invite as speaker at Boston’s Arab Baptist Conference). What started with my assumptions about Arab Christians quickly became a lesson in how pointless assumptions are. I actually thought I was going to be with a group of extremely modest dressers in hijabs or burkas that would be offended by what I might say (kind of a combo of Muslims and Independent Baptist). This was nothing like what I encountered, the most hospitable, hip, well dressed and financed group of friends that kept us out too late and made fun of each other unmercifully (and made fun of me for being extremely white). In other words… my kind of people.

These Arab Christians shared their stories, invited us into their lives and homes, supported my ministry, attended our church in Boston and kept bringing me back to speak at their events. Of all the people my wife and I have met along our journey together as partners, Christians and ministers, this group of friends is close to the top.

Most of all they enlightened me, one that thought everyone from the Middle East was Jewish or Muslim. Although I had a Lebanese Christian Seminary professor and took classes on the area and its religions, I still had assumptions until I heard the stories; stories of people caught between Islam and Judaism and in the nether regions of a US foreign policy supported by American Christians which has ravaged Arab Christian numbers in the Middle East, a group of people feeling animosity at times for the support America and American Christians have for Israel and justified anger towards Israel's policies (the policies we support are often at the expense of Christians who have been lumped in with Muslims and find themselves aligning with them on many occasions). In fact, this American Christian unconditional support for anything done by Israel has hurt our own brothers and sisters, which is directly in conflict with the call of Jesus in Matthew 25 to care for our brothers and sisters in prison, without food and clothes. Ironic, huh?

I have heard the stories of a teenager from Gaza which was the hardest counseling session I have ever encountered (how do you counsel someone that fears bombings, is surrounded by another religion and wants desperately to leave her country for safety, when you have benefited from America’s luck?), sat on a train with a podiatrist from Lebanon as he told us of the day he returned to his home which had been bombed before fleeing to America or the mother of friends from Palestine who never had citizenship, rights or a passport in her own country, I have a Christian friend with the unfortunate name Jihad (he goes by Ji) and friends from Egypt that have been accused of being terrorists on many occasions, even though one worked for an American defense manufacturer.

These are the stories of Arab Christians many of whom are from the Levant (Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon), where Christianity was founded and flourished for centuries. Now Christians make up about 8% of the population (down from 25% a century ago), mostly in Lebanon and have all but left places like the area surrounding Damascus. They have left because of violence, oppression and pressure, not just from Muslims, but from Israelis and America’s foreign policy which at times put them in danger (see the plight of Iraqi Christians since our invasion).

I am grateful to National Geographic for giving their stories to us. I hope we remember them as we look at the Middle East and our Arab neighbors in America.

link to article

hat tip to Derek via David Dark.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Music I am digging

Bonnie "Prince" Billy's latest gem is called Beware and my is favorite thing he has recorded in quite a while. If you are wondering where the good old Outlaw Country of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson went, look no farther. A miner of American traditional music, Billy's latest captures the essense of a form of music lost in the glimmer and sheen of Nashville.

Thank the Lord for the Prince.

Listen here.

Oklahoma's Other Lives' self titled album is only $5.00 on Amazon and a gorgeous piece of piano driven classically oriented chamber pop. It is for fans of Radiohead's mellow stuff, as well as Sigur Ros. If you like minor chords and melancholy music (a theme this year) you will like this.

Listen here.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Expose in St Pete Times on Scientology

Did you catch these articles from the best newspaper in Florida, and one of the best in America, The St. Pete Times regarding the cracks in the armor of Scientology. It is an illuminating set of articles. I wager that it will be nominated for a Pulitzer, if I were a betting man.

Here is the link to the entire series. It is worth reading in its entirety if you have a chance.

Link

Also, here is commentary by The Daily Beast.

Best of 2009 so far, Elvis Perkins in Dearland

In case you had no idea, I am a huge fan of Elvis Perkins, named by his father, Anthony Perkins, star of Psycho, for Elvis Aaron Presley. Perkins, whose first album was an extraordinary but singular sounding effort, is no longer a solo artist. Instead, in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen and Ben Harper he has taken to recording and touring with a full band. I liked him as a primarily acoustic artist because even as a solo-folky, there was something different about Perkins that separated him from your typical singer songwriter. It could have been his poetic lyrics (he is gifted at the pithy couplet). An example from his first album, Ash Wednesday is "and I've made a death suit for life, for my father's ill widowed wife " from the song While You Were Sleeping. But this album is as good, maybe better than album #1, just very different.

Whereas Ash Wednesday was an album of mournful songs about the losses of his parents, this album is a raucous party (albeit primarily acoustic), still dealing with the death of his mom (Sept. 11), but with an eye towards heaven or whatever he believes in. Morose, maudlin or in need of mild anti-depressives could be descriptors for Ash Wednesday and none of these apply to Dearland. It is dark, but positive, like a good Tim Burton flick.

Judging from the lyrics, it is still Perkins' vision, even though a band is involved. Highlights include 123 Goodbye with the devastating line "I love you more in death than I ever could in life" and Doomsday, the singer songwriter's 1999 with this ditty "And even though you voted that awful man, I'll never refuse your hand on any given doomsday," along with the first single Shampoo.

For the life of my, I cannot understand why Perkins is not huge. Buy this album and his last and judge for yourself.

listen here.

and the New Orleans dance party about the end of the world...

Monday, June 29, 2009

Best of 2009 so far, Dirty Projectors

Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors, another highlight of 2009, so far

I have an admission. I really did not want to like this album. I have never bought into the hype surrounding Dirty Projectors and figured I could resist once more. I mean, it has worked with Animal Collective, why not Dirty Projectors? I figure this is one more example of people buying into the hype and going gaga over something needlessly weird, with no point to its weirdness (I love weirdness, but want to see a point). DP's past albums could be exercises in futile digging through a barely listenable album for gems- much like a Mission Impossible flick only with a more inaccessible plot.

Then I listened to Bitte Orca. It sounded pretty cool. Then I listened again... and again. It was strange, but Stravinsky or OK Computer strange, not Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music strange. I knew the leader considered himself a composer and the band was his orchestra. But, this is well beyond chamber pop, a genre I love but feel is limited.

I was hearing Beyonce. I was hearing David Byrne and the Talking Heads. There was a little jazz and a lot of doo-wop. Of course, I expected the Beck and Bjork, But, I was hearing Mariah Carey and John Lennon... often in the same song. What the heck?

Here is the most bizarre thing about this wondrously strange album. It works. Totally. In spades. It is inventive, but keeps itself grounded in traditional structure of pop music (I feel this is important and disciplined). It is unlike anything else out there, but strangely and warmly familiar. Best of all, it is fun. The first time you hear it, you may not like it. Keep listening.

I would not be surpised if this is my #1 album of the year. I cannot see it dropping out of the Top 3.

Start here.

Listen here.

Buy it here.

Friday, June 26, 2009

best so far in 2009, The Low Anthem

I am still soaking in the radiant goodness of this album, so my thoughts are less cohesive than they are for the other top albums of 2009 (so far). Since I hate the Immediestas,* I don't like to comment too early on an album, allowing time for it to sink in and the layers to become evident. That said I can already tell this is a special album, the one that people will be comparing to Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, last year's It, blog buzz bands.

The Low Anthem's Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, originally released last year and now remastered for wider audience, fits firmly in the early 70's Americana world of Fleet Foxes, Iron and Wine and Blind Pilot bowing at the alter of Nick Drake. Unlike Fleet Foxes, this is not an album of precious pastoral hymns to a spring meadow someplace. It is a bit darker and more haunting, especially on the opening cut, Charlie Darwin, a hymn to disbelief. Something else that separates this band from the others mentioned is the fact that they are unafraid to turn on the amps and rock every once in a while (thank God. I am so sick of earnest folk music, even by those I like, lacking any testosterone).

This has the potential to be the top album of 2009. I need to listen a bit more before deciding. However, it is already something I can strongly recommend as one of the best things I have heard this year.

Listen/ Watch here and don't take my word for it. Decide for yourself (this album needs less salesmanship from me than the other top albums of the year, so far).

Buy the album here.

I love the lyrics of the song Charlie Darwin

Set the sails I feel the winds a'stirring
Toward the bright horizon set the way
Cast your wreckless dreams upon our Mayflower
Haven from the world and her decay

And who could heed the words of Charlie Darwin
Fighting for a system built to fail
Spooning water from their broken vessels
As far as I can see there is no land

Oh my god, the water's all around us
Oh my god, it's all around

And who could heed the words of Charlie Darwin
The lords of war just profit from decay
And trade their children's promise for the jingle
The way we trade our hard earned time for pay

Oh my god, the water's cold and shapeless
Oh my god, it's all around
Oh my god, life is cold and formless
Oh my god, it's all around

I hope you think they are as beautiful as I do.

* my own word- meaning those bloggers that demand we judge or report on anything quickly- just so they can be first to a source and ruin nuance (see Pitchfork, Iran and Ain't It Cool News)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Best of 2009 so far, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

Those that are obsessed with details will note that the debut album by the man with the longest name in music, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (as 1 that has given my kids multiple middle names, I can truly appreciate this desire to keep them all even if Miles Robinson is a good name) was officially released in 2008 (pitchfork did review it).

But, no one talked about it or heard of it then. Due to this detail, I may not put this album on my year end list. However, it is one of the 3 or 4 best albums I have heard this year. In a twitter review, I said, "imagine Bon Iver beaten up by TV on the Radio with a distortion pedal," which could be a bit obtuse, even if meant to be complimentary.

Robinson stands firmly in the lowfi vocal spookiness of Bon Iver with touches of Bright Eyes or Arcade Fire. However, instead of heading to the darkness of a Wisconsin cabin for his inspiration, he heads to the clubs of New York City and instills in his meandering folksiness a sense of Beck-like funkiness and a love for distortion and feedback (it is impossible in my eyes to have too much distortion). Guests on the album include members of Grizzley Bear and TV on the Radio and the influence is obvious.

There is an edge to this album that is hard to describe. It sounds at times as if a folk singer got a lot of gear and decided to see what could happen. The wheels almost come off a few times and it sounds like it is careening off a cliff, only to put the brakes on at the last minute before the whole thing falls apart. I love it when that happens in music. It sounds dangerous and punky, but clearly residing in the singer-songwriter tradition.

Lyrically the albums falls into the typical confessional songwriter genre, with a bit more colorful language and experience. Considering the amount of drugs in this guy's past and his nights spent living on the street, one would expect as much from the words. It is definitely worth listening to more than once (like The Antlers, this one grows on you).

Listen here.

Buy the mp3 here.

there seems to be something wrong with the links. just enter Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson into myspace and you can here it.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Best of 2009, so far

A few months ago I blogged about a newish band and a great new album. As we head into the half way point of 2009, I would like to declare that album as the best I have heard in 2009, so far.

As I said last week, we have a lot of the year left and plenty of good music to see, so I doubt it will end up my #1 (there are 2 others competing right now I will mention tomorrow and the next day), but

Here is what I said a few months ago:

Robin Hilton of NPR's All Songs Considered mentioned on their blog that 2009 was already a much better music year than 2008. Considering the lack of great albums in 2008, this is not hard. He spoke of the obvious contenders, including U2, Animal Collective, Andrew Bird (overrated), M Ward and The Decemberists, along with some surprises, including what he considered the best album so far, Hospice by The Antlers.

Intrigued by the album name, I decided to pick it up. It is nothing less than stunning. An amalgamation of Sigur Ros and Bon Iver (hence, Robin's love) with pieces of Elbow, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Neutral Milk Hotel and Arcade Fire in there also, this 23 year old creator of an orchestra in his basement is a wonder to behold. Dealing directly with death, grief and pain, this is a surprisingly easy album to listen to. Ignore the lyrics and be transported another world, simple and dense. Listen closely to the lyrics and be torn apart, yet still transfixed on the beauty of the music created.

I have been listening to this album nonstop for a few days and find myself repeating it 3-4 times in a row before moving on. It is quiet, but heavy. It is worth your time and listening pleasure. Let me know what you think. Make sure you listen these songs.

A few months later (today):

I have listened to this album countless times during the past few months. It is an album of extreme melancholy, but surprising hope. The swoons and swells dip and rise at an almost classical level, just when you think the song is slowing to a painful pace, the crescendos build and you realize you are experiencing life and death in all its unvarnished reality, ups and downs, anger, sadness, hope and resolution.

The album is not about death, but about dying (not the singer dying, but a friend or family member) and coping. It sounds depressing, but it is not (unless you listen closely to the words).

The Antlers myspace.

You can check out many of the songs from the album on youtube.

Buy it here.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Two More Reasons This is Gonna Be a Good Music Year

Two upcoming releases I am very excited about:

We Were Promised Jetpacks, the latest great young Scottish band releases its American debut on my birthday, July 7. Like Frightened Rabbit, my favorite new band from last year, this bunch of young Scottish punks play emotionally charged guitar driven music that sounds as if the wheels are about to come off.

Known for alcoholic beverages, golf, Presbyterians and being England's stepchild, Scotland is coming into its own musically with a great music scene not involving bagpipes.

Listen here.

Watch the first single.

The second album I am looking forward to is by Moby, who has not put out an album I have really enjoyed in quite a while.

The first listens and the early reviews are quite good. I am enjoying what I am hearing (listen via myspace) or listen to Moby's Wait for Me in its entirety for a while at NPR's site.

Monday, June 22, 2009

overrated, but still quite good

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavillion. I could change my mind by year's end, but so far this is not at the top of my list. There are some great songs and the album is pretty cohesive, but the comparisons to Radiohead and experimental Wilco are a bit premature. They have the dance sensibilities, but they are not dancing on the tightrope between experimental/ original and pop song structure as well as the masters. Really good, but not perfect.

Neko Case Middle Cyclone. I am a huge Neko fan. Her last 2 albums were masterful expressions of true country and her work with The New Pornographers is legendary. However, this is not special. It does not build on her other work, which I demand of an artist of her caliber. I still listen to it, but find myself heading to her back catalog. She did not disappoint like her contemporary, Jenny Lewis (thank God). I think my expectations are too high for her. I may be grading her on an unfair plane since it could be in my top 10.

Passion Pit Manners. I really like this album and loved their previous EP, which this takes songs from. Maybe that is why I don't believe the hype. Seriously, this is a cool dance record made by a bunch of white guys from New England. But, it is not the best album of the year, just like LCDSoundsystem was very good, but not the best thing of 2007. It is overrated but will make my Top 10 or 20... just not my top 3.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

final thoughts on taking ourselves less seriously

21. Look at pictures of yourself when you were young and awkward. Show them to others. Let them laugh at your hairstyle, clothing or anything else. Notice how dorky you really did look.

22. Watch sports. Get your angst out by rooting for one team, against another and debating the unfairness of officiating. Why? Because it does not matter. It is more fun to debate things that don't matter anyway.

23. Watch The Hangover. It is that funny.

24. Go see The Flaming Lips in concert. Try to act cool.

25. Dance like Elaine on Seinfield.

and lastly, don't take the opinions you hold as Gospel. Don't hold on to them too closely. You could be wrong. And don't get worked up when people have different opinions than you. They are not indicting your worth as a human being by having a different opinion. Even if they are, they could be wrong.. or they could be right and you are wrong. Who knows? You don't and I don't. That much I know.

Friday, June 19, 2009

refocusing my blog efforts

It is not your imagination. I am refocusing my blog on music and culture stuff... at least for now. It is less controversial and I don't have to deal with all the fall out. Of course, I will still rant about stuff that angers me or gets inside my head, whether that is politics or religion.*

But, for now let's wade back into shallower water.

*which is why I am keeping my mouth shut on things like Iran and America's response. Even if I have some pretty formulated opinions, I figure it is better to let green dogs lie.

overrated in 09- Don't believe the Hype!

Antony and the Johnstons The Crying Light. Everyone is going nuts over the self conscious and deliberately odd piece of above average music with some form of originality pushed by music critics that want to expand our horizons without really expanding anything. If you think Joanna Newsom or Joan as Police Woman is special, you will love this. I don't. It is fine, may even make my year end Top 40, but c'mon.

The Ting Tings- We Started Nothing. Been there, done that. Terribly slight redux of Blondie, Lilly Allen and every other "smart" pop singer. You get the idea. But, I do like it... just not that much.

The Decemberists The Hazards of Love. The Decemberists release an album. It must be great, right? No. As their popularity grows, I become less impressed each successive album since Picaresque.

Dave Matthews Band Big Whisky and The GrooGrux King. I know. I know. Someone in the band dies and they release an album in his honor, so we must love it or we are jerks. I am a jerk. Plus, I never drank the Kool Aid. I have seen them numerous times and followed them back in the day as a resident of Richmond, VA their old stomping ground. They have had some great songs and solid albums, but only one truly great one, Before These Crowded Streets. This album is NOT worthy of being in the same sentence. It is fine, but sounds too much like other stuff. It may grow on me, but it is not their chef-d'oeuvre, as Rolling Stone declares.

even more ways to take yourself less seriously

12. If you read about politics, then read Matt Taibbi (to the left) or P.J. O'Rourke (to the Right) Find sources that speak about subjects you hold dearly with humor (and mock them). It is good for you.

Some sources for Taibbi's writings here, here, here or here.

Some sources for O'Rourke's writing here, here, here, here and here.

13. Picture yourself in underwear as you make a particularly important point. Would your point seem ridiculous if made by a person in underwear?

14. Eat a Popsicle. Outside. When it is hot. in front of someone else.

15. Volunteer to work in the nursery or with toddlers.

16. Volunteer to work with mentally handicapped persons and let them make fun of you.

17. Tell all of those ideas in your head to a child or someone mentally handicapped. Notice how little they care.

18. Tell jokes, even if they are not funny the first time. Work on your timing.

19. Find the humor in every day life. Notice that even Steve Inskeep on NPR has a wonderful sense of humor.

20. Boycott media that does not have a sense of humor and takes itself too seriously, even if but for a season.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

more ways to take yourself less seriously

More ways to take yourself less seriously...

7. Listen to less earnest folk music, whiny Emo music and angry country or rap, all of which take themselves too seriously. Listen to a little Cheap Trick, The Format, The Beastie Boys, Louden Wainwright III, Jimmy Buffett, Eminem or Ben Folds (I recommend this song or watch it here- explicit lyric warning).

8. Read McSweeny's, Landover Baptist, The Door, Graph Jam, The Onion, Stuff White People Like, or Veto Corleone... anything satirical (and not just the stuff you agree with. Find stuff that confronts your biases).

9. Laugh when people mock you, especially when you are being to serious. Mockery is good for us. Seek out things that actively mock things you like or believe. Watch it until you can laugh at yourself.

10. Watch 30 Rock and see how well the self serious fare, especially Jack, Tracy and Jenna.

11. Get a dog.

why 2009 is a better music year than 2008, future releases

Back to something I actually know something about... music:

I think that 2009 is shaping up to be a pretty good music year, maybe on par with 2005, but not as good as 2006 or 2007. It is definitely better than 2008. 2007 was a ridiculously good year with brilliant releases by Radiohead, The New Pornographers, Okkervil River, Arcade Fire and The National along with really good stuff by MIA, Band of Horses, Elvis Perkins, Iron and Wine, Fiest, Lupe Fiasco and Tinariwen. In fact, any of those would have been in the top 2 of 2008, with only Frightened Rabbit (2008's best album) assured a spot in my 2007 list, had it been released a year earlier. However, looking back on it, I realize that The Hold Steady, Beck, Devotchka and The Roots all released very good albums.

2006 was a great year also, though not perfect (like 07). It gave us the first great release by K'naan (looking back on it- the best album of the year), along with greats from Jenny Lewis and the Watson Sisters, The Format, Regina Spektor, Gnarls Barkley, The Hold Steady, mewithoutyou, M Ward, Josh Ritter and Cold War Kids (many of whom released sub par albums in 08).

But 2005 was pretty solid but good, with great albums by only a few bands, Okkervil River, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens (yes, it has been that long), My Morning Jacket and Sigur Ros. So, yes I think 2009 will be better than 08. It already is, and we have plenty of stuff on the horizon later this year (we are barely 1/2 way and many good albums come later in the year).

Over the next few days/ weeks I will try to give some thoughts on some of the new music I have been listening to and some that I am very excited about.

So, today lets focus on some exciting new music that is not out yet.

I am looking forward to Regina Spektor's Far coming out next week. The initial reviews are quite good andher last album is an all-time Bennett family favorite. Walking a line between the quirkiness of Fiona Apple and Tori Amos and the pop sensibilities of Ben Folds and a bit of Patty Griffin, each successive album by Spektor has gotten more acclaim and listeners. I have heard some of the new album and am impressed, knowing that her music grows on me over time (so if I like it today, I will love it next month).

The first single, the odd, compelling and singable One of Us for a new generation of listeners, entitled Laughing With is a distinctively Jewish take on God, which I hope will be a huge hit. I wish I was still a pastor or youth minister with a song like this to discuss with congregants. My kids already love the song, with Aedan asking for me to play it about 10 times in the car this weekend.

hear the song and watch the video.

Also, coming in August is the debut album by the band Fun. Consisting of the lead singer of The Format and a member of Anathallo, this should be a piece of sugary pop hiding lyrics full of melancholy and dark thoughts. I love that combination, which The Format perfected on an EP and album before saying goodbye to a cruel world unable to fathom its greatness.

The first single, At Least I'm Not as Sad (as I used to be) is a perfect example of the layer of sugary sweetness covering a bitter inner cookie. Listen on their myspace page. Judging from their show a few weeks ago, I think this is an indication of the direction of the album with some nods to the aforementioned Ben Folds along with poppy masters like Cheap Trick, The Bay City Rollers and Fountains of Wayne. The previewed songs are great and I cannot wait to get my hands on the final product.

I have heard the streaming from Wilco's latest and it is a vast improvement over Sky Blue Sky. While some Wilco cultists loved it despite the fact it was terribly sub par, I think this latest hearkens back to the more experimental sounds of previous releases, while looking forward and trying to be a rock band. I expect that I will like it a lot after multiple listens, but doubt it will be at the top of my year end list (it should be around #8-10 according to my predictions) like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born.

If you want to hear my take on the problems of Wilco's last album versus other bands (see Radiohead and U2) moving forward by reengaging their past, let me know and I will do a posting.

Lastly, I am also excited about the next albums by Magnolia Electric Company, Dinosaur Jr, Pearl Jam, Jay Z, Beastie Boys, New Pornographers, Modest Mouse, Gillian Welch and maybe the Fugees, all expected to be released this summer or fall.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Not taking ourselves seriously (part 1)

Hopefully this will be my last posting regarding the Emergent kerfuffle (dang, I love that word). Can I say it again? Kerfuffle. But, I never leave anything alone, even if I have been warned (hence, the scars).

However, here are some things we can all do, so we take ourselves, our opinions, our views, our affiliations and our loyalties a little less seriously.

Over the next few days I will offer my pastoral, fatherly and counseling advice to all readers, hoping to help themselves take themselves a little less seriously. This is for everyone everywhere at all times, not just Emerging Christians.

1. First of all... Lighten Up. Seriously. Someone is always smarter than you are.

2. Watch Stand Up Comedy. I recommend comedians that a) make fun of anything you consider sacrosanct and b) those that are particularly bizarre. One of the funniest, who is also bizarre and makes people uncomfortable is Daniel Tosh, the son of a Florida pastor (not for the very easily offended). Watch as much comedy as you do preaching (and more comedy than you watch or listen to talk radio or "news").

3. Drink Beer... with people.

4. Drink less Coffee, especially before commenting on blogs.

5. Draw on your face with magic markers (or allow kids to). Then go look in the mirror at how preposterous you look (note: make sure they are erasable).

6. Remember, unless you are involved with Iranian Elections or something like that, what you are part of and what you talk about, especially online, is not life and death and ultimately not THAT important.

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