My New Year's Resolution

I don't usually go in for New Year's Resolutions but having heard the dubious fact that the average person eats 8 spiders a year, i've decided to get the disgusting trial out of the way and eat all 8 of mine on Jan 1st...



...wish me luck!


Totally Unrelated Posts: Understanding and handling spiritual gifts

Best Of 2009: Books And Films

Books

1)The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture (Scott Klusendorf) – This book makes a compelling pro-life argument and help us to cut through the many smoke screens and false trails to the one issue behind all others in the abortion debate. In a way the only drawback is that it does this so effectively in the first chapter that it becomes a victim of it’s own success and the following few chapters seem a bit superfluous . However later chapters approach the issues from different angles and are very rewarding. Informing and crystal clear without being any heavier than it needs to.

2) Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity (David Allen) – a brilliant life management system - simple, comprehensive and common sense without getting dogmatic. David Allen argues convincingly for running your life from the bottom up rather than top down (against books like 7 habits) and shows you how. I’ve read it twice and am still applying the lessons.

3) Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (Jung Chang) – a heartbreaking study of the cost of Chinese communism told through the real life stories of three generations of Chinese woman starting with the author’s grandmother – a Chinese warlord’s concubine.

Films

Up – a kids film? Hardly. Out of a ridiculous premise (OAP balloon salesman flies his house to South America) Pixar craft the most profound and moving film of the year. If there is any justice in the film industry this should win best picture Oscar. A moving plot, humour, and better characterisation that 90% of Hollywood films. Even the talking dog is believable!

Man on Wire– a thrilling, dramatised documentary of the illegal wire walking stunt of the century. In 1974 Philippe Petit smuggled ½ ton of equipment into the twin towers and walked between them, 104 floors up, for three quarters of an hour. Using interviews, original footage and reconstruction the film explores how he did it, who helped him and what it cost them all.

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travela quirky and original low budget British sci-fi comedy that pays homage to, and subverts, the genre at the same time. Great fun.

Honourable mentions

Lucky Number Slevin

Rendition

Meet Dave

Inkheart

Related Posts: Best Music (2009)
Best Music Videos (2009)

Best Of 2009: Music Videos

Here's my favourite music films/DVDs of 2009

1) Flight 666: The Film - Iron Maiden.

A heartwarming documentary about a heavy metal band of 50-somethings who buy a 757 jet for their latest tour and yet still seem to have their feet on the ground.

2) Arctic Monkeys - At The Apollo

Beautifully shot gig of a band who, if not at the top of their game, are certainly on the up. Really nice blend of hits and B-sides.




3) Joe Satriani Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival

Shot in 1988 but only released recently as part of the Surfing With The Alien (Legacy Edition) CD package. Heavy Metal guitar heroics with as much creativity and intelligence as free jazz.

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Best Of 2009: Music

My Best Album Of 2009

is a tie between

Identity Crisis (Tedashii)


Intelligent gospel-saturated Hip-hop delivered with passion and clarity

Buy It.
Read the review.


...and...

Armistice (Mutemath)


The Christian/Not Christian band for the Crowder generation stepped up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. Then walked into the car park and hit the ball back into the park. Then did handstands on the piano.

Buy it.
Read my review - part one, part two.


Best Praise & Worship Album (by a mile)

Awaken The Dawn (Keith & Kristyn Getty)




Shame on me for not writing about this album before now. A great group of writers (the Gettys plus Stuart Townend) write theologically profound songs that real people can actually sing! But the killer one-two punch is Kristyn's beautiful voice on top of some incredibly 'right', gimmick-free arrangements. Stand out tracks - Creation Sings The Father's Song & Still, My Soul, Be Still.

Buy It.
Read a few recommendations. Soul Audio
William Chong
Jamie Brown (NB DO NOT judge the song Creation Sings on the awful Youtube version!)



Best Free Album

Thru You (Kutiman)




I have to give an honourable mention to Lyrycyst's Revolution, but this is why the Internet exists. Listen to it, ponder how it was made and then try and argue that copyright law doesn't need to evolve (if you dare).

Download it.
Read my original post.


I'm sure you disagree. I can take it.
Who would YOU put here?




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Half birthday -Top 5 music videos

Throw Some Gold On Him... Tim Hawkins

Here's Tim Hawkins on another dumb Christmas song to avoid...



Kevin De Young saw it first

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Vote For Chris Spring!

Calling all Young Glory readers, (especially all you guys in the Newfrontiers network of Churches - this guy is 'one of our own'!).

Chris Spring's fabulous free album The Universe Is Flat has been nominated for best free album on The free Christian music blog

This is some much needed, and long overdue, recognition for what is not only one of the best free albums, but one of the best albums full stop (or period as they in the US of Stateside)

He's up against some stiff opposition, so what you need to do is
What you need to do is head over there and, in a few clicks, VOTE.

If by some strange quirk of fate you haven't downloaded this masterpiece yet you need to go to

Chris Spring.Com RIGHT NOW and get it.

Failing that you should give up any pretence of liking music and go straight out and buy the X-factor single...

Power To The People!

Rage Against The Machine Won!

The important thing is that a man with his own major prime time network show and a million other advantages can be overuled by a husband and wife with a facebook account.

Encouraging times for the music business.

Merry Christmas!

Three Wise Men - #3 Brown On Syrup & A Classic Album

Jamie Brown @ Worthily Magnify has a good post called 'Say No To Syrup.'

he says There’s nothing wrong with syrup… on pancakes. There is a problem with syrup in church. It tastes sweet and it makes people feel happy, but it has no nutritional value. Half an hour after the service is over they’re hungry again. You’ve missed your chance to feed them eternal truth and you can’t get it back. Oh the deceptive allure of syrup. How do you know if you're getting syrupy? Try asking the following... Is Jesus presented as the glorious Savior or as a cuddly little baby?... Will [the visitor] hear predictable, fluffy, Ford Taurus commercial background music – or will he hear the good news of the Gospel?... Does the song reference there being snow on the ground?... Does it “beat around the ‘gospel bush’”?

Read more

Jamie also took the time to big up Andrew Peterson’s “Behold the Lamb of God” as one of the all time greatest Christmas CDs. I heartily concur with his comments


[It] masterfully tells the story of salvation in twelve songs. The first five songs deal with themes such as the Passover, Israel’s longing for a King...“Matthew’s Begats” [is] the genealogy of Jesus Christ set to a bluegrass tune. It works. Really. I can’t say enough good things about this album. It’s full of rich, biblical truth, and tells this familiar story in a fresh way. I only have one small quibble with a phrase he uses on the first song, “Gather Round Ye Children”, where he says Jesus “gave up his pride and came here to die like a man”...that phrase could be seen as implying that...Jesus was prideful, and the wording of Jesus coming to “die like a man” might be a bit confusing. All in all, though, a fantastic CD and a good resource for some special songs to sing during Advent. And the rest of the year too.

Read More

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Family Man

Another Sackful Of Tomlin Christmas Cheer

If you don't already have enough Christmas music - you can stream Chris Tomlin's Christmas album Glory In The Highest at New Release Tuesday for the rest of the week.


Related Posts: Take Chris Tomlin home for Christmas

Three Wise Men - #2 Acuff On Killing Santa

I have lots of kids. Groucho & Chico hated Santa from the get go, both in his department store incarnation but most especially in the "Hey kid, I'm gonna sneak into your bedroom while you're asleep" mode that scared the stuffing out of 'em and I was glad to put their minds at rest. Harpo and Zeppo on the other hand quite like the jolly fat guy, and once again I'm all conflicted. Jon Acuff @ Stuff Christians Like sums up the dilemma and the options nicely...


1. We can welcome Santa with a creed like “Arms wide open.”
2. We can kill Santa
3. We can combine Santa and Jesus

My friends have a theory that if you tell a kid for 6-8 years that there’s a magical, semi all knowing entity named Santa and then pull the rug on them later, it will be harder for them to believe in God. The idea is that if I can’t trust that what you told me about Santa is true, why should I believe you about God. I think they raise a good point...

It will be easier to focus on the true meaning of Christmas if you go ahead and pop the Santa sleigh into neutral, tie the gas pedal to the steering wheel with a bit of festive ribbon and ghost ride Santa over a cliff. Killing Santa would allow you to focus on Christ’s birth...

My fingers felt a tiny crackle of lightning just typing the sentence, “We can combine Santa and Jesus.” God is a jealous God. If you try to make Santa the fourth member of the trinity, or put a red hat on Jesus, please buy at least 10 copies of the Stuff Christians Like book first, because then at least people will have something funny to read at your funeral...

If you're in need of more serious council Noel Piper has some wise words on the DG website

And here's someone who took the 'Kill Santa' option too seriously...





Related Posts: 3 Wise Men: #1 Kauflin on killer Church tunes

Simon Cowell: Cynical And Stupid

I'm sorry that should read -

Simon Cowell "Cynical and stupid".



As this is mainly a music blog I've not had any call to write about Simon Cowell, but the Facebook campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to Christmas number 1 in place of whoever won the X factor, and Simon's subsequent frothing, has given us a not-to-be-missed example of an arch manipulator getting a dose of his own medicine. He has branded the campaign as "cynical" and "stupid".


Kettle.
Black.
Pot.
Calling.
The.

You do the grammar.

"It's quite a cynical campaign"
- and that differs from your work in what way?

"I also think it's incredibly dismissive...they treat our audience as if they're stupid and I don't like that"
- where you, Simon, of course, treat them like the discerning musical connoisseurs they are.

"Me having a number 1 record at Christmas time is not going to change my life particularly. It does, however, change these guys' lives. We put this opportunity there so the winner of the X Factor gets the chance of having a big hit record."
- Heart of gold, this guy. He's just doing it for the kids.



Tom Morello of RATM has gone on record that he will donate some of the royalties to Youth Music (a UK young musicians charity that I've worked for in the past). The campaign itself is raising money for homeless charity Shelter.

If you want to get involved you must buy the song before Dec 20th from

7digital
iTunes
or
Play.com

There's some confusion over whether Amazon's 29p loss leaders count as anything under 40p doesn't register on the chart. Neither does buying more than one download (you naughty people). And please don't hate me for saying this but if you live in the States buying it will have no effect as it's the UK charts we're talking about (but when the next American Idol comes up...)

If you've been living in a cave for the last 17 years I should warn you that the track has a lot of swearing on it. But not as much as there will be in the Cowell household if things don't go his way on Dec 20th...

Finally if you do want to support "whoever won" then you can still buy their single -just get it on Dec 21st, safe in the knowledge you haven't let the side down...

But you should know that even previous X factor & Britain's got talent 'stars' are backing the campaign...


Related Posts: Thru You and the thorny problem of airspace

More Mutemath

Here's a few more MM treats

Backfire live on the David Letterman show



The Nerve live in Tokyo



Sharing a stage with Paul Meany is dangerous - and the poor roadie was only trying to help...



Darren King - Gaffa tape & 100% commitment...



Covering Ray Charles' Baby What I Say...mucho funky




Are you sure you don't want to buy Armistice?

Zach saw some of it first

Related Posts: Armistice review part one & part two

This Is Not The Post You're Looking For...

How about this instead?

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somebody stop me

Two More Download Milestones!

Yowzah, yowzah!

This week my song The Weight Of Glory hit 100 downloads! This is the second song to do so after The Eglon Song (currently hovering around 280).

And overall downloads just passed 600!

Thanks to all of you, from all of me.



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Song Of The Redeemed

Mutemath Armistice Review Pt.2

( Read the first part of the review here)

Another trait shared with U2 is MuteMath’s ability to have a full and compelling sound even though no one instrument seems to be playing all that much. The ‘catchy as a cold’ first single, Spotlight showcases how they really do operate as a band rather than simply overdubbing a bunch of instruments on top of each other. Speaking of overdubs, what would a normal band use to build into the first big chorus – power chords? String pads? On Goodbye and Odds MM use violin and marimba/glockenspiels!

Meany’s world-weary lyrics about “our sad terminal democracy” on the latter seem to refer to how the band scrapped all the songs they’d already written on the road for this album and started again from scratch.

“I know it’s hard to say
We’ll throw it all away
But the odds are we’ll be better off”

Standout ballad Lost Year could almost be a Swell Season piano track but for the odd chord clusters in chorus. No instrument ever seems to be played conventionally or predictably for very long. Darren King’s drumming, often chopped up, distorted and compressed, is transformed on Pins & Needles into a gentle Jazz-like support for more string quartet oddness.

Closing track Burden opens like a driving INXS song but in the final few minutes becomes a plaintive and almost ambient meditation on the futility and fragility of the fallen condition. Built musically on the bridge of Spotlight, it’s a masterful Ecclesiastes like summation of the album’s theme.

“The devil is not the nature that is around us,
But the nature that is within us all”

This album is a grower, full of surprise and depth on every level.
You can buy Armistice here.

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BestCds of 2008 (with beef and cheese)

MuteMath Armistice Review Pt. 1

(Photo: Max Roper)


What U2 are to the modern worship movement Mutemath could be to postmodern indie rock worship. Channelling it, perfectly expressing it, transcending it, and ultimately defining it. The band that every other band sounds a little bit like. The most influential band in the genre without actually being in the genre. Maybe.

I'm not saying they particularly SOUND like U2. Mutemath don’t really sound like any one of their closest ‘competitors’. For one thing there’s a organic feel that earths even their most programmed moments, giving them a humanity that David Crower Band’s relentless barrage of bleeps (AKA ‘Church Music’) never gets close to.

For another the funky atmosphere of the band's native New Orleans is a missing ingredient in most bands but simmers away in the background here like a spicy pan of gumbo. The spirits of George Porter Jr. & Zigaboo Modeliste hover around title track Armistice like funky guardian angels.
(In fact the only disappointment with the album is that the barebones remix of Armistice showcasing the Rebirth Brass Band isn’t here - but you can listen to it here or on Under The Radar's podcast).

(Photo: Max Roper)

Album opener Nerve has singer Paul Meany’s most Bono-like lyrics

“This world’s like a wounded martyr worried if his commitment is gone”

but where U2 want to save the world MM just want to “set it on fire.”

Backfire kicks off with a beguiling constantly detuning guitar. Guitarist Greg Hill may be from the Edge school of minimalism but he paints his own pictures with his own colours.



Presumably taking it’s name from the uber-distorted bass intro Clipping is overlaid with skittering drums and classical piano arpeggios. In place of a guitar solo we get a string quartet swooping and screeching and capturing the song’s desperation and confusion perfectly.

(Part Two here)

buy Armistice here.

Thanks to Vitamin Z TV, AM Music Blog, and Max Roper (photos).



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Chris Spring - Under The Radar

It's Time To Play The Music...

This really needs no comment...




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White and nerdy?

All I want for Christmas is Tomlin, Houghton, Skillet, Baloche, Kutless...

SoulAudio are having a crazy christmas giveaway - 24 CDs worth!

One lucky winner will get

Paul Baloche – Glorious
Family Force 5 – Christmas Pageant
Peder Eide – Perfect Surprise
Mark Harris – Christmas Is
Skillet – Awake
Kutless – It Is Well
Ayiesha Woods – Christmas Like This
Casting Crowns – Until The Whole World Hears
Anthony Evans – What Christmas Means
Chris Tomlin – Glory In The Highest
Downhere – How Many Kings
Big Daddy Weave – Christ Is Come
Sandy Patty – Christmas Live w/DVD
Various Artists – Gotta Have Gospel Christmas
Various Artists – Worship and Adore: A Christmas Offering
Lull-A-Bye-Baby – Christmas
Israel & New Breed – A Timeless Christmas
Various Artists – Handel’s Messiah Rocks w/DVD
Yancy – Have A Fancy Yancy Christmas
Matt Brouwer – A Merry Little Christmas EP
Tal & Acacia – Wake Me
VeggieTales – Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving DVD
Pillar – Confessions Book
Desperation Band – Light Up The World

there are hefty runners up prizes too. And all you have to do is

write a short essay (or video essay) telling us about what Christmas means to you and what you’re doing this year to help give back to your world. There’s really no right or wrong answer here but we’re looking to hear stories from those who are truly giving back. The most creative, heartwarming, and compelling will be culled through by our judges and we’ll pick our winners.

head over to SoulAudio.Com to find out more...



Totally Unrelated Posts: New song :The Weight Of Glory
Somebody stop me!

Serious Like Weird Al (pt.4)

Another piece of evidence as I build a case for why Weird Al Yankovic should be hailed as one of the most skillful songwriters of this generation. Take a look at these lyrics – notice anything unusual?

Bob by Weird Al Yankovic

I, man, am regal - a German am I

Never odd or even if I had a hi-fi

Madam, I'm Adam, too hot to hoot

No lemons, no melon, too bad I hid a boot

Lisa Bonet ate no basil, Warsaw was raw

Was it a car or a cat I saw?

Rise to vote, sir, do geese see God?

"Do nine men interpret?" "Nine men," I nod

Rats live on no evil star.

Won't lovers revolt now? Race fast, safe car

Pa's a sap, Ma is as selfless as I am

May a moody baby doom a yam?

Ah, Satan sees Natasha. No devil lived on

Lonely Tylenol not a banana baton

No "x" in "Nixon", O, stone, be not so

O Geronimo, no minor ego

"Naomi," I moan, "A Toyota's a Toyota"

A dog, a panic in a pagoda

Oh no! Don Ho! Nurse, I spy gypsies - run!

Senile felines, now I see bees I won

UFO tofu. We panic in a pew

Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo

God! A red nugget! A fat egg under a dog!

Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog

Spot it? That's right. Every single line is a palindrome - or two (i.e. reads the same backwards as well as forward). Even the title is a palidrome. Pretty clever huh? But that's not enough for our dread champion. The song actually rhymes as well and, as a pastiche of Subterranean Homesick Blues, the lyrics also make sense - in a Dylanesque psychedelic stream of conscience kind of way.

Add a simple video that also parodies Dylan's groundbreaking video and you have a work of art.

(sorry about the dumb advert first...)

Part 1 (White & Nerdy)

Part 2 (Jerry Springer/One Week)

Part 3 (The Saga Begins/American Pie & Ode To A Superhero/Piano Man)