Posted March 4, 2010 by Charles
Yesterday I threw in an old CD (CD? what is this, ‘05?) with some Relient K on it and remembered why I like them so much.
I had a discussion a couple of weeks ago with a classmate about Christian music. One of the things we talked about was the difference between groups that spoke explicitly about Jesus and clear religious themes in their music, and those who didn’t hide their faith, but used different subject matter. When it comes to popular music I prefer the latter (though there are obvious advantages to the former in worship).
Relient K was one of the examples that came up, because my classmate remembered their early stuff, saying there was a lot of explicit Christian imagery and subject matter. I didn’t listen to them until MMHMM, and it didn’t have that same flavor. That doesn’t stop them from having some great theology and understanding for real life:
“…And this life sentence that I’m serving
I admit that I’m every bit deserving.
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair.” (“Be My Escape”)
“I am a hostage of my own humanity,
Self-detained and forced to live in this mess I’ve made.
And all I’m asking is for you to do what you can with me,
But I can’t ask you to give what you already gave.” (“Be My Escape”)
“And today I’ll trust you with the confidence of a many who’s never known defeat.
Then tomorrow upon hearing what I did, I will stare at you in disbelief.
Oh inconsistent me.
Crying out for consistency.” (“Let It All Out”)
Posted November 11, 2009 by Charles
And how God loves every one of us.
If you’re lost I will find you with a vision knows your fear
And if you break I will bind you with my arms
If you hurt I will heal you
If you stray I will reel you in and drive away the demons did you harm
Come my way, I’ll carry you in from the cold
Come my way, I promise I’ll lead you back home
If you’re down I’ll convert you with a missionary zeal
And guard your heart with a mercenary cool
And if you’re drained I will fill you up with my love until you know
The glory of an other-worldly fool
Come my way, I’m crushing you diamonds from coal
Come my way, I’m turning your tin dreams to gold
And if you come, I will dream you to imaginary high
And if you hope, you’ll awake to find it real life
But if you run I will spurn you, if you turn love will burn you
And you’ll never know the story of these arms
“Come My Way”, by Sean Altman, performed by Rockapella (sans chorus and bridge)
Posted August 23, 2009 by Charles
I originally posted this after seeing Incubus in Dallas over Labor Day weekend 2007. Last night I saw them again at the same venue, and it was another amazing show. The major difference is that this time there were a lot more people, the show was more polished, and I had to sit farther away. The experience was still pretty amazing, and most of what I thought after the last concert still applies. One addition, though: it’s incredible how a talented band that falls outside of the mainstream can, over time, redefine what “mainstream” means. Even two years ago it seemed they were just on the outside, but looking at the type of people that were at the show last night—from wealthy, middle aged, and business casual to twenty-something slackers in graphic tees and skinny jeans—they’ve made a place for themselves well inside the mainstream.
Incubus is my favorite band. I’ve been listening to them for 7 or 8 years, and they just keep getting better. They’re sound is varying and original, the lyrics are deep (not in a “you are beautiful, no matter what they say” kind of way, but the real deal), and somehow they keep finding new sounds.
When I was in Europe in 2002 they toured with 311 and Hoobastank, and I had a chance to get tickets to the show in Amsterdam, but no one in my group would go with me (I’m not about to go see a rock concert in Amsterdam by myself). Then, in 2004 I had a chance to get tickets to the A Crow Left of the Murder tour stop in Dallas, but didn’t have a ride in from the desert. Then when the small venue tour tickets went on sale for January, I was at my computer on Ticketmaster.com for them to go on sale at 10am…and you know what? Sold out within a few minutes. So when my wife found out that they were touring again this year, we snapped up tickets right away, and over Labor Day weekend we drove down to Dallas with a friend and went to the concert at the Smirnoff Music Centre Superpages.com Center.
Read more
But as the first grieving fades, and all those people Jackson’s lawyers paid to keep quiet get other people to pay for their stories, the tabloid tattling will return. The noise should be as instructive as it is ugly. It will force Michael Jackson’s fans and foes to ask: Why must our stars fall so spectacularly and fail us so egregiously? Perhaps it’s because we want them to. Indeed, it may be the primary function of celebrities like Jackson to show us, in their early radiance, what we could dream of being – and in the murk of their decline, what we fear we could become.
Richard Corliss, from
Time (6/26/09)
Posted July 31, 2008 by Charles
I was just bumming around online today and I came across this article , “Is Christian Music Dying?”, in Collide magazine. I looked at the first couple of paragraphs in print last month, but never got around to reading the whole thing.
The article is a discussion of CCM – Contemporary Christian Music – and whether or not it has a viable future. There are some great lines, a couple of which I’ll look at here, but you should take some time and read it through. McClellan does a good and fair job, in my opinion, of looking critically at Christian music and the Christian music industry.
I’ve never really been a fan of CCM. I’ve tried it a few times, but I always felt like I was expected to like it just because it was Christian…without worrying about whether or not it was good. I think there are a couple of fundamental things wrong with the industry that are, in the very near future, going to drain what life is left. Read more
