The LORD is my strength and song...
A year ago this March, I had written a post about "Indie Christian Music" or contemporary Christian music that actually sounded like popular secular music in the indie scene. I felt, at that time, that there was a great lacking in this area and went on to compare Skillet to Nickelback. I apologize now for comparing ANY band to Nickelback, who now has less Facebook fans than a pickle... but I digress.
Lately, I have found that Air1, the Christian "positive alternative" station, has actually exposed me to CCM that I genuinely enjoy. My absolute favorite discoveries so far are Switchfoot's "Your Love is a Song", Jars of Clay's "Dead Man/Carry Me" and TobyMac's "City on Our Knees".
Switchfoot was a band I actually enjoyed when I was going through my Linkin Park/Creed/3 Doors Down phase back in my early teens but I fell out of love with them a few years ago and didn't think I would be going back anytime soon. However, when I heard "Your Love is a Song" on Air1, I was soooo enamored with the music, the vocals (which was a bit of a departure from his normal style), and the lyrics. This song spoke to me and it has been on heavy rotation on my iPod for awhile now.
Jars of Clay's first album is one of my all-time favorite albums period. Christian or not, every note of that album makes me shiver. It also happens to house my all-time favorite CCM song, "Love Song for a Savior". That song makes me feel like God is holding me in His arms, letting me know that everything is going to be OK. After their first two album releases back in the early 90s, I never really followed their progress. Just the other day I was, again, listening to Air1 when I heard a song that sounded eerily like The Killers. I thought to myself, "OK, this definitely isn't The Killers because they might be self-proclaimed Mormons but their music is NOT spiritual in the least. I need to know who is trying to be Christian version of The Killers RIGHT NOW!" So, I got out my trusty smart phone, opened SoundHound and discovered, to my astonishment, that it was Jars of Clay! WHAAA???!!! I couldn't believe it, seriously. I investigated more of their recent stuff and found that I loved it all. I can't believe I've been missing out for several years now!
Finally, good ol' TobyMac. I absolutely LOVED "Momentum" when it came out in 2001. I was scared that TobyMac, without his dcTalk buddies, would be a little one-dimensional and... a little cliche, maybe? However, his debut solo album rocked my socks off. It absolutely blew me away! Then came "DiverseCity" and "Portable Sounds" and... well, I was less than impressed. They each garnered a lot of positive attention but they just weren't my style. I was really surprised that "DiverseCity" didn't cling to my ears at that time because I was a total Bob Marley fan back then! Just didn't work for me, I suppose. Then comes "Tonight" and I love all three of the tracks that have made it to Air1 so far. My favorite, "City on Our Knees", I first heard at the TobyMac concert I was able to attend last year with my family. He ROCKED THE HOUSE with that tune. Absolutely brought us to our knees! I was hooked again on my Toby and I can't get enough.
Needless to say, I have fallen in love with Christian music all over again and I feel it is the perfect time of my life for it to be so. Every time I become depressed, I either put on David Crowder Band on my iPod or switch on Air1. It always brings a smile to my face. God has always spoken to me through music, so I couldn't be happier that His words are now coming from Godly people with God-given talents.
Alright, enough of my ranting retrospective :)
p.s.
On a related note, check out just about EVERYTHING Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, has done solo. THIS SONG IS SOOOO CUTE AND RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! AHHH!
I reside in dreams. Even while wakeful, my heart yearns for the unreal. In mind and spirit, I dwell in a world of imagination, whimsy, magic. If only my wings were strong enough to take me there, to free me from my cage of reality. One day... One day, I'll fly away.
7 comments:
It's so funny that you posted this. Momentum was one of those albums that I listened to over and over again back in the day. I remember giving it a listen sometime just after graduating and it was a bit cheesy and cliche. There are a lot of genuinely talented artists out there making "Christian music" but sometimes I wish there was more focus on the music, that way I can still listen to those old albums. Joy Electric, for example, always epic. Emery, while all screamo and such, solid pick. Underoath? Are they Christian music or Christians in a band? Whaa? Anyway, I think you see what I'm getting at. Maybe not.
Anyway - first Jars of Clay album? YES. Great album.
What about Sixpence None the Richer's first album?? I can still listen to that one over and over and over and over. . .
"Toby Maaac!"
Oh I have to spam you one last time to ask: HAVE YOU EVER LISTENED TO SWITCHFOOT'S FIRST 3 ALBUMS? (The Legend of Chin, New Way to Be Human, and Learning to Breathe) Absolutely terrible! Except for that one song "Chem6a". (You Already Take Me There was good too..)
Beautiful Let Down was a METEORIC leap for that band.. I like 'em too. . just sayin'. . .
Oh yes, I completely forgot about Sixpence. Their first album is the only one I own! I love it.
I haven't listened to any early Switchfoot stuff but I definitely started liking them when Beautiful Let Down came out. I had a bit of a break from them when they became a little too mainstream for my taste but I recently changed my mindset on that kind of thing anyway. A band becoming "mainstream" isn't always a bad thing. In fact, in Switchfoot's case, they've been better since they've become more well known, it seems.
I'll have to check out Joy Electric. I'm not an Emery or Underoath fan at all but I'm glad cool people like them. Or something.
You definitely have to check out Joy Electric. Frikkin' world-class electronic music right there.
I REALLY like Joy Electric. I'm on my way to downloading their entire discography. Thanks for the intro!
Nooo problem. (It's just one guy.)
really thats a fantastic.
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