The Land of the Boy Bands and the Home of the Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys were given the honor of singing America's National Anthem for Game 1 of the World Series tonight in St. Petersburg, where the Philadelphia Phillies are playing the Tampa Bay Rays.  It took them long enough to sing the anthem that I was able to get up from my futon, grab my computer, and begin this post.  Why?  Because they spent half the time elongating words and changing their intonation while adding three and four part harmonies.  This is completely unnecessary!

The Star Spangled Banner is about the power of the words - how our country prevailed through "bombs bursting in air" that we might be the "land of the free and the home of the brave."  Francis Scott Key didn't wake up that morning nearly 200 years ago, see the battered American flag and think, "Hey, I bet a boy band in a couple hundred years would make this sound great!"  To me, the quartet ruined the song.  They're fortunate it was our nation's song or I  wouldn't have even known what they said.  I was too focused on how their intent to sound sleek made them sound stupid.  I realize they are not the only people to do this, but they just happened to be the one's singing tonight.  Anyone who does it deserves the mute button.

Nice try BSB, but I'm glad you're off the field so the game can start.  And by the way, you guys were cooler in the 90s.

There's Something About a Campfire...

...that makes music more enjoyable.  This past weekend, I was on a retreat with some of my fellow members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  We were staying at a hunting cabin just a bit out of Marietta, but surrounded by beauty.  On Friday, we had an old fashioned dinner of burgers on the grill and dogs over the fire.  When it came time for dessert (smores of course), I decided to accompany the festivity with some guitar playing.

Things started off great.  I was playing praise and worship songs and everyone was singing along.  Sooner than later, much sooner, my fingers started to get cold.  Pretty soon, I couldn't feel them.  But that didn't stop me from playing.  People kept requesting songs, so I kept playing them.  Yes, it was tough, even painful when I drug the side of my finger instead of the pick across the strings because I had no feeling.  But that was some of the most enjoyable guitar playing I have ever done.  We all seemed to sound like a chorus of angels, yet we were far from it.  

Eventually I stopped, but only because smore time was over and everyone wanted to head in for some warmth.  But if I could head back outside with that same group of people and play those same songs in that same cold weather, I wouldn't hesitate in doing so.  I started the post with this and I'll end with it...

There's something about a campfire that makes music more enjoyable.

Christian Rapper Doing His Part

Christian music has been handed a negative stereotype by most of the popular culture.

  Lecrae, a self-professing Christian, is doing his part to change that with his lyrics.  His junior album "Rebel" has only been out for a few weeks and has made quite the impact

.  It is currently the No. 1 Gospel album, according to Billboard's Top Gospel charts.  More than that, this album is already showing up in mainstream media.  After its release on Sept. 30, it went immediately to the No. 3 spot on iTunes top Rap/Hip-Hop chart, just below

 T.I.'s "Paper Trail."  "Rebel" also claimed Billboard's No. 8 position on the Top Rap Album mainstream chart.

Lecrae's previous album "After the Music Stops" made a signifiant impact when it was released in 2006 and is still staying atop various charts.  I have been a big fan of the rapper ever since my first experience with "Fanatic" while working at summer camp in 2006 and I love what he is doing.  I'm not a fan of rap, mostly because of the content of the lyrics (How does someone get major recognition for rapping about drugs and 

disrespecting women?  Doesn't really make sense to me), so in that sense, Lecrae sits in favor with me.  In an interview, Lecrae speaks about the meaning behind the "Rebel" title, saying it's not rebelling as it would usually be viewed as wild and reckless, rather it's "rebelling against an ungodly culture."

One of the feature tracks, "Don't Waste Your Life," is inspired by the book of the same title, by John Piper.  In the previously mentioned interview, Lecrae said most people would say he wasted his life because he spent it all serving God.  To Lecrae, and Piper would agree, he's wasting his life if he's not doing that.

I hope Lecrae along with other Christian rappers such as Tripp Lee, Fanatik, and KJ-52 continue to put out great album after great album.  With great music revealing an even greater message, the gospel of Christ, it's impossible to go wrong.

Back to School Sounds

Only four days after arriving in Michigan, I had to turn around and leave and head back to Marietta for classes on Wednesday.  I didn't know what to start off with listening to so I figured Shane and Shane could never go wrong.  A double dose of them and then a double shot of Dispatch and I was well into my 7-hour trek back to Southeast Ohio.  Here's how it went:

1.  Shane and Shane - Clean

A rather short CD.  I think it only had 10 tracks and they went by very quickly.  One of the duos earlier CD's.  It still had great songs, but not as strong as Pages.  I knew the second to last song on 

one of the CD's was a great one and when I didn't hear it on "Clean" I ha

d to put in Psalms.

2.  Shane and Shane - Psalms

This album is stronger than "Clean" although it came out a couple years earlier.  It has more depth in the lineup and features songs like "The Answer" and that second to last song, "You Said."  I have to turn it way up when I hear the beginning guitar chords.

3.  Dispatch - Somerville

Dispatch is easily my favorite band outside of the Christian music realm.  I planned on listening to both live CD's from All Points Bulletin, so I started with the weaker of the two, although weaker doesn't mean it wasn't still awesome.  With highlights such as "Here We Go" and "B

ang Bang," it was all a marvelous precursor to the second of the two CD's. 

4.  Dispatch - Hatch Shell

The highlight of the trip.  This album is flooded with amazing music.  The great thing about their live CD's is that most songs include a 3 or 4 minute interlude in which they just jam.  It makes the songs much more enjoyable.  Take for instance "Carry You" when Pauly-T and Phil Keaggy go to town on the piano and guitar.  And then come all the favorites, like "The General," "Elias," "Out Loud," and "Two Coins."  But even the lesser known songs are just as dynamic.  GO DISPATCH!!!

5.  Third Day - Chronology Volume 1

I don't know too many of the Third Day songs - maybe almost half of them.  If I don't know them at least th

ey were fairly familiar.  Third Day has amazing lyrics.  It's hard to drive with my eyes open when I hear "Thief," and "Love Song."

6.  David Crowder Band - A Collision

A very dynamic album from a very dynamic band.  I love how they can go from the praise and worship style of "Here is Our King" to the banjo-sound of "I Saw the Light."  Plus the CD never seems to end, so it easily got me back to Marietta.

Back to classes we go.

Music to Michigan

Fall break has finally arrived.  I've been planning a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a while now to visit a friend from camp, so I'm glad to finally be here.  It was a seven hour drive (10-5) and there's no way I could have done it without music.  I can't really do anything without music.  I thought I might let you in on what was blaring in my car and how I felt about it.

1.  Shane and Shane - Pages

A great way to start the trip.  It was already in my CD player so I didn't even have to decide.  The two Shane's write the best lyrics and their guitar playing abilities blow me away.  Truly one of the best CDs.

2.  Anberlin - Cities

A quite a bit different from the acoustic duo on Shane and Shane.  This CD stood the test of time at camp this past summer and I hadn't listened to it since.  "Inevitable" and "Patron Saint of Lost Causes" are must listens.

3.  Relient K - Five Score and Seven Years Ago

I finally listened to the last song, "Deathbed," all the way through.  I may have before, but if I did, I never paid attention.  It's a bit weird at first, but then tells of the great redemptive love of Jesus.

4.  The Almost - Southern Weather

Of course I had to listen to this CD.  I already bragged about it in a previous post.  Once 

again, "Dirty and Left Out" and "Amazing (Because it is)" blow me away.  I love when Aaron goes into a unique version of "There's Something About That Name" and "Amazing Grace" in both songs respectively.

*Before The Almost finished playing, it started to skip too much and there's nothing worse than having to alter your singing because the CD won't cooperate.  So I turned off the CD

 player and what was playing?  Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape," best known for its choruses of Woooohooooo, woooohooooo.  I didn't feel too masculine as I sang "I could be your favorite girl" but I really didn't feel like changing the station.

5.  Switchfoot - A Beautiful Letdown

I forgot I had this CD.  And why not listen to it since I just wrote about it.  My favorite might be "Twenty-four."  Five years down the road, it is still a very solid CD.  I forgot how many popular ones were on there - oh yeah - six on the Best Of CD.

6.  DC Talk - Greatest Hits (which one?)

Again, another greatest hits CD, the one I mentioned in the Switchfoot post.  But it is such a GREAT CD.  Talk about old school.  "Luv is a Verb" just makes you want to dance in an absurd out of synch way.  The raps are classic because we all know that Toby Mac is "flowin' like a bottle of Drain-O."  And then there's the contrast of "My Will" which is a mirror of what I'd like to live out.

7.  OAR - All Sides

I'm not too familiar with this CD yet, but it's solid.  It was the only CD I couldn't sing along with very well, but I'm getting there.  "Stories of a Stranger" was a pretty good CD, but All Sides trumps it.  More of the classic brass instruments are used giving it a brighter sound.

Four days from now I'll be making the 7-hour trek back to Marietta.  I can't wait to see what music is in store for me.

Greatest Hits Too Soon

Just over a decade into their musical career, Switchfoot has decided to release their first greatest hits album.  Titled "The Best Yet," this 18 track CD is set to release on November 4, 2008.  The 5-member band has released 6 albums dating back to 1997, but didn't receive major notice until 2003's "Beautiful Letdown," which went double-platinum by selling 2.6 million copies.

Congratulations on your successes thus far and good hopes for continued success, but isn't it a bit early to release a greatest hits album?  They've only been in the major spotlight for 5 years and this is reflected by the lineup of "The Best Yet."  One-third of the album is from "The Beautiful Letdown" and 5 others from "Nothing is Sound" and "Oh! Grav

ity."

In no way am a bashing Switchfoot; I'm a big fan of "The Beautiful Letdown" and love some of their lyrics.  I was fortunate to see Switchfoot live with Relient K back in February and they put on a great show.  But my point is that they should have waited a bit before they put out a compilation album.  I don't see Switchfoot's popularity hitting a major decline any time soon, so they should have taken some time to work on another great album (don't force it though - put some more thought and depth into the lyrics) and once the music track library is a bit bigger, then pursue a greatest hits album.  One of my favorite bands is DC Talk, and they have put out seemingly 20 greatest hits albums.  If Switchfoot doesn't watch out, they'll run the same trend and soon they'll have more greatest hits albums than they do regular albums. 

Music outside of speakers

In the past couple weeks of classes, I've been getting a really cramped feeling when I'm sitting in my room.  I feel like I just need to get up and do something.  Last Thursday, I took to taking a walk around 11 p.m. just to get out of the room and have some time for myself.  What I found was way more than anything I can get by vegging out, playing Rock Band. 

 It was so enjoyable to just be still and listen.  To hear the wind finding its way through the leaves, the squirrels scampering from bush to bush and tree to tree, cars crawling down the street a ways off.  In recent, I've become more aware of my surroundings and what sounds come with it.  One awesome instance occurred last night.  I was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, and off in the distance a train rumbled by.  Every few seconds it would blast its horn and I realized something - the horn isn't just one solitaire note.  It is a series of notes, some more subtle than others.  But the ending result isn't an annoying cover-your-ears sound.  It's a harmony - each note takes its role and falls in place with the others.  The sound is actually quite enjoyable.

It's things like this that allow me to appreciate life a little more.  This sounds very cliche, I realize - but it's true.  To be able to realize that there is more, way more to life than getting to classes on time, worrying about grades that will affect my GPA which may affect job placement later on, whether I'll have time to take a nap later, what I should wear that day...  Outside of me and my irrelevant thoughts, there is so much more going on in God's beautiful creation.  I just have to stop and realize that.

Music is everywhere.  Take time and listen.

My Brain on Music

Currently, I am reading "This is Your Brain on Music" by Daniel J. Levitin.  It is a slow progress (I'm lucky to get ten pages in one sitting) but it's extremely interesting.  I haven't even reached the meat of it yet, but what I have encountered has really taught me some bizarre things about music and how we think.

Levitin was talking about the range of sounds that we can hear and he brought up the point of how limited our hearing is in relation to the entire sound spectrum.  At this point in my reading, I got sidetracked and started to think Imagine what things would be like outside of our human selves.  I mean, think about it.  There would be so many more sounds that we could hear, so many more colors visible, not to mention sound w

aves and thing of that nature.  It's all very fascinating to think about.

Back to the book - it is a very scientifically based book, thus making it a challenging read if you're not paying attention, and Levitin goes into depth in the beginning to do a basic explanation of the concepts of sound, such as pitch, volume, harmonics, rhythm, etc.  Even these basic principles (which he points out have all been invented by our brains) have been interesting to read about.  Later in the book, he gets into topics such as why we are attracted to certain types of music, why jingles get stuck in our heads, why we emotionally attach to music when we listen as teenagers.

I'm excited for the adventure that is in front of me.

photo courtesy of flickr.com

The Talented Mr. GIllespie

If you've seen a video or been to a concert of a "hardcore" band, then you are most likely familiar with a sweaty, hair-flinging frontman, screaming his brains out either with or without a guitar in hand.  In the case of Underoath, who have recently released their highly anticipated album Lost in the Sound of Separation, their "screamer" Aaron Gillespie can't hold a guitar - his hands are occupied by his drumsticks.  Think about that for a sec

ond.  He's busy keeping rhythm in the most complicated way he can think possible, all while screaming as loudly into the mic to the left of his mouth.  When I play my guitar and sing, it can be hard enough just to sing and keep the corr

ect picking rhythm.  Gillespie has a thousand piece drum set to keep track of!  Alright, maybe slightly less than a thousand, but not by much.

And what's more... he is blind in one eye!  And what about his only good eye?  Colorblind.  So depending on which eye is blind, when he turns to the mic, he probably can't even see half the drum set.

He's not done.  Not only is Gillespie busy touring the world, but he is also the lead singer and drummer of his side project, The Almost.  The Almost has a softer, more melodic sound than that of Underoath and is not as widely known.  I am personally a bigger fan of The Almost.  I can only take so much screaming at once.  There songs are also easier to play on guitar which is good news for me.  My favorite song is a toss up between Amazing (Because it is) and Dirty and Left Out.  All in all, Aaron Gillespie is the man.  He's only 25 but is extremely accomplished as a musician and it is wasn't knowing people in the business that got him there - it was raw and under-appreciated talent.

picture courtesy of flickr.com

More Than Just America

If you've never experienced world music, you need to.  It doesn't matter where specifically around the world, but just get outside of the Western norm.  I am currently taking a World Music class and have come to find it extremely intriguing.  Music outside of what we know is so much different in so many way.  I don't want to go into a classroom lecture here, but it is so interesting how different cultures view music in a different eye.

We just finished our discussion on Indian music (from India, not cowboys and indians) and have now moved on to the music of the Middle East.  What I found most interesting, and surprising, is where music stands socially.  Music in the Middle East is viewed almost exactly the opposite of how it's viewed in America.  In our Western culture, music is held in high regard.  If you don't think so, look around...it's everywhere - TV, restaurants, stores, our vehicles, etc.  In the Middle East, music is for the most part looked down upon.  They feel that the purest music is a chant of the Koran.  Other "legitimate music" (Khandan) could be chanted poetry or music for weddings.

What's interesting is that as soon as an instrument is brought into the picture, the music becomes Musiqi, or "illegitimate music".  And the more skilled you are at your instrument, the more you are looked down upon.  One belief of this awkward (remember thought, it's awkward to us, normal to them) hierarchy of music is that our voices are God-given and therefore pure, while instruments are man-made and cause music to become tainted.  Some of this Musiqi is actually illegal in a public setting.

It's unfortunate that music is seen that way.  If a musician has been gifted with the ability to become an incredible musician, let that gift be known!  I don't want this to be a rant about why Middle Eastern music should reconsider their views, but I find it very interesting.  I don't think that we look anywhere besides our CD collections for other signs of life in music.  Music is all over and we should experience that.  In my next post, I want to actually show some of these instruments that make other cultures stand out.  It's quite fascinating.