Matt's "sophomore" release

So I was alerted via google reader that there is new info on Matt's forthcoming album here but mostly this article just annoyed me- just because it's your second record on a specific label doesn't make your fifth CD a "sophomore" effort and the fact that every track on it has been co-written also doesn't leave me with a heightened sense of anticipation. Matt says he feels he's matured as a songwriter and musician and the album has greater authenticity. PLEASE GOD LET IT BE TRUE. Matt, you are so talented, please don't throw your pearls before swine.

Music with a Mission & Joe Zambon

This past friday I hosted a concert to benefit a church in Peru I visited last year. This mission in Chimbote, Peru is incredibly poor but filled with faith. It was a privilege to visit the people there. I vaccilate heavily about why to go on a trip like that and ultimately I believe it is to return and share the plight of others with people here. So I decided to invite some friends to play some music to raise money for the people I met down there.















My roommate, Jeremy, and my friend Michael agreed to play and they sure did. It was a beautiful experience from classic Jesuit tunes (Take Lord, Receive) to covers of Gnarls Barkley (an insane acoustic version of "Crazy"), Sufjan, Decemberists, all kinds of good stuff. One of the highlights for me was one of Michael's original songs about loving your enemies. It was really beautiful to be in a room full of both Christians and non-Christians singing the radical words of Jesus about doing good to those who hate you.

Since then I have been craving something deep and acoustic, meaningful and intimate. Thankfully Jake over at the blah blah blog posted an interview yesterday with Joe Zambon, and after reading it I immediately went and downloaded it. It was exactly what I had been wanting. I already want to share it with pretty much everyone. I listened to it for the first time while making quacamole and baking tortilla chips and several times just said, "damn." It's that good. And I started to laugh out of joy at one point. I am being honest, here. It is a beautiful beautiful album. I am going to post a youtube video but I have to tell you this doesn't even come close to how smooth and warm the album is, you really just need to get it for yourself. Heartily recommended.

feeling like a real music lover

Twice today I happily surprised myself by dropping my jaw involuntarily twice in the face of sound.

The first was in response to this report on NPR about chanting monks in the now-diasporic Tibetan Buddhist communities. You MUST listen to these sound clips! When the first one came on I knew that the man who interviewed who said it was "the holiest sound he had ever heard," wasn't speaking hyperbolically. It is unearthly, unbelievably different. I was (and am!) completely amazed!

The second is perhaps more usual: I have been excited for a while now about the promise of a new Indigo Girls' album, which was released to day. Morgan told me it was good and shared that a retooling of Amy's song, "Driver Education," which appeared on her second solo album, and was my favorite on that album. When I heard Emily's guitar on the song I was pretty psyched but the new harmonies just blew me away! Once again I was amazed! Check out their website to sample a few songs, plus just look around the new website looks great too. I could rave on but I will suffice to say, I think this album is their best since "Become You."

my faith restored

I genuinely thought Matt was going to slip into the abyss of radio-friendly crappy CCM music. I am glad to know his heart is still with artistry.

http://www.myspace.com/loverequited

He's being folky! I love it! I actually like him again!

christmas music

I admit it, I've already started listening to Christmas songs. It started with a chill in the air and the desire for campy "Baby, It's Cold Outside" listening and then I just wanted more.

Plus I've been getting emails about some exciting new albums (Alli Rogers has a Christmas EP coming out and apparently you can book her for a private Christmas concert?!! Why am I not rich? Oh yeah...).

Anyway, at worshiptogether.com they have free downloads of songs by Matt Maher and Steve Fee, both guys I like. Listening to Matt sing "Silent Night" reminds me of how much I love his voice- WHY?! I don't get it but it is so soothing. The Fee song is completely different but definitely very Fee. :) So go download!

it's the little things that make me a dork

There are several pairs of songs that I have either recently put next to each other on mix CDs or look forward to doing in the near future.

Jars of Clay: Ship Wreck and mewithoutYou: Messes of Men.
Because they are both about...ships.

The Khrusty Brothers: Sympathy for Jesus and The Hold Steady: How a Resurrection Really Feels
I recently put these in this order and I LOVE that they first one has the Hallelujah under their breath by the door seguing beautifully into the her parents named her Hallelujah but the kids all called her Holly.

Waterdeep: The Circus Song and Dog Named David: I Ran Away With the Circus
I mean, I was in the circus, two sweet acoustic indie Christian songs about the circus???

How a Resurrection Really Feels

Thanks Michael and Fr. Phil (go Jesuits!) for the rec...



her parents named her halleluiah, the kids all called her holly. if she scared you then she's sorry. she's been stranded at these parties. these parties they start lovely but they get druggy and they get ugly and they get bloody.
the priest just kinda laughed. the deacon caught a draft. she crashed into the easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass. she was limping left on broken heels. when she said father can i tell your congregation how a resurrection really feels?

holly was a hoodrat. now you finally know that. she's been disappeared for years. today she finally came back. she said: st. louis had enslaved me. i guess santa ana saved me. st. peter had me on the queue. the st. paul saints they waved me thru.
i was all wrapped up in some video booth. when i heard her say i love you too.

she said i've laid beneath my lovers but i've never gotten laid. some nites she felt protected. some nites she felt afraid. she spent half last winter justa trying to get paid. from some guy she'd originally thought to be her saviour. they wrote her name in magic marks. on stopsigns and subway cars. they got a mural up on e.13th. that said halleluiah rest in peace. halleluiah was a hoodrat. and now you finally know that. she's been disappeared for years. today she finally came back.

walk on back. walk on back. she said don't turn me on again. i'd probably just go and get myself all gone again. holly was a sexy mess. she looked strung out but experienced. so we all got kind of curious.