My Favorite Records of 2010

December 23, 2010 Leave a comment

My Favorite EPs
I felt like I heard more EPs this year than in all my previous years combined, due to both the dwindling resources within the music industry and my continued personal trending toward less established musicians. But, seriously, man, everyone from hardcore The Devil Wears Prada to electronica Andy Hunter put out an EP this year. I also listened to a lot of music from the non-profit, ministry-minded Come&Live, whose artists come up with their own resources through fans. I will always prefer the length and completeness of the album format, and I hope it doesn’t go away, but frankly, four or five song recordings are way easier, quicker, and cheaper than full albums, and as long as record sales continue to plummet, I think the EP is here to stay.
Honorable Mentions: Bradley Hathaway – A Thousand Angry Panthers, Andy Hunter – Collide

5. Oh Brother – The Death of Day
Moving progressive post-rock or whatever

4. Josh Ehrmann – Stone’s Throw
Reflective indie songwriter

3. Enlou – Body of Water, Body of Friends
Indie rock or whatever

2. Lovelite – Nearness
Euro-synth-pop lounge worship
My full review for Nearness

EP OF THE YEAR
The Ember Days - Finger Painting EP - Album Cover
1. The Ember Days – Finger Painting
Fantastic worship disguised as a lush, ambient, soft pillow that is mostly instrumental. This EP would be top 10 if I mixed it in with the full albums. With a strong execution of Explosions-In-The-Sky-type guitars topped with strings and light vocals, every second of its thirty-one minutes is ripe for quiet worship, prayer, or simple rest and refreshment. And it’s free off ComeAndLive.com, although it’s totally worth a donation.
My full review for Finger Painting

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My Favorite Songs of 2010

December 14, 2010 2 Comments

2010 was an interesting year for music. I didn’t buy as many albums as last year’s 40-50, but I still found a lot of enjoyable stuff from a variety of styles. I joined the staff of IndieVisionMusic.com reviewing albums, and I get to have my top albums list posted on there sometime in the coming days. For now, though, here’s a little teaser with my 10 favorite songs of the year:

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July 2010 Monthly Music Guide #5

July 29, 2010 Leave a comment

Looking for something new? Here’s what I’ve been listening to lately…

Children 18:3 album cover for Rain's A Comin'
Artist: Children 18:3
Album: Rain’s A’ Comin’ (June 29, 2010)
Style: Energetic power-punk-rock-pop

It’s been over two years since Children 18:3 took the punk world by storm with their Tooth & Nail debut, but their follow-up is not a disappointment. Besides the blistering “Cover Your Eyes,” the album doesn’t feel as fast or energetic as the first one, downshifting just a notch into brisk rock numbers with big intense sounds, but it’s full of catchy sing-along heartwarming choruses, loads of homeschooled talent, and of course the trademark vocal tradeoff between siblings David and Lee Marie. The album’s shorter than we’d have liked, but it tries some new things and assures us that Children 18:3 is in it for the long haul as they admonish us to stand our ground and remain courageous in the face of uncertainty… cuz Rain’s A Comin’!

Standout Lyric: Oh honestly, if you try to find a problem here, you probably will… /
I don’t have the big plan, just small glances /
And every now and then I’m still unsure /
Standout Lyric II: I just want to go home and tell my teddy bear, “I failed, I failed!” /
I turned around the corner just to hear my daddy say /
Oh bravo, You’re the best / You’re my only one
Oh bravo / That will always be enough
In Case It Interests You: The members of Children 18:3 are known as Christians and consider their band to be a ministry.
STREAM THE WHOLE ALBUM: myspace.com/children183

Brooke Waggoner - Fresh Pair Of Eyes - album cover
Artist: Brooke Waggoner
Album: Fresh Pair Of Eyes (July 3, 2007)
Style: Singing-songwriting piano gal’s indie pop with a classical foundation

Brooke Waggoner reminds me of everything I used to like about the nearly-extinct Christian radio female songwriters of a decade ago – all of the enchanting melodies and soothing strings with none of the flashy power pop beats. Waggoner’s classical piano background guides her well, and just because a song starts softly doesn’t mean it won’t suddenly crescendo and pick up the tempo before the coda. With six songs that cover twenty-seven minutes of play, this is no skimpy EP, and with lyrics that express confidence in spite of insecurity and contentment in spite of want, it’s delightful enough that I’m looking forward to getting her full-length albums from 2008 and 2009.

Standout Lyric: I tried my best alone /
But it got me nowhere /
And I can’t do it on my own
Standout Lyric II: He helped me unload my piano /
And then I played him oh a favorite concerto /
He yelled profundo while I played allegro /
And then he tip-tap-toed through my accelerandos /
In Case It Interests You: As far as I know Brooke Waggoner is known as a Christian.
STREAM THE WHOLE ALBUM: myspace.com/brookewaggoner

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CORNERSTONE 2010 – SATURDAY (JULY 3)

July 23, 2010 Leave a comment

2010′s Saturday was much more pleasant than last year’s, primarily due to not having twelve hours of rain turn the grounds into The Passage of the Marshes. Even so, it was getting to be that time again – time to return home, and we packed up our stuff after breakfast.

Emily and I visited the merch tent one more time to look at the rain sticks, and after seeing that they were 50% off (LAST DAY!) we decided, “Let’s get the big one!” I proceeded to carry it around for the rest of the day.

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CORNERSTONE 2010 – FRIDAY (JULY 2)

July 20, 2010 Leave a comment

Friday morning included the obligatory walk to the charging station to awake my comatose phone, call home, and eat a Giant Freezie. We watched David Crowder Band sound-check for the night’s show; there was no electronically-rigged Guitar Hero controller this year, but Crowder did have some kind of keypad attached to his guitar, and Steve the robotic drumset was back there on the stage as well. Yes, the unlikely crazy-haired-and-goateed worship leader was still blowing minds with Reason and creativity….

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My Albums Of The Decade: Honorable Mentions

October 19, 2009 1 Comment

#14. Once: Music From The Motion Picture (2007)
once-cover
Emily Platt practically dragged John and I to see this movie, and we’re both still glad that she did. I saw it as I was moving away from radio influences, and the natural musical about two musicians and their interactions resonated with me deeply. The film did not hide from desire, but examined it in the light of true love and commitment, and this was so attractive after my year or so of the radio and its increasingly distasteful lust. Glen Hansard’s earnestness and Marketa Irglova’s vulnerability combine to form a sound that is, quite simply, beautiful, and anyone who appreciates the inescapably woven threads of life, love, and music simply must see the film.

Why It’s Not Top 10: While I enjoy the entire album, there aren’t a lot of strong tracks beyond the first half, and, removed from the emotion of the film, they amount to little more than Hansard strumming fiercely and belting loudly. Still has a place in my heart, though.

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CORNERSTONE 2009 – THURSDAY (JULY 2)

July 16, 2009 1 Comment

Sometime Thursday morning before the sun rose, a car alarm went off. It went like, “BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT! BWENT!” My sense of time may have been manipulated by my tiredness and the sound’s audacity, but I am fairly confident that it bwented for a good five minutes. It kept going and going for what was a ridiculous amount of time. Finally, it stopped, but not before I was awake enough to notice every little sound that chirped and croaked in the night.

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CORNERSTONE 2009 – TUESDAY (JUNE 30)

July 8, 2009 1 Comment

The first night’s sleep wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t that great, either. I doubt the ground underneath our tent was entirely flat. Nevertheless, the bright and beautiful sunlight dragged me out of bed around 8:00 AM. Soon Tim and John were cooking bacon and eggs, a delightful breakfast to start off the day.

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CORNERSTONE 2009 – MONDAY (JUNE 29)

July 6, 2009 Leave a comment

The day was finally upon us. The Manly Seven gathered with the Curry women to caravan up to Cornerstone Farm. After packing, pictures, and prayer, we headed off. John and I rocked out to Becoming the Archetype, Brave Saint Saturn, mewithoutYou, and more as we shimmied up Highway 61 in what felt like no time at all. We made a brief stop in Hannibal and pressed onward through The Land of Many Cornfields (a.k.a. northwestern Illinois).

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Cornerstone 2009 Schedule

June 19, 2009 Leave a comment

I’m getting more excited about the Cornerstone lineup. You have to go beyond the schedule of the big stages on the official site because your favorite bands may be playing multiple times on smaller stages. In fact, I’ve gone from being concerned about a time conflict with two of my favorites to being able to see my favorite live show THREE times that week. My potential plan to date:

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