Remedy

The new David Crowder Band album is in my itunes/ipod now. I'm still getting acquainted with it, so won't offer many comments. I think "A Collision" may be a better album. I like the beeps/pops/whistles/other-techno-type-noises...when used sparingly, and not on every track. That is the only down-side I can see so far. But I lean toward the more folky style of things anyway.

The most amazing thing about the album...and I'm still trying to figure out how this happend...is that THE NUGE [Ted Nugent] rips it up on "We Won't Be Quiet." Don't believe me? Watch this...

Erik Mongrain

Technique: lap tapping
Erik performed live at the August 2007 Willow Creek Association Leadership Summit.
More on Erik Mongrain

hippest baby in town

Just because you're a baby, doesn't mean you have to put up with all that crappy nursery music!

Our son is going to be so musically ahead. They also have Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. You can listen to samples in iTunes.

Quote from an Amazon reviewer...

...But It's genius is in the fact that this can be played in a children's room to help them sleep as it is quite soothing and infantile in typical lullaby fashion. but best of all you can stay in the room with your child and not have the urge to blow your brains out to a crappy predictable lullaby from the 'Play-school company over and over and over again. I can listen to this and enjoy it many time's. Get it if you are also ready to choke the stuffing out of mickey and Disney Babies: Lullaby and the such.

rare find at the library

Well, not really rare in the sense that it is an impossibly difficult item to find.

And not really a find in the sense that I found it on the shelves of the library. I actually requested it on the website and had to wait about 3 weeks to have my turn at it.

But it is just cool that you can get this from the library.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set

Now, my only dilemma is figuring out how to digest all 4 CDs and the included book.

Do I:

listen to 1 CD a night on my portable CD player w/headphones as I fall asleep at night?

listen to all 4 discs at Starbucks while reading and sipping a beverage?

work my way through the box set while driving in the car?

worst movie ever

Margo is watching Marie Antoinette and it has to be one of the worst movie's ever. I can't stand it anymore, so I had to get away from it.

You know what isn't a bad movie though [well not so much a movie, more a concert video], Heart of Gold by Neil Young. It's a concert Neil Young did at the Ryman in Nashville with music from his album "Prarie Wind" which is very good. Anything that involves Emmylou Harris singing bgvs has got something going for it. The instrumental performances are all beautifully understated, which is the perfect accompaniment to Neil's airy, raspy voice.

The strings and choir are a nice addition also.

We painted the nursery this afternoon. Baby blue [literally, blue, for a baby]. It will eventually get some brown geometric shapes on one wall, says Margo.

Rob Bell - Velvet Elvis quote

This is my 250th post!

Just finished Velvet Elvis, and I loved it. Here is one of my favorite excerpts:

It is possible for music to be labeled Christian and be terrible music. It could lack creativity and inspiration. The lyrics could be recycled cliches. That "Christian" band could actually be giving Jesus a bad name because they aren't a great band. It is possible for a movie to be a "Christian" movie and to be a terrible movie. It may actually desecrate the art form in its quality and storytelling and craft. Just because it is a Christian book by a Christian author and it was purchased in a Christian bookstore doesn't mean it is all true or good or beautiful. A Christian political group puts me in an awkward position: What if I disagree with them? Am I less of a Christian? What if I am convinced the "Christian" thing to do is to vote the exact opposite? Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective.

Gonna go to the library now and see what other stuff I can find.

More on Rob Bell.
Rob's new book.

Tomlin concert

Last night we went to the "How Great Is Our God" tour at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prarie, TX. Headlining was Chris Tomlin, with help from Louie Giglio and Matt Redman. It was kind of a mini-Passion event.

My thoughts:
-The lighting/video was top notch. Some very cool effects, they had a huge single projection screen behind them, surrounded by "light sticks" that amplified the image on the screen. Kind of an ambient lighting thing.
-Louie gave a good talk on Canis majoris and laminin, these quirky micro cells that hold everything together in our bodies, and appear to be in the shape of a cross. He related it to how Christ holds all things together.
-I loved how Chris and Matt traded off leading worship. There were no big introductions, or transitions. Just 2 guys, full of humble pie, doing what they do.
-At one point in the hit parade [How Great Is our God, The Heart of Worship, Indescribable, Blessed Be the Name, We Fall Down, Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone, You Never Let Go, etc.] I realized how many major songs the world-wide church sings that were written by these 2 guys.
-It was a little long, we got out at 11 pm, it started at 8 pm.
-We went to the Frequency Gathering before the show, with about 50 other fans & ministry leaders. Here you can see how close we were. I would rather Mr. Redman have his own gig, and talk more. He quoted Marva Dawn during this time, saying that our services of worship need to immerse us in the splendor of God.

tomlin tonight

I forgot to mention that we're seeing Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, and Matt Redman tonight! Check back for a full review of the concert. Should be a great night. I'm most excited about the Frequency gathering before the show. It has only been advertised on his new website Worship Frequency. It is a gathering in a smaller venue with Chris and the guys to talk about songs and ministry and what not. Should be a good time.

another good day at the library

Quickly becoming my favorite place to go. Today, instead of wasting money on entertainment, we got it for free.

1. The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics

2. Beta Band - The Best of Beta Band Music

3. U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

4. Coldplay - X & Y

[And by far, the highlight of my day...]

5. Sufjan Stevens - Come on Feel the Illinoise

All for my listening pleasure.

why I watch Idol

I am not a long time follower of the show. I can't tell you who has won every year [Kelly Clarkson....grey-haired guy....]. I watched it last week for the first time beginning to end [2 hour episode]. I was hooked.

Reasons why I like it:

1. the people have no shame
2. the people can't sing
3. Simon
4. all these people like music [I said nothing about knowing anything about it]
5. Simon
6. people who can't sing....like watching a car wreck...you're disgusted, but can't turn away
7. Simon
8. you get to hear a lot of pop music, a lot of which I'm not familiar with
9. the wackos....people who think that being crazy/quirky/odd will get them on the show...it's the Gong Show of the 21st Century
10. SIMON

gotta go, it's on.

1/2 Price Books

We started with 3 bags of unwanted books & DVDs.

We sold them for $61!!! [A previously unachieved amount of buy-back]

For $22.34 I picked up:

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree




















2. Keane - Hopes and Fears



















3. Brian Wilsom - Smile

now with book list

My blog now has a nice little list of things I'm currently reading over on the right. As if anyone cares what I'm reading. I will say that if you enjoy the Lark News stuff, you'll like "A Field Guide to Evangelicals" cause it is from the same guy.

Dan Kimball has a good post on Christian music and not liking it. I'm with him.

But it is odd that you can scan the radio and in an instant often tell a Christian radio song when one comes on. And I do not believe it is the Spirit moving in me, letting me know it is a Christian song. I think it is the whispery hushed male vocals and music that instantly scream out it is a Christian song.

This video was sent to Stephen for his birthday! Happy Bday Stephen!

Folds & fingers

I was thrilled to find Ben Folds on the cover of the latest copy of Relevant magazine. He is one of my favorie artists of all time. I think he is a genius musically. You can listen to his phone interview w/Relevant here.

I've got a minor injury that I inflicted upon myself the other day. I was pushing a large communion table around at the church, and felt a pinch in my hand. I stopped, thought to myself "That hurt." and continued to push it. That night it started to get sore. And this morning it was still sore. I'm not very worried about it, probably a strain or a jam.

But I decided to go to web md to check it out. Some of the symptom questions on the "Finger, Hand, and Wrist injury" page are great:
-Is your finger, hand, or wrist twisted, bent out of shape, or out of its normal position?
-Are you unable to free a trapped finger or hand from an object such as a toy, bottle, or jar?
-Is an object, such as a nail, embedded in your finger or hand?

If any of those symptoms were true, would you be on the internet trying to find a remedy?

highlights from production

We had our annual "Christmas Production" at Grace on Sunday. Here are some pics:







We did "One Small Child" by Tom Fettke.

New blog...long lost stanza

A new blogger has been added to the daily blog roll:
C. Tom Davis

I heard about this guy and his book at an adoption/orphan conference we went to. Go check him out, he has some sad stories.

All the Christmas music has got me thinking. Here is a long-lost, rarely sung 4th stanza of "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing"...

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
'Glory to the newborn King!'

Translation:
Lord, erase the sin passed down from Adam.
In it's place put a heart that more closely resembles You.
Jesus [Second Adam], bring us back to the Father with Your love.
We have wandered in our sin, please reunite us again.
Create new life within us, by being born anew in every heart that believes.
Listen to what the angels said when Jesus was born:
"Glory to the newborn King!"

imac song #2

FYI: I'm not using any type of interface to record these guitar parts. They're recorded via the stock mic on the imac. Acoustic guitar was recorded by just sitting in front of the screen and playing. Electric & bass guitar were played thru an old Peavey bass amp, and the guitar effects were added in Garage Band.

I could waste hours messing with this.

imac song #1

wretched attempt at singing

O Holy Night

This one goes out to Deneise, my tone-deaf friend.

Goodbye Music Video

The return of great rock music. DeLeo brothers = the greatest rock and roll brother team ever.

a little secret

There is a place in your town where you can get FREE CDs!

They just give them to you. And the selection is great. Not just those freebie compilation CDs with a bunch of no-name artists, singing a bunch of songs that don't fit together.

These are quality albums, by quality artists. Here is what I picked up tonight:

• Kris Kristofferson - The Austin Sessions (1999)
• T-Bone Burnett - The True False Identity (2006)
• Lindsey Buckingham - Under the Skin (2006)
• Bob Dylan - Modern Times (2006)
• Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (2005)
• Jonny Lang - Long Time Coming (2003)
• Daniel Lanois - Shine (2003)
• Daniel Lanois - Belladonna (2005)
• Alejandro Escovedo - The Boxing Mirror (2006)

All 9 CDs free. I could have picked up 11 more, but I didn't have room to hold that many. These are all albums/artists that I've been wanting to get into for a while. They will be my primary listening diet over the Thanksgiving holiday next week as we travel to and from Sugar Land.

Here's where I got them.