Music
Arcade Fire's much anticipated fourth album, Relflektor, is out today. Pitchfork says 9.2/10 (very high marks for Pitchfork). Also, their previous three albums are all $4.99. I think all three are excellent albums and I highly recommend you pick all of them up -- Funeral | Neon Bible | The Suburbs.
It's one of those wonderful days in which I get to share with you that The Avett Brothers have produced a new album for your listening enjoyment. It's called Magpie & The Dandelion.
This is why Sufjan is great. Miley Cyrus has been in a back-n-forth with Sinead O'Conner because of Sinead's open letters to her. Suf takes Miley to task for her use of grammar. So awesome. And it's not about grammar.
Dear Miley. I can’t stop listening to #GetItRight (great song, great message, great body), but maybe you need a quick grammar lesson. One particular line causes concern: “I been laying in this bed all night long.” Miley, technically speaking, you’ve been LYING, not LAYING, an irregular verb form that should only be used when there’s an object, i.e. “I been laying my tired booty on this bed all night long.” Whatever. I’m not the best lyricist, but you know what I mean. #Get It Right The Next Time. But don’t worry, even Faulkner messed it up. We all make mistakes, and surely this isn’t your worst misdemeanor. But also, Miley, did you know the tense here is also totally wrong. Surely you’ve heard of Present Perfect Continuous Tense (I HAVE BEEN LYING in this bed all night long [hopefully getting some beauty sleep?]). It’s a weird, equivocal, almost purgatorial tense, not quite present, not quite past, not quite here, not quite there. Somewhere in between. I feel that way all the time. It kind of sucks. But I have a feeling your “present perfect continuous” involves a lot more excitement than mine. Anyway, doesn’t that also sum up your career right now? Present. Perfect. Continuous. And Tense. Intense? Girl, you work it like Mike Tyson. Miley, I love you because you’re the Queen, grammatically and anatomically speaking. And you’re the hottest cake in the pan. Don’t ever grow old. Live brightly before your fire fades into total darkness. XXOO Sufjan
My new favorite band, Chvrches, which I encouraged you to check out recently, played Jools last night. Here are two of their best songs live. Then pick up their excellent album, The Bones of What You Believe, which is burning up my iPod like few others have.
Matthew Smith was in Crystal Lake, IL last night and thanks to some generous church members my family was able to go. I've known of Matthew and Indelible Grace for a long time, and preached at Michael Spencer's (iMonk) school in 2006 alongside Matthew's worship leading. What's remarkable about Matthew is that he sounds as good or better live than his recordings. There's nothing wrong with his recordings. His voice is just true and rich. His music fills our house often, especially on Sunday mornings.
If you don't know Matthew, introduce yourself by checking out his albums All I Owe or Watch the Rising Day. Here's Matthew playing "Reedemed, Restored, Forgiven."
And let me add a video to the opening song from his concert last night. It's really the one song that's stuck in my head from last night. It's not a video from the concert or a recording by Matthew. It's Sandra McCracken from In Feast or Fallow with "Can't Help Myself." Just beautiful. Loved Matthew's version a lot. Lyrics are below and if you don't know the song I encourage you to follow along.
"Can't Help Myself"
I confess the things I am afraid of:
thorns and danger just around the bend
I pray for tongues of fire and bands of angels
to come and circle 'round me like a fence
I lift my eyes to the hills, where comes my help?
I lift my hands--empty hands--I can't help myself
I can't help myself; no, I can't help myself
My enemies surround me like an army--
within, without, the battle's raging on
I pray the Spirit will be strong and mighty
for courage through the night until the dawn
I lift my eyes to the hills, where comes my help?
I lift my hands--empty hands--I can't help myself
I can't help myself; no, I can't help myself
Oh trust the Lord--my soul and all that is in me--
oh trust the light to show your darkest parts
With wounds of truth and love, a friend who has known me;
a fool would keep his secrets in his heart
I lift my eyes to the hills; here comes my help
I lift my hands--empty hands--I can't help myself
I can't help myself, can't help myself
Can't help myself; no, I can't help myself; I can't help myself
It's been a year of a few great albums, but not enough. Good news: I'm absolutely gripped by the new (debut) album by Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe. This is a Scottish electro-pop band around the M83 soundscape, but with a lot more dance beats. This music soars and it is almost continually fun and riveting. But it's anything but lightweight and the deeper you dive in the more you respect the richness of the music. These lyrics are dense. AV says, "Chvrches’ bread and butter remains highly melodic, synthesizer-based pop, but with just the right amount of darkness, thanks in part to [Lauren] Mayberry. She has a law degree and a masters in journalism, so she writes like she has something to say, not just to fill the space in the songs." I've been thinking about the opening track, "The Mother We Share," (colorful word in this song) for days now, listening to it over and over. This is thought-provoking fun and one of my favorite musical journeys of the year. The delicate vocals of Mayberry are just perfect. I've stopped what I've been doing to listen closely to the lyrics and I've been able to focus on work and just enjoy the music in the background. A rare album indeed.
Disclaimer: There are a couple of colorful words on the album.
Noteworthy Reviews...
Metacritic: 82/100 | AV Club 100/100 | Pitchfork 8.5/10 (Best New Music)
It's good when Amazon celebrates something, because they give us something to celebrate too. A BUNCH of great albums are just $6. Grab a couple...
This is the music I was playing in 1984...
Some really nice music in this batch of $5 albums. It's not been this good in a while.
The new worship album, Keith & Kristyn Getty: Modern & Traditional Hymns - Live at The Gospel Coalition is out today. Go get it!
Live stream The Gray Havens 1 hour Kickstarter Kick-Off show tonight at 7pm (central). I'll remind you via Twitter & other social media later on as well. You can still get their Where Eyes Don't Go EP for FREE. And check out their new Kickstarter campaign and video describing what's in the works for The Gray Havens.
I'm currently preaching a series of sermons using great, old hymns as the illustration for my exposition of a passage of Scripture. So when I see something like Restoration Project's Kickstarter campaign, I want to help. From their campaign...
We're a songwriting and recording collective dedicated to writing new hymns and restoring old, taking old hymn texts and poems and writing new music and melodies for them.
With your help, we can create our next, very special album series together! Remember: Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing funding platform (we need to reach our goal).
The "Firm Foundation" series will be a two-album collection of Sunday School hymns with new arrangements and lyrics. Our fresh approach to these songs will give them greater theological depth and clarity and a modern musical feel. Great care is also being taken to preserve most of the original melodies.
I've been listening to their other albums and I really dig them. This is a project worth supporting. In order to help them get the word out on this Kickstarter campaign, I'm giving away 5 sets of their two albums for download: Restoration Project and Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope. Even if you don't want the albums, please consider sharing the link that their project might get fully supported.
And please, consider giving. Become a backer.
Here's how you can win these two albums...
1. Post to Twitter, Facebook, etc this without the arrows --> Restoration Project is remaking hymns. Get their 2 albums FREE. RT & comment here to enter: http://bit.ly/resproj <--
2. Comment below so I know you did step one. And for fun share your favorite Sunday School hymn.
I'll use random.org to choose five winners at the end of the week. May the odds be ever in your favor!
One of the best New Music Tuesday's in quite a while. Three albums I'd like my readers to check out.
Okkervil River: The Silver Gymnasium | One of my favorite lyric-centered bands playing.
Neko Case: The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You | One of my favorite voices and songwriters going. Her other albums are on sale too! Check out Fox Confessor Brings the Flood & Middle Cyclone ($5.99 each).
Volcano Choir: Repave | Creative. Imaginative.
___
I should mention, though many have had it for a couple of weeks, that Derek Webb's new album, I Was Wrong, I'm Sorry & I Love You is officially out today and available at Amazon. I've been enjoying it.
New album from Okkervil River, The Silver Gymnasium (Amazon, out 9/3), is streaming free right now. This is one of my favorite bands working. Some of the best songwriting around from frontman Will Sheff. I'm halfway through the stream right now and it's really good so far.
Get a taste of the new album from Sheff's open mic night. Or just listen here to open track, "It Was My Season"...
Heyo! It's a super-happy Music Monday here at Reformissionary because I have stuff to give away to some of my readers.
Stephen Miller (Twitter) is worship leader at The Journey church in St. Louis, where Darrin Patrick is pastor. He has written a new book, Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars (Kindle) and put out a new worship album, All Hail The King. The album includes new worship songs as well as reworked Hymns like "Crown Him With Many Crowns." I've been listening to the album and enjoying it a lot. His new albums and previous album, Hymns, is on regular rotation in my house.
I have 5 of the Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars eBooks (epub, mobi, or PDF) to give away today that each include a free download of the album.
Here's how you enter to win a FREE eBook that includes a free download of the album...
1. Tweet (or post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " Get Stephen Miller's new worship album & book FREE. RT & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/14xLgfb "
2. Comment below (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private) and FOR FUN in your comment let me know a neglected old hymn that you love and wish would get consideration from Stephen or someone else for a future worship album.
*I'll use random.org to pick the 5 winners tonight, and I'll announce the winners on the blog & send out emails. May the odds be ever in your favor!
Yes, that Chris Thile from Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek and The Goat Rodeo Sessions. He has taken his mandolin and produced something classical with Bach: Sonatas and Partitas Volume 1. It's straightforward Bach, but it's not simple. It's elegant and beautiful and at times you'd swear you hear his fingers catch fire.
Paste gives Bach it 8.9/10. Music OMH says, "Thile now must be considered ... one of the contemporary masters of the mandolin, exercising his powers across multiple genres."
PBS gives us 6 1/2 minutes of music and conversation that takes an artist I love and puts him a cut above the rest. If this clip doesn't demand that we stop and listen, I'm not sure what will...
Typhoon: White Lighter | After hearing their fun 2011 (I think) romp, "The Honest Truth," they've earned my attention with the release of this new album.
Gregory Alan Isakov: The Weatherman (only $6.99!) | John Starke said today that Isakov "is one of the easiest folks to listen to while writing/working." NPR's Weekend Edition did an interview, "A Rambler's Folky Manifesto." This is a great album, and I know this week in particular it will get even more play from me.
This is awesome. Just love it. Punch Brothers cover "Airbag" from Radiohead. Love the song and this performance of it.
