Get Ready (Hot Machete)!

Do I know what a hot machete is? Nope. Do I love this song? Yep. Will it make you want to dance? If you have at least one rhythmic bone in your body, then yes.

For those of you who think dancing is immoral, you might want to close your eyes and just listen to the music. Oh, just kidding, they also sing about dancing. I guess you'll have to close your ears too!

Jonezetta

For the first week that I had Jonezetta's debut album Popularity, I could not stop listening to it. Honestly, I listened to this album to the exclusion of all other music. It's hard to pinpoint one thing that makes this album so addicting. Popularity combines 11 brilliant indie rock songs that leave you with an overwhelming urge to dance. The underlying factors that drive this album along are the catchy beats of the drums and the rhythmic bass lines, which have the aesthetic appeal of a well-written melody line. The beautiful thing is that this album manages to really showcase these instruments without making them overwhelming to the listener. Kyle Howe's guitar lines expertly complement lead singer Robert Chisolm's vocals to create some of the catchiest hooks in any album I've heard this year. Beside all of this excellent musicianship, an undertone of electric vibes runs throughout the album, making it all the more fun. I have to admit that the vocals get slightly screamy at times, but this seems appropriate in songs like "Man in a 3K Suit" and "Backstabber", which have pretty angry themes. Mellower songs like "The City We Live In" really showcase the fact that Chisolm has a great voice with a very unique tone.

Now, I've read reviews of Popularity that say its lyrics lack depth. All I can say is that a statement like that shows sheer mindlessness on the part of the reviewer. Jonezetta manages to avoid cliche phrases about the meaning of life in order to delve into more honest, intelligent lyrics that really explore various facets of what it means to be human, including painful and joyful relationships, arrogance, loneliness, and, that's right... popularity. Some songs, like "Get Ready (Hot Machete)" are just fun, but who ever said you weren't allowed to have fun sometimes? I really appreciate the honesty and the depth of Popularity's lyrics; they show a maturity that is not often apparent in fairly young rock bands. Overall, I highly recommend that you check Jonezetta out. You can listen to a few of their songs on purevolume or MySpace, or you can buy the album on iTunes. This album is full of great songs, but here are a few highlight tracks: "Welcome Home", "Get Ready (Hot Machete)", "Popularity", "Imagination". Enjoy!

Please Help Me! (with WordPress)

So I've been trying to use WordPress to set up my new website for my podcast, but I am so confused. All I want to do is be able to edit my template. Is that really so much to ask? No, but no matter what I do, they continue to tell me that my template is "uneditable". Surely there is someone out there who knows how to manipulate WordPress. If that is you, please help me before I rip all my hair out! Leave me a comment or email me at jillmdblog@gmail.com. Thankyou in advance (I already thanked you, so I guess you have to help me now!). Bye.

Frustratedly yours,
Jill

Love and Mannequins are Not Against the Law

Tune in for a short show this week as we talk about podcasting and hear music from Telecast and Derek Webb. Enjoy!

Check out my Gabcast page (where you can download the episode)!

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:

Listen to Telecast on purevolume
Buy Telecast's EP The Documenter
My upcoming podcast: Ears to Hear
Download Mockingbird at FreeDerekWebb.com!
Derek Webb's Podcast

Contact Me:
Email: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call: 203-437-4531
MySpace: myspace.com/jillmdblog

WOTW 11/26/06

Hey folks. Welcome to the word of the week! Please remember to use this week's word as much as is humanly possible in your everyday conversations. Without further ado, here's our word:

-depredicate (dē-prĕd'ĭ-kāt) v.t. --> to publish, proclaim, announce
Ex: The woman loudly depredicated her decision to quit her job due to her dislike of leaving the house in the frigid weather.

And now, for this week's random fact/quote, which is in honor of our turkey-eating tradition:

Two years after the bald eagle became the official bird of the United States, Benjamin Franklin wrote this to his daughter: "I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the Representative of our Country; he is a Bird of bad moral Character; like those among Men who live by Sharping and Robbing, he is generally poor, and often very lousy. The Turkey is a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America. He is (though a little vain and silly, it is true, but not the worst emblem for that) a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on."

Alrighty folks, I hope you have an amazing week. Please be sure to participate in our music contest, where you can win a $10 gift certificate or a CD! It's insanely fun, I'm not even kidding. OK, I will write to you all in the very near future. Au revoir!

Your favorite physician,
Dr. J

Talented Treadmill Dancing

Here is the band O.K. Go dancing to their song "Here it Goes Again" on treadmills. Crazy. Full of talent. Very entertaining. Thanks to Laura for letting me know about this video. Enjoy!

Music Contest (aka You Can Win Stuff If You Read This Post!)

Hello everyone! Here's the deal: I review a lot of music on my blog, and I am passionate about this music. I want you all to listen to it, so I have devised this music contest as a ploy to get you to do just that.

Here's how it works: I am posting a couple lines of lyrics below from 6 different songs by 6 different artists. All you need to do is tell me the name of the song and the artist that these lyrics come from. All the songs are available to listen to (full-length) for free on websites that I have linked to on my blog. The posts with these links are available here, here, here, here, here, or here (these posts can all be found in the "music reviews" category of my blog). So this is really easy. You don't have to do any searching for music or anything. The only thing that will take a little time is that you'll have to listen to quite a few songs to find the right ones. If you don't want to or don't have time to find all 6, feel free to only do a couple. If nobody gets all 6 by Christmas, the person with the most right will win the prize!

Here's what you can win: So I'm sure you're thinking, "Why on earth would I do this?" Well, if you are the first person to send me the names and artists of all six songs, you will win either a $10 gift certificate to the online retailer of your choice (eg. Amazon.com, iTunes, Barnes and Noble) or one of the CDs that the songs in the contest come from. I'll even throw in a little bonus: if you win, you can do a post on my blog on whatever topic you want (text, audio, video... anything!) Super-exciting, I know. Alright, here are the lyrics:

1. I don't need to know right now;
   All I know is I believe
   In the very thing that got us here
   And now I can't leave.



2. Come on, can I dream for one day?
   There's nothing that can't be done.
   But how long should it take somebody
   Before they can be someone?



3. If good won't show its ugly face
   Evil, won't you take your place?
   Nothing ever changes, nothing ever changes
   By itself.



4. All the glory when he took our place,
   But he took my shoulders and he shook my face,
   And he takes and he takes and he takes.



5. August evenings bring solemn warnings
   To remember to kiss the ones you love goodnight.
   You never know what temporal days may bring;
   Laugh, love, live free and sing.
   When life is in discord,
   Praise ye the Lord.



6. I've been thinking 'bout the meaning of resistance,
   Of a hope beyond my own,
   And suddenly the infinite and penitent
   Begin to look like home.

You may not like every single song that you listen to, but there's a good chance that you'll find something you like if you listen to all the music. When you get your answers, whether it's all 6 or just 2 or 3, email them to me at jillmdblog@gmail.com. And tell anyone who might be interested about the contest... this could be fun! Feel free to post a comment or email me if you have any questions. If you get really stuck on some song, let me know, and maybe I'll give you a hint. Alright, go to it and have fun!

Your prize-giving, blogging friend,
Jill

Can MySpace Make a Better Me?

Tune in this week as we talk about the evil and the good of MySpace, discuss a contest on my blog where you can win money, and hear music from The Classic Crime and Brent Cashell.

See my Gabcast page (where you can download the episode)

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:

The Classic Crime
Listen to The Classic Crime on purevolume
Download "The Coldest Heart" from Tooth & Nail Records
My MySpace Page
Brent Cashell on MySpace

Contact Me:
-Leave a comment here!
-Email me: jillmdblog@gmail.com
-Call my voicemail: 203-437-4531
-Be my friend on MySpace: myspace.com/jillmdblog

WOTW 11/19/06

Hello everybody, and welcome to the word of the week! This week's word has three definitions that are all slightly unrelated. In other words, we have a very versatile word this week, so you should be able to use it often in everyday conversation. Here it is:

-cellidh (kā'lē) noun -->
1. a visit
2. a private conversation
3. an evening's musical entertainment
Ex: Our cellidh was interrupted by a cellidh from a musician who was part of the cellidh. (Got all that?)

And now, for a random fact:

The lowly glowworm has been called the most efficient producer of light known to man. It gives the coldest light of any in the world - only about one percent of its energy is lost as heat.

Alrighty, folks. There won't be a lot of posts on my blog this week, but the ones we will have are worth checking out. Come back tomorrow to hear a psuedo-podcast with some fantastic music, on Wednesday to learn about our music contest where you can win a $10 gift certificate or a CD, and on Saturday to see an extremely funny video. Alrighty, folks, have a great week!

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

I Have Cute Nephews

Conversations heard in my house today:

Liz (aka Mommy): Keith, where are we going tomorrow?

Keith (age 2): KMart!

L: [laughs] No, not KMart. Where are we going?

K: Gramma's house!

L: No. Where are we going with all the people? Where everyone sings?

K: Jesus' house!

Luke (age 6.5 months): Gaa! [followed by incomprehensible dinosaur noises]

Christian Music is Silly

I think this video is pretty self-explanatory. And sadly true. And pretty funny. Let me know what you think...

Mute Math

Mute Math's self-titled album manages to expertly combine all the things I look for in music: originality, honesty, great vocals, insightful lyrics, energy. Oh, and they sound good. I have heard Mute Math described as "electro-alt rock", and that is perhaps the best way to simply describe their sound. The truth is that they sound unlike anything I've heard before. The album starts with the energetic, drum-driven, instrumental "Collapse" before moving smoothly into "Typical", which is the first in a long line of songs that combine catchy melodies with great guitar lines, subtle but well-crafted drumming, and extremely talented bass-playing; this is all enhanced by various electronic sounds and intruments. There is an amazing amount of energy on this album, so it easily maintains interest throughout a number of rather long songs. These great, dynamic rock moments are balanced by a number of mellower, more introspective songs, including "Stare at the Sun", "You Are Mine", and "Stall Out". "You Are Mine" is especially notable for its haunting musical qualities and remarkably honest, fresh lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, this album contains some of the best ones I've heard in quite a long time. A stark sense of honesty pervades the entire album, and they manage to be crafted subtly and artfully enough to be enjoyable to anyone. The reason for this accessibility is that the guys in Mute Math are writing about things that everyone has experienced or wants to experience; and they are writing about things that are larger than just the mundanities of everyday life. There is nothing more refreshing that that. If you are not yet convinced that Mute Math is amazing, then you can go listen to some of their songs either on MySpace or on purevolume. Or you can go buy the album on iTunes (who also throws in a free live EP). This is undoubtedly the best album I've heard this year. That's right, the best. There is not a bad song on this album, but here are some highlight tracks: "Typical", "Chaos", "Noticed", "You Are Mine".

Enjoy them! They are amazing!

Jill

Get Behind Me, Sinuses!

Hey hey hey! It's been a super-long time since I've done one of these, but it's time for a random life update! I know, I know, exactly what you were hoping for. But for the two of you who care, here's what's going on with me...

As of right now, I go to work, I go to school, I have a sinus infection. Work is good good good (almost always). School is ok, but a little boring, and I am very very behind in all of my classes. I usually have a perpetual sinus infection throughout the winter. But no more! I'm going to ask the ENT Dr. to remove my sinus cavities. That should solve my problems, right?

As for the future, I will be working even more full-time than I am now next semester, and I will be taking only 1.5 classes. Those classes would be biology and web page design (which is a non-credit course, and therefore only counts as half a class). Sounds fun, right? Right. I will also be getting some beautiful new equipment and starting a real music podcast. And I'm sure you all will listen. Maybe you can help me think of a name for it. I have one in mind, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. What would you call a podcast that plays amazing music that is usually by Christian artists but that isn't particularly Christian music? You tell me.

In other news, I'm sick of Christians. Yes, I said it. It's not that there aren't a lot of people who are Christians who I absolutely love (just like there are a lot of non-Christian people who I absolutely love), but I'm sick of the big thing (for lack of better terminology) that is Christianity. Now let's get one thing straight. I'm not denouncing Jesus... not at all. In fact, I want a relationship, and a radical one, with God now more than ever. I just don't want to do it the way I've always done it. Boringly, comfortably, safely... the way I almost always see it done around me. (Don't start sending me hate mail if you are a Christian that I know... I know that there are quite a few of you that are doing Christianity radically and are really following Jesus). But the truth of the matter is that the whole system of Christianity: the music, the "new laws" (hmm, you might have to listen to this week's pseudo-podcast to catch that reference), the church buildings, the fakery (yes, it's a word), the unoriginality - these things are not working for me or for Christians or for our oh-so-"Christian" country. So I want to do it differently. But I'm not entirely sure how to do that. So I'm just kind of stuck here. Again. But unlike other times when I've run away from God, this time I feel hopeful. I will not settle for less than all of God this time. I won't settle for the watered-down, feel-good Christianity that every church I've ever been to has tried to cram down my throat. I will base my relationship with God and the way I live my life on actually talking and listening to Jesus (Gasp! Shocking concept!). Alright, enough deep, pondering nonsense.

Now go leave me a comment. Shameless groveling for comments didn't work, so I'm trying a more imperative style of speech. I hope I get my point across. Ok bye.

Fondestly,
Dr. J

PS - I apologize for the lack of grammatical correctness in this post. As you can see, these really are the unedited ramblings of my overtired mind.

Let's Communicate About a New Law

Tune in today as we discuss some albums that you should preorder, talk about blogging, and hear music from Jonezetta and Derek Webb.

View my Gabcast Page (where you can download the file)

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Links to things discussed in the show:
Jonezetta
Hear Jonezetta's music on purevolume
Preorder Sufjan's Songs for Christmas
Stream (listen to) Songs for Christmas
Preorder Switchfoot's new album, Oh! Gravity
Listen to Switchfoot on MySpace
FreeDerekWebb.com

Email Me: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call my voicemail: 203-437-4531

WOTW 11/12/06

Howdy there. How's everyone doing? Good, I hope. Well, my friends, this week we have a word that I rather enjoy. And you will probably enjoy it also. So be sure to use it as much as is humanly possible in everyday conversation, because then people will know that you are a smart cookie. Here it is:

-balbutient (băl-bū'shunt) adj. --> stuttering
Ex: The teenage girl spoke balbutiently when she crossed passed with the latest celebrity heartthrob.

And now, for this week's random fact:

A raisin, dropped in a glass of champagne, will rise and fall continuously in the glass.

Congratulations! You are now 13.6% more enlightened than when you started reading this post. Be sure to check back on this blog often this week for a super-amazing pseudo-podcast, a random life update, a music review of the best album of the year, and a funny funny video. Enjoy (and go leave me a comment!).

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Are the Monsters Really Good?

As I said, I went to see Jars of Clay, Matt Wertz, and Kate York in concert on Thursday night. Let's start at the very beginning...

Up first was Kate York. She had a really nice voice - rich, melodic, passionate. But I'll be really honest, her music made me want to crawl out of my skin... or fall asleep. I don't know; she sounds fine, I guess. She just seems to sound like every other female Christian singer with a guitar that I've heard. All the songs just blended together into one very large made-me-want-to-sleep fest. But you might like her, so you can listen to her music on her MySpace page.

I think I'm a little bit in love with Matt Wertz. Not because he's particularly attractive or because his music is brilliant. Why then? Firstly, I have a weakness for men with guitars. Secondly, he was simply charming onstage. He played with his other guitarist friend, Justin I believe it was. Or maybe it was Jason. Either way, they interacted very well together, and they just seemed to have a great time with the music. He was funny and spontaneous and personal, and they got the audience involved really nicely. The music itself was good - it's very upbeat, very pop-like, very danceable. Like I said, not brilliant, but I particularly enjoyed it. You can listen to some of it on MySpace, or just find the album on iTunes. And I was just kidding, I'm not really in love with Matt Wertz. I just appreciate charming, guitar-playing men. That's all.


So after all the loveliness of opening acts, Jars of Clay came onstage. If you're new to my blog, you may not know that Jars of Clay is very possibly my favorite band... ever. So it doesn't really need to be stated that I was terribly excited to see this concert. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and no. The band was great. They were full of energy, some crazy dancing, some great (and a couple not-so-great) song choices, and funny/insightful conversation. The part that I didn't particularly enjoy was the audience. There were certainly exceptions, but the audience just didn't seem very into the concert. Maybe this is because Christians are boring and don't like rock concerts. Maybe they just didn't know the music. Maybe everyone was tired. I'm not sure of the reason, but the lack of audience enthusiasm slightly dampened my spirits about the show. But the truth is that the Jars guys were awesome. The best songs they played were "Love Me", "Flood" (of course), "Surprise", "The Eleventh Hour", and probably others that I just can't remember. The consensus? Great band, good show, I would most definitely go see them again if I got the chance.

Alrighty, folks. It's late and I must go. Have a great day!

Fondly,
Dr. J

Jars of Clay Pictures

Hey all. I saw Jars of Clay (with Matt Wertz and Kate York) in concert last night... Here are just a couple pictures from the show. I'll write a full description of it tomorrow. I know these aren't super-fantastic quality, but enjoy them anyway...

The mysteriously lit stage before the concert started (boy, they sure had a lot of guitars!).

My dear friend Mindy and I were terribly excited to see the concert!

Here is a rather poetic picture of Jars of Clay performing.
By poetic I mean fuzzy.

This is Dan Haseltine, lead singer and tambourine-playing member of Jars of Clay.

Alrighty, be sure to check back tomorrow, and I'll tell you all about the excitement of the night. Have a great day...

Fondly,
Dr. J

Chaos

Here is a little video that might give you the slightest picture of how amazing Mute Math is. Shh, don't tell anyone, I stole it from their video podcast! Enjoy...

Oh, and what's up with 0 comments on my last 3 posts? Dude, go leave me a comment!

Mute Math? More like blow-my-eardrums Math!

I went to a ridiculously loud rock concert on Monday night. And it was amazing. Now this wasn't just any old concert. We're talking about 100 people crammed into a little room about the size of my bedroom with a very small stage and 3 very loud bands. We're talking getting very close to band members and just a little too close to those very loud speakers (now you'll know what happened when I ask you to repeat yourself 57 times). So what made this the best concert I've ever seen? Let me tell you...

First up was a fairly new band called Jonezetta, and they sounded good. 2 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drummer... this looks like your typical rock band, but Jonezetta manages to sound very unique, a little angry at times, but great for dancing (or going deaf to, either way works). They brought some great energy to the stage, and they managed to be nice and funny without being cheesy. My favorite part? The guitarist Kyle Howe's wonderful mix of great playing, lack of facial expressions, and beautiful hair. You can listen to some of Jonezetta's songs on purevolume, and I highly encourage you to do just that.

Up next was The Whigs, who I'm not going to talk much about, because they weren't very good. The music wasn't too bad, but it lacked originality, and the lyrics seemed kind of pointless. And the guys seemed kind of boring. I've heard positive reviews of them, but I found The Whigs to be only mediocre.

However, all the mediocrity in the world couldn't have dampened the glory that was hearing Mute Math live. I haven't reviewed Mute Math yet (I will next week), but let it suffice for me to say that I am very much in love with this band. Their album is fantastic. Their live show was just as good as their album, but magnified about a million times. Was it loud? Yes. Were they crazy? Yes (think jumping on furniture, making plaster fall from the ceiling, sweat literally pouring off of them). Did they involve the crowd in a wonderful way? Yes. Were they genuine? Yes. Were they humble and absolutely incredible at the same time? Yes. Does Paul Meany play the keytar? Yes. Can Christians write excellent music that everyone can connect to? Mute Math has shown that the answer can be a resounding yes. The energy of this show was insane. And it was a beautiful thing, because these guys are writing beautiful, honest, original music. Please, if you ever get the chance, go see Mute Math. And go buy their album. Or just go listen to some songs on purevolume. If you have even remotely good taste in music, I assure you that you won't regret it.

Alrighty, folks, only one more concert left in concert week. But let's make the glory last... leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite concert has been. Or better yet, leave a voicemail at 203-437-4531 and tell me what your favorite concert has been. Who knows, maybe I will play your call on my pseudo-podcast, and a whopping 10 people will hear it. This just might be your chance to have 15 minutes of fame. Or, you know, 2 minutes, depending on how long your message is. Alright, I'll leave you to it. Bye for now!

Dr. J

PS - Check back tomorrow for an amazing live Mute Math video (not my own video, just like those aren't my pictures, but who said stolen stuff can't be amazing?)!

Watching Concerts with an Ocean View

Watching Concerts with an Ocean View

Subscribe on iTunes using Gcast!

Tune in this week as we introduce new recording software, discuss the irony of Christian concerts, talk about people's favorite instruments to listen to, and hear music from Half-Handed Cloud and Starlit Platoon. Great music and great sound quality this week, so enjoy!

Links to things discussed in the show:

Half-Handed Cloud
Half-Handed Cloud on MySpace
Audacity
Large Christian Concerts
Casting Crowns
Starlit Platoon on purevolume
Starlit Platoon on MySpace

Contact Me:
Leave a comment!
Email: jillmdblog@gmail.com
Call: 203-437-4531

WOTW 11/05/06

Hey everyone! Sorry it's late this week, but welcome to yet another wonderful WOTW. This week's word is extraordinarily easy to remember, so I expect that you will use it even more than usual in your everyday conversations. Without further ado, here is our word:

-acousticophobia (ă-koos"tĭ-kō-fō'bĭ-u) noun --> fear of noise
Ex: When the acousticophobic girl went to the loud rockish concert, she curled up in the fetal position and screamed until the band stopped playing.

And now, for the random fact of the week:

The twentieth-century American horticulturist Rudolph Boysen crossed a blackberry, a raspberry, and a loganberry and created a new fruit named, naturally, the boysenberry.

Alrighty, folks. Have a great week, and be sure to check back at this blog often this week, because it's concert week!! 11 bands, 3 concerts, 1 week... pure joy. Be sure to listen to my audioblog on Tuesday, because now it costs me money and I really put quite a bit of work into them (and did I mention that the music is awesome?), so I would appreciate it if you would listen and let me know what you think. Alrighty, enough shameless self-promotion. Have an amazing week... au revoir.

Fondest regards,
Dr. J

Music or Ministry?

Hey all. I know you never listen to the podcasts I recommend, but I really feel like this is one you need to hear, so I transcribed it for you. This is from Derek Webb's Podcast #2. I took excerpts and cleaned it up a little for easier reading. I know this is really long, but this is purposefully a light text week on my blog and it's an easy read. I really highly recommend that you read the whole thing, because he's got some really insightful comments, and trust me... it's not easy to transcribe a 14 minute podcast! Read it, and then let me know what you think.

“The thing I love about artists like Elliott Smith, or like Bob Dylan, for instance, is another guy I can’t leave home without, or even U2. The thing about them is that they’re so honest, with no care for their reputations, they’re just so unbelievably honest. And there’s something about listening to an Elliott Smith record, for me, a guy who was an addict, a guy who was a recluse; he had a lot of issues socially and was really terribly insecure, and I really appreciate, when I listen to the records that led up to his death, that you see that all over those records. You hear all about what he’s struggling with and the things that are just killing him. I mean, while it was tragic, it was no surprise to people who followed his music. And the difference between that and people in my industry, more in what’s categorized as the Christian music that’s out there, is that right before the big tragedies in the marriages and in the personal lives of the people in my industry; it’s a shock, because we’re not hearing about it. Because we’re not honest about it. Because we’re so fearful that people will know who we really are. Because more is wrapped up in trying to look like Jesus that to look like people who need Jesus. Which I think is a tragedy. I’m not like Jesus. I’m not at all, actually. I’m a wreck of a person. And I need him; without him I’d be lost. And I would rather people see my potential losses than people see my made-up, kind of fictional righteousness. It doesn’t get me anywhere. Cause if that’s all I show to them, then they’re gonna be shocked when they find out that I’m kind of a wreck of a person. That’s who I am, and I’d rather there be no pretense about whether I’m a good person. Whether or not I’m someone you should really listen to. I’m not at all. But I know a guy.

“I think one of the reasons that it’s important for artists in the church to be more concerned with making good art than with making explicit art is because for one, art is the primary way by which people engage each other’s world views. And I’m afraid as artists in the church, if we’re not making good art, we’re not going to get invited into those worldview discussions. Because where those are happening are in the Billboard Top 200. You know, those discussions are happening on the bar circuit in our towns and our communities. It’s happening on MTV. There are a lot of artists with a lot of world views who are making great art, and therefore have a platform to discuss their worldview. As Christians, the reason that people aren’t listening to what we have to say about the world is not because they don’t want to hear us because our faith and because of Jesus. It’s because our art is terrible. It’s because we’ve got to put more importance on making good art. Nowadays, the church is about five years behind pop culture, and it’s no wonder the church is seen as kind of irrelevant and one-dimensional. I really don’t think it’s overstating to say that is because our art is substandard. I think if the church was behind making better art, we would find a place where we could discuss our worldview and culture. I really do. I don’t think it’s going to take better programs, or better methods or multi-million dollar buildings to draw people in, to see what we’ve got. I think it’s going to take, first and foremost, our artists going out and making really respected and good art. Excellent art; doing it with excellence. Not all artists have to engage in full-time ministry. Some simply need to make great art. And I think it’s a double standard, if you play music, immediately the word ministry comes into it… “I love your ministry.” What do you know about my ministry? I, like all Christians, have a desire that disciples would be made and that people might come to faith, and that’s something I concern myself with that in my community and my personal life, but I’m a singer/songwriter. I’m just trying to make great art. I don’t really see this as ministry. I see this as the work that I have to do and use the gifts God has given me to do it. And as an individual, I do care about making disciples, just as you do in your work, but this isn’t full-time ministry for me. This is my work, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We need to have eyes to see the way that God might work in the world, and it may not be by way of all the categories that we put on Him.”

An Interesting Technique

Here is a video of Justin King playing the guitar in one of the most interesting fashions I have ever seen. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't, but he certainly has talent. Thanks to Liz for sending me this video.

The Future of Christian Literature?

This is really funny, especially if you're familiar with the sad story that is modern Christian literature. Some of my favorites are numbers 9, 16, 21, 23, 39, and 40. Enjoy!

50 Potential Christian Bestsellers from purgatorio1.com.

If the hyperlink doesn't work, here is the URL: http://purgatorio1.com/?p=536.