"All the younger artists signed to Christian labels within the last 10 years or less will struggle to understand where they fit—if they fit at all anymore."
"Another whole group of “ccm” era survivors will continue to move country music forward with great success"
"The Tooth & Nail tribe of artists will continue on. It’s about touring and live music. T&N had that right from the beginning—here’s a van and an atlas—see ya."
Bloggable memes from Charlie Peacock as he lays out the future of CCM. HT: Addison Road.
Flight of the Conchordsdebut album hits Number 3 in USA. Well done! As you know I grew a beard so that my friend Derek (who looks like Jemaine) and I could do a take off for YouTube. We actually didn't have time for that. Well we did but we were too lazy. Anyway, I shaved off my Bret Beard yesterday and have gone back to being myself. Pretty pathetic beard though.
If you have never experienced Kiwi culture at its finest, check it out. Their YouTube videos get millions of hits. HT: Steve Taylor
Larry Norman, the "father of Christian rock" passed away yesterday. His friend and colleague Steve Camp has the skinny, and a song dedicated to him called "If I was a singer".
I never met Larry but my wife who grew up in California heard him many times. In fact, his song "I wish we'd all been ready", combined with that image of a lawn mower running without its operator in the movie "Thief in the Night", scared the hell out of her and led to her conversion to Christ in the late 70's. I don't think she would embrace that form of eschatology anymore but hey - we both owe Larry a big thank you when we get to the next life. Larry's website is LarryNorman.com
iTunes release of the single "Love's Not for Sale" by blues/jazz singer Helen J Hicks. Profits go towards fighting human trafficking. Last week I saw Helen perform a fantastic set at a London club where she released her excellent new album [buy it on Amazon] on herLoudMouthMusic label. I took some video of 'Love's Not for Sale'. Here it is.
Afterwards, Helen and James joined our group for dinner. Delightful couple. I told Helen she sounded a little like Nora Jones - hope that wasn't an insult.
Helen J Hicks, like every musician on the planet, is also on Myspace
Here is one of video producer Jason Rey's videos called Swang, which has achieved almost legendary status in the Houston hip-hop scene and is now a standard for other short hip-hop videos. One of the hip-hop artists, Hawk, died tragically from gunshot wounds shortly after this video was taken. Check it out and watch the cars SWANGING down the street. [Did i say that right, Jason?]
Jason Rey [de Leon] has been one of our Christmas guests. His favorite food at our feast, in case you were wondering, was the goose and chestnut/apple stuffing. Despite having his ass kicked by my 7 year old daughter Hannah in last night's karaoke competition, Jason managed to find his groove in one of the hip-hop songs and used his advantage to beat Abigail, who is a few years older than Hannah.
This is Hannah licking a lollipop after humiliating Jason (right) in the Jones's Christmas Karaoke competition, while Jessica plays with our kitten Charlie Chaplin.
I asked Jason about his video "Swang" and what that word means. I have nailed him down to a quasi definition:
Swang is a word given to the sync'd swerving down the street of a groups of "slabs" ie, late 70's/early 80's American big bodied cars. Think 1950's low-rider cruising making it into todays world.
- Rapper Z-Ro from Rap-A-Lot Records uses "swang" in at least one of his songs on Z-Ro vs the World.
- Swang on Wikipedia is not very helpful here, referring to a folk dance from Malwa but the ending sentence alludes to this new word:
"More recently elongated to "Swanging" in the verbal form for a more "hip" and "youthfull" use. For example "I was swanging allnight baby!""
- Swang on Urban Dictionaryoffers some helpful sentences that will help you talk like a native:
"look hear comes some hot whips they'r swang'n"
Green Day now have an official chat room as part of the new Idiot Club so you dont need to come here anymore to leave messages for Billie Joe. Its US$20 a year so join up when you save up enough. You get to see a preview of their new video which would be cool . . . IF I HAD 20 BIG ONES!!!!
And is that really Billie Joe commenting on my blog below? How do i know if henrypizza at aol dot com is his email address? But BJ is welcome to leave messages here if he wants . . . . and maybe send me an early copy of the new album so I can cover it [hint hint] . . . i'm sure having a deaf old fart with poor music taste like me say it rocks will make it a blockbuster. fur sure!
btw - I REALLY like the “SAINTS” video of Greenday with U2 last month at the Louisiana Superdome. - The Saints are Coming! have u seen it? totally rox!!!! U2 are a fav band of mine and i play their live stuff every Saturday round the house.
Keep going for a good youtube video of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Pleasantly surprised by the folk-rap-jazzy band Nizlopi. I met them at the pie stall and had a good chat with Luke, who promised to do song for me if I came along. Not that he needed more people - there was a massive swarm of bodies. But my curiosity was aroused, and my ego was wondering if i would get a Tallskinnykiwi song - which i did. And he did. Thanks Luke and John! I will now be your unswerving fan!
They have a similar sound to Ben and Robin of 100 Portraits. The best song was their Number One hit "The JCB song" which taps into those deep emotional memories every boy has with their dad. Touching.
I also liked when poet Alastair McIntyre [i mean McIntosh] joined the band and gave some hard hitting poetic words for young men to grow up and look to their Beloved.
To be honest, my interview failed. Randy Stonehill, after a great set that totally rocked, went backstage and wasnt able to talk to me. In fact, he didnt even know I was there. But my interview with him will be blogged anyway, and in the genre of Chris Farley.
The Interview:
Tallskinnykiwi: Randy, you rock! That was excellent. You really WAIL on that guitar. Was that really YOU out there??????
Randy Stonehill: Ahhhhh .. . yeah.
Tallskinnykiwi: Aaah . . shoot. That was a dumb question! Randy, your song "American Fast Food [what a stupid way to die]" was soooooo 20 years before SuperSize Me! I wish you would have sung it today. And "Turning Thirty" was my theme song when I turned 30. And "Shut De Do" is so classic - i used to think it was an old gospel song. But you wrote that in 1983, while driving down a street in Hollywood. Ummm . .. didnt you? Did you REALLY write all those songs?
Randy Stonehill: Ahhhhh . .. yes. Thats correct, Tallskinnykiwi.
Tallskinnykiwi: Coooool!!!!! Wooooowwwww!!!!! That's AWESOME!
Randy Stonehill: Yeah it is!
Tallskinnykiwi: Totally AWESOME!!!
Randy Stonehill: . . . .
Tallskinnykiwi: Hey - times up and i have to go. Thanks for a GREAT interview!
Randy Stonehill: Ahhhhhh . . . .
Tallskinnykiwi: Ok, thats it. PEACE OUT everyone!!!!!!!
[Disclaimer - this interview never happened because Randy walked out the back. But I came closer to Randy Stonehill than ever before. The previous time was 1985 in Sydney when Randy was playing a concert and I was right outside that venue on the same night. Didnt have enough money to go in, of course, but I saw the people who went in. Saw them up close too.
But tonight . . . I got close enough to RANDY STONEHILL to take that photo on my phone.]
The band Muse is everywhere in London right now. TV, newspaper, internet, commericals. Its midnight and I am in London, watching a Muse interview on Channel 4. Muse TOTALLY Rocks! Their last album "Absolution" was incredible [see my blog post] and their new album Black Holes and Revelations maintains that high standard. The album is released tomorrow but I have been listening to it for a few weeks, thanks to an early release in other countries. And my mohawked son who will be seeing Muse perform next month at T in the Fringe.
Muse remind me of one of my all time favourite bands - Split Enz from NZ - who also dressed in black and white.
Matthew Bellamy, Muse's lead singer and writer of much of their material, is an absolute GEEK and I love the guy!!!!! He talks a hundred miles an hour and his music, inspired by sources as diverse as 80's rock and classical piano concertos, is absolutely unique. His lyrics are risky, bold, and layered beyond the comprehension of mere mortals.
"aradhna means worship: the group captures the beauty and dignity of india’s bhajan devotional melodies with music that blends east and west" (From the Aradna website. Check outthis videoand see what i am talking about.)
My Aradhna (Satsang) CD finally arrived. Let me complain a little here. Apart from making me BUY it (how rude - i normally receive CD's free) it took far too long to arrive (its a belated Christmas present) the recording is poor, there is no meta-data for iTunes, their online shop did not recognise the United Kingdom and the actual recording is based on a mishap. Apparently, they were recording the final night of a tour for a CD and a 3 year old child kicked the cords and they lost everything. But they felt God wanted them to continue so they played to those in the crowd that wanted to stay . . thus . . this album called Satsang.
Having said that. The CD is absolutely incredible and curry nights at our house will never be the same. I also think you should buy it. In fact, if your music collection of worship songs does not include at least ONE Aradhna CD, then it is indeed one tuna casserole short of the potluck.
I took this picture at Greenbelt Festival last summer. The other bands were raving about Aradhna and I had to hear them for myself. Mike of RiverTribe, who has blogged about Aradhna, was the guy who told me to see them. Since then, other friends in my world have told me about Aradhna coming through their town (Barb in Lisbon, Linda B. in San Francisco) Jonny Baker had also mentioned them.
Anyway - a great band with a great missiological philosophy on why indigenous patterns of local worship are so important to God who does not want the whole wide world to be Maranathaized or Hillsonged out of recognition.
I have been wondering why so many Green Day fans come here and leave a comment on a post called "Virtual Chatroom for Dummies" that has nothing to do with Green Day. Except for the fact that someone mentioned them in the comments section and started off a small Green Day fan club on my post. Many of the posts have been deleted because of language but many are still there . . . like this one:
"Billie Joe i LOVE U!!!
n Green Day roXxX!!!!! =)
u guyz rok! ur heeps awesome!!! ROK ON!"
This morning i tracked it back to Google search engine. When you type in "Green Day, Chat Room" my post is number 4. I guess visitors read the Green Day comments and leave their own. Anyway . . Happy New Year to all the Green Day fans that end up on one of my posts. And yes . . as you day . . . "Dude!GREEN DAY ROX MY SOX!
Ohhhhh gosh. Petra. Retiring. This month. DANG! After 33 years! I have to admit that I haven't liked their music since the 80's. But back then . . . . they totally rocked!!! I discovered them in 1985 on a mission ship called M.V. Logos. I played the albums all the time. LOUD! There were complaints but I loved them. Bob Hartman wrote some incredible songs and Greg X. Volz sung them and the whole thing totally worked! Moment of silence . . please . . while I read out these sacred words:
Never Say Die (1981) This one healed me of my fundamentalism.
More Power To Ya (1982) Sweet album.
Not of This World (1983) Incredible songs. Maybe their best.
Beat The System (1984) More electronic songs for geeks. I loved it.
Killer albums, all four of them . . . and i WILL NOT HEAR OTHERWISE FROM ANYONE!!! Do I have an Amen? (HT: Pirialigeiro)
Michael Harcus, the musician from Westray just left our house. He is here for the festival but he also led the worship at Stromness Baptist Church this morning. We chatted about music and he showed my his main web site and the CrossRythms promo. I managed to talk him into getting a blog going (being the blog evangelist that i am) and we whipped him up something quick and simple called Michael the Harcus. Hope he keeps it up.
Our little town of Stromness is buzzing today with blues musicians from all over UK. Our kids were getting free lessons today. The Orkney Blues Festival runs all weekend and there are bands playing in all the clubs and pubs.
“and it's time we saw a miracle
come on, it's time for something biblical
to pull us through . . . ”
“ . . proclaim eternal victory
come on and change the cause of history
and pull us through
and pull us through
and this is the end
this is the end
of the world”
(Muse, Apocalyspe Please, from Absolution)
I need to say it. Muse is a great British rock band. My son has been playing their music (Absolution) and they have really grown on me. In fact I am almost converted. I think the two of us will need to track them down and see them live sometime.
Lyrics to Absolution.Review. Wikipedia.More on the band.
Jars of Clay owe me one. When Scott, the leader of the Billy Graham team, asked me what band they should invite to play at the San Francisco crusade in 1997 [i am showing off here, just allow me this one] I thought for a few seconds and then said "Jars of Clay!"
Scott: Jars of Clay? We have never worked with them. We usually get DC Talk and groups like that. TSK: Trust me. Jars of Clay rock, dude, they totally have the vibe that San Franscico is grooving under.
Scott: What? TSK: Just trust me.
Paul Hester found dead in Melbourne. Very tragic news. Crowded House was one of my favorite bands. I have followed the Finn Brothers from their incredible Split Enz days in New Zealand (True Colours was a total classic album) through Crowded House and up to the present. I am sure they will be grieved beyond words over this news. Link.
Blogger-musician Mike Lane in Melbourne might have the skinny. Yes - right here.
Small world. I am now sitting at my desk in London, listening to Joy FM from St Louis, Missouri, who are talking about David Crowder, my friend from Waco Texas. I guess The Dave Crowder band are playing in St Louis this weekend, because they are looking at a photo of him and are talking about his funky look - long gotee, skinny, and a weird face. "He likes the shock value of his looks", said Sharon, not realizing that her words would appear on my blog a few seconds later. Yes, he does look strange, BUT WE LOVE HIM TO DEATH!!!!!!
I downloaded a trial version of live365.com internet radio yesterday on my computer and am enjoying tapping into the mainstream christian contemporary stuff that i havent heard for years. Dont flame me!!!! Just let me listen to it. Does anyone out there want to start an internet radio station. Can you do it cheaper than $10 a month? (Live365.com's price)
Moby appears today in the LA Apple Store. That would be a treat. His Play album gave me a huge amount of material for digital storytelling from the Bible. All those cool loops, and chilled out music. Normally music takes the spotlight and its hard to teach or talk above it but many of the tracks on Play were just the ticket.
Pleasantly surprised by the folk-rap-jazzy band 
Ohhhhh gosh. 
Small world. I am now sitting at my desk in London, listening to Joy FM from St Louis, Missouri, who are talking about David Crowder, my friend from Waco Texas. I guess 
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