Madonna Is Sick

Sometimes I can't remember why I used to like certain artists/ bands. I really don't understand how I enjoyed watching and listening to certain things. Anyway, I can't help but shake my head at this one.

Music

I don't listen to music much anymore. Maybe one song once or twice a month. That really is the extent of my music listening these days, which is quite the contrast when compared to my life a year ago. I used to always have the radio on, or a cd on, or I'd be playing guitar. I couldn't drive without music. And there was even a point in my life where I couldn't sleep without music. I love music, I still do, but I started to notice that when I shut the music off I found myself able to concentrate on the Word better, on God better. It seems that I had been distracting myself with the music. Rather than fill my time with God's Word I filled it with music.

As God showed me this I began to listen to music less and less in the house, but I still listened to it all the time in the car. And as I grew in the Word I listened to music even less. Until finally, one day I just shut the car stereo off. I found myself able to memorize Scripture better, I found myself praying more, I found peace in my life as I drew closer to God free from distraction (or at least less distraction).

But still, every once in a while it's nice to just hear a song. Songs can convey beautiful, powerful images. And sometimes it's good just to shake yourself up, I'm not saying we should all rush out and listen to Britney Spears or Tool, sometimes we can become complacent and harden our hearts and we ignore, or overlook what God shows us in His Word and a good God focused song can help us refocus. It's sad, but it does happen. At any rate, I was on my way to Barnes and Noble recently and decided to put on my mp3 player and listen to some tunes for a few minutes. The mp3 player put on Jars of Clay's "Hymn."


Oh refuge of my hardened heart
Oh fast pursuing lover come
As angels dance 'round Your throne
My life by captured fare You own

Not silhouette of trodden faith
Nor death shall not my steps be guide
I'll pirouette upon mine grave
For in Your path I'll run and hide


Chorus:


Oh gaze of love so melt my pride
That I may in Your house but kneel
And in my brokenness to cry
Spring worship unto Thee


When beauty breaks the spell of pain
The bludgeoned heart shall burst in vain
But not when love be pointed king
And truth shall Thee forever reign


[Chorus]


Sweet Jesus carry me away
From cold of night, and dust of day
In ragged hour or salt worn eye
Be my desire, my wellspring lie


[Chorus x 2]


Spring worship unto Thee
Spring worship unto Thee

Album Review: The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

I wrote the entire review and somehow managed to delete the entire thing, so here we go again.

This is the third release from Conrad. The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a return to his guitar rock roots, with a bit of a country twang tossed in for good measure which is evidenced by the inclusion of some slide guitar on various tracks and even a cover of Johnny Cash's I Still Miss Someone. The Shortest Distance... showcases the artist's grown talent as a musician, a producer, and a person. The lyrics, true to his style, are deeply personal.

The entire album is extremely well done, but some stand out songs include (but are most certainly not limited to):

Bad Dreams
This song is interesting, largely because the lyrics contrast the hopeful and bouncy style of the music so much. And it works, the contrast really does work. The break down makes the song I think.

Birdsong
A sad love song. Concerned that the love shared will change in the absence of each other, hopeful for a return to that love. Beautiful.

Vision
Tender, acoustic, beautiful. As far as I know this was the first song he finished for the album, and was the first song I'd heard. I wasn't sure he would be able to top it, or even create anything as beautiful, but somehow he managed.

My favorite part of the song:

And I gave you patience; you gave me a bruise.
And I gave you my love. So now whose is whose?
You said you don’t need me. I know that’s untrue,
Just like my life never ended for you.

A Red Raindrop
Melancholyly, slow, beautiful. This song made me actually get up and come sit closer to the speaker when it came on, there's just something about it. I think it's got to do with the inclusion of the violin again. I'm a sucker for a pretty violin line.

You Know Where I'll Be
I heard a rough for this song after I heard the finished version of Vision, and I was blown away. The finished product is even better. Nice slide guitar solo.

Even lightening finds its way to the ground
Find your way to me
Even fire knows that it too can drown
Drown yourself in me

Don't let anybody tell you what you need
I know that you need me

(emphasis mine)

I often think about things like this, that I just want to be so completely submerged in Christ, that all I need is Him and how I long to be with Him. Perhaps this is one of the reasons this song stuck out to me so much. It reminds me of how the Father is reaching out to each of us, how He longs for us to be with Him, if only we'd turn to Him. And so the only way to do that was to send His Son to pay the price for our sin and provide a way for us to be able to return to Him.

I want to let my angels rejoice
If you'd only speak to me
...
You know that I have no other choice
If I want you to be free

Overall The Shortest Distance is very well done, well produced, well played, well written. If you're looking for a guitar rock/ pop album, this would be worth your time to investigate further. As I told him, I give this album three thumbs up. My two and the thumb that isn't stuck in my daughter's mouth. Visit Conrad's website for a complete track listing, lyrics, song samples, news, and photos.

From the Hymnal: I Could Not Do Without Thee

From Cyberhymnal.org, you're one stop shop for all your hymnal needs. ;) Emphasis mine.


I could not do without Thee
O Savior of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost.
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.

I could not do without Thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But Thou, beloved Savior,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee.

I could not do without Thee,
For, oh, the way is long,
And I am often weary,
And sigh replaces song:
How could I do without Thee?
I do not know the way;
Thou knowest, and Thou leadest,
And wilt not let me stray.

I could not do without Thee,
O Jesus, Savior dear;
E’en when my eyes are holden,
I know that Thou art near.
How dreary and how lonely
This changeful life would be,
Without the sweet communion,
The secret rest with Thee!

I could not do without Thee;
No other friend can read
The spirit’s strange deep longings,
Interpreting its need;
No human heart could enter
Each dim recess of mine,
And soothe, and hush, and calm it,
O blessèd Lord, but Thine.

I could not do without Thee,
For years are fleeting fast,
And soon in solemn oneness
The river must be passed;
But Thou wilt never leave me,
And though the waves roll high,
I know Thou wilt be near me,
And whisper, “It is I.”

Conrad Album Release

Alright folks, here's a shameless plug for a friend. Conrad has released his third album, The Shortest Distance Between Two Points. I know it is an insanely long and slightly obnoxious title, but it's still a great album none the less. Go visit his site, you'll be able to listen to the entire album for free as well as view the lyrics and the stories behind the lyrics, and much more! Thank you for supporting independent artists.

::end plug::

RIAA Says That I'm in Trouble

Apparently, now it's naughty to make copies of your own CDs, or to rip them and place the mp3s on your mp3 player! I'm so naughty. I own the CDs, I don't pass out the mp3s to people, even if they ask, and I only use the mp3 player in my car. I don't have a cd player. So now I'm being unfair? Give me a break. Last year it was ok for me to do this, so what the heck? Why is it unfair now? Dumb RIAA changing their minds all the time.


Last year:

"The record companies, my clients, have said, for some time now, and it's been on their website for some time now, that it's perfectly lawful to take a CD that you've purchased, upload it onto your computer, put it onto your iPod."

But now, because I play my music on my computer they say I shouldn't buy CDs, and basically imply that just playing the CD on the computer should be illegal simply because there are services out there that provide mp3 downloads. Since when are they allowed to dictate how I spend my money? Computers crash, if all I have is mp3s I will be force to buy more mp3s once the computer is fixed. That is twice as much money for the same amount of music being played. Give me a break. And really, what do they think I do rip the mp3 and play it on my mp3 player while playing it on my computer while having the CD in my brother's stereo? That is a bit excessive, don't you think? Dumb RIAA, hush up. I'm not stealing, I'm not using the music for anything other than private use, so relax. Geez.

::end rant::

A Final Plea for Angels Wake: VOTE

Now that I have your attention, fellow boardies, let me ask you a small favor. The voting has been extended for that contest being run on Indie Heaven, and we still need your help. We dropped two places tonight, after holding our own at 11 for quite some time. It's over on the 31st, and I know you guys have enough attention in you to vote for 2 weeks. So go here: www.indieheaven.com and vote for us. It's simple, and could very well save the world. Click on the little radio tower, and this should bring you to charts. Find us, click on our song ("Going Home") and vote us as high as possible. It's that simple. Vote every day until the 31st. And do so with a warm glow, because you're doing your part to save humanity.

- Angels Wake

As of today they are listed at number 13, if they don't stay within the top 15 they won't make the compilation. And that would be a shame if only because they have (until recently) been in the top 11 for well over a month.

Erik Satie: Gymnopedie No. 1 and more

So beautiful, I'm in love. It's the perfect background noise music. Other songs to listen to: Robert Schumann's "Traumerei" (I fell in love with this song a couple years ago when I first saw Beyond Borders) and Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata First Movement."

If you only listen to those three songs you will begin to have an appreciation for some of my favorite music. All these songs, as well as many others, are available here, although the mp3 of Traumerei is played slightly faster than I would like it is still very pretty.

Angels Wake Contest Continues

The contest for Angels Wake is continuing until December, I just found out so please go visit. For more details see my old post here.

Vote for "Going Home" by Angels Wake, right now they are around #8 or #9, help keep them in the top 15!

I know I said I was taking the week off, but

I recently discovered a band that is just to neat not to mention. Angels Wake is the band. "Going Home" is the song. It's good. Anyway, you should go check it out. The link I have here takes you to a chart page, scroll down until you find the song listed, as of 10:08pm it is at #19, and take a listen. And while you are at it, VOTE. If they make it into the top 15 they will be featured on a cd that is being released world wide.

Click here.

Now, I shall resume my break. See you soon.

Lil' Kim, a little trip to the Big House

Hundreds of fans and photographers were at the prison, where Ms. Jones thanked well-wishers for their kind words and support.

"Today begins a new saga in my life, which I expect to strengthen me and allow me time for reflection," she said in a statement. "I am blessed to have so many great things in my life: family, friends and God." She said she planned to pray and write music in prison and to "come out a stronger, more confident woman."
...

"Martha Stewart got the cupcake facility, and Lil' Kim gets the concrete jungle," ... "We're certainly not asking for preferential treatment, but we also don't want her to be treated less favorably. This is an undue hardship on someone who has accepted responsibility for her actions."

An "undue hardship"? Give me a break. Just because someone is famous doesn't mean they deserve to be treated better. They don't want "preferential treatment," but don't want to be treated "less favorably," so what is the standard they think stars should be held to for their jail time?

This woman is supposed to be a role model for America, teens look up to her. Does this mean she should conduct herself in a manner that is fitting for teens to model themselves after? Yes, but since she hasn't done that (and it is my sincere prayer God will use this time to somehow bring her to her knees in repentance and that she would truly come to Him) she can at least take her sentencing and use it to show the fans what can happen when you break the law.

You and I wouldn't ever end up in a place like Martha Stewart, we'd end up in a place like Miss Kim. She could have used this opportunity to warn her fans who are headed down a wrong track about what happens when they continue as they are. But it sure doesn't sound like she's done that.

The outfit for her last night of freedom - a skin-tight, cleavage-baring electric-blue Gucci dress, as well as black Gucci stilettos and a matching purse - were a sharp contrast with the orange jumpsuit she received yesterday.

The picture of womanhood in today's society. Bare it all girls, leave nothing left covered. She isn't the only star to dress like this, and we put these women in front of our daughters as role models and in front of our sons as the depiction of womanhood. No wonder the mall sells clothes that look like something you'd wear to bed with your husband with signs above them that say "50% Off!" and you have to wonder if it is on sale or if they are telling you they have stopped using as much material.

I hope she truly meets God during the next year. She wants to come out a "stronger, more confident woman," I hope she comes out repentant and in submission to Christ. I pray she comes out changed and uses the opportunity to help steer some of her followers away from the cells they may be headed towards. I hope she comes out completely turned inside out and begins living a life worthy of a role model. I wish these stars would stop saying "well, I never asked to be anyone's role model," GET OVER IT, you are. You are famous, you sell millions of [insert a product], you are in front of millions of impressionable people, show them some class.


Source for quotes