La Musica: What Do You Listen To?

[wgjones3]

I listen to a lot of music while I write. A lot of different styles, even. Since Dr. Daniel mentioned that he was looking for some Christian rock, I thought I'd throw up some of my favorite music.

Christian Rock:
Switchfoot-Beautiful Letdown
http://www.switchfoot.com/

Tourniquet-Crawl to China, Microscopic View of a Macroscopic Realm
http://www.tourniquet.net/home/index.php

Third Day-Self Titled, Conspiracy No. 5, Time, Come Together, Wire
http://www.thirdday.com

D.C. Talk-Jesus Freak
http://www.dctalk.com

Toby Mac-Momentum (Mostly a hip-hop album with some rock thrown in)
http://www.tobymac.com

The Kry-What About Now
http://www.thekry.com

Jars of Clay-Self Titled
http://www.jarsofclay.com

Strange Occurance-Another Day to Start Again
http://www.sorocks.com

Kutlass-Self Titled

Petra-Praise 2
http://www.petrarocksmyworld.com/


Christian pop:

ZOEgirl-A Different Kind of FREE
http://www.zoegirlonline.com

Avalon-O2 (Avalon Remixed) Dance, techno flavor.
http://www.avalonlive.com

Jump 5-Accelerate
http://www.jump5.com

Rebecca St. James-Reborn
http://www.rsjames.com


Praise and Worship:

Passion-One Day Live


Aside from the Christian music, I've got a lot of secular music too. Probably my favorite non-Christian group is Three Doors Down, I also like The Corrs' older stuff, Evanessence (since they no longer want to be considered Christian, I'll leave them off the list of Christian music), Linkin Park, Lynard Skynard, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, Chely Wright, Mozart, Bach, Tychovski. I'll throw anything and everything on when I'm writing. Most of my music is ripped to mp3 and on my computer so I can play it easily. Besides, it's too much work swapping out disks. :D

[Dr. Daniel]

Looks like an excellent start, wg. Thanks!

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

By the way, I didn't quite mention this in the other thread, but many Wal Mart stores are carrying quite a bit of Christian rock. In my local Wal Mart, Switchfoot is handled in both the regular pop/rock area and in the Christian music area. Of course, you're going to get a better deal online somewhere like ebay.com or half.com or Amazon.com 's new marketplace (which is like half.com, but they list the merchandise along with the regular product listing--usually as something lke "Buy used/new starting at $3.99").

[Mr. Otis]

I usually listen to classical when I write. Anything with lyrics distracts me.

In the car, when I'm not listening to talk shows, my daughter has me hooked on a relatively new jazz group called Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Not exactly Christian--okay, not Christian at all--but it keeps me alert when I drive.

[wgjones3]

Mr. Otis, I guess this topic has come up here before because I think I remember you saying that about the classical music while you write.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has some pretty cool stuff out. I haven't listened to them since my engineering school days though.

[Dr. Daniel]

Hey Mr. Otis,

How's it been? Good to hear from you.

Wal-mart, e-bay....sounds like the start of a library....

I usually listen to classical, Beethoven, Tschiakovsky, Corelli, Mozart (You may not believe this, but I played violin for fifteen years and thought about doing it professionally at one point. I was even on an ancient cable program for awhile called 'High Country Caravan,' and even did a show out of the Grand Old Opry. Got to meet Roy Acuff, nice guy. But some wrist injuries really cooled it for me. However, I still love classic violin, fiddle music, the whole repetoire.) I like worship music, but I avoid contemporary Christian, because it sounds like elevator music. I have a cd of Celtic Hymns played on traditional Irish instruments, fiddle, recorder's, drums, harp's. A favorite. I still like Led Zepplin and groups like 'Yes,' and Foreigner, Charlie Daniels and The Ramones and Genesis, naturally.

Dr. D

[Mr. Otis]

Well, thank you both for remembering! It's been busy.

What a multi-talented renaissance type you are--writing, teaching, playing violin! And it's nice to see my 14-year-old daughter and I aren't the only ones who've heard of BBVD.

I find most of my desire to listen to music was burned out during my eight years as a Top 40 radio jock. 4-5 hours a day (not counting time outside the studio), six hours a day, 50 weeks a year for eight years. It's been 12 years since I was on the air, and the ringing in my ears has mostly stopped.

My favorite music is barbershop quartet, but I had to put that aside. Rehearsing with the chorus (http://www.aoh.org/) every week (twice a week leading up to a show or competition) and then another night a week with the quartet was just too much time away from my wife and daughter.

But sometimes, late at night when the family is asleep, I get a pair of headphones, log in to Live365, and then I click on the channel for the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America...

[Gumpngreen]

Continuing from the other thread, if your local Christian station was surprised at Jesus Freak then you should try calling up to ask them to play a song by Blindside called "King of the Closet". :D

[wgjones3]

I see that in my first post I really butchered Tschiakovsky's name. :D

AirOne Radio is great, Mr. Otis. In fact, in the racecar I painted for myself to use in NASCAR Racing 2003 Season by Papyrus (unpaid shameless plug) I have an Air 1 Radio decal on the rear decklid. There use to be a great station called Christian Pirate Radio that you could listen to online, but they shut down their radio stream in the midst of the great mp3 fearmongering witch hunts.

[FireFeet]

For those of you who enjoy classical and violins, you really should look into a group called BOND.

[Dr. Daniel]

Bond?...Hmmm...I certainly will check them out, FireFeet.

wg. Don't worry about spelling. Any name pronounced, "Chie-kov-skee" and spelled, T-s-c-h-i-a-k-o-v-s-k-y is asking for problems.

But all this great stuff, Air 1 radio....(there really used to be a Christian pirate station? Man, I would have said count me in. Perhaps a certain pack of miscreants need to look into repeating the thing.) And wait a minute NASCAR? You drive a race car?!? Cool.

I picked up Petra Praise 2 at the library. It is excellent!

Gump: Got it, Blindside, "King of the Closet." I don't know the song but I trust it will pull my local, slumbering, Dj's from their stupor for a few moments? One can only hope.

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

NASCAR via a video game. :D

Though you can't see the Air One sticker on it, here's my virtual racecar:
http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/61235/images/73sonicicon.jpg

Praise 2 is awesome, it was the only time I know of that they used that sound. You might be interested to know that Petra dates back to the late '70s. There was a KISS song called "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" that Petra actually originated (on their second album, I believe--I have the rerelease CD somewhere around here).

[wgjones3]

Oops, that picture was kinda small.

http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/61235/images/Image2.jpg

NASCAR Racing 2003 Season is the game NASCAR's hot shots Dale Earnahrdt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., Kevin Harvick, etc.. helped develop and play. They even credit it with helping them on track. Last I heard, the company lost the rights to make NASCAR games and they were liquidating them all over the 'net (via places like Amazon, EB.com, etc..) for around $10.

I painted that car using a Chevy template and logos found on the 'net :D

[Dr. Daniel]

Oh! A video game! Pardon my ignorance! :o I never got into video games and I realize that makes me a minority. With me I wonder if it isn't a visual thing. Games always tended to look foggy, or blurry to me and maybe that is because I am color blind to blue. 'Couldn't see them correctly, so the interest never developed, I guess. But I will look for your car, 'hope it's not blue. :mad: ;)

Dr. D

Hey, saw the car, I could even make out the Air1 sticker in back. A green sticker, even! :D :cool: Nice looking vehicle!

[wgjones3]

Dr. D, you ever get your speaker situation worked out?

Oh, and what remains of Christian Pirate Radio is at http://www.mycpr.com .

[Dr. Daniel]

Not yet, and it is curious. I worked on it today with Boy-Techno and his faithful assistant, Neighbor Kid. Among other things, we borrowed a set of perfectly good speaker's from Neighbor Kids pc and they didn't work on mine.
Checked connections, etc...still nothing. So this means I have to actually call msn for help, which is something I find ever annoying, but I do want the thing to work so...

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

Do you have the proper sound card drivers installed? If so, is the wav output channel muted? Since most of the sounds coming out of your PC fall under the wav output channel, the master channel can be un-muted and show full volume, but you'll get no sound if the wav channel is muted.

[Sleavie]

Some so called Christian music can be bad. For instance.

The words may go like as follows. "I HATE! I HATE! I HATE EVIL!" in a death metal voice. The more you listen to it, the more you start hating evil actions, the more it is harder to forgive. Make sure that the words and music are positive and encouraging and all that is Good.

Another example.

"I'm a sinner, I'm a sinner, I'm a bad sinner," and telling of all the sinful things he loves to do, and then at the end of the song, "I'm so depressed I want to die, but Jesus will save me." It's a depressing song and full of negativity.

It should not have hate themes or sounds, or attitude.


Christian music should be freeing and all the is good in God. It should be created out of love. It should inspire greatness and hope and goodness.

Mercy me - almost there.

[Dr. Daniel]

Okay, anyone out there know of any Christian rock songs which actually contain lyrics like Sleavie described?

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

I've heard music like that in Christian bookstores before. One CD I remember had the lyrics, "Killer, Killer, Killer, Killker, Killer, Killer, Killer 'till she dies." The tone of the singer's voice and the mood of the music was pretty bad. In fact, the CD got yanked about a week later, apparently there were some complaints.

Christian music is like any other form of spiritual expression. You have to use discernment. I don't fall into the whole av1611.org version of Christianity that says anything with a drum-beat is dirived from voodoo cerimonies and, therefore, inherantly satanic. I happen to believe in freedom through Christ--freedom to enjoy things like Christian rock. I do see danger in blindly listening to anything and everything that claims to be Christian music, but there again, you can fall into just as much--if not more--spiritual jeapordy by listening to any and every preacher who claims to be Christian. I judge everything according to what I know of the Bible. If music presents a message that directly opposes God's word or even subtly conflicts with God's word, I don't listen to it. Same with preachers.

It doesn't take long to listen to the lyrics and tell whether a song or artist is truly a Christian or simply taking secular songs, throwing in an "Oh, Jesus," here and there, and marketing it as Christian. That's why I recommend artits I know. As for the content of lyrics, Third Day has some of the most in-your-face Christian lyrics you'll ever find.

(I appologize for any pop-ups--I have a pop-up blocker so I don't notice them) Pretty much their entire works are represented on Praize's lyrics service.

http://www.praize.com/music/lyrics/third_day/thirdday.html#1

http://www.praize.com/music/lyrics/third_day/conspiracyno5.html#12

http://www.praize.com/music/lyrics/third_day/conspiracyno5.html#9

http://www.praize.com/music/lyrics/third_day/cometogether.html#1

http://www.praize.com/music/lyrics/third_day/time.html#5



As always, when in doubt, check them out. (BTW, Dr. D, I think you'd really like Third Day).

[Dr. Daniel]

Well put. With our fallen natures it would be nuts to think muscians always 'get it right.' Lord knows, I don't. As with anything one must excersise discernment.

I also agree, however, that we can be wound way too tight.

Third Day, huh? Hmmm....

Dr. D

[Turtle]

Hello,

I usually listen to classical and a Christian music.

[wgjones3]

What flavor of Christian music, Turtle? Rock? Contemporary Pop? Praise and Worship?

Inquiring minds have to know! :D

[FireFeet]

In defense of Christian "acid rock" I direct you here:

Hard Rock Stream Music (http://www.christianhardrock.net/)

Give it a try...you might just like it. ;)

And, no, this style is not my first choice...but its on the list of Top Ten.

[wgjones3]

*wishes the forum supported images so he could post this image (http://home.ripway.com/2004-1/61235/images/monkey.gif) of a monkey shaking his head.*

Firefeet, we have to talk. Christianrock.net? I'm concerned for your soul.

j/k :p

I didn't even know such a site existed, though I don't think what they're playing as I write this rocks nearly as hard as Tourniquet. Or Pillar, either, for that matter.

I love heavy metal with a Christian flavor. :D

[Dr. Daniel]

:D :D Ha-ha! I just requested Tourniquet at my local Christian station and the never heard of them. Tried "King of the Closet," same story. I don't know if that's funny or sad. They did have Third Day, however, and I really liked their sound! Great stuff!

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

I knew you'd like Third Day. :D They've pretty much run the gammet sound-wise from modern rock to Southern rock to contemporary pop-rock, but they always have brought the same level of lyrical integrity and sonic excellence to their work.

You might call the radio station and ask if they have a song by DeGarmo and Key called "God Good, Devil Bad." Believe it or not, the video for this song got banned from MTV for being too violent. And they're a Christian group! One of the local Southern Gospel radio stations (and I use the term loosely, as most of what they play is an affront to real Southern Gospel) had a "youth hour" on Friday nights. They played that song once, appologized to their listeneders after getting a barrage of phone calls, then proptly pulled the plug on "youth hour." Big loss. Friday nights at 7 p.m.--what are kids to do without "youth hour"?

I've got the CD and, to be honest, I still don't see what the fuss is about. It is dated, it sounds like '80s hair rock, but if you're into that kind of thing... :D There's also a song on the CD called "I Use The J Word".

[Dr. Daniel]

Heh-heh! The home speaker situation is still a mess, but we swtched on the speakers at school....nothing like summer school rock. :cool: Yae!

Dr. D

Todays lesson is Third Day! :eek:

[wgjones3]

Hey--there's a station either on http://www.shoutcast.com (for which you'll need the winamp media player from http://www.winamp.com ) or http://www.live365.com (for which, I believe, you need the free real player that you can get somewhere on the http://www.real.com site--be warned, it's hidden, and they'll try to make you think you can only buy the premium player) that plays nothing but Third Day. :D

[Dr. Daniel]

Yup, hooked us up with Christian Hard Rock net! You know I'm really glad this is something I discovered during the summer, I couldn't crank this during the school year!

Dr. D :D :D

[FireFeet]

Firefeet, we have to talk. Christianrock.net? I'm concerned for your soul.

roflol!

You guys are the best! :D

[FireFeet]

I just got a fairly cool CD in the mail. Its a FREE Messianic worship CD available here:

FREE CD (http://www.voice-wilderness.com/music.php)

A couple of the songs have a nifty sax/jazz sound...the others are more typical "Jewish."

Thought you might want to check it out. After all, it's free. :)

[wgjones3]

I just checked it out. Thanks. :D