Praise & the iPOD
I am a self admitted music junkie.
The music I usually gravitate to is the weirder, artier stuff…you know…the cool stuff.
Just a couple of weeks ago I saw a guy walking on Broadway who was wearing a shirt that read “I listen to bands that don’t even exist yet”, and while I’ll concede that I’m not that hip, I do like to listen to music that is off the beaten path.
To be honest, I have rarely listened to so-called “praise & worship” albums that I loved until recent years. And that’s the motivation for writing this blog. There’s nothing like spinning an album because you love the textures and sounds so much…and to top it all off, the artist’s intent was to create something that touches the heart of God.
Those are the records that I most love – the records that don’t seek to be “praise & worship”…they just are…
So I thought I would share with you a few artists and albums that landed in my iPOD over the last few years…and every time they play, they draw you closer into the presence of God.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Worship Circus | Big Star Logistics – this band, and the band they would later reform into (The Listening) has a handful of stellar albums, but Big Star Logistics is a classic piece of rock-meets-p&w. I would bet you that you’re unsaved cousin would love this album so much that he’d try to steal it from you at your family reunion.
The Violet Burning | Faith And Devotions Of a Satellite Heart – though you probably haven’t ever heard of these guys (unless you’re my fb friend), The Violet Burning is a legendary Christian band. Delirious even credits these guys for starting the “modern praise movement”. And with well over a dozen near-perfect albums, it’s hard to just suggest one from TVB, but Faith & Devotions is a glimpse into the passionate song- writing of a band that strives to put the Psalms to their own brand of noisy guitars and glorious feedback.
Enter The Worship Circle | First/Second/Third/Fourth Circle – this isn’t a band as much as it is a community of singer/songwriters headed up my husband/wife team Ben and Robin Pasley. Their albums are mostly based on the Psalms and are very organic in sound…almost folky, like a worshipful, arty jamboree. Guests on these albums have included Waterdeep, Karla Adolphe, and Aaron Strumpel.
Enter The Worship Circle | Chair & Microphone 1, 2, 3 – this is a spin-off of the aforementioned Worship Circle community. This time we have one artist with songs recorded in one take. Very intimate, simplistic, and devastatingly heartfelt. Ben Pasley, Aaron Strumpel, and Karla Adolphe all have wonderful Chair & Mic albums, rich in content and raw in production. These are some of my favs…ever.
Aaron Strumpel | Elephants – okay, I’ll admit that this artist is not for the faint of heart. Aaron is somewhat avant garde in his approach to music, and if you’re looking for something smooth and soothing, look on. But if you’re open to being challenged musically, Elephants is a fantastic trip deep into the Psalms. If you hear this and start gushing, then go find his Vespers 1 & 2 EP as well.
David Crowder Band* | Church Music – if you know me at all, you know I have a gigantic man-crush on David Crowder’s music. Every album since Illuminate is essential, and though it’s a close race between A Collision and Church Music for their best album, Church Music might be the greatest album ever recorded in the history of the universe! The album’s title is ironic, because this record has few congregational songs, but it’s a continuous playing work of sonic beauty.
John Mark McMillan | The Medicine – this album might be album of the year (2010) for me. JMM writes unconventional songs of the resurrection power of Christ, with the pen of a seasoned poet, and the passion of an emo-band front man who wears his heart on his sleeve. I love the slight alt-country that rears its head on this record from time to time. Of course, this is the guy who wrote the massive song “How He Loves”, and his own version bookends the record. I have this one on continuous play these days.
The Glorious Unseen | Tonight The Stars Speak – if you want to hear a dreamy emo-band spend a whole record offering up adoration to God, then look no further. Their follow-up to this one (The Hope That Lies In You) is also good, but doesn’t pack the same punch as this, their debut. There’s a lot of cool atmosphere in this record.
Oceans Above | Oceans Above – this album is more of a project than anything else, but it’s 15 songs of pure brilliance. Of all the albums I’ve listed, this is the one that doesn’t have original material. Instead, Oceans Above draw on artists like Delirious, Starfield, Future of Forestry, Keith Green, Matt Redman, David Crowder Band*, Chris Tomlin, etc…and create otherworldly soundscapes with electro-pop reminiscent of Owl City, mixed with modern folk music. Very catchy. This album is like a lost gem.
Jason Morant | Open – if you want an album to get lost in, Open welcomes you with it’s anthemic and orchestral ebbs and flows. This is Morant’s second album, and I think it’s among the best ever recorded from a “praise & worship” leader. 16 tracks that seem to transcend space and time.
Phil Wickham | Cannons – I could have easily put any of Wickham’s three albums in this list, but it’s Cannons that I most love. Wickham is the quintessential songwriter that makes stunning records from a vocal and artistic perspective, and while his albums aren’t “praise & worship” affairs, they effortlessly stand out as love letters to God, minus any cheesiness or cliché.
Hopefully, you might find a little something you like in this list, or maybe stumble unto something else in your search that brings a fresh smile to your ears and sweet incense to God. And if you happen to know of any music that moves you toward God in a real personal way, I’d love to hear about it too…so pass it along!
- Garrett Johnson
Posted on
Mon, August 16, 2010
by mr j