I’m not sure what it is, but I’m a total sucker for the banjo.
I just came across Seryn [h/t: Paste Magazine], and I’m loving their eclectic, joyous music which features, yes, banjos amidst their multi-instrumental approach.
Download a free MP3 of their take on Go, Tell it on the Mountain at their Bandcamp site.
I was out at dinner with my eight-year old daughter earlier this week, when some generic, Nickelback-ish schlock-rock started playing over the restaurants’s speakers. She turned to me and asked, “Daddy, is this praise music?”
Simultaneously, I was beaming with pride at her discerning ears (she’s a Kings of Convenience kind of girl) and horrified at the state of CCM / praise & worship music (for cranking out so many bland soundalike “hits”).
After about a year, I finally finished reading Love is a Mixtape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield.
[An aside: Have I told you how much I love our local library? Seriously, rediscovering the library last year has been such a source of joy for me. Being able to renew Love is a Mixtape many, many times online, discovering obscure music — Derek Bailey, anyone? — and choosing new books with my daughter… the list goes on and on. My friend Richard inspires me through his work as a librarian to dream of better ways of being a church: giving ourselves away for the sake of the community, becoming a trusted resource, finding ways to engage people of all ages…]
The Rend Collective Experiment plays worship music with a jangly, fun, indie vibe (all good things in my book).
In the video below, they play Chris Tomlin’s popular worship anthem How Great is our God as a full band with nothing but their iPhones. Engaging and, strangely, breathes some fresh air into this well-worn song (must be the nerd in me!).
Last month, I was able to catch Far on their reunion tour. Despite being down one guitarist, Jonah Matranga and the band put on a fantastic show. Amidst the massive riffs and singalong choruses were smiles all around.
In this era of generic big-box musicians and carefully cultivated images, Jonah maintains a fierce DIY (do it yourself) ethic. At his online merch store, appropriately called the Yard Sale, Jonah was years ahead of Radiohead in pioneering a “pay what you want” approach.
With the same spirit of community and togetherness, Jonah recently invited singers, drummers, steel pedal guitarists, cellists, and others to join in the recording of his new album, due out in August. Jonah gives a basic sketch of what he’s looking for, but true to the DIY attitude, there’s plenty of room for performers to give their personal perspective. For example:
130bpm, Key of D, romantic and yearning, sweet. Ebows and long high notes, but skitter-y stuff would be nice too.
If only I had not returned my brother’s e-bow to him after stealing it for several years!
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Listen to the title track from Far’s latest album, At Night We Live below. The bridge reminds me of the LOST series finale.
headsparks* 