Let me just start by saying that I know it's been a long time, and I appreciate everyone who has still been stopping by to check out the tunes during my hiatus.
I also wanted to let you know that I've been gone for a good reason - I've been in studio!
My friend, Brenda Gallant, wrote a song called "I AM." I had the pleasure of writing and arranging the music, as well has producing the song in studio at In The Pocket Studios in Chandler, AZ
"I AM" is a pop song with a strong latin vibe. I had the pleasure of doing most of the instrumentation (guitars, bass, background vocals, percussion, synth), along with Kathy Hubbard (keys), Dale Snell (Drums), and Tony Ward (Congas).
The theme of "I AM" is simple - it's a summary of many of the things that the Bible says we are Christ. There's real power in knowing what God has to say about you, in knowing that you've been covered by the blood of the Lamb, and that you've been made strong in spite of your weakness, and that He's made you more than a conqueror. There's a special conviction that comes with knowing that you've been set apart, sanctified, and healed by his stripes. God has called you to do great things in his Kingdom, and running the race set before you is going to require that you know who He has made you to be!
So, I hope you enjoy the song! I've included download links and the YouTube video below - please let me know what you think:
Song: "The Ringleader" Album:The Ringleader, Mixtape: Part III Artist: DJ Maj featuring Lisa Kimmey
Before I get into the song, I have to tell you a story:
This album, The Ringleader, was one of the last CDs that I ever bough new. Like, new, with the original packaging and seal, sold as new at the store. I bought it at a Best Buy in 2003 (or '04; I don't remember exactly). I was seventeen.
It was the first CD that I had bought new in a while, and I absolutely fell in love with it once the first track started to play (which this track is, minus the intro). I loved it so much that I gave it to one of the youth leaders from church so that he could borrow it. I hadn't burned myself a copy, as I was certainly expecting to get it back.
Now, my youth leader really liked it, too. He liked it so much, in fact, that he was listening to it when he totaled is car. Now, he was fine - he drove one of those super-lifted mid-80s Suburbans, and someone ended up trying to make a left turn in front of him. His vehicle crushed the other one, but tipped over and fell on it's side in the process. Again, everyone was OK.
A couple of weeks after the accident, having not given it another thought, I asked for the CD back. It was at this point that he informed me that I wasn't going to get it back for the reasons stated above. Needless to say, I was devastated.
Fast forward a few years: after I got on the iTunes train, I kept checking periodically to see if it would become available (as of the publishing of this post, it still isn't). Then, I started checking Amazon MP3; still nothing. Finally (after somehow forgetting), I realized that I could check for it as a used item for sale, and after about nine years found it and purchased it. That's how much I enjoyed this album.
All that to say this: I love this song. I had never heard of DJ Maj before, and haven't really followed his music since, but this song is awesome. It has a very late-90s feel to it, good instrumentation, a fun and groovy beat, and great lyrics. Lisa Kimmy, the lead singer of Out of Eden (remember them?) and the featured female vocal on the track, sounds like she's having a lot of fun singing the song, and really gets the point across: no matter how hard you try to say otherwise, everything you see points back to God as the master and creator of all.
As Christians, we have a tendency to debate a lot, which is fine; some people won't come to Christ if you don't take the time to address their ideas and questions in light of His truth. Ultimately, though, people have to know that, no matter the questions, God is still the final answer.
You will enjoy this song. In case I'm wrong, though, feel free to leave us some feedback, and stay tuned for more great selections from Christian Music Discovery!
P,S. I think I'm up to four albums now that I've purchased used that I simply haven't been able to find elsewhere; you better believe I'm going to be featuring more music from them, so stay tuned . . .
Are you ready for a bold statement? While Christian music labels have spent much of the last tean years trying to catch up with secular music in terms of appeal (to their credit, they have both caught up and surpassed secular music in many ways), I honestly feel that there is one genre where Christian music far surpasses that of the secular realm: Chick Rock.
Really? Did I just say that?
Well, think about it . . . look at the collection of bands out there: Fireflight, Icon For Hire, Superchick, Barlow Girl, The Letter Black, and that's just a to name a few. Furthermore, many of the main secular names in the genre (Flyleaf, Paramore, Evanescense - yes, I went there) are all Christian groups! Superchick is especially a great example because of their tremendous crossover success, having their songs used in everything from movies to TV teasers.
With that, I introduce this week's featured song: "Fire" by Krystal Meyers.
Now, "Fire" is just a fun song about an important topic: letting your light shine and keeping your spiritual fire burning. There's a lot of fun elements to the song: rapid-fire meter changes, fun and varied guitar effects, interspersed intensity changes, and, most importantly, strong vocals. The vocals on "Fire" are especially impressive once one finds out that Meyers, with all that power behind her voice, is only sixteen.
That was all the buzz when this self-titled album came out: "How can that big voice come out of something so small wth such a sweet speaking voice?" I think it can only be summed up by remembering that the Lord works in mysterious ways . . .
Anyway, if you find that, at any point, your fire for Jesus and the Kingdom of God is at any point waning, just listen to this song. As a matter of fact, listen to it twice, just to make sure you've got it. "Fire" is very effective, both through the music and the lyrics, at inspiring those who seek to be inspired. It reminds us that Jesus is at work in us, and that we ought to, as Paul told Timothy, fan into flame the gift of God inside us, and not only let our light shine, but proactively press toward the mark of the high calling of God, so that all men may see and glorify our God.
If P. Diddy invented the remix, Max Hsu of Superchick perfected it, and this remix of the hit “Cross The Line” proves it.
Whereas the original version of the song was simple, tight, driven rock, the Box Office Blockbuster Remix comes from a completely different angle.
Here we have a super-expansive, even explosive, alt-metal-ish sound laced with just enough electronic backing as to add the superbly blended background noise.
The guitars have a completely different attitude from the first version: whereas, with the original cut of “Cross The Line,” you got the impression of a group of twenty Gen X-ers running through the city streets, yelling at the top of their lungs at the establishment, the Blockbuster Remix paints the picture of a crowd of twenty-thousand marching into the city, ready to break down the walls and take it over. From the get-go, you'd almost assume that it's a different song, if you didn't know better, which only serves to reinforce Hsu's gift for remixing Superchick's music.
In a word, lead singer Tricia Brock's vocals on “Cross The Line” can be described as “genuine.” The listener can completely relate to her cries as the leader of a movement of people who are willing to take the demonstration of their faith to the next level, and, most importantly, she's believable as the driving force behind such an idea.
I loved the original of “Cross The Line,” but the Box Office Blockbuster Remix took me to a whole new place with the idea.
You can listen to the remix on the YouTube video below:
I hope you enjoy the remix (and the original), and keep coming back for more great music at Christian Music Discovery, the place for good Christian Music.
Just in case you didn't know, Ed Kowalczyk, the former frontman of Live, went solo, and with a holy vengeance at that.
On his debut single, Ed shows a passion that we've never heard from him before. Ed works hard to get his message across, that, no matter what you look at or what you have to say, his faith is real. It's the kind of intensity that makes you want to stand up and shout “Yeah, that's right, I do still have faith; so put a sock in it!”
Okay, maybe holy vengeance was the wrong term to use. How about a holy passion? Yes, that will work.
This is quite the contrast from his days with Live. I went back and listened to two of Live's most loved songs: “I Alone” and “Heaven,” songs of similar tempo where Kowalczyk sings in a similar range, and I was shocked at the difference in the intensity of his voice on “Grace.” Whereas, with Live, it almost sounded easy (even on “Heaven,” which is another faith declaration), Kowalczyk works hard to make sure that you know that he means and believes every word he's singing.
Now, if a line a ever existed between alt-rock and alt-metal, EK sure found it on “Grace.” The song starts out nice and easy, and doesn't immediately give the impression of a smashing power-song, but once the drums and EK's voice kick in, you get the impression that you're in for something good, and something intense. The chorus rolls along nicely until the whole song finds a new level when, on the bridge, we get some distortion scratching and those metal-esk guitar riffs. The change is subtle, though, and only serves to tie the whole song together into one extremely heartfelt message.
In four words: “I love this song!”
In three more words? “You will too.”
You can listen to "Grace" using the YouTube video below:
Like what you've heard so far? Stay tuned for more great finds at Christian Music Discovery, the place for good Christian music.
Don't like what you've heard so far? Let me know! Click my profile link on the right, and shoot me an e-mail to let me know about an artist, album, or song that you think we should feature at Christian Music Discovery.
Afterthought: After hearing this song, my wife better understood what many of Live's songs were about. I'm sure some of you can appreciate her epiphany.
