Last night I had a conversation about Christian Pop music with a friend. She was looking for something new for a sister who used to listen to Jump5 and other Christian Pop groups. I told her that I and most of the staff at inReview.net try not to cover the very poppy side of Christian music because we find it a bit clichéd and boring. But it got me thinking.
For those who do not know, The Elms are from the town of Seymour, IN. According to Wikipedia, their town is about the same size as the town I grew up in. However, it looks like it's a little further out in the middle of nowhere (Hastings, MN, where I grew up, is close to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area). Being from the heart of southern Indiana, the guys in The Elms have decided to become the voice of the common man in the small town America.
This great new article by Bryan Coley has a great point: today "Christian" content is almost synonymous with "safe" content. And with Hollywood taking more interest in marketing to Christians, this could be a bad thing. Here's the heart of his point:
Last weekend I got to attend the opening of the Red Bull: Art of the Can exhibition. It was definitely an interesting event. Plus, I got to have a couple cans of Red Bull for free! I'd never had Red Bull before, but I'd mostly say it tastes like a SweetTarts soda.
Those who know me of course know that delirious? is my favorite band of all time. And, most of them know that I haven't been as impressed with delirious? for a couple years. Here's the story.
This past weekend I watched the best music documentary I've ever seen. I guess I can't admit to seeing very many, but this one is definitely the best.
This documentary highlights the timeless band, Buena Vista Social Club, from their homes in Havana, Cuba, to Amsterdam and then finally New York City. It's chock full of amazing Spanish-language music and the rich history of Cuba's capitol.
A recently released book, Body Piercing Saved My Life: Inside The Phenomenon of Christian Rock by Andrew Beaujon, apparently is an interesting look at the Christian subculture from a non-Christian's perspective. I hope I (or maybe someone else on the staff) will be able to take a good look at this book, because it seems insightful to have a different perspective on the industry. (For example, he said his week at GMA was a pretty dark time for him, but I found it kinda fun - maybe I need to act professional.)
If you were ever wondering about the guitar prowess of Phil Keaggy or if you wanted to hear the music he's been playing for the last 40 years, then get on the The Phil Keaggy Show podcast (via iTunes or RSS). The first couple were nice tracks, but this month's podcast is amazing.
Apologies to Provident about my last post; I checked my mailbox the next day and I found a copy of the Good Monsters album. I gave it a cursory listen during work and it sounds great, although, like every release, it sounds like a whole new style for Jars of Clay. I read CCM's cover story on it, and I hope I get to give it a listen sometime soon.
First of all, the first song I played today was "August 30th" by delirious?. It was great to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the terrible car accident that brought the band to the world. I then continued by listening to the anagram of "Radio One Loves Us", their most artistic album to date.  Now for fall new music....