I must confess, this post germinated from observing a habitual practice of my friend Chris Peters. He randomly lists things for which he's thankful around Thanksgiving. It's hard to go wrong in being grateful, so I decided to do it on New Year's Eve for the year 2013. Here we go!
Over the past year, I am thankful for (in no particular order):
My Life of Prayer class
The South Korean Church
My favorite book that I've read thus far in seminary
Music
People who are good with biblical languages
New friends
Hawaiian breeze scent sticks
Panda toothbrush holders
Auburn football
Finishing my paperwork for provisional membership in the North Alabama Conference of the UMC
Getting to meet and be prayed over by Bishop Debbie Wallace-Padgett
The One and Onlys
Family
Laughter
Growth
The trusty Toyota Corolla
Embrace UMC
Old friends
Faithful volunteers
People who are hospitable with their homes/good hosts
The Book of Common Prayer
Praying with others
Concerts
The Nutcracker
The Triune God
Exercise
Asbury Theological Seminary
Mentors
Healthy Choice microwaveable dinners
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Beard experimentation
Hikes in rain or shine
Novels
Running shoes
Home-cooked meals
Hugs
Healing
Risking
Lectio Divina
Sleep
Preaching
Honest people
Saying goodbye
Pictures
Rest
I'll stop with these. Here's hoping that in 2014, we discover again and again that God is better than out best thoughts, that the darkness cannot overpower the Light, that life really is a gift, and that we need Jesus and each other. Blessings.
2013 has held some cherished music finds for me. I'll give this disclaimer up front: Some of these albums did not come out in 2013, yet all of them are discoveries that I made throughout the year. Some are from bands that have been familiar to me for quite a while; others I had never encountered before this year. I share here what I like about each record. I hope you enjoy these artists as much as I have!
#5- -I Am Mountain by Gungor
Gungor take a turn toward the mystical in their latest effort. The lyrics are often searching and full of wonder, betraying hearts that yearn to move further in and higher up in the mysteries of life. The technical prowess of the band is not in doubt in my mind. Guitarist and vocalist Michael Gungor is at home leading flamenco-style acoustic songs, ripping a thick blues solo, and shredding with the best of rockers, while pianist and vocalist Lisa Gungor deftly moves from classical arrangements to pop ballads. Such proficiency is quite a rarity for artists who make music for both the church and wider audiences today. These same chops can be detected in I Am Mountain, though tastefully employed in service to the songs.
Musically, I Am Mountain is at home in several different genres, capable of offering something that will satisfy a diverse range of palettes. The album has a more electronic feel than the band's previous work. The title track sounds like it could have come from the 80s with its oddly paced guitar and keys. "Let It Go" sounds like 70s disco/funk and 80s synth had a love child that has just come of age. "Wayward and Torn" is a short, rough-and-tumble, folksy tune that seems to be out of place when compared to the rest of the album, but is still good. My favorite song, "Long Way Off," is a great pop tune that will have you singing along by the end, and it is the only song I know that has "apophatic mystic" as part of the lyrics. Seminary win!
Listen to "Long Way Off" here:
#4- - Glad All Over by The Wallflowers
I remember hearing The Wallflowers as a kid. My brother got their Bringing Down the Horse album, and "One Headlight" was on the radio all the time in the 90s. Frontman Jakob Dylan's cool voice and penchant for songwriting were evident even then, though my young mind did not recognize it. Both incarnations of Dylan are hard to top when it comes to lyrics. I happen to prefer Jakob over his father Bob- -he writes and performs in a way that is more appealing to me. Unfortunately, The Wallflowers faded from my ears and mind until recently.
Glad All Over is an album formed out of a reunion- -the band had been on hiatus for several years before working on this record. They are composed of several artists who are well known for their work in other bands: Rami Jaffee is a touring keyboardist for the Foo Fighters and drummer Jack Irons plays with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They deliver a full, invigorating, pop-rock sort of sound. No one musical instrument seems to take precedence; here we have a good example of a bunch of guys who play as a unit, making some good rock n' roll. My favorite song is the epic "Love is a Country," which puts Dylan's lyricism on full display. Other good songs are "Misfits and Lovers," "Reboot the Mission," and "First One in the Car."
Check out "Love is a Country" here:
#3- -One True Vine by Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is a great American icon. You may not recognize her, but the chances are good that you've heard her. She, along with her family in the Staple Singers, are responsible for the great oldie "Take You There." Add in that she and her family were closely connected with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement and that Bob Dylan once asked her father for her hand in marriage, and it quickly becomes apparent that Mavis is someone special. One True Vine is her second album to be produced by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, who is a musical tour de force in his own right. Their collaboration has led to great things in the past, yielding a Grammy in 2011 for You Are Not Alone.
This album has a profoundly religious vibe to it; it is authentic gospel music of the best quality, though some of the lyricists may not be Christian. Sometimes arrangements are sparse, showcasing Staples' great voice, as in "Holy Ghost." The bluesy "Every Step" feels like it could have been an old African American spiritual or sung marching in the Civil Rights Movement- -it got me through my finals week this Fall semester. "Can You Get to That" is a fun cover of a Funkadelic classic. "I Like the Things About Me" is a dirty, groovy tune about self-acceptance. "Jesus Wept" is a visceral song about wrestling with loss, and is my favorite from the record. Here are the lyrics for the chorus:
Side streets I have worn
Through late summer storms
I should've told you
I could live without you
But I don't want to
Listen to it here:
#2- -Bloom by Beach House
April 2013. I was on a 12 hour flight from Narita airport in Japan to Detroit after a wonderful taste of the South Korean Church. Trying to find ways to pass the time that did not involve me wondering about the neighboring Japanese man who never used the bathroom the entire flight, I decided to peruse the musical selections on the American Airlines console. I selected the Americana genre and listened to some of the artists they had on display. Nothing really seemed to capture my attention. Then I selected the Bloom album by a band I had never heard of: Beach House. The first song on the album, "Myth," started playing. From the first counting off of the drum machine to the incoming wave of effects-laden guitar and arpeggiated keys, my attention was transfixed. Here was something melodic and musically fresh- -it reminded me of The Cure. I had so many questions: "Is the singer a man or a woman?" "How on earth did this get put in the 'Americana' genre?" "What the heck are the lyrics about?" No matter. I was along for the ride and thoroughly enjoyed my first listen through the album. I still have no idea how this album made it into the Americana genre; perhaps the American Airlines folks decided it would serve as a nice catch-all since they didn't have a "Dream Pop" genre.
"Lazuli" was the first song to get stuck in my head. With French-born Victoria Legrand's haunting huffs to guitarist Alex Scally's pleasant melodic descents, the song swells as Legrand chants with mantra-like obsession Like no other you can't be replaced. "Wishes" is another good tune, and "The Hours" holds more good guitar work with wistful lyrics. I liked this album so much that I got it for my brother for Christmas! It's stuck with me for months now. It may not suit everyone's tastes, but I found it to be quite enjoyable.
Listen to "Myth" here:
#1- -Inland by Jars of Clay
Jars of Clay is one of those bands that has stuck with me over the years. A friend got me into them back when I was in a church youth group as a teenager. Some of their songs have spoken to me in profound ways. I can still recall the first time I heard "The Valley Song" when I was listening to the radio in my Mercury Cougar as a teenager.
Inland is an album on which the band spent a lot of time- -years, in fact. They recorded in Portland, OR and had to pare down from the many songs they had written to the twelve on the record. This is a return to form for the band, particularly since their last couple of albums had bright spots, but left more to be desired for me as a fan. There is a raw honesty in this record, and the lyrics are pure poetry. Jars take you from playfulness about the innocence and silliness of new love in "Age of Immature Mistakes" to brooding depression in "Pennsylvania." "Human Race" is a favorite of mine, and depicts a whimsical commentary on the shallowness present in all of us. "Fall Asleep" is a poignant piano ballad and is the most powerful song on the record. To me, the song is about loss, cherishing the moments as they pass, and getting older. In fact, this whole album seems to have a strong theme of coming of age, of maturing. Overall, this is a wonderful album with many strong songs and a discernible theme throughout. They don't make 'em like this much anymore. I highly recommend it. The song I've kept coming back to the most is "Love in the Hard Times," a song about the commitment to love in spite of limitations, disappointments, and arguments.
Listen to it here:
There you have it folks, my prized gems culled from a year in music. I hope you like them!
