Two (not really new) songs that I have enjoyed as of late and the discussions that arose from them:
Artist/Album:
Tim Barry (Avail's frontman) came out with the album Rivanna Junction last fall. When I recently heard my friend's favorite song off the album, I was sold! In the song, "Avoiding Catatonic Surrender" Barry states, "I throw empty beer cans at the TV when I watch the news. I hate Republicans, I hate Democrats, I hate Liberals too/ I think pacifists are weak and violence is wrong but I go limp for police and I fight when it's called for." I am blown away from these lyrics, that mixed with the gritty vocals & simple guitar is beautiful.
Discussion:
So when I played this song for my wife, we started talking about pacifism & politics. We spoke about how so many people seem to have picked a side on a lot of issues and left us out in the open. It seems a lot of my friends have made their minds up about politics, and other issues... but I still feel divided. I like characters (real or not) who are split, people who know right from wrong but don't claim to have all the answers. Two-faced sounds bad, so maybe a better term would be double-sided. I love to see the chaos raging inside people, and their calm as well. I guess the friend who let me borrow this album knows me far too well. If you enjoy the troubled hero of books, movies, & song check this album out.
The other discussion this album brought up was that only in the world of the Conservative Christian Right are liberals & democrats the same thing. It cracks me up... I guess that is fitting for them, the same (and only) group that finds me (chubby, outspoken, tattooed kid) threatening!
Artist/Album:
Dustin Kensrue (Thrice's frontman) came out with a solo guitar album entitled Please Come Home. The first two songs are fantastic! "I Knew You Before" & "Pistol" have all the makings of great songs. Whitty lyrics & well-played guitar make this screamer's more rootsy music side emerge. The songs are truly inspired, but then you have the rest of the album... the other songs are lacking... and they sound like they were written in youth group.
Discussion:
I do not mean to pick on youth groups in general... and I have a lot of respect for the artist (who is an Evangelical Catholic). Yet, when I hear worship music, my stomach starts to ache and the "spider-sense" in my neck starts to tingle. I am not saying it is bad, I have just never enjoyed (modern) worship music. On the other hand I love hymns! Older Hymns have poetic meaning, when (to me) modern worship choruses seem trite and more like Beatles songs... you know, kinda "I love Him, yeah yeah yeah, I love Him, yeah yeah yeah, and with love like that I'm surely saved from Hell." Sorry, poor attempt to illustrate my point. I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else felt this way?
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2 comments:
I don't know if I would say that I dislike all modern choruses. However, I do find most of them to be worthless "love songs for Jesus" which convey no real meaning and simply put the focus on myself. I do agree that older hymns, preferably the ones without militaristic themes, contain much meaning and great theological insight.
Oh, and in regards to politics, I haven't figured everything out yet :) I do believe that my non-violent stance is more in line with what Jesus meant than many of the Republican ideologues who often fill our churches.
Rest assured, you one of few friends I have that does not act like he knows everything! Although, if we were to compare actual knowledge to perceived knowledge, I feel you would come out on top.
Don't take offense if I debate non-violence (I know you won't). My debate is really my own internal struggle with my want to be a pacifist and my need to not be one. Cheers bro, let me know when uou can make it back in town to have a pint or five!
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