Today in review

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?