Tag Archives: Music

Interests

Midtown Dickens’ Lanterns

coverIt was a multicolored package holding an excellent sophomore album by  Midtown Dickens’.

In fact, it held the album “Lanterns” in four different formats: vinyl, CD, digital download and printed words. (this way you can enjoy the songs anyway you want!)

Much happiness! 🙂

For those who don’t know, Midtown Dickens is a great independent folk band out of Durham, North Carolina. I stumbled upon their “Tetris” song several years ago via an online music station and have been following them ever since.

openIn my opinion, the song “Cowboy” on their “Oh Yell” album is their best song today (followed closely by “Tetris”). However, there a few songs on their newest album that may replace these two… 😉

If you are interested in knowing more about Midtown Dickens, follow this link to their MySpace page and be prepared to enjoy some good music.

Interests

A Melancholy Day…Music

Today is a melancholy day – meaning it is a day to listen to my country playlist

  • Johnny Cash
  • Kenny Rogers
  • Alison Krauss
  • Charley Pride
  • Charlie Daniels
  • Conway Twitty
  • Dennis Agajanian
  • Confederate Railroad
  • Hank Williams, Jr.
  • Ronnie Milsap

And of course, King George

It was one of his songs that stood out to me this morning as the ones and zeros flipped files into my ears – If You Ain’t Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’)

In a nutshell, the song states that money and fame isn’t worth squat if there is no one there with you. Good words… Continue reading A Melancholy Day…Music →

Interests

Good Bass and Classic Country

You got to hand it to them good old boys – they knew how to spin a yarn and play a bass.

Just pop in a little Johnny Paycheck, loosen up your vocal chords and start taping your feet

Take this job and shove it
I ain’t working here no more.
I been workin’ in this factory
For ‘nye on fifteen years….
I’d give the shirt right offa’ my back
If I had the nerve to say.
Take this job and shove it

From there, move on down the road with C.W. McCall’s Convoy

Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June
In a Kenworth pullin’ logs
Cab-over Pete with a reefer on
And a Jimmy haulin’ hogs
We is headin’ for bear on I-one-oh
‘Bout a mile outta Shaky Town
I says, “Pig Pen, this here’s the Rubber Duck.
“And I’m about to put the hammer down.”

Of course, you can’t forget Stonewall Jackson’s Waterloo Continue reading Good Bass and Classic Country →

Interests

A Cappella Sing-Off

391px-Sing-offI am more of a rock/country/pop/R&B/bluegrass/indie rock kind of guy.  (yeah, I know – I’m a tad mixed up)

But yesterday my lovely bride introduced me to an a cappella competition show on NBC called “The Sing-Off”.

Wow!

It is amazing! We are not talking barbershop quartets here (well, one of the groups fall into that category) – we are talking about large teams of singers creating a full band sound with only their voices.

For example, the teams have sung “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay  – just to name a few.

It is pretty cool. 😀

I would recommend wondering over to Hulu and catching up on past episodes so that you will be ready for the final competition on Monday.

Interests

Chicken Fried

It is an old song, as far as radio music goes.

Yet, as I pulled up to work this morning, the song Chicken Fried came on the radio and I couldn’t help but think about the words:

Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love
And its funny how it`s the simple things in life that mean the most
Not where you live or what you drive or the price tag on your clothes
There`s no dollar sign on a piece of mind this I`ve come to know
So if you agree have a drink with me
Raise you glasses for a toast
To a little bit of chicken fried

In a lot of ways, Zac Brown hit the nail on the head. If you boil everything in our lives down to the core, it is really all about physical and emotional security.

Do we have food to eat, water to drink, roof over our heads and someone to love?

Sigh…there I go getting all philosophical. Shoot, right now I would settle for a good pair of jeans and a cold beer.

…..And maybe a theological/history book….. 😉

Interests

The Good Life

life2What is the “good life”?

It is a question that can be answered multiple ways by a single person over the years.

Today, for me, on this calm winter Monday – the “good life” is a glass of Los Vascos 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, slices of soft-ripened Brie cheese and beef summer sausage, crackers and an Introducing the New Testament theology book opened to the chapter about the Gospel of John.

Playing on the radio/computer is some wonderful independent Celtic music straight from Dubin, Ireland via LiveIreland online radio.

This is good life.

Thank you Lord for the good life.

Interests

Give Peace a Chance‏

Not sure why, but I picked up a collection of John Lennon songs at the library the other day. I was feeling a tad down as I had some cavities filled earlier that day… I don’t know…

Either way, I enjoyed listening to some of the classic anti-war / peace songs of the 1970’s: “Power to the People,” “Imaging”, “Happy XMas (War is Over)”…

Having pledged my loyalty to Jesus of Nathareth, I have entered into the battle of the ages – nay, “battle” is the wrong word. War. Horrible, genocide, no mercy, war. My life must reflex this fact as any false move could be my last.

Aye, the Master is merciful. But the enemy is not….

It is this war lifestyle that wears on one’s soul. There are times when I want the tension to leave – to have peace.  Ah, perhaps that’s why Lennon’s songs are so powerful.  They cry out for a time when peace or shalom will rule.

Come, Lord, come.

May Your Kingdom Come on Earth as in Heaven…

Interests

Will Hoge – Even If It Breaks Your Heart

 
[@more@]Way back on the radio dial
A fire got lit inside a bright eyed child
Every note just wrapped around your soul
From steel guitar to Memphis all the way to rock and roll

Woah I can hear 'em playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up old guitar
Woah I can hear 'em saying
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

Downtown where I used to wander
Old enough to get there but too young to get inside
I would stand out on the sidewalk
Listen to the music playing every Friday night

Woah I can hear 'em playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up old guitar
Woah I can hear 'em saying
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

Some dreams stay with you forever
Drag you around and lead you back to where you were
Some dreams keep on getting better
Got to keep believing if you want to know for sure

Woah I can hear 'em playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up old guitar
Woah I can hear 'em saying
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

Woah I can hear 'em playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up old guitar
Woah I can hear 'em saying
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

Keep on dreaming

Don't let it break your heart

Interests

WALL-E, The Beatles, and The Implications On Life

In a closed system, all it takes is one foreign object to bring it crashing down and to change everything.

If anything, that is the message of Wall-E (the Pixar film). You miss it at first – especially if you are captured by the love story or caught up in the plight to restore life to earth.

But through out the movie you have this small robot, Wall-E, who enters into a closed system (the ship) and bring it crashing down. It wasn’t that he was trying to cause chaos – he was just being himself….

The day after re-watching Wall-E, I was browsing the BBC World News website and noticed an article about the Beatles behind the Iron Wall in the 1960’s and 70’s.  Over and over again the article quoted folks who lived during the Communist era as saying:

"The Beatles did more to undermine the system than the most anti-Soviet literature for which people went to jail” – Moscow leading journalist Vladimir Pozner

[@more@]Immediately I thought of Wall-E and the parallels:

  • The Soviet Union was a closed system – similar to the space ship.
  • The communist rulers tried to forbid the Beatles music – the ship’s auto-pilot tried to kill Wall-E
  • The music changed the hearts of the people – the simple acts of kindness by Wall-E awoke the humans to their plight (as well as some robots)
  • People began to think about freedom – the humans begin to think for themselves while some of the robots became independent thinkers
  • The Iron Curtin fell – the auto-pilot was deactivate

What does this mean for us?

There are people around us every day that are living in a “closed system” of abuse and death. We need to remember the impact that a simple gesture of love can have upon a person in this closed system.

It may not “destroy” it at once – but just like the Beatles music and Wall-E himself, a foreign object inserted into a close system will bring about change.