It’s a good new year.
This is me using one of my favorite musicians to wish you a happy new year.
Hope you’ve enjoyed celebrating the end of 2008.
Hope you are looking forward to what 2009 brings.
Posts from the ‘music’ Category
Jan 1
4 Comments
Dec 2
Wherein I Share My Favorite Christmas Music With You
Every year I love re-entering the Christmas playlist. Every year I add one or two new CD’s to the collection, and I sometimes kick a few out. Here are our family’s current favorites:
Kids’ Favorites:
Chipmunks Christmas (original recordings in the 60′s). I love that my kids love this, because it was one of my family’s favorites when I was growing up. Except that I can now only take 3-4 hours of it before I want to kill small furry things.
Jingle Jams (Family Wise Music). Energetic arrangements that don’t sound like kid music.
Go Fish ‘Snow’ (2006). Fun fun fun till your daddy takes the ipod away.
Music I Like More Every Year:
Erin O’Donnell ‘Christmas Time is Here’ (2004). A little jazzy. I just love it. No greater explanation possible. You should own this one.
Russ Taff ‘A Christmas Song’ (1992). Also a little jazzy.
Harry Connick Jr, When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993), Harry for the Holidays (2003). His combinations of big-band, 40′s jazz, and a bit of quirkiness have become almost traditional favorites for me. He has released a 3rd Christmas CD this year, What A Night!, which I haven’t heard yet.
Favorite Instrumentals:
Jim Brickman ‘Christmas Memories By the Piano‘ and ‘Peace‘.
Chris Rice ‘The Living Room Sessions: Christmas‘
Vince Guaraldi Trio ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas‘
New Favorites:
Jars of Clay ‘Christmas Songs’ (2007) Didn’t have the chance to really listen to this last year, but I’m lovin’ it this time around.
Sufjan Stevens ‘Songs for Christmas’ Vols 1 – 5 (2006). Quirky, scaled-down, original, completely enjoyable.
Sara Groves ‘O Holy Night’ (2008) Just downloaded this a few days ago. Love the artistry, the original music, especially ‘Toy Packaging’, which you can get for free here.
Lifetime Christmas Music Achievement Award: Amy Grant
I’m sorry if you’re not a fan, but ‘A Christmas Album’ (1983) absolutely has to be playing when we start hanging ornaments on the tree. And a peppermint candle has to be burning. (Trivia: My boyfriend back in the day told me this was his favorite Christmas music. This, and other facts like it, set us on course for marriage. It’s that powerful.) ’Home for Christmas’ (1992) is maybe my favorite album as a whole. It includes my all time favorite original Christmas song ever, which still brings me to tears. ‘Breath of Heaven‘. It has been recorded by other artists, but this recording by this artist…. perfection. Christmas to Remember (1999) rounds out a great collection…love the instrumental pieces.
Favorite conversation sparked by this post:
me: Neil, what’s your favorite Christmas music?
Neil: you mean genre? artist? recording?
me: CD… like if you had to go pull one off the virtual shelf.
Neil: hmmm….(sheepishly) you know, I really like the POG one.
me: really. your choice is Point of Grace? (a group of 4 women)
Neil: what’s this for? Is it going on your blog? (a bit panicked) Wait, wait… does Bon Jovi have a Christmas album? (dives for iTunes… sighs… resigns himself to the truth) Ok, so I just like girl singers.
(which turns out to be not so bad for me)
Husband’s Favorite (which would have landed on the list anyway):
Point of Grace ‘A Christmas Story’ (1999). Great arrangements and great variety.
And finally,
What Has Fallen Off the Playlist for Lack of Use:
Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas
Gary Chapman, This Gift
Rebecca St. James, Christmas RSJ
Now… please share!!! What are YOUR favorites? Your ‘must-listen’s?
Or, your must-never-listen-again’s?
Aug 28
Random Rehearsal Notes
The musicians I get to work with make me laugh, make me think, and truly delight me with their talent and thoughtful approach to the music we do. This week, all three happened during an incredibly productive rehearsal. I. Love that.
It’s crazy how we all have certain eras of songs burned into our brains. Throughout rehearsal, our B3 player kept being reminded of songs & artists that he used to cover ‘back in the day’ when he played bars every night in the 70′s. Most of his references were lost on me, but I’m sure if I heard the songs I’d get it.
However. The winning song reference of the night….. we were practicing a new song, ‘Glorified’ by Jared Anderson. My good friend who’s a great keyboard player, not even playing this week, walked in the auditorium and said, “Fast Car !!!”
Yeah.
Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) [iTunes link]
Glorified (Jared Anderson) [iTunes link]
What era of songs are part of your ongoing soundtrack?
Oct 14
Let us pause for a moment to acknowledge Real Musicians
Over the past couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to hear some amazing music by People I Actually Know. So, I shall now promote them on my blog (which hopefully is not the primary arm of their larger marketing strategies).
Meet Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels. You should know that Trent, the one in the middle, is my brother. And I very objectively find him phenomenal. He has written lots of music over the years, and has released 2 CD’s, with a third coming soon. The best descriptions of the music is found on the band’s website and myspace: (a) Original oldtime and Americana music. Roots music. Acoustic music ranging from old time, country folk, with elements of funk, soul, and the blues. (b) Sweaty punk rock sappy relevant old time music. I have heard Trent perform alone, and I have nearly memorized his CD’s, but 2 weeks ago we finally had the opportunity to see him perform with his band. And It. Was. Amazing. The normally 3-piece acoustic band (guitar, upright bass, fiddle) was made a foursome by the addition of a mandolin player. Having heard their songs over and over did not prepare me for the level of brilliance and energy that shone from the stage. They performed ‘traditional’ (and original-in-the-style-of-traditional) bluegrass music that is awe-inspiring in its intricacy and pace. They performed original slower tunes that allowed the audience to breathe in the beauty of vocals and strings. The four players played around a single mic, almost exactly as you see them in the picture (with the addition of another person), and throughout every song, they shifted toward or away from the mic to allow instrumental solos to shine and vocals to be heard as a perfect blend. The energetic precision of flat picking, the vibrancy of fine fiddling, and the physicality of the constant movements around the mic was absolutely arresting. You would not have to be a fan of bluegrass to appreciate the level of skill on display. So, if you have a second, check them out here and here where you can hear samples of original music. Humor me. :)
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
The band Intercept released a new CD a couple of weeks ago. They are an independent band based out of L.A. Two of the members are brothers who grew up in Wichita and were a part of the youth group at our church while Neil was the youth pastor. Yes, you could say we knew them ‘back in the day’. They are extremely talented, creative, and uniquely humorous guys. Their new CD is awesome and seems likely to catapult them up the music industry ladder. Which they are climbing the old-fashioned way…. you know, through, like, talent and stuff. Anyway, if you are a fan of musically-creative, alternative-flavored rock, check them out here and here. And BUY THEIR CD, Magnolia Road.
That is all. Enjoy.
