Archive for the 'Music' Category

The Edge’s Live Gear Setup

Published
by
Justin
on December 6, 2008
in Music
. 1 Comment

I have often…literally often…thought about what gear The Edge from U2 uses. His sound has become legendary and nobody comes close to his sounds. I have tried…and failed miserably…and have just decided to practice more!

But here is a video that answers my questions about what the Edge plays…or better yet, what the Edge doesn’t play. Let’s just say he takes 45 guitars on tour!

Here’s the video…and if you’re a guitar player…you may need to watch this a couple of times (like I did) to get all the wonderfulness that is going on here.

Thanks to Gerry at Worship Guitar Guy for finding this!

Books I’m Reading, Music I’m Loving

Published
by
Justin
on October 17, 2008
in Books and Music
. 4 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about things that I love in hopes that you will love them too…so here we go

Books:
Anatomy of Peace
by The Arbinger Institute

When I read Leadership and Self Deception a couple of years ago, it changed my life. Seriously. I didn’t have those expectations when starting to read this book because I wanted it to stand alone. I can’t say this book had the profound insight into my life for the here and now as the other book, but this book helped give me a vocabulary and insight into my personal justification which results in distorting the relationships and world around me. Once again, The Arbinger Institute cleverly delivers bombshell messages that could change your life if you can find yourself in the story. I would give both this book and Leadership and Self-Deception 5 stars and recommend them to anyone who wants their relationship to grow. 

The Call of the Wild
by Jack London

Yes, for real. I found this book in a Dutch thrift store and remembered reading it as a kid in school. So, I decided to make this book my ‘mindless’ read. This is a classic book, amazing writing, and a cool story about a genius dog that can pull 1000 pounds in the snow and kill a moose by itself. I really found myself relating to Buck in his extra-ordinaryness…ok, maybe not. 

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse
by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen

My friend Laina loaned me this book and I’m only in the first part. It’s honestly a lot to think about. Because the truth is…it happens and people are harmed by people whom they give spiritual authority to. If you are a leader of people in a spiritual position it would be good to read this to heighten your senses to the subtle ways that we can unintentionally hurt those whom look to us as leaders. I hope that as I process this, I’ll be given insight into how I need to repent!

Lastly…

Organizing Genius
by Warren Bennis

I just picked this off of my friend Al’s bookshelf and it seems appropriate for the season that Jen and I are in. We are starting to look at recruiting for the future and this book is all about how to collaborate with other people and ‘manage’ talented people…which is an aspiration of mine. So we’ll see how it goes!

From the eyes to the ears…Music I’m listening to…

Brandon Grissom - Brighter Ep

Brandon is an acquaintance whom I met in Paris years ago when he was passing through. He’s a worship leader for a ministry called Axis in Chicago. This album seems to be written with corporate worship in mind…as he is a worship leader. I have to say…this album is a refreshing departure from standard worship tunes but is still catchy enough to be able to sing along with. If you are looking for worship songs that are musically good and have good lyrics…then check this out. It’s a welcomed breath of fresh air in the oft-boring and cheeseball worship music that is marketed well enough to make it ‘bigtime’…gosh I’m jaded. Another good album in this vein is Travis Taylor’s You Have Loved. 

Copeland - You Are My Sunshine

I just bought this today (and Brandon’s album) thanks to my friend Rachel hooking me up with an iTunes gift card! I am half way through it and I love these guys…it’s kind of head bobbing pop-rock with good instrumentation and percussion…check ‘em out! 

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Jen discovered these guys back in March and it is easily my favorite album of 2008. The cat is out of the bag about these guys and they are kind of blowing up in the Indie scene. I got to see their show in Amsterdam and they blew away very high expectations. I think that a lot of Indie bands try to hard to be ‘artsy’ and come across as pretentious and contrived. Bon Iver is a band of people that seem the exact opposite. They genuinely seem to be surprised at their success and seem to just love playing…and they should because they are brilliant…

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl

Thanks to my buddy Tim who is putting together a pretty amazing list of albums on his blog, I found out about these guys…and they’re just good. 

Jon Foreman - Season EP’s 

That’s not the real title of Switchfoot frontman’s albums…but it works for me. Jon Foreman has put out four EP’s entitles Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring…each one with a bit different vibe to it. I’ve really be into them. 

Ok…that’s enough for now…I hope that you will enjoy any and all of these things I’m enjoying…

Bands that are French…and are good!

Published
by
Justin
on March 22, 2008
in Music
. 0 Comments

Aaron (Artificial Animals Riding on Neverland) - Good stuff…seriously. Cool beat. Cool effects. Great lines like, “Don’t care what people say, I’m dreaming louder everyday.”

Phoenix - Pop rock at its best. If you’ve heard of them, you may not have known that they are French! Oui, c’est vrai!

Daft Punk - Are you kidding…they’re French? Wait, they wear space outfits all the time and like house music…ok…they’re French.

Carla Bruni - Yes, she’s married to the President of France Nicholas Sarkozy, but she is also a singer-songwriter who writes some good melodies. But I think she has issues.

Four Tet - Some good Electronica…I’ve used their stuff in a video.

Dancing to Rainbows

Published
by
Justin
on January 5, 2008
in Music
. 4 Comments

Here is a quick list of albums that I’m really enjoying these days.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

I am playing this right now and looked over at Maisie and she was dancing to the crazy beat on 15 Step.

Band of Horses - Cease to Begin

Love the tracks Is There a Ghost (always stuck in my head) and Detlef Schrempf…here the refrain of this song I love…“My eyes can’t look at you any other way.” I have no idea how this relates to Detlef, but I love the way it makes me think about the love I have for wife. (And I love crazy reverb they put on his voice)

The National - Boxer

I’m just in the beginings of discovering this album but I am already in love with the recording and the percussion…and the use of multiple instruments. Paste Magazine gave this the best album of 2007, so c’mon. Get it.

Daft Punk - Alive 2007

Ok, Ok…Daft Punk, but (1) I do love techno and I’m not afraid to admit it. (2) These guys put together some amazing beats and this live recording is proof that techno can have a soul. (3) They are from Paris and I never knew it…and this album was recorded at the show in Paris. I think my friend Taro was there. I was ignorant at the time and didn’t go. (4) They always, and I mean always, wear amazing robot costumes in public. Check this out if you want to learn more about the genius that is Daft Punk.

Tegan and Sara - The Con

I’ve been into girl vocalists lately. Good stuff and some really catchy melodies…that’s all I feel like writing about them right now…good sell huh?

There’s more, but I have to get in the shower…in case you wanted to know.

A Thanksgiving gift

Published
by
Justin
on November 22, 2007
in Music
. 1 Comment

If you’ve never heard of Steven Delopoulos then you’re missing out. bottom line. Probably my favorite songwriter and an amazing guitarist. This Thanksgiving I am thankful that his new album is for sale on his website…not a free gift, but a gift nonetheless to hear his new stuff! Here’s a video from his site too:

Jeremy Enigk

Published
by
Justin
on October 19, 2006
in Music
. 0 Comments

Jeremy_enigk_1
If you’ve been following my blog then you may have noticed that I’ve never put up a post about a CD. I’ve never done a review of a CD. Honestly, There aren’t many that inspire me to click to a post to write about one…until today. I just got the CD World Waits by Jeremy Enigk and I have to say…it’s really amazing. So textured and layered and diverse in sound. There are times that the music takes a turn that you don’t see coming, but it just works. Jeremy Enigk was the front man for a band called Sunny Day Real Estate and in the mid 90’s left the band due to him choosing to follow Jesus (which I learned after I listened to the CD the first time). He then put out his first solo CD in the 96′ called Return of the Frog Queen…he hasn’t put out one until this one that just released. It was worth the wait…

The opening track ‘A New Beginning’ has no words yet is one of the more powerful songs I’ve heard…at only 1:27 in length that is saying something…it has the power of Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins but with a bit of the Metallica S&M album with it…the rest of the album is full the same…(honestly there are a few lulls, but the highs far far outweigh them).

The album is built around ambient sounds and unique melodies and the heavy layering I mentioned earlier. Here are the different bands that have crossed my mind while the album has played: Sting, Metalllica, Michael W. Smith (yes…MWS…for spiritual power reasons), Richard Ashcroft, POD (guitars), Deathcab for Cutie (due to driving guitar picking at times and clever melodies), Jimmy Eat World, Depeche Mode (yes)…that’s all I have to say about for now…I’m on my second time listening to it already this morning…enjoy

Here’s his myspace page: Jeremy Enigk Myspace Page
Official Page: here

The Practice Room

Published
by
Justin
on February 3, 2006
in Music
. 0 Comments

To the right of my post you’ll see a photo album that shares the same name as this post. This is the place that our band has been rehearsing…I don’t know if it even has a name.

This is one of those places where if a band were to get famous VH1 would send a crew here to shoot where they got started…How they came from the bottom up…Because I assure this is the bottom. ‘How do I know this?’ you ask? Let’s start with the fact that the owner does the schedule in a spiral notebook that he has to find every time we need to schedule our next appointment. There was a cockroach on the rim of the toilette when Matt went to use it. I don’t think there is a mic stand in the entire facility of 8 or so rooms that isn’t held together with tape…that goes for the drumsets too.

This is the type of place that singlehandedly could make a band quit playing. It’s that bad. The rooms are small and they proudly boast about six or seven ash trays in the rooms, despite the numerous non-fumer signs all over the walls.

Behind the doors of each room leads the way to humble beginnings…which I guess is a where a worship band should always be…that’s why this place feels so much like home for our band.