Selections from an ADD Jukebox

Enya - Watermark

2008-10-02T12:56:00.002-04:00

Yes, I have an Enya CD. In fact, I have Enya CDs. If you haven't figured out by now, I am more of a soft, chill music kind of guy. Ergo, I like Enya.

This song has the famous "Orinoco Flow." You know, the one with "Sail away, sail away, sail away." Some of my other favorites are "Cursum Perficio" and "Storms in Africa."

Enya just has a soothing quality about her that lets me veg in peace. :) Great voice, great instrumentals, great CD.

Narciso Yepes - La Guitarra Clásica Española (Disc 2)

2008-09-28T16:41:00.003-04:00

Of all the albums in the mix, my iTunes picks the second of two CDs in this collection, after having picked the first one just a couple of weeks ago. Like the other one, this one is just one to have playing in the background. I love listening to it because I feel I could be sitting in the Plaza Mayor tomando café con leche o tal vez unos churros con chocolate...mmm... (Sorry, had a Spanish attack there.) :)

Caedmon's Call - In the Company of Angels II

2008-09-27T15:10:00.002-04:00

Ah, another good Caedmon's album. This one is more chill, more mellow. There are a few songs that really stand out to me, namely "Draw Me Nearer," "Great and Mighty," and "Rest Upon Us." Really, the whole album is very homogeneous. Nothing real flashy, but great lyrics. A great album for a lazy Saturday afternoon. :)

Jars of Clay - Redemption Songs

2008-09-24T21:13:00.003-04:00

"Save the Hymnals!" That's the cry of Jars with this album. They took a lot of old hymns--some of which I had never heard before--and re-did them with a modern-day Jars kick. Most are kinda bluegrass-y. Highlights include "I'll Fly Away" and "I Need Thee Every Hour."

I'm just so glad to see Jars of Clay recognizing the deep messages rooted in hymns. No, they're not superficial at all. Yes, you have to actually dig sometimes to understand the lyrics. Is that a bad thing? Not at all. Back on my normal blog, I did a thing this past Christmas where I analyzed some Christmas carols. Yeah, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" took a while to figure out, but I now have such a greater appreciation for it.

These songs have been around forever for a reason. :)

(Sorry, this post is kinda not connected, but that's because I'm distracted right now.)

Nichole Nordeman - This Mystery

2008-09-23T22:26:00.003-04:00

Ah, Nichole Nordeman. My celebrity crush. Someone who actually isn't afraid to ask questions about her faith. Someone who's not afraid to admit to a less-than-perfect relationship with God. This is her second album, and it's not my favorite, but it's still loaded with some great songs.

#2 - "Tremble" - Great, great song. "How does one approach a Deity with informality and still protect the sacred?" "Oh let me not forget to tremble." Basically, we forget who we're talking about sometime. This is God. The Creator of the universe. And how dare we treat Him as anything less? (And what a measure of grace that He wants a relationship with us!)

#4 - "Help Me Believe" - Ok, this song has great lyrics, but the music is by far the coolest part. From what I can tell, the song is written in 6/4, which means there are six beats per measure; however, it's not that simple. The accompaniment in the beginning--all the way to the end of the first verse/chorus--is subdivided into 4 and 2 beats, meaning there is a strong beat on beats one and five. The vocals, though, are divided into 3 and 3, meaning there is a strong beat on both beats 1 and 4. The result is the feeling that there are two things going on at one time, creating a disjunct feeling--which is exactly what the song is trying to portray in the lyrics, a disconnect between God and self. At the end of the first verse/chorus, the music changes to match the vocals to show the union that comes. Genius.

#5 - "Small Enough" - "Oh, great God, be small enough to hear me now." A great song of humility before our great and awesome God.

#10 - "Every Season" - It's awesome just to know that He is control of all parts of our lives, every part of our day, every day of our years, every year of our life. He is with us in every change, when we're going through our life's cold, hard winters, or when we're enjoying the lush, green summers of His goodness. "And so it will be, as You are recreating me--summer, autumn, winter, spring."

#11 - "Why" - An awesome (and slightly controversial, depending on who you ask) dramatization of dialogues that may have occurred on Jesus's crucifixion day.

Nichole Nordeman - What If

2008-09-21T16:20:00.002-04:00

Today's album is exciting...it's an accompaniment track! Haha... I've got a few of these CDs in my collection for when I would sing in church. I love this song because it is a song not for church-going Christians, but rather, a song for the searching. As the song says, "What if you're right? What if He was just another nice guy?" And then it goes through several issues that non-Christians often struggle through. It's not conceding to their arguments, nor is it beating the Christian message into their heads.

And then we hit the chorus... "But what if you're wrong?" :) "What if you jump, just close your eyes? / What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise?"

And that's what it is. We can sit here and question, argue, debate all day, but Christ is asking us to have faith, close our eyes, and just JUMP! He'll catch us wherever we are!

Nickel Creek - This Side

2008-09-21T16:14:00.003-04:00

This is one of those that I have that I just listen to, not pay attention to. I just listen because I love the music of Nickel Creek. (Granted, this is the only CD I have of theirs.) But, as a part of this iTunes Shuffle Extravaganza on this blog, I'm going to try and pay closer attention to every part of the music, including the lyrics.

For those of you who don't know, Nickel Creek is a folk/bluegrass/acoustic band who just broke up a year or so ago. I think they're a secular version of Jars of Clay. That is not only because of their folk-y sound, but also because of their artsy lyrics. I'm pretty sure most of Nickel Creek's songs are about relationships in one form of another, but you have to do a lot of interpreting to find the meaning. Sometimes I like that, but it just depends on my mood. Right now? I'm not in an interpreting mood. So, any deeper meaning in the lyrics is just going to have to stay there for now.

Yeah, good album. It's a good album for the fall, driving through the mountains, etc. Kinda like what I did yesterday. :)

Mama, Luke, and Benjamin - Irish Jigs

2008-09-18T20:20:00.004-04:00

No, really. You don't have this album. Y'know why? Because it was made in my backyard! (Ok, in the building in our backyard, which is where my mom's "studio" is.)

So, my mom, brother, and I were sitting at home, probably last October (2007), and we were probably bored. We like to have jam sessions occasionally, so we went out back. Mama had been playing through some Irish jigs on her violin, and someone had the idea that we all three play them.

So, off we went to the studio. I jumped on the keyboard, my brother got his guitar, and mama had her violin. I set the keyboard to a sort of Irish flute. We divided up parts, and basically just played five of the jigs in her book. Only Mama had music that she played from. I guessed my part looking at the music, and Luke played the chords in the background. It is quite fun. Kinda makes me want to waltz/contra. :)

I'll lend ya the disc if you want to check out what my family and I do in our spare time...

Summersalt Band - The Gathering

2008-09-17T17:54:00.003-04:00

Ah, ye ole iTunes selects another Summersalt album. This one is by far my favorite of the five Summersalt albums that I have. It came out of this past summer (2008) when, for the first time since I've been on staff, only the counselors were in the band. Normally, one of the "higher ups" led the band, but this time, it was all "normal" counselors. And to make it better...Natalie was back to sing! :) (For those who weren't there and don't know me, just trust that she's an amazing singer!)

As a change from recent years, this album actually has songs I knew and are actually done outside of camp. I had done "Revelation Song," "Filled with Your Glory," and "I Am Free" before. We also did a modern version of the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." The crowning piece on the album is definitely "Revelation Song." You have to check it out. Such an amazing song! "We Cry Out" is another favorite--upbeat and with a little "attitude." Then there's "How He Loves," which is a big song--not big as in popular (that I know of), but big as in it's such a dynamic song. It was also very polemical with one of the pastors because of one of the lines saying, "sloppy wet kiss." *shrugs shoulders* The song is very artsy, which I sometimes like, but I don't know really.

My other favorite piece is "God of This City," which was sort of our theme song, really, and it's one that I still sing often. It's a call for revival, which is something we prayed for heavily at camp as a staff. I got the "bug" and now revival is something that I, for the first time, yearn for. I long for God's name to spread at my school. "Greater things have yet to come / And greater things are still to be done in this city!"

One song that didn't make the cut was "Hosanna," by Hillsong. It was one of my favorites at camp, but one of the staffers is hopefully working on a "Gathering Live" album, which will contain that song.

Anyway, great album. If you want to check it out, just let me know!

Various Artists - Pure Moods

2008-09-16T22:13:00.003-04:00

This is one of my older CDs in my collection. If you'll think back about 10 years or so, you'll remember a commercial advertising the Pure Moods CD. You know, songs like Enya's "Sail Away" and Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells." It also had Adiemus's title track on there. I saw the commercials and knew I had to have that CD. But, of course, I was only about 12 years old at the time, so ordering something from the TV, or getting my parents to do the same, wasn't going to happen. I happened upon a couple of people who had that CD in the years to come, and that kept my interest for that CD. Eventually, I don't remember how, but I acquired that CD, probably for Christmas or something. I loved it, and it's still a great CD.

Most of the music is new age/world music, which is one of my favorites. The above mentioned songs are great, though there are some very different tracks on there that aren't really my favorites; however, it does give me a broad variety of artists, which I could explore should I desire.

It was a good evening for my iTunes to select this CD. It's good chillaxing music, which is very useful after a looong day at work! :)

John Debney - The Passion of the Christ

2008-09-14T08:31:00.002-04:00

I LOVE this soundtrack! While the movie to which it pertains may not be one that you just are itching to go home and watch on a Friday night, I will gladly listen to this soundtrack any time.

John Debney did a great job capturing the time and place in his music. He uses many instruments that sound like they came straight from 33 AD Israel. He also includes a choir singing in Aramaic in several tracks, which only adds to the effect.

Definitely, my favorite tracks are "Crucifixion" and "Resurrection." The build-up in the former and the triumph in the latter are just amazing!

Wow, um, what else to say? I'm at a loss right now, but rest assured that this is a great soundtrack! Check it out!

Narciso Yepes - La Guitarra Clásica Española (Disc 1)

2008-09-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

Another one of those CDs for use in the background. I got this CD in Spain over seven years ago. It's disc one of two of purely Spanish classical guitar music. I am a huge fan of the Spanish guitar, and this CD doesn't disappoint. Like other background music CDs, there's no song that sticks out over any other, but the CD as a whole is one that just transports me back to the callejuelos of Madrid. :)

Summersalt Band - Icon

2008-09-13T07:39:00.002-04:00

Needless to say, not many of you all have this CD. :P For those of you who don't know, I have worked at a Christian youth camp for the past four summers. It's called Summersalt, and it has played a major part in my life. We have worship services every night of camp, and the worship band (made up of other staffers) plays at each one. Each year, the band spends some time before camp practicing and going to a recording studio to record eight of the songs for the year. (They're all covers; none are original.) "Icon" is the name of the theme for my second year (2006). Chann Carroll was the lead singer/guitarist.

That year, we did a couple of songs that were pretty popular, such as "Marvelous Light" and "My Savior, My God." Then, there are some songs I had never heard before. Sometimes, we do songs before they become popular, but not this year. I have yet to hear most of those songs outside of camp! (That seemed to be the trend when Chann was leading.) It's not that it's a bad thing, but it's just different.

For those interested, here are the songs on the album that year:

1) Always Beautiful
2) We Bow Before You
3) In Your Presence
4) Marvelous Light
5) My Savior, My God
6) Beauty for Ashes
7) Always Forever (probably my favorite)
8) You're the Only One
9-16) Tracks 1-8 as instrumental, so the little youth can go back and sing these songs in church :P (Yes, we do that every year.)
17) (Hidden Track) I Could Run Away

Adiemus - Vocalise

2008-09-10T21:15:00.003-04:00

I just wasn't impressed with this one...

Adiemus is one of my all-time favorite groups. Led by Karl Jenkins, Adiemus is a new age group with orchestral music and lyrics that (for the most part) are not in any certain language. Jenkins created the group with the intention of the voices sounding like instruments as to make the music completely universal without any "distraction" of words. When I first heard Adiemus on the Pure Moods commercials way back when, I imagined an entire African choir singing the songs, so when I found out that it was only one woman (for the majority of the time), an English lady at that, I was astounded!

I loved all of their previous albums, but this final album was just a flop in my opinion. For the first time, there were real lyrics. Yes, they're verses from the Psalms and "Dona Nobis Pacem," but still...the point of this group was to be different. To make your own trail. To form your own language. Why the need?

The songs in this one, especially at the beginning, just sound rather cheesy. Maybe it's just the opener "Rondo" that turns me off. "Allegrettango" has a very nice piano lick (like just a couple of beats) that give it a very Argentinean tango flair. There are some other nice parts in the album, such as the only time we hear a male voice in "Mysterious Are Your Ways."

But really, with the album ending with a song called "Boogie Woogie Llanoogie," how much can one expect?

(Don't worry...I'll rave about Adiemus when their other albums come up. As an artist who recorded some hard-to-find singles, Adiemus really gave me the desire to scour eBay looking for the different versions, so you'll see that name often. Check 'em out! Just not this album.)

Celtic Wanderers - The Pilgrim's Road

2008-09-09T21:54:00.003-04:00

This is an interesting CD I have. I classify it under my "Chant" genre, but it's more like ancient world/Celtic music. Basically, it's a collection of songs written to honor some of the pilgrims from Ireland. I was reading the liner notes to the album tonight, and it was very interesting. During the Dark Ages, these religious pilgrims would make a voyage to the rest of the European Continent to spread the Gospel and to learn as well. As such, they gained an interest in poetry, music, philosophy, and other subjects. These pilgrims helped keep their villages from remaining in isolation by bringing back a bit of the rest of the world, and on the flip side, these pilgrims brought their religious devotion to the rest of the world.

The music is very neat, utilizing several ancient Celtic instruments such as the crwth. Yes, that's right, the crwth. No vowels in there. (The w is sometimes a vowel, apparently.) I can't really distinguish between the songs, as it's one of those CDs you listen to in the background. Looking at the lyrics, they're all in Latin, and it seems each song is dedicated to a specific pilgrim. It does mostly sound like chant music with many melismas (many notes sung for one syllable).

I guess, given enough time to research, this CD would be very informative when it comes to the medieval history of the British Isles and Ireland during the Dark Ages. (It's just a shame I don't have that time right now!) This CD isn't one you just go home dying to listen to, but if you're just in a chill mood and want some background music, this is a good one.

Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay

2008-09-04T18:23:00.002-04:00

I've had this CD a while, but haven't really paid attention to it. I never gave it the inaugural listening-to that I give my other albums. (You know, when you sit down and just listen to the music, reading the lyrics as you go along.) Honestly, I didn't know what most of these songs were about, and after I read the lyrics...I still don't know what a few of them are! Their lyrics are very artsy, and when I get an artist like that, it takes a while for me to "get" the song, after many listens and divine revelations. :P

Jars of Clay does some really great music. They're kinda folksy, especially on "Boy on a String." (I'm a sucker for a fiddle.) Maybe that's why I haven't paid much attention to the lyrics...it's just a good "listening" album.

There are a few classics on here..."Love Song for a Savior" and "Flood" are probably the most notable. But, I had a good time listening to, paying attention to, and trying to gain a deeper appreciation for this album.

Oh, and there is that 20 minute hidden track at the end. :P

Caedmon's Call - Share the Well

2008-09-03T19:20:00.002-04:00

Ok, no, really...either I've just got a lot of albums that I like on my iPod, or iTunes is just doing a really good job of giving me good albums right now.

This is definitely one of my most different Christian albums. I like Caedmon's Call, and the story behind this album is great. They had just gone on some mission trips to Ecuador, Brazil, and India, and this album was a result of that. There are some cuts on the album that were recorded while abroad, and there are plenty of authentic percussion and other instruments on the album that give it a very worldly flair.

One of my favorite tracks on the album "There's Only One (Holy One)" has a great line that I just repeat to myself all the time: "There's only One who never fails to beckon the morning light." It's just glorious that God is so faithful and He always makes the sun shine on us, and with each day, we know His mercies for us are renewed!

On the track "Mother India," there's a part in the last verse that is also very encouraging: "There's a land where our shackles turn to diamonds / Where we've traded our rags / For a royal crown / In that day / Our oppressor holds no power / And the doors of the King are thrown wide!" What a glorious image! India is under a lot of oppression right now, and just like India, we are looking forward to the day when we can break free from our chains and just run without hindrance into the Glory of our God!

Another highlight is the song "The Roses," where they talk about a couple high in the mountains in Ecuador. It talks of our material possessions here screaming at us and causing us to become frustrated. "I wonder what he's doing right now? / Maybe walking through his simple field / Thinking about how / God has blessed him so / A man, his bride, his children, and his roses."

Yes, a very international-mission-trip-esque album. Weird sub-genre, but it is what it is. :) Good stuff.

Josh Groban - Closer

2008-09-02T18:04:00.003-04:00

I heart my iTunes for giving me this album today (my birthday!). Josh Groban = an amazing singer, and of his four albums, this is one of my four favorites. :) (I'm a little bit worried, though, because I'm getting some really good albums up front...what's that got to say for the music later in the year?)

Like I posted in my Celtic Woman post two days ago, my "popera" genre is one of my top genres because it's just good music. Period. Josh Groban's voice can melt even this guy's heart. (Man crush? You might could say so.) This is the kind of CD that I can just sit down at the piano and play through the entire book. (Not that I have before ever...)

I love that Josh Groban sings in four languages on this CD. I mean, I already know Spanish and English (fairly well, at least), but his Italian and French songs help me learn about other languages...and that's always a plus.

He does a cover of a song featured on the Italian flick Il Postino, which is a great movie about Pablo Neruda's time in exile in Italy. (Neruda is the most famous Chilean poet.) And there's the infamous and over-done "You Raise Me Up." His version is definitely the best. (Sorry, Selah.) Of course, I got the deluxe edition with bonus tracks, which is a good thing. He has a Spanglish song "Mi Morena" as a part of the extras, and it is excellent.

It's not just love songs (though most are). There are a couple of break-up songs, too. :P

Favorite songs? "Oceano" (takes a couple of listens, but great chord structure), "Remember When It Rained" (great piano interlude), and "Mi Morena"

Jaci Velasquez - Milagro

2008-09-01T07:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is one of those CDs I wanted to like more than I actually do. I bought this CD back before I went to Chile in 2004. I was like, "I'm going to be spending a semester in a Spanish-speaking country, so I need some more Spanish music." So, when I saw this CD by Jaci Velasquez, I thought to myself, "Cool! Spanish Christian music!" So, I got it and took it to Chile.

I only had about 10 CDs with me in Chile, so I got to listen to it a good bit. I don't know when I had this realization, but probably a quarter of the way into the semester, I finally realized that it wasn't a Christian CD. I was thrown off by the song title "Me Valga Dios." I saw "Dios" ("God") and immediately thought it was Christian, but it turns out that it's one of her secular albums. But it just comes to show you how closely the lyrics to Christian songs can relate to secular love songs. (For example, some of the translations of her song titles are "Lost Without You," "In the Center of My Heart," "My Life Is Nothing Without You," and "A Little Piece of Heaven.")

It's not that I don't like secular songs about relationships (see: Josh Groban, Shakira, etc.), but I guess I was just disappointed and wanted something more. The music on the album is alright...though my Chilean family didn't like it at all! It's not Latin-sounding, more of an American pop sound. It just so happens she is singing in Spanish. But, if anything, this CD helps me learn Spanish, so that's good. :)

Celtic Woman - A New Journey

2008-08-31T17:44:00.001-04:00

So today, my iTunes landed on a song from Celtic Woman's CD A New Journey. It represents just a little bit of the "popera" genre I have on my iPod. I enjoy this CD a lot. I got it after hearing Celtic Woman in concert on ETV. It was absolutely beautiful. They are five women--four singers and a fiddler--that sing with some of the purest voices I've ever heard. Most songs are traditional Celtic songs or other "classic" songs. The song that originally attracted me to them was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It's a cappella, and it is haunting. Once I got the CD, I discovered a lot of other great tracks. I love their "Scarborough Fair" and the instrumental "Shenandoah." They do "The Prayer" and "Carrickfergus," though I prefer the versions done by Josh Groban/Charlotte Church ("The Prayer") and Charlotte Church ("Carrickfergus").

This CD, plus my other "popera" CDs (by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church) are some of my favorites. The music style is great..."deep" music with orchestra, and lyrical, mature voices that actually follow some sense of classical theory. It's the kind of music I find myself conducting while I'm driving. And while I'm just standing around listening to the ADD jukebox in my head. :D

Starting Out

2008-08-31T15:59:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. This is blog #3 for me. We'll see how long it lasts. What I'd like to do is give y'all reviews of the CDs and other songs that I own. What I do is open iTunes, hit shuffle, and then listen to the entire album that contains the song that is selected. (I will skip Christmas CDs until after Thanksgiving.) I have 158 albums (some of which I only have one or two songs because I bought them on iTunes), and I have 171 school days left, so I'll try to do about one album a day with room to miss a day or two. This way, I listen to all my music in a year, and you get to read about some of the songs that go through my head at any given moment. I'd like to thank Tausha for giving a name to the phenomenon known as the ADD Jukebox, which is what I experience all the time--a constant shuffle of music in my head which can jump from Latin to Popera to CCM at any given moment. So, sit a spell, drop in a quarter, and enjoy my ADD Jukebox. :)