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1 - 83 of 83 total
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A Beautiful Woman
BY: Denis Haack
The Hebrews pictured Wisdom and Folly as women (see, e.g., Proverbs 3-9), a metaphor sometimes assumed to be merely misogynist and so dismissed in an age that knows better.
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A Very Lovely, Sad Longing
BY: Denis Haack
In the liner notes of her latest album, All I Intended to Be, Emmylou Harris writes that all she ever intended was to be “a singer of songs, a writer of songs, and a strummer of a few chords, in search of the truth.” I’d say she’s been faithful to that calling, and our lives are richer as a result.
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Aimee Mann: Lost in Space (2002)
BY: Denis Haack
Aimee Mann does not try to produce singles that will become hits; she writes and sings songs that are meant to get under your skin.
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Alison Krauss: Paper Airplane (2011)
BY: Denis Haack
I am not a musicologist nor am I a musician, so this is just a wild guess but I would not be surprised if most music the world over celebrates love or mourns its loss. Nothing else comes so close so quickly to touch the human condition in all its joy and pain.
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Bach: Mass in B Minor (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, cond. Robert Shaw, 1990)
BY: John Mason Hodges, Jr.
In his Mass in B minor Bach sets the text of the mass to music in quite a different way than his renaissance predecessors.
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Bad Religion: Empire Strikes First (2004)
BY: Denis Haack
Bad Religion a band whose music makes clear they aren't merely interested in entertaining their fans.
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Bad Religion: The Process of Belief (2002)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
The Process of Belief is not a concept album with a unified theme, but it is a call to question skepticism and taken-for-granted beliefs, and an appeal to rationality.
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Bernstein: The Chichester Psalms (1965)
BY: John Mason Hodges, Jr.
In 1965, Chichester Cathedral, with her sister cathedral in Salisbury, commissioned American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein to compose a setting from the book of Psalms.
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Bob Dylan, Christmas in the Heart (2009)
BY: Denis Haack
Margie and I add to our Toad Hall collection of Christmas music by purchasing one new album each year. So, when I learned Bob Dylan was releasing Christmas in the Heart, this year's selection was guaranteed.
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Bob Dylan: Love and Theft (2001)
BY: Denis Haack
The danger for anyone who truly faces the fragmentation and fallenness of the world is either despair or cynicism, for all his gritty honesty Bob Dylan has never succumbed to either.
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Bruce Cockburn: The Truth About Poets
BY: Marsena Konkle
The best poets are able to express in words the very essence of what it means to be fully human. Bruce Cockburn's skill and creativity as a poet shine through in his recordings.
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Bruce Springsteen: Devils & Dust (2005)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Devils & Dust (2005) is a good case study and is worthy of our close attention as it is an antidote to our religiously-sanctioned hard hearts.
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Bruce Springsteen: We Shall Overcome--The Seeger Sessions (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
On this album Springsteen joins an astonishingly accomplished group of folk musicians to play a set of traditional songs.
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Chevelle: This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In (2004)
BY: Travis Scott
On their third full-length EP Peter, Samuel and Joseph (the three brothers who form Chevelle) deliver an aggressive powerhouse of an album.
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Counting Crows: Hard Candy (2002)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Counting Crows explore the world of meaning and relationships from the vantage point of sleepless nights and mornings after.
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Creed: Human Clay (1999)
BY: Denis Haack
Creed’s lyrics tackle serious topics—sin, conscience, the joy on discovering you will soon be a father, forgiveness, abortion—and in terms that should cause Christians to stop and listen.
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Crying Game (Neil Jordan, 1992)
BY: Andrew H. Trotter, Jr.
Through a superb blend of social statement and political thriller, interest in the film spread primarily because of a shocking “secret” the plot contains, Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game became a social phenomenon.
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Dar Williams: My Better Self (2005)
BY: Denis Haack
Listen closely to the 13 songs on Dar Williams’ My Better Self (2005) and you can hear an echo of the heart’s cry of an entire generation.
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Dashboard Confessional: A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar (2003)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
In a world without boundaries, relationships are leaving their scars. Enter the music of Dashboard Confessional.
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David Eugene Edwards: Woven Hand (2002)
BY: Denis Haack
Out of the many CDs that enter my life, a few so resonate with my soul and delight me musically that I put them on repeat, sometimes for days.
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Derek Webb: The Ringing Bell (2007)
BY: Denis Haack
The Ringing Bell features well crafted instrumentation and a voice that carries conviction.
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Drive By Truckers: Dirty South (2004)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
The Dirty South portrays a world where people don’t feel they have any choices anymore.
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Drive By Truckers: The Dirty South (2004)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
This album puts a human face on a social stereotype. Like William Faulkner’s depiction of the Bundrens and Snopes, the band uses Southern regionalism as a window on the universal longings of the human heart.
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Eliza Gilkyson: Paradise Hotel (2005)
BY: Denis Haack
Gilkyson has charted her own path and brings a clear voice, crisp lyrics, a passion for justice, and an imagination keen on beauty to shape music that satisfies not as background noise, but as music of the heart.
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Eminem: Marshall Mathers (2000)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
It is impossible to understand youth culture, particularly contemporary pop music culture, without addressing the significance white-rap-MC Marshall Mathers better known by the stage-name Eminem as well as by his angry alter-ego alias, Slim Shady.
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Emmylou Harris: Red Dirt Girl (2000)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
This is music for those who have known loss: a divorce, a prodigal child, the death of a parent, the betrayal of friends, the collapse of a career, or the pain of chronic disease.
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Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine (2005)
BY: Denis Haack
Fiona Apple,'s "Extraordinary Machine" is intensely personal, an invitation to hear the longings and sorrows of her heart.
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Gorecki: Symphony 3 (1992)
BY: John Mason Hodges, Jr.
How long has it been since a new symphony saw broad popular appeal? Few works since World War II that have had as large a following or sold as many copies as Henryk Górecki’s Third Symphony, the “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.”
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Greg Graffin: Cold as the Clay (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
Better known as the singer/songwriter of the punk band, Bad Religion, Greg Graffin’s earliest musical memory involves singing with his family.
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Handel's Messiah
BY: Denis Haack
To be too busy for good music is to be too busy.
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Hard-Fi: Stars of CCTV (2005)
BY: Raymond Blanton
This little affluent band of eclectic rock from Staines, a borough of Surrey in South-East England, is now a chart topping and fresh flavor in the musical world.
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Hip Hop 101
BY: Luke Bobo
Hip hop is not a passing fad. Hip hop has lasted nearly thirty years. It is here to stay.
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In the beginning… was Bach: A Bach Primer
BY: Jeff Heyl
Here is a brief look at his life, some salient musical categories and then end with some suggestions for reading, listening, and congregational use.
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Interpol: Our Love to Admire (2007)
BY: Matthew Hundley
I have never listened to Interpol before, so the first thing that I start thinking about is who they sound similar to...Radiohead, Coldplay with hints of Joy Division and New Order.
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Introducing Children to Global Culture Through Music
BY: Matthew Hundley
Teaching our children (and ourselves) about other cultures is important for social, intellectual and spiritual growth. One of the publishers offering quality recordings and learning materials for children is Putumayo.
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J. J. Cale & Eric Clapton: The Road to Escondido (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
Kindred spirits J.J.Cale and Eric Clapton produce a deeply satisfying album of simple lyrics, fine guitar playing, and a view of life from two musicians who have been around.
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Joyeux Noel! Great Music for the Celebration of Our Lord's Birthday
BY: Jeff Heyl
What of the music of Christmas? Surely it is special, majestic, magical, sweet, peaceful. Suddenly, the ear hears wonderful melody, rich choirs, magnificent orchestras, a plethora of soloist styling’s providing a richness and tranquility often missing the rest of the year.
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Kanye West: Graduation (2007)
BY: Travis Scott
In the past few years I have found it increasingly hard to listen to Kanye’s music due to his ever-increasing ego. However, as someone who at least attempts to keep up with what’s happening in music I knew I had to get this album.
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Kate Campbell: Twang on a Wire (2003)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
In the songs of Kate Campbell one can smell the clay dirt roads of Georgia, picture the kudzu vines of North Carolina, feel the uncontrollable force of the great river of Mississippi.
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Killers: Hot Fuss (2004)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Named for a fictional band from a video of a now defunct 80s group, The Killers used their undeniable talent to package a starkly Anglophile sound and look.
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Kimya Dawson: remember that i love you (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
There is a lovely paradox in Kimya Dawson’s music. Her songs are simple, childlike, almost childish in spots, yet they probe into the meaning of life. Her voice is clear and calm, yet her lyrics build intensely, rushing out in crowded lines as if pausing to catch our breath is something we cannot afford in the face of so much honesty.
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Leonard Cohen: The Essential Leonard Cohen (2002)
BY: Denis Haack
The music of Leonard Cohen suggests that the world is not just sensual and beautiful, but spiritual in a way that is beyond our imagining.
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Lifehouse: No Name Face (2000)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
The cumulative impact of this record expresses the heart questions of security and significance that frame our longings for love and meaning.
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Linkin Park: Meteora (2003)
BY: Travis Scott
Linkin Park’s success is baffling considering they defy the stereotypical mold of nu-metal due to the fact that their music is devoid of sex, violence, and vulgarity.
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Listening to Critics: When Musicians Raise Questions About Faith (I)
BY: Denis Haack
When I share someone’s music I not only hear some of what they are thinking, but gain at least a little sense, a brief glimpse of its significance to the deepest corners of their heart. And that level of communication is a precious gift.
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Listening to Critics: When Musicians Raise Questions About Faith (II)
BY: Denis Haack
Really good music, of every genre, is always about more than mere entertainment. The musician expresses realities that are best communicated through metaphor, sound, poetry, and the allusive beauty of art. When we truly receive the music rather than just casually listen, we end up seeing more deeply into life, in part or in whole, for blessing or for curse.
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Listening to Critics: when musicians raise questions about faith (III)
BY: Denis Haack
There is in all of us a deep yearning for freedom, a freedom that we know is our true destiny even though we can’t quite name the slavery that has us in its grip and that has torn the freedom from us. We wish to be ourselves and to be free—a double grace that always seems just a little out of reach.
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Listening to Music from Across the Globe
BY: Matthew Hundley
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of "world music" ? "Mambo Italiano"? Mariachi bands? Mumbai music at your favorite Indian restaurant?
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Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile (1999)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Trent Reznor and his band, Nine Inch Nails, are an easy target of condemnation, if not demonization.
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None Other Lamb, None Other Name: In a Broken World, a Quiet Confidence
BY: Denis Haack
It might seem paradoxical, especially today, that a hymn of such gentle sensitivity can be evoked by a vision of the unleashing of God’s final judgment. “None Other Lamb” contains no hint of pride or smirking triumph, neither the elation of one satisfied they are on the right side, or the glee of someone perversely anticipating the writhing of the damned. Instead Rossetti finds comfort in this One who can open the scroll, finding confidence not in her ability to believe but in the Lamb in whom her confidence rests, quietly certain that her Lord, not her suffering and the brokenness of the world, will have the final word.
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Oakenfold: A Lively Mind (2006)
BY: Raymond Blanton
This is an album of wonder, the kind that heartily purges the true intentions of how we interpret music. I mean, how do we approach music that has minimal to nil lyrics? Do we look then at the cultural context, the individual and their artistry as well as their intentionality?
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Over The Rhine: Drunkard's Prayer (2005)
BY: Denis Haack
Place and a sense of community is important to Over the Rhine—it’s a primary reason why they haven’t relocated as their popularity has grown.
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Paula Cole: Amen (1999)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Spirituality has been a favorite theme in recent pop music offerings from Lauryn Hill to Madonna. This is Paula Coles step into this thematic matter.
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radiohead: kid a (2000)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Radiohead’s Kid A (2000) is the antidote to the Disneyfied-saccharine-commodification of pop and the misogynist-angry-victimization of hip hop.
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Rap Artists’ Use of Women
BY: Luke Bobo
“Oh Dad, you are always preaching. You’re old fashioned and reading too much into these videos!” My overlooked point was that these rap music videos are not neutral. They communicate cogently clear and subtle messages. Namely, many of the rap music videos tend to objectify or de-humanize women.
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Rap, Reggae and Ragas
BY: Matthew Hundley
To limit ourselves in the realm of worship music to a safe repertoire of familiar hymns and choruses is to restrict the access of Christian worshippers to the rich palettes of music which have emerged for the glory of serving God.
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Rickie Lee Jones: The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard (2007)
BY: Denis Haack
What we learn there, near the dreams of God, we bring back and find a hundred things that fit into places they did not fit before.
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Robin & Linda Williams: Deeper Waters (2004)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
Robin and Linda Williams are journeymen songwriter singers. For the past thirty years, this husband and wife team has made a living less off of hit CDs as intimate performances in clubs and coffee houses across the nation.
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Rock Docs: Films Speak Truth To Human Condition
BY: Matthew Hundley
What drives us to churn our human condition into a song? In the stories of punk rock poets you find gritty realness, unbridled ambition, and occasional glimpses of Truth.
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Rock Kills Kid: Are You Nervous? (2006)
BY: Raymond Blanton
Rock Kills Kid are a living homage of sound to the great bands and music of the mid to late ‘70's to mid ‘80's. From The Cure, Wire, Joy Division, Depeche Mode and U2 to more modern comrades in post-punk rock.
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Sigur Rós: Takk/Thanks (1997)
BY: Denis Haack
Using a wide variety of strangely intriguing sounds, a haunting falsetto, and numerous instruments, their music invites us simultaneously to the strange, the sublime, and a spirituality rooted in the earth.
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Silversun Pickups: Carnavas (2007)
BY: Matthew Hundley
Looking for what is the latest band on the radar of CMJ and Billboard’s Alternative charts I came across rave reviews for the Silversun Pickups - so I took a listen to the CD and here's what I found.
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Snow Patrol: The Final Straw (2004)
BY: Travis Scott
Rather than giving redundant and sentimentalized navel gazing Final Straw offers us songs that honestly reveal the human heart in its glory and darkness.
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Spirituality and Pop Music - from Tori Amos to Lauryn Hill
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
From pop to hip-hop, Sanskrit to Scripture, popular culture has displayed a renewed spiritual consciousness.
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Spoon: Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga (2007)
BY: Matthew Hundley
What Spoon offers with this release is a fairly upbeat, quirky CD that’s interesting for the ears and will definitely have you tapping your feet.
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System of a Down: Toxicity (2001)
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
System of a Down are musically genre-bending—seeing metal as a malleable form.
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T Bone Burnett: The True False Identity (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
T Bone Burnett's "The True False Identity" is music with a conscience, songs wrung from the soul of an artist who believes too much has been undermined.
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Tavener: Fall and Resurrection (2005)
BY: John Mason Hodges, Jr.
One of the most popular living composers today is the Englishman John Tavener, whose name may be heard with Henryk Gorecki of Poland, and Arvo Pärt of Estonia.
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The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (2007)
BY: Travis Scott
This is one of those albums that just grows on you and gets better each time you listen to it. By my third time through I was completely hooked and still keep it on regular rotation.
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The Avett Brothers: Emotionalism (2007)
BY: Travis Scott
Trying to describe the music of The Avett Brothers is difficult. While they are firmly rooted in bluegrass this trio also demonstrates influences as far from bluegrass as the Violent Femmes.
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The Avett Brothers: Four Thieves Gone--The Robbinsville Sessions (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
It is difficult to summarize the Avett Brothers’ music in a single phrase, for the simple reason is that there is nothing else like it.
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The Be Good Tanyas: Hello Love (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
The Be Good Tanyas make music that is so hauntingly beautiful it makes my heart ache. That is a grace I cherish.
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The Civil Wars: Poison and Wine (2010)
BY: Denis Haack
The Poison & Wine EP consists of only four songs, and it makes you yearn for more. The vocals are clear, the melodies lovely, the harmonies effortless, and the performance is simple yet sufficient for the songs to make their way into your heart.
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The Killers: Hot Fuss (2004)
BY: Travis Scott
Don't let the name of this of this Las Vegas quartet fool you; they are not an ultra-aggressive death metal group.
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The Music of Grizzly Man
BY: Denis Haack
Watching music composed for a film can give us insight into the creative process.
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The Music of Bruce Cockburn
BY: Denis Haack
Fans of Bruce Cockburn and those who want to think seriously about popular music will be interested in Kicking at the Darkness, a book in which Brian Walsh walks us through Cockburn’s music with loving attention to detail.
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The Wailin’ Jennys: Firecracker (2006)
BY: Denis Haack
This trio hails from Canada, and features female vocalists and instrumentalists who are fine musicians as individuals, and extraordinary as bands.
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The White Stripes: Icky Thump (2007)
BY: Travis Scott
In ways I can’t fully express, this rock duo continues to prove that sometimes less is more. As usual their minimalist, garage rock has a surprisingly full sound quality.
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U2: All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
BY: Rick Goetsch
For their fans (like me), the name says it all. But for those of you who aren’t as familiar with them, let me throw out a few points that might give you reason to pay attention to this rock and roll band.
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When Musicians Raise Questions About Faith (IV)
BY: Justin Sembler
Enter Monsters of Folk. Their music doesn’t just grab your attention—it demands that you pay close attention. The music matches the message as well as any band I have ever listened to.
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Where Have I Heard That Before? World Rhythms in Cinema
BY: Matthew Hundley
You may not be up on the latest world music, but chances are you’ve heard a wide selection of global grooves in an unlikely place…the cinema. With the increased emphasis on global issues in movies like Children of Men, City of God, and The Constant Gardener world rhythms play an increasing role in establishing global context in a film.
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Would Jesus Mosh? How Christian is Christian Heavy Metal?
BY: David John Seel, Jr.
What makes music or musical entertainment “Christian?” These are questions being raised within Christian entertainment itself and not simply by confused teachers and parents of adolescents.
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Zero 7: The Garden (2006)
BY: Raymond Blanton
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There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.
- Susan Cain
Recognizing God's providence in the ordinary flow of events requires quiet reflection within a time tested tradition of deep wisdom.
- Denis Haack
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Occasionally we are reminded that even with the best planning all the details in life are not in our control. Interruptions--be they weather or pneumonia or economic recessions--can appear when they are least expected or appreciated. Some interruptions are minor, irritations really while others can scare us back to reconsider our basic convictions about life, meaning, and reality.
In Ransom we are committed to the notion that reflection on such issues should be done with authenticity, gratitude, fearlessness, humility, and wit. We hope this can be seen in the material posted here, and we invite you to join our conversation.
Thanks for visiting our site.
Denis & Margie Haack
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