Relevant Today
[[Where is my Mind? - The Pixies]]
I just got back from LA, and found that the latest issue of Relevant magazine had been delivered to my house. Relevant is one of those magazines that comes from a Christian worldview, but isn’t stodgily set in a particular denomination or dogma. I appreciate the authors’ collective take on culture and media, and find that their articles and reviews are diverse, creative, intelligent, and thoughtful. It’s a great periodical that not only stimulates the mind, but also the eyes. The design is very slick and attractively put-together. The Table of Contents are even on the back page which…I guess you do these days if you’re a hip magazine. I find it odd though; it makes me feel like I’m reading some kind of Japanese manga or something.
The title always makes me think, though. Relevant. Relevant. I think that this is truly one of my greatest struggles in being a Christian. The desire to BE a Christ-follower and emulate Christ while still maintaining a modicum of relevancy to the world I live in. It’s not just relevance for relevance sake; it’s more a desire to ultimately show people that I meet and hang around with that Jesus Christ is entirely relevant to them and the situations they face. He’s not removed from our personal sphere, although I think we far too often make it that way. We make God and worship into an event, or segment him into our devotions or our Sunday-morning-church-services, but the Christ who spent three years ministering to and hanging out with a bunch of ragabond fishermen desires to be pervasively relevant to all that we do and want to do.
The difficulty, I think, is the whole “in the world but not of it” argument. Ultimately, this comes down to each of us, individually. The Holy Spirit will convict the heart that seeks relevancy only because it wants to be cool and ‘with it’. The truth is, eventually you’re going to have to make choices about where to cut off your ‘relatability’ with the world and where to kick in that “hate” that the Bible also talks about.
I believe that we should grapple with the issue of relevance with/to the world, though. The Great Commission has been given to each and every one of us, and we should think about how to effectively communicate the gospel — the good news — and exude the testimony of Christ.
Not stodgily, though. What could be less stodgy and more exciting than the Christ-like life and the Hope that is ours?!
“Zits are so much fun to pop, it almost justifies their existence”, and other stories.
((“Untitled 4″ – Sigur Ros))
…the other story is; I feel like I have some kind of condition.
I am never full anymore. I honestly can’t eat enough to satisfy myself.
Kara thinks I have a parasite.
(thanks, babe)
But I really do wonder when I don’t even notice the presence of food in my stomach that I used to be able to barely finish in the first place. What does this mean?!
I think I’ll really start to worry when my belly starts to offer visible evidence of the presence food — regardless of what my stomach may *feel*.
Not that I disapprove of the idea but…
…I thought President Obama was going to be pulling troops OUT, not sending more troops IN.
(NOTE: I disapprove of the reality that we need to send in troops; I wish that conflict and/or a military presence wasn’t needed. Unfortunately, sometimes it is, because…when it comes down to it, a couple weeks worth of bed-ins is only going to do so much, Mr. Lennon.)
Best Songs of 2008
While the mainstream music scene in 2008 contained several GOOD releases, few were actually GREAT. However, I found that, as I compiled this list of some of the best tracks of the year, there ended up being quite a few worthy offerings from the obligatory big names in music as well as from some newcomers. There were several releases that I was very excited about this year, particularly Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, The Killers’ Day & Age, Ray LaMontagne’s Gossip in the Grain, Death Cab For Cutie’s Narrow Stairs, and Sigur Ros’ improuncable 5th studio album. As the year came and went, some artists let me down, some produced as I expected they would, and others seemed to come out of literally nowhere to blow me me away (Fleet Foxes, anyone?).
Before I jump into the list, be advised that no cuts from Radiohead’s stellar In Rainbows are featured on it. Although the physical release dropped in early January, the CD had already been heavily circulated digitally in fall of ’07, due to its rather friendly price. Additionally, I didn’t consider any songs that were released in 2008 if they were featured on albums that dropped in either 2007 or 2009.
That being said, here are the — obviously biased, subjective — 25 best songs of 2008, in descending order:
25. Always where I need to be (The Kooks)
In my opinion, “Konk” was unfairly maligned by a lot of mainstream critics. The Kooks may be trite, but their tunes are infectious, bouncy, and oh-so-loveable. In a world that has shown Vampire Weekend so much love this year, I think some is owed to the Kooks as well.
24. Too bright to see; too loud to hear (Underoath)
“Good God, if your song leaves our lips / If your work leaves our hands / Then we will be wonders and vagabonds / They will stare and say how empty we are / How the freedom we had turned us up as dead men.” Underoath has always been surprisingly introspective for a post-rock, metal band, but on “Too Bright…”, the Christian-comprised band puts a profound message to emotive lyrics and a trademark style that hearkens back to They’re Only Chasing Safety as opposed to their 2006 breakthrough album: Define The Great Line.
23. Town Meeting Song (Polyphonic Spree)
This one will doubtlessly raise eyebrows, but I urge you to take a listen to the “Choral Symphonic Rock” group’s take on the classic, Danny Elfman-composed Nightmare Before Christmas piece, recently covered by the Polyphonic Spree in the 2008 “Nightmare Revisted” album. Polyphonic’s re-imagination cleverly stands out within a disc full of inventive covers.
22. Everybody here is a Cloud (Cloud Cult)
You certainly can’t claim that Cloud Cult is unoriginal, but they are very often hit or miss with their songs. Not many average tunes from these experimental dudes. “Everybody here is a cloud”, besides containing some intriguing ideas (“we all walk around with a million faces … everybody here will evaporate”) is a lot of fun to listen to on account of its unique musical qualities. Also, the band offers the song as a free download; can’t compete with that!
21. Water Here (Bodies of Water)
I don’t really understand why Bodies of Water isn’t more popular by now. They sound a bit like a fusion of Arcade Fire (ironic considering Bodies of Water’s label is called Secretly Canadian) and Fleet Foxes (who wouldn’t enjoy that?). They are extremely creative musically, varied in their style, and entertaining to listen to. On “Water Here”, the band’s male and female vocalists take turns leading and harmonizing, while the an organ grinds away in the background. There is also an extended instrumental segment which gradually picks up in tempo until the vocals join in again to finish out the track with a frenzied flourish.
20. Lights and Shapes (Moving Mountains)
I’m a little unsure about throwing this track on the list, let alone at #20. There are probably many tracks out there that are arguably better than “Lights and Shapes”, but there is something to be said for the grand scope of this powerful post-rock epic from the as-of-now-still-unsigned indie band Moving Mountains. A harder, and more focused sound than the similar Explosions in the Sky, I see Moving Mountains as a future staple in the post-rock/hardcore shoegaze genre. This song overreaches in that it tries to extend beyond the scope of its limited budget and therefore comes off as a little underproduced. But that may actually add to the raw energy and emotion roiling in this 9 minute song from Moving Mountains Forward EP.
19. Slow Collision (The Deer Tracks)
Hailing from Sweden, the young duo of David Lehnberg and Elin Lindfors produced a pretty slick album this year called Aurora, featuring this charming lullaby of a song. The style hearkens to the icelandic group, Parachutes, but the unique melodies, percussion, and soft vocal backing give this earthy tune a truly beautiful quality that is rarely found in the music scene (even in Iceland 
).
18. New Born – Live (Muse)
No introduction is needed for England’s best (sorry, Chris Martin). Matthew Bellamy is up there with Thom Yorke as one of the best frontmen in the business, but…wow…the guy can play, too, and this song vigorously exhibits that fact. H.A.A.R.P. is an incredible live DVD featuring Muse’s concert at Wembley (which they sold out for two consecutive days), and “New Born” is just one of its brilliant moments.
17. May your hearts stay strong (Cloud Cult)
An Infectious story-song about a random romance that starts in a nightclub and ends sometime after the couple moves into a schoolbus “just cuz it seemed like fun”. Although the love affair seems to end, rather depressingly, in the dude’s death, the added drama just increases the energy and emotion. Musically, this is the best track from Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes), another great offering by the band. The percussion is unique, but matches well with the pounding keys and creative synths. As the story progresses, the music intensifies, but gets better and more inventive. Lead singer Craig Minowa’s passionate vocals rise above it all and provide the most powerful element of all, driving the song to a resounding finish.
16. In the New Year (The Walkmen)
I’m not a big fan of The Walkmen, and I didn’t even care very much for their ’08 release You & Me. “In the New Year”, however, really took me by surprise, hooking me from the start and only gaining a tighter hold on me once the chorus rolled around. Matching the strained voice of Hamilton Leithauser (some call it Dylan-esque) is one of the catchiest organ arrangements concocted by a band not named Arcade Fire that you’ll hear all year.
15. Mansard Roof (Vampire Weekend)
Vampire Weekend was one of the biggest surprises of the year. Their music contains lots of fun, infectious hooks, and enjoyable musical patterns. “Mansard Roof” was often lost behind other singles “A-Punk” and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, but I love the swirling arrangement of this song, and the violin playing over it all. Vampire Weekend has received as much love as any band this year, and they are very deserving of such treatment. We’ll see if they can remain fun and yet still be creative on future albums…
14. Lost Coastlines (Okkervil River)
“Lost Coastlines” excels on the strength of its two vocalists, working in tandem, weaving wonderful harmonies through repetitive, but very appealing guitar licks. They sing “Every night finds us rocking on waves wild and wide…”, and you can almost feel the swells in the song. And from where I sit, the “rocking” is a very enjoyable ride that I’ll take with Okkervil River anytime.
13. You are the best thing (Ray LaMontagne)
Ray LaMontagne’s “You are the best thing” was a surprise to me. Granted, I haven’t followed the singer’s music for very long so I’m still catching up. (But then, the reclusive artist who doesnt talk to fans and likes to sing in the shadows doesn’t exactly throw his name around, either.) This one’s a love song that dabbles in good old-fashioned gospel sound, which actually assimilates well into Ray’s hoarse vocals. It’s more fun than a typical Ray LaMontagne song, but doesn’t sacrifice quality in order to be more accessible.
12. Losing Touch (The Killers)
Confession: I don’t really like Day & Age. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the Killers’ 3rd studio album (we’re not counting Sawdust) was the biggest letdown of the year for me. Is it poetic justice then, that the one song off the record that I really liked, is entitled “Losing Touch”? Maybe. But regardless, this is The Killers I love; diverse and imaginative, yes, but still sticking with what they do best. The synths are back, but there is also a saxaphone along for the ride, clanging keys, and of course, Brandon Flowers’ now-famous vocals; smoother than normal on this track. It’s a slickly-produced cut, but unfortunately one of the only moments I got excited about on Day & Age.
11. Collapsing at your doorstep (Air France)
“Sorta like a dream.”
“No. Better.”
And that lyrical snippet is about all you need to know about this heavily-synthesized, ridiculously catchy song. Although Air France is not very well known, this song certainly won them new fans in 2008. I’m joining the ranks.
10. Feel the Love (Cut Copy)
I remember when Cut Copy was being endorsed by the Christian music industry early in 2008 as a uniquely-flavored new-wave band heavy on the synths and the glam-rock hooks. I wasn’t initially, well, feeling the love (sorry) for these guys, but after a few listens, they grew on me. “Feel the love” is the kind of track — gushy, sugary, and slickly over-produced — that you want to hate, if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s so much fun to get up and dance to. Or…in my case just groove inwardly to.
9. Lovers in Japan (Coldplay)
I couldn’t bear to put “Viva La Vida” on my list while the current controversy about who wrote (most of) it still overshadows it. Even if I had thrown it in here, though, it would have still been surpassed by “Lovers in Japan” as my favorite cut from Coldplay’s 2008 CD, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. You may have heard of it…it was sort of popular. For me, Chris Martin’s voice makes the song. It almost kills me to admit that considering I find the guy pretentious and overrated (a very revolting combination), but…admit it, I will. For this song only. Martin sings over a kind of honky-tonk piano “Tonight maybe we’re gonna run / Dreaming of the Osaka sun / Ohh ohh… / Dreaming of when the morning comes.” Yes, anyone can tell he’s channeling Bono, but it’s still undeniably good stuff, and beautifully arranged from start to finish.
8. Ragged Wood (Fleet Foxes)
While virtually every year-end album chart ranked Fleet Foxes’ eponymous album either at the top or pretty darn near close, I dropped their obligatory entry in my year-end list all the way to number-eight. Shocking, I know. And even more rebellious is the fact that I put “Ragged Wood” down here. No, not “Winter Hymnal” like everyone else. Although I enjoyed Fleet Foxes’ album a lot, and would rank “Winter Hymnal” as one of the album’s best moments, I think that “Ragged Wood” is a far more interesting and cleverly-arranged track. It is through-and-through a Fleet Foxes song, complete with the helpless mental conjurings of Tennessean Mountains and rolling hills strewn with sheep (obviously).
7. Bixby Canyon Bridge (Death Cab For Cutie)
Narrow Stairs was no Plans, but it lunged admirably for the stars, so I forgive Death Cab’s miss. Ben Gibbard is without-a-doubt one of the finest songwriters in the industry today, and his skills are showcased no-less-brilliantly than on the Narrow Stairs opener: “Bixby Canyon Bridge”. Gibbard does not depend on trite rhymes or sugary phrases to candycoat his point, but he nonetheless gets it across, sometimes too well (see Narrow Stairs lead single: “I will possess your heart”).
6. Lights Out (Santigold; formerly Santogold)
“Lights Out” didn’t receive the attention that Santigold’s self-titled debut’s other single “L.E.S. Artistes” did, but “Lights Out” is, in my opinion, far catchier and more irresistable. Sugary-sweet, “Lights Out” is one of the more “fun” tracks on my list, with music artfully accentuated by the singer’s delightful vocal inflections.
5. Festival (Sigur Ros)
On an album that felt like the world-famous Icelandic quartet was attempting to redefine their sound a bit…or, perhaps more accurately: “stretch their legs” musically, “Festival” rises gloriously above the big-band, riotous carnival-sounds of singles like “Gobbledigook” and “Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur”. This is no “Glosoli”, but it lands somewhere in the glory between that pinnacle and Agaetis Byrjun‘s “Starálfur”. Building for four-and-a-half minutes on the strength of Jonsi’s crooning falsetto, the track finally hits a new plateau from which it builds in true Sigur-Ros-fashion until it reaches its long-awaited sonic climax.
4. Graveyard Girl (M83)
Few bands are doing shoegaze as well these days as M83, as the year-end charts pervasively show. While most people think of the driving “Kim and Jessie” when they think of M83′s ’08 entry on the music scene: Saturdays = Youth, “Graveyard Girl” was my instant favorite. The lyrics themselves are not as free-spirited as the record’s title and even the song’s overall sound may indicate, but this is a powerful track of synthesized beauty and soul, made poignant by the introspective lyrics of a girl who eschews that world that eschews her and finds solace in a graveyard.
3. I still care for you (Ray LaMontagne)
Needing little introduction (and wanting none, either) Ray Lamontagne’s Gossip in the Grain is his best album to date, and very deserving of its critical and financial success. On “I still care for you”, Ray is subdued as always, but it seems like his words could move mountains (if the way they manipulate one’s emotions is any indicator as to its pursuasive powers). Although the melodically harmonized chorus of “I still care for you” is the musical highlight of this song, the lyrics “Can’t you see what you mean to me? Even promises may bleed” are overwhelming in their own imagery.
2. Flume (Bon Iver)
Stepping into the musical scene with little introduction and no fanfare whatsoever, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago took the music world by surprise and quietly became the arguably greatest success story of the year. Soulful and deeply personal, Justin Vernon’s debut as “Bon Iver” may have been slightly over-emphasized in 2008, but “Flume” deserves every accolade it receives. In that, Vernon’s music was inspired by (or at the very least occurred on the heels of) a breakup, expect the kind of emotional directiveness that comes from a heart that was broken. This kind of acoustic, solo work is best done and best received when it is real, and Forever Emma is that.
1. Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur (Sigur Ros)
No words can describe the grandeur of the music of Icelandic’s best. Many have tried, but when it comes down to it, there is a reason that some of Sigur Ros’ most popular songs are the ones sung in an entirely made-up language. The language may have been cleverly christened “Hopelandic”, but really…that’s just a nice way of saying the truth: gibberish. It is really, then, a testament to the music, itself, of this softspoken, and yes, even shy quartet. For Sigur Ros it has always been about the music. And that’s what we love them for. In “Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur” (“Inside me a lunatic sings”), lead singer Jonsi effectitiously conveys the varied style of Sigur Ros music palette, stepping out of the shadows of the mountains and glaciers to musically revel in the glory of love. As always, when the band actually does sing in their native tongue, translating from Icelandic to English can be a bit dicey, but the best translation we appear to have right now alludes to a crooned love affair:
My best friend no matter whatever happens
I swallow tears and breathe hair
A bad break, we cry in each other arms
When we meet
When we kiss…
V-Day
[["Quiet Heart" - The Go-Betweens]]
It’s Valentine’s Day in California, where I am. Where my Valentine lives, the holiday has already come and gone. Kind of depressing. Our different Time Zones only shared Valentine’s Day for a couple hours.
My thoughts on the holiday? Essentially, I don’t like the existence of a day that insists that you be romantic and show love. Why force something that should be natural? Why make commercial a thing so precious in its natural, voluntary state? I don’t get it, and I’m not a fan. The inevitable problem is that by not observing the Day, you come across as completely unloving; but in observing it, you’re just…doing a duty. Or at least, that can be the perception. (“Are you giving me roses and a card because you actually really love me? … Or are you just doing it because it’s Valentine’s Day and you *have* to?”)
The question demands to be asked: Why do we love in the first place? And beneath that: WHAT is love?
I leave you to find your own answer(s).
Gravy: The expression “Wearing your heart on your sleeve” comes from a practice in the Middle Ages, where dudes and young ladies randomly picked names out of a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would then wear these names on their sleeves for one week.
