Posted on 01/10/2006 8:27:27 AM PST by nckerr
Michelle Boorstein | The Washington Post Posted January 7, 2006 Looking at row after row of Christian-music CDs in a suburban Virginia Wal-Mart, Clint Clifton glimpses the seeds of something grand -- a golden period for Christian artists that could rival 12th-century France or 15th-century England. The Christian selections fill about one-eighth of the mega-store's music department. Having spent three years promoting and training young Christian musicians, Clifton smiles; he is living in a boom time. But Clifton, 26, sees other things on the wire shelves, too. He picks up a CD by the teenage band Jump 5 and tsks. The group doesn't write most of its songs, and Clifton suspects that it began as a moneymaking "concept" in a music company's marketing department, not as a divinely inspired prayer, as Christian music should. He flips over a top-selling CD and marvels at the name of the label: Time-Life. "Seeing Time-Life on a Christian CD is still pretty weird," says Clifton, who lives in Stafford, Va., and is pastor at Pillar Church in Dumfries, Va. "It's a good thing as a whole, but I don't necessarily think being bigger is always a good thing. It's a fine line." For musicians of what's broadly called "contemporary Christian" --
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
Actually, thats the other band that he introduced me too. Good stuff surely.
I'm a big fan of Faith+1.
When is their next CD comming out?
It may just be me, but this sounds like walking on eggshells to keep God happy.
The explosion of Christian pop music over the last 10-15 years has been incredible. In the late 70s and 80s they started out and the industry was a few daring mature adults with a very focused Christian witness theme, but played only to Christian audiences/circles and never on any FM radio stations. Grant and Smith finally had some major breakthroughs into mainstream in the very early 90s, but the lyrics were still "tame" - love songs (Grant) and searching type songs (Smith - Place in this World, and their sound was very "corporate" - all electronic, synthesized, a little cheezy and formal. But it was good and it opened a door.
Meanwhile, FM circles were becoming dominated by the alternative acoustic/grunge rebellion, hardcore hip-hop, pop R&B, and country which was also exploding. Small groups were in again, acoustic guitar sound was back, and stale rock back beats were thrown out in favor of more spontaneous hip-hop syncopations.
And that's exactly what Jars of Clay seized upon. They had the sound of a popular FM group (a better sound even) combined with lyrics that no secular group would dare - wholly Christian inspirations. And they took off. DC Talk built off that and took things farther and edgier - Jesus Freak was all over the place then.
I think that's when radio execs saw that Christian music could be profitable. FM Stations in the south started popping up slowly and now they're still growing.
I have a couple of old Veni Domine CDs. Are they still around?
But I still listen to several bands that secular critics love as well. They happen to be Christian, but they are very serious musicians: Sufjan Stevens, Starflyer 59, Ester Drang, Fine China, etc. These guys will never be confused with Faith+1 :-)
"You probably don't listen to any of those New Christian Contemporary Christian stations "
I don't either. The music is of such low quality that it's unbearable. The radio demographic is the 30-something soccer Mom, and they must like that stuff.
Some of the bands which aren't on the radio are much better.
I love Third Day - you should get "Offerings II," it's a good CD - some live songs mixed with some studio songs.
Christian Metal all sucks, it just wasn't meant to be.
Never really cared for the Christian Metal bands, most everywhere I've lived that has had the Christian contemporary music didn't have the metal band music. While traveling I've heard some of those Christian stations that have the Christian metal band music, but I think they are pretty rare.
I try to avoid going to churches that have the praise music, too repetitive and the theology of most of these churches are about as deep as their music.
Christian Metal bands, along with Christian hip-hop, Christian rap, and Christian reggae, are not the most popular Christian music, and not the most loved among adults. But the purpose of Christian music is not to be a praise team for the corner church. Christian music gives people an alternative to current music that is not as spiritual or clean. The metal music is able to attract a different type of teen to Christian music, or even Christianity altogether.
There are alot of Christian metal bands making a big impact on the mainstream metal scene. The Agony Scene, As I Lay Dying, Norma Jean, Demon Hunter, etc. The cool thing is these bands get heavy rotation on metal stations like Sirius Hard Attack and the DJs will mention the fact that they are Christian frequently.
A friend of mine gave me that CD as a gift. Good music.
-PJ
That about says it all right there. Most of what I hear is the most vapid stuff imaginable, even worse than regular radio.
One of the big attractions of these stations for the demographic of which you speak, and which I fit into very well, is that you can listen to it with the kids in the car. The lyrics are clean and about God and the talk in between the songs isn't about all the trash that permeates the airwaves these days.
So yes, I listen to Christian radio because it is the cleanest and most wholesome thing I can let my kids listen to. It may not be the greatest, according to music snobs, and the playlists are usually pretty small so you tend to get alot of repetition, but it's no worse than the dreck you'd hear on Top 40 without all the sex and smut talk along with it!
U2 used to call themselves a Christian rock band, in their early days in the 80s before they hit it big.
I was channelsurfing one night and discovered TNN, not my kind of TV at all but heard this singer named Michael English. Wow! Impressive voice, and very appealing to watch. I started watching a bit more here and there. Jars of Clay are excellent, Michael Smith is great. Plenty of really entertaining bands and singers with a great message. It helps that they are talented musicians.
Another group is "Acoustic Eidolon". They are a husband-wife duo who play New Age music with a Christian theme. He plays the guitjo, his own invention -- a cross between a guitar and a banjo, and she plays cello. They are wonderful.
My favorite Christian band is Casting Crowns.
As with most things, there is some good stuff, and some bad stuff.
I was shocked the day I realized U2's Bono was singing about Grace.
Sez Bono: "Psalm 40 suggests a time in which grace will replace karma, and replace the very strict laws of Moses (i.e. fulfill them). I love that thought. David, who committed some of the most selfish as well as selfless acts, was depending on it. That the scriptures are brim full of hustlers, murderers, cowards, adulterers and mercenaries used to shock me; now it is a source of great comfort."
While I don't agree with his politics, I certainly can relate to some of his writings on faith.
I try to keep an eye on which bands are getting airplay on major secular stations, because they're the ones reaching alot of teens and college students (when one consumes music as much as food). Those are the groups that seem open the initial doors for a lot of young people into the Christian music world.
Switchfoot seems to be doing today what Jars did in 95. They get major airplay on secular stations, so far three of their songs I believe, eclipsing even Jars or DC. Their sound is heavy alternative (elec guitar)rock, rough but just short of metal. Lyrics are spiritually challenging and inspiring but still human and relatable to new listeners - they strike a great balance there. It shows cause its working.
Heard of them, haven't heard them. Any song suggestions for when I go to iTunes later this afternoon?
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