My brother gave me a CD for Christmas many years back. I am not an evangelical Christian, not really a Christian at all, more of a Deist. In fact, I can easily do the "atheist/agnostic" thing. But to this day, that CD is one of my favorites. It is "Third Day", by, funny enough, Third Day. Great music, and the message gets to you anyways.
Gotta go with Hank Hill on this one...
"Can't you see you're not making Christianity better, you're just making rock n' roll worse."
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My favorite band in the world is PFR and they are christian. Love them to death- their music totally gets it- about feeling alone and like you are not worth crap and the love and hope that comes from faith and a personal relationship with god and knowing that he loves you even when you feel like you can't love yourself.
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.
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 :-)
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.
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.
