March 2012; what’s up this month? Hopefully you all have listened to some
new things, maybe even gotten some new favs. I certainly have. But we’ve
entered a new month, and again a new world of yet more music. I along with a
few others have found more bands to add to our “gigantuous” list as well. The
next challenge? Find out now!
AAGenres:
Acoustic
Alternative
Alternative Pop-Rock
Alternative Metal
CCM (general)
Rock (also includes TFK Rap/Rock)
Heavy-Post-Hardcore-Metalcore (if I can call it that)/Metal
Country/Bluegrass
Disco/Dance
Worship
Pop (popular, upbeat-ish)
Punk-Pop
Rap/Hip Hop
BANDS – A RATHER GIGANTUOUS VIEW OF THEIR MUSIC, STYLE, & MESSAGES
12 Stones
33Miles
Aaron Gillespie
Aaron Shust
Abandon
Above The Golden State
Act Of Congress
Addison Road
All Together Separate
Amy Grant
Anberlin
Anthem Lights
As Cities Burn
Audio Adrenaline
Audrey Assad
August Burns Red
Autopilot Off
Avalon
Ayiesha Woods
B. Reith
BarlowGirl
Bebo Norman
Beloved
Bethany Dillon
Big Daddy Weave
Big Tent Revival
Blindside
Bob Carlisle
Brand New
Brandon Heath
Breathe Carolina
Brian Littrel
Britt Nicole
Brooke Fraser
Building 429
Burlap to Cashmere
Caedmon’s Call
Capital Lights
Carman
Carrie Underwood
Casting Crowns
Charlie Peacock
Chris And Conrad
Chris August
Chris Rice
Chris Tomlin
Circa Survive
Cloverton
Coldplay
Corey Crowder
Creed
Danger
Dara Maclean
Daughtry
David Crowder*Band
Day Of Fire
DC Talk
Dead Poetic
Deadmau5
Decyfer Down
Deftones
DeGarmo & Key
Demon Hunter
Disciple
Dizmas
DJ Maj
Downhere
Emery
Fair
Falling Up
Family Force 5
Fee
FFH
Fireflight
Five Finger Death Punch
Flame
Flyleaf
Fm Static
For King and Country
Francesca Battistelli
Future Of Forestry
Ghoti Hook
Grey Holiday
Grits
Group 1 Crew
Hawk Nelson
Hillsong (and United)
House of Heroes
Hyper Static Union [not in Spotify]
Israel Houghton
Jaci Velasquez
Jadon Lavik
Jars Of Clay
Jason Aldean
Jaymes Reunion
Jennifer Knapp
Jeremy Camp
Jet
Jimmy Needham
John Reuben
John Waller
Jon Foreman
Jonny Diaz
Josh Bates
Josh Wilson
Jump5
Kari Jobe
Keith Urban
Kids In The Way
Kirk Franklin
KJ-52
Krystal Meyers
Kutless
Laura Story
Lecrae
Leeland
Lemonade Mouth
Less Than Jake
Lincoln Brewster
Lynda Randle
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mae
Manafest
Mandisa
Manic Drive
Markus Reuter
Mark Harris
Mark Schultz
Mat Kearney
Matt Maher
Matthew West
Matt Redman
MercyMe
Michael W. Smith
MIKESCHAIR
MxPx
Natalie Grant
NEEDTOBREATHE
Nevertheless
Newsboys
Newsong
Newworldson
Nichole Nordeman
Nickelback
Nicole C. Mullen
Nine Lashes
Norma Jean
Our Lady Peace
Outasight
Owl City
Paper Tongues
Pax217
Peter Furler
Petra
Philmont
Phil Stacey
Phil Wickham
Pillar
Plumb
Plus One
Pocket Full Of Rocks
Point Of Grace
Press Play
Pro
Project 86
PureNRG
Rachael Lampa
Remedy Drive
Rebecca St. James
RED
Regina Spektor
Relient K
Revive
Rich Mullens
Rise Against
Robbie Seay Band
Run Kid Run
Rush of Fools
Salvador
Sanctus Real
Saosin
Sent By Ravens
Seven Places
Shane & Shane
Shawn McDonald
Shinedown
Sidewalk Prophets
Silverstein
Since October
Sixpence None The Richer
Seventh Day Slumber
Skillet
Sleeping At Last
Sonicflood
Spoken
Starfield
Stellar Kart
Stephanie Smith
Steven Curtis Chapman
Superchick
Switchfoot
Tait
Tenth Avenue North
The Afters
The Almost
The Annie Moses Band
The Classic Crime
The Fray
The Letter Black
Third Day
Thousand Foot Krutch
Tim Hawkins
tobyMac
Train
Tricia Brock
Trip Lee
Underoath
Warren Barfield
We As Human
Weird Al Yankovic
Write This Down
Zao
ZOEgirl
As always, if you have any other bands/minor genres (that
are either well-known or ones you’ve heard of and listened to), post ‘em for
sure. Those will also be added as an
AAG/AAG band. I actually add bands that I listen to as well onto the massive
list.
And now:
March Challenge:
Since you didn’t get a lot of time to do the Feb. challenge, I’ll give you a
break. Finish the February Challenge [which is listen to a song of 10 bands, writing
down the song(s) name(s), and optionally a thought or 2 from its style,
message, etc., and trying to listen to different bands.] Remember that we usually
are within the Christian genres, but do be open to other tracks as well, with
just a general view of them.
This below is basically a song that I’ve found this month
that hit me in a new way; it calls us to quit living for ourselves and to wake
up inside. And at the end, I have my “February Findings” from listening to a
broader range, even finding some outside of my known AAG bands.
Rarity In The Rough: Godspeed by Anberlin
Anberlin’s music kinda hits hard
and soft in moments across all of their albums. Look for it; it’s something few
bands can accomplish and sound consistent. A few of those “power tracks” that
rock out and make you wanna get up out of your chair and just throw your neck
out in head-banging, really strike hard lyrically as well. According to dictionary.com,
“Godspeed” is defined:
Good fortune; success (used as a wish to a person starting
on a journey, a new venture, etc.).
So that explains the song name
quite well, but doesn’t bring out this dense message that the writer of the
lyrics brings. I’ve written a slightly-poetic few paragraphs to summarize the
message of the song. Sometimes when you see lyrics (this song’s is posted
below), it seems that the writer uses phrases that don’t exactly mean exactly
what they’re trying to say. For an example used in Godspeed, “Lexington course your veins” could
represent sin in your life that is “in your blood” and soon drives you to sin
more. Obviously, you have to use your imagination and knowledge of his
allusions beforehand to get an idea of what a poet is saying. Some things the
writer mentions are very outright, others are very poetic references to events
in life that come your way that you are responsible to Him for, and a few
situations are almost shocking.
This writer doesn’t conclude and
come out and say what happens to the guy who he talks about throughout. The guy
he talks to is supposed to (I believe) represent you and me. We claim to be
“followers of Him” you could say, but at times we get lead astray by the world,
and at heart our own sinful desires and choices. Reminds me of the thorny
ground mentioned in the parable of the sower. So are we really living what he
says? If you’re on the fence, you will eventually fall on your face, and your
life will end with death, then eternal death. A very dense and deep song; oh,
and should I even mention the many great guitar lines especially in the bridge?
So this song hits me musically, lyrically, and from start to finish nails the
hearts of many people today. I encourage you to check out the music video
(somewhere on YouTube) and listen to both the song, and the one before it
entitled, “Debut”, which leads straight into “Godspeed” perfectly. It’s an
epic. So overall, a strong-suited song, definitely one not to be looked over.
“Godspeed” lyrics
Burning down never land (scatter the ashes)
White lines black tar the matches
Is this another death by misadventure?
Tell me what you got, what you really got (hey, hey!)
We’ll rest in our graves,
Lexington course your veins
Sleepers can’t just wake the dead
When needles and lovers collapse on guilty beds
Fall asleep, don’t fall asleep
Don’t fall asleep
(They lied when they said the good die young)
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
(woah-oh-ah-oh)
Stay with me, stay with me tonight
Burning down bridges now (scatter the ashes)
Godspeed to all you’re after
Is this a life left just to remember?
Tell them who you are, who you really are
(hey, hey!)
Kill yourself slowly over time,
Fashion statement suicide
She’s still asleep in a Chelsea hotel
Bad turns to worse, and the worst turns into hell
Fall asleep, don’t fall asleep
Don’t fall asleep
(God save the eyes that dim tonight)
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
(woah-oh-ah-oh)
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
Stay with me, stay with me tonight
WOAH-OH-AH-OH
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
(woah-oh-ah-oh)
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
Stay with me, stay with me tonight
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
(woah-oh-ah-oh)
THEY LIED WHEN THEY SAID THE GOOD DIE YOUNG!
Stay with me, stay with me tonight
---
And with the lyrics in mind, read this:
“Godspeed” Message
– Re-pictured and Re-focused
Do you not see? You are spiritually asleep. You burn down
what you’ve worked ever so hard to build up; ah, your matches turn to ashes as
your constant pain pauses for a brief moment. You consider: “have I died inside
by my own doing?” Oh, you have, but He has given you a second chance. Don’t
waste it as you might be heading towards. You won’t move, will you? Well rest
easy then, in your grave, as sin collapses on all of your being. People asleep
can’t change the world, especially when all you want is your own sinful lusts.
You go back and forth from death to life, it seems; from deep slumber to
half-awareness. When others give you their so-called “advice”, they tell you
not to be righteous, for the righteous are the ones who have no fun in life and
die off early. But oh, how they lied!
Steady me, oh God, stay here and let me not fall by my own
doing anymore.
It seems your one Way might have just burned to the ocean. I
hope well for you, but the way that you’re living is in opposition to His
direct words to you. You must believe deep down in your heart and live His
teachings, and only then can you show the world that you just aren’t another
life that was wasted only for himself. But will you turn and run to Him, is the
question? You kill yourself slowly; that shows your terrible sense of style,
and brainlessness. Your lust still remains and the path that you’re on will at
dead end lead you to eternal death. So don’t live life like you’re walking in
your sleep.
In the end, God, show him his ways, pick him up and send him
to your fortress.
Oh how they lied when they claimed that His followers have
no life! He has given us life, and life even more abundantly.
---
Here
are my other “February Findings” that AAG has inspired as well. And BTW, this
is a good and very basic way to do yours when you post.
Anberlin
-
Power tracks, crunchy guitars, yet subtle and
stable acoustic tracks as well
As Cities Burn
-
Scream tendencies, but strong and thick message.
Love, and hating yourself are keys.
Beloved
-
Have melodies of some punk, but can bring some
power sound, more upbeat than most hardcore, and some good themes. Every once
in a good while they let out some screamy stuff and break into something new
which is nice but hard to listen to extendedly.
Brandon Heath
-
A solid guitarist for sure, especially
acoustically. Very concise grooves, and nicely sweet yet manly vocals. On
occasion, he’ll give a track some power and that special “umph” that you need
in your musical diet every now and then. He also presents some challenges
through tracks like “Leaving Eden” and “Give Me Your Eyes”. Usually positive,
but not overly. Great balance overall.
Capital Lights
-
Inflections of mild pop, with that mixture of
Abandon/The Afters/Hawk Nelson. Happy melodies, yet interestingly and often sad/ironic
lyrics.
Jadon Lavik
-
known for acoustic tracks, I would say; not a
bad song writer.
Norma Jean
-
The timeless saying that “if ya don’t got lyrics
to Christian scream-o, forget about it” stands true to this day. (okay, maybe I
made that up) but do make sure you get lyrics to ‘em. I couldn’t find, so
otherwise, they got some decently different tunes.
Sent By Ravens
-
Check out their new album. Pretty nice power
tracks without too much screaming, and yet so passionate. Good drive in all
their songs, bridges are cool, without being absolutely wacko, so to speak. All
over good musicians too.
Underoath
-
They seem to balance Christian with secular. They
have been noticed on both sides, and their music can speak to both. Power
tracks line all their records, although not quite as power-guitar based as some
heavier bands.
Zao
-
“Lightly heavy”, yet some power guitar here and
there. There is something missing in their sound (or at least what I heard, “Ravage
Ritual”) that gives them some “Umph”. Vocals are like stringy noodles, sadly.
However their guitar lines actually kinda rock. So it’s like, I wanna listen to
them instrumentally, ‘cuz “vocals” or whatever you call it, but I said to
myself, “It’s okay, chihuahua, go ahead and throw up now and let out that
stuff.” Literally nasty sounding. Anyways, good instrumental stuff though.
So there’s my 10, 4 of which I had literally never heard of,
and 3 weren’t on the February list. I got more bands and findings coming next
week, so check back again. Go right on ahead and comment, and post your finds
as well!
