March 2012 Challenge - "February Findings"

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!

Resource(s): www.dictionary.reference.com