What are your favorite records?

Music is one thing I am passionate about. Especially music that deals with my faith in some way. These are albums I am deeply involved with for several reasons. They evoke deep feelings by the musicianship itself, and also make an incredible statement about the Christian faith in music. Christians and music is something I could write for hours about, and probably will, but for now, here are three or four of my favorite records.


1) Sufjan Stevens: Welcome to Michigan.
I don't think I can say enough about this album. Everytime I hear it, something grabs me inside. Sufjan has somehow captured some deep human truths and buried them in beautiful songs about people who live in michigan. This one took me a year to really delve into it, and not fall asleep during the latter half. But now that I'm in, I'm all the way in. Every song on it is like a good meal. It just feels so right.

2) Soul-Junk: 1957.
This is a record that every avant guard "forward thinking" musical person, does not want you to hear. This changed the way I see music, hip-hop, and christian art. While Sufjan Stevens captured humanity in beautiful musically creative ways, Soul-Junk takes beautiful things, and plays them backwards through synthesizers, drops a staggering, monsterous beat over top and them starts spitting things into a microphone. But instead of an hour of noise, Galaxalag and Slo-Ro, the two members that comprise Soul-Junk, create one the most memorable, strange, and catchy noise-hop albums ever. Music is found dead and stuffed into a closet here. But in its place is the most original thing ever made by any artist proclaiming to be followers of Christ. But few people will recognize the genius behind this record. Whenever I hear a christian say "We know the Creator of the universe, we should be the most creative people around! Christians need to take back art!" I can't help but think Soul-Junk has already done that. But the Church doesn't want to hear it. They just want sunday worship to sound bigger, dumber, and fatter, (or older, simpler, and dryer) while creativity dies of starvation out back by the dumpster.

3) Joy Electric: The White Songbook/ Hello Mannequin

Another "forward thinking" musician, Ronnie Martin proves himself over and over again as a synth pop master, and beautiful songwriter on The White Songbook, and Hello Mannequin. I cannot get past the worlds one man can create with synthesizers and vocals only. The White Songbook captures the brevity of man, the quest for recognition, and the dying hopes of forgotton people in an epic, sweeping album. By the time I actually heard the latter half of this cd, (it took me a while to get through the first half of the disc) I was floored. Over and over again Ronnie creates worlds within worlds, and draws you deeper into his music. Someday I hope the world gets past Joy Electric as being a novelty act, or "gay club music" and sees the artistry and hard work that Ronnie packs into every album. Awe inspiring musicianship is right here. Wake up.


This list will be continued later, but I'm curious... what are your favorite albums?