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?

Danielson Famile Double White Vinyl LP

This is a reminder to myself to follow finish the danielson contest so that I can win the afforementioned Double Album. Oh sweet pickles I want that in a bad way. But I'm not going to talk about the contest in the rare event that another danielson fan reads this and trys to one up me. Yes I am that much of a horrible music snob. I said it, it feels good, and I'm not sorry.

Tronicles of Nordec

Hey everyone, the other day, Jeff Brice, Joel Dow, Brian Jackson, (Paul Scota sadly MIA) and myself were trying to come up with a band name, and well, we suck at this. We over think everything and nothing is "the right fit". So I'm opening this up to the four of you that read this to try and help us out. PLEASE come up with some sort of name, if you've heard our music or not, help us out or else, with Pete as my witness I swear I'll name our band The Tronicles of Nordec. So help me. Some names we're currently tossing around are: The Shining Epilogue, and Pass-a-fist. (just kidding on that last one haha)

help.

Its not the cheese, its whats behind the cheese. -Mike Lake

Heres what Pitchfork had to say about Snow Patrol's latest mix tape release: The Trip

"If you read Pitchfork last year and did all your homework, little of The Trip will strike you as an epiphany. The tracks are illuminative if rarely breathtaking, and will likely yield most listeners a discovery or two. Then again, we've all put together mixtapes: Does Lightbody really like Deerhoof, or does he just want the girl from Brit Lit to think he does?

(tom laughs alone in his living room) (readers stare, somewhat offended, annoyed that tom would waste a post with someone elses music snobbery, as if he wasn't bad enough)

I'm so sorry.

The Cat of Democracy Died the Day I was Born. And it dies still every minute I live

My mind is like an un-massaged muscle. It attracts the hands of every eager massuse, with oily anticipation. Your compliments gird me in pink, and parade me around the city.

I give, I give, I give.

Beleive Again. New LP's from Mae, Copeland



I was never terribly familiar with Copland except with that song "walking downtown" which is incredibly catchy, and just a good tune all around. Well they have a new one coming and you can hear the first 45 seconds of every song here. And wow. I wasn't immediately caught up in the songs, but as they went by, there was some very good stuff happening.

One of the songs sounded kind of beatles influenced... or maybe Queen... and then an accordian enters the room and i was really thrown off. (arent these guys supposed to be shoegazer emo?) And then a song came on which inspired this post. They began to do some things that reminded me of The Juliana Theory's Emotion is Dead. Remember that album?

Remember when the term emo didn't smack of sold out radio bands? Thats the kind of vein Copeland is touching on with this new release. Which is terribly exiting for me. After highschool, it seemed there would never be another the moon is down, or emotion is dead. Especially not with all the Taking Back Yellow Eat World Starting Promise Line Thursday bands doing their thing. Now thats not to say Copeland is going to save emotional music or anything. They kind of have a classic rock thing going on here as well that kind contrasts greatly with my indie-emo nostalgia, but nonetheless, I'm glad a band out there is pushing some nice tunes, reminescent of some of my favorites.

Speaking of my favorites. Mae has a new song up at purevolume. Its called "The Ocean" and it is lifechanging. So definitely check that song out and pick a few of their new cd's "the ever glow" when that comes out in a week or so. So they can get rich and sell out. Not that it's possible for Mae to sell out... seeing as they already sing in falsetto, and do acoustic versions of their songs... But you know what I mean.

Mae: www.purevolume.com/mae
Copeland: www.themilitiagroup.com

This is what the internet is for. Hamsters. Synths. MIDI.

I ran across this at Pitchfork today, in their track reveiws. I guess somebody hooked a bunch of hampsters up to a MIDI synth, and recorded them. I'm not sure how it did all this, but you can read all about it here, and even listen to it, which I am about to do...

Heres a joke poem I posted on Gina's blog:

I'm trying to be brave. But all my petals wither in the winter. And your such a youthful sapling. Will the spring forgive?

Say Yes! to Brutal Fight!

So if your into any sort of hard music, here are some great bands:

Brutal Fight: A great band off of Strikefirst Records (a division of Facedown) who really has a sick, tight sound worked out. Nothing new here, but undeniably evocative. In that "I'm going to turn into a bear" way.

Comback Kid: If you didn't know already that Comback Kid is the junk, you had better pick up "Turn it Around" and their new disc "Wake The Dead" and pretend you've always been down. Because this is olde time Hardcore, complete with gang yells, overwhelmingly positive messages, and nonstop blast beats.

Norma Jean: Or if dark, technical, abstract, whipping pole Metal is more your thing. Well you already knew Norma was the way to go for that.

Strongarm: One of the best early 90's Christian Hardcore bands. Their stuff is suprisingly refreshing to hear after all the psuedo-emo, dark, stab-core, "kill us till we're dead, oh God I want to be dead" bands that are everywhere.

Of Jake and of Tina... O Jacob wherefore art thou? And for wherehappance has Tina been?

I miss Jake and Tina. Its official. They need to come back. Or comment on my blog... or meet me in Michigan on april 1st and 2nd... or something... If you two are reading this, just know that I love you guys, and just know that everytime I open our new dishwasher and all the steam floats up into my face making little moisture droplets form on my forehead, I can still feel your warm hearts.

Goodnight you two.

Church Breakups and Make ups

So my church made up with me this past sunday. Last sunday it knew it alienated me with its loud "hey! hey! hey!" gang shouts, and its shouting, guest speaker, madman. (who still got some good points through) So this Sunday it goes ahead and sings some nice hymns to me, and really just did things in a very Tom Lake way... which I know shouldn't be the case every week (lest the non-Tom Lake church attendees feel alienated themselves) but I appreciated it nonetheless.

In short, we decided to stay together. Bethel, I love you and I'll see you next week.

-Tom xoxo

The science behind Brain Bullet is actually very straight-forward.
It's a software application that sits on your Windows desktop, that delivers safe, positive and unobtrusive affirmations on your computer's screen. These "affirmations" are simply statements of positive intent, like:
— I learn fast
— I am calm and confident always
— I enjoy speaking on stage
— I attract my ideal partner easily
Because of the speed in which they're delivered to your screen, your conscious mind will merely see a "flicker" — it won't have the pace to capture the message. And that's great — because, your "conscious" mind isn't responsible for changing your automatic reactions and habits. Only your subconscious is!

-This is an excerpt from an email I got in which the subject read: "Develop Super human Powers!" Of course I couldn't resist checking it out. Apparently its a strange program that screws with your brain while your on the computer. I want it. Anyone with a good computer should seriously help me out and see if you can download this sucker for me...

or if your in for a good laugh... heres the website of this thing: http://eliteinnercircle.com/reports/c/4EW

Enjoy.

When We're Far From Here

I want to change as much as I have from last summer till now... this coming year. I really dont want to be as clueless as I am right now next year.

In my life, almost nothing is coincidence... im trying to change small things in my life, in order to mature and just be happier in life. In my childrens lit class i am doing a presentation on a book, about a boy who is doing just that. Its perplexing how the God of the Universe, would choose such subtle ways to communicate things. I'm not questioning His ways, He knows far better than I, how to talk to me... and what the best way is to do that. So this must be it.
Reading Ragged Dick in my room with Jake and Tina, listening to an entire Mum record, and wondering, how our lives will be... when we're far from here.

When I'm grown, and married... and Jake and Tina are too, over in Illinois, or where ever they end up. And you, where ever the heck you end up. How will it be? To have kids, to have spouses? houses, apartments, jobs, careers, degrees...

We'll look back at our confused twenty somthing selves, and remember how sweet it all was. The lack of direction, the un-answered questions... The search for vision, for motivation... all the dreams that poured out of our heads... crossing eachother, creating a mess.

Our older selves, so locked into a routine, into a lifestyle, will look back at that as just another peice of life... and what a fun one too... now's the time when we can do anything.

But what about marraige and kids and all that? I can't imagine looking into the face of a child, knowing that he was once a part of me, and he literally came out of my wife. And now he's going to grow up in this world with ME as his father. Egad. What an absolutely mind blowing thing that is to think about...

And what about the whole marraige thing? Does spending the rest of your life with someone other than you, freak anyone (i mean you single folks) else out around here? You know how annoying that person must get eventually? man...

From watching my parents, I think I've found that eventually you go through so much crap together in marraige, and you work through so many things, and you get on absolutely every nerve of the other person to the point where you come out the other side, full circle, victorious. Like in the Lion King, at the end, after Simba defeats Scar, and it starts to rain and put out all the fires. Well as you may remember, all this steam and mist is every where as this dramatic music is playing. And then you can just make out the forms of two warriors coming through the mist, as they near, you can see its Timon and Pumba, wartorn, and valiant. Then, you may also remember, Simba gets up on pride rock, and with rain pouring down his reddish brown mane, he roars. Letting Africa know, that he now, is in fact king.

And then his clan roars back.

My friends from Illinois are swing dancing to Half-Handed Cloud.

Who are my friends from Illinois?

they're jake and tina.

Who is Half-Handed Cloud?

its a one man band.

(who is affiliated with sufjan stevens, {he played trumpet on michigan} and makes strange, quirky pop tunes. and behold, they are really good. here is his website, and an mp3 you can hear: "Animals cut in two")

Keeping things updated.

PJ Sweeney: www.pipsworld.blogspot.com (trust me.)

Joels blog: www.hartofwar.blogspot.com

Jims blog: www.jimsblacklines.blogspot.com

Corinna's blog: www.corisgarden.blogspot.com

Samantha Fox's blog: www.silkenskiesofstars.blogspot.com

John Lake's blog: www.breath-grasp.blogspot.com

Sean (9-yr old neighbor): www.seanmusicking.blogspot.com

My Front, My Fashion, My Security.

One of the greatest feelings for me is change. Mainly because I am so bad at it. If I can change, and progress one bit, and become one bit better... its a big deal. I was up late talking to Jim and Cori the other night, and I compared who I was last year to who I am now. Many things are different. Which I like, but more importantly, the thing that is different about his year, is the conviction that God is directing at me. I've asked God to speak to me, in whatever way He wants to, and He has, but I nearly miss it everytime. I've been thinking about fashion, and I know god is saying something to me about my image, and about what I wear, how I act, and who I am.

Part of me, finds a strange comfort in the way I dress. I think dressing "indie" or "geek" or whatever, serves more than one purpose. Naturally, I feel comfortable wearing what I wanna wear, how I wanna wear it. And I'm fine with that. But another part dresses indie, (or whatever you call the way I dress) in order to have a style thats different, and above the common person. My Converse Weapons are hotter than some regular joes shoes. And my shirt that says "the chariot" scribbled in blue, is alot cooler than your metallica t-shirt, or your Gap tank top. I think a part of me dresses like I do, in order to feel in some way, better than others.

Fashion is definitely a security. A thing that easess my insecurities about how I look. And that bothers me. I decided a while ago that:

A) only my Creator can truly fufill my need for love on the deepest level, and that it is foolish to look elsewhere for any kind of self-worth, or healthy self-image. Why would I want my self worth to come from the compliments of women, from the security of a relationship, or from how I look, when only the God of the Universe can truly fufill these things?

B) Therefore, anything that is in the way from me getting all of my self-worth, and confidence, and security from my Father, should be cast down. Death to fashion, yes, but death to relationships as well. Death to flirting, acting, snobbery, gossip and slandering others to feel good about myself. How can I really grow, when I run to so many other things before God, to find my worth?

I should mention, that I think being comfortable with your appearance, being attractive to guys/girls, and being in a healthy relationship, are all things that are good, and that should boost your self esteem, and make you feel good about yourself. I don't think that their inherently bad or anything. I just think that many people see those things as the most important factors in determining your worth. And thats just not true.

And if it takes tearing yourself away from comforts to find out who you really are, well lets just do it.

Yesterday I wrestled Joel Dow and Sean Fantigrossi.

Much of the experience is documented on Sean's Blog.(www.seanmusicking.blogspot.com, see entry: "Sean Fantigrossi vs. Joel Dow") Which is obviously fully endorsed/recommended by myself.

Worship.

I have been thinking about worship alot lately. The reason being, my church is sort of known for its bombastic music, and people seem to love it... but i usually am not comfortable there. I think it's extrovert worship music. Get up and stomp the devil music. shout and scream kinda stuff. In my personal life I've found worship to be deepest when the lights are out, and no ones watching. I heard Ron Sykes say once that just as a man and a woman's most intimate moments are behind closed doors, so should a mans relationship with God be. That when we go out to church,
to worship its an outward expression of love. Like taking your girl/guy out for ice cream or something. A public display of affection. But the real stuff, and indeed, the nuts and bolts of an actual relationship happens when no one else is around.

Which makes sense to me. But I guess the real problem I have is the distance between the outward and inward expression of worship. I think alot of times I equate the outward as the inward. Maybe because I have heard people say things like "that guy really worships". Lets think about that. Based a man's display of exitement, or fervor during worship, it certainly looks like he really is worshipping God. But what of the inside? Many times I compare myself to these "all out worshippers". That if I don't worship like them, then I'm worse off. Which obviously just isn't true. But it still gets to me sometimes.

Let me say here, however, that there are many people I respect who go nuts during worship. And that its my own inhibitions that keep me from expressing myself more fully during worship. I do hope to someday worship God however I want, without feeling every eye on me.

I'm starting to read a book about Worship in the early church. Hopefully it will help sort out some of the issues I have with my church. I really like the people there, and God certainly speaks to me there. I just want something a little more raw, and honest. I think there are alot of youth out there who want real spirituality. Not another church service. Not another worship song. Not another hundred eyes watching you as you find your seat.

But perhaps I'm putting to much pressure on my church. Of course it can't fufill my every spiritual desire. Of course it can't accurately express how I feel about God during worship. Only I can.

"The Locust" -Photo by Samantha Fox. (Of the East Side? of Irondiqoit mind you)

-photo most assuradly taken by Samantha Fox

-submitted by Samantha Fox