I gave up on Christian rock, until yesterday...

PorkPieGuy · #1 10-04-2007, 12:51 PM

Before I get started, I don't want this to turn into a "Well, let's define what is meant by Christian music" sort of thread. I'm just sharing an experience I had yesterday.

We have a "sort-of" local Christian music program that comes on every afternoon called Steelroots. They have different bands and what-not come on the show and occasionally do a sort of top 10 countdown once a week. As I was watching this count down, I really started to feel old. All of the music was sounding the same to me. It was all the same old third day, david crowder, reliant K, etc. pop-mess I feel I've heard a thousand times before.

I asked my wife if I was getting old. Of couse she said, "No sweetie. It all sounds the same to me too" as I continued to watch. It finally got to number 2 on the countdown. Do I remember who came in at number 1? No, because all during number 1's video, I was still talking about the band from number 2.

The band is called Future of Forestry. No, they probably aren't as good to you as they are to me, so don't bother telling me about bands that are better. I just found them considerably refreshing after watching all of the other videos yesterday.

Here's a link. I hope you like them. If not, it's ok. I like them, and that's what matters to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsMtyYlSw8o

sharkydude50 · #2 10-04-2007, 12:55 PM

That's a pretty interesting name- especially for a "Christian" band (if that's what they toute themselves as)

Health Freak · #3 10-04-2007, 01:10 PM

Sounds kinda U2ish to me. I guess the beat is refreshing to me, though.

It's weird, I just think of that as rock. Like Switchfoot, Relient K, etc. Different sound, but just rock; I don't categorize it a "Christian" rock.

My mind divides things into three usage categories:

Congregational Worship
Personal Worship
Everything Else

I'm glad you finally found something that breathed some life back into music for you. I love that feeling!

Joe F · #4 10-04-2007, 01:18 PM

Kind of U2'ish, but I liked it fine.

I've found that as a Worship Leader, I often have a substantial dividing between the Christian music that I really enjoy listening to and the Christian music that I must incorporate into Worship Services because it is congregationally friendly when it comes to corporate worship. Much of the stuff I really like would overwhelm our multi-generational congregation to try to sing. I therefore must stick to the more verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus tag formulaic stuff in the interest of maximum participation. Whenever I venture outside of this, I get too many confused looks coming back at me!

Still, as I said, for listening, I like these guys fine!

mishmannah · #5 10-04-2007, 01:22 PM

Christian Rock, ROCKS!!!!

Check out Delirious and Third Day for awesome music.

woodruff · #6 10-04-2007, 02:16 PM

wow, what a great song and video. put a smile on my face. and i really like what they are doing with the guitar noise.

Earthworm · #7 10-04-2007, 02:17 PM

Huge generalization ahead:
Every worship band I hear these days sounds like they are trying to be U2. I love U2, but yawn...

Devin · #8 10-04-2007, 02:44 PM

Hey that's pretty cool. I still think there is a bunch of great Christian music out there...

Check out Jason Morant and Phil Wickham

- Devin

Deadduck · #9 10-04-2007, 03:06 PM

I like that band, it's the first time I've heard of them.
I like modern worship music like David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, etc, but I agree that it can all run together after a while. As a worship leader, that's the style of music I do in my church.
I don't think the lack of musical originality is just a problem on the Christian scene, the pop and modern rock I've heard lately has all sounded pretty generic as well. To be honest, this happens every decade or so. There are only so many true inovators out there, everyone else follows their lead. After a while, the listening public gets tired of the same old thing, and starts looking for something else. Then some upstart band will come on the scene with a completely different sound and look. Everyone will start to copy them, and the cycle repeats itself. Just think of the 70's disco, 80's hair bands and the 90's grunge. Now 80's style techno is back in vogue.
A good many of the Christian artists today are going outside the traditional "Christian" labels to mainstream audiences. Two I can think of right off the top of my head are The Fray and Mat Kearney.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see what the next big thing will be.

Bluelew · #10 10-04-2007, 03:11 PM

Check out Jimmie Bratcher & some others at Christianblues.net

TBman · #11 10-04-2007, 05:10 PM

I like Christian Rock, but what ever happened to Jewish and Muslim Rock?

Not that you guys need me to say it, but putting the words God and Jesus in a song doesn't make it Christian. Its the way a life is lived that makes it Christian. A song is just a song.

SNaP2it · #12 10-04-2007, 05:25 PM

What was fresh and original yesterday ends up being stale and overdone today. Matt Redmond, David Crowder, Shane Barnard, Chris Tomlin, etc...they were/are all very unique. However, they become popular and then become very copied and pretty soon, their originality is lost except for those that actually remember when they first started.

HereIGoAgain · #13 10-04-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I like Christian Rock, but what ever happened to Jewish and Muslim Rock?

Not that you guys need me to say it, but putting the words God and Jesus in a song doesn't make it Christian. Its the way a life is lived that makes it Christian. A song is just a song.

There actually is Muslim rock. I worked on an assignment with a man from Saudi Arabia my freshman year of college. He had a cassette of a Muslim band. I didn't know what the song was about as I don't speak Arabic, but as I recall, it had a good band sound.

I forget his name, but there is a Hacitic Jewish *rapper* in the market. Yes, you read that correctly.

Ditto on Third Day. They do indeed rock hard.

Also ditto on what makes a Christian. I happen to like Evanescence and Flyleaf. They're not on the "Christian" labels, but they do have Christian-themed songs. I have no idea about their personal lives. Never met any of them in real life.

JamesO · #14 10-04-2007, 05:38 PM

Hi everyone

This is my first post here on this forum after finding it a few days ago. I'm a bit confused with the U2 references. They work with chord structures, lyrics, and melodies very differently. An immediate example I can think of is what's happening with the electric guitar. This group is using the guitar a as a big texture behind the vocal. Edge usually uses harmonizers w/reverb to add that sound behind what he's doing, but also play a lot of parts that spell out the chord structure. Weaknesses, both inwardly and outwardly, are some of Bono's favorite subjects. This song, I think, is very different than what U2 does. Has anyone read U2 by U2?

I do agree that this is much better than what I've been hearing on Christian radio.

TBman · #15 10-04-2007, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HereIGoAgain

There actually is Muslim rock. I worked on an assignment with a man from Saudi Arabia my freshman year of college. He had a cassette of a Muslim band. I didn't know what the song was about as I don't speak Arabic, but as I recall, it had a good band sound.

I forget his name, but there is a Hacitic Jewish *rapper* in the market. Yes, you read that correctly.

Ditto on Third Day. They do indeed rock hard.

Also ditto on what makes a Christian. I happen to like Evanescence and Flyleaf. They're not on the "Christian" labels, but they do have Christian-themed songs. I have no idea about their personal lives. Never met any of them in real life.

I was just "busting chops"

I just don't like seeing certain things labeled. Music should be for everyone, as God intended.