Listening...(March 30 Edition)

This Is The Right Time...Lisa Stansfield
Revival!...Me Phi Me
Little Liza Jane...Elizabeth Mitchell
Feeling No Pain...Jason Falkner
Freedom...Housemartins
Thick As A Brick... Jethro Tull
Believe...Third Day
I'm On A Boat...The Lonely Planet (Feat. T-Pain)

Jason Falkner is one of those artists that is good at first listen, but gets even better as time goes by. He writes quality, reflective poetic songs, usually about relationships. I also like that his sound is not so predictable--it's not exactly eclectic alt pop, but definitely thoughtful.

The Me Phi Me song Revival! is off the Reality Bites soundtrack, one of those old school Gen X defining movies that comes through with some good songs. I never liked this song all that much, but I gave it another listen, attracted by some of its baptismal images. Since I use part of my running as prayer time, this song is a great bridge between running and prayer, making me appreciate its groove a little more.

I had never purchased a Lisa Stansfield CD or song, but she's got a groove that sticks in my head. iTunes had her categorized as a "UK Soul Diva." I suppose she is a musical cousin of Annie Lennox, but with more of a UK club feel (and believe me, I've been to SO many clubs in the UK). Sarah Silverman had a hilarious comment about divas on Bill Maher a few weeks ago. She compared diva to "the c word." How is it that Sarah Silverman and Bill Maher can say anything they want? Anyway, I enjoy this song.

Whenever I listen to Jethro Tull, I am reminded of the classic rock burnout crowd in my days at McKnight Middle School in Renton, WA. There was one guy who was in the 8th grade and driving to school. He was in shop class with me--while I made things like cutting boards for my mother and grandparents, he made wooden bongs, which he called "candle holders." He LOVED Jethro Tull. "Dude, TULL ROCKS." I suppose it takes someone high to say that a flute "rocks." This was a gutsy statement--but if it was a song on KISW or KZOK, the song, I suppose, could rock. But Thick As A Brick is far better than the Tull classic rocker, Aqualung.

I'm not a big fan of modern Christian rock (please, I don't know what to call this stuff, I generally can't stand this pseudo genre). Too much of it moves into "Jesus is my boyfriend" music. South Park does a great parody of Christian rock--but once in awhile I'll move beyond the parody and dive into a few bands in the genre: Third Day, Caedmon's Call, and Jennifer Knapp. The music meets a spiritual need that can't be met by any other genre at the time. I suppose this "genre" has come a long way since the days of Stryper.

If you have kids and want to give them some childrens music that doesn't make your soul hemmorhage (like, say, The Wiggles--those rich douchebags), get Elizabeth Mitchell. Yesterday.