As a pastor, I share an affinity with Jesus for the underdog, the outcast, the outliers of society. I love that He went out of His way to find those people whom everyone else ignored, disregarded, disrespected, or even didn't know existed. I am learning to be more like Him every day (some days are better than others) and I'm trying to apply this same principle across the board in my life. I think some of the best songwriters, artists, musicians, thinkers, poets, whatever will never be known or recognized in this life. I think the New Heaven and New Earth we are promised in the scriptures will be filled with many amazing and gifted innovatives in every area of life.
Wow, that's a deep thought. And fun to think about. That's what makes it so satisfying to discover great new music from people most of us have never heard of. Not all of it is Christian. But all of it is good and deserves a shot at being heard. So here are 5 Songs (in my humble opinion) You Need To Hear...
1. Leaving Woman - The Trigger Code. Well, well, well.... somebody found their dad's Zeppelin records. This is a really convincing and sincere homage to the Sozo boys of the Seventies and I like it a lot. Great for crankin' loud at red lights next to the guy blasting Ariana Grande or some such ridiculous sugar-coated radio-pop nonsense as that. Just turn your head slowly, lower your shades and look at him as if to say, "This is what grown-ups listen to." Then watch him screech away when the light turns because he is in a big hurry to go nowhere. (Ha! That was cynical, but a lot of fun to write.)
Tragically, there is not one video anywhere on the internet of this song. So here is the link for the song on a compilation on Noisetrade.com. You can listen to it streaming on your device. Enjoy!
2. The Ancestor - Darlingside. I love the neo-folk revival we are experiencing in music right now. So many great artists, so many good songs. This song reminds me of The Association from the Sixties, with the choral vocals and harmonies. Imagine The Association covering The Lumineers and you've got Darlingside. Really cool animated music video, too.
3. Passepied - Punch Brothers. This will be the coolest thing you hear all day. That's a promise. Chris Thile (Nickel Creek) is a freakin' genius anyway and this adaptation of a Debussy piece breaks down all previous notions of what bluegrass music can be. Don't get me wrong; I love me some front porch "Salty Dog" with the Darlin' boys as much as the next hillbilly, but this is a breath of unexpected innovation and creativity that opens the genre up to so many possibilities. I realize I'm a little late to the Punch Brothers party, but let me do you a favor and introduce you to this song. And let me say it now.... You're welcome. P.S. - If you like that, you absolutely HAVE to check out their cover of the Cars' classic "Just What I Needed" here.
4. 5678! - Butterfly Bouche. This is just cool. It's a few years old now but it came up on my iTunes shuffle last week and reminded me that I need to share this song with you all. Not a huge Butterfly Bouche fan personally, but a big fan of this song. She's like Ally Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club; weird, odd, a little sideways... but endearing in her own way. Plus it's a really catchy song.
5. Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches - Son Little. Great way to close out this edition of 5 Songs. This guy is cool at a level few will ever attain to. His music doesn't fit neatly into any category -- kinda R&B but not exactly, sorta soul but sometimes reggae but not quite... Who cares? Stop trying to categorize everything and just listen, for cryin' out loud. Sheesh.
Hope you liked some or all or at least one of these songs. If you did, go buy it and support the hardworking artists and songwriters that create this stuff so they can feed their families and continue to make great music for the world to enjoy. Do your part!
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