Hallelujah: It’s the Christian music thread.

[Deleted]

defaultusername said:

I know Mormons like to think of them selves as Christian, but I wonder what someone whose is, say, Catholic might say. Keep in mind that Muslims regard Jesus as a profit, but you wouldn’t call them Christians.

Speaking as a Catholic, I just think they're whackjobs. More technically speaking, I don't think they're Christians. They have their own prophets (the Angel Moroni, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young) that they focus on and not so much Jesus.

But really, they're just whackjobs.

[chonies]

As an extraordinarily lapsed Catholic, some of the Mormon theology is kind of interesting--no original sin, and a strong bend toward domestic/housewife feminism, for lack of a better term. I think they also downplay Jesus and emphasize God more, but I don't really know how that works theologically. I have no problem considering them Christian if they consider themselves to be so. My favorite parts of the Catholicism are the saints, so it makes sense that there are prophets and supporters in other denominations. I suppose I could have intellectual problems with the inclusion of the Book of Mormon, but I don't really see how that is so entirely different from the debates of inerrancy or interpretation.

On the topic of Christian music, I love the Rhino gospel set that came out a few years ago--I listened to "Oh Happy Day" on infinite repeat for hours, and then while driving through Memphis. I'm not really down with most contemporary pop Christian, but I think the argument about competitive music and the built in audience factor is extremely valid. I love gospel, but I can't bear a lot of the infomercial Christian collections--too earnest, too dull, too Nickelback. It's like Kidz Bop for teens, and it all went through a religion filter.

[Deleted]

I like Sufjan Stevens, but not all of his music has a Christian theme, so his status as a Christian artist could be debatable.

I also like Page France. They're not well-known yet, but you can check them out here or on Myspace.

[starskin]

I do think Sufjan Stevens can be put under the term "Christian musician" as much as Over the Rhine or even U2 can. He's a musician who is Christian, and whose Christianity informs much of his work (like the whole of Seven Swans) but who does branch out thematically and musically from most Christian pop musicians.

[Deleted]

Has anyone here ever heard of Five Iron Frenzy?

LOVE THEM. I used to be obsessed. I saw them live about three times. They've sadly broken up, though.

Speaking of Sufjan Stevens, I just saw a documentary about my all-time favorite Christian group, the Danielson Famile. Turns out that Sufjan was kind of an honorary member at one point. Anyway, they're this outsider indie group that started out as the lead singer's senior thesis project at art school. It's him and his siblings. He sings in this weird falsetto, and when they perform together they all wear doctors and nurses uniforms to represent Christ's healing (when he performs alone, he wears a nine-foot tall fruit tree with nine fruits for the fruit of the spirit). Anyway, they're awesome, and probably one of the best shows I've ever seen live.

And those are the only two Christian bands I've ever really liked.

[e c0li]

I think that Christian music can range from amazing--Verdi's Requiem, most of Mozart's Masses, Biebl's "Ave Maria" for double choir (if you haven't heard it, you should download it.)

...To pretty good--Caedmon's Call was a favorite of my fundamentalist Christian friend and surprisingly I liked them a lot too.

...To just plain weird--I give you a little song called "Drop Kick Me Jesus, Through the Goalposts of Life". I wish I were joking. bertc.com/dropkick.htm

[Deleted]

I'm a big fan of Plumb, and I think she (they?) started out in the Christian music arena. Not sure if that holds true now, though.

[Mikal]

Has anyone else here found this public-funded Christian station KLOVE? At my new place of employment, the opener for the backroom beats me to work by 30 minutes and has this on when I come in, and since I usually don't care, we listen to Christian pop and such until the backroom manager comes in.

Besides the fact that the station plays approximately 12 songs total, I constantly find a lot of the songs to be slightly creepy. Especially the one about how "Jesus, I Am So In Love With You." I know it's a spiritual sense but take Jesus out (of the sentence, not on a date for two) and it's a basic love song. Its like all the songs Cartman made up for Faith + One came to life.

And having never heard of Newsboys before this, I've decided I just don't like them at all. I don't like the other rock band that I know isn't Relient-K nor Switchfoot but I can't recall who they are although they sound like POD but that's not the name that the announcer lady says for it.

[tabby]

Call me a traditionalist, but I never ever get tired of singing or hearing things like Motart's various Masses or Bach's Passion of St. John. The chamber choir here is doing Brahams' Requiem and I can't wait. And I'm Agnostic!
*That's* the kind of Christian music I can get behind. Maybe if church services were all music and no talking, I'd still be going to church regularly.

Hello, friend! To me, Christian music is the likes of Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, J.S. Bach, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.

[emersende]

brindle said:

Some of my fav Christmas music:

"The little drummer boy"- the Mormon Tabernacle Choir-Nobody else should cover this song.

Hey! The Dandy Warhols cover is a classic.