Brock Human - Colour Of Red

Gungor - Ghosts Upon The Earth

http://gungormusic.com/

What a show of confidence in their identity and journey for Gungor to use their growing popularity as a lever to open doors of access to musical and lyrical styles that have been left untouched by Christian establishment for decades! With the release of Ghosts Upon The Earth, which received more pre-orders than their distributor could expedite on schedule, Gungor delivers another phenomenal album replete with kingdom creativity.

Despite early albums the band was not completely satisfied with, their acclaim and the clarification of their identity since Beautiful Things seems to be removing any fear of rejection for experimenting. They manage to segue all the way from bluegrass into flamenco into jazz in “You Are The Beauty” and keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Michael Gungor (lead singer, guitarist) fortuitously hopes that the album will find its audience, rather than simply cater to an existing market.

The album is called Ghosts Upon The Earth, a concept Michael explains in videos you can find all over the internet. The opening track metaphorically paints a fitting soundscape to celebrate the original creative action that brought forth the universe, ambling along minimally before bursting forth with explosions of syncopated sound and countermelody. The second track, "Brother Moon" seems flavoured by Jonsi's (of Sigur Ros) 2010 album Go; perhaps a nod to a fellow experimenter and serendipitous musical visionary.

With this album, Gungor continue on a mission to embrace their heritage of diverse and eclectic influences and redeem it just like they articulated in Beautiful Things. Their increased use of natural metaphor, akin to John Mark McMillan or Aaron Weiss, weaves parables like “when death dies, all things live” that explicate their “liturgical post-rock”.

Love Is Patient - Brianna Gaither

Brianna Gaither is a singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City with a knack for creating music that's more than pop, yet contains all the elements that make it so listenable.

Love Is Patient is her new release. Available on iTunes and noisetrade, I'd recommend this album for its masterful lyrics and exquisite music - the whole album is very rich in texture, depth, and style. Brianna and her band team capture the art of a song that’s listenable and innovative. They appear not to settle for the redundancies of mainstream pop, and yet learn from it, allowing it to inform the music. Tracks “Stepping Stones” and “Let It Go” are great examples here, as Brianna’s thoughtful lyrics reflect upon coming home or freeing oneself from anxieties or negativity, but are offered in a musical package that is highly accessible and even radio-friendly. She reminds me a little of Ingrid Michaelson and Maria Taylor (who are each impressive in their own right).

Other things an audiophile will enjoy on this album are the fantastic harmonies (for example, on "Let It Go", "Harvest Moon", and "Find You"), and the use of piano as well as orchestral tones to enrich the soundscape, as well as the the spotlight placed on the lyrics, purposefully elevated sonically above the music to really stand out.

Opening track “Find You” is a song about waiting for someone special - but it’s not one of “those” saccharine songs about the perfect person. She asks, “Will you be true when I find you? Will you still be you?” When we meet that person, they’re going to be real! Will we allow and encourage them to be themselves, or will we try to turn them into our own selves? Listen to this track at Spirit, Ocean, Dust, Life and enjoy its lush textures and its surprises; this song is incredibly catchy and yet so distinct from the typical indie-pop hook.

Continuing with a spotlight on "Find You", Brianna’s impressive range really shines on this opening track as she follows chromatic scales up and down in the verses before hitting some notes at the top of her range in the choruses, doubled with some gorgeous harmonies. The track then segues into a pretty crazy stylistic adventure in what my drummer roommate and I are calling “polka-dot-funk” (catch it at 3:44) and slips back into driving 4-beat rock paired with conviction by Brianna’s simple yet powerful, “I’ll…find…you…”.

That's just one track. As the album opens up, Brianna shows us she's not a one-style composer. “Harvest Moon” and “Home” are powerful ballads that can’t prevent me from thinking of Michael Buble or Josh Groban. And although I’ve personally not been a big fan of either of them, the fact that I hear them in those ballads is not a bad thing, because I’m making a connection to their talent and eminence in their genres, and the power that lies behind the contemporary ballad. "Home" could easily find itself on a wedding playlist.

The last two songs on the album also surprised me very pleasantly. Rich in metaphor and reflective upon the most important things in life, you’re really going to have to listen to tracks for yourself, because the message here is a tad ineffable.

Download the album on iTunes or at https://www.noisetrade.com/briannagaither

And visit

http://www.reverbnation.com/briannagaither

http://www.myspace.com/briannagaithermusic

Organic Family Hymnal - Rend Collective Experiment

Organic Family Hymnal

Rend Collective Experiment

Liturgical Post-Rock, Northern Ireland

http://www.rendcollectiveexperiment.com/

The Rend Collective Experiment began with about six spiritually searching 20-somethings curious about how to live out Christian faith and has now surpassed sixteen such members. Forming an intentional community based around biblical concepts, the Rend Collective is passionate about social justice, family, and worship. The Organic Family Hymnal is the sonic expression of this community.

Organic Family Hymnal is about resolve and intention, faithfully reflecting the very core of the Collective. Upbeat, chiming track “Movements” resolves to run towards God and continue making movements towards Him no matter what happens. Likewise, “Broken Bread” states “I will not fight you; take me past the line that my heart draws.” The album contains some beautiful meditations upon the closeness of God: “No one really knows what it is to be alone, since you’ve never left our side”, as well as confessions such as “in suffering or joy, we will confide in your perfect love”. Organic Family Hymnal forms a beautiful musical liturgy.

The music is part rock, part folk, and part post-rock, reminiscent of The Rock N’ Roll Worship Circus, David Crowder (who sings on track “Faithful”), Phil Wickham, and at times Future of Forestry and Gungor. If you like what you hear, Organic Family Hymnal Parts 2 and 3 are also available.

Wooden Heart - Listener

Wooden Heart

Listener

Talk Music/Rock/Punk

Atlanta, GA

http://iamlistener.com/

Profound writing simultaneously triggers a response with its power and escapes full comprehension, since its layered meanings can’t be grasped so trivially. Poetry, folk tale, and scripture possess this kind of force. It’s a loss to gloss over them. Dan Smith captures paradoxes with lines like, “Whispering poems to themselves about nonsense and existence...I don’t wanna die” and, “We all sing songs about life, we just sing them different. You sing the words, but you don’t know the song”.

If you desire something deep, spare some time to explore Listener’s album Wooden Heart. Subtitled “Poems”, there is an album full of heart-wrenching and resonant spoken word pieces set against fitting sonic backdrops. Dan Smith (of The Chariot) speaks and shouts pleadingly and searchingly in his southern drawl while Chris Nelson creates soundscapes with all kinds of stringed, percussive, and wind instruments. Listener sets itself apart from other music with its uncommon lyric/music blend. The spoken word isn’t rap; it’s free verse performance poetry, and will be familiar to fans of mewithoutYou.

Making no understatements, this album’s lyrics and music are powerful. Dan’s lyrics contains many witticisms such as, “we are all born broken people on our most honest day of living”. In the acerbic track “Seatbelt Hands”, Dan describes a broken woman by saying “she always starts with a smile, small and butter yellow, but easier than a handshake – she doesn’t like her hands touched. She tans a lot and gets burned a lot . . . she was born on the fourth of July, loves America and being patronized”.

Wooden Heart is different, refreshing, thoughtful, and brilliant. The image speaks to our tendency to become hard-hearted or even splinter, and yet reflects our vitality and potential for new growth. Listener points out our brokenness, describing us all as “shipwrecks” and yet reminds us to “wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief . . . If we hold on tight, we’ll hold each other together, and wash up on the shore”.

Yearbook - Sleeping At Last

Yearbook EP

Sleeping At Last

Folk-Rock, Wheaton, IL

http://sleepingatlast.com/

Ryan O’Neil (vocalist and multi-instrumentalist) is one month away from completing his incredibly ambitious Yearbook EP project – a 3-song EP for every month of the year. The September EP will conclude the year long project, which began in October 2010.

Special guest musicians each month, including Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Jacob Marshall (drummer of Mae), Brooke Waggoner and Laura Musten (toured with Owl City this year), made the project possible for Ryan to complement his ukulele/guitar/piano-driven singer-songwriter core.

Imaginably, this project contains a year of diversity in textures, topics, themes, and moods. The lyrics of December EP bridge thematically into January. July brought on a tense week for Ryan as he got over a flu virus which threatened to delay the release.

The year has been a great adventure as Ryan has learned the joys and challenges of creating a steady flow of music fitted to months and seasons. With plenty of decisions made on the fly, he has called people to help out who have literally created accompaniment parts within hours.

Each EP comes with a beautiful watercolour digital booklet. Listeners can purchase EPs from a particular month or get the whole set at a discounted price via the website.

Cinémetropolis - Blue Scholars

Cinémetropolis

Blue Scholars

Hip-Hop, Seattle, WA

http://bluescholars.bandcamp.com/ (listen for free)

At the turn of the millennium, Blue Scholars pioneered hip-hop in Seattle, a city known for grunge and indie rock. After more than a decade of their melodic stylistics and honest verse, Geo (rapper) and Sabzi (DJ) have a veteran’s perspective on Seattle’s now-fruitful hip-hop culture and mix in plenty of pithy local nostalgia. Cinémetropolis is noteworthy for unconventional and creative backing tracks that are a far cry from your standard mainstream beats. Marketing this album largely independently via Bandcamp, Blue Scholars continue to evolve with the times and are currently working on side projects in New York, California, and elsewhere. Embracing the concept of “reverse soundtracks”, Geo and Sabzi encourage you to make music videos inspired by tracks on this album.

Josh Garrels - Love & War & The Sea In Between

Love & War & The Sea In Between is splendid. Josh is running full pace to make headway as a songwriter, succeeding prior projects that were noteworthy themselves.

This album of highly textured recordings is nothing short of variegated. Though each track is recognizably coloured with his energetic breakbeat style, Josh Garrels and his musical team's conquest of genres is remarkable. Their masterful interweaving that takes place on this album results in a tasty and sometimes surprising euphony. Joining Garrels on several tracks is the Mason Jar Music orchestra.

Mason Jar Music Presents... Josh Garrels from Mason Jar Music on Vimeo.

Romantic, poetic, and anthemic, Garrels draws in heart, mind, and spirit. The album bears the mark of a deep thinker and/or an old soul. Intricate and mystical concepts on faith, society, and personhood are synthesized in pithy verses. Here's a snippet from 'Resistance':

"Lesson number one, overcome

Every fear of regret and confusion

It’s all illusion, delusion

Sent to disconnect the holy fusion

Of spirit and the flesh

Every mortal breath, is meant to bring forth fire

But only when the fear of death, gets consumed

On the funeral pyre". (References to Proverbs 18:21, Colossians 3)

...

"Itching ears will compulsively nod in approval

When unbelief is taught in all our temples and schools

But God can restrain the madness of a fool?

He can bring His truth through the mouth of a mule

You can move an mountain without any tools

It just takes the faith of a little seed

to make a way through what might seem to be impossibility"

One of the boldest and most puzzling details about Love & War & The Sea In Between is that it is available for FREE for one year. Why? Josh discloses on his blog, "We've really felt the Lord asking us to give this album away for one year, and it's our joy to do so!"

Josh is intentional about using the word "we". He always uses it when referring to his work, a team effort with his wife Michelle, who worked on the album art and supported him throughout his series of illnesses in the past year (talk about resistance: "Hold fast, like an anchor in the storm"). Like a growing number of family music teams (Gungor, Danielson, and Brian and Jenn Johnson, to name a few), Josh and Michelle's earnest desire for their art is to pursue the heart and will of God. "Pray for us", Josh requests of his listeners, so that their work might go into the places where it can bring life. "Like a messenger of peace / the beauty waits to be released / upon the sacred path you came / leading deeper into the unveiling / as you're sailing across the great divide". At the core of God's kingdom is family; it is this which he invites us into. We need models of family like these in our culture, who can pull others into God's family.

Counter-intuitively, projects done for no pay are often those done with the most passion. Just ask Google about the ideas that came from "20% time" projects. True to form, it seems like like Josh has put the most work into this album; at 18 songs, it's double the number of tracks on a standard LP, all which required polishing, rehearsal, mixing, and mastering. Josh recounts on his blog, "The process of creating this album has by far been the most rigorous mental and spiritual struggle I've known as an artist".

In the year ahead, they have bigger plans for this project: among other things you can read about on his blog, Love & War & The Sea In Between will eventually be published in the form of a lovely hardcover book. Individually stamped copies of the CD will be given away at concerts.

The album contains diverse subject matter. Some songs are darker and deeply reflective, matched beautifully in the music, while others recall the simplicity of the gospel. Again, this music is coming from a man of prayer and thought who sees both the world's problems and God's solutions. Here is a dose of hope from 'Beyond The Blue':

"So lift your voice just one more time

If there’s any hope may it be a sign

That everything was made to shine

Despite what you can see

So take this bread and drink this wine

And hide your spirit within the vine

Where all things will work by a good design

For those who will believe"

Being free, there's no reason not to download this album - and if you want more music like this, Love & War & The Sea In Between bears some similarities with music by: Mumford & Sons, Sandra McCracken, Florence & The Machine, Audrey Assad, Ascend the Hill, Dave Matthews Band, The Belle Game, Carbon Dating Service, Gungor, Jonathan David Helser.

"Farther Along" - Josh Garrels from Josh Garrels on Vimeo.

A Chat with Kye Kye

Having talked with Kye Kye last December while on their "Young Love" album release tour with Future of Forestry, we intended for this conversation to happen sooner. Fortunately for them, they have gained much press in the meantime, having interviewed with media such as Relevant magazine. When I saw Kye Kye perform six months in Richmond, BC, I knew it was only a matter of time before the snowball of renown would gain momentum and mass.

A tailored version of this interview will be published in the September issue of Vancouver-based Converge Magazine. Check it out!

Here's the full text, available only here at the Music Box!:

CK: So, you're Kye Kye now, but you haven't always been! You used to be called “Paper Rings”, right, and you released an album under that name. Was that your first album as the group now known, mysteriously, as Kye Kye?

Olga: Yes, our former name was Paper Rings under which we released our first official record. we recorded it in our basement about 2 ½ years ago by ourselves and did it on a small budget. It was the first real thing that had come out of the band and surprisingly, most people around us locally still know us by that album!



What was the reason behind the band’s name change? Were there other changes that were happening at that time?

I think the name change was a culmination of the last 2 years. We all felt that since we had a new vision for our music and lives, a name change was appropriate. We had never really been sold on the Paper Rings name, and we eventually decided that if God put a new name on our hearts then we would go ahead and change it. The name Kye Kye came up during our time in the studio recording "Young Love". It was really kind of unexpected, but once we heard the name we all just fell in love with it and knew that it was the banner we needed for our music.

Our thought process for the change was that it had to represent what was going on inside of us. It's mostly strangers from around the world who get to peer into our lives, into who we are, what we think, and how we express that through the words that we write. We believe that Christ lives inside of us, so we want people to see and hear Christ through us; it is no longer we that live but Christ who lives in us (reference to Galatians 2).

With that in mind, "Kye" is our phonetic spelling of the word "Chi," which is part of a Greek symbol the early church used that represented Christ. And we just say it twice for emphasis. Christ is who we want the world to see, whether we are on stage, on your radio, or in your iPod, or if we get to interact with you on a personal level.


My first encounter with you included that personal interaction - your music and your live shows carry real conviction. What is it that you want to convey to listeners?

More than anything, we want to convey the truth of who God is and who we are through Christ. We must shed light on wrong ideas that make it hard for us to love God. Sometimes the questions and answers are so messy that no one wants to talk about them or try to answer them, which isn't a solution. We have to dig for the answers to questions like "if God is love, then why is there pain?"; "Does God allow this cancer?"; "Was this accident orchestrated by God to bring me closer to him ?"; or even, "What's the difference between the old covenant and new?".

These questions all touch on who God really is which is why its important that we find answers to them in the book that tells us all about him, not mans opinion about Him, not even a preacher's opinion, but the Bible's truth. If we don't do this, they'll end up being answered (poorly) by the world.

We believe all of this is extremely important because if our beliefs are incorrect it limits the intimacy that you could have with God, which is sad, considering the whole purpose of life is to know Him. This isn't just relevant to people who call themselves Christians but I also think that there are many unbelievers who are kept in that state due to these same misrepresentations!

What ideas do you try to communicate in your music?

I think that one thing that we have realized in music and life for that matter is that you cannot give what you do not have. We are trying to communicate a real experience of God's love that we have experienced, are experiencing, and will experience. Our music portrays God's overwhelming love for us and how it has been affecting our lives. It has impacted us so much that we want to pass on this love to everyone who has ears to hear.

Our lyrics and words are tangible because they are something that we experience everyday and is more real to us than anything else on this earth. We want our musical sound to be something unique and refreshing to the music scene and something that takes our current musical culture and gives it something that listeners have been seeking out: music that melodic and listenable, yet contains depth and realness.

To be a little more specific, the main theme of the entire album "Young Love" is based on chapter 6 of Romans and Proverbs 23:7; the death of our old spirit, the birth our new spirit, and the renewal of our minds to who this new creation is.

As we speak about music created by Christ-followers, what does the term 'worship' mean to you, and how would you define it?

We believe it's all about how you relate to God. Jesus said that true worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth. It is about approaching Him in the Spirit, which is where our new identity in Christ is. We seek to sing and write about our new spirit-man and who we are right now. When we open our mouth and sing these words we are approaching God with the truth about who we are and who he has made us. Worship is something that is not confined to a building, church, or cultural background; it is purely based on God’s spirit. And once we realize who our spirit is, we can then approach God and worship him in Spirit and in truth.

What are some of the biggest life lessons and faith lessons you have learned? How have these impacted your songwriting and musicianship?

One of the biggest faith lessons that we have learned is who God has truly made us to be. By spending time with God through Jesus and getting to know him by finding who he is and what he's done, he has truly revealed who we are in the Spirit and what our actual purpose here on earth is.

I think that we have a tendency to think our calling is our purpose. A person ca get the idea that their whole life's purpose is to save people through preaching the gospel, but one of the greatest truths that God has revealed to us is that this is not our purpose. Jesus reconciled us to God so that it could be like it was in the beginning. When Adam and Eve were created their purpose their original purpose was to relate to God, to talk to him, to know him - to live with him. I believe that this is also our purpose today. The reason I exist is to know God through Jesus, and I think that when you realize this and walk in this truth then spreading the gospel becomes a natural overflow of everything you do, whether music, business, or otherwise. I think this is why the early church spread like wildfire. It's not about finding meaning and purpose to life in our activities (even if the activity is to save people) It is really about finding meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in knowing God.

This truth has changed our lives, and, as a result, changed how we write. With "Young Love", our approach to writing has really been more about listening, getting to know who God is and expressing what we personally experience along the way. We try to convey something that is real to us, something that is tangible. This impact has allowed us to have firm belief in what we write and sing about.


Stylistically, Kye Kye plays a genre that’s definitely not a typical sound for the ‘Christian music industry’ (although I’m sure there are lots of fans who wish it was!) Does that have the benefit of being able to take your music into a lot of diverse (and secular) venues? Is that what you want? Is it sort of freeing?

Yes! We definitely want our music to apply to all people. While our words and lyrics are about God and our relationship with him, this does not limit who can listen or appreciate our music. We play to both the secular, mainstream crowd and secular venues and that is what we want. We are not about singling out certain groups of people, because that is not what our mission is. Our mission is give everyone what has been freely given to us from our Father. We have seen great reactions throughout the Christian industry as well as in the secular crowds and we love that all people find value and enjoyment in our music.

What kinds of venues do you find you have your best shows/memorable moments?

All kinds of venues that we go to are memorable. We really see the most memorable shows being with the people that we can really be down to earth with. We want our shows to be a personal experience, and when we can really connect with the crowds, talk to people individually, pray with people, and just be intimate; we find these shows affect the fans the most, and we ourselves take the most away from these types of shows. We really aspire to have personable and touching shows no matter the venue size.

Genres can be as contentious as they are helpful, but is there somewhere where you ‘fit’ - electronica or electro-pop, possibly?

We definitely have that electronic feel to our music. It is apparent hearing all the synths, electronic drums mixed with real drums, spacey guitar, and soft melodic vocals that many people place us into electro category. We are not category-specific in that we do not want to limit where we place ourselves, but really want a listener to put us into his or her own category. We have really found that nearly all listeners can appreciate our music, from the hipsters down the street, to the grandparents at church. We love our sound and our feel to our music and really appreciate all the genres that we have been placed in by listeners.

Have you found a sound you want to settle in, or do you expect to continue experimenting with genres? What about instrumentation?

Our sound will always be growing. We love the sound that we have grasped with Young Love, however, we are already working with new sounds that we really want to explore on our next record.

You're all family here, in one way or another! Who is the elder sibling? Describe the growth and changes you’ve seen in each other as the years have passed. How about your early interests or memories?

Tim is the old goose (laughs), Alex is youngest and I'm (Olga) third to last. Alex and I were closest in age so I have most of my childhood memories with him. Tim and I got a lot closer a little later in my late teen years.

I think our whole family is a bit musically/artistically inclined. our grandpa wrote poetry, my parents wrote songs for church and actually tracked a record in there native language. Tim played the violin since an early age but when he started writing music it was really intriguing to me . . . I was like, “Wow, my brother is cool!” (laughs) So I think a lot of the motivation behind my music writing was Tim and wanting to impress him! I basically started picking up the guitar without really telling him for a while. Then one day I built up the courage to show him a song I had written and he was quite impressed!

What brought you to perform together, and then how did you go about inviting others into the process?

It wasn't until some time later that we started collaborating. Tim had gotten into programming with some new software and we started experimenting. it was just the two of us for some time. Then before we tracked our first album in '08, Alex joined us on the keys . . . as for Tommy, my husband, he came in the picture a little later. actually whats funny is he was always kinda there. We even played a few shows together in opposite bands. Tommy eventually stopped performing with the other band and we had him audition for us and were all stoked on having him become part of the band. It was a big change for the group cause we were just so used to working together the way we did but the addition of Tommy added a great new fresh sound to the band so it was a smooth transition.


Most siblings remember a lot of excruciating roadtrips. You’ve been touring, and your interactions indicate that you have a lot of love and patience for each other . Do you care to elaborate?

We try to be as encouraging as we can be and to focus on the positive in any situation, which is really easy with tommy around! Small things can become magnified very quickly. Knowing how the enemy tries to destroy us helps us understand what we have to do to resist him.

Have you toured much? Where are you ‘known’?

Our biggest tour experience since the record came out was this last December when we went on tour with Future of Forestry. We toured to 10 different states and in 2 countries and had such an amazing experience getting to know the other band as well as the fans that showed up. We had some Kye Kye fans show up to many of the shows as well as some Future of Forestry Fans who started following our band!

On tour, what are your expectations of each other?

One of the biggest expectations of each other on tour is to speak life into each other. On tour we come across so many roadblocks, flat tires, little sleep, and all the other craziness that happens on tour and having positive attitude and not letting our emotions getting the best of us it crucial in keeping our mentality straight. We believe that our emotions and daily ups and downs do not convey who we truly are and what we truly think, so we know that if one of us is struggling, we just remind each other of who we truly are in the Spirit and just really build each other up.

Let's conclude by looking ahead. Can you touch on some aspirations for the band's future?

Our focus right now is on our live show, and how to best impact those who come, whether that be through the sound, lights, words, instruments, atmosphere, or whatever else. We want people to leave with a better understanding of who God is and why we all need him.

We are writing at every chance we get and we plan to release a few song remixes from "Young Love" at the beginning of next year. Our upcoming project is a 6-song EP entitled "Body" which is going to be part of a 3-EP series in which the other two will be titled "Soul" and "Spirit" respectively.

Thank you so much for taking the time! I wish you each every success.

New release: Josh Garrels - Love & War & The Sea In Between

I'll be posting a comprehensive review soon. In the meantime I encourage you to check out the innovative Josh Garrels' splendid new album "Love & War & The Sea In Between" for yourself. It's reflective, imaginative, and evocative.

Obtain the album from Bandcamp or Noistrade as a free download, with the opportunity to tip Josh the amount of your choosing.

Gungor: Langley, BC

You know not to put things in boxes, but don't even settle for open boxes. Get rid of all of the boxes. None of them are big enough, nor ever will be. Then brace yourself. Brace yourself as you and God's universe explode all over each other.

Gungor are wave-makers. Besides mastering jazz, gospel, and rock, and besides the blistering guitar solos that Michael can execute on both electric and acoustic; besides all that, there is a band whose core is humble, prayerful, and invitational. Their "liturgical post-rock" may be a little out of the ordinary for those who attend concerts to "observe". Participation is the appropriate modus operandi here. Lyrics placed tastefully to the side of the moving pictures on a big screen behind them to encourage sing-along, this event was billed as a concert - but in the same way that all of creation is a concert, groaning in expectation of Heaven arriving. Experientially, the concert was a signpost, pointing -upwards, outwards, and inwards- towards God. Gungor encourages us to see that God is simply bigger -much bigger- than we can even comprehend. We are led into worship and we are challenged to seek to see the world with God's eyes.

Gungor's art is honest. They are amazing musicians - no understatement; People literally left the concert shaking their heads in astonishment. As Christians, their desire and dedication to re-presenting God to the world in humility, love, and creativity is absolutely apparent. After the show, they came and wandered amongst those of us milling about, conversing and thanking us for coming.

Preceded by the amazing and sincere Lance Odegaard (see video below), Gungor honoured us with their presence on June 4, 2011 at North Langley Community Church. We were wowed and inspired. I pray that their creativity, openness, and invitationalism would infect us all, and if the band is reading this, I ask you to pray for us to catch more of what is on your heart. Please come back soon!

Lance Odegaard


Memorable moments from the show included the astonishing jams and improvisations that proved that Gungor are even better live than on album. Since Michael and Lisa have a background in jazz, there were some deliciously tasty jazz licks and solos.


The sound, as I described in my album review of "Beautiful Things" last year, was powerful in quiescence as well as in the sonic mountains formed by the seven-piece group. While most people remained seated back away from the stage, there were some of us who wanted to participate in greater proximity. But three quarters of the way through the show, we were shown up, as usual, by two children; one little princess and one very smart-looking lad, who went up and lay down at the front of the stage on the steps. They just slumped there and lay down, perfectly carefree, restful, and bold for innocence.

You can see them here in "We Will Run To You", and you can hear the crowd joining in:

Part 1


Part 2


Surrounded by a variety of mostly church-going, mostly conservative folk, I wondered how the crowd would respond to Gungor's unusual creativity. Personally hoping for a big dance party as we celebrate freedom in Christ, the dance party didn't happen. However, worship definitely did. (Here is the part where we reflect upon God being big and meeting us each personally.) The crowd was drawn into Gungor's vision where art is sacred, and I know that many people were powerfully moved during the concert. There are aspects to Gungor's music that are somewhat familiar yet largely foreign to the average evangelical: for example, their recognition of liturgy as a unifying force in worship, but most of all, probably, their refusal to be constrained by any genre, label, or setting.

We need more artists inspired in such ways to re-present God.

Gungor are deeply refreshing and powerfully creative. I know that they have been anointed and sent out by God for such a time as this, where He is "making all things new" in unbelievable ways all across the globe. As they say, "Love is breaking out", and "the ground is shaking".

There were some incredible moments that never made it to film, including Lisa and Michael performing a mind-blowing jazz/soul piece and the band doing several improvised jams, which I just had to enjoy rather than camera-watch. If you don't forgive me, then you really should have been there - go see Gungor in concert soon!

New Branches - Everything You've Ever Done Has Been Beautiful

This post is LONG OVERDUE because my account had trouble switching over to my new gmail address. But ALL IS NOT LOST (except for scores of image links that I need to redo).

Anyway, the important bit is that personal friend and electronica wizard Jonny Hughes aka JDH has this fantastic side-project called BRANCHES which is sort of down-tempo ambient electronica that is peaceful and phantasmagorical all in one, and he has released a second EP that's JUST A BIT EXCELLENT so perhaps you'll want to check it out!? It is streaming at his bandcamp page. Available for purchase download...and well worth it.

These run-on sentences have been brought to you by adolescents.

http://branchesmusic.bandcamp.com/

Familia - Golden Lies

Soulful and innovative, Familia’s debut album Golden Lies is worthy to stand amongst many of the excellent alt-rock releases of this decade. Golden Lies paces along with the urgency of Zeppelin-esque arena rock, yet manages to glide as glassily as something by My Brightest Diamond. Familia play a tight, slick groove, certainly exhibiting the closeness and chemistry of a musical family. It’s not difficult to draw comparisons to The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metric, Kings of Leon and Interpol, but Familia are pioneers of their own style. They drop seamlessly from straight rock pulses in “Oh Wretched Man” into catchy shuffles, and showcase nods to a multitude of styles throughout the album – take the jazz-infused “Today”, or the acoustic ode “Kinda Like A Mess”, for example.

Rhythm and blues run through this album’s veins, putting it in the good company of a multitude of rock greats. There are hard-rocking tracks too, like “Out Of My Head”. However, the best track on this album is probably “More”, which brings to mind the contagious stylistics of Tegan & Sara, bolstered by some highly creative percussion and evolving instrumentation from the band.



“Seventeen” contains one of the most uplifting choruses you’ll ever sing along to, but it’s afterwards that you realize the actual power of the anthem you’ve been compelled into chanting: it’s a captivating synocapted line that goes: “punishment brought our peace / by His wounds we are healed”. This is juxtaposed against the first telling lines, “she fell in love with a boy who was seventeen / she didn’t know what real love was / so he took her to places that she’d never been / well, he took her to places and now she has to pay”.

Familia pull no punches on this debut release; it’s fearless and incredibly solid all-around, no doubt making for fantastic tour material. Besides all the great work from each of the band’s instrumentalists, lead singer Tamara Umlah (the sister of drummer Cody Hiles) has a voice that would make many envious. Since, reportedly, the other band members decided to take a chance on her a few years ago when considering vocalists, they must count themselves fortunate now!

Kye Kye - Young Love

Hailing from Camas, WA, Kye Kye (formerly Paper Rings) recently accompanied Future of Forestry on their Advent Christmas tour. For the time being, Kye Kye are a group of siblings – and a fiancé. On tour, they released the preliminary copies of this album, entitled Young Love and produced by none other than Future of Forestry frontman Eric Owyoung.

Young Love is a fantastic album that reads a little like romantic poetry. Set to enchanting, flowing electro-indie-pop melodies, Young Love is a collection of intimate reflections on the band’s own relationships with God. This downtempo glitch-pop album is replete with interesting loops and rhythms, and beautiful, soaring harmonies. Lead singer Olga’s voice captivates, carrying real power on this recording. The instrumentation evokes serenity and optimism, seeking elevated perspective as described in “Rooftops”. In this album’s stillest moments, like the quiescent “Walking This”, the sound is like an aquatic current – deceptively quiet for the power that lies beneath in the emotions and expressions of the music and lyrics. At other times, like in “Knowing This” the instrumentation manages to conjure images of a lightshow with the song’s field of energetic synths and percussion.

Strict musical merits aside, Young Love is lyrically noteworthy too, due to their way of drawing Scripture into their lyrics with original and profound authenticity. Especially with Christian music, there is a pitfall to force or fake spirituality and profundity, which can come off as insincere, but Young Love leaves no such impression, its music and lyrics effortlessly flowing true to form. There are reasons aplenty to give Kye Kye a try.