14th
Story Tellers & Song Writers :: Some (It’s Still) Summer Music
True story.
Freshmen year at college I showed up for a meeting in the basement of one of the girl’s dorms. I thought the meeting was for the university newspaper, actually it was for the yearbook. Opps. Not interested. Later that week I did chase down one of the newspaper’s editors and pitched myself as a “music critic” hoping to write a weekly column. They “hired” me.
That’s how I got my start in writing.
There was a good bit of self-interest in writing the column (and, subsequently I became a contributor for a couple underground music zines, Scott Russell’s Autographs for the Sick and another one I started with Andy Au called dEAD FLeSH). During the course of my 4 years at college I was a couple hundred CD’s from artists hoping to get some free publicity and play in our paper. I was a sucker and never gave a bad review—maybe that’s why I kept getting so much stuff.
It was a lot of fun. I wrote under the name “Chris Vicious” and the column was called Whisper In The Morning, the title of an old Mike Stand song. I also got to appear in the same paper along with one of the best all-time writers I’ve ever known, Bee Bryant (you gotta chase down anything you can find that he’s written—seriously).
After college I stopped reviewing music and haven’t really written much about music since then. The closest attempt was my Oompa Loompa Love Songs Playlist post last December. And that was a hack-job at best.
Anyway, a few months into 2009 I was getting a bit disappointed by what seemed to be a lack of good music dropping this year. Since then, I’ve landed on a few projects that I can’t stop listening to by a few friends that I admire and respect.
So, as a tribute to some good guys making some good music, here are 4 albums to buy/download:
Aaron Strumple: I met Aaron in 2007 when I spoke at George Fox University in Oregon. They flew him out for that same week and he played a song or two before each talk I gave. He also did an unplugged show on campus and Phileena and I immediately fell in love with the guy. He went on to play at our last WMF staff gathering and has done a couple shows at our community center here in Omaha. Aaron’s part of the Enter the Worship Circle cooperative of artists where he released Chair and Microphone, which has to be one of the fan favorite albums of all time. But this year Aaron dropped “Elephants” which has been incredibly successful. At Calvin College’s summer Bandspottting Contest, Aaron won best new artist of the festival. In the Paste Magazine’s best albums of 2009 his record came in 3rd. Even in Christianity Today, Aaron got a full-page review that beamed. He’s got an authentic sound, a gritty voice that resonates with the every day person, and lyrics that yearn for hope. He affirms beauty and mystery in his lyrics and plays a mean guitar.
Anchor & Braille: Last year Stephen Christian, the front man for Anberlin visited Omaha and sold out the Slow Down, came back and sold out Sokol Underground. A common friend of ours, Jamie Tworkowski (TWLOHA) called me up and set up an introduction. That afternoon Stephen sat in my library sipping on some great Chilean wine, and I immediately knew he was a man I admired. We spoke of literature, relationships, beauty and travel. I was taken back by his humility and kindness. He’s one of the most reflective people I’ve ever met. Later that night he got me into the Slow Down show and I was blown away by his energy and talent. Since then, I’ve seen Anberlin a few times and love to see Stephen live. Just this month his solo project, Anchor & Braille went on tour, stopping in Omaha for a WMF benefit show. It was one of those classic nights in life when you almost have to pinch yourself to believe it was real. The Anchor & Braille album, “Felt” was released earlier this month. “Like Steps In A Dance,” might be the very best single of 2009. Watch out for Anchor & Braille. Stephen’s setting the stage for what’s to come and if this is how he’s winding it up, the sky’s the limit for where he’ll take this.
David Hodges: I met David in 2007. David was a founding member of Evanescence and wrote for their ground-breaking, Grammy winning debut album. He started Trading Yesterday and has written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion and is now on tour opening for Chris Daughtry. When we first met he gave me a copy of his then-current band, The Age of Information’s EP—Phileena and I almost never took it out of our CD player. There are 3 songs from that EP that register on our all-time iTunes most played count. This past week his solo EP, “The Rising” dropped and within hours was iTunes 52nd best selling album. His songs are timeless, they sing with a passion that deeply resonates all that best (and hardest) about being human. “The Rising” is solid, download that, and while you’re at it get The Age of Information EP too. They’ll play. The possibility of those songs writing themselves in your imagination will more than pay for themselves.
Zach Williams: I spoke at the Original City Conference in Texas this spring where I met Zach and heard him for the first time. Wow. If Amos Lee had soul, he’d want to grow up to sound like Zach. After meeting him I saw him sing at the Q Conference in Austin, Texas, then on one of the most magical nights of the year at Cornerstone, and last week he graciously came out to Omaha and played at our Beggars Society meeting. Here is a man who can wrap heart, hope and passion around a song and then gently drop it on you like a bomb. His new album, “Story Time” is haunting in all the best ways, full of honest songs about love and life. “Lions and Dragons” is so playable that I put it on repeat and didn’t change the track until I heard it 52 times straight. If the soul of blues possessed the soul of a young white man, it’d be Zach for sure.
How’s that for an introduction? Four great guys, good friends, and solid music.
