Sunday Shuffle Review #3: "Sing A Song For You" by The Luxury Liners

I am very excited about this week's review. I am new to The Luxury Liners and this is just a great song. The Luxury Liners are a Nashville-based indie band comprising David Dewese on guitar and vocals, Scott Carpenter on drums and David Wistermann on bass. They've released three albums and an EP since 2000. I discovered this band through a free solo album that David Dewese posted on Noisetrade.com which you can find here. Dewese is also in The Foxymorons, another pretty cool band. They are all part of a burgeoning indie movement of Christian artists that are trying to make very interesting music. Think Sufjan Stevens or Danielson Family. The Luxury Liner's website is here, their MySpace is here and their Facebook page is here.

"Sing a Song For You" comes from The Luxury Liners' 2006 album Nonetheless. It starts with a slow, low pulsing dirge with distorted vocals like through a tiny radio speaker. It sets the sad mood of the song despite the pulsing, jangling guitars that come in 40 seconds into the song. Musically, this song brings to mind early R.E.M. with a little more swirling distortion and actual decipherable vocals.

Lyrically, "Sing A Song For You" is a letter to a former love. It acknowledges the pain of a love that seems to be one-sided and still remains so.

Like many of The Luxury Liners music, there is lyrical depth alongside the melodic indie pop of the music. Its sometimes easy to lose the meaning of the words as you get wrapped up in the enjoyment of the music. This too me is just plain good music.

Below is my transcription of the lyrics. If I messed them up maybe someone can let me know so I can fix them.

There is nothing wrong with me
There is nothing right.
You were not the only one afraid.
Time can take a toll on your soul
And shake your world.
Now I'm all alone, but that's ok.

Words are not the enemy and silence is our friend.
Open up your eyes and you might see.
Trust can only hurt if you turn out to believe
Let go of that fear to be free.

All I can do is sing a song for you
You were never there for me and
I was always there for you.
All I can do is dream a dream of you
I was never up for you
You'll always know I'm still in love with you

Cast aside our history and turn another page
Start from the beginning again.
Once you hit the bottom, well there's nowhere left to turn
Set your sights on all that remains.

Your heart, it can't be found.
Who knows where you belong.

All I can do is sing a song for you
You were never there for me and
I was always there for you.
All I can do is dream a dream of you
I was never up for you
You'll always know I'm still in love with you.

Sunday Shuffle Review #2: Inbetween Days by The Cure

This weeks Shuffle Review landed on a song that's just plain fun and depressing in the way that only The Cure can do. "Inbetween Days" was the first single and opening track from The Cure's 1985 album Head on the the Door. This was the first Cure album I bought, discovering them in my British Alternative awakening when I went to college. The Cure, led by Robert Smith, were "the" band for black-clad suburban "rebels" too sophisticated for punks filthiness and aggression. We there was were depressed as only teenagers who wanted to be hopelessly introspective yet still have fun could be. Cure fans were emo before emo.

"Inbetween Days" was a perfect song for that attitude. It is infectiously upbeat. It takes off fast and stays like that for 2:58 until the very last note. Alternating single note synthesizer and electric guitar layer melodically on top of constantly driving acoustic guitar and percussion. This song moves and never lets up.

Lyrically the song cannot be more different. It begins with a painful expression of aging and loss

Yesterday I got so old
I felt like I could die
Yesterday I got so old
It made me want to cry

Just walk away
Your choice is made
Go on go on
And disappear
Go on go on
Away from here

From this pushing away, Smith realizes his mistakes. He needs her but has pushed her away

And I know I was wrong
When I said it was true
That it couldn't be me and be her
Inbetween without you
Without you

Verse two shifts to a please to return that goes unanswered

Yesterday I got so scared

I shivered like a child
Yesterday away from you
It froze me deep inside
Come back come back
Don't walk away
Come back come back
Come back today
Come back come back
Why can't you see
Come back come back
Come back to me

It is a sad song that you just have to dance to. It is a perfect example of the genius of Robert Smith and why The Cure captured such a fanatical following. Enjoy!! Just don't think about getting old and losing your one true love.

Sunday Shuffle Review #1: Faces by We Shot The Moon

Well away we go. Now most of you probably have never heard of this band, especially here on the East Coast. I found this through my Emusic.com account. We Shot The Moon is a San Diego based indie band. "Faces"' is the fourth track from 2007's LP Fear and Love.

"Faces" has a decidedly RelientK/Blink 182 feel to it. It starts with a slow piano, string and vocal part that quickly accelerates and drops into the full band. The song keeps are really appealing groove, driven by the piano, accentuated by overdriven power chords. Musically, it is wonderful power/pop, with a great groove.

Lyrically, the song is only average. It speaks to the desire to make something special of your life.

"And if you slow down

could it ever be this fun?

in a small town
with no where else to run

give it time, figure it out

get in line, and narrow it down

you'd go farther then you ever thought you could"

While there is nothing wrong with this, frankly, its just plain bland, nothing special. In all, the lyrics are pretty forgettable

I encourage you to give this band a listen. There are free downloads of their upcoming album at http://www.weshotthemoon.com/. Check out their Myspace here for more details. Also, check out this interview from HopeCore magazine.

I'm Back

Well I let this blog slip. I got lazy. No other good excuse. So now I'm back with a new resolve and some new features coming. The first is a regular post starting today called Sunday Shuffle Review. I'm going to but the iPod on shuffle and review whatever song comes up first. Should be interesting. I have some pretty random stuff on there. Let me know what you think.

making progress

we are well under way!! we hit the road at 5:30 and just crossed the New York border. continue to pray for us. We will be posting some pictures and further updates later. God bless!

Driving to Tornoto

I will be driving to Toronto tomorrow (Thursday) for the site visit for the mission trip Robin and I are leading this Easter. I will be mobile blogging over at the Mission Trip blog here (http://tkcstoronto09.blogspot.com/). Check out any posts over there. Unfortunately, blogger only lets you choose one blog to mobile blog to at once so I am choosing the Toronto blog for this weekend. I will be driving up Thursday and driving back Saturday.

Hanging out at Borders

Robin and I are doing our usual Sunday night chill out while the boys are at church. I just read about the new U2 album coming out which I am pretty excited about. then I realized that tomorrow is a day off from school and I smiled. It is little stuff like that that makes life interesting.

Penn Jillette talks about an encounter with a Christian

Penn Jillette is best known as the talking half of the very funny comedy duo Penn and Teller. He is also a fierce atheist. Here he tell the story of an encounter with a Christian that illustrates the importance for Christians of loving those that disagree with us and even mock us. Oh, and wow, does the camera angle amplify the "eww" factor of the hair style!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM

That Mitchell and Webb Look

I found these clips from That Mitchell and Webb Look, a British sketch show. This show is freaking hilarious. Is there anything greater than a British sketch show (besides Jesus, my wife and my kids of course). Enjoy this one. I love the slam on the "we" of sports fans. "We won last night." "We should trade so-and-so." Its one of my pet peeves. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN1WN0YMWZU

Creation Festival 2009

It looks like we are headed to this year's Creation Festival. I volunteered to work at it, which should be pretty exciting. We have a friend running the Fringe Stage so I am hoping to get assigned there. And, we might be getting an RV for the week so no more sleeping on the ground. Let the kids do that, I've earned a mattress and other comforts. Anyone planning on going, let me know. We can make our site a gathering for TKCS.

Video promotion is here.  Couldn't get it to embed.  Maybe someone could help.
http://www.videorocket.com/creation09/1766872

NBC doesn't want you to see this

NBC has refused to sell the time during the Super Bowl for this commercial.  It is phenomenal.

New Year's Resolutions, sort of

Ok, who am I kidding.  These aren't quite resolutions, that's way too much pressure to actually, I don't know, follow up on them.  Think of these as New Year's Best Attempts.  So here's my list:

1. Spend way, way more time with Robin and the boys.
2. Be there. I know what that means, that's all that matters.
3. Post more than last year.  I've been way too slow in posting here to the blog.
4. Exercise.  Last year I dropped almost all the weight I was trying to.  Now it's time to actually get in shape.
   
5. Keep up with lesson plans and grading.  Man, I get lazy sometimes.
   
6. Play guitar regularly with a group of other musicians.  Frankly, I typed "Join a band." But it looked real sad coming from a 41,  almost 42, year old.
   
7. Pray for preaching opportunities.  I miss it.
8. Write a detailed study of 1 John.  I've been reading this little book and want to swim in it.
9. Read a book at least every two weeks.
10. Get to the darkroom a few times.  I have a bunch of negatives to print out

Comments anyone?