my top 15

I have compiled a list of my top 15 favorite albums. I don't claim that these are the top 15 albums of all time or anything like that (You'll notice some obvious omissions; there is no Beatles, U2, etc.). Rather, these albums are chosen because they are meaningful to me. They are all very strong musically although some have become stylistically unappealing to me. But they are albums that were played in my car repeatedly and are almost completely memorized.

15. "Loud and Clear" by the O.C. Supertones: This album has brought many smiles to my face and reminds me strongly of high school Christianity. I remember rockin' out to these guys in my car with my best friend Josh. We would take turns singing some of the rap/hard ska lines. If you ever want to be in a heartfelt good mood, this is my recommendation.

14. "I'm Wide Awake, its Morning" by Bright Eyes. Conor Oberst's tremolo voice would rise and fill me with unfounded political passion. It is not the best music in the world, but very well written songs and a unique approach.

13. "Under the Table and Dreaming" by Dave Matthews Band. In my opinion, this is Dave at his best. Good songs sung to excellent music that crosses genre boundaries. This album reminds me of all the high school Mississippi guys who would sit around playing Dave. If you are a musician and you decide to move South, make sure you know some Dave songs because your skill as a guitar player is decided by how many DMB songs you can play (I only know one).

12. "40 Acres" by Caedmon's Call. This was an early high school discovery for me. I like it because it is pretty good music with strong theological content...that is unusual. I have found the songs to be encouraging, honest, and catchy.

11. "Our Endless Numbered Days" by Iron & Wine. Very good album. I highly recommend the second part of this album (songs 6-12) as late-night-drive-around music. Sam Beam is a true poet as well.

10. "Control" by Pedro the Lion. This album, introduced tag-team style by my friends Eric and Nathaniel, played in my car for the better half of second semester of my freshman year. It is an epic album about the effects of sin. Forming the backbone of this group was artist David Bazaan. I was asked to comment on this unique individual for an article in the Daily Nebraskan. Read here.

09. "Deceiver" by Chris Thile. This album showcases the experimental song-writing of the child prodigy mandolin player for the pop-bluegrass band Nickelcreek. Every song is worth listening to and Mr. Thile plays all the instruments on the album.

08. "Tell All Your Friends" by Taking Back Sunday. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to this album. Stylistically, I have somewhat moved on from them. But it was, in many ways, the music of my high school experience. Memories of summer and driving and myself and Bekah screaming the words at the top of our lungs flood my mind. You can't replace that. This album definitely belongs in my top 10.

07. "This side" by Nickelcreek. The best of Nickelcreek in my opinion. The album has well-written songs and some of the most infectious melodies I've ever heard. Also, it is very well produced.

06. "The Animal Years" by Josh Ritter. I bought this album less than a year ago and I am still scratching my head as to how it has made it to a very coveted #6 position on my chart. It might have something to do with the beauty and subtlety of the whole album. The songs are well-crafted and polished gems that catch the spirit of a songwriter who seems both intimately brilliant and simplistic.

05. "Makers" by Rocky Votolato. Also introduced by Nathaniel Thompson, Rocky Votolato is my songwriter soul mate. Never have a I heard a collection of songs that comes closer than this at describing what I think true, good songwriting actually is. I loved it the first time I listened to it. If you don't have it, go buy it.

04. "Parachutes" by Coldplay. Who could forget the song "Yellow." This is excellent rock and roll music and Coldplay's best. We all now know that they will never be the next U2, but they are still epic.

03. "O" by Damien Rice. This album is a close second to "makers" in the area of song-writer inspiration. The best "recorded at home" album that I know of, "O" never ceases to move me. It is intimate and off-the-cuff and sometimes tragic. This is a CD case staple.

02. "Grace" by Jeff Buckley. This album is pure genius. It features a pretty good recording for the time period. Buckley's guitar skills and voice have moved me to tears on more than one occasion, especially on "lover, you should have come over". A common tragedy was laid in store for this young genius: drugs, alchohol, and an untimely, stimulant induced death in a tributary of the Mississippi River. Were he still alive, God only knows what kind of music he would be producing now.

01. "Transatlanticism" by Death Cab for Cutie. I just keep coming back to this one. It never gets old. It is excellent from the first sounds to the last. I usually can't bring myself to skip songs because they are all so good. I have been known to listen to this album 3-4 times in a row, letting it speak brilliance to me on road trips. One of the best features of this album is its flow. The way the songs are arranged reinforce themes as well as a pleasant musical journey. I didn't like it the first time I listened, nor the second. But somewhere along the line, I began to view this album as God's gift to me.

And there you have it. This was a hard post because I love so many albums. So I thought that I would merely list some that have also been very good in my experience.

Honorary Mention (no particular order)

"Blood on the Tracks" by Bob Dylan
"The Swiss Army Romance" by Dashboard Confessional
"Music for the Morning After" by Pete Yorn
"You should be living" by Two Thirty-eight
"Thought of Her" by Andy Davis
"She Must and Shall Go Free" Derek Webb
"Room for Squares" by John Mayer
"They're only Chasing Safety" by Underoath
"Nevermind" by Nirvana
"Michigan" by Sufjan Stevens
"Pretend Your Alive" by Lovedrug

We are "relevant" again

Indelible grace is the group of musicians that started re-writing hymns in Nashville Tennessee. It started very small but, eventually, these songs became the standard worship music for Reformed University Fellowship (RUF).

Recently, Relevant magazine interviewed Igrace worship leader Matthew Smith about the new/old "trends" in worship music. You can read the interview here. Matthew Smith is a great example of the style of worship being promoted by Igrace. Plus, he's just a cool guy (I know because several of us RUFers took him out for steak and beer after one of his concerts). Reformed Christians, especially the younger ones, seem to be catching the eyes of Christian media. Last September, Christianity Today released the article Young, Restless, Reformed. Read here. Both of these highlight the movement of young people toward the old dead guys.

The interest seems to be growing. RUFs all over the country are growing and new ones are being established. The time between the releases of new Igrace albums is becoming shorter (the next one is due this fall). There is a growing need, as Smith points out in his interview, for authenticity in America's twentysomethings.

Our generation, as every generation before it, is somewhat reactionary against our parents conception of experiential Christianity. We have grown sick of the need to just "feel" and experience. We want to grow in knowledge of why we do what we do. Grow in our conviction that Christianity is not just a happy or successful place, nor is it a get out of hell free card. Rather, it is something that is real, tangible, earthy. God is at work within the world he created and his chief goal is not to make us happy. We are part of something bigger than us.

I know it will be a long time before we will hear Poor Sinner Dejected with Fear on "positive, encouraging KLOVE." But lets work for it. We need to address the needs of our generation, and the needs are great.