Live Worship Set with my friends at World Vision

Pandora

I am excited to announce that my single, What You Do To My Heart, will be included in the Pandora rotation!  Things have not gone live yet but will be soon!  Thanks for all your support yall and keep on listening!!!

I Give Myself

Growth is good.  It's essential actually, but that doesn't change the fact that the process absolutely sucks sometimes.  I've found myself in one of those seasons.  I'm completely surrounded by so many amazing things, but in the midst of these blessings I am growing.  Some of this growth feels like fire burning my skin, when in fact it is burning away that which needs not be there.
This song is just a little peace of the process I'm in.

Love is Not a Fight (a Warren Barfield Cover)

I wrote a post a little while back about songs that just punch you in the heart, in a good way.  This happens to be one of those, for me.
Love is Not a Fight is absolute poetry that paints a picture of what love truly is.  It's not something we fall in and out of.  Love is not something that just happens because love, at it's core, is God.  God is a purposeful, creative Father, so why would we think love to be any different?  Love is not simply emotion, but an action that is demonstrated through peace, and pain, and joy, and sadness, and hurt, and healing, and so many other things.  Love is not something meant to be left behind.
I love this song and just had to do a cover of it, though I actually recorded it quite a while ago.  Time to revisit and share the fun!

Here is Warren Barfield's "Love is Not a Fight".

Lion Chaser: This is You

I'm back on the lions kick guys. I just can't seem to get away from it! And lets be honest, lions are pretty awesome. This morning I went through a box of books we've yet to fully unpack and pulled out my copy of Mark Batterson's "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day". I think I may have talked about this incredible read before, but whatever, it's totally worth a re-visit. The book starts off by introducing you to an incredibly powerful and courageous man, whose decision to chase fear instead of run from it elevated him to a position of great authority and influence. That man is Beniah, who went on to become one of David's mighty men I believe. (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong lol.)

The whole encounter described in Mark's book is absolutely epic and paints a picture for us of how we should trust God with our fear knowing that what's on the other side of that fear is breakthrough and blessing. If you know the story of Beniah, you know that he came face to face with a lion, on a day when the ground was covered in snow, and decided to chase the lion down in to a pit where he would kill it with his bare hands. This accomplishment, on top of a few other very noteworthy happenings, built quite the resume' for Beniah and scored him a position serving directly under King David. Had he chosen to run in fear from the challenges he faced, which would have been totally understandable and actually quite logical, he would not have seen the incredible blessing and legacy that God had for him.

So I guess I just want to ask what you're facing right now? What's your lion? And I want to encourage you because that lion staring you in the face does not own you. That cancer does not own you, that depression does not own you, that addiction does not own you, that broken marriage does not own you. You were created to be a lion chaser and are branded with the name of Jesus! His name is above EVERY name! His name is above the name of cancer, depression, addiction, and broken! His desire for you is not just "good" but "great".

Get ready lion chaser. Destiny is staring you in the face. Will you chase it?

His Presence Like an Ocean: Too Tired To Sing

There are some morning I get up and genuinely need a boost.  Not just from that first cup of delicious, hot, steaming, perfectly brewed, cup of coffee, but a REAL boost.  This is one of those mornings for me.  I've been running around like crazy with little time to slow down and rest at all.  This coming weekend will be one of the first weekends in the past couple months that I'll actually have some substantial chill time with my wife and daughter (and date night!).


So what do I do when I get to that point of exhaustion?  I press in.

When I feel that I don't have the mental, physical, or spiritual energy to sing I simply soak.  Some of my closest friends have heard me use this term countless times.


Soak: 1. to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid.

2. to penetrate or become known to the mind or feelings.


The incredible thing about God's presence is that it's actually tangible to us!  I've always loved the imagery of His presence being like an ocean, like water, and I'm often floating on my back near the surface when His desire for me is to just let myself sink in to His depths.


If you find yourself in that place today, where you are just tired, and you need to rest and soak in the amazing, healing, refreshing, presence of your Father then tune in to this video.  I've been a big fan of Bethel Church and the worship that comes out of that house, both musically and spiritually.  I love seeing the prophetic nature of His spirit come pouring out of His people as they worship and that happens in this video.  So sit back and let His water wash over you, drowning your exhaustion, refreshing and recharging your body, mind and spirit.


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Identity: Your New name

This morning was one of the first mornings in a long time that I woke feeling truly rested and refreshed.  It's been a bit since I've felt that way, mostly because life just gets busy, and crazy, and busy again, and then moves back in to being crazy.  It's crazy busy, so lets just say that I have a "bazy" life lol.

You probably know as well as I do that "bazy" living can get you distracted from your core (your core being Jesus).  You start taking a little less time each day to pray and ingest His word, and pretty soon you end up where I found myself.  Dry, dazed, frustrated, and tired.  I started falling back in to some old habits and was becoming more and more sick of myself until I finally just stopped liking myself all together.  I was completing losing sight of the fact that Jesus love for me is FAR greater than my habits.  I was forgetting that He calls me His and there is nothing I can do to remove that label from my heart.  I'm signed and sealed "HIS".

When life gets crazy it becomes easier to lose our identity in all of it.  So lets take a second to remember who we are.  To do this I want to share with you something I did about a year or so ago that completely rocked my world in the best possible way.

I was reading an AMAZING book, the first of 3 or 4 I believe, called "Soul's Gate".  In a nut shell, the main characters in this book are brought together by a prophetically gifted, wise, mentor for the purpose of training them how to intercede and war for the people around them.  The book paints an incredibly interesting portrait of spiritual warfare and what it means to pray.  There was a particular section in the book that really hit a home run for me.  Royce, the teacher, was training these 3 individuals to trust in God in such a way that they were doing some crazy supernatural things as they warred over the people God pointed out to them.  Part of their training was to gain an understanding and perspective on who they are in God's eyes.  Royce gives each of them a pad of paper and pen and then sends them in to the woods surrounding the training grounds telling them to ask God for a new name.  He sites the scripture in Revelation where it talks about the white stones etched with a new name for those who receive them.

Each of them are branded with a new name, a couple of them with more than one.  Why is this important?  Because the truth behind their identities came straight from the Father and when they heard Him speak, understanding that this identity could only have been given by Him, they experienced a drastic shift in they way their faith operated.  They started walking as the warriors God branded them to be.

I read this part of the book and thought Huh.  Why not me?  I immediately set the book aside, turned on some worship music, and started pressing in, asking God to show me how He sees me, and to give me a new name.  I guess I didn't expect him to answer right away, but he did, and with 3 names.

Joshua: This one struck me hard.  All my life, even as a little guy, the people around me have accidentally called me by this name.  i had a teacher in grade school that used to mix me and another kid (whose name was actually Josh) up all the time.  I never understood why until now.  This was a small whisper from God.  He has been calling me by this name my entire life and I never realized it!  Here's a little bit behind the name. Joshua was a warrior with extreme faith in the Lord.  A leader.  He was also the one God chose to lead the Israelites in to the promised land after Moses died.  God chose him to complete the promise He gave to His people.  He is a completer of promises.

Goku: Now this one struck me, but not in a good way initially lol.  I am a HUGE nerd and LOVE all things super hero.  I grew up watching a show called "Dragon Ball Z" which was about highly trained warriors defending the earth from all sorts of evil attacks and threats.  The main character, Goku, is an alien whose DNA causes him to become exponentially stronger when ever he his pushed to the brink of death.  This means that every time he's beaten, he returns 100 times stronger than he was before!  The name Goku also happens to be Japanese, meaning "Sky".  God caused me to think about this fact and recognize that the sky is a limitless expanse, and whispered to me "you are limitless son."  I still giggle at this name when I hear it.  The nerd in me just goes nuts! lol

The third name is one I'm going to keep to myself for right now.

Who are YOU?  I know this may seem "out there" to some of you, but what if God is just waiting for you to ask?  What if He is ready to unlock something in you and all you have to do is ask "Lord, what's my name?"  You already have identity in Jesus, so let Him love on you and unlock the things he built inside you!

Do I believe this is the only way to learn about yourself?  Absolutely not.  But this is a great way to be reminded of how much God loves you and to learn more about how He sees you!  Look through His eyes at the mirror and get ready!

Perspective: Creative Greatness

What does it really take to be a great songwriter?  Not just a good one, but a GREAT one.  I don't think the answer is the same for every songwriter.  Each of us has our own unique sounds and lyrical ideas, so it would be impossible for all of us to share the same idea of "greatness".  And let me be clear about the term "greatness".  I'm not looking at this through a "I wanna be gloriously famous and in the lime light for all of eternity" lens.  Greatness is not always seen by the public eye.
For me, being a great songwriter means looking through the eyes of someone else.  It means empathizing with what they might be feeling in their circumstances.  If it's pain, trying to understand it, crafting those emotions in to lyrics.  If it's joy, grabbing on to that, forming it in to a melody.

Much of the time we can become locked in to our own life experiences.  We forget that there is an entire world of creative inspiration right in front of us just waiting to be tapped in to.  So plug in!  Create a story line in your head, maybe even write it out, and then try to transfer it in to a song.  Use your creative muscles to break out of your usual box and try something different.

Here is a song I wrote back in 2009.  While the song sounds as though I'm singing from my own perspective, I actually wrote it with a dear friend in mind.  They were in the midst of a battle with their self image and the truth of who God created them to be.  I walked with them as a support beam, but it was hard to see them experiencing so much pain.  I imagined myself in their shoes, and composed this song.  Fast forward to today and I've found that this song rings truer now in my own heart than when I originally wrote it.

You and I: An Original Song by Zach Trandum (Featuring Sarah Trandum)

I have some pretty amazing people in my life.  God has richly blessed me with family and friends that have loved me enough to not only walk with me and rejoice in the good times, but to call me on my crap in the tougher times.  The single greatest, most amazing (and super hot) person in my life is my incredible wife, Sarah.  When I step back and look at the gift God gave me in her I am, quite literally, speechless.  And that's saying a lot because I like words lol.  This girl sharpens me, encourages me, challenges me, recharges me, along with so many other things.  And to top it off, just when I thought things couldn't get any better, she gave me a daughter.  Did I mention she's smoke'n hot? Cuz yeah, she is.  BONUS!!!!
Back in 2009, right when Sarah and I started dating, I was the worship pastor of a small church in Mount Vernon Washington.  Sarah would drive more than 2 hours to come visit me.  On one particular afternoon I was in the church neck deep in a songwriting session.  When she arrived I was getting ready to lay down a scratch track for my records.  Knowing that she's had quite a bit of musical experience and training herself, I asked Sarah to sing with me on the tune.  It took her all of 2 minutes to latch on to the melody, find the harmonies, and remember the lyrics.  I've been doing music for a long time and I still cant pick things up as fast as she does (kinda drives me nuts lol).
Well kids, this is the recording we did that day.  Nothing special at all about the production.  Its just the two of us singing live, worshiping God.  I sincerely hope you enjoy the tune!

Songs that Hit You: Nothing but the Blood (Featuring Julieanne Marie)

There are certain songs that hit you.  As you walk from day to day with the radio playing or your headphones in, marching along to your job, letting the sounds of your favorite band pump in to your ear drums, there will eventually be a song that, almost physically, punches you in the heart.  Maybe it's the lyrics that seem to be speaking directly to you and whatever circumstance you find yourself in.  It could be a haunting melody that moves you to tears.  It might be the ramped up energy of a chorus that boosts you as you push through the last mile of your morning run.  What song is it for you?

I had the honor of sharing the stage with a rising star, Julieanne Marie.  We didn't think we were going to have time to sing this song, but were asked to by the event organizer.  He'd heard us practice the music before things kicked off and I am SO glad he asked us to sing it as encore.

This is "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus".  What an incredible tune this is!  I don't want to say it's rare, but music usually doesn't strike me to my core the way that this song does.  I dig, and dig, and dig to find truly great music, great singers, and great songs.  This timeless song is an honest, outcry of the heart as it declares Jesus as the only source of life and strength.

I hope you enjoy this worshipful duet featuring Julieanne Marie (watch out for this girl!  She's taking off!!!)

Inside the Sprawling World of Christian Music Festivals

Brought to you by James Rickman on Papermag.

To the nonbeliever, Christian music festivals can conjure up lasers piercing clouds of weed-free smoke, Jumbrotrons flashing relentlessly positive refrains and seas of blissful arm-waving. How to get beyond the stereotypes if you're in New York, far from even the touring Christian festivals of early 2015?

As part of our "Do You Believe" issue, we wanted an insider's look at these massive gatherings. We also wanted to talk to some Christian rock artists who, in one way or another, had dipped their toes in the secular pop world. We called up four people: Colton Dixon, a 23-year-old Tennessee native who sang both sacred and profane songs during his fan-adored stint on American Idol; David Crowder, who injects a quiet sense of humor into his churning "Appalachians and Ibiza" sound and whose big beard, specs and trucker hat suggest Brooklyn as much as his native Waco, Texas; John Cooper, singer of the Memphis-based Skillet, which exists on a level of crossover success shared only by Switchfoot, P.O.D. and a few others; and Josh Caterer, a solo artist and worship director based outside of Chicago, whose band Smoking Popes was an early-nineties institution (see: "Need You Around" from the Clueless soundtrack) and whose subsequent band, Duvall, marked Caterer's rebirth as a Christian.

Read More...

Let Me Pray About It: The Excuse We Use to NOT Act

Harkening back to an earlier post regarding justice and our responsibilities as worship leaders, I wanted to make all my readers aware of a MAJOR need and heart breaking crisis.  And I'm not asking you to make the typical Christian excuse of "I'll pray about it and see if that's where the Lord leads", cuz lets be honest, that's a total load of garbage.  Nowhere in the God's word did He ever say to stop and pray about serving the poor.  He asks us to pray, sure, but that prayer was NEVER meant to be an exit door for us to get out of taking action.

1 John 3:17-18

"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

I'm not coming at this as if I'm above anyone here, I'm absolutely guilty of "the cop out prayer", I just want us to open our eyes together and stop making excuses for not making our love a thing of action.  So why am I so fired up about this today?  Well let me tell you...

In co-operation with the #WithSyria Coalition of 130 non-governmental organizations, scientists based at Wuhan University in China analyzed satellite images and have found that, since 2011, the number of lights visible over Syria has fallen 83%.  Yeah, lets read that again.  83% of the lights are out in Syria.

The reality here folks is that Syrian refugees now make up the largest refugee population on the planet.  Here is a little perspective on the massive impact this crisis is having.

Some of the worst humanitarian disasters over the past 20 years:

The Indian Ocean Tsunami impacted 5 million people.
The Rwanda Genocide impacted 4.3 million people.
The Haiti Earthquake impacted 3.5 million people.
Hurricane Katrina impacted 1.7 million people.

The Syria Crisis has impacted 12.2 million people.

Actual Impact of Some of the Worst Humanitarian Disasters in the Past Twenty Years - See more at: http://www.worldvision.org/press-release/new-poll-finds-most-americans-still-unaware-severity-syria-crisis#sthash.lMOlitBR.dpuf

Syria crisis: Impacted 12.2 million people

Indian Ocean tsunami: Impacted 5 million peopleExternal Link

Rwanda genocide: Impacted 4.3 million peopleExternal Link

Haiti earthquake: Impacted 3.5 million peopleExternal Link

Hurricane Katrina: Impacted 1.7 million peopleExternal Link

- See more at: http://www.worldvision.org/press-release/new-poll-finds-most-americans-still-unaware-severity-syria-crisis#sthash.lMOlitBR.dpuf

Syria crisis: Impacted 12.2 million people

Indian Ocean tsunami: Impacted 5 million peopleExternal Link

Rwanda genocide: Impacted 4.3 million peopleExternal Link

Haiti earthquake: Impacted 3.5 million peopleExternal Link

Hurricane Katrina: Impacted 1.7 million peopleExternal Link

- See more at: http://www.worldvision.org/press-release/new-poll-finds-most-americans-still-unaware-severity-syria-crisis#sthash.lMOlitBR.dpuf

Syria crisis: Impacted 12.2 million people

Indian Ocean tsunami: Impacted 5 million peopleExternal Link

Rwanda genocide: Impacted 4.3 million peopleExternal Link

Haiti earthquake: Impacted 3.5 million peopleExternal Link

Hurricane Katrina: Impacted 1.7 million peopleExternal Link

- See more at: http://www.worldvision.org/press-release/new-poll-finds-most-americans-still-unaware-severity-syria-crisis#sthash.lMOlitBR.dpuf

So what is it going to take for us, the ones who call ourselves followers of Jesus, to take action?  When I see the faces of these children, when I hear their broken dreams, I see the face of my daughter.

I see her in their shoes fighting for her life, losing what childhood she's had.  If these children were mine, how would I respond then?  What if this was your son or daughter? 

I'm asking you to put your love in to action.  I'm asking you to forget about politics.  Forget about any hangup or religious view and just see people.  See children who are desperate and dying.

The time to act is now.  Don't stop to pray about acting, just act.




Put your love in to action here...

Worship Music is Getting Dubstep'd & I LOVE IT

Dub step is one of those things that I think you either love or hate.  I once saw an episode of King of the Hill where Hank Hill asked his son, Bobby, what he was listening to.  When Bobby placed his, very 1990's, headphones on his dads ears Hanks expression changed to one of shock and horror as he exclaimed, "It's just a bunch of toilet noises!"

Well I don't agree with good ol' Hank Hill, because I have a special place in my heart for Dubstep.  This music not only has the ability to amp me up, I have a playlist I use when I go running, but also has served to help me focus and block out distractions.  Beyond that, there is an insane amount of creativity and musicality that is put in to this genre!  I would challenge anyone who airs on the side of Hank Hill to prove me otherwise.  The detail that goes in to something like this, without completely understanding all of it, has got to be insane!  If the artist is using samples of songs for their mix they have to often bend and re-tune it to fit the mix.  On top of that they have to understand how to work with waves.  Then there is the process of actually putting all of this together in to a product that thumps you in the chest like an external heartbeat.

Anywho,
I love Dubstep and I am EXCITED by the fact that some worship music has been getting a makeover.  That's right folks!  Worship Dubstep!  I recently came across a great YouTube channel that's specifically for showcasing the best in Christian Dubstep.  Check it out!

It's an Acapella Morning

If I don't start my mornings in a specific way my entire day can be thrown off.  I am one of those strange freaks of nature that actually really likes getting up in the morning.  The morning is quiet.  It gives me the chance to breathe and jump start my brain.  But more than that, it's a chance to start my heart.

I start every morning either reading God's word, or simply sitting back and soaking to some worship music.  There are times when I just need a few moments to sit and enjoy his presence.  This morning was one of those, and I decided to tune in to one of my favorite YouTube-er's, Sam Robson.  The guy is an acapella BEAST.

Here is the song that I've literally had on repeat for like the past 45 minutes.  It's been a total drink of water for me today and I hope it will be for you as well!





Whats your routine?  How do you get the juices flowing?  Coffee or tea?

The Northwests Harmony Sweepstakes Champs: Straighter Road

Being a student of Jazz and voice, I am intensely in love with great vocal ensemble music.  I'm admittedly pretty picky when it comes to listening to ensembles.  There are some truly great acapella groups out there right now, and I guess it's pretty cool that they can imitate exactly what today's top 40 pop and dance songs are doing.  But I don't really want to listen to a vocal copy of those songs.  My pallet craves new flavors of those tunes.  The Sing Off is a fantastic show that has showcased some great examples of vocal ensembles taking those songs and actually doing something creative with them.

Ok, all I'm really trying to say is that I know a good vocal group when I hear one.  So, right now, before you do anything else, you NEED to stop EVERYTHING and go listen to Straighter Road.  These guys are this years Harmony Sweepstakes Acapella Festival winners and will be traveling to San Fransisco in May to compete in the national competition.  Straighter Road, has a genuine, buttery sound that's infused with a passion to worship God.  Their songs and arrangements are truly creative and have never failed to make me stop and listen.

I'm honored, and elated, to let you all know that my mom sings in this group!  She's been one of, if not the biggest, influences in my life.  She's introduced me to countless styles of music and always encouraged me to pursue my dreams.  I am SO proud of you madre!

The groups founder, Kevin Kunz, also happens to be a good friend of mine and produced my single, What You Do To My Heart.  The guy's ability to write, arrange, and produce is just ridiculous!  Beyond his skill as a musician Kevin is a man that carries himself with humility and a heart that's hungry for the things of God.  He's said from the beginning that Straighter Road is for God, bent on praising Him, and loving people through the gifts they've all been given.

 

Via the Harmony Sweepstakes Website: Singing is one of the purest art forms. Nothing man made between the artist and the audience. Straighter Road was formed as a Gospel vocal group first, with a band back-up, and recently has ventured down the Acapella Road. The challenge of acapella sing is without edges and joined with the charge of spreading the Good News of the Gospel, keeps Straighter Road striving for excellence.

Throwback Thursday: Woo Hoo

Back in the day, when I was an awkward little band kid, with no wife to help him make better fashion choices, I was introduced to a little band called The Newsboys. To be totally honest I'm not the biggest fan of their more recent stuff but I continue to love their older tunes.  I was given this album by a middle school youth group buddy of mine and I pretty much played the ol' compact disc until it literally wouldn't play anymore.  I used to take this album along with me in my trusty Discman as I went rollerblading around my old neighborhood.  Oh yeah, 1998 was a good year, frosted tips and all.  Oh, and we had this----------->

So kids, in honor of throwback Thursday, here is "Woo Hoo" from the Newsboys 1998 album "Step Up to the Microphone".





What are, for those of you folks who have all the rad memories from our glory days, some of your favorite hits from 98?

When You Don't Feel Like a Leader

I don't know that there is a single leader out there, anywhere, that hasn't had multiple moments of feeling broken and inadequate.  Personally, I can attest to this sentiment and, to be open and honest, I still battle with this at times.  I am an imperfect leader with junk in his life.  But Jesus...
So how do we as leaders respond when we need to lead but are in that place of "I don't know if I'm cut out for this"?

Lets take a look at yet another entry from our friends at The Verge Network.  This is a fantastic article that will be sure to encourage you and hopefully equip you with some useful tools.


Exhausted by the struggle to have it all together? Feeling like everyone else has it all figured out but you? In this 5 minute video, three women have an open and honest discussion about what it looks like to be a leader even when you feel unready, inadequate, and far (oh so far!) from perfect.
Read More... 

Beyond the Christian Side: Worship Isn’t Just Music

I once read a comment, I think it was on Youtube, of someone scolding Brooke Frasier for leaving behind her Christian roots as an artist.  For those of you who dont know of Brooke Frasier you are seriously missing out.  As far as my knowledge serves me, she got her start as one of the worship leaders connected with Hillsong.  She eventually branched out and recorded some truly fantastic solo stuff, stepping in to the secular music industry for her more recent releases.  How is writing and recording secular music "stepping away from her Christian roots"?

Worship is so much more than just music.  It's more than "church music".  To be totally honest with you, I find most Christian music to be a complete and total snooze fest so when I find great music outside the realm of the "Christian" genre, I latch on to it very quickly.  But does writing and performing secular music mean your stepping outside of Gods annointing on your life?  I actually think it means the opposite.

Who was it that Jesus spent time with?  Did he only connect with the "church folk"?  I'll just let that question stew and leave you with this...

As a follower and lover of Jesus, wouldn't it be selfish to box in the creativity God designed in you?

Here is a fantastic article from Relevant Magazine surrounding worship leader, and songwriter, Misty Edwards.

Misty Edwards knows how to write a worship song. She has written a decade’s worth of them in her role as a worship leader at the International House of Prayer. But with seven traditional worship albums behind her, Edwards is exploring a different side with her new release, Little Bird.

Read more...

 

 

  

Thoughts on New Songs, Popular Songs, and Undiscovered Songs

Finding new songs (good ones) can be a big challenge at times... Ok, most of the time, at least for me.  The field is FLOODED with a wash of music from people just trying to get the right foothold.  So how do we search for and find new material?

Here is a great article from The Worship Community addressing this very issue.

Thoughts On New Songs, Popular Songs, and Undiscovered Songs - See more at: http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/thoughts-on-new-songs-popular-songs-and-undiscovered-songs/#sthash.91m7pxHF.dpuf

Thoughts On New Songs, Popular Songs, and Undiscovered Songs - See more at: http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/thoughts-on-new-songs-popular-songs-and-undiscovered-songs/#sthash.91m7pxHF.dpuf

 Thoughts on new songs, popular songs, and undiscovered songs.

Thoughts On New Songs, Popular Songs, and Undiscovered Songs - See more at: http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/thoughts-on-new-songs-popular-songs-and-undiscovered-songs/#sthash.91m7pxHF.dpuf

Thoughts On New Songs, Popular Songs, and Undiscovered Songs - See more at: http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/thoughts-on-new-songs-popular-songs-and-undiscovered-songs/#sthash.91m7pxHF.dpuf

Throwback Thursday: The O.C. Supertones

I was one of those kids who listened to things that most other kids my age didn't really dig all that much.  I remember bringing a Clark Terry record in to a jazz band rehearsal in middle school, so excited to share his "mumbles" style of scat with everyone.  When they heard it, I felt like I was being stared down by a Muppet.

 

While my band mates didnt get it, I still knew in my gut that I was falling more and more in love with Jazz.  As I continued my ravenous hunt for more musical deliciousness, I was introduced to a sound that combined some interesting things.  An old buddy of mine described it as Reggae being smashed together with Rock, and Funk.  He called it "Ska".  When I heard that, I'm sure I looked similar to a skeptical dog that was just invited to eat the left overs off your plate.

 

Needless to say, I had to listen, and when I did, my face about melted off from all the joy that was blasting my ears.

So here's to you O.C. Supertones.  I'm sad you guys aren't doing much these days but I've LOVED the incredible music you've given all of us. 

Here's my favorite album: