Contemporary Christian Music

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I absolutely love the new cd by Casting Crowns. You’ve probably heard “Who Am I” on the radio a lot lately, but the entire album is awesome!

As far as Catholic artists, I read in Catholic Digest that one of the members of The Newsboys is Catholic.
 
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j9house:
I absolutely love the new cd by Casting Crowns. You’ve probably heard “Who Am I” on the radio a lot lately, but the entire album is awesome!
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I agree!!! I used the song “The Voice of Truth” in my praying moms group.
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Thanks for the info on Catholic artists- I will have to checkout Mullins, Lampa, & Newsboys more closely! 🙂

When I first started listening to CCM, I loved it when I would randomly think of or hum a song while mowing the lawn or cleaning the kitchen, etc… It was like making the whole day a prayer. I will never go back to mainstream top 40.
 
My favorite as a teen was Degarmo & Key. They opened up for Petra alot.

Funny, the lead guy was Eddie Degarmo–I spoke to him a few times and have his autograph. I didn’t know until after American Idol was over that the runner up, Diana Degarmo, was his neice.

🙂
 
I grew up surrounded in mediocre Christian music. A lot of the CCM out there is is like country music, with Jesus added in, saccharine sweet, hook laden, formulaic drivel.

Sorry for not sounding so positive there, but hey, I’m being honest.

But I found out that there are Christians who are musicians, artists, songwriters, that don’t follow the middle-class suburban american version of what it means to be a Christian and to make music.

I found out about Mark Heard, The Call, The 77s, The Choir, Daniel Amos, The Lost Dogs, Adam Again, Steve Taylor, Tonio K, Sam Phillips, Victoria Williams, Vigilantes of Love, and many many others. And I found all kinds of people who agreed with me that most CCM sucked, but that there were in fact lots of Christians out there making music that was creative, full of life, full of grace and truth, and mercifully free of the cliche and derivative musical stylings.

[sarcasm: on]

Hey, Check out “God’s Gift”, the new band on Word Records, it’s sort of a Van Halen meets Boston Meets Jesus. They have this great song called, “Rock for Jesus”, it’s so cool. Like apparently, the guys in the band used to drink and smoke,but then they met Jesus, and he like totally turned their lives around, and now they have this great ministry. It’s just like so totally awesome. God is so amazing, like. Their lyrics really minister to me.

[sarcasm: off]

Okay, I’m back. It was one of the two great awakenings of my life; that something didn’t have to suck just because it was Christian. The other great awakening was converting from protestantism to Catholicism. In fact there are many parallels between the glib evangelical zeal of cheezy CCM and the shallow [but well intentioned] worship of the evangelical churches.

A great place to find out about all the really GREAT alternative [non-crappy] Christian music out there is the Cornerstone festival, held outside Chicago every year. That’s where I got most of the best CDs.

The must-haves are Mark Heard, the Choir, and The Lost Dogs. Mark heard died 11 years ago, but he left behind the most amazing music, it still lifts me out of myself, breaks my heart, and wakes me up, every time I listen to it. His songs are like the cries of David in the psalms. A man who prays like it mattered, who isn’t sure if God is listening or not sometimes, but still has the courage to cry out to God, unafraid of admitting that he’s drowning in doubt. That kind of honesty speaks to me. Why? I don’t know, it just does. It’s the same reason that I love the psalm De Profundis (Out of the Depths have I cried unto thee Oh Lord…)

Warren
Toronto Canada

P.S. Rich Mullins was a wonderful guy, a great musician, and a man with a growing love for the whole of the Catholic faith. Had he lived a little longer, I think he would have made it all the way home. He had a great devotion to St. Francis, and his view of the Church, and of theology, was developing very strongly towards Catholicism, in his last years.
 
Bonaventura, thanks for your frank post. I also find that most Christian music… well, it stinks. 🙂 Cheap immitations of “real” artists who are actually good at writing music and lyrics.

I definitely own my fair share of Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, DCTAlk, Point of Grace… and I still do like SOME of their stuff, but my collection comes from a time in my life when my world was engulfed by a conservative evangelical protestant mindset. I have found as delve deeper into the Catholic Church I have less fear of experiencing “real” art, music, movies etc. And I have more appreciation for artists like Bono of U2 who is a Catholic but doesn’t paint himself into a corner by only playing CCM. Instead he reaches MILLIONS because 1) he’s talented and writes good stuff and 2) his lyrics don’t preach but are INSPIRING.

As far as Christian music goes I like to have a worship CD or two laying around, but for the most part I go for excellence over conformity… when a Christian artist is really good enough that I like them better than Cheryl Crow, John Mayer, DMB, Elton then I’ll listen to them. But if not I don’t try to shield myself from the wonderful real world of music! God has so blessed our world with incredibly talented musicians… and many of them aren’t Christian!
 
What is worse than the music? The radio stations! :eek:
The stations tend to be MORE like Top 40 versions for Christian music.
I get tired of overplayed songs, and why can’t program directors take the music in their own hands!

Our station here WFHM started in July 2001, and they still call themselves a ‘new’ station in Cleveland! Plus, the majority of the songs they play are STILL the same songs they played 3 Years ago!
They rarely play songs with a variety or anything from the 80’s or the early 90’s.

It is sad that the Christian radio format can’t be a bit more creative and unique to present themselves just as unique as Chirst did in His ministry.

go with God!
Edwin
 
There are so many styles of music to choose from in Christian music. I would rather have my 3,5,8,and 10 year old kids singing along to something about Jesus than the junky lyrics in main stream. In fact, when my girls 8,10 find something on the radio, we talk about what the song is saying and they realize that it’s junk most of the time.

They like Jump5, ZOEgirl, Joy Williams, Rachel Lampa, Nicole Mullins, Ginny Owens, Plus One, Stacy Orricho, Bethany Dillon.
MaryMary.

I like lots of stuff: Jeremy Camp, Third Day, OC Supertones,

Other great ones: Big Daddy Weave, FFH, Casting Crowns,

So much great stuff. Makes me wonder what dissenters are listening to!
We have a local station YES FM. 89.3 out of Toledo, OH.
Very good.

No matter what your kids like in main stream you can find it in Christian.
Try looking at Plugged In through the Focus on the Family web site. They do comparisons of main stream to Christian groups.
 
Well, I guess I am not into sophisticated “real” art- I just like music that is positive and uplifting. I agree with the above post that there are so many varieties and styles of CCM that everyone should find a niche. And the idea that CCM musicians are not real artists is really a myth- look at the number of cross over artists are successfully hitting the mainstream in recent years.

As for the medicre radio stations, maybe you could suggest some improvements. Our local station has an “oldies” segment a couple of times during the week during the drive home. They also have an “edgy” program on Fri. for teens/young adults- what I consider heavy rock- but I am 37 and not into that scene. Still, I see the value for young people who are and can still have quality, Christian music.

I am not saying I never listen to mainstream music (I still have some old CDs)- but the top 40 radio I don’t tune into- I knew it was getting bad a few years ago when I had to closely monitor (I am a teacher) what the lyrics were saying “B----” was one where I’d run over and change the station! Maybe you don’t have kids at home, but why would I want my kids to be subjected to that when they can they can sing along with SONICflood’s “I can sing of Your love forever”??

Just my 2 cents :twocents:
 
I was just thinking about my FAVORITE type of music and was pondering dropping by (since I hardly ever drop by anymore), and ask you people which Christian artists you like? Some of my faves are Natalie Grant, Ginny Owens, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sara Groves, and many more. Who are some of yours?
 
Caedmon’s Call, Iona, Neal Morse, Delirious?, Margaret Becker, Rachael Lampa, Kevin Max, Rebecca St. James, Randall Goodgame, The Stoneleigh Band, Jars of Clay, Phil Keaggy, Maire Brennan… And many more (including Natalie Grant)…

Grace & Peace
 
I have a suggestion for one of the greatest Christian/Catholic bands of all times…The Dameans…they are totally awesome.
 
Brooke Fraser is a very talented young Kiwi Christian musician. I saw her in concert a week ago and she’s great live as well. Apart from Brooke, the Christian artists I mainly listen to are Lifehouse and Relient K.
 
Audio Adrenaline (i think is Chrisitian), Switchfoot, Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, and Out of the Grey are all amazing Christian bands as well!

God Bless–JMJ
Laura 🙂
 
+JMJ+

I love many of the artists on Catholic Jukebox on EWTN Online. You can play many of the songs that had been aired on previous shows.
 
The Showdown, Norma Jean, As I Lay Dying, Soul Embraced, Living Sacrifice, Aletheian, Underoath, Haste The Day, Bloodlined Calligraphy, Demon Hunter, Matt Maher, Backyard Galaxy/Bob Rice, etc…mostly metal.
 
Hi,

Because I have been finding secular rock/pop music a little boring with a few exceptions, I have been listening recently to Christian Music Radio (CMR) through the internet using itunes. There are some cool and fresh sounding bands in this genre such as Staple, Anberlin, and Grand Prize. Any other choice groups you care to share about or some cool modern Catholic groups out there?

This seems like it could be a light and fun topic here.

God Bless,
 
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