My Favorite "M"s of 2009: Movies, Music, Memories

Wow, it's been October since I last blogged. That's a long time. My apologies. I've either been really boring, had nothing to say, or have wasted all my thoughts and happenings on Twitter. Actually, all of the above apply but I figure what better way to end a year of incessant blogging with my annual "Best Of..." blog where I tell you all about my favorite movies, music, and memories of 2009. So, let's go:

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MOVIES:

Favorite Movies of 2009:


STAR TREK - I'm not a Star Trek fan, but this movie was pretty spectacular. And, loving anything JJ Abrahms does helps a lot. casting was great and was far from "geeky".

Avatar - I wasn't gaga over the storyline (since it's one we've all seen before), but the visual "experience" in the theater is amazing. It's like Jurassic Park, Pocahontas, and Star Wars in a blender... in HD... and 3D.

State of Play - great acting, great story, and great twists. Definitely a drama you've gotta catch if you haven't seen it. The ending was really good.

Inglorious Basterds - in my opinion, Tarantino's best work. It read like a novel (that you watch) and had amazing dialogue (though there was often too much of it). I had no idea what would happen next and was not disappointed.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - well, I've got a soft spot of Marvel Comics, and although Wolverine is one of my least favorite of the x-Men, the story was great and tied in nicely with other Marvel universe stories and characters. Can't wait for X-Men Origins: First Class

The Hangover - this was funny. If not for the dirty pictures/scenes during the closing credits, I would have loved this movie, but I found them uncalled for. It would have been better if we were left not knowing what happened during the bach party. Zach Galifianakis is freakin' hilarious.

The Reader - although it was nominated for multiple awards in last tears' Oscars, it was still released in 2009. Kate Winslett had an amazing role and the story was excellent.

Honorable Mention:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
I Love You, Man
The Road

Worst Movies of 2009:


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - I don't even want to talk about this one. It was terrible. Terribly terrible. Even Megan Fox was terrible in every way. I still Ike Shia Labeouf, though.

Knowing - any suspense/action movie that Nicolas Cage is in is almost always terrible. the ending was really bad.

Adventureland - what I was hoping would be a funny flick turned out to be a depressing, annoying lump of coal.

Yet to See:
Up
Public Enemies
The Informant
2012
Up in the Air
Bad Lieutenant
Crazy Heart

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Music

Favorite Albums of 2009:

Seabird - 'Til we See the Shore
Though none of these categories are in any particular order, this was easily my favorite album of the year. Like a non-depressing 'Copeland", Seabird have fantastic melodies, groove, and catchy pop-tastic songs... all lead by piano. The title track is on non-stop on my iPod.

Derek Webb - Stockholm Syndrome
I will admit it. Derek Webb's twitter ramblings about this new record had me scouring to follow its release over the net. Yes, it was self-hyped but I still love it and is unlike anything he's put out before. Derek Webb is constantly changing his sound, and this one was particularly welcome.

Future of Forestry - Travel: Vol. I & II
FoF released two 6-song EPs this year so I'm counting the first two of the 4-volume manifesto as one record. I followed the process of this record and it's seriously great. Especially since The Myriad hasn't released anything in what seems like forever.

MuteMath - Armistice
awww, the long-awaited followup to MM's self-titled release. I wasn't disappointed. Production is great and although their style may have sightly changed, the sound didn't and I love this record.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon
It's U2. Have they ever put on out a bad record? Yes, I'm including POP. I loved POP. It took me a while to dig this album, but once I did, I had to go see them live. So I did. It was awesome.

Paramore - Brand New Eyes
I though Paramore's record would be more of the same pop-punk from RIOT!, but they added some styles and sounds you wouldn't find on any other Paramore release. It's a good'un.

Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
The production on this album is fantastic. And while it's not as good as 'Breakaway", it's leaps and bounds better than "My December"



On the Fence:


John Mayer - Battle Studies
it's not that I don't like this album, it's just that's it's so much different than JMs other records. It's a lot less blues/rock and a lot more 1970s rock/pop/ballad. Most notably, it's a lot less memorable for me. There are still some tasty tracks, though.

Christy Nockels - No Not One
I like half of the album. The other half I dislike. A few choice songs, Nathan Nockels' production value, and Christy's amazing vocals save this album from being a complete disaster

David Crowder Band - Church Music

Let me say that I don't hate this album. but I don't love it either. There're a few tracks I really dig but there are just more tracks that I disliked. I found it over-produced. DCB overuse a lot of sounds, tracking, and loops which take a way from Crowder's strong worship writing and instrumentation. I was hoping "Church Music" would explore a biblical or historical view of chruch music throughout Christendom. Rather, they just tried to make a record to please a few ears.


Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane

Most will agree that Switchfoot's best release was "The Beautiful Letdown" and while no one else seemed to like "Oh, Gravity" as much as I did., Swicthfoot's latest release didn't live up to either, in my opinion. That being said, it's the next best thing and there're some stellar tracks that I really dig.


Most Dissapointing (but not terrible) Albums of 2009:


Metallica - Death Magnetic

Metallica tried to get back to the "classic" Metallica sound/arrangement. They were close, but not as good as past releases. However, it's still far better than Some Kind of Monster. Far Better.. Lars turned his snare drum on and may have used a click in some parts.

Thrice - Beggars
I also followed the recording of this record via blog, but I wasn't pleased with this self-produced/self-engineered project. I especially hate some of the drum sounds and the song-writing has seemed to lose some edge to it.

Muse - The Resistance
Again, I don't gate this record, but if I wanted to hear orchestral music, I would have bought something else. Though I understand the musical genius of Matt Bellamy and Co., I just didn't "get" this record. Half of it is classic Muse sound while the other half is Bellamy showing of his classical piano chops and orchestral arrangements. I imagine it'd still be quite the sight to see live, though.

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Memories

- this year I got to see a lot of great concerts which included my first U2 experience, seeing rock-and-roll pioneer Paul McCartney, my favorite guitar-virtuoso Joe Satriani in his supergroup Chickenfoot (which, while kind of lame, also included RHCP drummer Chad Smith), and one of my childhood favorite bands in Stone Temple Pilots. I also saw OLP for the 4th time, Finger Eleven for the 5th time, and Sloan for the 2nd time.

- watching Noah grow from a baby to a toddler has been a cool experience for Catherine and I. He's a brave little boy and his vocabulary is amazingly extensive at this stage in his life; he's almost putting together coherent sentences. Almost.

- although the news of having another baby was initially frightening to Catherine and I, we made it a point to make sure we saw this as a blessing and something that God has intrusted us with. Though Noah is sometimes too full of energy, has his odd tantrum, and still has some issues with sleeping through the night, he's becoming more and more joyful to teach and parent each day. He's such a joy to us and we can't wait to have more of that in our lives as we await the arrival of another boy at the end of March.

- I'm still trying to come with grips as to why I'm still stuck at the same job after nearly 5 years. I still truly believe that God has a ministry and/or vocation for me on the horizon but I have yet to know what that is. Trusting and awaiting God's will for my life becomes the most difficult thing in my Christian walk, yet I see the foreshadowing in small ways on a daily basis. This year, I was really hoping God would provide me with a musical outlet that I'd be able to express myself with; unfortunately, that hasn't come. Although JSB has been a tiny bit more active then in years past, I still long to find a musical outlet God can use all of my abilities and gifts.

- In November, we moved into our first home and that was a story of God's timing, will, and love for us. Although it's hard to see some months where the mortgage payment will come from, we believe that God would not provide us with such a wonderful home and not provide us with a means to afford it. We found a home that met all our needs and wants in a home and for a price that only He could have blessed us with. The whole process was smooth and the situation was absolutely laid out by God's hand for us. We're always grateful for a roof on our head, but having one you own is that much more gratifying.

- our church has seen some great growth, both spiritually and numerically, which has been really needed and gratifying. The work our Pastor and leadership have put into making Lutes Mountain Nazarene a small thriving church is amazing. Though the church is in a financial tough spot, God continues to bless it in other ways and the church remains faithful to wherever He leads. We're looking forward to serving again this year and see what God has in store for us next.

- my dad retired from the Royal Bank after 37 years of work. That's quite a feat, espeically while doing it at only 57 years of age. To celebrate the momentus occasion Dad and I made a whirlwind trip to Toronto to watch a hockey game (his Leafs versus my Flames), visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, and eat at my favorite Toronto eatery, RichTree. It was a great weekend and I'm happy we got to spend it together. Dad was very honoured by our gift and had a great time.

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so that's my year in review. stay tuned for some more blogs soon, likely about Christmas and other goodies. I promise to do this more often. It's fun and helps waste a few minutes at work when it's not busy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Cambers family.
Jamie, Catherine, Noah, and Morris.

Moral Inspiration from my Homeless Brother

I’m sure most of you know some of the story about my brother, Mark, whose been living on the street for 14 years. But for those of you who don’t know about Mark, here’s a very small look into his story.

Mark is 29 years old, adopted three years before me. We’re not blood related, but were both adopted from the same agency in Halifax, NS. From a very early age, my parents noticed Mark was quite the angry and troubled little boy. Though he had a million dollar smile and playful attitude, he was always getting into trouble managed to always find himself in the wrong crowd. Or, maybe more appropriately, Mark was the wrong crowd. Either way, despite my parents’ never-ending love, care, and nurturing for Mark, he managed to find himself in and out of juvenile jails and children’s discipline homes. Mark couldn’t follow directions or take authority which made him a failure both in school and at home. As a child, he was violent (more verbally than physically) and threw uncontrollable tantrums when he didn’t get his own way. He was impossible to live with.

When I was 12, my family and I were on vacation when Mark decided he wanted to be dropped off at the closest bus station so he could leave home; he wanted nothing to do with us. I can’t remember the circumstances or why my parents succumbed to his asinine request, but he didn’t take no for an answer and we eventually landed at a bus station where Mark walked out of the car with a limited goodbye to hitch a ride with a trucker. He was 15 years old. I’ve only seen him 3 times within the last 14 years. Last weekend was one of those time and the first in 8 years.

I was in Halifax playing for worship leader Tim Milner on a worship-workshop tour. Though I’ve been talking to Mark over the phone more frequently over the past few months, Mark happened to be in Halifax that night so my father and I decided to take Mark out for a late supper. This is my experience:

Dad and I told Mark we’d meet him at McDonalds on Spring Garden Rd. As we approached the McDonalds, we noticed a man dressed in yellow rainpants, a dirty red hoody, stained white vest and giant backpack stumbling in the middle of the busy street. The man was obviously drunk as he meandered the busy Halifax strip. My dad pointed out to me that it was Mark. I couldn’t help but laugh as he yelled at people for money and played air-drums to his maxed-out cassette player. Mark hasn’t seen me in many years, so I figured I’d take advantage of the situation.

“Get off the street, ya bum!”
“F*** you”
“I mean it, get off the street.”
Mark finally locked eyes with me and stumbled closer. “Who the f*** are you to talk to me like that?”
“You mean you don’t know who I am?”
“No. Who the f*** are you?”
It’s obvious to me that even though Mark realized he was meeting with me tonight, he still had no sweet clue who I was, even with Dad beside me. I pointed at Dad and asked, “does he give you a hint?”
“No. I don’t know who the f*** that old fart is.”
“You don’t recognize your own dad?”

Mark squinted at Dad with glazed & dilated eyes. “Dad!”, he said and lunged in for a hug. Still, Mark looked at me momentarily trying to put together the pieces through his drunken stupor. Finally it dawned no him who I was. His jaw dropped, he covered his mouth with his hands and stared at me. It was one of the only times in my life that I’ve seen Mark vulnerable. Tears filled his eyes. He quietly stared at me for 20 or 30 seconds on the sidewalk until I finally ended the awkwardness with a hug. He was remarkably strong. Both his arms and back were pure muscle, which surprised me. He smelled of alcohol and dirty socks (which also didn’t surprise me). We finally ushered him into the McDonalds to get some food.

As Dad got him a Big Mac meal (to which he was very appreciative), Mark went on and on about how surprised he was and how much I’d changed. 8 years is a long time, I suppose. He hugged me over the table many times and even kissed my cheek and hands on several occasions. He began to tell me his reason for his Halifax visit. He had a friend who was going to help him with some “dental problems”. I was a bit perplexed because there was no way he could afford dental work with spare change and squeegee money. I can only assume alcohol, drugs and a pair of rusty pliers were involved.

The three of us talked for about an hour while Mark noisily ate his Big Mac meal. Mark never had great table manners and always disgusted me with the way he chewed with his mouth wide open. I digress. Having a conversation with a drunken, estranged brother is interesting, scary, and a bit embarrassing I will admit. But, I was surprised by a few things Mark shared. Let me share some tidbits of “moral encouragement” he shared with us through his drunken state... (*note: living on the streets for as long as Mark has is case for major potty-mouth. I've done my best to eliminate most curse words and replaced them with asterisks; this is a family show).

1) Street-smart people can be just as intelligent as book-smart people - I mentioned before that Mark never made it past Grade 8; he’s not a very smart fella. However, those who live on the street are ultra street-smart (especially 14-year veterans). I must mention that Mark has been everywhere in North America simply by hitchhiking and jumping trains. Everywhere. California, Vancouver, NFLD, Florida. Pretty much the 4 corners of Canada and the US (he even made it halfway to Cuba on a boat, but got turned around to a Miami jail). He has impeccable understanding of geography and travel. Also, he’s had guns to his head from drug dealers, been found overdosed in crack-houses, has some pretty bad teeth, been in and out of jail many times for many crimes, has been beaten up, and is infected with two of the three Hepatitis infections. I wondered how he’s managed to stay alive all this time. So, I asked. Mark’s answer? “I’m street savvy. I don’t f*** around.” Mark called himself street "savvy” which was not a word I thought I’d hear from his vocabulary primarily filled with four-letter-words, subtle asides, and the odd racial slur. "You've gotta know your s***, you've gotta know your friends, and you've gotta know your enemies. You need to know what you want, where you're going, and who you are. If not, you're f***ed. I guess that's applicaable for all of us. He ned to find ourseleves in God's plan, who we are in Him, and where he wants us to go.

2) Wanted by an unwanted God - “And you know what else? I think God looks after me.” Mark speaks of the time he “dropped his 40” while skateboarding. When it hit the ground, it didn’t break. Mark believes that was providential. Or the time he prayed to God for $20 to get something to eat and a couple in a van stopped and gave him a twenty dollar bill and told him, “Jesus loves you”. Mark admits, “I don’t believe in religion much and I don’t believe religion is good, but God still f***ing looks after me.”

But, despite a poor recognition of who God is, isn’t that true? No matter how much attention we’re giving God (or lack thereof), no matter how much love we’re giving him (or lack thereof), no matter the prayers we may or may not be offering, no matter the glory, honor, and praise He deserves, God still looks out for us. He still loves us despite our sin/despite our lives/despite us.

2) An emphasis on drugs, education, and dental hygiene – who says homeless drug addicts don’t have morals? Mark tells me that when he’s pan-handling for money, his message to young people who pass him by is: “Hey kids. Don’t forget to stay in school, brush your teeth, and where a condom. Just look at where it got me.” That’s humorous, I don’t care who you are but when you really look at this, it’s interesting to see that Mark is well aware of his state, both physically and mentally. While Mark is in full realization of his life and where it is, he says he still enjoys travelling and going the places he’s going. However, I believe he has the want and need clean his life up, but I think he lacks the will power to do it. He can look back at his life and pinpoint the moments that have changed him; he recognizes those moments as mistakes and wrong choices and wants others to recognize them as just that. Yet, he will not apologize for those choices.

3) We are who we are made to be - “I am who I am and I don’t f***ing care what people think.” Mark believes that. And while I tell him I believe it’s not who God intends him to be, Mark would never change because somebody else wants him to. Mark wants to change on his own terms, in his own time. Trouble is, I think his time is coming closer than he thinks. Mark thinks he’s invincible. He’s not. Neither am I. Neither are you. We live in an evil world and Satan is everywhere, ready and willing to attack and tempt us with whatever he can whenever he can. But, we need to be the people God calls us to be, not the people we want to be. We are created in His image. While Mark is proud of who he is and how far he’s come from, we (as Christians) need to be bold in who we are; how people see us. I am a Christian and I don’t care what the world thinks. I am who God made me and although I’m changing and trying to be a better person, I am who I am and God still loves me.

4) Doing what you love - "Whatever you do in your life, make sure you love it and don't f*** that s*** up". This was one of Mark's more sentimental moments at our reunion as he talked about how much he enjoyed living the lifestyle he's living. Not so much the addiction and physical condition he's in, but the traveling, exploring, people he's met, and places he's been. Even he admitted that you won't find many 29 year olds still alive who have been to as many places and seen as many things as he has. He's been to every Canadian province (excluding territories) and almost every U.S. state. He even ventured into Mexico and snuck on a boat going to Cuba, but was caught halfway and taken back to a Miami jail. He's escaped a drug-induced coma, been held at gun-point, witnessed a friend die in a car crash, and has had more warrants out for his arrest than Jesse James (mostly for petty misdemeanor offences).

But under the rough exterior, Mark hits a valid point here. I've blogged many times before abuot how God wants to give us teh desires of our hearts and that he's created us for His specific purposes. We need to enjoy and love what we do. Why? Because He's put us where we are for a reason. He's created us to His work. We cannot abuse or mistreat the blessings He's bestowed on us. We cannot mess up the will of God and its impact on our lives.

Let me end by saying this.
I do not condone my brothers' actions. I do not care for his decisions, his language, his lifestyle, or who he has become. I find it hard to love him. But I do love him. I believe that Satan has a tight grip on him. I believe there are demons that infiltrate his body and I believe they mock me. I often believe that Mark will never get to a place where he's healthy, whether physically, mentally, or spiritually. However, I also believe our God is bigger than all of those things. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that the name of Jesus alone can bind and render all evil in Mark's life. I hope you can pray for my family as we struggle to find meaning in Mark's circumstance. Pray for me as I struggle to believe he'll ever clean his life up. Pray for Mark. After all, under all the sin, swearing, debauchery, addictions, lust, stealing, violence, and countless other evil that takes place in his life, he's just like you and I... a child in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

"It's been a Long September and there's reason to believe..."

"Hi. My name is Jamie and it’s been over a month since my last blog". September has been one of the most exciting, memorable, and busiest months of my life. Every weekend I’ve been away, constantly busy, or trying my best to maintain sanity. As you can well imagine, it’s also been one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting months I’ve ever had. Where to begin? Well, why not start from the beginning.

I blogged here back in July about the return of my band. Not really a return, as such, but a rejuvenation. While we continue to write new material, think of new music, and start the recording process, we also got the chance to do something we haven’t done in months: play live. The folks at NYI Atlantic invited JSB to come out and lead worship for Sr High Camp at the Nazarene camp in Oxford, NS. So, my first weekend of September was spent at Big Lake Camp, not only helping provide worship, but just spending time with the students and making relationships. It was a great time and we had some good reflection from the weekend’s speaker, Luke Anderson. It was nice to get our feet wet and play to some folks that aren’t regular Spot attendees. We even got the chance to try out a new JSB tune as well as some new ‘covers’ which were all received.

The second weekend of September saw Catherine go to Ontario for some PRC training. That, of course, left me home with Noah. Catherine had never left Noah alone for that period of time before, so you can imagine we were both reluctant. But, he’s a great little boy and was well behaved for dad. Regardless, it was still an exhausting week as I both took care of him and had 3 playoff games in softball that week.

The next week was my much anticipated trip to Toronto to see U2 in concert. We left around 4:30am on a Wednesday morning and returned swiftly on Friday evening around 10:00pm. Upon my return, I was quickly thrust into more playoff softball games and into my church’s annual Spiritual Life Week services. Although it was a whirlwind trip, I had lots of fun with Ryan, Karleigh, and Kurtis and the concert was absolutely amazing. Even if you aren’t a big U2 fan, the stage itself was enough to entertain. It was an amazing spectacle and I can now die a happy man. (More photos can be seen here but here’s one of the four of us before hand and a great stage shot).




The next weekend, I played a Maritime Worship Workshop mini-tour that covered 4 shows in 3 days, in three different provinces. I was playing guitar for worship leader and Maritimer-gone-sojourner, Tim Milner. While attendance was not good for the services and it seemed we were doing more driving than playing, the music went well despite its expected rushed sound-checks and frantic band turn-arounds. I had a fun time playing and worshipping with other leaders like Loren Lewis and Dan MacAulay. I also had a few laughs at the expense of myself and others including the great sermon illustration, “… it’s like a baby falling off a change table and breaking both of its legs.”

This same weekend, on the Friday night, I also got a chance to see my homeless brother whom I haven’t seen in 8 or 9 years. This was a very interesting visit and was an emotional roller coaster for 1 hour of my evening. This deserves a blog in and of itself, so I will fill ya’ll in on that some other time soon, but I just wanted to fill everybody in on my busy September and talk about some other great things going on in my life. Until then,
Keep fit and have fun.

Great New Music

I think I commented a few blogs ago on what I thought of the current state of pop music. Even now, you’re hard pressed to find a trend-setting, mind-changing record come out that totally sweeps you off of your feet. Well, while some of these releases may not have changed my world of music, there have been a few that I thought necessary to mention; everyone loves a good listen every now and then. Here’s what I’ve been listening to lately and what’s been prompting me to write a bit differently and influence me as it pertains to recording the next JSB record.
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Thrice – Beggars

At first listen, “Beggars” is not your typical Thrice record. Although, you’ve got a light “scream” or “yell” here and there, Thrice haven’t completely left their post-hardcore sound behind. The prototypical pop-rock and Brit-pop influences have been subtly added to the familiar hard-rock/prog-rock sound in songs like “The Weight”, “Beggars”, and “Circles”. Add Teppei's soothing electric piano sounds, Dustin ethereal guitar textures and soaring melodies, layered vocals, and tight bass & drum grooves and you get a great body of work by Thrice whom also self-produced/engineered the album. Although I wasn’t as blown away with Beggars as I was the “Alchemy Index” volumes, Beggars is not a far cry from what you’d expect from the ever-evolving band of uber-talented Orange County countrymen.
Akthough I would never consider Thrice a Christian band, singer and primary lyricist Dwight Kensrue is open about Christian influence in his life. Again, Thrice's lyrics are immersed in a lot of biblical imagery and examples of Christ's teaching. "In Exile" hints has a Psalm-like longing for Jerusalem, "All the World is Mad" takes notice of man's fall from sinlessness to its loss of perfection, and "At the Last" seems to reflect teh thoughts of the Prodigal Son. Whether the lyrics are truly biblical annotations or not (I believe they are), the lyrics are just as thgouth provoking and true while the music takes you on many levels from loud to melodic ballad. While it sits second or third on my list of fave Thrice albums, I still reccomend it to anyone looking for seomthing loud, yet melodic and musical.

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mutemath – Armistice

Honestly, who wasn’t waiting for this record to come out? It’s been a long wait since 2006’s self-titled release. I’ve been following the various scattered vlogs, blogs, and youtube vids since the beginning of the recordings, and I’ve been anxiously awaiting to hear it. Paul Meany said two interesting things during the making of this record that made me question whether I’d like it not. First, he said, “Our goal is to embarrass the first record, that's what we're trying to do here, and I think we're on point to pull it off” then adding, “Anyone who thinks first album is perfect will hate this [new] record”. I quickly became cynical in the possibility that MM “sold out to the man” and made a record the labels and MTV-cronies would want while leaving behind the sound that make them who they are. I was wrong.
While some of Armistice’s song structures follow a familiar pop-formula, MM still take you to sonic territory that not many other bands do. I am certainly interested to see how some of these will be performed live; I don’t doubt they’ll deliver one of the greatest lives shows. From the opening statement of “set it on fire!” on the opening track “The Nerve”, MM light it up on every track. From a Stevie Wonder-esque “Armistice” to a jazzy “Pins and Needles” to the Brit-pop rip-off track “Goodbye” to the Radiohead-like outro in “Burden”, mutemath take you on a roller coaster of soundscapes. Though not extremely known in the mainstream, I can’t see how Armistice gets passed by for some Grammy nominations as this record has certainly surpassed their previous release and EP.

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Derek Webb – Stockholm Syndrome

This is another album I was following the progress on through Derek Webb’s Twitter account. What makes this release so interesting is the controversy that came along with it despite Webb being a well-known Christian song-writer and member of Caedmon’s Call. Derek’s INO record label wouldn’t let him release the album based on some controversial content, and some particular lyrics found in the song "What Matters More" (which contains the words "damn" and "shit" which, ironically, came from a popular quote by well-known theologian Tony Campolo). Derek and INO decided to agree upon releasing the record with a censored version after Derek took the liberty of making a digital copy of the album (along with other goodies) available on his website.
Lyrically, Stolkhom Syndrome doesn't stray too far from Webb's other albums where he often dances the line between what is spiritually acceptable in the Christian music market. Songs like What Matters More, What You Give Up to Get It (about the prominence of materialism) and Freddie Please (which is a response to anti-gay activist preacher Fred Phelps) contain material that often offend the squeamish of Christian cynics. Musically, however, Webb takes a 180° turn. Derek, along with co-writer and producer Josh Moore, trades in his guitar for midi controller, samples, techo-beats and many electronic sounds. While its boggling to imagine how Webb would re-create this album to his regular coffee-house crowd, Derek creates something really different and special with this album. There's a lot of toe-tapping grooves (Spirit vs Kick Drum) while also taking you on fragile soundscapes (The Proverbial Gun). If you enjoy blending sounds from the likes Radiohead, Wilco, and Muse then you might like Stockholm Syndrome. However, if you are hoping to pick up a singer/songwriter acoustic album from Webb, buy something else; this is not for you or the light-hearted Christian for that matter. Webb has some really challenging things to sing about, especially for the conservative dogmatist.

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Leeland - Love is On the Move

Leeland's debut album, The Sound of Melodies, took everyone by surprise with its mature worship-rock style of writing from a mere 16 year old Leeland Mooring. However, their sophmore album, Opposite Way, was mediocre in my opinion as they left a lot of their worship-tinged tunes behind for some straight up rock ballads (which are pretty good, mind you). Luckily, Love is On the Move returns to a more worship-centric genre and really create some great tunes including the hymn-like Via Dolorosa, Weak Man, and My Jesus.
Taking a familiar step with having well-known Christian-music producer Ed Cash come on board to engineer the album (and even help write a few songs), Leeland continue their quest to make great worship music while also entering the heights of great worship writers like Tomlin, Hughes, Redman, and the Neufeld brothers. This album is a great pickup if you liked Sound of Melodies, yet does bring some sparkle left behind by some great gems from Opposite Way like "Count Me In" and "Enter This Temple". I'm not overly gaga over it yet, but I've only given it one or two listens straight so the more I listen to it, the more the melodies will stick with me.

The Psychology of Guitar - Satriani

Back in '98 or '99 my friend Tim got me to watch a VHS video of "G3 Live" which featured guitar greats Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai. Since I had only been playing guitar for a few years at that point, the stuff these guys were doing was insane and I had never heard/seen anything like it. From that point on, I was hooked on "shred". Now, 10 odd years later, my tastes have somewhat changed, though I still love to listen to virtuoso guitar players demonstrate their licks.

Last weekend I saw one of my favorite guitar players in concert. Although not one of his solo concerts (which had Chad Smith of RCHP not been playing drums, I would have preferred), Joe Satriani was playing with his super-group, Chickenfoot. When you have a group of musicians individually in tune with all aspects of their instruments in one band, you've got to realize that there're going to be some jams and big solo time. Joe had that a few times, and it was fun to watch one of the guitar greats play his like crazy. The thing I like most about Satriani is not how fast he can move his fingers, how many notes he can play in one second, or what tricks and gadgets he uses to strut his stuff (although they're all great). It's his concept of music theory and his use of that theory (primarily, modes) to create some of the most unique melodies. Sometimes with great guitar virtuosos, you just want to hear the solos or the really fast stuff. With Satriani, its how he uses his guitar to sing the song, not just blow its socks off.

Songs like "Always With Me, Always With You", "Raspberry Jam Delta-V", "Flying in a Blue Dream", and "Starry NIght" not only have cool riffs and semi-regular chord progressions but they contain a melody heard throughout the song, but carry different modal forms that still carry the integrity of what's being 'sung'.

In the following videos (two parts, about 8.5 minutes each), Joe talks about two things that really interest me about his technique and that I really want to apply to my own playing. In the first part, he talks breifly about the "psychology" of playing guitar and how modes can really transport the "feelings" or "emotions" of your playing to the audience or piece of music. Up until about 5:04, Joe shows the many modes there are and he blends them together to make a really unique little jam. At around 5:04, Joe begins to talk about interactive emotions of playing. It's pretty cool...




In the next video, Joe talks a bit about playing "outside the box". That is something I've struggled with in my own playing. Primarily, most of my lead work is done either in church or with JSB where I don't get to explore outside of a major, minor, or even Aeolian scale (kind of a mixture between the two). But here, Joe gives some tips and ways to play outside the box without stepping on a melody or chordal structure. At times, you may have to change a progression slightly (like not resolving the root of chord), but by learning the triads and structure of how one or more modes work together, you can really explore the fretboard.

"out-side of the box"


This is obviously a video for guitar geeks and players who are really into the mechanics of music theory, but it's even just cool to watch him play a similar melody but in different mode to completely change a style or feel of a sound.

Rock on.

Arts vs. Ministry: Part 10 - Baby Blue Prints

So, it’s probably not news to many who know me personally, but Catherine and I are now expecting our second child. While it did come to us as a surprise last Monday, part of me said “it figures”. Another child was in our own plans for the future, but not this soon. At a point where it felt Catherine and I were making some progress on where our lives may have been taking us next, God throws us a curve ball.

He does that.

We to realize it’s just another part of the journey; another thing God is preparing us with. Another responsibility he’s blessing us with. He does that.

Of course, this is where the old adage “all in God’s timing” comes in. I’m semi-grateful for that because I'm always keen to understood His timing. I always thought that the whole desires of our hearts verse had a sense of immediacy to it. I was wrong. “Trust in Him and He will do this” does not mean God will provide my desires as soon as I find myself in a place of delighting, obeying, and pleasing Him. Rather, as you continue to read Psalm 37, the promise of God fulfilling your desires requires more thought and duty: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways…” ("37:7a"). I am impatient and sometimes envious of others.

I’m sure a lot of people share these same feelings, but when you see someone with something you like/love and want/need, and begin to long for it, that is envy. If it gets out of hand to where those things become something to replace more important things in your life, it becomes idolatry. For example, I’ve got a number of friends who are in positions or situations I wish I could be in. Either playing music for a living or are in a creative/musical environment that I wish I could be involved in. Sometimes I envy that. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I got asked by an old friend in Calgary to move there so I can be apart of a musical project. It’s with a country artist who’s expected to be the ‘next big thing’. A few months before this, it was suggested by another friend that I be apart of another musical project which would also require a move to Calgary. While that sounds fun and exciting, it’s another thing to get up and move my family across the country to an enormous city where the cost of living is 4x as much as it is here in Moncton. Even without these opportunities for me, Calgary seemed very intriguing to Catherine and I. Her sisters both live there, we have many close friends there from our University days, there’s more opportunity for Catherine in her field of work (at twice the salary), and we just love the city. I won’t even mention it’s the home of my favorite sports team. But is this what God wants us to do and where He wants us to go? I wish it were as easy to say “yes, we’ll move to Calgary and all our dreams will comes true”. But here’s where our struggle lies… Is God slowly and subtly showing us a new plan for our lives by tickling our fancies or are our own ambitions and desires overshadowing another plan He has for us? After all, God wants to give us the desires of our hearts… right?

Sometimes, it’s hard to see the things that you desire and long for coming to fruition in the lives of others. But, it’s no secret God has different plans for each of our lives. God knows what is best for our own lives and gives us blessing upon what we’re capable of handling. We are told to "guard well" the things God has entrusted us with. Blessing just doesn’t stop with what’s been given to us. We are also supposed to use those blessings to keep giving glory, honor, and praise to Him. I’ve always maintained that wherever He leads, I will be quick to follow. Whatever cards I’m dealt, I’ll play. Whatever I’m given, I’ll be happy with. It's hard sometimes, but I try.

While the prospect of another new human in the house and both exciting and terrifying, I cannot let myself believe it changes God’s plan for our lives. Rather, it’s another way that God shows us His good and perfect will for our lives. Another child further expands our usefulness for sharing God’s love and faithfulness. It doesn’t change God’s plan for us; it just alters our own view of what that plan is for us. I still believe the things we long for will come to fruition, but not in our timing, not in our desired moment, nor in our own blue-print.

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I must add, now that I've read over this, that I am not ungrateful or dissapointed with the arrival of a new baby no matter how scary and trying it will be. While I will not argue that being a parent is often frustrating and exhausting, watching Noah from day 1 to day 511 has been an absolute, pure joy and there's no explanation to how much happiness he brings to our lives on a daily basis. I can honestly say I look forward to see that happen in another child we've created and seeing God's process work in our ever-expanding family.

The Return of JSB?

Back at the end of June, I got together with my Jeff Somers Band-mates for a BBQ and “state-of-the-union” address. Basically, we wanted to re-evaluate where we were as a band and get a feel for everyone’s intentions for the band and where its importance lies in each of our lives. After some good food, good laughs, and a few memories, we sat down and discussed “what’s next for JSB?”

Without getting into too much detail, we thought it prudent to go back to the roots of what JSB was/is all about: worship. JSB grew out of a monthly worship gathering called The Spot where our sole purpose was to lead others into a place of intentional, spirit-lead worship. We all expressed our interest in re-visiting that and making the priority. Not that that purpose ever left us, but there was a time where be might've taken our focus off of the local church and try to take it elsewhere on our own accord. then again, we were blessed to have never pro-actively make things happen for ourseleves; God blessed us with many things: oppurtunities, gigs, relationships, finances, etc.

When our first record, The Origin of Moonlight, gained a bit of steam from local and national radio, we tried to push ourselves to really make thigns happen. But, after a few band-member changes, failed attempts to gain funding for another record, and committment/priority/family/vocation changes, we never fully got to feel the full effects of Origin's momentum (despite being nominated for a few CGMA Covenant Awards in 2006).

So, back to our BBQ discussion, we thought it might be wise to try and “start over” form where we began and focus back on the worship scene in our local church scene. And, hey, if that leads us to other places, venues, and experience then so be it. Also, we thought it’d be fun (and quite possibly necessary) to express ourselves creatively by writing and demoing for a new album. Sunny has quite the home-studio now and it will be our goal to use that space to demo some songs and take the journey to try (again) to make a record we’re all creatively, spiritually, and influentially responsible for. That excites me.

It's been about a month or so, and we've written about 3 or 4 songs (or song ideas). I don't have any capable recording devices so I've been using the mic on my iPhone to jot down some ideas and song-snippets. It's been fun for me because I feel that I've been so creatively drained over the past year or two that I've got plenty of ideas for possible new music. I'm not saying they're any good, but ideas none-the-less. While I also admit that I don't have as much experience/ability with writing as Jay or Sunny do, it's been nice to spread my wings and get some input from them on some ideas (and vice versa). I imagine it'll be a long process, but just the thought of writing another record excites me immensely. There's no pressure, no due-date, and nobody pushing us to get something finished, so I believe that really gives us the freedom and time to make great worship songs we enjoy playing and sharing. And while we'll use our rehearsal times to practice for The Spot (and any other worship oppurtunites that come our way), we don't have to put any pressure on ourselves to "make something happen" for JSB. We can let the spirit lead us wherever it wants to take us. I think that's an exciting thing.

Stay tuned and I'll keep ya'll posted on any updates on JSB-happenings.

http://www.jeffsomersband.com