I love Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon) and the music he creates.
It’s so relaxing and gives me inspiration while writing, studying, creating.
So, I was extremely excited when he released his entire self-titled album to YouTube in video playlist format.
You can view one of the videos below, and the entire playlist here.
Total time is 39:59 seconds, but it’s totally worth it.

I love music.
From touring with a band, playing shows, to sitting with my iPod.
It’s so refreshing.
Music just stirs the soul. It’s remarkable.

So, with that, here are some of the songs I’m enjoying at the moment:

Eminem, Lighters, featuring Bruno Mars & Royce da 5’9 (covered by karminmusic)

Face to Face, I Want (Live)

John Mark McMillan, Death In His Grave

John Mark McMillian, Daylight

Yellowcard, For You And Your Denial

What are you listening to right now?

I love music.
From touring with a band, playing shows to sitting with my iPod.
It’s so refreshing.
Music just stirs the soul. It’s remarkable.

So, with that, here are some of the songs I’m enjoying at the moment:

David Crowder & Daniel Bashta, “Like A Lion”

Bon Iver, “Calgary” (Snow Panda Remix)

Imogen Heap, “Hide And Seek” (Murdok Dubstep Remix)

Listener, “Wooden Heart”

Gym Class Heroes w/ Adam Levine “Stereo Hearts”
(this isn’t GCH, but I liked the acoustic version these guys did)

What are my late night people listening to? (include a link for me to check it out)

Jason

So, it’s kind of a dead week here around the office/blog. People traveling, taking time with family, etc. So, I figured I’d do a favorites week to wrap up 2010 as we gear up for what looks to be an exciting 2011. Figured we’d kick off this week with Favorite Music/Bands. My music taste varies from year to year, but here are my current favorite bands I’m listening too now:

• The Cure
• The Dear and Departed
• Gungor
• Anblerin
• ACDC
• Copeland
• Steve Miller Band
• David Bazan
• Lagwagon
• Listener
• Matt Kearney
• Tom Petty
• Shad
• The Get Up Kids
• The Roots

Your turn. Who are you listening to right now?

*jdel

Well, technically… they have to be plugged into something to record it, but you get the idea. Our musicians are in the process of laying down some acoustic versions of the songs we do here at Forefront. They are extremely talented and I cannot wait to share the completed project with all of you guys… for free. We’re just going to make these tracks available via the podcast, once completed.

To subscribe to the Forefront Weekly Podcast podcast via iTunes, just click here. To listen online, click here.

For now, check out Justin, Erwin, Ken, and Jessica (in the make-shift vocal booth) recording the hot jams. Oh yeah, and Steve is the sound guru making it all happen.

[ht: the pez]

I love Beck.
He’s odd. strange. artsy. talented. I love it.
But this project is great, and Christians can learn so much from it.
What if Christians turned from lone rangers into collaborative dreamers?
What would it look like? The local church? Communities? Families? Schools? Work?
I pretty sure we’d see much of the same thing Beck & Co. did…

A wildly exciting time of people getting together, sharing life, and watching that expression of life bloom into something that no one could contain.
All the while God looks on smiling.

What’s your dream?
Let’s collaborate.  It’ll be beautiful.

Jason *over and out*

Very few people know, but I’m a HUGE fan of spoken word.
It’s possibly one of my favorite forms of art.
I have dozens of pieces written.
But… never have performed a single one. I’m a total scaredy cat.
Yep. I said it. No shame in my game.
But, I’ve been vibing to a group called, “Listener” lately.
They’re amazing. Check it out:

What about you?
What’s a hobby or interest no one knows about?
It’s time to open the flood gates and let people know!

Jason *over and out*

• “Far Away” by Lecrae
  This was totally me. For a long part of my life I didn’t think God was close, near, or wanted to be a part of my life. At some moments, I wondered if He even existed. This track reminds me that God is real and active.
• “Out Of The Ground” by John Mark McMillan
  When I listen to this song (which he is an amazing song writer by the way) I feel the hand of God. He reached in to a pretty dark time in my life and began pulling me out of the mess I was in. I didn’t always acknowledge it. But He was moving me in huge ways.
• “These Hard Times” by Needtobreathe
  As I began to follow God, I kept blaming Him for things. I thought it was His fault I was in messes. His fault I made mistakes. Eventually, I learned it was my foolish choices and childish actions that led me into the places I found myself. This song reminds me there is something brighter. Hard times are not the end.
• “We Will Worship You” by Carlos Whitaker
  This one is new to the list, but for good reason. The chorus. It breaks my heart. As it should. Following God should not be, but sometimes does get in a rut. I find myself in the same groove, believing I’m moving, but sitting still. The chorus wrecks me. And when I play it for others, it wrecks them too (in a good way).
• “Glory Screams” by Revolution Worship
  I love this one. Screaming rises over everything. It shuts down children in chaos, is heard over large crowds, allows a voice to be heard. Thinking about God’s power/grace screaming out to the world (not in a hateful way, but just so everyone can hear) is so cool to picture. And I try to live it out daily.
• “Break Me Down” by Tenth Avenue North
  Sometimes I just need to be broken. I get all puffed up with pride, ego, etc. Love the words to this song.
• “Change The World (Lost Ones)” by Anberlin
  Every time I hear this song I literally feel like I’m a part of an army of superheros who could take over the world. The great part is, through God, we have a Spirit of change and power. Sah-weeet!
• “Alive” by P.O.D.
  After my brush with death in a pretty bad car accident, I cherish the message of this song daily. Life is so short and I live in the moment.
• “Control” by Mute Math
  I struggle with control as I “live in the moment.” I try to make things happen in my world. Fortunately, I’m learning more and more that God’s movement trumps mine every time. I’m becoming a better listener.
• “Secret Of The Easy Yoke” by Pedro The Lion
• “Hard to Be” by David Bazan
• “In Stitches” by David Bazan
  I have  a love/hate relationship with this section of the playlist. They are songs that talk about the struggle to follow God, his existence, whether or not He is truly perfect, and whether or not anyone should even follow Him. David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), was a fully-devoted follower of Jesus, hit some hard times and rough patches in life, struggled with His faith or lack there-of, and is now in a rocky place. These tracks remind me of the people who walk through the doors every Sunday. The men and women I speak to out in public. The man I used to be. I need songs like these to remind me who I was, where I came from, and the people God has placed in my life to share Jesus with. These are my anthems of “the least of these.”
• “Dare You To Move” by Switchfoot
  I am a man of action (sometimes when it’s convenient for me). I need to move because He tells me too, not because I’m waiting for the right time.

(word cloud of playlist lyrics done in Wordle)

Music for me has always been a mile marker.

• My bus driver listening to “Broken Wings” by Mister Mister on the way to school.
• Listening to the drums kick in on “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins as I rode with my dad in his old Mazda truck.
• Rockin’ to “Pump It Up” by The Fat Boys as I learned to do animation in art classes.
• The first time I saw 411 Skateboard Video Magazine and saw the East Coast Section with “9th Wonder” by Digable Planets.
• Hiding by Mom’s copy of Madonna’s “True Blue” album and wondering about girls for the first time.
• Unfortunately being seduced by corporate America and being stoked to open up New Kids On The Block debut cassette.
• Reaching high school and coming into contact with all kinds of new old different and amazing styles of music.
• Then living out teen angst and subculture attending shows where anthems rang out and were sung loud.

It’s unreal.
Music marks moments in time for me.

• Like sitting in my room and listening to “Praise You In This Storm” by Casting Crowns. Literally 81 times continuously until I could finally get off my floor after experiencing the loss of our first child to a miscarriage.
• Or when my wife and I met, the song playing in the background the first time we kissed was “Brightest” by Copeland.
• Every time I hear Color Me Bad, I just give my wife the look… and… well… you know… (enough of that).

Music is a way to stir emotion, tell a story, release your feelings, worship, get out aggression, unwind & relax, entertainment and sheer enjoyment.
Music is an expression of the soul.
God created us to worship.
It’s part of our DNA.
And the playlist I shared in the previous post tells a story.
It’s my story. It’s your story.
And we’ll kick off with track one next time.

Jason *over and out*

About six months ago I was cleaning out some boxes and found a regrettable disc buried deep in the clutter. I’m sorry Bobby Brown, but I’ve now since thrown away your CD, “Don’t Be Cruel.” It wasn’t cruel to me back then, but now- my ears just can’t take it. I’ve grown, my music catalog has grown. I’m not the same love drunk teenager I once was. I had to lay you to rest (and I’m better for it).

I brought this unfortunate incident up to some friends and began the dialog of “If our personal music changes, evolves, and gets refreshed over time… Do you think our worship to God in song also changes?” I think this is a great thought. I would answer yes. If you are singing the same thing to God you sang to him 20 years ago- it’s time to move on.

Yeah, you can revisit it from time to time, but it’s time to get a new song. The Bible even talks about this idea… In Psalm 33, verse 3, the writer encourages us to, “Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully, shout for joy.” The play skillfully idea of being excellent and having great musicians is another post entirely, but let’s embrace this encouragement to “sing to Him a new song.”

The musicians that have been at God’s church at Forefront have composed some GREAT songs. Songs that fit our culture and our journey with God. But, we’re not always able to write out exactly how we feel and put it to music. But not having the time or availability doesn’t give us the excuse to ignore the “new song” premise. So we’ve looked high and low, listened, researched, explored, and found a ton of music that speaks to the heart of God and the reason why his church here at Forefront exists.

So each week at Forefront we’ll be working through some new music and updating the catalog. We started a little over a year ago and the response has been great. Below is the set list from yesterday. I had multiple Facebook & text messages asking who wrote the “Amazing, Because It Is” song. It’s located below for your listening pleasure.

Enjoy.

My Hero by Foo Fighters
Lift by Joe Heilman
You Are Here by Needtobreathe
My Glorious by Delirious
Amazing, Because It Is by The Almost
First Day by Joe Heilman