Homestar Runner Wiki Forum

You have probably heard of new Christian rock bands and pop bands on TV and over the internet. I would have to say that it's a great idea that religion is being brought into the youth market with music that is up to date, but some people seem to think that we should keep to psalms and hymns for worship. What do you think on the subject.

Also, check out the Wikipedia page on Christian Contemporary Music.

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Personally, I like Christian music, but I'm in sort of a dilemma:

I know I should be listening to a lot more, but I don't listen to K-LOVE or wayFM because, honestly, a lot of the music sounds the same. In fact, most of my small collection of Christian music is only from one artist: David Crowder*Band. Why? Because I like their unique sound.

An artist's sound is what touches me the most (the only exceptions to that are The Beatles and Linkin Park), and I feel that a lot of Christian music played on the radio sounds the same. I like the songs we sing in church, but when I go home, I turn on the classic or modern-rock station, or my MP3s.

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As a musician and a non-Christian who advocates equal rights and freedom of expression, I'm all for Christian music in the mainstream. I'm also all for Hindu music, Jewish music, Islamic music, Pagan music, and any other religious-influenced music being in the mainstream.

I don't follow any organized religion--I'm what you could call an Individual Spiritualist. My belief is that, at least here in America where we are protected by our First Ammendment rights, everyone should be free to practice their own religious beliefs (as long as they don't contradict with laws such as stealing, rape, murder, etc.), expressing their beliefs to others, while being respectful, mindful, and tolerant that others may have differing beliefs. I do not get offended by hearing Christians praise Jesus, or even if they choose to witness to me. I kindly tell them no thank you, and go on my way. The only time I've ever offended is when those extremely select few over-zealous bigots try to shove their religion down everyone else's throat, all while having a very "holier than thou" attitude. But seeing as how I never hear that attitude in Christian pop music, I don't really care. I generally don't listen to Christian music because I'm not Christian and I don't really agree with the message--but as no one forces me to listen to it or anything, I don't see a problem.

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The meaning of life is 'bucket.'

FOR PONY!!!

I don't really have an opinion on how good or bad Christian music is. But, one thing I don't like about it is the kids who listen to this and think they're being all spiritual and with god. Sure, it's probably not looked down upoon by him or anything, but if the person listening to it isn't getting the actual message, what's the point (unless it's a really good song)? It's good that these people are interested in religoen and such, but unless they understand it, what's the point?

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I'm for Christian music. However, as Ian said, a lot f it's sounds the same. But that's the stuff I don't listen to.

A lot of Christian bands I listen to have their own unique sound, for both rock and contemporary. And Ian, your missing out on a lot of bands that sound diffferent from the norm:

Contemporary Christian
Casting Crowns
MercyMe
Steven Curtis Chapman

Rock
Skillet
Pillar
Jonah33
Switchfoot
Kutless
P.O.D.

And for something that sounds completely different...
Rhythm

The 2 songs on their site, Beautiful World and Moment in Your Life, are really more sub-par songs on the CD. Check 'em out on iTunes.

Christian contemporary music rubs me the wrong way. Don't know why that is, really.

I guess it just seems too disingenuous to me.

I'll stick to the classics.

*listens to Amazing Grace*

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beep beep I'm a Jeep

I'm with Jitka on this one.

I used to listen to D.C. Talk, but I don't anymore. Just good ol' rock n' roll for me.

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Yeah, I agree with Ian and Jimmie. Alot of Christian music sounds the same, especially in the contemporary area. But once you get into the more rock stuff, it starts to change. For instance, I find that Switchfoot has a different sound compared to some other bands. Five Iron Frenzy, too... (Waaah! Why did they have to break up...)

I actually don't listen to a whole lot of non-Christian music. Like, I don't own too many non-Christian CDs. I do like some Yellowcard stuff and some Dashboard Confessional. But anyway, here's my list:

CONTEMPORARY

Casting Crowns
Mark Shultz, sometimes
Kutless

OTHER

Switchfoot
Five Iron Frenzy
The Afters
Sanctus Real

Meh, that's about it. I'm pretty picky.

I've heard of all these guys; heck, I got POD's "Satellite" for Christmas one year. I even went to Festival con Dios 2001 in Colorado Sprigs. My friend Bryce really loves Skillet, and they sound AWESOME! I have to check 'em out.

Oh, other than DC*B & POD, I have an mp3 each by The Benjamin Gate ("All Over Me") and Thousand Foot Krutch ("Unbelievable), as well as the ExtremeDays soundtrack, & some Joy Electric stuff.

Oh, and I believe Five Iron Frenzy's from right here in Denver. w00h000!!!

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True dat! They're like, the best band ever.

I've thought about it a lot and I've realised why Christian Music is generally musically so bad, despite the fact that there have seen songs with Christian themes(Bob Dylan comes to mind, as do the musical project Enigma) that have not been half bad.

One of the big reasons why Christian music isn't great is obviously because it's written only for Christians; who may be common, but Christians who want to listen to Christian Music are not. This cuts your market down immensly more than any other genre.

Another thing is that songs are written about something - but also take other things into account. Christianity is very unified in it's theme, so all Christian songs are not only going to be about the same thing, but each song is gooing to be narrow in their scope. Writing a song "about something" usually leaves it kind of drab and unoriginal. You need to draw other aspects into it.

Then you get bands like Inkubbus Succubus. However, non-pagan fans enjoy them. Why? Because Pagan based music usually can be appreciated for it's mythological, adventerous or generally spiritual aspect, and the writers keep that in mind. There is no such equivillent in Christian music.

A very important point about why Christian music is kinda rubbishy is this - you can't sing about a cup of Coffee, it must be JESUS'S cup of coffee. The unified nature of Christianity may make for a good belief system for some people, but it does not lend itself to inspired lyrics.

What if someone wrote an entire album about apples, because they like apples? It may turn out good, but likelyhood is it will be a novelty and nothing more.

Christian music reeks too much of the "Us Too!" Christian attitude, where many Christians feel the need to "catch up" with the modern world by "joining in" with things(I think Creationism was borne out of this attitude) as they don't want to feel left out. However they fail to realise they're not being left out. Christians can listen to rock music and metal music if they want, some of it may even have slightly religious instead of anti-religious themes if they look hard enough. I think this is a problem with Christian mentality, this doesn't mean that Christians are BAD as someone is going to quote me on it, just that a lot of people that follow the religion may have this emntality. They don't realise that they're still a majority and not being left out of anything at all - places have just often become places where religion shouldn't apply because it leaves other people out. There isn't really a huge need for "Christian Death Metal" for this reason.

Why not just be Christians who make Death Metal?


Now, going on to why Christian themed music as opposed to Christian music can be okay, first of all it's because it's not as blatant. This is also why pop music sucks. The whole point of good songwriting is that you're meant to be a word smith, and find new ways of saying things. Both Christian music and Pop music don't bother with this - they just say what they think fits the theme of the song, as long as it rhymes once in a while it's good. Poetry will never consist of "Hey, did you see that guy today? Yeah him. He was really cool wasn't he because he did that thing with the torch-eating? Pretty cool guy, if you ask me", but that's the exact reflection of the methods used in "Pop" music as well as much "Chrisian" music.

This also leands to Christian music being very poppy - never a good thing.

You can't really find your own interpretation in Christian music. It is what it is. There are no subconcious idioms weaving their way into the song structure. Like muchpop music, it is what it is. Because this, you cannot "find yourself" in Christian music like you can other music. If you're a Christian - you'll find that, but nothing more about yourself.

Third is the atmosphere of the music - which has aspects of information. Bob Dylan wrote some very christian songs but he didn't sing them in a "Jesus, Jesus!" atmosphere.
Music is meant to be "spiritual" - but it's not very spiritual. Listen to Enigma(which has some Christian themes in it, interestingly, yet they're still one of my most listened to "Bands" lately, if you check http://www.last.fm/user/drael), that's "spiritual". If it's something to do with the Soul, it should have a spine chilling, absorbing, magical atmosphere; New Age music often is this.

Enigma is spiritual sounding, Faith and the Muse are spiritual sounding, Rhea's Obsession are spiritual, Dead can Dance are spiritual; Joey John McJesuslover is not spiritual. I doubt there's much New Age Exclusively Christian music out there.

Christian music is often more dogmatic than it should be, singing about some specifics of religion, whereas "spiritual" music is just the idea of the depth of the human soul in general. Christian music doesn't seem to have that element, missing the point. You don't sing about your soul. You make music about your soul.

"Soul" Music by this extension is one of the worst named musical genres in history. It is not "Soul" music, it's cheery shouting out clap along stuff. That's not what "Soul" is made of.

A more realistic or absorbing atmoshphere is something Christian music is lacking; which brings me to ;
emotion. PErhaps the most important one of all. Christian music is just sickeningly happy. It doesn't talk about the struggles of life and love and hoping jesus will answer your prayers but admitting how bleak the world is very often. Sad music is usually better than happy music because we all like sympathy for our problems in some form or another.

So, don't be afraid to think that Christian music sucks, even if you're a Christian. There are real musical reasons why it usually isn't very good, but technically speaking, could be if they tried.

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CLOCK

Ahem?

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Um... what?

Actually, just in case I missed it, check the dit I'm about to do.

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CLOCK

Well, anyone can listen to it. If it's a good song then no one is forcing them to listen to the message (although that's the intended purpose).



Exactly, I'm sure there are some people who can look past that aspect, but the majority SEEMS to swing likethat.
Now, going on to why Christian themed music as opposed to Christian



One of the best things you have ever said.



Yes, I totlly agree with you. I don't nessecarily think it out right sucks, but like you said, it could be much better.

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Hey, I'd rather drink Jesus's cup of coffee than Lunara the Spring Moon Spirit's cup any day. Jesus was meant to be an example for our lives.

And oh yeah, I see lots of kids at school with Inkubbus Succubus shirts. Incubus maybe, but not those guys.

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Well said.

Rosie, the point of Christian music is that it's being done for Jesus, not for the people. If a group of Christians were to make a band that had nothing to do with Jesus, and didn't have that "Jesus Jesus, atmosphere", as you call it, well, then that's kind of an oxymoron. The point of a Christian's life is that it's supposed to revolve around Jesus.

That's why there's no Death Metal bands that Christians do, or New Age bands with Christians, as both of those are generally steeped in the occult, which is something that we're not supposed to mess with.

There is going to be a new genre of Christian Rock, Christian Nu-Metal. It is going to be started by former KoRn guitarist Brian "Head" Welsch. I may actually listen to it. It is a big "maybe", I am still a little ticked at him for leaving KoRn.

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Woah! I'm gonna go look for some of these songs!

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well, the only thing that i have to say on the matter of Christian Songs/rock, is that they are just in it for the money.
For a reference, See South Park, Episode "Faith+1"

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Eh, some are, but many aren't. I've heard of people leaving Christian bands because the band though he/she was just in it for the money.

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The late Rich Mullens, a famous Christian musician, had this to say about the majority of contemporary Christian musicians: "They never read a book, they're no better Christians than most secular artists, and the only reason they do Christian music is because they couldn't make it in the secular business. So they sell their music to Christians because Christians will buy anything." (This was relayed to my by Dr. Stephen Hooks, my Hebrew professor, who preached at Mullens' funeral).

Personally, if I want to jam, I just listen to music I like. If I want something spiritual, I listen to artists like Arvo Part, John Taverner, Giavanni Palestrina, or Orlando de Lassus.

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Add what Didymus said to what I said. That's another thing that gets me, Christian artists might not even be very good Christian. What makes them so special that they get to be Bards of Jesus?

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CLOCK

What gives you the right, as a nonchristian, to judge the christianess of christian artists?

I will say that the majority of Christian artists I've worked with are pretty good christian people, but, yeah, I've seen some unchristian people play christian music..

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

nothing, only that they can play 4 chords on a guitar and do a basic rythem on bass and drums. in that case, YEAH!, VENOM IS GOING TO HEAVEN!

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The more important question is why other Christians DON'T sing praises of God. Aren't we supposed to make a "joyful noise"?

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If you can't fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem.

well you see... many people dont really care about their Religious oreantation(sic), so many rock bands dont sing of Christ, they sing of the three things of americas youth... Sex, Drugs, and Rock&Roll!

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Rich Mullens comments are primarily directed against the Christian music industry. Part of the issue is that the Christian music industry is actually run by secular labels. Much of what they're trying to do is maximize the amount of income for those labels. So, in the end, the Christian music business ends up falling into the same problems facing the secular business.

But part of the reason I prefer sacred music to contemporary Christian is this: there is something transcendent about a style of music that is already focused on worship. Contemporary Christian musicians seem for the most part intent on capturing the audiences of secular musicians, and so tend to imitate them. As an example, if I want to listen to something that sounds like Gorillaz, I'd rather just listen to Gorillaz, not somebody trying to sound like Gorillaz.

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I think it makes more sense to have a style of music exclusively for it, too. It doesn't make sense to have a type of music that's not really a type of music. Hymns or Christian Christmas carol don't seem so corny.

That kinda goes back to the "spiritual" thing I was talking about; it makes sense for music to sound like what it's about.

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CLOCK

Besides, coffee is good. I like coffee.

And even if Inkubbus Succubus wasn't pagan, I wouldn't listen to them, because you can't trust any band that's that bad at spelling.



I actually recall reading something about a Christian death metal band. Of course, I probably wouldn't listen to them, because the general sound of death metal doesn't really appeal to me.

My thoughts on the whole thing: I'm fine with it, as long as they're not just in it for the money. (I've actually really enjoyed what I've heard from Switchfoot.)

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