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Micro-powered revolution December 11, 2007

Posted by Zack in Nevada , trackback

CrowderYou’ve probably heard that there’s a big Christian music scene out there. But you might not be aware of just how complete of an alternate reality it is.

Listen to RadioU online for an hour or so, and you’ll get a sampling of Christian indy rock, hard core, rap, reggae, reggaeton and more.

In almost every city, there’s at least one station that plays contemporary Christian rock. RadioU is on in Columbus, for example, and a few other cities. But “Positive & Encouraging K-LOVE” is more mainstream (no reggaeton or speed metal!) and it’s got stations in an unbelievable number of cities—including two in Vegas, where we are now.

And there’s even a version of Casey Kasem’s Top 40 countdown: “20 The Countdown Magazine,” with a guy who sound’s just like Kasem who tells little stories about the artists in between the songs. (Elizabeth informs me that she grew up listening to “20 The Countdown Magazine.” I grew up listening to Casey Kasem. Back then, Dr. Ruth came on right after Kasem. But Elizabeth also informs me that there was no equivalent to Dr. Ruth in the Christian world.)

One thing that’s fascinating is that most of these Christian musicians began their careers as worship leaders at churches (the people who lead the music before the sermon). What that means is that these artists are not just entertainers, they’re co-leaders of the movement alongside preachers and theologians.

For example, David Crowder, who has a song on the 20 right now, began his career in college with fellow student Chris Seay (who’s now a major leader who calls consumerism “the greatest problem facing the American church today”) when they started University Baptist Church together in Waco, Texas.

Here’s a Crowder song we’ve been hearing a lot on K-LOVE:

David Crowder :: Revolutionary Love

Desperation leads us here
Leads us here
Illumination meets us here
Meets us here
Revelation brings us here
Brings us here
Restoration frees us here
Frees us here

And I don't want to leave
I don't want to leave this place
No, I don't want to leave
I never want to leave this place

CHORUS
It's so amazing
Your unchanging love
Simply amazing
Never changing love
Love, love revolutionary love

Reparation leads us here
Leads us here
Liberation meets us here
Meets us here
Jubilation brings us here
Brings us here
Higher elevation frees us here
Frees us here

Your revolutionary love
Your revolutionary love, love, love

You're a revolution I want to be
Revolutionary
You're a revolution I want to be
Revolutionary
You're a revolution I want to be
Love, love, love
Revolutionary love

Comments»

1. Rob - December 11, 2007

Wow! What a special song. It makes me wonder what he did in the 5 minute periods of time that bookended the actual 5 minutes it took him to write that piece of crap.

BTW…I’m a Bible believing Christian, I just wish the God of Creation would inspire a level of creativity in believers like the kind I find in Flaming Lips, or Wilco, or Ryan Adams etc… I don’t buy crappy american cars just because I’m an american, why should I listen to crappy christian music just because I’m a christian?

2. Zack - December 11, 2007

Ha! Hey - I didn’t say it was a work of art. I just put it there for *research* purposes. ;-)

And here are some *brilliant* flaming lips lyrics:

You think you're so radical
I think you oughta stop
(Say what)
But you're going international
They're gonna call the cops
(No, no, no)
You're turning into
A poor man's Donald Trump
I know those circumstances
Make you wanna jump
Oh no

You think you're radical
But you're not so radical
In fact, you're fanatical
Fanatical

And you think you're a radical
But you're not so radical
In fact, you're fanatical
Fanatical

I'll tell you right now
You oughta change your mind
(Yes)
All of your friends are
Standing in line
They're getting tired of
You're at it too fast
Without all your bodyguards
How long would you last
Not long

You think you're radical
But you're not so radical
In fact, you're fanatical
Fanatical

And you think you're a radical
But you're not so radical
In fact, you're just fanatical
Fanatical

And you think you're a radical
But you're not so radical
In fact, you're just fanatical
Fanatical
3. Phil - December 13, 2007

That’s a good song for the overall message of this blog, and while I agree that it’s not Crowder’s best, Rob, how do you get off on calling it a piece of crap written in 5 minutes? That’s so far from constructive criticism that I feel like that might have been better off not written. Give Crowder’s record “A Collision” a listen, a nonbelieving friend of mine loves it and tells me if it weren’t for the lyrics he’d never know it wasn’t a darn good modern electronica-influenced indie rock record. And the Internet is pretty good for anonymously spreading bile, but maybe Rob should show some more restraint in the future.