My Happy Place. A recommendation

I bought something for myself that I have anticipated for quite awhile. I need to preface this by saying I am NOT a country fan. I used to be....many moons ago. I loved The Judds, Randy Travis and Patsy Cline(for whatever that is worth). So earlier this year, I got hooked watching "Can You Duet" on CMT. My favorite duo didn't win but they just released an album that took me back and put a smile on my face. I listened to it on the way to picking the kids up from school today and it is uh-mazin. Here is the link for those interested, you can hear samples(I love that about Amazon):
The Life Of A Song
Joey + Rory
I don't often get excited about music but it's kind of cool that this duo brought back my appreciation and love of good, no silliness country. It's easy to sing along, warm and just a nice escape from fertility, politics and church drama. Even if you don't like country or you "used to" like country, check it out. My favorite songs are "Play the Song" and "To Say Goodbye". That's my happy for the day. Or maybe the week. They have a website with their story and the lyrics. So there it is.
Joey + Rory

Commercializing Christianity

Pop Goes Christianity
The deep contradictions of Christian popular culture.

This was an interesting read. I never knew what troubled me about Christian music and fish "merchandise" because I couldn't sum it up or put my finger on it. The competition with secular capitalism(and art/music) sums up this pull much better. I think it speaks to the music crisis in the Catholic Church, too. As a Church, we can't(and shouldn't) compete with secularism and relativism. Not because we can't win, but because the playing field can never be even. How can you possibly make something so "super natural" in nature, so base in expression? I found this article to be a launching pad for my own thoughts on liberal/modern Catholicism. Here's a slice of the article:

They complain about promoting an "adolescent theology" of Christian rock, as one calls it, where they "just can't get over how darned cool it was that Jesus sacrificed himself." In his interview with Radosh, Powell pulled out an imitation of a 1982 New Wave pop song with the lyrics; "You'll have to excuse us/ We're in love with Jesus." This, he explained, was the equivalent of a black-velvet painting of Elvis. Only it's more offensive, because it's asking the listener to base his whole life around an insipid message and terrible quality music.

New music(nice for a Monday)

Artist Site

More Videos

I love this song. It will make you sleepy if you haven't had coffee yet.

New album. Yipee!

Sleep Through The Static
...from Jack Johnson.

Sounds good from the samples.

New widget

H/T to Raulito for some cool new blog widget. I'm always on the prowl for sidebar treats.
It is a music player with classics and standards available(love this!)
Sonific
They have a few big names mixed with artists who are trying to get play. It's still a great service.

I'm coming out of hiding...

I adore Dean Martin. As I am gathering our music for the trip, I am including my favorite mob hits and some Dino. Am I alone? Perhaps. I'm fairly certain I am in my age group. Some of my favorite songs are Non Dimenticar, Sway and Innamorata. There, I've come clean. My oldest son loved Mambo Italiano when he was little. My daughter, she was more into Angelina/Zooma Zooma by Louis Prima....she would get her feet and hands going in her car seat. I have been working while hunting music today. We leave in one week and one day. I think I'm anxious, is it obvious?

Summer music

Do you have a song that always reminds you of summer or the beach? I'm trying to get some music for the trip next week. I'm a big Jack Johnson fan and have 2 CD's(including the Curious George soundtrack). I'm just looking for something different or interesting. Any suggestions? I tried to find a decent Reggae CD and something wonky happened to that genre. It went kind of hip hop. Anyway, any suggestions are appreciated.

Okay. Ew.

I was looking for the original source of Dan Shutte's lifestyle after reading and commenting on ma beck's blog and I found it. Okay. Ew.

Dan Shutte's mother's obituary:

Schutte, Marie
Publication Date: July 12, 2000

Of Elm Grove. Was called home to God on July 10, 2000. She is survived by her husband of fifty three years, Larry, her son, Dick of Phoenix and her son, Dan and his partner Mike Gale of San Francisco. She was born the daughter of Gert and Harry Van Himbergen and sister of Ann, Harry, George, Jack, Fran, Louise, Jeanne, Kathleen and Dick. Visitation Friday, July 14 at St. Mary's Church Elm Grove, 1260 Church Street, from 9:00 AM until the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM with Fr. Dan Pakenham officiating. Burial St. Mary's Cemetery, Elm Grove.

BECKER RITTER Michael Feerick Associate Brookfield 262-782-5330

Original source: http://www.jsonline.com/classifieds/deathnotices/deathnotice.asp?id=28199
Why are we continuing to use this music? He is living an openly gay lifestyle. I am glad I found the info because I remember reading it but had to Google a bit to get to the bottom of the source. This is not an issue of him being gay. It is a musician we are allowing to have workshops and being a representative of our church here in the US living an openly gay lifestyle. Is it okay for us to fund a gay lifestyle by using these hymns? Buying the missals and music issues that contain this music, funds his gay partnership. We surely need a St. Francis in our times. Morality is not popular in Catholic circles any longer.

Wandering music director...

While I was trying to get on with the work of my day, I cannot shake these feelings of sadness mixed with anger over what has taken place at my parish. I found this article written by a music director that is hauntingly similar to the story of the one who just left our parish. If you have interest in liturgical music, read it. We should not be coming to Mass to be entertained. Mass is not "for us" and I don't feel comfortable being in a parish where people feel they deserve entertainment value for their time on Sunday. I really wanted to go in a positive direction during Lent. In other words, focus on what I love about my faith, how important it is to me and how I cannot exist without it. This crazy "thing" at our parish changing in the past year has put me and my children into a tailspin. Children know things, pick up on things and emulate parents. In saying that, they(especially my oldest son) are becoming targets of ridicule for their beliefs in of all places, a Catholic school. Too Catholic for a Catholic school. So today, I am trying to find hope, cope with the present situation and try to re-teach my children all the bunk they are learning that is not true. It's becoming a ritual on the way home from school. I pick them up, they share stuff from religion class or Mass and I have to explain what is wrong and tell them the truth. How long can I keep this up? How long before they sense my anger and frustration? I feel very alone because none of the other parents care if their children are being taught false doctrine. So I keep my "over-zealous conservatism" to myself. I'm being patronizing of course but its lonely in the desert.