Memorial day
is over. The smells of grilled hot dogs and too much
cocoa-butter mixed with chlorinated water fill the air. Those
with no AC in their automobile have their windows down, and
music from their radios floats around you. It’s summer. Time for TV
reruns and new movies in the theater. I generally listen to
more music over the summer months, either because of traveling
or just being outside more.
So, I pose this question
to you! Whatcha gonna have in your CD box this summer?
There are
many people who, when
they take a vacation, forget to take time to attend Mass.
"Hey man, like, I'm on vacation!" So, you're going
to take a vacation from God? Do you also take a vacation from
eating? Food helps nourish the body. Mass nourishes the soul.
One on the best ways to
help stay in touch with God over the summer is by many of the
artist that we offer this month. They are ALL very well known.
Catholic Music Network
is very proud to be able to offer the music of
John
Michael Talbot. JMT is one of the best know Catholic artist around the
world. With over 40 albums to his name along with books and videos, JMT
has sales of over 4 million records worldwide, and he just celebrated his 25th year as a
Catholic artist.
His latest CD is called
Simple
Heart. It is
a great CD to get since the Catholic Church is celebrating the
"Two Hearts" this month! This CD is a
prayerful journey accompanied by rich orchestrations, stunning
vocal arrangements and John Michael Talbot's distinctive
voice. It is filled with
songs
that refresh the soul with their straightforward, worshipful
lyrics, and rootsy acoustic style. This is beautifully crafted
music from a man who has abandoned himself to a simple
lifestyle, out of which comes music which is startling and
special. The album's opener, "God Alone is Enough,"
is based on prayers by St. Teresa of Avila. It sets the tone
and is a powerful reminder that whatever faces us, God has to
be our focus. "I Abandon Myself" encourages us to
give everything that we are to God. This song
is inspired by the prayers of Charles de Foucauld. It shows us
the way to let go and let God.
The
beautiful "Breathe on Me" is an invitation for the
Holy Spirit to dwell deeply and intimately within us. In the
midst of the complexities of modern life, "Simple
Heart" is a strong exhortation to not
let the trappings of contemporary society steal our souls. JMT
sums up his newest recording saying, "I want to write music to help people to
pray."
CMN also offers a back catalogue of earlier John Michael
Talbot CD’s. Looking for a great Father's day gift?
John Michael
Talbot is sure to please your dear old Dad!
The other band we
highlight this month is no stranger to many Christian radio
stations. They have a strong Protestant following even though
a few years ago the main members became Catholic. I am talking
about
Scarecrow
and Tinmen. I had listened to their earlier
projects, but the band has recently put out a couple of "Independent"
CDs. These news CDs really show the TRUE sound of the band. No
overly produced music here. The latest CD from Scarecrow and
Tinmen is call
New Heart and Mind II
.
(The II means more songs than what was on the first release
of this CD.) The whole album is lighthearted, yet
thought-provoking. The styles of each song are so different,
it makes it great to listen to. I found songs that sounded
like DC Talk, Powerman 500 , Creed, and even Stan Ridgeway of Wall
Of Voodoo. I was very impressed with the first song,
"Gospel Love," which could be a pop crossover song,
much like Jars Of Clay. The tune "Scarecrow and
Tinmen." is really where the title of the CD gets its
inspiration. "I am the Scarecrow and you are the Tinman, and
we are not the same as we were, Changed by love and changed by
compassion, we now have a new heart and mind." "The bands name really does have depth and
meaning," says Chris, the band's lead singer. "'The
Wizard of Oz' is such a wonderful piece of Americana;
everybody's got some kind of memory associated with it. Of
course, we identify more closely with the Scarecrow and the
Tinman, who needed a brain and a heart. As Christians, God
gives us a new mind and a new heart." My personal
favorite from the CD doesn't even have lyrics. It is a nice
techno number called "Ironic". It has that Trance
music you might find at a rave, with many sound bites from the
Wizard of Oz. Think Front 242 meets VNV
Nation.
We are also offer the
second independent CD from Scarecrow
and Tinmen. Technofolk is what they call their style of music
and it is the title of the CD.
Technofolk
Road
is a style of music
that will tear down the age barrier when it comes to music in
your house. Place the song "Siren" next to
Creed's "Higher" and you wonder if Creed stole a few
things from Scarecrow. (The sound bites of Gene Wilder in the
song is classic.)
I may be giving
away my age, but in 1987, I was working in the TV field and I
saw something that touched my life. We were covering Pope John
Paul II's trip to the U.S., and in Los Angeles the Holy Father got to
listen to a man without arms play the guitar. The Pope jumped
off the small stage he was on and rushed over to hug this
armless man. The man, we found out, was
Tony
Melendez. Tony has
since made a big name for himself. He has been at most of the
World Youth Days ever since then and is a regular guest on
EWTN.
His latest CD is called
Hands In Heaven, which
Tony also produced. It is a musical look into the heart and
soul of a most remarkable individual. It includes selections such as
"Lowly Servant," a prayer for help and guidance in
the struggles of life, and "Hands in Heaven," a touching
tribute to people who have passed on and are now praying for
us before the throne of God in Heaven. One of the most
beautiful things about being Catholic is knowing that we can
ask those who have died to pray for us! "It's hard to
say goodbye to friends and family...I know I am in their
presence when I kneel to pray...And just like Jesus promised,
I'll see them all someday." The song "Everybody Sing Alleluia,"
is an uplifting,
Calypso, praise and worship song. This is one that youth
groups will definitely want to adopt. "Love Is The Answer" (a remake of
the 1970's Dan John Ford Coley hit), is another one of
those songs that you never thought of as a Christian song
until
Tony sings it. "I Wish I Could Hold You,"
Tony's touching dedication to his wife, Lynn, is so
beautiful. "Hands In Heaven" is a musical
experience that is as enjoyable to the ear, as it is to the
soul. One of the best things about Tony Melendez is his strong
Pro-life message, not just in song, but in him as a human
being. He has touched so many lives, yet in today's society, how
many children have been aborted because of a defect that may
not even have been as severe as Tony's! All life is
sacred!
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