The Wood Brothers, 05/13/09, Visulite Theatre

The Wood Brothers, who you may never have heard of, have been my favorite band for over a year now. Chris Wood, who plays bass for the jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood, joins up with his brother Oliver, guitar player for the Atlanta blues band King Johnson. With Chris on standup bass and Oliver on guitar, they bring a unique vibe that I’ve described as what Van Morrison might have sounded like if he grew up in Mississippi.

These guys are two of the tastiest players I’ve heard– every note is exactly what belongs in its place. The simplicity of the instrumentation, the perfect blend of the brothers’ voices, the weighty ease of the lyrics– everything combines to make you just close your eyes and smile.

Melissa and I saw them for the first time in Atlanta last fall and it was pretty magical. Last week Tyler and I caught them at the Visulite to celebrate my birthday, and they didn’t disappoint. (Some college kids who sat next to us for a while did, but whatever.)

If you like this taste, both of their studio albums are well worth the purchase: the 2006 debut Ways Not to Lose and last year’s Loaded. They also have a new covers EP, Up Above My Head, coming out in June that’s currently available at their shows (and at the link). I picked it up at the show last week and have loved it– the best surprise is a fresh rendition of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider.”

If you’re looking for something new, and especially if you’re in a music rut, pour a glass of wine and check these guys out. They’ll bring some color to your world.

No More I Bear the Crushing Load

This is a very rough demo of the offertory I wrote for our worship service last week. It’s based on the sermon text, Romans 5:1-11. (And by “very rough” I mean wrong notes, head cold, I can’t really play slide, the whole nine yards. This is what we call me being “vulnerable.”)

more about “No More I Bear the Crushing Load“, posted with vodpod

No More I Bear The Crushing Load

No more I bear the crushing load
Of guilt upon my brow
No more I fear the killing blow
Of justice’ word come down
Instead my Father’s voice rings loud
And sweet upon my ear
The close of strife, the words of peace
My soul has longed to hear

Justified now by Jesus’ blood
And one with him by faith
No trial can come across my road
But points me to his face
My hope cannot be put to shame
My God with me is pleased
His Spirit tells his love to me
And for me intercedes

When I was weak and helpless yet
And under curse of God
Jesus came down from heav’n and shed
For me his precious blood
If by his death I’m reconciled
Set free from sin and strife
Much more I now rejoice in him
Who saves me by his life

Almost, but not quite.

I really like the chorus of this song, but I can’t stand the verses.

I hate when that happens.

Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears & failures
Fill my life again

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

The chorus is God-focused and uses biblical language. The verses are trite and navel-gazing. I think they probably came up with the chorus, scribbled some stream-of-consciousness stuff for the verses, and rushed to press.

What do you think?

Buy This Record

Listening to Derek Trucks play guitar makes me feel like I’m alive.

Christmas Tunes, Favorite and Non

New game: every Monday or so I’ll do one of these posts where I tell you my favorite something-or-other and then ask yours. I will get more comments (for one day) and be pleased with myself, you will get to opine, and we’ll all enjoy each other’s faves.

Today: Christmas songs. While they’re still fresh in your head, name your favorite and least favorite, in two categories: Religious and secular. (For a total of four songs.)

My list:

• Favorite religious: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing“
• Least favorite religious: “Away in a Manger.” It’s sentimental, not worshipful. Also, baby Jesus cried, folks. Also, I don’t have a cradle, so I don’t know how Jesus is supposed to stand by it all night.
• Favorite secular: “Merry Christmas Baby,” Otis Redding. (Close runner-up is “Please Come Home for Christmas,” of which Willie Nelson has a nice version in addition to the more familiar Eagles one.)
• Least favorite secular: “The Christmas Song” (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” etc.)

My Favorite Movie Scene

Post a link to yours in the comments.

Merry Christmas

One of those verses you never hear:

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head!
Now display thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore,
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours and ours to thine.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King!”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Far as the Curse is Found

“Joy to the World” is a great example of a song we shouldn’t just sing at Christmas. My favorite part is the third verse:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

The curse, you’ll recall, is found very, very far: from barren fields to barren wombs, from broken relationships to broken bones. Divorce, natural disaster, cancer, genocide– all part of the curse. All of creation is groaning.

But it will not always be this way. Aslan is on the move. The King is coming; he will wipe every tear from our eyes; he will make all things new. His blessings will flow just as far as the curse. His glory will cover the earth like the water over the sea.

Joy to the world! Come, Lord Jesus.

Christmas Carols and Detective Work

Because I love hymns, words in general, and text criticism, I’m fascinated by different versions of hymns. I like to try to figure out which version was original and why the changes might have been made. Here’s a Christmas example: the last verse of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

That’s the original, as far as I can tell. But I think this is what we normally hear (changes in italics):

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever circling years
Shall come the time foretold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

I assume those changes are intended to make the song more explicitly Christian. (The author was a Unitarian.)

Then last year I heard yet another version for the first time:

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever circling years
Shall come the time foretold;
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their king
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Now, I like that one the best, because it makes explicit that the way in which peace will come over the whole earth is by all creation acknowledging the reign of the Prince of Peace, which will only happen in the new heavens and the new earth.

So normally I’m not a huge fan of changing authors’ lyrics, but chances are if you worship at Faith Community Church in Prague next Christmas, you’ll be hearing version #3.

Favorite live covers. Go.

In no particular order.

1. Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Live From Mars
2. Copland’s “Hoedown,” Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Live at the Quick
3. The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” (in the style of Aretha Franklin & Duane Allman), Derek Trucks Band w/ Susan Tedeschi, 04.12.08 (Wanee Fest, Live Oak, FL)
4. Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” The Duhks, 06.11.08 (Charlotte, NC)
5. Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me,” The Happenin’, various dates ca 2002
6. Any cover by the Black Crowes. They use covers to point you to their influences, and those will open up a whole new world of music you never heard. I’ve bought several records and gotten into several artists just because the Crowes covered one of their songs.

What are some of yours?