Dimly lit faith: Lucinda Williams’ Ghosts of Highway 20
By JJT (written for ThinkChristian.net)
On Ghosts of Highway 20, Lucinda Williams wavers between utter darkness and non-denominational Gospel light.… Read the rest
Features
Megadeth’s Snarling, Paranoid Dystopia
By JJT (written for ThinkChristian.net)
Though lead singer Dave Mustaine could benefit from some introspection, Megadeth’s Dystopia is still a … Read the rest
The X-Files: Myth-making That Matters
By JJT (written for ThinkChristian.net)
The X-Files believes there must be something “out there” that will help us make sense … Read the rest
Chris Stapleton and the Triumph of Twang
By JJT (Written for ThinkChristian.net)
At the CMA Awards, Chris Stapleton sung the sort of truth barely touched by those … Read the rest
Blitzen Trapper’s All Across This Land
Lurking between the riffs and sing-along choruses of Blitzen Trapper’s All Across This Land is a deep well of spiritually … Read the rest
A toast, and a warning, from Alice Cooper’s Hollywood Vampires
With the help of Johnny Depp and Joe Perry, Alice Cooper once again parodies rock-and-roll excess on Hollywood Vampires.
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Lecrae’s Triumphant Anomaly
Much is being made of the commercial success of Lecrae’s Anomaly – as well it should. But beyond the thrill … Read the rest
The Original Christian Music; Rescuing Syriac Hymns
As the horrifying actions of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) reached mainstream consciousness last month, I … Read the rest
U2’s Invasion – An Early Reaction
U2 has provided a musical and spiritual environment for me – and millions of people like me – in which … Read the rest
Sinead O’Connor Takes Us To Church!
Is it a coincidence that Irish alt-rock pioneer Sinead O’Connor has released a song called “Take Me To Church” just … Read the rest
The Devotional Intimacy of Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories”
Coldplay have become one of the biggest bands in the world by crafting vaguely romantic and generically anthemic arena pop … Read the rest
Record Store Day Appetizers (The Choir, Secret Sisters, Apache Relay, etc)
I’m a simple man, really. I try to be content with what I have – and I have been … Read the rest
The Farewell Drifters’ Transcendental Prayer
The Farewell Drifters recently unveiled their label debut, Tomorrow Forever, a complicated bit of nuanced Americana music that simultaneously … Read the rest
Johnny’s Surprising “NEW” Record
“It’s midnight at a liquor store in Texas.”
So opens a fascinating new posthumous record by The Man in Black. … Read the rest
The Sincerely Vague Gospel of Bruce
Leave it to The Boss to come up with a whole new kind of record. Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes is … Read the rest
Waking Up to Beck’s Morning Phase
Beck, once a wunderkind of the ’90s alt-rock scene and then a surprising darling of the Americana world, sits … Read the rest
A New Tune for Nine Inch Nails?
Nothing makes an abyss darker than the occasional presence of light. For a quarter of a century now, Nine Inch … Read the rest
Dig Here, Said the Angel – A Study of Daniel Amos’ Stunning New Record
(Click on this Spotify playlist (also linked from the front page) to stream this record while you read)
I feel … Read the rest
My Dance with the New Civil Wars Record
If Barton Hollow, the unlikely, Grammy Award-winning, indie Americana debut by The Civil Wars, was a portentously sensual imagining … Read the rest