The Perfect Album

March 9, 2013 / Ragamuffingospelfan / Leave a comment

For those who stay up late at night wondering what my all-time favorite album is (yes, both of you), here is my answer.

It’s the self-titled (or eponymous) debut of a group called eastmountainsouth.

I discovered this album 10 years ago when I was entranced by one of their songs, You Dance, and knew I immediately had to rush off to amazon.com to buy the CD. No digital downloads for me on this one. I had to have a physical copy in my hands.

Honestly, in the opinion of this humble yet musically-astute blogger (said in jest), this is the perfect album. The vocals are flawless, the production is immaculate, the arrangements are just right, no more and no less. Even the sequencing of songs is perfect.

To this day, I compare all albums to this one. In my mind, a really good album is one that makes me feel the way this one did the first time I heard it. An album that reminds me why I love music so much.

As far as I know, this is the only album from eastmountainsouth. I can’t imagine why they didn’t have a massive breakout like The Civil Wars. I guess the timing wasn’t right and the world wasn’t ready.

It almost feels like my own little secret that I’m finally sharing with the world. I know that I’m not the only one who loves this album and wishes there could have been more. But then again, maybe the idea of more albums would take away from the uniqueness of this one.

I doubt you’ll find it at Best Buy or Barnes and Noble. To my knowledge, the only place where you can buy it is still amazon.com. And yes, that is a shameless plug and an order. You will thank me later.

The Art of the Mix Tape

March 8, 2013March 8, 2013 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 5 Comments

The art of creating a perfect mix tape is becoming more and more of a lost art. With the advent of iPods and digital music downloads, it’s easy to rip all of your music on to one device and set it on random.

But to sit down and agonizingly pick the right songs and put them in the right order to create a mood is not as easy as it sounds. Whether it’s for a road trip or for a special someone or for falling asleep or just for sitting alone in the dark, there’s a science and an art to creating a mix tape (or CD, if you will).

You can mess up a mix cassette tape and record over it (but after a few times, you lose the audio quality). With burning a CD, you have to get it right the first time.

Anyone can put together a collection of all the top songs of any given time period. But to select songs that define a part of your life is a completely different matter. They have to be songs that evoke tangible feelings and memories that take you back to a specific time and place and conjur up details of where you were and what you were doing when you first heard that song.

About 10 years ago, I created my own collection of mix CDs based off a radio station I was listening to at the time. It was one of the first independent/alternative-to-the-normal-top-40 stations I had ever heard and I was instantly smitten. I got introduced to groups like The BoDeans, Susan Tedeschi, Iris DeMent, Cowboy Junkies, Wilco, and many more artists that I had never heard of before. My musical trajectory was forever altered during that year.

I can still listen to those CDs and remember what I felt when I first heard those songs, my hopes and dreams and aspirations. I wouldn’t call them perfect by any means, but they serve to encapsulate a time in my life.

If you need guidance on how to put together a mix tape, I suggest watching the movie High Fidelity. Also, movies like Juno, Elizabethtown, and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist have soundtracks that might suggest ideas for what songs to put in a mix tape.

Just have fun with it and try not to over-analyze it too much. Go with what feels right. Also, let me know what songs you put into your mix tapes and CDs. Who knows? I might be inclined to make one for myself.

Thanks for the Birthday Wishes

February 28, 2013 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

Since I gave up facebook for lent (or took a sabbatical, if you will), I thought I’d use this forum to express my sincere thanks and gratitude for all the posts wishing me a happy birthday.

My response goes like this: Thank you. Yes, it has been a great birthday. Yes, I’d like that Starbucks. I like the idea of an extended birthday celebration, since February is the shortest month, so I will keep partying right on into March.

I’m feeling the facebook love. I know that ultimately the only approval that matters is from God, but it’s still nice to know that I am appreciated by so many people from so many different parts of my life.

So, for all of you who are just dying to know what I did today, here goes. It was a low-key day. My parents took me to Miller’s Grocery in Christiana, a fantastic meat and three restaurant that everyone within 50 miles of Nashville should check out. I watched It Happenend One Night, an old Frank Capra movie that was the first to win Oscars in every major category. I had quality therapy time with my cat Lucy, who deemed my lap worthy of her presence and her nap time.

Tomorrow, I’m volunteering at the Youth Evangelism Conference. I served last year and had a lot of fun, plus I came to one of these conferences as a youth way back in 1897. I look at this weekend as paying it forward to the next generation of youth.

I’ll be back on facebook after Easter, but I wanted to make sure that my gratitude didn’t go unexpressed. I am eternally grateful to every single one of my facebook friends, even to the ones who didn’t get around to wishing me a happy birthday. You all rock.

And the Award for Best Blog Ever Goes To . . . .

February 24, 2013 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

I watched the 85th Academy Awards presentation tonight. I don’t know if this will cement my status in the ultimate goober category, but I printed out a list of the nominees and made my predictions in all 24 categories. I am somewhat proud to announce that I got 10 right, and about half of those were lucky guesses.

I fared better with the categories I actually knew something about, getting 4 of the 5 major categories and only missing the Best Actor in a Supporting Role, which I’m okay with since I haven’t seen any of the movies represented in that category.

My goal for the rest of 2013 is to watch every one of the movies nominated for Best Picture (the total so far is 1 down, 8 to go), and maybe one or two of the documentaries nominated. Possibly if I’m feeling brave enough I might even watch one or two of the films nominated for Best Foreign Film. But no promises on that.

Obviously, I am not an actor, producer, or directer. I have very little knowledge of the technical side of film-making. I just know what I like and usually what I gravitate toward are movies about people I can relate to, as long as they’re not incredibly depressing. I don’t mind sad movies, as long as they’re not morbidly sad with no redeeming qualities.

I saw most of the awards ceremony at a friend’s house with some of the people from my Sunday School class. It was a fun, low-key night that made the ceremony better, even if I did strike out on most of the categories.

Hopefully, next year I will have seen more of the nominated movies and can have more to base my decisions on than eeney-meeney-miney-moe or blind guesses. Maybe I’ll go back and watch some of the older Oscar-winning movies that I’ve missed.

Reminders That Life Really Is Good

February 2, 2013August 26, 2013 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 5 Comments

I woke up today to snow on the ground. To those living above the Mason-Dixon line, that may not be a big deal, but it is for this guy living way down in Tennessee. It may not have lasted, but it was pretty.

I may not have everything I want in life, but I do have everything I need. I am still so very blessed.

One of my friends is getting re-baptized at her church. I plan on being there to celebrate and rejoice in this brave step of obedience on her part. I love seeing how God has been working in the lives of family and friends lately. It’s a good reminder for me that those prayers of mine really are getting past the ceiling. James writes that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. I do know that they work.

I’ve learned over time that real maturity is seeing God bless someone else and being happy. Even if that person gets something you’ve wanted but not received, you can still choose to be happy for him or her. I’ve been envious and bitter in the past about such people, but I’m learning to rejoice for them. I think there’s hope for me yet.

I keep thinking that one day this little blog of mine will explode and start raking in thousands of readers. Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m thankful for those who take the time to read my ramblings when there are so many other things competing for their time and attention.

God is good, all the time. Not just when I feel that he is good. Not when I feel he’s doing right by me. All the time. That’s 24/7.

Just so you know, if you ask me to pray for you about something, I do. If you ask me to pray for a loved one, I will. Keep reminding me that life is good and that God is good, because I forget early and often. I’ll try to do the same for you. Deal?

Spontaneous, Joyful Uncertainty and Expectancy

January 6, 2013January 6, 2014 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, “. . . believe also in Me” (John 14:1), not, “Believe certain things about Me”. Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in—but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from life, is that almost nothing ever turns out according to my expectations. No conversation ever goes like I planned it in my head, no holiday plays out quite like I planned, and no day ever seems to be what I thought it would be.

I think my only expectations from 2013 are of God. Specifically, I expect him to show up in 2013. How? I have no idea. I only know that when I need him most, he’ll be there.

I’ve had unexpected relationships that I never saw coming. I’ve had friendships with people I never thought would even talk to me. I’ve also had friends move on and seemingly drop off the planet (or at least off my radar). For those of you who have moved on to the next phase of life, the friendship is still on and always will be. Count on it.

That doesn’t mean I sit back and do nothing. I think this year I have to prepared and ready for whatever God brings. As one of my favorite lines from a movie goes, I have to have my fields ready to receive the rain when it comes.

I know that whenever God has shown up in my life, it has never been exactly in the way that I expected, but it has always been better. It has never been when I expected, but it has always been at the perfect moment when I needed him most. God’s gifts to me haven’t been what I asked for; many times, they’ve what I needed and longed for but didn’t know it.

I know that whatever I go through in 2013, God is good. I know whatever the day turns out to be, God is faithful. And I expect that to be the same in 2014 and beyond.

2013: The New Adventure

January 1, 2013January 1, 2013 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

“It’s not about where an adventure ends, because that’s not what an adventure is about” (from We Bought a Zoo).

I think a lot of us are glad to see the end of 2012. For some, 2012 was painful and said. For me, it was a year that saw some challenges, had its really good moments, but it’s now over and I’m ready for a new adventure.

I take that back. It’s not a new adventure. It’s a continuation in the unfolding adventure of what God has for me next. It’s a new chapter in the book that God is writing. The one where I’m the main character (and I hope that if Hollywood adapts the book about me into a movie, they get Matt Damon or John Cusack to play me. That would be awesome.

But I digress.

I say one of the best moments in 2012 for me was seeing Sixpence None the Richer in concert at the Franklin Theatre and hearing them play “Kiss Me” live. That was a highlight moment that is definitely in my top 10. The worst moment was getting hit by that car, even though it didn’t hurt me nearly as bad as it probably should have. It shook me up.

But even that turned out for the good. I have never been more thankful to be alive and grateful for the good things in my life, like family and friends. I’ve let go of some negative thinking in light of almost seeing my life flash before my eyes.

So bring it, 2013. I’m ready. I have an open mind and an open heart and open hands. I have no expectations this year other than this: I fully expect God to be present in my life and bring the people and places and circumstances and situations into my life that will make me more like Jesus. Like I read earlier today, God wants my faithfulness more than he wants my success.

2013’s gonna be a great year.

Sing a Song of Sixpence

December 22, 2012December 22, 2012 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

I went to a fantastic concert tonight. Sixpence None the Richer, one of my all-time favorite bands, played just about every song from their 2008 Christmas album, plus several other well-known songs.

I had a great seat at the front, maybe 5 feet from the stage. It was like having the band play in my living room. If I had a very big living room with about 200 seats and a great sound system.

The absolute best part of the night, and probably the highlight of 2012 thus far, was hearing Leigh Nash and company perform their signature song, “Kiss Me.” It was a perfect moment that I will always remember.

Afterward, I met Leigh Nash and got her to sign my Sixpence Christmas album. She was incredibly kind and gracious to me, actually taking time to talk to me and ask me if I came to the Franklin Theatre often.

The one bummer for the night was that I couldn’t use my credit card to buy the new Sixpence album. They were only taking cash, which I almost never have on me. But even that couldn’t dampen my spirits.

If you could make a feast of fond memories, then I am a full man. Everything about this night was pitch perfect and I hope to have a repeat or a sequel one day very soon.

It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

December 20, 2012December 20, 2012 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

According to the Mayan calendar, the world ends tomorrow. Or more accurately, according to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar, the world will end tomorrow.

I seriously doubt that. Or as the English might say, “Balderdash!”

I’m 98% certain that Friday, December 21, will be just like any other December 21 in recent history. The streets around the malls will be ridiculously crowded and the lines in the stores will be out into the parking lot. As with any other day, Nashvillians will be out in force, driving badly and generally ignoring most of the traffic rules and regulations (and stop signs and red lights, etc).

I remember the famous words that Jesus spoke once that people have also tended to ignore. He said, “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake.For you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:32).

No one knows. Not the Mayans. Not John Hagee. Not Pat Robertson. Not any of those TBN preachers. Not you or I or anyone. No one.

Jesus said, “Be ready.” Live every day like it were the last one and like Jesus could come back at any moment.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Don’t leave any conflict unresolved. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t leave words to loved ones unspoken, thinking you will have another day to get all these things done.

Write that letter. Send that email. Make that visit. Speak the words, “I love you,” as often as you can to those who need to hear it from you.

Yeah, these predictions about the end of the world make as much sense to me as the lyrics to that old REM song “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” I just know there’s a part in the song where everybody yells “Leonard Bernstein” for apparently no logical reason. We should all randomly do that tomorrow. For fun.

Desert Island Christmas Music Addendum

December 17, 2012December 17, 2012 / Ragamuffingospelfan / 1 Comment

Since I last posted on my favorite Christmas, I’ve come across some additional Christmas albums worthy to take their place in the illustrious Christmas Island Christmas Music Hall of Fame. If you get stranded on that odd island with unlimited batteries but no electricity, you may find these picks useful.

1) Silver & Gold- Sufjan Stevens. It’s gloriously weird and wonderful. I never know what to expect from one track to the next, but I can definitely tell you it’s not the same ol’ renditions of the same ol’ holiday fare. This one is only for the musically adventurous folks who like to venture outside of top-4o-land from time to time.

2) Andy Williams Christmas Album- This one’s a classic from 1963 that deserves a place in any holiday music collection. Andy Williams’ passing earlier this year makes this one a poignant choice for the season.

3) Straight No Chaser- Holiday Spirits. This one’s a fantastic acapella album that I like to call traditional-with-a-twist. It’s worth the investment if only for the fantastic live version of 12 Days of Christmas. I don’t remember who recommended this one to me, but thanks to you, whoever you are and wherever you are.

As always, these lists are subject to change, especially if I run into an especially good Christmas album. I welcome your recommendations and suggestions. The more off-the-wall and eclectic, the better.

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