Rapid Heart Beat

Things are happening so quickly. I have only one week left in North Carolina, then I'm headed back to Cleveland... and then Idaho. This month has gone by like a flash. Detailing all the little things that happen would be nigh impossible... so I will do what I do best: give you bullet points. This will also give you, the reader, the sense that things and ideas are flying by extremely fast. So, in the end, we both win. I get to be lazy, and still achieve the effect I desire in my writing. Not that this is a good habit to get into.

-Getting called in for jury duty a week before you leave a town and never intend to return... at least not for a long, long time. Go ahead North Carolina, put out a warrant for my arrest! (I am totally kidding by the way. I just submitted my reason for absence to the judge. I have no desire to be held in contempt of the court.)

-If your mother is having miniature heart attacks... clean the house. This will do wonders for her nerves and will most likely cure all her ills. Hugs on top of this are always a plus.

-I have found yet another avenue to explore in the realm of career options: greeting card writer. Not only will I be the perfect man for the job after finished school, (anyone want Plato references in their thank you cards?) but the headquarters of American Greetings is in Cleveland of all places! Booyah!

-Greenstorm Film is starting back up again in full force. After completing and releasing a rather spiffy music video and receiving many accolades about said video, I received a script from a very good friend of mine. Who was it? What is it? I will say no more. I'll leave you in suspense.

Ok, there's a doctor's appointment I have to get to.
Cheers and laterness and stuff,
JSTT

My All Time Favorite Albums

Ok, I don't have any great new music for you this week, at least in terms of what is new and fresh and was released just yesterday. But I would like to share with you the albums that have shaped me and my musical tastes. Spanning 8 years and every genre from jazz to punk to psalms. While there are a lot of albums that I really enjoy and could listen to on repeat for days on end, not all of those have really changed me, and not all of them really work as an ALBUM. They don't tell a complete story. These ones here, however, are the albums that I will ALWAYS listen to.


Yellowcard - "Paper Walls"
















One of the few albums from my college years that made the list. I was a big fan of Yellowcard's second album, "Lights & Sounds." But that record was a bit dark, sometimes ranting against the war in the Middle East ("Two Weeks From Twenty"), other times commenting on the confusion of relationships ("Gray"). "Paper Walls," however, took a turn for the better; much better. The lead single, "Light Up The Sky," makes the movement towards optimism very obvious, while the theme of breaking out of the "paper house" we've built for ourselves pervades the album.

Stand out tracks: "Light Up The Sky," "Shadows and Regrets" and "Dear Bobbie"




Thousand Foot Krutch - "Phenomenon"
















Already being a pretty big fan of Linkin Park, and looking for Christian alternatives to the sounds of secular bands I liked, Thousand Foot Krutch (TFK) immediately appealed to me. Mixing rapcore and hard edged grunge, the album had a crunching impact like few albums I had heard before. I kept it on repeat for weeks. Low on content, but high on the fun factor, this album still makes me happy and reminds me of my middle school days.

Stand out tracks: "This Is A Call," "New Design" and "Bounce"




Project 86 - "Truthless Heroes"
















When I first picked up this album, I don't think I had ever heard anything quite so angry before. And the more I listened to it, and the older I grew, I realized I had not heard many albums quite so on target. The first and last album that Project 86 ever made with a major record label, the angst is through the roof. The lead singer, Andrew Schwab, levels criticism at everyone from Hollywood to the modern evangelical church. Who says that Christians can't stick it to the man too?

Stand out tracks: "S.M.C.," "Another Boredom Movement" and "Soma"




The O.C. Supertones - "Hi-Fi Revival"
















Along with "Lift" and "Building a Better Me," this was one of the first albums that I ever bought, and greatly influenced my tastes for quite some time. The Supertones, sick of the angst and hatred in rock music, were out to make something fun, clean, and that your pastor would approve of. Well, they succeeded... in spades. And yes, that's a good thing. While many other Christian rock acts sought to simply copy/clean/paste what the secular music industry was doing, the Supertones made something new. Utilizing a horn section with huge rock beats, they made a praise and worship album and a punk album at the same time. Positive, energetic, and in the end, exhausting; it is totally worth every penny. Don't worry, it's that good exhausted feeling you get after a hearty belly laugh, or a good run.

Stand out tracks: "Go Go Go," "Just a Man" and "Glory Hallelujah"




Mae - "The Everglow"
















One of those rare albums that really does take you on a journey, that tells a story. You can't really listen to one of the songs from this album, it's meant to be listened to as a whole... with the beautiful watercolor paintings in the artwork. If you do end up buying this album, make sure you buy a physical copy, or you will be missing half of the experience.

Stand out tracks: Just listen to the whole album.





The Gabe Dixon Band - "The Gabe Dixon Band"
















For a sound this deep, it's hard to imagine that it's only three guys with a drum kit, piano and upright bass. But there you have it. Soulful, moving white boy blues and jazz. I don't really have much to say about the album, except that the single "All Will Be Well" is my favorite song of all time, and has been for the past 9 years.

Stand out tracks: "All Will Be Well," "And The World Turned" and "Baby Doll"





Audio Adrenaline - "Lift"
















Audio A. truly was the U2 of the Christian music world. Boasting an enormous fan base, and having one of the best live shows around helped. Creating this album helped even more. They even created "The Hands and Feet" project, not unlike U2's "One" campaign... from a Christian worldview, of course. Audio A. only put out two other albums after "Lift," due to lead vocalist Mark Stuart's tearing vocal cords, but "Lift" is by far (in my opinion) one of their best.

Stand out tracks: "Ocean Floor," "Summertime" and "Tremble"





Good Charlotte - "The Young and the Hopeless"
















High school is confusing. Who do you listen to? What do you listen to? There are so many ideas competing for your attention that often times it seems a lot easier to block it all out, maybe even give up. The boy's from D.C.'s Good Charlotte aren't about to let that happen. Blending satire with perseverance, they touch on everything from suicide, to jealousy, to materialism. Life is hard, reconciliation is hard, but "The Young and the Hopeless" wants you to know that it's not nearly as hopeless as it seems.

Stand out tracks: "The Anthem," "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and "Movin' On"





Audioslave - "Audioslave"
















After Rage Against the Machine's rapping madman Zack de la Rocha left the band, Chris Cornell (former lead singer of the 80's grunge outfit Soundgarden) took the reins, and took the band in a completely different direction. It became much less angry, and the lyrics improved greatly, while maintaining the guitar magic of Tom Morello. Audioslave introduced grunge to a whole new generation and catapulted Cornell to a near legendary position in the world of rock and roll.

Stand out tracks: "Show Me How To Live," "Like a Stone" and "Exploder"





Dogwood - "Building a Better Me"
















Punk is my favorite genre simply because it was the first kind of music that I found. I don't really remember how, but there you have it. It started with the early days of Tooth and Nail Records and MP3.com... when it still legally offered free mp3s; before most people knew what music piracy was. It was back then, early 2001, that I discovered Dogwood... one of the original Christian punk rock bands from So Cal, who along with MxPx and Slick Shoes spearheaded the movement. Blending skateboard culture and heart on the sleeve Christianity, they created a hardcore blend that Tooth and Nail nearly put a trademark on... paving the way for bands like Under0ath and Kutless. But let it be known, Dogwood started it all. To this day, their "Building A Better Me" video makes me smile.

Stand out tracks: "Building A Better Me," "Truth About It Is" and "Nothing New"







Foo Fighters - "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace"
















Yet another example of a rock supergroup that became a respected band in their own right. Their last album came out just as I was finishing up high school and spoke to me on a very deep level, specifically the last track, "Home." We all long for home, whatever form that may take... and Foo Fighters take you on a trip through a summer in the south eastern U.S. to find that home. Darned if they don't do a good job.

Stand out tracks: "The Pretender," "Summer's End" and "Home"





The Classic Crime - "The Silver Cord"
















The Classic Crime's "The Silver Cord" is the winter to "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace's" summer. It takes you to the other side of the continent, to a cold and bleak Washington state, as the singer searches for meaning, hope and (like David Grohl) a home. He finds it. He finds that peace and solace in only one place: complete and totally surrender to Christ.

Stand out tracks: "Salt In The Snow," "Everything" and "The Beginning"




Entire Relient K catalog
















Just like my parents and Christ, Relient K has always been their for me. When I got back from Peru, right after discovering rock and roll, girls and Christian culture... there they were with "Two Lefts..." Entering high school, dealing with broken relationships and looking for hope, they released their major label debut: "Mmhmm." "Five Score..." was bigger, louder, fuller, and ended with an 11 minute epic that made my mom cry. Well into my college career, they put out "Forget and Not Slow Down," reminding me that people fail us, but God does not... and He is what makes life worth living. He is the only one in whom I can find my identity. Relient K has grown up alongside me, and I and deeply thankful to them for the stories they've told and the encouragement they've given me.

Stand out tracks: "For The Moments I Feel Faint," "Breakdown," "Mood Rings," "Trademark," "Getting Into You," "High of 75," "I So Hate Consequences," "More Than Useless," "Up and Up," "Deathbed," "I Don't Need A Soul," "Savannah" and "This Is The End (If You Want It)"




THESE NEXT THREE ALBUMS ARE MY TOP TOP FAVORITES. I OFTEN LISTEN TO THEM ALL IN TANDEM. I WON'T BE GIVING YOU A STAND OUT TRACK LIST FOR ANY OF THEM EITHER. THEY ARE ALL AMAZING AND MEANT TO BE LISTENED TO AS COMPLETE ALBUMS.



Fernando Ortega - "The Shadow of Your Wings"
















When I'm down and out, when there is no other direction to look but up... I pull out this album. It reminds me who I am, and where, ultimately, my hope lies. Completely composed of Psalms and hymns, it's all scripture. It's Scripture with music. David, a shepherd several thousand years ago did something similar. He was able to calm a king down, a king who was crazier than a sack of ferrets. The word of God brings peace, the word of God set to music... need I say more?






Rise Against - "The Sufferer and the Witness"
















It's hard to find a secular band that really takes justice seriously, who really wants to do the right thing, and has a purpose. Avoiding the stereotypical "sex, drugs and rock and roll" image, Rise Against stands out amongst a crowd. Most of the members of the band are married, believe in the sanctity of marriage, refuse to smoke or drink, and generally shun most of the vices of the rock and roll world they live in. But they don't skimp on the rock. Righteous anger, redemption and perseverance are pervasive themes on the album. "Injection" calls out for to God for help and deliverance from addiction, "Prayer of the Refuge" sings of hope and longs for justice for the downtrodden, "The Good Left Undone" begs for salvation, "Bricks" is just plan angry and "Survive" lets you know that it sure as hell isn't over yet.




Steven Curtis Chapman - "Declaration"
















The most influential album in my life. My mom listened to Steven Curtis Chapman when she was in college, and now I'm in college and I am still listening to him... even though I was introduced to him long before any of the other bands or musicians in this list. It is very probable that I listened to music by Steven Curtis Chapman while still in the womb. And this album has lifted me up more times than I can count. It has made me laugh, it has made me cry, it has caused me to worship our Lord more than ever before. And it has always reminded me that "God is God."



Cheers,
JSTT

Back for another round

Well, I just got back to beautiful Moscow, Idaho. I was a little trepidatious about coming back, what with traveling several thousand miles, and the whole going to school and being away from my family... again. But I shouldn't have been. Since when has being worried ever solved anything? Or... is it the other way around? That it DOES work? As the saying goes: "Worrying works, what you worry about never seems to happen."

I really hate planes though. Well, not hate. They help me get to see people that I love quickly and efficiently. We often complain about security checks and what not... but really, think about it for a moment: you are sitting in a chair......... IN THE SKY!!!! You are thousands of miles above the surface of the earth, defying gravity. What is NOT cool about that, huh?

Security checks do suck though. A friend of mine told me this morning that in some airports they have installed body scanners. Like... um.... yeah. They see everything. Not ok. Just not OK. Like in Britain they can't scan anyone under 18. Yeah. Ick. Somebody has got to put and end to this madness.

But still, the whole plane part is pretty much the bomb. (pun not intended) For example, on my flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake, they had personal TVs installed in the back of the head rests. BOOYAH! Even better, they had one jack headphone adapter things. Don't you hate it when you pull out your headphones to watch the in-flight movie and you suddenly realize that you need a pair of headphones with two jacks to watch in stereo? Anyway, they had Comedy Central. Stand-up comedy all the way to Mormonville.

Don't get me wrong. I love Mormons. They show us Christians up all the time. I mean, why can't WE be that nice? Huh? Somebody riddle me that.

While walking through the Salt Lake airport however, I was surprised to find people besides me wearing Goorin Bros. hats. You cannot go wrong with a Goorin. Mine is pretty much my favorite hat of all time. http://www.goorin.com/

Finally on the last flight from Salt Lake to Lewiston (read it as: middle of nowhere Idaho), I sat next to a nice girl going back to school too. Vandal pride. She had been in... Romania was it? Jenny. She pointed out that we were both wearing claddaugh rings. So we were. Imagine that. Turned out she had been all over Europe, and was considering studying there eventually.

Inevitably the subject of where I went to school came up. "New Saint Andrews," I say. A look of consternation. "You know, the little brick building on main street?" A look of recognition. "Yeah, I've heard of it... I think."

Suddenly, the man sitting in front of us turns around, looks at me, "Josiah!" He sticks out his hand, I shack obligingly. "I knew you looked familiar!" It's Mr. Garfield, one of the teachers from Logos private school... the little brother to New Saint Andrews.

Then he turns to Jenny, and looks at her hard. She looks a little taken aback, a little nervous. I can understand. Old guys (no offense, Mr. Garfield) staring at you will do that to you. "We're neighbors, aren't we?" Another look of recognition. "Mr. Garfield?" "Yup! How's the family?"

Small talk. We still haven't taken off yet. Salt Lake airport officials are pretty serious about de-icing all the planes.

Finally back in good, ol' Idaho it's still a half-hour drive from my landing point, Lewiston, to my final destination, Moscow. Pump Say Anything through the speakers. Punk rock with a psychotic messianic Jew as the front man, what's there not to love? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Say_Anything_%28band%29

I make it back at about 11ish, 2300 for all you military types. My body is screaming: "2 AM, 2 AM, 2 AM!" as loud as it can. I head to crash into bed, but not before my roommate tells me that one of the other guys left... like for good. Or at least for the foreseeable future. Not enough cash. That's the jist. Fading... fast. Bed eats me for a midnight snack.

Next morning... Sunday. Back to Christ Church. Home. http://www.christkirk.com/ I think that was the biggest thing I was worried about coming back, not the academics, not the weather.... the people. Like I said... I needn't have worried. With God you never do. You NEVER do. "He's always been faithful to me."



So... I'm back. Back.... home. "Home is what you make it." Never blame it on others, never fear, never despise where you are. If you harbor loathing in your heart simply for where you are, you are most definitely not living in God's will, you are not seeking His peace. Rest in Him always. He's never steered me wrong.

The glory and grace of God never fails.
Praise be unto His name!


Well, Latin vocab is calling my name. Until next time, I remain you friendly neighborhood Calvinist!

JSTT

Next time you jump...

...use a parachute.
Next time you fall in love...
...phone a friend.
Next time you get drunk...
...find someone with a video camera.
Next time you fail epicly...
...know someone who can pick you up.
Next time you hurt...
...get a hug.
Next time you laugh real hard...
...don't keep it in.
Next time you cry even harder...
...pray for help.
Next time you decide to die...
...rethink your choice.
Next time you live life...
...take everyone you know along for the ride.

JSTT

Some of my favorite things:

-B movies on weekends
-Extremely odd Latin slides
-Fruit flavored candy
-Friends that encourage you even when you don't think you need it
-Wise men to guide you through the sludge of life
-A God who sees it all, knows it all.. and cares deeply

Postmoderism in a Bucket

There is a pail that is dangling from your loose grip, it is resting by your bed, it is sitting in your lap. You display it with pride, you believe that it says something relevant. I beg to differ. I submit that it reeks.

What does it contain? For you yourself do not know. Let me tell you:

It is begging to say something meaningful by saying what you already hold to. It is straying outside the lines while remaining firmly inside your comfort zone. It is taking the majority and making them the ones oppressed. It is fancy words and flashy signs that say what has been said a thousand times, yet still mean nothing. It is dawning clothing that was rebellious in the 60's and saying that because you and all your friends are wearing it, that you should be respected for who you are. It is finding the next big thing first, and then dropping it like a bad habit when it becomes popular. It is the mall you walk in. It is the presidency of every nation you can imagine. It is the music industry. It is not science fiction. It is the best of all possible worlds.

Welcome to the 21st Century.
JSTT