I am 141st - Music (and Entertainment) Highlights of 2017

I really love music (obviously), and with my I am 141st blog I really wanted to put out a more established 'best-of' list of 2017 in hopes that those who are reaching out for encouragement and good CCM music can see the great discoveries that I have made throughout this year.  I placed my experiences in chronological order by month, and ended with my 'top ten' music playlist of best singles that defined my existence in this tumultuous but blessed year.

January 2017:  [Artist] JJ Heller

Natalie Grant didn't bring her "Dare to Be" conference to Seattle like she did the prior two Januarys.  I mentioned to Kristin that one of my favorite artists JJ Heller was coming to Seattle one night and Bellingham another night with a much smaller (but no less impactful) women's seminar in that same month.  Kristin agreed to go to the women's seminar in Bellingham, while Asher and I went to go see "Hidden Figures" in the theatre.  Kristin really enjoyed it, got to meet the ladies, and got Asher an autographed glossy from JJ.

January 2017 [Favorite Album] Cass - Genesis

I discovered 22-year-old New Zealand producer Cass' "Illuminate" music video and Genesis album in late summer, but her album was released at the beginning of 2017.  A very eclectic sound of instruments and rhythms; My favorite new album of 2017.

February 2017 [Artist/Album] Hollyn "One-Way Conversations"

After her Debut EP in 2015, Hollyn released her first full-length album "One-Way Conversations" in February.  Sadly, this was about the time my local Christian Bookstore (Family Christian Stores) started going out of business and stopped carrying new titles; I had to iTune it.  Hollyn was recently part of the Hits Deep tour with artists like TobyMac, Building 451 and Capital Kings and is quickly establishing herself as one of CCM's up and coming hit makers.

March 2017 [Artist] Colton Dixon

I entered some cartooning into Facebook, when Colton Dixon invited his fans to put titles from his new 'Identity' album into art.  His debut single "All That Matters" helped me through some hard times the first half of 2017.

April 2017 [Worst Of - Family Christian Stores closes :( ]

Not happy.  After several years of financial hardships the huge nations Family Christian Stores finally closes its remaining stores.  Although the close-out deals were great, and I discovered some new music and musicians (Seth & Nirva, Jordan Feliz, Misty Edwards), it was bittersweet knowing that, other than the small-business Amen store one city north of my house, the nearest brick and mortar store is now an hour away, if the traffic is good.

August 2017 [Artist] Needtobreathe

Needtobreathe is probably my favorite band right now.  2016's "Hard Love" was hotter than a firecracker, and the band 'deluxified' their album with two renditions of their title track along with 4 new tracks that were as equally as impressive as the original tracks from last year.  "Cages" was the first song I can recall that shared lead vocals with the other members.

September [Music Video of 2017] - Capital Kings (featuring Hollyn) "All Good"

Capital Kings, which originally only has had two members, recently replaced a member.  Although the Capital Kings sound has just seemed a bit off since this change, this single added Hollyn to the mix, as CK turned out a "Matrix" meets "Star Trek holodeck" meets "Butterfly Garden" techno-video. The results was "All Good," hit all the right notes, and make this beautiful video my music video of 2017.




December 2017 [Artist - The New Respects]

I decided to flip through the Dove Aware Nominees and winners of 2017 to see what, if any hidden finds I may have missed.  One of the "Short Form Music Video" Nominees was "Trouble" from The New Respects, a band who's lead singer is the daughter of CCM artist Nicole C Mullen.  The band has been putting out EP's and singles throughout 2017 and is already making waves with their retro rock and Motown sounds.




[Everybody loves good 'Best of....[current year] lists, so I updated my blog on 12/30/17, closer to the end of 2017, with some of my 'best of' choices' of music and entertainment]  My favs are below

My meaningful song playlist of 2017 (various years, recently discovered or rediscovered)

All Good - Capital Kings (Featuring Hollyn)
All That Matters - Colton Dixon
Bottom to the Top - V Rose
Cages- Needtobreathe
Creature Machine - TRALA
Feel Invincible - Skillet
Great Are You Lord - Seth & Nirva
I Didn't Build It for Me - Daniel Amos
Illuminate - Cass
Keep Fighting (Acoustic) - Fireflight
Pretty Lies - Veridia (Featuring Matty Mullins)
The Well - JJ Heller
Your Great Name - Natalie Grant

Top Ten Song Playlist of 2017

Keep Fighting (Acoustic) - Fireflight
Flaming Arrows - Carmen Justice
Can't Live Without - Hollyn
Trouble - The New Respects
Braver Still - JJ Heller
Creature Machine - TRALA
Cages - Needtobreathe
All Good - Capital Kings (Featuring Hollyn)
All That Matters - Colton Dixon
Illuminate - Cass

Best Short Form Music Video - "All Good" - Capital Kings feat: Hollyn

Best Long Form Music Video - "Circuit Rider" - Gaither Gospel Series (2016, but still counting it, since I bought it a the going out of business Family Christian Stores sale this year)

Best New Artist - Cass

Best Male Vocalist - Colton Dixon

Best Female Vocalist (tie) - JJ Heller and Hollyn

Best New Album - Genesis - Cass

Best New EP - Hard Cuts:  Songs from the HARDLOVE Sessions - Needtobreathe

Artists of the Decade (Through 2017) - V Rose, JJ Heller, Fireflight

Favorite Vinyl "Discoveries" - Marian Anderson - Spirituals; Daniel Amos - "Doppelganger" and "Horrendous Disc"; (honorable mention) - Jordan Feliz - "The River" (wasn't really a big fan of his 2016 radios hits but his music sounds a lot better on the turntable).

Best Movie Experience - Hidden Figures (Audience applauded twice during the movie, once at the end and once when Kevin Costner tore down the segregated bathroom signs).

Best Sporting Event - Curling Nationals (live) at Everett Comcast Arena

Who's on 141st: Week of 11/5/17

Who's on 141st - Week of 11/5/17

     I want to start a 'sub-section' of the 141st Blog:  regular posts (starting with a few times a month), as long or as short as they may be, into new discoveries, intrigues, music...good things.  Surely each week  there is at least gone good thing, one inspirational thing, one "think on these things" thing.  And each week someone or something good comes to the forefront.

Family.

What better way to start off this sub-section of thought than with the blessing of Kristin, Nels, and Asher.  Kristin my beautiful, smart and loving Proverbs 31 woman.  Nels, my strong fighting warrior.  Asher, my smart, joyful and happy Bub.  Without these blessings in my life I don't know where I would be.













Baptism into God's family

On 11/5/17, what would have been Nels' 9th Birthday, Asher made a decision to be baptized into God's family.  I am so grateful for his decision and so proud of him.  I know Nels is rejoicing in Heaven over Asher's new life.












New Music discovery - TRALA

Former solo artist Moriah Peters formed a new CCM trio in August, adding new lyrical depth and a unique sound to an otherwise predictable genre.  Although it doesn't mention social media by name "Creature Machine," in my interpretation, is the 'anti-assimilation' message that the music industry, especially the CCM genre, needs to hear.

Creature Machine - TRALA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eJC4_QQY5w

Thank you Veterans, for your service and dedication to our country and our freedom!  #Veteransday #iam141st

November 5th: A day of sorrow and a day of hope.

It is with a sad heart that 11/5/17 will mark the day Nels Robert Campbell would have turned 9 years old.  In some ways it seems like such a long time ago and others times like a few days ago.  I don't know if there is anything that I haven't said before about this brave little warrior.  I love him.  I miss him.  I thought my life was over with his last breath, and I was ready to go to Heaven with him. 

But God had a plan to would be to his glory.  The legacy of Nels would be that, through his life and through education of his disorder, other babies with his rare condition could be spared from death and be overcomers, while those who were not be spared were still warriors up until their last breath.

And God knew that one year and one week later, another little miracle would come into this world.  Asher Johan Campbell, born 5 weeks premature but otherwise perfectly healthy.

And God knew that Asher, who's Biblical name means 'filled with joy and happiness' would bring much joy and happiness back into our lives.  And on November 5, 2017, exactly 9 years after the life and passing of Nels, Asher has made a commitment to be baptized into God's family who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved.  I know that Nels will be looking down on this moment with gladness and love and be rejoicing and celebrating.   A new chapter of November 5th remembrances begins, and life and love will go on.

A Prayer for Safe Haven in the brink of Hurricane Irma May 2006: Miami, Everglades and the Keys. Kristin and I were several years into ministering under Living Rock Ministries and were blessed to be able to extend our vacation after I was one of the trip winners for my work that year. Even 9 months later Miami was still cleaning up after being clipped by Hurricane Katrina. We worshipped on the beach at sunrise with our banners and flags. We rented zoo bikes and road the long spurs throughout the Miami zoo. In other parks we fed monkeys, watched parrots and paid our respects to sea animals. The Fruit and Spice Park was still damaged, but the staff were so willing to describe their amazing plants to us. The waitress at the Alehouse in Doral (west Miami) was so receptive to the ministry music Kristin and I had written and were giving out on this trip. And the food there was so good. We were saddened at the shape of Flamingo (at the end of the road of Everglades National Park) which had been decimated with both the hurricane and a brush fire in the same time period. At the Keys, we experienced dolphins and swam with the rays; the name of the boat we road on was fitting called “Amazing Grace.” What I have been praying for lately however is not grace, but mercy. I wish for God to stop Hurricane Irma in its tracks and have mercy on His people. I’ve been praying for this. I want people to know that there is a God and he cares so much for His creation. I want the words of Psalm 107:23-31 to play out in real time before the calamity strikes (as read in my grandma’s Bible): “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. HE MAKETH THE STORM A CALM, SO THAT THE WAVES THEREOF ARE STILL. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them until their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! These words were originally written of the mortal sailor, However we all are sailors, sailing on this earthen planet on our daily orbit around the sun. May we cry out to the Lord in one accord, even as we brace for what natural circumstances would tell us can only result in destruction, to bring those in destruction’s path out of distress by God’s great hand. I call out Hurricane Irma by name: May your storms be silenced immediately so that the people may be able to return to their desired and intact homes and havens, on land or in the harbors. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my Savior and my Lord. Amen.

May 2006:  Miami, Everglades and the Keys.  Kristin and I were several years into ministering under Living Rock Ministries and were blessed to be able to extend our vacation after I was one of the trip winners for my work that year.  

Even 9 months later Miami was still cleaning up after being clipped by Hurricane Katrina.  We worshipped on the beach at sunrise with our banners and flags.  We rented zoo bikes and road the long spurs throughout the Miami zoo.  In other parks we fed monkeys, watched parrots and paid our respects to sea animals. The Fruit and Spice Park was still damaged, but the staff were so willing to describe their amazing plants to us.  The waitress at the Alehouse in Doral (west Miami) was so receptive to the ministry music Kristin and I had written and were giving out on this trip.  And the food there was so good.  We were saddened at the shape of Flamingo  (at the end of the road of Everglades National Park) which had been decimated with both the hurricane and a brush fire in the same time period.  At the Keys, we experienced dolphins and swam with the rays; the name of the boat we road on was fitting called “Amazing Grace.”  

What I have been praying for lately however is not grace, but mercy.  I wish for God to stop Hurricane Irma in its tracks and have mercy on His people.  I’ve been praying for this.  I want people to know that there is a God and he cares so much for His creation.  I want the words of Psalm 107:23-31 to play out in real time before the calamity strikes (as read in my grandma’s Bible):  “They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep.  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths:  their soul is melted because of trouble.  They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.  Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses.  HE MAKETH THE STORM A CALM, SO THAT THE WAVES THEREOF ARE STILL.  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them until their desired haven.  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"  

These words were originally written of the mortal sailor, However we all are sailors, sailing on this earthen planet on our daily orbit around the sun.  May we cry out to the Lord in one accord, even as we brace for what natural circumstances would tell us can only result in destruction, to bring those in destruction’s path out of distress by God’s great hand.  I call out Hurricane Irma by name:  May your storms be silenced immediately so that the people may be able to return to their desired and intact homes and havens, on land or in the harbors.  I ask this in the name of Jesus, my Savior and my Lord.  Amen.  

Testing the spirits (1 John 4:1-3)

     Did you see the movie “Miracles from Heaven” with Jennifer Garner that came out earlier this year?  It was actually a really good movie (despite what the critics try to say), however there is a scene from the movie where some of the church women try to tell Jennifer’s character that her daughter’s afflictions must have been from some untold sin that she or her daughter is committing.  The pastor does nothing to rebuke their behavior.  Not only does this propel the heroine not to go to that church anymore, but it is contrary to what Jesus said in the Bible regarding the blind man (John 9:1-3), when the disciples asked Jesus who’s sin caused the man to be born blind.  

     Now more than ever we need to ‘test the spirit’ to see if it is from God (1 John 4:1-3) if we are believers in Christ and someone approaches us in this manner.  And if we ourselves moved to reach out to someone, we need to take caution.  Using the phrase “God told me to tell you...” can be very dangerous if the Holy Spirit is not in the interaction.  However, if the Holy Spirit does move you, you can be confident in engaging that person or persons, because God is doing it for a reason that you may not understand at the time, but will actually work toward His glory.  

Half-life

     Once again I am awake for over an hour on a Saturday morning somewhere between the hours of 2AM and 5AM.  

     I live a half-life.  By which I mean that a quarter of my life is wasted on pursuing fleeting and worthless things and another quarter is spent on thinking about pursuing fleeting and worthless things.  All thrown in with a bit of paralyzing despair, not a full blown depression mind you, but enough to realize that once you emerge from it, you’re a day/week older and no progress has been made.  

     I’m tired of living a half life.  I was meant to shine, not for my own glory, but for the glory of God and for the betterment of my fellow man.  And my light was not meant for my own self-promotion, but to serve those less fortunate than myself, to raise up those who have been rejected, those who are maimed and crippled, those who have been unable to lift themselves off the ground as a result of tragedy.       
     I know what I’m meant to do; I can see the results in my head.   I just don’t know how to do it.  How to get from here to there.  

     I have bitten my tongue so much over the last few years that it has become numb to the point that I don’t know when to release it or if the words that come out will be words of wisdom or of folly.  I want to lash out against the pompous, against the oppressors, but where my pride says “do it,” Humility says “no.”  

     Humility reads: “to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  

     Perhaps it is because of impurity of the half-life that true wisdom is not obtained.  Gentleness, not bitter jealousy and selfishness, is what I crave.  And above all else, love.  Pure, undefiled, whole love.  

Author's note:  

As exhaustion begins to overtake me, I can feel a sense of hopelessness lifted off of me.  Thank you, God.  You’re already turned my day around.  

The Case for Unwanted Records

     About a month ago one of the Facebook pages I am following (Vinyl Lovers United) posted an article about an artist in Seattle who uses old records and carves silhouettes of city skylines and other designs into them. http://www.geekwire.com/2016/seattle-artist-hopes-kickstarter-moves-needle-vinyl-record-cutouts-go-high-tech/ According to the article, the artist was always in the market for finding excess and unwanted records that he could use to create his unique artwork.  The artist oftentimes went into record stores and asked the owners if they had any excess and/or unwanted records that they would be willing to sell, and would use those acquisitions for his craft.  It is the topic of unwanted records that I wanted to talk about today.  

     First and foremost, I think that it is important to clarify my definitions of unwanted records, because they basically fall into three different categories.  There are the broken and unusable records which are no longer playable on a turntable.  There are the records that were unilaterally panned by critics and so obtain the moniker “unwanted.”  And then finally there are the records that would never have had the chance to be hit-makers or fall into such a narrow niche genre that over time they may never be heard from again.  It is the final category that I wanted to discuss on this blog.

     I think the deliberate use of records as art started to bother me when I was a teenager in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  And by art in this instance, I am referring to the music created by DJ’s who scratched records directly on a modified turntable to make a particular sound designed to complement other voices and instruments.  

     Even as a young teenager, whenever I would think about DJ’s I would think about which vinyl record was meeting its untimely demise this time.  Did some DJ’s always use records that were already damaged beyond playability?  Did some DJ’s look for specific artists, albums and/or genres in which to make an example of when they went to their station?  Did some DJ’s just pick up large quantities of ‘unwanted’ records from Tower Records, and let the chips fall as they may? (More recently I also have issues with the new Red Robin cassette and eight-track wall art, but I digress)  

     I want to tell you the story about one particular record that I picked up while browsing through the bargain bin at a record show at the Seattle Center last spring. My genre of choice is Jesus Music, and while that may be a narrow genre in itself, it is amazing how my collection has expanded by simply browsing the thrift stores and record stores in just the Seattle area alone.  As many vinyl music lovers know when they browse for records, there are always albums on one’s ‘list,’ however there also albums that fall under the “I wasn’t looking for it until I found it” category.   

     The album is titled:  “Songs of Faith From the Heart of Cameroon, Africa.”  It was recorded in the fall of 1969 and features hymns and spiritual songs sung in Douala, German and English.  I had already made some good finds on this record show visit with Randy Stonehill, Love Song and the Pat Terry Group.  However again, there are simply some albums that do not fall into a category of interest for a seeking vinyl music lover.  I figured that if I put this particular album back into the crate that it would never be heard from again.  I remind myself that somewhere in the past, someone somewhere felt that they had created music worthy enough to be made into vinyl and released as art (and ministry, if you are into Jesus and Jesus Music like I am).  

     “Songs of Faith...” could quite easily be categorized as an “unwanted” album.  It could easily have made it onto a DJ’s turntable or an artist’s cutting room workbench.  Out there are similar veins of vinyl gold that Itunes or Spotify simply aren’t going make digital recordings of.  Which is why when this type of unwanted album is created into art in one form another form of art dies at the same time.  

     Not to oversimplify the solution, but I believe in response to the vinyl art carver, there are enough ruined vinyl records out there to fill a small country.  Here’s how I know:  

     As a child born in the 1970’s I grew up in a home with a record turntable.  My parents listened to the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstandt, ABBA, and a slew of others on a healthy sized record collection of 33’s and 45’s.  I was also a child who tended to dance around the living room and jump off of furniture while an upbeat vinyl single such as “Super Trouper” was being played ten feet away.  So when a record started to skip or repeat itself, generally there was not much you can do about it, unless you didn’t mind walking over to the player every minute or so to move the needle.  If records can be damaged by something as simple as a child leaping off of a couch, or by simply being too close to a window on a sunny day, think of all the other thousands of ways a record could be damaged. There is a mountain of unusable records out there, over decades of vinyl music creation, that are quite suitable for the purpose of framed art.  

     For those remaining playable records lost in the vastness of back room clearance bins I say to people:  who is to say what records are wanted and which records are not?  Because that is one of the joys of being a vinyl lover:  Serendipitously discovering the music that time and man have forgotten and taking it for a spin again.