Now I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I do not have very balanced approach to listening to music.
Because typically my approach is to find a song that I love and then listen to it OVER AND OVER AND OVER until I have told everyone I know that they too must love this song and by the way, if they wouldn’t mind, it would be great if we could sit down and just quickly review the lyrics because, really – TRUST ME – doing that would make the song so much more meaningful for all of us, I PROMISE.
Oh, you can take the girl out of the English department, but you will never, ever take the English department out of the girl.
I don’t care how old and tired the girl is.
Even if she’s on the back side of 30 and exhausted.
So lately I’ve been trying to listen to some new stuff and – THIS IS KEY – not limiting myself to a one-song (or even a one-CD) obsession. Because as much as my whole family enjoyed the last Monk & Neagle CD, I’m a little concerned that one day when Alex is about 35 with a family of his own, he’s going to hear the opening notes of “Beautiful You” and immediately grab a fruit punch Capri Sun, hop in a booster seat, and beg someone to drive him to Walmart(s) because remember? back in 2007? when Mama played that song EVERY SINGLE TIME WE GOT IN THE CAR TO RUN ERRANDS? and then sang it AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS?
Good times. Precious memories.
Anyway, here are a few new songs that have made their way to the top of my playlist – and all of these songs come from REALLY excellent CD’s. I just thought it might be fun to focus on individual songs for a change.
Because I’m all kicky and wacky like that.
“Glorious One” – Fee – I love this song so much that I tend to SPEAK VERY LOUDLY WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT, but that’s actually sort of appropriate because I also play this song very loudly when I listen to it.
And you know what else? I don’t think it’s possible to listen to this song without lifting your hands just a teensy little bit. Consider yourself warned, Episcopalians.
OH, I AM A KIDDER.
And seriously, this is the perfect song to get you going during your morning or afternoon drive time. Just please don’t do any hand-lifting while driving unless you have some sort of auto-pilot feature in your vehicle. Because I would hate for you to be so busy getting your praise on that, you know, you forget to hold on to the steering wheel.
Safety first, internets.
“New Day” – Robbie Seay Band – I am not by nature a terribly romantic girl, but this song makes me all swoony and dreamy and I start to feel like I should wear more dresses since my husband likes it when I wear dresses. THE POWER OF MUSIC, MY FRIENDS.
And it just so happens that today Kat has a great interview with Robbie that you can read right here.
As an added bonus (BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!), you can download this song for free right here.
I’m not even kidding. FREE!
Now that is a bargain.
“Alright” – MercyMe – This is one of those songs that you’ll hear one time and then sing the rest of the day because it has, like, THE CATCHIEST REFRAIN EVER, not to mention that it’s totally going to make you want to dance.
It will also make you want to clap, but not just a regular kind of clapping – you will want to do the single clap / double clap combo, and what could be more funky fun that that?
Why, I can’t think of anything.
“How Sweet The Name” – Delirious? – The first time I heard the Delirious? “Kingdom of Comfort” CD, I thought it was cool but very different than the music I normally listen to. As it turns out, different is good. Because the more I listen to their music, the more I love it. The whole CD is really strong, and “How Sweet The Name” – which is all about the profound gift of salvation – is hauntingly beautiful.
However, I have to confess that I do not understand why the band’s name is Delirious? – like they’re not quite sure if they’re really Delirious – because based on their music, it seems like maybe their name should be Delirious! or even Delirious!!!
Perhaps I should consult the Google for an answer.
“God of this City” – Chris Tomlin – This song really encourages me to stop being so stinkin’ short-sighted and selfish.
The end.
“Washed By The Water” – needtobreathe – I love me a little Southern-fried flava (yes. I just used the word “flava.” I totally did.) in my music, and this song has such a strong undercurrent of blues and gospel that I found it utterly captivating the first time I heard it.
I think you will, too.
Okay. I believe that’s all for now. But if you have any music suggestions for the internets, feel free to list them in the comments.
And, in conclusion: rock on, interpeoples.
Oh please do rock on.
Boo, I listen to music the same way. I have a fave song and listen to it over. And over. And over.
My current “over and over and over” song is: Sacred by Caedmon’s Call. It’s just perfect for all of us mommies!
Jeannie
Oooooo….do I understand the part about Alex but trust me, this is a good thing. Not the 30 year old part & sitting in a booster seat but memories are always good.
My total faves at this moment are:
When The Saints: Sara Groves
(Lord it’s all that I can’t carry and cannot leave behind
it often overwhelms me
but when I think of all who’ve gone before and lived the faithful life
their courage compells me
And when I’m weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought. I think of Paul & Silas in the prison yard..) You can’t fight those lyrics.
God Is In The House: Rebecca Lynn Howard
( Bluesy & very cool.)
Hold Me Jesus: Big Daddy Weave
Victory In Jesus: Trace Adkins
( My Daddy’s favorite hymn & since he died I can’t listen to it without tearing up. I can see my Dad sitting in his chair when I played it for him, smiling & telling me not to forget.)
I could go on but those are really what we listen to a lot in the car.
O.K. I just bought the new CeCe Winans cd called Thy Kingdom Come. IT IS AWESOME! This is the first cd of hers that I have ever bought. I’ve been trying to expand from my typical worship. All of the songs are good but “WORTHY” is my current favorite. It will not dissapoint!
So, prepare yourself to cry.
The last time we had our big sleepover, we took the girls to church the next morning. Girls that had never gone to church before. In a church that contained people who didn’t “look” like they did. And guess what song was introduced that morning?
“God of This City.”
Oh yes it was.
Sweetly Broken – Jeremy Riddle
Mighty To Save – Hillsong
This is why I read your blog, BooMama – aside from the fact that you’re dadgum funny, you also introduce me to music I hadn’t heard before. I’m loving my Matt Maher CD, and I really like the downloads from Robbie Seay Band. You rock, BooMama…
I also listen to the same song over and over and over and over again. I didn’t realize there was another way to listen to music. :)
I love the new Shawn Mullins cd.
Shameless shilling, but I love a new band called Maida Vale. Shameless because it’s my brother’s band, but he wrote this tune called ‘Down In the Valley’ about my grandparents and the place we used to live, and everytime I hear it I cry. I wonder if it’s just me…
Just stumbled upon this site and I gotta say I have fun every time I come by…
I am stuck on Dave Barnes… I love all his music, especially “Crazyboutya”…I can’t seem to move on, but thanks for new song suggestions…I’ll give them a listen!
Well, good timing, because I just got a new iPod yesterday (!), and I was filling it up. So I just downloaded three of those. Thanks!
My latest favorite song is Undo by Rush of Fools.
I really need to change the music in my iPod because I haven’t in ages and I’ll be driving with my husband and two small children for 6 hours on a family vacation and I’ll need some music to escape to! :)
Thanks for the recommendations!
Thanks for the suggestions! I’m walking a little more, and my iPod needs some new tunes. You can give me Southern flava any time you want to. ;) xxxooogretchen
Sanctus Real – Whatever You’re Doing.
It’s . . .incredible.
I love 33Miles. Everything they do is wonderful. The lyrics, they rock. “There is a God” will put you out there with both hands raised. Love Point of Grace’s “Turn Up the Music”…the video is fun too. I’m in the latter half of my 40s though so….consider the source :) Love Mercy Me and SCC(the best for a long long time)Casting Crowns. You have introduced me to some music I wouldn’t have heard…being that I’m in my 40s so thanks for exposing me to some good stuff!
I’m so happy to think that I get to meet you this summer! How much fun!
And yes, rockin’ on (as I go).
Prayin’ for you today!
holly
Oh how I love Steve Fee’s music! I did yard work to it last night.
My other current fave: Call My Name from Third Day
And the music that our church uses with the children comes from the Rethink group in Atlanta, and they just released a new CD called “Live Out Loud.” It’s for kids and parents, and it’s fabulous! It has Lean on Me on it; reminds me of my youth group days.
Thanks for the new tunes. My current over and over and over and, well you get the idea is Somewhere in the Middle. I listen to it every day before I walk into work to get my mind in the right place and remember what exactly I need to be living for.
Some new tunes to try are by John Waller and Leeland. They opened for Casting Crowns at their concert here last weekend, and both are awesome. Flood by John Waller is amazing and Leeland’s The Opposite Way are both very thought provoking too!
Enjoy!!!
I love it when I feel the need to clap in a song so I’m all about the Mercy Me deal…
Me and my peeps spoke at a Ladies Retreat this weekend in Ft. Worth, TX. The entire time we were singing Washed By The Water by needtobreathe. I downloaded it this morning and bought the ringtone, I was so excited to see it was on your list.
Many blessings.
Thanks for the song recommendations – I love new music.
And thanks for the link love…this shall be journaled. Two links from Boomama in two weeks. This might go to my head.
I am loving Matthew West’s “You are Everything” right now. I was listening to it when I turned the car off this morning and when I turned it back on, the EXCESSIVELY LOUD VOLUME really scared me. Rock on!
We should be BFFs. I have been wanting to blog about my current musical selections, but now, it would seem so…BooMama-poser-ish. (:
Today, the song that I have played about a frillion times here at work is “Shadowfeet” by Brooke Fraser. She’s singing my song.
Andy Davis is a new favorite of mine. He’s on tour with Dave Barnes, and any friend of Dave Barnes is…good, apparently.
Washed by the Water is one of my FAVORITE songs these days! And I love Chris Sligh’s “Empty Me.”
I do exactly the same thing… with music, with books, with movies. A creature of habit am I.
Have you ever listened to Shawn McDonald? My daughter calls him “Old McDonald.” A personal favorite is his song “Take My Hand.” And, yes, he is a friend of Dave Barnes on MySpace. :)
Right now my favorite is “This Is Home” by Switchfoot. It’s part of the soundtrack for the Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian movie. You can check out the song and music video at http://www.switchfoot.com. I think it’s also on Disney’s website.
Other current favorites:
Sanctus Real’s “We Need Each Other” CD (It’s hard to pick one favorite off the CD. I really like “Black Coal,” “Whatever You’re Doing,” “Leap of Faith” and “Lay Down My Guns.”)
Sara Groves – “When the Saints” & “I Saw What I Saw” (Both from her CD “Tell Me What You Know”)
I hope this question doesn’t come out wrong but I’m just curious…do you listen to any secular music? I always feel bad that I do after I read your blogs on music because I never know who any of the musicians are and I feel like kind-of-a heathen that I listen to Top 40. Please tell me you like some of it… :)
I totally just blogged on this exact subject. Are you copying me? :)
My favorite praise song is Total Praise by Avalon. I love Chris Tomlin, Avalon, Selah, Travis Cottrell (duh), Yolanda Adams – gotta listen to “Victory”, old school Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, Third Day, Point of Grace…
This list could get really long.
Thank you so much for all of these reviews! I really haven’t listened to much Contemporary Christian music in the past. I’ve always been a country girl. I can’t wait to check out some of these songs/cd’s.
Ooooh yay!! Love the music link love!! I’m with Jeni up above, totally loving the new Matt Maher CD. “As It Is In Heaven” is where I get stuck on replay with that CD and I’m not as familiar with the end of the CD but I will say that “Empty and Beautiful” is fabulous! I’ve got to check out the other links you put up because I love new music and I love having new stuff to bring to the table at worship planning meetings!! Thanks Boo!
Hi BooMama! I found you via Kelly’s Korner :) These are all awesome songs. I’m lovin’ Song of Hope by Robby Seaye (SP?) right now. I’m just like you, I pick a song or CD and listen to it until I can sing the entire thing in the shower with correct pauses and everything. Music is a wonderful gift from God.
“Glorious One” by Fee is also one of my current faves. I have even been known to do some hand-raising while driving (don’t tell!).
I also love to crank up some U2 and sing at the top of my lungs. It’s a great stress reliever.
We have just recently started singing “God of this City” in church and I absolutely love it. And to play the piano in church while singing it? Talk about praising God with joy!! “Awesome is the Lord Most High” is a Chris TOmlin song I’ve used recently with the kids in Sunday School. Here’s a link to another song that is new to me that I love. Power of the Cross. http://www.gettydirect.com/lyrics.asp?id=89
Thanks for the new song recommendations.
My current “over & over” songs are “Here is my Life” and “Unashamed” from Broken Vessels.
You can listen/buy at htt://www.brokenvessels.com – click on music, then click on info.
They won the Momentum Award for Worship Artist of the Year at CIA Summit in Franklin (TN) in March. I will be buying a few of their CDs for birthday/Christmas gifts this year!
I’m the Summit photographer – that’s where I met them. They played the Saturday morning worship set. Check them out – you won’t be disappointed!
So I think I just figured out how to get my sitemeter # to go up. Link a bunch of things that someone may want to click. These things will open in the same window and then this person will conitnue to close said window everytime they are done listening to each song. This said person will continue to do this until the 4th time. At least this person “got it” by then. Oh, and great choices. I may have to run to the WalMarts and find a couple of these!
I’m loving “Ruin Me” by Jeff Johnson. It’s in regular rotation in my church band!
I also really love “Mighty to Save.” There are TONS of versions, but my favorite is Laura Story.
Thanks for the new music – I hadn’t heard “God of this City” before, and it fits PERFECTLY with my church’s theme for this year.
Thanks for the new stuff!
I currently (which means forever) love Divine Romance by Phil Wickham. And Held by Natalie Grant, and In Christ Alone by almost anyone.
That and the sound track from Meet the Robinson’s are steady at our house.
Hey, thanks for the great suggestions!
An album I’ve really gotten into lately is “Disengage” by Justin Unger. He was part of the band Across the Sky & this is his newly released solo project. Awesome! My favorite songs are “Behold” and “I will go before,” but I’m diggin’ them all. Quality, good, encouraging music.
Hey Boomama!
I love your blog! I have no idea how I even came across it, but I’m glad I did!
I love the song “God of This City” as well, but have you heard the original version from the band that actually wrote the song? Their name is Bluetree, and they’re a band from Ireland. Their whole CD, “Greater Things”, is awesome. I think you’d really like it. Plus, their Irish accent is so endearing!
So, I’m currently enjoying Bluetree’s CD, Kirk Franklin’s newest, “The Fight of My Life”, Delirious’ “Kingdom of Comfort” (they are the greatest!), a live worship CD from Deluge, the youth group worship team from Bethany Church in Louisiana, and the newest from Aradhna, a band that praises God with Indian music. I have NO idea what they’re saying, but their melodies are beautiful and their sound is SO unique.
You’ve got good taste girl! Not sure what time the sun rises where you’re at but that’s my favorite time to listen to Glorious One…watching the sun come up and realizing the total amazeness of God…ooohhh goosebumps!
Check out Addison Road, especially the first song on their album, “This Could Be Our Day.”
Robbie Seay rocks our socks off here in H town. My boys love to go downtown to his church and here him lead worship….too cool. AND he is good to work out to when I am on the elliptical and am going up the hill.
As a cradle Episcopalian, I took that comment about clapping VERY MUCH TO HEART.
So I went over to iTunes and downloaded the entire Fee album. Not just the song. The album.
So! Consider that a glove tossed down in front of you, missy.
I also got the two free downloads from RSB. I’ll show you who’s not too white bread to rock!
And I’ll be learning about the whole praise music thing. Because I’ve been singing in choirs for years and I thought all Jesus music came out of the hymnal or maybe was written by Thomas Tallis. Who knew? ;-)
Just heard God of This City last week at church. Also, my kids, 21, 19, 15, all know ALL verses and choruse to any Amy Grant song of the early 90s. It’s my never-ending gift to them.
We LOVE any Andrew Peterson around here, but my personal favorite is the “Chasing Song”. I also have “Do it, Lord” (Tommy Walker) stuck on repeat in my brain — it’s pretty incredible if you’ve not heard it before!
I also feel like this comment would be lacking if I did not confess — I was recently devouring some very, very delicious queso at a local establishment, and thought, “Wow, I wonder if BooMama knows how delicious the queso is here?” But considering that it was no small, or unpopular, Mexican restaurant on 280… I figure you probably already do.
I am thrilled that I came across your blog, it has been a pleasure to read!!!
You have EXCEKKEBT taste in music, “I love me some Jesus music” as well. Right now I rank ~ Need to Breath up towards the top of my ‘daily music fixes’. We saw them in concert with Third Day, they were beyond amazing!!! ‘Shine on, Shine on.’
The song that continues to open my spirit and move me each and everytime I hear it is Let it Rain by Michael W Smith, from his Worship CD.
At our service Sunday we sang Mighty to Save by Hillsong. I downloaded it the moment I got home.
And this morning I heard a group called Cadin (?) They sounded a bit like Barlow Girl ~ I liked what I heard.
Have a blessed day~ Krista
I am thrilled that I came across your blog, it has been a pleasure to read!!!
You have EXCELLENT taste in music, “I love me some Jesus music” as well. Right now I rank ~ Need to Breath up towards the top of my ‘daily music fixes’. We saw them in concert with Third Day, they were beyond amazing!!! ‘Shine on, Shine on.’
The song that continues to open my spirit and move me each and everytime I hear it is Let it Rain by Michael W Smith, from his Worship CD.
At our service Sunday we sang Mighty to Save by Hillsong. I downloaded it the moment I got home.
And this morning I heard a group called Cadin (?) They sounded a bit like Barlow Girl ~ I liked what I heard.
Have a blessed day~ Krista
*Repost, should have checked spelling before sending last post –
I do love my Jesus music!
Jeremy Camp “Let it fade”
If you ever get the chance to see him in concert run! God has given him a true gift.
Love your blog!
Kris