Red in 11 Days

I’ll just admit I’m kinda obsessed with “Taylor’s Version” rereleases. Revisiting the original “Red” ahead of the new version reminds me of so much from some of my favorite years of life thus far. And some tracks stand out more now than they did then. This one is so hauntingly beautiful.

Mastered for iTunes

Kelly Hodgkins writes about the new Mastered for iTunes songs on the iTunes Store:

Apple's trying to differentiate iTunes from its competitors with a new “Mastered for iTunes” section that's filled with high-fidelity, ear-pleasing music. These tracks are processed using a set of guidelines and tools that'll maintain as much of the sound quality of the original, uncompressed file as possible.

I'm curious to see if they sound any different. Assuming they do, another question remains: if someone registers a track on iTunes Match and then redownloads it, do you receive the “Mastered for iTunes” version?

OneMan Plays OneRepublic

This video shows Bryson Andres performing an instrumental rendition of OneRepublic's hit single “Secrets.” I am tempted to say more, but, instead, you really should just check it out for yourself. (If you are not familiar with the song, here's the original track that he is adapting.)

My Heart is Broken

Evanescence's new single, “My Heart is Broken,” picks up their “alternative-symphonic-gothic-nü-metal-pop” trademark sound perfectly, sounding as if it could be an fourteenth track on the Open Door. That is not exactly news. But, if you haven't seen their new music video released last week, it is worth a viewing. It continues the band's tradition of enigmatic, well produced videos. I would not put it up to the level of “My Immortal,” but it compares well to “Lithium.”

Teaching World Religions in Church

Tim Townsend has an interesting little write up on a local Lutheran church that is offering a course on Islam:

Thomas, who was on staff at Concordia Seminary in Clayton for 18 years, said he believes the Bible studies at St. Paul's have stayed on the respectful side of the line. His goal with the classes, he said, is to explain the teachings of another religion and to ask why Lutherans don't believe the same thing.

Notably, one of Lindenwood's esteemed religion professors gets in on the fun towards the end of the piece.

HT: @stephenrobin

Evanescence

After a five year hiatus, Evanescence finally returned with a new album today. I have not heard it as of yet, but for the occasion, I thought I would repost a link to the video of “My Immortal” from 2003. Many music videos leave me scratching my head, wondering what they have to do with their associated songs. This video, however, has always struck me as having a melancholy picturesqueness fitted perfectly to a powerfully moving song.

Evanescence is something of a unique, genre-bending band. It will be interesting to see if Amy Lee and company can capture that unique essence for a third major label release.

King of Anything

With Sara Bareilles's new album (affiliate link) coming out tomorrow, I thought I would post a link to the music video of the album's first single, “King of Anything.” If you haven't “met” this song yet, it is delightfully upbeat with a delicious splash of sarcasm. Nevertheless, more than mere fluff, it offers a truthful interaction with a real problem: people who offer advice without being willing to listen.

Below is the second stanza. Bareilles states the real problem in the last two lines of the verse. I think of conflicts I have written about on this blog and mark how well those final two lines describe the cause (or, at least, accelerant) of conflict.

The first rule of counseling is apropos: listening should be primary, opinion giving should be kept to a minimum.

You sound so innocent, all full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to jump up on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset

I’m not the one who’s lost with no direction
But you’ll never see
You’re so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps
You got the talking down, just not the listening

Imagine how many conflicts would never happen if we got the listening down rather than the talking.

Farewell

Posted on the Classic99 website:

Yesterday was the final day of broadcasting for KFUO-FM CLASSIC99. Our sign-off was at 10pm. Our final piece was Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 - the 1st choice of our listeners for many years.

It was a truly sad day to see St. Louis lose its only classical music radio station. I hope someone else comes in to fill the gap.

UPDATED THOUGHT: I think the LCMS really provided a vital ministry by combining music written by those God had most richly musically gifted over the centuries and the various Lutheran programs that were mixed in. This was far more of a “radio missions field” than what replaces it, a purely “Christian” music station that will almost certainly only preach to the choir.

Field of Innocence

From Origin, Evanescence's first full length CD (2000).

I still remember the world
From the eyes of a child
Slowly those feelings
Were clouded by what I know now

Where has my heart gone
An uneven trade for the real world
Oh I… I want to go back to
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all

I still remember the sun
Always warm on my back
Somehow it seems colder now

-A. Lee, B. Moody and D. Hodges

Moving On

This somehow seems fitting.

It has gotten to my head,
Permeates the path I tread,
But I tread, I'm moving on,
In a new happy song,
I can sing about the night
How my tunnel without light
Led me to the other side
Where the sky is blue

-M. Slocum

And speaking of moving on, I hope you enjoy the new, improved look of asisaid. Not everything is finished, but I am making progress.