catapult magazine

Grant’s recommendations 1.11.08

by Grant Elgersma

PODCAST: The Bored-Again Christian

A music podcast that aims to provide “Christian music for people who
are tired of Christian music,” each episode offers good music from the
likes of Sufjan Stevens, the Danielson Familie, Elliot Smith, Arcade
Fire and The Snake, The Cross, The Crown.  The often narrow-minded
labeling of what is and is not considered Christian music does not
apply here.  But one can definitely sense an emotional consistency
throughout the show that, well, just feels Christian…at least for
those who have ears to hear it.  Those who get it are
predominantly seminary students and twenty/thirty-somethings who can
appreciate a well-placed sarcastic comment and have a high tolerance
for tongue-in-cheek.  The episode is peppered with quips about
American Christian culture and playful turns of biblical phrase such as
“for the wages of din is death.”  The Bored-Again Christian has more subscribers on iTunes than Mtv News and Paste Magazine’s podcast, which bodes well for the future of Christian music.  Check out this interview
with “Just Pete,” creator/producer of the podcast, and then subscribe
to it on iTunes.  It’s one of the best ways to save Christian
music.

MUSIC: Phases by Steve Reich

One of the fathers of minimalism in music, Steve Reich
is known for his use of phasing techniques in which a musical line is
repeated at a slightly different tempo, causing slight variations that
extend throughout the piece.  Phases features the
composer’s earliest work with tape-loops of the human voice and later
instrumental works.  Amazingly, Reich’s first experiments (in
1965) with loops pre-date hip hop by more than a decade and European
house and techno music owe much to composers like Reich as does The
Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth (who performed this Reich composition in their live show).  Reich’s later work was
certainly a big influence on Sufjan Stevens as well.  Reich’s
influence will continue to be felt in both the classical and popular
music worlds, and may be one of the prophetic voices that is bringing
the two musical worlds closer together.