Favorite Music: Album Two

[MountainFireflower]

Purpleotter, those are some of my favorites! Thumbs up.

One of my latest musical faves is Keith Harkin's new solo self-titled CD. It's really calming and gorgeous; very acoustic and simple, and yet beautiful too. I'm pretty much in love. Off that CD, my favorites are The End of the Innocence, Here Comes the Sun, and Orange Moon (but I like Daisy Fields and The Heart of Saturday Night, and all the others too, to some degree. ). So yeah. Overall, a worthy debut for Keith. I'd highly recommend it.

And I can't resist saying this: if you like Celtic music, Celtic Thunder is a longtime favorite of mine. (That's where I found out about Keith; he's currently a part of the group.) I just love them so much. (I've loved them for three years and just got to meet them in November. *squee!*) Favorites from them are all their group songs, like Galway Girl, Caledonia, and A Place in the Choir, as well as The Homes of Donegal and Lauren & I. ♥ All of their music is so beautiful and very inspiring and very Celtic. If you ever need song recs for CT--PM me. I've got 'em.

Also, I'm still on my Mat Kearney kick from this post. Love him so much. Not sure I'll ever stop loving him as much as I do now. I accidentally left my Mat Kearney CD in our car's CD player, so my family has gotten absolutely hooked on him. Mission accomplished.

[Purpleotter]

Some of my favorite Christian songs are Move, Free, and All of Creation by MercyMe, Ready or Not by Britt Nicole and Lecrae, Well Done by Moriah Peters, and all of Casting Crowns songs

[SnowAngel]

Okay, since there will be Christmas music thread pretty soon, I will save Christmas music until then.

Jeremy Camp has a music video for his newest song, Reckless. Which is an excellent song! The video is pretty cool, too.



SnowAngel

[Purpleotter]

I'm adding Ready or Not by Britt Nicole and Lecrae to my favorites list!

[Purpleotter]

My favorite songs have changed! update:


Owl City
Dreams and Disasters
I'm coming after you


Enya:
Only Time
Orinoco Flow
May it be
Oiche Chiuin (Silent Night)
Amarintine

[RubyGamgee]

Are any of you familiar with Audrey Assad? I'm currently in love with her new album "Heart". Her songs are chiefly piano and vocally based, so I enjoy playing them and I feel like if I ever composed music, I would want to write like Audrey Assad. She's a Christian artist, but I feel like her music is really personalized and less focused on corporal worship, which I appreciate. I think the Christian music industry could use a good balance of both.

I'm also on a Mumford & Sons spree right now. Surprisingly enough, my dad actually discovered this band online and really, really liked them...which is rare, because he doesn't like a lot of the current music, not even the Christian stuff. If you've never heard of them, Mumford & Sons is a group of four British guys and their music has been categorized as folk or folk/rock, but they have a touch of Bluegrass in their music as well...if that's possible for a British band. Anyway, they've got some brilliant instrumentation and amazingly poetic language in their music and they're a blast to watch perform live. AND when performing, it's usually just them and their instruments...never any excessive smoke or lights and no obnoxious dancers on stage.

It's nice to see a group of musicians essentially make it big for being enthusiastic and passionate and original with their music and not because they're overly produced and market themselves to the masses.

Mountie, I'm a bit obsessed with Mat Kearney right now! He kind of reminds me of Coldplay, I think his voice does. But his sound is overall completely unique and he's so creative with his lyrics and his music. Whenever his songs start playing, I feel like I need to go for a drive through the country with the windows down and his music blaring from the speakers.

I accidentally left my Mat Kearney CD in our car's CD player, so my family has gotten absolutely hooked on him. Mission accomplished.

Bahaha!! How sly of you. No, I've done the same rather inadvertently before. Funny how that works.

Are you familiar with the movie "Brave"? If you like Celtic music, you should check out that movie and the soundtrack! It's so brilliant and beautiful and everything awesomely Celtic.

[Purpleotter]

I also like these songs from Britt Nicole:

Breakthrough

Gold

All this Time

[RubyGamgee]

Purpleotter, I noticed you liked Enya's Gaelic version of "Silent Night". A couple of my friends performed this song in Gaelic at our last dance performance http://youtu.be/a7PuvQqUKzw and I'm pretty sure they said they got the lyrics from Enya.

[The Pendragon]

Are any of you familiar with Audrey Assad? I'm currently in love with her new album "Heart". Her songs are chiefly piano and vocally based, so I enjoy playing them and I feel like if I ever composed music, I would want to write like Audrey Assad. She's a Christian artist, but I feel like her music is really personalized and less focused on corporal worship, which I appreciate. I think the Christian music industry could use a good balance of both.

I love her music!! I have both albums, and I really like Heart, but I think I like her first one better. Well said about the balance of worship and personalized songs! I love songs about our Christian walks/ prayers, not just repeated prahses people think are cool! I love worship, too, though!!! From Heart, I'm really liking "Lament", "Even the Winter", "Sparrow", "Breaking You". I haven't listened to the others as much as these, so they're probably just as good, but I haven't gotten into them yet. From The House You're Building, "Known" is probably my favorite (one of my favorite songs ever, actually!), and "Restless", "Carry Me", and "The House You're Building".

As for new music, I've really been loving these songs & artists:

-Heath McNese, The Weight of Glory - C.S Lewis books turned into an album. A folk rock sound with beautiful melodies and catchy choruses! Favorites: "The Great Divorce", "A Grief Observed", "The Scewtape Letters", "Surprised by Joy", "The World's Last Night", "The Problem of Pain".

-MorningStar Worship, Peace Bringer - This album is indie + worship = It's an album of the best songs music students from a school for Christian song writers made. "Lets Just Dance", "Peace Bringer", "Mystery of Restoration, "Here With Me", "Love Song".

-Zach Winters, They Were Longing for a Better Country
Folk, Christian, catchy, make me teary-eyed and happy. The perfect melancholy, meaningful, winter album. One listen, you'll be hooked! "The Grass After Winter", "Give Me Peace and Rest", "Storehouse", "Small Boat", "And The Little Child", "I Want to Be". "Do I remind You of Nicodemus with confusion on my face? Was I in Your mind when You originally thought of grace?"

-FLAME, "Let Go"

-Jon Foreman, "Unbroken", "Never Alone" New songs from Jon Foreman. They're AMAZING!!! As always

-Chris Rice, Peace Like a River. If you love hymns, if you love piano, if you love beautiful music... "Come Thou Fount","O Love That Will Not Let Me Go", "Great Is Thy Faithfulness", "Before The Throne", and all the others.

-Lecrae, especially Rehab & Gravity. I never liked rap before I heard him, but he's the best of the best! "Background", "Gravity", "God is Enough", "Confessions", "Tell The World", "Buttons", "Just Like You", just to name a few.

-Holly Starr, "I Love You Anyway", "Don't Have Love", "I'll Watch You Dance".

-Leeland, The Great Awakening - Oohhhh this is good!!!! "I Can See Your Love", "The Great Awakening", "I Wonder", "Not Afraid Anymore".

-Abbe Lewis, The Birthday Party - Piano folk, with the cutest, catchiest lyrics EVER! "For Lex", "The Birthday Party", "The Arrival". "He loves you too much for you to lose faith now, stay in His arms, don't fall away, I'll return someday..."

-Josh Garrels, "Run"

-CeCe Winnans, "Alabaster Box", "More Than What I Wanted (live)"- She's classic, these songs are so amazing. "I love the way You talk to me, I love the way You walk with me, I love the way You save me, I love the way You raise me, I even love the way You rebuke me! I love the way You chase after me, and I love the way You keep me! I love the way You rock me..."

-Lara Landon, "The River", "Beloved" - "There are days when I look away, for a moment i stray. But He's always there, waiting. There are times when I look in His eyes, with tears filling mine, and He reaches to hold me..."

[RubyGamgee]

I love her music!! I have both albums, and I really like Heart, but I think I like her first one better.

I'm so glad that you're a fan of Audrey Assad! I feel like a lot of people haven't heard of her. I'm a bit of the opposite in that I like her first album as well, but I'm definitely more familiar with the second one. I love the songs "Restless" and "Sparrow" and I've been playing them on the piano. I also love the songs "Carry Me" and "Even the Winter". It does take a while to get familiar with all of them and one of my new, new favorites of hers is "No Turning Back". I think I just love the intro to that song. It sounds like the scene from a movie.

I'm not a huge fan of rap...like at all. But I really appreciate and even enjoy some of Lecrae's music. I've yet to hear any of his music from "Gravity" but I love "Background" and "God is Enough" from "Rehab". Are you familiar with Reach Records' "Man Up" project? A bunch of rap artists from Reach Records collaborated and made it. You should look it up if you haven't heard it! I guess it's more relevant to guys, haha, but I think it's really convicting of our society all around.

[MountainFireflower]

Mountie, I'm a bit obsessed with Mat Kearney right now! He kind of reminds me of Coldplay, I think his voice does. But his sound is overall completely unique and he's so creative with his lyrics and his music. Whenever his songs start playing, I feel like I need to go for a drive through the country with the windows down and his music blaring from the speakers.

Ah, brilliant! Glad I'm not alone in my love for his music. Yeah, you're not the only one who's said that. I myself don't hear it as much, but that's because I don't listen to Coldplay a whole lot. His creativity is what sold me over, though. There's something different about his music, something you don't often hear.

Yes! That's exactly the feeling I get as well. What are some of your favorite songs of his? I only own his Young Love album and a couple of songs from the others. I think I already posted my favorite songs earlier in this thread, but out of all his music, I'd say Young Love's my favorite by far. It's got a sound all its own. I also really like Closer to Love.

Bahaha!! How sly of you. No, I've done the same rather inadvertently before. Funny how that works.

Are you familiar with the movie "Brave"? If you like Celtic music, you should check out that movie and the soundtrack! It's so brilliant and beautiful and everything awesomely Celtic.

Indeed.

Yep! I saw it this past October at the dollar theater with a visiting friend of mine. It was fantastic. I loved it. I haven't looked up the soundtrack yet, but I should! Thanks for the suggestion.

[AslansChild]

Mountie, I'm a bit obsessed with Mat Kearney right now!

Ah, brilliant!Glad I'm not alone in my love for his music.

I've heard a teeny tiny bit of his music. I first heard his song "Ships in the Night" and I really liked it, but he wasn't singing it, it was by and accapella group: Eclipse:


So that's what got me started on Kearney, but I haven't heard much of him at all. I should try him again...

..................

Has anyone happened to hear Mac Powell of Third Day's self-titled CD?
It was really............shocking. All I can think of it is......wow. What a disappointment - to go from a really solid Christian band to singing about

Well Sunday Morning I go to church , I say my prayers and read the Word Tryin' to find forgiveness for what I did Saturday.

I kid you not.

I'm just wondering if Third Day will retire or not? That would be a shame...

..................

In other news, The Maccabeats came out with a new music video, which are always fun, but this particular song is their first original:



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And lastly, I've been listening to alot of "Artsy" Indie/Folk music, and I was wondering if anyone had an artist or two that they could recommend?

I've been listening to Audrey Assad, as well as the Vespers, Priscilla Ahn, Moriah Peters, and Owl City, and also some jazz/blues like Norah Jones, Etta James, & Adele...to give you a general idea. Thank you!

[RubyGamgee]

AslansChild, the Maccabeats never cease to make me smile! I think it's so cool that they would take their Jewish culture and turn it into memorable songs like that. To be honest, I actually learned some stuff I didn't know about Jews nowadays from listening to their music.

If you're looking for artsy indie/folk music, I'll reference you to my aforementioned current slight-obsession of mine. I don't know if you've heard of Mumford & Sons before or not and I'm not sure if they match your description of "artsy", but in my opinion, they're a lot more creative than a lot of other bands these days. They're mostly folk with a bit of rock thrown in here and there. If you watch some of their other live videos, they bring in an accordion, a fiddler, and some trumpets in addition to their guitar, banjo, bass, and keyboard. They're especially fun to watch perform live.

Here's the link to one of their live performances. http://youtu.be/CTew0ga2viw

[The Pendragon]

It does take a while to get familiar with all of them and one of my new, new favorites of hers is "No Turning Back". I think I just love the intro to that song. It sounds like the scene from a movie.

I hadn't heard that one til you mentioned it! For some reason, that's the only one I don't have. Looked it up though, and loved it!

About Lecrae: If you haven't heard any from Gravity, I'd say it's REALLY good musically & lyrically. You can hear the whole thing in one video here on youtube. The ones that are good for a first listen are "Free From it All", "Buttons", "Tell The World", "Confessions", and "Gravity". And one of the bonus songs, Higher, has Mike Donehey from 10th Ave singing the beautiful chorus! And I love the "Man Up" anthem song!!! The music video gives me chills!

Oh and Mumford & Sons!!! Totally forgot to ask: is the new album good?? I LOVE Sigh No More, but haven't heard anything from Babel, except "I Will Wait". I really liked that one, though! What are your favorites?

Keeping the Mat Kearney talk going... I only have "Runaway" (oh SO catchy!!! ), "Ships in the Night", and "Closer to Love". Runaway is definitely my favorite though!

Is anyone familiar with Six Pence None the Richer? A friend of mine gave mea few of their songs, and I just loved them! She gave me a couple of the leader singers solo songs, too, which are great! My favorites are: "Melody of You", "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us", and "Isaiah 55".

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

AslansChild, I wasn't familiar with Mac Powell's song but I read the complete lyrics and in context it seems to be a parody of Rebecca Black's 'song' "Friday". If it isn't though, God help us.

[RubyGamgee]

I hadn't heard that one til you mentioned it! For some reason, that's the only one I don't have. Looked it up though, and loved it!

Yaay!!

About Lecrae: If you haven't heard any from Gravity, I'd say it's REALLY good musically & lyrically. You can hear the whole thing in one video here on youtube. The ones that are good for a first listen are "Free From it All", "Buttons", "Tell The World", "Confessions", and "Gravity". And one of the bonus songs, Higher, has Mike Donehey from 10th Ave singing the beautiful chorus! And I love the "Man Up" anthem song!!! The music video gives me chills!

My brother got "Gravity" for Christmas, so I will just have to commandeer his CD and perhaps put it on my computer. I'm pretty sure I've heard the song "Higher" at least once before. I remember one of my sisters going on about it (due to the fact that Mike Donehey was in it!! ).

Oh and Mumford & Sons!!! Totally forgot to ask: is the new album good?? I LOVE Sigh No More, but haven't heard anything from Babel, except "I Will Wait". I really liked that one, though! What are your favorites?

Their latest album is amazing. I felt like it took me a while to get into "Babel", but I'm in love with it now. It's just as good as "Sigh No More", only the production is a lot more clean since it wasn't self-produced and I feel like the band gets even more adventurous with their instrumentation. Favorite songs? Oh, that's hard...I really love "I Will Wait", "Lover of The Light" and "Lover's Eyes" as well as their bonus track "For Those Below", but my favorite song right now is probably "Not With Haste". They're all as good as the next, really. You should definitely look into the rest of the album!

As for Mat Kearney, right now I'm most familiar with his songs "Closer To Love", "Ships In The Night", "Hey Mama", and "Count on Me". I got hooked onto "Ships In The Night" with the intro. I so, so, so would love to cover that song someday... My other brother, haha, just recently got Mat Kearney's album "Young Love" so I'll have to commandeer that as well and listen to the rest of his music.