Friday, December 31, 2010

BEST OF IN MUSIC - 2010

“My” Best of 2010: MUSIC

You’ll probably read several of these lists… So, since everyone else throws their hat into the ring, here’s my attempt at a “Best of List” in Music for 2010… Keep in mind, this represents “my best of” listI don’t know that these are actually “the” best music releases of the past twelve months, but I do know that I’ve really enjoyed them or been personally challenged by them…

What about you? What music releases really spoke to you in 2010? I would love to hear about the music that moved you…

Okay, for what it’s worth, here’s my stab at a “best of” in music for 2010:


The Medicine
John Mark McMillan

This is without a doubt my favorite release of 2010… Poetic, prophetic, artistic… Wow! Check out these lyrics from Carbon Ribs:

“I'm a dead man now

With a ghost who lives

Within the confines of

These carbon ribs

And one day when I'm free

I will sit

The cripple at your table…”


Or, how about these from Dress Me Up:

“Dress us up in your righteousness

Bring us in with a ring and a kiss

When you walk into the room you know we can’t resist

Every bottle of perfume always ends up on the floor in a mess”


This release is brilliant! Four stars! Two thumbs up! My favorite of the year!

Top tracks include: Carbon Ribs, Death In His Grave, Dress Me Up, Skeleton Bones… If you’ve not checked out The Medicine, the download is available over on Amazon for $5.00. Maybe the best of $5 bucks you’ve ever spent…


Beautiful Things
Gungor

Musically creative… Lyrically thought provoking… Not your average worship release… Not your average band…

Check out these lyrics from Beautiful Things:

“All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way?
I wonder if my life could really change at all?
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us”


Top tracks include: Beautiful Things, You Have Me, The Earth Is Yours, Call Me Out, Please Be My Strength, We Will Run…


Sigh No More
Mumford and Sons

My daughter introduced me to this band… Thanks, Caley! I’m not certain what to call their style: folk rock, folk and roll, new folk, indie rock… It doesn’t matter… What matters is that this is great music with consistently profound lyrics… Roll Away Your Stone always moves me…

“It seems that all my bridges have been burned,
But you say, ‘That’s exactly how this grace thing works.’
It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive with every start…”


Top tracks include: Sigh No More, Roll Away Your Stone, Awake My Soul…

Warning: the song Little Lion Man does contain a pretty serious expletive that gets repeated often… Thanks to the folks at Amazon, you can download this amazing release for $5.00!


Flags
Brooke Fraser

Brooke is amazing! She has written some of Hillsong’s most meaningful worship tunes: Hosanna, You’ll Come, Desert Song and Lead Me To The Cross. She's still writing great worship music! While this is not a worship release, it does contain fresh, amazing music; terrific, often thought provoking lyrics; and Brooke’s incredible voice.

Top tracks include: Something In The Water, Betty, Who Are We Fooling…


The Suburbs
Arcade Fire

I know… This one is making everyone’s “best of” list… I started not to include it, because I didn’t want to jump on the bandwagon… But the truth is, even though I don’t always agree with the world view of the principle writers in AF, their music challenges me to think… Fresh instrumentation… Thought provoking lyrics… A great release…

“You never trust a millionaire
Quoting the sermon on the mount
I used to think I was not like them
But I'm beginning to have my doubts
My doubts about it

When you're hiding underground
The rain can't get you wet
Do you think your righteousness
Can pay the interest on your debt?
I have my doubts about it…”


When and where have you heard lyrics that thought provoking and profound on a major “secular” release? City With No Children is just one of the amazing songs you’ll find on The Suburbs…


Rehab
Lecrae

I’m not into rap or hip-hop… For some reason, I had to check this release out… I’m really glad I did… Lecrae is not only an amazing rapper, this dude is also a first class theologian, writing some of the most theologically spot on lyrics you’ll find anywhere… Oh, and my 10-year-old girl and her friends love it when I put this one on in the car…

Top tracks include: Just like You, Used To Do It Too, Children of the Light, High and Boasting

By the way, Amazon has this download available for $5 buckaroos… Enjoy!


Band of Joy
Robert Plant

Buddy Miller produced this killer release from one of rock music’s greats, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin… This is not Zeppelin… According to Plant, he reached into the musical catalogue of Nashville for inspiration on this release… Sometimes foot stomping… Sometimes dark and brooding… It works!

Patty Griffin does a great job with backing vocals on a few of the numbers, especially Monkey… Wow!

Top tracks include: Falling In Love Again, Monkey, Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down, Even This Shall Pass Away and Angel Dance


Honorable Mentions:

Awakening
Passion

I know… Some of you will think this is “too mainstream.” The truth is God really used a few of these songs in a big way in our church’s corporate worship experiences in 2010…

If you haven’t heard Christy Nockels, Healing Is In Your Hands, check it out today! Our church has also really sang: Our God and Where The Spirit of the Lord Is. Another solid release from the folks at Passion.


Defender
Chris McClarney

Chris is a worship leader in Nashville. His voice is amazing! His lyrics God-centered! This release? Well, it’s just terrific:

Top tracks include: Your Love Never Fails, Who Is This Amazing Love, Immortal Invisible, Across The Universe, Your Love Is Everything.


And If Our God Is For Us
Chris Tomlin

Again, some of you will think “too commercial.” All I can say, is that God is using this dude to write the music that the church loves to sing! Shoot, I love to sing it! It’s my prayer that Tomlin keeps writing it!

Top tracks include: Our God, I Lift My Hands, No Chains On Me, Awakening.


A Beautiful Exchange
Hillsong Live

The folks at Hillsong blow me away… God has used this church to revolutionize corporate worship around the globe… Even though they're half way around the globe, God is using the artists at Hillsong to write the songs the church loves to sing!

Top tracks include: Our God Is Love, Forever Reign, The Father’s Heart, Glorious One (DVD Only – Hillsong London), and Beautiful Exchange


Organic Family Hymnal
Rend Collective Experiment

I’ve really enjoyed this release from across the Pond… If you’ve not had a chance to check it out, it’s worth your time… Innovative and creative worship…

Top tracks include: God Is Near, Movements, You Are Love.


Wonder
Michael W. Smith

Yeah, I’m talking that MWS! This is one of his best releases ever! His cover of Save Me From Myself rocks! I’ll Wait for You will blow you away! When the gospel choir comes in, just get ready to have church! And the song, Take Me Over moves me – especially the orchestration at the end… An amazing release from one of Christian music’s best… Yeah, the download is available over on Amazon for $5.00.

Top tracks include: Save Me From Myself, I’ll Wait, Take Me Over.


Very Merry Christmas
Dave Barnes

This was without a doubt the most played Christmas release at the Goins house this year! Wow! I predict: a classic! While it’s still available over on Amazon for $5.00, you might want to snag it for next year…

Top tracks include: Very Merry Christmas, I Pray On Christmas, Welcome Home.


Guilty Pleasure:

Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time
Santana

I don’t think anybody would call this one of Santana’s best releases or one of the best releases of 2010... And I'm certainly not sure that several of these songs could be classified as "The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time"? Really? I think somebody was smokin' something when they came up with that title.. All of that aside, this release sure is a lot of fun! Santana and some of rock music’s top vocalists – Pat Monahan, Rob Thomas, Chris Daughtry, Scott Stapp, Chris Cornell take on some 70’s and 80’s rock with a Santana flare… The result? A ton of fun!

This is the release our family rocked out to on a couple of long drives over Christmas… You can’t help but go into “air guitar” mode on some of these tunes… Again, it’s certainly doesn’t qualify as one of the best, but it sure is a lot of fun! Enjoy!

Top tracks include: Photograph, Whole Lotta Love, Sunshine of Your Love, Dance the Night Away.


Well, that sums up my list... I would love to hear what made it on to yours... Have an incredible New Year!

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