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November 9, 2006
1998: The Year I Discovered (Christian) Music Vol. 1
(Part 1: Mainstream Christian)
1998, you feel so long ago. I was a 6th Grader, and it was one of my most awkward years (6th Grade Wins). This was the year I wanted to be "popular". I bought Airwalks, and tried to get my parents to buy me baggy JNCO's (You should have seen the look on my stepdad's face that christmas when I got a baggy pair of jeans). It was also a year after we had started going to Calvary Bible Church(Which, by the way, many people in the area consider a cult. Most of the original members have left. I WAS A MEMBER OF A CULT, SWEET, RGHT?). I'm pretty sure I was a born again christian at this point. It's awfully hard to be a kid, and not be born again after a few visits. Hell, after all, is terrible place! Since we were christians, my mother purchased WOW 1999: The Year's 30 Top Christian Artists & Songs from Target. I remember finding everything about it so intriguing. It's most likely because it was the first CD in my parents music collection that didn't feature a person wearing a cowboy hat.
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After my mother bought it, I would come home everyday to an empty house (Everyone else was at work, or elementary school. Freedom) and blast WOW 1999, or try to watch Channel 15 (Scrambled Porn). I guess it depended on if God or hormones was on the top of my mind. I would sing along, in my best voice, to DC Talk, The Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, and a few other bangers. That was the first time I think I had sung in my entire life. Well, other than kids stuff. It was the first time I was serious about it. I tried recording my voice on a tape recorder somedays, you know, to see if I was good.
The Newsboys - Entertaining Angels
One day, while channel surfing, I suddenly heard my favorite song on WOW 1999, "Entertaining Angels" by The Newsboys coming from the TV. What is this?! It was the Inspirational Network, Channel 51, and at 5:30 every weekday I could sit back and enjoy Christian Videos from The Hottest Christian Artists. I discovered quite a few bands here. The following videos are a few of my first favorites:
DC Talk
Yes, Jesus Freak was awesome. I loved it. DC Talk was one of my favorite bands, as they were for every christian. "Colored People" was another great song on the album, Jesus Freak. This was a few years before my time, but it's a classic
Audio Adrenaline - Big House
I really didn't like this video. But, I can't find my favorite AA video, "Some Kind Of Zombie". This one is hilarious though. It was too outdated for me. By 98 plaid wasn't that cool anymore. But, all the cool older teens at youth group loved this track! THE CHORUS: It's a Big Big House/With Lots and Lots of Room/A Big Big Table/With Lots and Lots of Food/And A Big Big Yard/Where We Can Play Football/It's A Big Big House/It's My Father House
The Newsboys - Take Me To Your Leader
An older Newsboys video. Back when they had a 2nd bald singer, who sucked in my opinion. The whole "Take Me Your Leader" album was pretty bad. But, Aliens! Best Lyric:"This Just In/Justin's had enough of cure-alls/gonna quiz the neighbor kid with the fish on his car"
Delirious-Deeper
Deep Worship Band. One of their songs made me "feel" God. I cried alone, or with God, in my room one night. I listened to it over and over, I wanted to be as "clean as snow".
Switchfoot - A New Way To Be Human
YEAH! I LIKED SWITCHFOOT A LONG LONG TIME AGO! I bought their first CD, Legend Of Chin. I loved their video for "Chem 6A", but all that's on YouTube is Buffy Clips, put to the song. This song was great too, but it's from the 2nd album. This band always confused me, I never understood what their lyrics were about, and if they were really "Christian".
MxPx - I'm Ok, You're Ok
This was the video that got me interested in the "Underground" christian music. At the end of 7th Grade, I began musical interests shifted to Ska and Punk. MxPx was awesome. They were my favorite band until 9th Grade. I was looking for the video, "Move to Bremerton", but no luck.
Tomorrow, Or Sometime, I will write about how Punk I became, my beef with "preps", and my dabbling into secular music (Yes, I did it!).
Posted by cory at November 9, 2006 8:46 PM
Comments
oh man, flash back to 10th grade. audio adrenaline, heck yeah. although i think the oc supertones were my favorite.
Posted by: emily at November 9, 2006 11:00 PM
corey. Again thanks for the flashback. DC talk (especially Jesus Freak), Audio Adrenaline, definetly in rotation during junior high for me as well. I actually was also attending a church called Calvary (in Oak Park, IL) at the time. Vigilantes of Love and Charlie Peacock were in the mix as well, thanks to my Dad.
However, and I hesitate to call them CCM, my favorite of the era, and a band I still listen to is the 77s. Have you heard them?
oh, p.s. the most embarassing of them all- T.Bone. You'll have to look him up as well.
Posted by: Anonymous at November 9, 2006 11:09 PM
man you were deep into the game, I went to youth groups and church and stuff in high school but I never "gave my music up to the lord" as I was encouraged to. It always seemed fake as all hell.
Posted by: outo bol at November 10, 2006 10:10 AM
wow. I had no idea this stuff existed. This post freaked me out and confused me a little.
That music is terrible.
and, I feel old now.
Out-You went to youth groups?
Posted by: docbeezy at November 10, 2006 10:18 AM
most people went to youth group activities in Rockford.
Bands would play, they'd smash old cars and FREE PIZZA AND POP. It was fun, me and my buddies on the wrestling team would get stoned and go.
I went on a campus life trip to Florida my Jr. year in high school and stayed mad smoked out the whole time. Swiming old time stoned. That was fun as hell.
Thats not to dissmiss the christian aspect, I was involved in that too. I would talk and read the bible and pray. I never really got too deep into the whole CULTure of it.
I later abandoned faith all together.
Posted by: outo bol at November 10, 2006 11:41 AM
Out--Jesus wont like you dirtying up coreys' blog with the talk of drugs and quitting religion.
Posted by: docbeezy at November 10, 2006 12:23 PM