what's in my ipod

so this is the new deal I'll do on the weekends. Just try to let everyone know about some cool stuff that's currently getting a lot of airtime on my iPod. Stuff that I think is worthy of entering your ears & that I think you'll be singing along with in the car at the top of your lungs (btw - Friday night on the way to our date night I was singing to Crystal along with the radio & it got pretty intense. It was that "keep bleeding" song & I got really dramatic and was creating all my own motions to which she got embarrassed & said - "Patrick, people are watching you!" and they were.)

anyway, I started listening to Remedy right when it came out last year & for about a month it was the only thing in my iPod... then it rotated off my playlists & is fresh again so I'm listening to it a lot now. especially in the shower 1st thing in the morning. i love it as something to help me wake up & focus on God in a fun way 1st thing in the morning (i am the opposite of a morning person).

If you're not familiar with the Rock 'n Roll extravaganza that is the David Crowder Band then 1st of all WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??? & 2nd of all buy this CD today! These guys are probably the most creative artists on the Christian scene + David is a worship wordsmith. The live show is amazing. They're a part of sixsteps records (Louie's label) which helped get them "out there" along with their involvement in the Passion Movement since the late 90s. They've produced several rockin' worship anthems that have become staples for this generation. Pick up any Passion CD or I highly recommend Illuminate and A Collision or (3+4=7) as 2 of the band's best records.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that David is one of the funniest humans alive! He's written 2 books and I rank them both as the 2 funniest pieces of entertainment EVER produced. That's right EVER!!! Funnier than any comedian, any movie, any joke... straight up funny. That's just natural Crowder. So go buy his 2 books = Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi and Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die or (the eschatology of bluegrass). But I recommend starting with the 1st one, Praise Habit. It is really short with really big letters and glossy pages and even color pictures!

But back to Remedy. I'm guessing you already have it because everyone should, but if you don't buy it here today.
If you were at Passion '07 you'll recognize a few of the songs he debuted there like The Glory of It All & the amped of version of the great hymn O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing - Charles Wesley would definitely be proud and shouting along "So come on and sing out Let our anthem grow loud There is ONE great love... Jesus!" (yeah, I think Charles Wesley was a pimp like Crowder over 200 years ago. They kind of look alike right?)

Then, there's the great techno-feeling, experimental, Crowderesqe Can You Feel It? that makes every muscle in your body start to move inexplicably... because YES, you do feel it. 3 of my favs on the album are ... neverending ... & 2 we do at Ridge a lot - We Won't Be Quiet (which propels me to obey the title for the next half hour after I listen to this adrenaline-filled, ADD kids wonderland of a song that lasts all of 1 1/2 minutes) & the smooth, catchy Never Let Go.
Oh, what love, oh, what love/ In joy and pain/ In sun and rain/ You're the same/ Oh, You never let go - it's a beautiful song!

Of course, anything produced by Louie is gonna be pimp. It's a guarantee. I can almost hear his influence in the last track on the record - Surely We Can Change. Basically a plea for God to "let us be the remedy!" This song ignites passion and hope in me simultaneously (and is usually playing as I'm brushing my teeth & running out the door, so good timing).

But, my favorite song on this CD (which is kind weird for my because I'm not usually a "title track" kind of guy) is Remedy. It's honestly just the beautiful story of humanity's brokenness and God's grace and beauty coming to rescue us. It's a beautiful story that is written as worship back to our amazing God... who IS the REMEDY!
You are the ONE who has saved us
You are the ONE who forgave us
You are the ONE who has come and is coming again
YOU'RE THE REMEDY
Oh, in us You're the remedy
Let us be the remedy
Let us bring the remedy


So, definitely buy this cd(from probably my favorite "still playing" band) if you don't already have it. You can buy it here or on iTunes or wherever you buy music. (don't just rip it off your friend illegally).