the unlikely orange

heath mcnease is really talented. i first heard about this guy when i was scanning noisetrade.com (a great website full of music and ebooks that you can download for a donation of your choice) for some thoughtful rap music.  i stumbled upon heath mcnease, which was a fortuitous discovery, because once i started listening, i couldn't believe just how talented and interesting this young man is. i first heard an album called thrift store jesus, full of great rhyming on interesting, layered beats, with a ton of thought put into the lyrics.  he is gifted at turning a phrase, and does so in a very interesting, engaging way.  then, i heard that he was putting out an album of songs all centered around the great Christian writer/thinker, c.s. lewis.  when i first started listening to it, i was dumbfounded.  it wasn't rap at all, but some sort of folky, modern rock, indie mashup sound that was easy on the ears, all while dealing with themes from the books and life ...

we had an awesome time in nyc the last two days, and i have some pictures to share, so i will do that in the near future.  but for now, i wanted to share a saturday song from josh garrels.  he peformed this song on thursday night, the bill withers soul classic, "grandma's hands," and josh's voice suits it perfectly.  it will get your toes tapping for sure!  enjoy.

for your saturday song today, i give you "dear true love" by sleeping at last. it appeared on his ep "february," which seems appropriate since it is the 15th of february and we are getting another 2-5 inches of snow this morning on top of the 10+ we already had.  it's time to just bunker down and sing love songs to your valentine (or clean up 'accidents' while you potty train your toddler...either way it's SUPER romantic).

yesterday i wrote about switchfoot's new album "fading west," so i thought i would give you a saturday song featuring one of the tracks from the album.  this song, "the world you want," features a kind of world-music vibe, what with the african children's choir joining in and all.  but i love it most of all for its lyrics, a challenge to impact the world positively, and especially that bridge that leaves no room for confusion: your religion is the way you live.  what is your religion?  is this the world you want? enjoy. "The World You Want" I'm kickin up the pieces I'm trying out adhesives I'm trying to fix a place that feels broken All my words they fail me My voices don't avail me I'm trying to say the hope that's unspoken Is this the world you want? Is this the world you want? You're making it Every day you're alive Is this the world you want? Is this the world you want? You're making it The world fee...

since i just wrote about nick drake the other day, and since i am still on a bit of a buzz from having the opportunity to visit his grave, i thought i would share a typically awesome nick drake song for today's saturday song.  here is "time of no reply," with its characteristic melancholy, and aching other-worldness.  Summer was gone and the heat died down And Autumn reached for her golden crown I looked behind as I heard a sigh But this was the time of no reply. The sun went down and the crowd went home I was left by the roadside all alone I turned to speak as they went by But this was the time of no reply. The time of no reply is calling me to stay There is no hello and no goodbye To leave there is no way. The trees on the hill had nothing to say They would keep their dreams till another day So they stood and thought and wondered why For this was the time of no reply. Time goes by from year to year And no one asks why I am standing here But I have my answer as I loo...

today's saturday song comes from sleeping at last, one of my favorite artists, and the name of the song is "masquerade," a halloween song.  i made a little video with some of our 2013 halloween festivities to go along with it, and i hope you enjoy it. 

for your saturday song, i bring you one of my wife's favorite songs, "stars" by grace potter and the nocturnals. it is a powerful song, sung by a powerful voice, in hopes that you have a powerful saturday.  peace.

i love this story.  we should all be so neighborly.  good work, toby.  keep dreaming big.  for your saturday song, i offer you this wonderful little cover of the cantina song from mos eisley in star wars.  everyone knows it.  it plays its catchy little melody over and over while we see if ben and luke can get a ship.  a little duo from kansas city called victor and penny have filled out the song a bit, and perform it live here.  enjoy!  unless you're a droid....we don't serve your kind here.

for today's saturday song, an offering from pennsylvania's own "innocence mission," an amazing little indepedent band that makes some of the most sublime music.  here is a song called "spring," an apt little piece of musical hope.  look out for spring the life underground the life underground the thawing and the overflow oh early, early in the morning we'll go seven shades of green are painted on your door painted on your door the field alive under the snow oh early, early in the morning we'll go oh world of rooftops hearing one field song the walk in raincoats, wating for easter time we are awake or waking, awake or waking from, here that day comes.

Happy Resurrection Day!  He is risen! the grave, while still full of darkness, is, in the end, completely empty! life wins! love wins!

today i will be crossing something off the old bucket list, running in my first ever 5k.  i'll let you know how it goes.  but since it is saturday song time, i thought i'd offer you one of the songs from my 5k playlist.  this one is by tobymac.  the video is "people in motion," whatever that is.  hopefully, i'll still be in motion this afternoon.  ;)

many of you may not care about downton abbey.  if that applies to you, move along, there's nothing to see here.  on the other hand, if you are completely and helplessly addicted, as i am, then you  may get as big a kick out of this video as i have.  it is the cast of downton abbey "speaking" the song "What Makes You Beautiful" by Britain's own One Direction.  it is very well done, and i can't stop watching it.  downton fans, you're welcome. 

i'm a sucker for mashups.  i just live the mix of songs in interesting ways.  i came across this twist on the usual concept of a mashup as a digital combination of edited songs.  here we have some musicians mashing it up themselves, with their own voices and instruments.  pretty cool stuff.  includes 10 pop songs from 2012.  enjoy. 

okay, so it isn't exactly a saturday song, but on the eve of the superbowl, i just can't help but share this video which is  a bit of a classic in our family.  i hope the 49ers find a way to follow in cade's footsteps.  also,  here's hoping we receive good news about jerome bettis today:

today is jackson's birthday party, and we are celebrating with a party of about 35 people, with a "charlie and the chocolate factory" theme.  so, for today's saturday song, i thought we could go back to gene wilder singing about pure imagination, in a room where almost anything can be eaten, just for the delight of it.  enjoy, but be careful you don't fall in the chocolate river! oh, and here's a maroon 5 cover of the same song, in case you need something more contemporary to be able to relate. 

for this week's saturday song, i bring you one of my boys' favorites this year:  bob dylan's "must be santa."  go ahead, tap your foot.  or get up and dance, even.  why not?  it's almost Christmas.  ho ho ho.

nothing says "let's have a wonderful and traditional yuletide" like listening to sufjan steven's new 12-minute epic Christmas song called "christmas unicorn," containing not only a long homage to joy division's "love will tear us apart," but an apparent scathing commentary on the consumerist control of christmas.  it's all metaphor and cleverness, but it doesn't take a master's degree in lyricology to figure it out.  in fact, all you really need to do is read between the lines, and you'll find it, or maybe feel it.  but you'd better watch out, and you'd better not cry; you'd better not pout, i'm telling you why:  this song will sink its infectious teeth into your soul and will not let you go.  at least if you're anything like me.  more than likely, most of you will roll your eyes and wonder what's wrong with me, and flip your mariah carey christmas cd back on.  but maybe one of you will join me under th...

last night shannon and jackson had the opportunity to attend the annual bucknell university christmas candlelight service.  they both said that it was extraordinarily beautiful, and they enjoyed the exquisite music.  one song that seemed to stick out to them was "still, still, still" so i thought i would share it here for our saturday song as we begin december.  have a great day!

last night shannon and i had our (mostly) monthly date night, and we had the opportunity to head up to bucknell for a little culture.  we got to see maya beiser , a cellist who is incredibly accomplished, do a multimedia concert with video.  it featured modern pieces, and some of it was so experimental as to be nearly devoid of any sense of melody (at least to these ears), but most of it was really beautiful, including a piece by one of my favorite modern composers, arvo part .  for her encore, she did something a little less highbrow, and did this rendition of led zeppelin's kashmir, which was alot of fun.  enjoy. 

i'm thinking of my new jersey friends today, as they continue the very beginnings of what must look like a nearly impossible journey of recovery from this brutal storm.  as a former resident of new jersey myself (12 years), i cannot even begin to imagine either the tremendous pain of everything that has been lost, or the incredible potential of what can happen when people work together with a common purpose.  while i lived on the jersey shore, i developed a strong liking for one bruce springsteen (we even frequented the same record and antique stores!).  and so, as i continue to think of my peeps in jersey, i thought that this song by the boss might be a fitting saturday song today.  know that you are in my prayers, and that we are not sitting  idly by!  we have been sending money, we are collecting items for you, and when the time is right, we will send teams to help you rebuild!  hang in there! ps.  you may have seen this on our faceb...