Ep. 91: Joel Heng Hartse on how Dancing About Architecture is a reasonable thing to do

 

Joel Heng Hartse is the author of the new book Dancing About Architecture is a Reasonable Thing To Do: Writing about Music, Meaning, and the Ineffable." He joins Chris on the podcast to discuss how writing about music is similar to dancing about architecture and they ponder their favorite bands and songs all while figuring out how to continue having a critical eye toward art while still allowing others to enjoy the music they love.

You can find Joel's book here and anywhere you purchase books and you can find out more about his writing and work at his website: https://www.joelhenghartse.com/

You can find Chris's old article on Plankeye's The Spark here.

Related Podcast Episodes:

Ep 90: Brian Doerksen on his song "215"

Ep 85: Singer-songwriter Rick Lee James

Ep 88: Rachel Wilhelm on Composing a Modern Requiem

Ep 87: Harmony Smith—Vineyard Worship Leader, Songwriter, and Pastor

Ep 68: E. Byron Anderson on his book Common Worship

Ep 62: Stephen Backhouse on the Life of Kierkegaard

Ep 50: Stu G on the Beatitudes Project

Ep 26: Zac Hicks author of The Worship Pastor

Ep 47: Dr. Lest Ruth on the History of Contemporary Worship

Ep 81: Rain For Roots 

Ep 67: Singer-songwriter John Van Deusen

Ep 52: Fernando Ortega's The Crucifixion of Jesus

Ep 67: Singer-songwriter John Van Deusen

Singer-songwriter and musician released his latest album Every Power Wide Awake late last year, and it's slowly been building buzz with people on the look out for great independent music as well as with church worship leaders. Here's the brief review of the album that I left on Van Deusen's Bandcamp page: 

This album might be a masterpiece. I rarely say such things.

This is worthy of many listens.

So yes, take a listen to his album and then listen to our interview. We go in-depth about his career in the music industry (he previously fronted the band The Lonely Forest for over a decade) and the stories behind the songs on the new album. John also graciously allowed me to use excerpts from tracks on the album, which can be streamed through the Bandcamp app.

Other links:

John's website: http://johnvandeusen.com/

John's record label: http://www.monopathrecords.com/

Subscribe to the podcast on itunes 
Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Google Play, Tunein, and PocketCasts.

Related Podcast Episodes:

Ep 64: Brian Roberts of Ha Ha Tonka

Ep 38: Musician Jared Grabb

Ep 43: Jimmy Bridgeman of Rock Solid Studio

Ep 55: Singer-songwriter Nathan Peterson
Ep 59: Jeremy Casella's New Album and Kickstarter Campaign
Ep 56: Andrew Osenga
Episode 52: Fernando Ortega's The Crucifixion of Jesus
Episode 50: Stu G on the Beatitudes Project

Ep 64: Brian Roberts of Ha Ha Tonka

Ha Ha Tonka is a band originally from southern Missouri, who've released five albums through Bloodshot Records. Their music is a seamless mixture of American music: classic rock, southern rock, country, folk, and Americana. The important thing is their songs are amazing. Episode 64 features an interview with their lead singer Brian Roberts, who connected over the phone for a conversation with Chris and guest host Ben Mitzelfelt about their early years and the stories behind a number of their songs.

Listen to Ha Ha Tonka's music, look at tour dates and find out more at their website(s): http://www.hahatonkamusic.com/
https://hahatonka.bandcamp.com/

 Subscribe to the podcast on itunes 
Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Google Play, Tunein, and PocketCasts.

Related Podcast Episodes:

Ep 38: Musician Jared Grabb

Ep 43: Jimmy Bridgeman of Rock Solid Studio
Ep 55: Singer-songwriter Nathan Peterson
Ep 59: Jeremy Casella's New Album and Kickstarter Campaign
Ep 56: Andrew Osenga
Ep 55: Singer-songwriter Nathan Peterson
Episode 52: Fernando Ortega's The Crucifixion of Jesus
Episode 50: Stu G on the Beatitudes Project

Ep 56: Andrew Osenga—musician, producer, consultant, podcaster

Andrew Osenga is a veteran musician, artist, and producer. Lead singer and founding member of The Normals, Osenga also had a stint as the lead guitarist and vocalist for Caedmon's Call, and continues to record and tour with Andrew Peterson's band. He is the kind of songwriter that can lay your soul bare, while also injecting a killer riff to stick in your head. Lately Osenga has morphed into an artist mentor and consultant, as well as a podcaster with The Pivot, which focuses on interviews with people who find themselves changing direction mid-career and doing something they never expected to be doing. I was able to sit down with Osenga before the Rich Mullins Window Rock Tribute concert and couple of weeks ago. A week later, Osenga found himself playing in Andrew Peterson's A Liturgy, A Legacy, and A Ragamuffin Band tribute concert at the Ryman in Nashville. You can discover his music, his podcast, and everything else he does at:
http://www.andrewosenga.com/




You can stream the episode above, subscribe to the podcast on itunes or Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Google Play, Tunein, and PocketCasts.


Related Episodes and Articles
Ep 55: Singer-songwriter Nathan Peterson
Ep 53: The Mosleys—Husband and Wife Duo
PROFILE: UTR Media's Escape to the Lake Music Festival
Episode 52: Fernando Ortega's The Crucifixion of Jesus
Episode 50: Stu G on the Beatitudes Project

PCR Podcast Ep38: Musician Jared Grabb

Jared Grabb is a musician and songwriter from Peoria, Illinois. On March 3rd he will release his third full length album Masters, which you can purchase at his site: https://jaredgrabb.bandcamp.com/. Along with his solo work Grabb is also a member of Angry Gods and formerly a member of Scouts Honor and The Forecast. Our interview gets into the making of the new album and his career as an independent artist. Make sure to check out his new video below, for the song "Patch of Green."

You can find out more about Grabb in various other places:
https://sosayweallrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/jaredgrabb
http://www.thinkerthought.com/
Interpunk
Subscribe to the podcast on itunes 
Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Tunein, and PocketCasts.

Related Podcast Episodes:

Episode 13: Artist Jessica Ball—Owner of the Art Garage

Episode 22: Artist Blair Jeffers

Episode 36: Fitting the White Album Onto One Record, with Trey Mowder

Fitting The Beatles' White Album Onto One Record

The task is all but impossible: reduce The Beatles' White Album down to a single disc. 

But this was the goal I set for myself and my friend Trey Mowder. We would come up with our own lists and then meet together and record a podcast episode. You can listen to our conversation here.

Or at the link: Episode 36

This article is a supplement to the episode. It lays out all our rules for selecting as well as all the aspects of the album we had to consider in the selection process. It also features our single disc song lists and Trey's unorthodox track list for those who want to read along while they listen.

A majority of this article reflects my own self-imposed "rules and regulations". That is, these are the things I thought about while whittling down my songs.

To start with, here is an opening disclaimer: 

PCR Podcast Ep36: Fitting The White Album Onto 1 LP & 2016 Year In Review

My friend Trey Mowder and I spend this episode trying to narrow down The Beatles' White Album onto a single disc (which means we have to cut out songs, as if such a thing were possible!). For reference, our full song lists and some explanations on how we made our choices can be found here: Fitting the White Album onto one record. On top of that, I also give my year end best of lists (music, TV, films, podcasts) and some highlights for PostConsumer Reports from 2016 (You can read my full end of year list here). You can listen to our previous Beatles episode here: A Commentary on the Documentary 8 Days a Week.


Subscribe to the podcast on itunes 
Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Tunein, and PocketCasts.

Related Beatles Articles:
Lessons Learned From the Beatles
Post Impressions #1: The Beatles Blackbird

Past Podcast Episodes

Episode 15: Mike Foster Tolkien Scholar and Author

Episode 32: An Interview With Mitch McVicker

Episode 16: Dialogues With Brandon: How Big Is Your Soul?

PCR Podcast Ep31: Mitch McVicker—Singer-songwriter and musician

Mitch McVicker is a singer-songwriter and musician who's released 7 full length albums over the span of his career. He won the Dove award for "Song of the Year" for co-writing "My Deliver" with Rich Mullins. In our chat we talked about his latest album The Grey: When black and white fade, about being a do-it-yourself touring musician, and what it was like playing himself in the Ragamuffin film. Find out more at McVicker's website: http://mitchmcvicker.com/. For past interviews he has done (especially those that go in depth about his time with Rich Mullins) please check the end of this article.


Subscribe to the podcast on itunes 
Check out the podcast page to subscribe on Stitcher, Tunein, and PocketCasts.

Related Podcast Episodes:

Episode 09: Caleb J. Kruse on Meeting Rich Mullins

Episode 10: David Leo Schultz Director of Brennan
Episode 19: Joe Cook of The Ragamuffin Archive and Western Indian Ministries

_______________
Rich Mullins Articles:
Take a look: The vast online Rich Mullins library
When Will the Christian Music Industry Get Its Act Together?
Rich Mullins and America As Promised Land
The Theology of Rich Mullins 
So...They Made a Movie About Rich Mullins

Reed Arvin and Liturgy Legacy & a Ragamuffin Band 20th Anniversary Interview

Other Interviews With Mitch:

Let's Not Think About the Election! Let's Listen to Music!—Songs Telling the Story of God

Let's not think about the election! Let's listen to music! 

It's the week before the 2016 presidential election but let's pretend it's not happening. Instead, if you happen to find yourself reading this article, please take a few moments to stop what you're doing, click play on the tracks below, and take in some beauty, truth, and goodness. I have curated a play list worthy of your consideration. May they work their way into your soul, embed themselves into your mind, and stir your strength into edifying action.

Today's list (Part 3 of 3):
Songs Telling the Story of Redemption
There is a story being told in our world that gets heard more than all the others. It is a story that makes you afraid. It tells you that if you don't do all you can you will lose everything. It is the kind of story that makes you want to win at all costs. It is a story of power and dominance and progress and accumulation. In this story we pick sides and if you aren't on my side, well, get ready to face the consequences.

But there is an alternate story being told. It is the way of Christ. It is the laying down of our lives willingly for the sake of others. Christ poured himself out and gave life to all the world. This is the story of new creation, of rebirth, of redemption. This is where justice reigns and truth finally wins. God is sovereign in this story and he has told us how the story ends. "Your mercies are new, new every morning..."

Featuring the songs of Rich Mullins, Fernando Ortega, Sara Groves Keith Green/Annie Herring, Andrew Peterson, Matt Redman, and Audrey Assad

Let's Not Think About the Election! Let's Listen to Music!—Songs of Hope & Peace

Let's not think about the election! Let's listen to music! 

It's the week before the 2016 presidential election but let's pretend it's not happening. Instead, if you happen to find yourself reading this article, please take a few moments to stop what you're doing, click play on the tracks below, and take in some beauty, truth, and goodness. I have curated a play list worthy of your consideration. May they work their way into your soul, embed themselves into your mind, and stir your strength into edifying action.

Today's list (Part 2 of 3):
Songs of Hope & Peace
When the whole earth is shifting beneath our feet, when everything around us seems to be crumbling, we desperately need a sure foundation on which to stand and a refuge from the chaos. These are songs that root us in the hope of Christ, of finding peace in him through times of trouble. Allow yourself to rest in these songs, but even more than that, allow yourself to rest in God our Savior in whom all things were made and in whom we live and move and have our being. Featuring the songs of Switchfoot, Rich Mullins, Phil Keaggy, Newsboys, Matt Redman, Delirious?, and Fernando Ortega.

Let's Not Think About the Election! Let's Listen to Music!—Songs of Protest, Satire, & the Apocalypse

The current political season leaves bloggers like me with a dilemma. In what can only be viewed as the most polemicized election of our lifetime(s) do we even bother with bothering people about our piddly little blog posts? Personally, I have a few articles I've been working hard at for the past several weeks, but at the moment I hardly see any point in adding to the noise. I'd like my thoughts to actually get heard and considered, so why waste the effort of putting out another article when people's psyches are already over-saturated with the latest scandal or with attempting to sift through what is fact and fiction in the media's neverending truth manipulation game? 

More than anything, I believe people are increasingly weary of the whole thing. We are tired of fighting each other. Tired of the lies and cover ups and conspicuous tactics of both sides. We've all been spun by the media's spin and I believe if we slow down enough we'll become horrified that often we are the ones doing the spinning ourselves. Having been spun we continue on spinning others... That is, if we are wounded as a nation, a lot of the wounds are self-inflicted...

With all this in mind, I have decided to hold off on my "important" articles for a couple of weeks (or more....We'll see where everything settles in the aftermath of the election). Instead, as a blogger, with something of a public forum for propagating the importance of art and faith in our culture, I am asking us to slow down and listen and ponder and take in some truth, beauty, and goodness. So...

Let's not think about the election! Let's listen to music! 

This is a sincere call. If you happen to find yourself reading this article, please take a few moments to stop what you're doing and click play on the tracks below. I have curated a play list worthy of your consideration. May they work their way into your soul, embed themselves into your mind, and stir your strength into edifying action.

Today's list (Part 1 of 3):
Songs of Protest, Satire, & the Apocalypse
"Listen to the words of the prophet..." These are finger-pointing songs. These are songs that hurt us to our core. They catch us at our most hypocritical. At first we think they are singing about Someone Else, but if we keep on listening we come to find that no, they are singing about us too. Yes, we are culpable for the same crimes we accused others of committing. It would seem some repentance is in order.

But these are also songs that make us laugh...uncomfortably so...at the horror of it all. Sometimes a good bellyache can help us see the world differently and in seeing the world differently we begin to live differently and thus a laugh is never just a laugh. Sometimes a joke can change the world. 

Today's list includes: Bob Dylan, Larry Norman, Keith Green, Randy Newman, Arcade Fire, and Steve Taylor.

Classic Christian Music: A List of Radio Stations, Websites, Books, and Documentaries

I recently put up a post that has been viewed by more people than I ever thought it would. It is about the state Christian Music, or CCM, or "Jesus Music" is in, specifically how the music of older artists (or "legacy" artists) have gone out of print and that for those artists still touring their concerts are relatively small (though faithfully attended by a few). You can view the article here: The Troubled Future Legacy of Christian Music.

The Troubled Future Legacy of Christian Music

Related article: A Classic Christian Music—A list of radio stations, websites, books, and documentaries

This past weekend I had a most amazing concert-going experience in Champaign, Illinois.

I was there seeing two little known aging rock artists. I say little known because the crowd was mostly in their 40's or above, with a few sprinklings of people in their 20's and 30's, as well as a few kids. I also say little known because only around 200-300 people were there, and though the venue was mostly full the two artists who performed have both had sustainable music careers for over 40 years. So...you'd think more than 200-300 people would be there...

And I should also say both of these artists are rock legends who continue to put out music showing they are still at the top of their craft. Well, what was the problem? Why weren't there more people there? The answer is easy: they both are "Christian" artists who put out "Christian" music within the realm of the Christian music industry. The concert I went to featured a doubling billing of Glenn Kaiser playing solo blues and Phil Keaggy playing a rare show with a full band. Most anyone who knows anything about these artists would easily call them "rock legends", most especially Keaggy but I think Kaiser deserves to be up there too. It was the best concert experience I have had in years and it made me a little bit sad.

"Christian"music, you see, has a legacy problem and it manifests itself in two main ways:
1.) there is basically no infrastructure for artists  to go on tour. 
2.) there is basically no infrastructure for artists' music to stay in print or reach a new audience.

PostHumous Record Review: Aaron Sprinkle's Bareface

Post-Humous Record Reviews: a personal refection on a long-forgotten album in need of a resurrection. 

Read the intro article.

_________________________

Today's review is by a guest writer Tyler Swartzentruber, my longtime friend.

_________________________
Twelve years ago, Aaron Sprinkle and I travelled halfway around the world together. Mind you, I definitely got the better end of the bargain. For 18,000 km, I flew economy while Aaron managed to cram himself into my Panasonic personal CD player with 10 second Anti-Skip Protection and Dynamic Bass Boost. Twenty-plus hours of cruising at altitude is a long time to think, especially when you’re 20 years old and leaving everything that has ever been familiar in order to reunite with the girl of your dreams. From Indianapolis to Minneapolis, Tokyo, Singapore and finally Perth, Aaron serenaded me with ten songs he’d strung together and titled Bareface. Twelve years ago, I jumped headlong into a cross-continental relationship that would eventually result in marriage and three children. Bareface is the soundtrack to my leap.

PostHumous Record Review Week

It's a big week here at PostConsumer Reports.

It's PostHumous Record Review Week.

These are the greatest albums you are probably not listening to.

Usually, it is just little old me writing everything around here (my name is Chris Marchand, BTW), but this week we will be having some guest writers.

I never envisioned PostConsumer Reports to be all about what I think anyway, so I am happy to share the space and get some other voices heard. I am certainly not the only arbiter of thoughts on the convergence of art and faith. I will be contributing two of the articles this week though.

As I said, we will be doing PostHumous Record Reviews. Here is the tagline:
A personal refection on a long-forgotten album in need of a resurrection.

What I have asked my friends to do is write an essay reflecting on an album they think deserves more attention and acclaim, an album people passed by and did not give much thought to when it first came out. These are both critical and personal reflections. I want some analysis of what is happening musically and lyrically but I also want to hear how their own story is bound up in the album. Really, I just wanted them to write on an album they are passionate about. An album where they go "Why don't more people like this? It's amazing!"

I'll be updating this page throughout the week as the articles keep coming out.

Here is the first one, written by me, featuring what I claim is the greatest pop/rock record to come out of the Christian music industry in the 1990's:

Newsboys' Love Liberty Disco (yeah, that's right—deal with it)

Post-Humous Record Review: This Train's "The Emperor's New Band" and "Mimes of the Old West"

Post-Humous Record Reviews: a personal refection on a long-forgotten album in need of a resurrection.

The music of the rockabilly band This Train came about at an interesting time for me personally as well as for the Christian music industry (CCM) in general.