Richard Dawkins talks to the Archbishop of Canterbury and admits he can't prove there is not a God (whew!) and he's actually at an agnostic during a festival of public discussion about religion in Great Britain.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Muslims Team Up with Catholics on Campus
Did you know that Muslim attendance has doubled at Catholic Universities - because of modesty? Read this and you'll understand why that fact makes sense.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Four Artists: Diaz, Bare, Dutton, Echoing Angels
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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Teaser Ads for Super Bowl Commercials?
It is perhaps a telling note on the centrality of the Super Bowl in America that we are now getting teaser ads for Super Bowl commercials. Of course these ads are ridiculously expensive ($3m-$3.5m for 30 seconds), so it only makes sense that companies want to get as much PR as possible for their money. Still, this is a new one, even for extravagantly combining the web with television.
VW, after releasing the most successful commercial at last year's Super Bowl, now offers a teaser to their next commercial, since both are Star Wars themed. It's tracking at roughly 1 million views a day!
Plus, it appears Ferris Bueller is making a comeback. Stay tuned, soon it will not just be countless web sites running variations on the "Best Commercials from the Super Bowl" the next day, but countless web sites offering running variation on the "Best Super Bowl Commercial Teaser Ads." Capitalism never rests. (And that's not always a good thing.)
Apologies to Momo's Musings for not posting this in our sports blog, but this seemed more culturally related.
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Monday, January 23, 2012
The State of American Religion
RealClearReligion offers their "State of American Religion" by winnowing through the polls & trends, coming to some reasonable conclusions:
"We might best describe the state of American religion today as "robust but confusing." Relative youths are having a harder time navigating it than past generations. Pew tells us that "Among Americans ages 18-29, one-in-four say they are not currently affiliated with any particular religion."
Check it out.
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Wednesday, January 04, 2012
2011: The Year in Tweets
What better way to remember 2011 than to view Tweets that mattered?
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Rend Collective: Homemade Worship by Handmade People
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Bethel Music: The Loft Sessions
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Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Switchfoot: Vice Verses Hits St. Louis
Switchfoot hit the Pageant in St. Louis on December 6, 2011 for the latest stop on their “Vice Verses” tour. This is a band that feeds on the crowd and I’m not quite sure “St. Louie,” as frontman Jon Foreman refers to us locals, was energetic enough on this Tuesday night to create greatness (whereas their February 15, 2010 show did), but the band always comes through in an energetic, uplifting manner and they did it again here.
Somehow this group has navigated that difficult middle course of remaining unapologetically Christian without alienating non-believers. This could not be proven any truer than the St. Louis show—the concert was sponsored by the local alternative radio station (where “Dark Horses” is their Current No. 1 Song on the playlist), while the audience was shot-through with T-shirts advertising the local family-oriented Christian station (which doesn’t play their music).
The Concert
It will be interesting how this tour is received, because musically the new album is a clear departure from most of their past efforts, with songs featuring almost hyper literate lyrics (“Selling the News,” “the War Inside”) against the backdrop of solid, guitar driven rock and roll that continues to mature. This is obvious when listening to the new CD, but—interestingly enough—not during the concert, where the band blends in the new songs seamlessly.
This is a band confident of their talent and full potential. They’re never slaves to the CD versions of their songs, often adding fresh interpretations to the set list without revinventing the song. When not overtly critiquing American culture, their songs are almost invariably laced with hope, faith, and challenges. It’s no surprise they’ve found a sizable audience, inclusion on the late night talk show circuit (Kimmel, Leno, Conan), covers sung during concerts by the likes of Taylor Swift and the Jonas brothers, and songs regularly embedded into movie soundtracks.

Live concerts always include surprises. They’ll lull you into a fresh dose of Switchfoot before busting out “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys. Later, it is “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction with a guest soloist. (Sorry, I didn’t get his name.). These aren’t tributes, but fun interpretations that keep everyone alert. (During the Hello Hurricane tour, they covered Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love.”)
They’re always highly interactive, with Foreman regularly wading into the crowd, and bassist Tim Foreman and lead guitarist Drew Shirley often leaning into the screaming, reaching fans. At this show, as 16-year-old named Tyler got a chance to play “Hello Hurricane” with the band during the Encore set because he held up a sign saying, “All I want for Christmas is to play Hello Hurricane with you.” He got the star treatment he wanted.
It’s an uplifting, energizing night that often includes songs ending with the band pointing to heaven via hands or guitars, as if they want to keep everyone’s eyes where they belong.
Can There Be More?
After a bevy of GMA Dove Awards, the band scored their first Grammy with “Hello Hurricane” in 2010. Every new album consistently adds to a catalog of songs that most bands south of U2 would envy. This is a band that’s still arcing into full maturity. While you might quibble that the venues might get larger, if they don’t, that won’t indicate failure. This is a band marking out a middle course almost no one has taken before, one that reaches believers and non, without sacrificing quality or energy. The real question is why more people don’t recognize that.
-Reviewed by Kent d Curry
NOTE: Susan Loyd shot some amazing pix from earlier in the tour.
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Labels: Switchfoot
Monday, December 05, 2011
The Internet: 1996 vs. 2011
Here are some fascinating comparisons between what the internet looked like in its infancy and what it looks like now. Check out the differences between MapQuest & Travelocity, as well as the most popular web sites then (where have you gone AOL?) and now.
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Friday, December 02, 2011
Grammy Nomination: Royal Tailor
If you haven't heard, IBC grads Royal Tailor Band received a Grammy nomination for "Black & White."
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Labels: Grammy, Royal Tailor
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Switchfoot: Dark Horses Live
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Saturday, November 26, 2011
Jesus Culture: Awakening
In an effort to convey the love of God to the world, Jesus Culture is releasing a new live album entitled The Awakening. Recorded in Chicago by the California-based band as the group hosted Awakening 2011 conference in August. If you are a fan of Jesus Culture’s previous albums, this one is a must! I am especially partial to live albums so this one hits home for me quite a bit.
Their combined effort at catchy chord patterns, lively licks and driving passion in worship alone make for a great combination. Couple that with great lyrics and a longing to worship our Lord and Savior and you come us with a recipe for success. This is exactly what Jesus Culture is and has done for the past several years.
By impacting their local community and reaching beyond themselves for a greater purpose, they have grown into a great worship culture. I believe their true desire as well as the desire echoed by our generation can be defined in the song “We Are Hungry.” As I was listening to this, I realized that this is my desire as well.
“..I will not be silent,
I will not be quiet anymore,
I will not be silent…
I will raise my voice,
I will raise my voice,
I will raise my voice to You to You...”
It is about time we started stepping out and sharing this good news, which we have been so blessed to have been given. That exactly, through exuberant worship, is what Jesus Culture is doing and all the while not being a bit ashamed.
Be looking forward to this new album released November 29, 2011.
Kudos to Jesus Culture for taking the stand.
Reviewed by Tyler Cummings
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
Leigh Nash: Hymns and Sacred Songs
Leigh Nash’s new release, Hymns and Sacred Songs, is a collection of the singer’s favorite old hymns as well as newly released hymns by such writers as Graham Kendrick, Stuart Townend, Aaron Keyes, Katie Gustafson and Nash, herself. Seeking lyrics cherished for their depth of meaning as well as poetic beauty, the hymns are given a fresh, new look with the combination of Nash’s light and easy voice and updated instrumentation.
Nash, who has been performing since her high school days, became known through her collaboration with Matt Slocum in forming the band Sixpence None The Richer. Following her time with the band, she continued to sing on projects with artists such as Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, Matthew West and others. Her latest project is a celebration and homage to the hymns she grew up singing in church and which she cherished from a child.
It is refreshing to hear the rich lyrics of old hymns such as “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above.” Writers such as Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley and Dorothy Thrupp wrote Biblical truths and profound life experiences into their lyrics. As more and more artists rediscover these musical gems their message is once again being heard. Nash’s arrangements are simple, using keyboard, bass, drums and guitars, but they uniquely allow the lyric to take center stage. The overarching theme is that of hope restored, of finding deliverance and restoration in the work that Christ has done one the Cross. My personal favorite is Fanny Crosby’s “O Heart Bereaved and Lonely.”
O heart bereaved and lonely
Whose brightest dreams have fled.
Whose hopes like summer roses
Are withered, crushed and dead.
Though link by link be broken
And tears unseen may fall.
Look up amid they sorrow
To Him who knows it all…..
Take a stroll through beloved hymns, or, discover them for the first time. Their message is timeless, and you won’t be disappointed.
Reviewed by Ann Ahrens
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