Remorse over loss of Capital Lights Category:Music Views:
100
As Cities Burn had a good run. Now I’m sure fans would have appreciated more than three albums for the post hardcore/ alternative rock group, but fans got a taste of the possibilities offered by the band. While the news that As Cities Burn was hard, the sudden break-up of the punk rock group Capital Lights was swift and a true tragedy. After their first and only album, This Is An Outrage, it was clear that the sky was the limit for the band. Capital Lights’ CD was better than Hawk Nelson’s and Relient K’s debut CD’s with catchy hooks, infectious beats, and humorous lyrics. I found myself playing their CD when I heard of the band’s demise and remember how my favorite track, “Frank Morris”, inspired me to look into the former prison Alcatraz and the film which came after (a waste to be sure). Other one-CD artists (such as 38th Parallel and Lucerin Blue) showed potential, but didn’t have debuts which had lasting effects and wrapped up their careers before a sophomore album surfaced. So while Capital Lights may be dead and gone I have passed their CD around and This Is An Outrage is a disc that would send around some more. So at the very least, Capital Lights has left a positive, but short, legacy. Here’s hoping that the band members integrate themselves back into CCM soon.
Over the weekend I had a chance to catch Esterlyn in concert. Before the concert began I talked to the guys and was really impressed. I gathered that even though their acoustic EP Mending the Meaning was released late digitally in 2008 fans were not going to get anything new this year. But Luke did report that the band will most certainly offer a sophomore album in 2010 that will have a more worship edge. I even asked Luke Caldwell the meaning of a line on his song “Free the Light”, ‘Christ’s blood was shed in despair’, because I was discussing the line with a NRT buddy a couple of months back. Caldwell’s answer came right out of scripture as he referenced Jesus’ painful time in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When the show began they were okay. I mean The Show (a young group of rockers) were okay. They poured out big punk rock tunes with blazing guitars and a big base which happened to be a little unnecessary since the café was not that huge. Although the lead singer’s voice wasn’t spectacular and the lyrics were lacking I was impressed at the maturity of the music and I particularly liked “the Africa Song.”
When Esterlyn took the stage they opened with their song guitar driven “Emptiness” which was excellent and employed a great light show with their lamps that were onstage. Immediately following that song was their single “We All Need” which was also well done. When the band actually introduced the band they spoke of the inspiration Matthew 5:16 (‘In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven’). The next song, the up tempo worship track “Like The Rain”, isn’t a particular favorite of mine but it was still a memorable tune.
The tone of the concert slowed down as Esterlyn started to sing more worship style music (perhaps a precursor to a future album?) and while the tune was simple, Caldwell’s lead vocals make the two songs soar. At the night began to dawn Esterlyn preformed the soft song “Sweet Love” which is off of their EP. Before closing out the show Esterlyn shared how they got their name and encouraged everyone to go and be a light to their friend and family. Before performing the piano driven acoustic song the band cautioned fans not to live for themselves but for God and others who are living in a dying world. I briefly talked to Luke on my way out and said I had my heart on them performing “Season of Grey.” He replied ‘ you should have said something. We would have played it for you. The next time you see us remind us.’
San Diego Bible study banned!!! Category:News Politics Views:
127
Everyone should be aware of this:
Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County.
"On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county." David Jones told FOX News.
"We told them this is not really a religious assembly this is just a Bible study with friends. We have a meal, we pray, that was all," Jones said.
A few days later, the couple received a written warning that cited "unlawful use of land," ordering them to either "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," the couple's attorney Dean Broyles told San Diego news station 10News.
But the major use permit could cost the Jones' thousands of dollars just to have a few friends over.
For David and Mary Jones, it's about more than a question of money.
"The government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion," Broyles told FOX News. "I believe that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their grave if they saw that here in the year 2009, a pastor and his wife are being told that they cannot hold a simple Bible study in their own home."
"The implications are great because it’s not only us that’s involved," Mary Jones said. "There are thousands and thousands of Bible studies that are held all across the country. What we’re interested in is setting a precedent here before it goes any further and that we have it settled for the future."
The couple is planning to dispute the county's order this week.
If San Diego County refuses to allow the pastor and his wife to continue gathering without acquiring a permit, they will consider a lawsuit in federal court.
This blog is all over the place on Falling Up, but it pretty much states where I think the band has gone in their career.
What was Falling Up’s high point? Fans of the seven year old experimental /alternative rock group from Albany, Oregon may have more fond memories of the Falling Up’s debut Crashings, than band’s latest, Fangs.
The rock album that was Crashings featured big riffs along with some rapping (Most notably Paul Wright). The album also roped three number one hits on Christian rock charts with “Jacksonfive", "Falling In Love”, and "Broken Heart" (respectively) along with the single “escalates”. The almost generic rock CD was easy to understand with clear spiritual themes weaved in Crashings’ lyrics affirmed by Bible verse which painted an even clearer picture of what the band wanted to say. After that, however lead singer and song writer Jessy Ribordy decided to take the writing to a more science based level and contrast it to the spiritual plain.
Their sophomore album, Dawn Escapes, was a solid alternative album with slightly more obscure messages. However soon after the successful album came out in 2006, the now obvious key turning point in the band’s history occurred: Joeseph Kisselburgh and Falling Up separated ways. Reflecting on Kisselburgh’s departure Ribordy said ‘Joe was writing a bunch of songs on his own, and of course, wanted to do his own stuff… it just made sense for him to go his own way than try to balance two songwriters.’ But Kisselburgh’s influence on than band may have been even more than just songwriting. After the split (which left Kisselburgh to start his own solo project, The Send) it’s apparent that the music took a more ambient direction.
The remix album, Exit Lights, set the stage for the type of music Falling Up was going to run with on their third album, Captiva. Shaping the music around the keyboards rather the guitars for a more compact sound, it seemed that Falling Up had finally hit their groove with their solid alternative rock style (which included the hit single “Hotel Aquarium”). The lighter, more artist rock style resulted less in guitar riff-driven songs, but rather ‘open’ and ‘organic’ music as Ribordy described it. Although the lyrics were the most vague of any falling Up disc before it, the complex messages still referred to God clearly: ‘He is drawing near/Now salvation sings/Life that Jesus brings’ and ‘Is anybody out there, who's cold and incomplete, inside?/I can hear Him calling/Come and follow me, my child’ (“How they made cameras” and “Good Morning Planetarium” respectively)
Before Fangs, BEC Recordings released Discover the Trees Again: The best of Falling Up, which signaled the end of an era and ushered in a new chapter for the band. The need for a change originated from ‘loop aligned and distortion driven’ music that came from Captiva would change to even “more organic” style on Fangs according to Ribordy. The first two songs that were released, “ Streams Of Woe At Acheron” and “and Goddess Of The Dayspring, Am I”, both represented the bulk of the alternative rock displayed on Fangs along with being the pinnacle of radio friendly tracks which should be warning a warning sign to those who are fans of previous Falling Up rock tunes such as “searchlights” and the remix of “moonlit” remix.
Original fans of the group may not like the extremely light sound featured on more than a few tracks (“The Kings Garden” and “Swimming Towards Propellers” among the most notable). Speaking on the soft nature of the new sound, Christian music Zine predicted a split of Falling Up’s fan base saying ‘Some [fans]will finally give up on the band forever, while others will be entranced and in love forever.’
The albums title comes from what Ribordy calls “a very reaction-based record where something is always happening. Whether it be good or bad, it’s always significant.” What occurs in Fangs is a trend that might be starting to rear its head in Christian music. The idea of a concept album (a CD wrapped in one story rather than individual song meanings) seems a perfect fit for Falling up’s mysterious songwriting and vague, but accessible spiritual themes. Based on Ribordy’s unreleased screen play script Neptuenne’s Cavern, Ribordy explains that ‘journey into this world of fiction is very spiritual.’
However the ‘vivid metaphors’ that were supposed to ‘draw poetic parallels to spirituality’ to indicate lyrics that were ‘unquestionably anchored in faith’ got lost between advertising and Falling Up’s actual album when, in fact, Fangs is the band’s most obscure album (which is saying something). Biblical messages get lost in the main character’s journey to Neptuenn to find out who is responsible for the death of the children struck by golden arrows (an apparently important reoccurring theme in Fangs). Disappointingly no clear reference to God shows up any in one of the 12 songs on Fangs.
So far Fangs has reached the respectable position of #50 on Itunes and has received praise from critics. And why not? The album is an artistic audio masterpiece. However besides having the same band name and lead singer, the group called Falling Up who gave us Crashings, has little in common with the band called Falling Up who just put out Fangs. Ribordy likes to keep fans guessing, but how long do fans want to keep guessing?
Either way, three years later after his departure I’m starting to miss Joe Kisselburgh.
Over the past week I noticed a comment on my Jars of Clay CD. In short the comment, while not critical of my review, was questioning my stance on rating The Long Fall Back to Earth while the rating Third Day (I’m still not quite sure where that came from honestly) and Superchic[k] were much lower (if you are unaware of the debate of Superchicken’s CD Rock what you Got check it out). While The Long Fall back to Earth might have contained slightly more spiritual themes than Superchic[k] was the 5 star rating system 4 to 1 (stars) justifiable? No it’s really not. So to Dr. Bull, you have caught me: I have rated a CD higher than another for no great reason which in his words qualifies as inconsistent. So here is your chance to say “AH HA! What a hypocrite.” I’ll admit it, you got me.
Now before anyone one goes overboard with this I want to clarify something. The least important part, now please pay attention, the least important part of my reviews is the rating! The LEAST! I don’t care about ratings, I care about reviews. Those familiar with my reviewing past know that at one time I even stopped putting ratings on my reviews to prevent discourage those who would take one glance at the rating and skip my review. I hate putting ratings on CDs, not only is it irrelevant to me it’s hard to give a CD a definitive rating. To this day I still shy away from reviewing fence riding albums because I don’t want anyone to take any review I write the wrong way. In fact I don’t even give ratings to secular released CDs, not because I hate all of them, but because I would have to change standards to rate them.
How I review a CD is the important thing and if you disagree and think that five star ratings are critical to any professional review fine. But there was little to no inconsistency when it came to The Long Fall Back to Earth verses Rock What you Got. I quote from my own unedited review ‘The most spiritually influenced song is “two hands”… The lack of God centered lyrics might be a little disconcerting… [Hero] suggests maybe God isn’t listening to us’. If that’s not being critical enough for a CD I enjoyed I’m not sure what is. So if you want to discuss this be my guest. If you want to harp on my inconsistent ratings go ahead. But I hope this will have settled something instead of adding to the division,
Nathan's Blog
