Positive music update: Let there be dub
It was about a month ago since I last checked in on the "positive music" front, and I feel like I have an appropriate amount of new intel to share with you.
Over the past few weeks, I've really been grappling with some terrifying anxiety and panic attacks, enough so that I've missed several days of work, and have had me fearing for my very well-being. (On more than one occasion I've said "last goodbyes" to my wife in the morning, because I didn't know if I was going to make it home that day).
Those feelings are starting to subside a little, as new medication and improved relaxation techniques have been taking hold, and even the little bit of sunshine poking through the clouds have helped these days.
And as the weather turns sunnier, I've been finding it easier to get into sunnier music -- in this specific case, island music. I've always had a warm spot for reggae, even if it gets a little too upbeat... I've found that the old "Jamaica to Toronto" compilation hits the spot perfectly, in terms of the reggae being upbeat, experimental and vibrant, without the presence of too much drug or Rastafarian influences. (We can get into the discussion of if Rasta is a Christian cult or not another day).
So the one sub-genre of reggae I haven't really explored before was the whole "dub" realm. I've heard of it's proponents before, like Lee Perry and Mad Scientist, and when I went looking to fill the sunny whole in my iPod, I went to iTunes to see if there were some dub out there that I could really dig into.
Turns out, there was... despite lots and lots of sampling, I found basically two perfect "dub" records, both formed from the hands of King Tubby, one of the earlier, and more experimental dub masters. The first was "Dangerous Dub," hailed as "The Original Dub Classic," and the second, "Augustus Pablo Meets King Tubby at the Control," a melodica-heavy album of Tubby's experimentations.
Dub, to give you a quick background, was born out of reggae tracks, remixed to be without the vocals, with added echos and other effects, stretched out to endless lengths so that someone could "toast" or rap over-top of them. They push the limits of the low-end on the stereo, and create a really lush, relaxed atmosphere, easy to get lost in for hours.
I've sampled several other dub records, and I just can't seem to find anything else that grips me like these King Tubby records. His albums are almost totally laid back, very bare, lots of bass rumble, lots of effects without sounding like a careening mess... any experts out there that can point me at anything else like this?
Taking flight with a bite at Sky Blue Sky
At first it was a curious mention on BlogTO, followed by a cursory note on Pitchfork, and has shortly become Toronto's newest online buzz restaurant, at least since Mildred's Valentines experiment.
The place is "Sky Blue Sky," a Wilco-themed sandwich joint on Bloor, just west of Bathurst. It's named after one of the band's albums, and each tasty sandwich is named after a Wilco song. There's Wilco posters on the walls, and while I didn't hear any Wilco while I was in there, I did hear a complimentary playlist of the National and Cat Power. The space is very cozy and informal, and judging by the hours, is a great place to grab lunch or an early dinner if you're in the neighborhood. In addition to tables, there's a handful of private booths and even a couple leather chairs with a view out on to bustling Bloor street.
So here's the question: is it any good? It is. And while the Wilco thing might be a strange gimmick, it works, and I believe the food is just good enough to hook the curious (like myself) and bring them back over and over again. Even the plates "feel" Wilco, much like the rest of the restaurant's vibe. I'm not the biggest Wilco fan out there, but I'm going to say that if you love the band, you owe to yourself to at least make at least one or two visits.
Here's the restaurant's website, where you can even pre-order online!
Another interesting thing I’ve eaten
Though cuter, not as good as the meat pies at BMO field on a warm Saturday afternoon.
Why, hello there Spongebob
The part of me that is kind of bothered by the excessive amount of packaging for a single serving of flat bread and hummus is totally overruled by the part of me that is cheered by a friendly smile at my desk during the work day.
Oh look, there’s another useless pile of Canpages on my doorstep
These have been here, sitting all alone outside my apartment building for the last couple weeks. Like many of my fellow tenants, it's not worth picking up one of these dirty looking blocks of paper, hauling it up a couple flights of stairs, only to be thrown in the garbage (another trip down the stairs).
Canpages, please come and pick up your garbage. Advertisers looking to pay into Canpages? Take a look at all this waste. This waste of paper. This waste of PLASTIC. It's not all bad though; it's proven to be useful as a doorstop... and you know, causing a massive security breach to our building.
I wonder how long they will last? In the meantime, I'll keep my hands clean and continue using THE INTERNET.
The best breakfast in Toronto: The Hoof Cafe
I'm not a fan of "going out to brunch." It's way too busy, overpriced and frankly, not very good food. But this isn't a rant against going out for brunch (if you want a good take on my feelings, check out this Toronto Star story by Corey Mintz, who feels the same way I do about these things).
But this isn't a diatribe about going out for brunch, because like any good urban dweller, I still go out for the occasional morning nosh, just usually not on the weekends -- and only on strategically appropriate times. When I feel like going out for breakfast, the places I regularly turn to include Disgraceland at Bloor and Ossington, Starving Artist at Bloor and Landsdowne, The Java House at Queen and Augusta, La Hacienda at Queen and Markham and Leslieville's Lady Marmalade at Queen East and Logan. (Unlike most Leslievillers, I'm not a fan of Bonjour Brioche).
Now I've got one more "must" place to add to the list: The Hoof Cafe.
The Hoof Cafe is a new "extension" of sorts of the infamous Black Hoof Cafe, the city's chief proponent of Charcuterie, Sweet Breads, and if you're lucky, Pig Brains. If you love meat and you're adventurous, you must go to the Black Hoof.
Originally intended as a waiting room/holding area for the restaurant, The Hoof Cafe across the street ended up being a breakfast place, taking on brunch with their typical flair in the mornings, with specialty drinks and apps in the evening. Because I've loved every visit to the Black Hoof, I couldn't wait to try the cafe, and what has become one of it's most popular dishes: The Sucking Pig Benny. (If you're daring enough to go on Saturday and Sunday, you can order Bone Marrow donuts!)
Overall the breakfast was outstanding, and in terms of quality/price, the Hoof Cafe is a great deal -- a main might be a little more expensive than the combo platter you'd normally order somewhere else, but you're easily getting the same quality breakfast as you'd get as an evening entree.
One word of advice: Go early. This place is tiny! From my predictions, there's only about 20 to 25 seats in the whole joint, with about half of those seats being at the bar. Weekdays it's not too bad, but if you're thinking of a weekend run, go for 9:45 and hope there's not a line already!
Positive music progress update: Matt Maher and the various kinds of cool and un-cool Christian music
We're already in February, a good month and a bit into the new year, and I'm starting to feel like I'm making a little progress with this "positive music" trial. It's been very difficult, but I feel like I'm learning a lot of new things about the power and influence of music on my life, and the role it can play in my mood and attitude.
The biggest challenge I've been taking on is attempting to give "CCM" (aka Contemporary Christian Music) a fair shake, and an opportunity to take a role in my life. Like any other guy who was raised listening to a lot of rock and experimental music, I find some of it tepid from a "listening experience" point of view, and at times embarrassed by the lame prose and poetry some of these songs employ.
"Christian music" is a very complicated idea or concept. That is, it's a broad term that can apply to a number of very different forms where the common denominator is Christ himself. For example, there's "Ministry Music," which are the kinds of songs sung in churches by worship leaders and congregations, and there's the "Christian Pop," which is like Ministry Music, but is less about being congregational and more slick like pop music. There's "Don't Call Us" Christian rock (Christians in a band, but not a "Christian Band", which is music made by Christian musicians, sometimes on Christian labels, and sounds like mainstream rock music, usually with ambiguous lyrics that could be interpreted to have Christian content (think Switchfoot or Lifehouse). And finally "Cool Christian" music, which almost doesn't exist at all, but artistically speaking, is a high-point in art, which earns high praise from critics and popularity from all corners, with a healthy mix of Christian content and skepticism. Many Don't-Call-Us musicians aspire to have "Cool Christian" success, but it's only the most freakishly talented that earn this acclaim: i.e. Sufjan Stevens, David Bazan, and in my opinion, The Daredevil Christopher Wright.
To explain how these all kind of fit together, consider the term "cool." Essentially, cool is that unattainable quality of being compelling and stimulating, without the appearance of effort or engagement or earnestness. Miles Davis was cool. Joy Division was cool. The Ramones were cool. Red Kross was cool. Basically being cool means not caring about being cool. Cool is disengagement, or at least, the appearance of being disengaged. (Wikipedia: Cool)
Christian music isn't cool.
And that's okay.
Every so often a "Cool Christian" artist comes along, and in itself, that is an amazing and miraculous thing. I'm willing to accept that this pokes a pretty big hole in my Christian music theory. Regardless, Christianity in itself is not a "cool" medium: it is usually earnest, passionate and emotional, and is overall not condusive to "cool." The Gospel is a simple message of truth: however, simplicity and truth are not "cool" values.
That's not to say Christians don't try to make it cool: Take a look at the Mars Hill/Rob Bell type movements happening across the globe, with their sometimes-emergent approach to church and worship. Interesting to note: these types of Churches are usually only popular in stereotypically unsophisticated suburban centres and not in cool urban areas where artists usually locate themselves. Is "cool" church uncool? (Yes)
So if we accept that Christianity by itself is not cool, and by extension the Church isn't cool, then "Ministry Music," the Christian music that dwells in Christian sanctuaries, can't be cool. It has to be. If only on a utilitarian level, it has to be music that can be sung communally by singers of all talents, and has to have a broad accessibility. At times, passionate, while also provoking a passionate response. Simple music and melody played by a mixture of musicians from a variety of backgrounds, with mostly amateur, weekend-warrior levels of skill.
Ministry Music can be amazing and powerful, and it will never be cool, no matter how much some people want that to change, no matter how many U2 or Coldplay-esque effects or riffs are thrown in. (And yes, I believe U2 and Coldplay are not cool). Ministry Music is a difficult aspect of Church life, and at times is given a too-high value in Church communities (even if we call it praise and worship).
The thing is, I don't necessarily want to listen to Ministry Music all the time: While I do love to worship God, I also want to be stimulated and well, swayed by the cool. In the past, I've lumped all Christian music into the same un-cool category, and focused all of my listening (and creative) efforts on "cool" music. I've never thought I had a problem with being exposed to non-Christian content, but as I examine and challenge my own identity, one change I have to make to myself is allow my identity to appreciate and understand Christian music.
In short, I need to find a way to let Christ and Christian content dominate my life, because frankly, the world robs me of my enthusiasm and love, and I need to be continually reminded of God and his presence and direction in my life. So I've been trying to find a way to let Christ dominate my music-life, with a healthy dose of other "positive" music rounding it out.
So here's how it lays out for me: I'll still listen to the "Cool Christians," and if at all possible, I won't waste my time with the "Don't-Call-Us-Christian-Band" imitation rock like Mutemath (I apologize to my readers who love Mutemath, but if you know me, you know that you shouldn't take it personally... If you like it, that's all that matters). "Ministry Music" is amazing in Church, but it's hard to listen to on it's own merit... however, that is the music I need more of in my life, so I need to find "Christian Pop" that is not too slick and overproduced for the masses, yet positive enough for encouragement and gritty and interesting enough to have my tastes placated.
It's a tall order, but so far I've found a few releases which I think stand up to my pretty demanding criteria. You might have already read about Scandinavian Metal Praise, which is my first real find in terms of great Christian music, but I really should tell you about the music that has given me the most encouragement and inspiration in the past month: Matt Maher and his record, "Alive Again."
I first discovered Maher when I was looking for new and interesting worship songs, when he appeared on a YouTube Christian Cafe type show, where he taught a song called "Lay it Down," from his album "Empty and Beautiful." I didn't particularly love that record because it was a little too overproduced and it didn't speak to me lyrically, but that song stands out as a high point, and we've enjoyed singing it together at Grace Toronto Church.
But thanks to my S.O., who heard a song from Maher's new record, managed to figure out iTunes for the first time, bought the album, and put it on her own iPhone. I never gave it a close listen, and it was only until after I started my "positive music" project that I gave it a second look.
If there was ever an opportunity to point to God's providence in my life, it is evidence in the album "Alive Again" crossing my path at the most absolutely perfect time. I don't know if Maher has ever experienced anxiety and depression like I have, but the lyrics all over "Alive Again" address the kinds of feelings and doubts I have been feeling, while also reminded me of the purpose and perspective and God's own promises.
Here's a look at the lyrics from the album's title track:
I woke up in darkness
surrounded by silence
oh where, where have I gone?
I woke to reality
losing its grip on me
oh where, where have I gone?Cause I can see the light
before I see the sunriseYou called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!Late have I loved you,
you waited for me,
I searched for you…
what took me so long?I was looking outside
as if love would ever want to hide
I’m finding I was wrongCause I can feel the wind
before it hits my skinCause I want you!
Yes, I want you,
I need you
And I’ll do what ever I have to
Just to get through
cause I love you
Yeah, I love you!
Or there's another verse on "Sing over your Children," which again speaks directly to my own predicament:
I flirt with the world,
It steals my love for you.
My fear grips my faith,
And I am left unmoved.
I could go on and on and on like this with every song. It speaks to me so profoundly, that I can't seem to go a day without listening to it: I often start it up while waiting for my bus in the morning, just to help me get my head on straight for the day, and place a right attitude in my heart. At the same time, I have to comment that I also LOVE the guitar sounds on this record, which is very uncommon on "Christian Music" records, which is just another bonus to this album, and allows me to love it all the more.
The fact that God has provided this music to me, through the talent of Matt Maher, I am so thankful for this piece of encouragement, and it is helping to enlighten me as I fight against my own personal "stubborn darkness." I hope to someday be a musician as full of life and the spirit as Maher, no matter how "un-cool" that makes me.
So please, if you are in my position, or don't listen to much Christian music (and wish you did), try starting here! I hope you get as much out of it as I did.
Because handling a snake is taking the easy way out
There's a rather obscure American church you may have heard about, where members pick up and handle deadly snakes as part of their routine services. You know, you've got your Fender guitar amps, your pulpit and PA, and then, a whole pile of poisonous snakes.
Generally associated with the primarily rural (and Southern) Church of God, this church embraces a rather literal take on a couple of the final verses in Mark 16.
17-18"These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well."
Now, to get technical for a moment, verses 9-20 of Mark 16 (the last chapter of that particular book) are generally excluded from "The Bible" because those verses did not appear in some of the more important early manuscripts, and because of their "different style and vocabulary," also raises doubts.
This pentecostal sect takes this verse literally, and so believes that if they've been anointed by God, then they will not be killed when bitten by the snakes, and they claim to celebrate this miracle during their services. Besides the obvious, it's clear why snake-handling is not a mainstream practice: it' s a generally held interpretation that in this reference, Jesus was speaking specifically to his remaining 11 disciples, not necessarily everyone who believes in him.
I will admit that there is a part of me that had the courage these snake handlers do, believing that God would protect me from a very real, very specific and very immediate harm.
But the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that these snake handlers are taking the easy way out. Sure, it's dangerous picking up a snake, and it is a demonstration of their faith (albeit misguided), but what do they do the rest of the time? Personally, I think there's more courage involved in a daily, humble faith that grows deep with routine reflection and fruitful acts of obedience. Faith is not about engaging in a public spectacle like the snake handlers: faith is deeply private and personal, and God alone knows us in our stillness.
So back away from the snakes.
Forget the unicorn chaser, here’s a plate of meat
Photo by Sifu Renka.
So instead of wasting my time ranting about one internet service provider over another (they all suck), I'm instead just going to leave a photo of this mouth-watering platter of charcuterie from the Black Hoof. Yep, it may be a fad, and as a friend of mine often notes, we will totally talk about how obsessed we were in 2010, but if it's tasty, it's tasty. Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts.
Note to self: time to get crackin' on my specialized plate of "Scarborough Charcuterie." It's time.
Popular search terms on the blog for January 2010
These kinds of things are interesting right? In case you are curious, here are the most popular, followed by the weirdest terms people have "searched" for and ended up here on the blog in the past month.
- William Petersen
- Tyrone Warner
- Blublockers
- Laurentian Art Pottery
- Halifax Donair Milton
- "Wool Felt" waste Toronto
- Starbucks Belleville
- Wilderness of Manitoba
And January's weirdest search term? "meat eating halifax"
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