From: tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Michael David Toth)
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: Is there any "progressive" Christian music?
Date: 8 Nov 92 04:35:32 GMT
Organization: University of Cincinnati

In article <1992Nov4.152920.13477@cbnews.cb.att.com> ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
>In article <1992Nov3.190950.9008@rtsg.mot.com> young_dick@macmail2.rtsg.mot.com (Dick Young) writes:
>
>I too spent a lot of time listening to Kansas, Yes, ELP, early Genesis,
>early Pink Floyd, and so on.  I liked the music a lot at the time.  I 
>still think it's okay, although I don't listen to it that much anymore.  
>
Some Christian "Art Rock" acts that I found impressive without being too
pretentious:  Arkangel and Emerald Vein.  Arkangel's classic _Warrior_
has just been reissued on CD, and Blonde Vinyl next month releases a
compilation of Emerald Vein's two LPs released on a Belgian label.
Also, a lot of Jeff Johnson and some Terry Taylor/DA would fall into
this catagory.

>The reason?  I got hooked on a bunch of bands who couldn't play their
>instruments - bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash and The Ramones
>and Pere Ubu and Television and Poly Styrene and X-Ray Specs.  And
>they made great music.   
>
>And just to tie this in with the charter of this newsgroup, can
>anyone recommend Christian musicians (musicians?) who ascribe
>to the punk aesthetic?  Something similar to the early U2
>or Alarm sound would be just fine.  Anybody?
>
Well, Andrew, I know you're already familiar with the Alarma!-era DA
and the pre-Romeo Unchained Tonio K. stuff like _Amerika_, 
but here are a few other new-wave/punk raw aesthetic LPs that I all
like in some degree:

Vector - Mannequin Virtue  (VERY much in the U2 Boy/October/War vein)
Breakfast With Amy - (all)  (this band is currently probably closest to
        the raw, dadaist spirit of punk, along with Fluffy)
Lifesavors - Us Kids (pre-Knott songwriting, very Ramones-ish)
Altar Boys - most early albums
Youth Choir - (VERY early Choir)
Undercover - first few albums.

A lot of the early '80s Orange County punk bands (Lifesavors, Altar
Boys, Youth Choir, Undercover, etc.) had a Christian lyrical base
proportional to their musical sophistication.  Sometimes the simplistic
platitudes are annoying, but sometimes there's a real endearing honesty
and energy in stuff like Undercover's "God Rules:"

(Machine-gun drums and violent guitars with my lyric example presented
to simulate mood:)

There'sMoreToLifeThanGettingStonedandSittingInTheTwilightZoneandJesus'z-
ComeToTakeUsHomeSoDon'tBeLeftHereAllA-loooooooooone!!!!!!!
God Ruuules. (guitar riff) God Ruuuules.  (guitar)
HeyGodRuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuullllllllezzzzz!

And some of the stuff (especially LS:Us Kids and Altar Boys) sounds SO
much like the Ramones that it almost gets annoying.  But they're a lot
of fun when you're in the mood.  

The following actually came out of the real punk movement in the UK in
the late-70's/early-'80s (as opposed to suburban Christians trying to
act like punks because "it will minister to the youth" but the youth can
smell 'em a mile away)  Some of these albums are so-so, but all of them
have some MAGNIFICENT individual songs on them: 

Ishmael United - If You Can't Shout Saved
Ishmael - Ishmael's Antique Collection (Sort of Monty Python meets The
          Pogues Christian "pub" music)
Rev Counta & the Speedoze - Life Begins at 30
Bill Mason Band - No Sham!
Giantkiller - The Alternative
Andy McCarroll & Moral Support - Zionic Bonds


>>Dick Young
>>Motorola
>>Arlington Heights, IL
>
>Andy Whitman
>AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
>att!cblpn!ajw  or
>ajw@cblpn.att.com

Michael Toth
University of Cincinnati
mtoth@headcheese.daa.uc.edu
tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu

"...and we don't even do drugs!  Just chocolate and Dr. Pepper..."
		-Dave Koval of Breakfast With Amy