When you see reviews of music, especially in fanzines and indie magazines, you see a lot of name dropping. It’s pretty annoying, especially when the band name that is dropped are from the obscure bands that some person was in in high-school that never made any records because the name dropping is then only there to show the reviewers deep knowledge of what amounts to useless trivia.
But often the name dropping comes from the fact that following names can lead you to good music. For example, today I suddently found myself wondering who did the backing vcals on Bat For Lashes “Trophy”. Well, it’s Josh Pearson, who’s claim to fame is being the song writer in a band called Lift To Experience. So I looked up their MySpace page, and listen to the three songs there. And they are good. So, by the obscure name dropping feature, I found some good music! See, it has a purpose!
Lift To Experience is a bit of a shock. Not their music in itself. But this is a bunch of people fanatically devoted to Texas writing Christian songs. There is normally no chance in hell this could be good. Fanatical Texans write songs like “All my Ex’s Live in Texas” and sing with a horribly nasal drone to music with steel guitar and violins in them. Nothing wrong with steel guitar or violins, it’s just the music that combine the two tends to be horribly bad country. And we all know that Christian music is boring crap, based on the idea that if you just embrace Jesus you don’t have to care about the fact that nobody loves you and your life sucks, becuse Jesus will fix your life for you so you will be happy. After you are dead. And this is somehow fantastic news that need singing about a lot.
But Lift To Experience is nothing like that. It’s massive droning alternative rock that has very little to do with either country or gospel, and thankfully doesn’t have one inch of Christian fusion jazz-rock in it. It should be impossible for Christian Texas do do this, but I guess this either proves that God doesn’t exist, or he moves in very mysterious ways indeed. Although their one and only album, they have now split up apparently, must be the ugliest in existence. I guess this is a homage to their Christian Texan roots. 
Check it out. You will probably hate it, but I don’t. Now I’ll
have to figure out where I can buy the album.
2008-06-06 at 07:57
There was a time when Christian Music actually meant something. I think it ended back in 1995. That’s when Christian Music stopped becoming about the relationship one has with trinity. And as you mentioned. It became, your saved. we’re happy. Give us 10% and you’ll be in heaven.
Check out The Prayer Chain “Mercury” album. It’s a concept album about one’s travels in spirituality coming as close to our creator before the listener burns up.
2008-06-06 at 11:08
Interesting. I of course have not perceived any difference in Christian music, but that’s because I don’t listen to it, since it always have been musically boring, even if the lyrics mean something to Christians. The lyrics, after all, was the point and purpose (which is why the music tends to be boring).
If the lyrics doesn’t mean something either, then it truly is pointless.
2009-01-09 at 23:13
I think you should make the distinction between a “christian band” and a band comprised of christians. Listen to that record and pay attention. The songs aren’t preaching to anyone and certainly aren’t praise music. U2 has a lot of songs about God, but you wouldn’t think of them as a “christian band”. You might be a bit out of your depth here.
2009-01-09 at 23:34
Well these guys are explicitly Christian, and the albums theme is Christianity, it’ not just a song here an there. But you are right that they aren’t preachy, and of course you are right that the typical suckiness of Christian music goes hand in hand with the preachyness. But they are still explicitly Christian in a way U2 is not, and that also does go hand in hand with preachiness. In this case it does not, and that’s one of the pleasant surprises.
2009-04-21 at 04:00
Your review of Lift to Experience and Texas is completely ignorant and offensive. I’m not sure where you’re from, but I don’t care. Geography is of no importance, especially this day in age of the information super highway.
Denton, TX (where LTE is from) was given the most important music scene for 2008 by Paste Magazine. I’m sure you’ve heard of that magazine.
Also, The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads (the album I assume you’re referring to as their only album, but it actually isn’t) is considered a concept album by LTE. It is a conversation between Christians, non-Christians, and God. It also considers the idea of Texas being the center of Jerusalem rather than Israel.
2009-04-21 at 05:52
If you find that review offensive, you probably need to get offended for real.
It’s also worth noting that I said nothing about geography, so you are likely ranting in anger about something you didn’t read as closely as you should. Which probably is the main reason you found it offensive.
2009-09-16 at 15:22
To JonofDeath.
The guy liked the album. What’s there to be offended by? He acknowledged the difference between typical infomercial fodder Christian rock and LTE. I get the impression you just read the title of the article and posted a comment. Regardless, great album. Long live delay pedals and the fanatic love of beards and the right to bear arms.
-Dave
2009-09-16 at 18:27
Exactly.
(And bare arms. Not to mention armed bears.)
2009-10-09 at 19:47
this is the worst blog entry on the internet.
2009-10-09 at 20:08
And since that’s the worst comment on this blog entry, guess what that makes you?