Magician of Melody, Herald of Harmony, Rocker of Refrain.

Are you tired of listening to same old songs—built off of the same old three chords—over, and over, and over, and over again on your Christian radio station? If you are, then you're in luck! Here for one blog post only is that magician of melody, that herald of harmony, that rocker of refrain... It's the one-and-only Abbey!!

~cue applause~

Thank you, thank you. It's an honor to be here on the blog today. So, you're tired of listening to That-One-Generic-Worship-Song-That-They-Play-On-The-Radio? Never fear, I, Abbey, am here! Here to help you—yes, you!—find the right Christian music for you to focus on while your stuck in traffic so that you don't yell at other drivers! I'm gonna tell you about albums that have originality, harmony, and variety; I'm gonna tell you about musicians who perform and write their own songs! So, lend me your ears, friends, Romans, countrymen, and anyone else who happens to reading! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the music:

"Out of Breath" by Go Fish.

If you like acappella groups, then this is the album for you! Just listen to that epic train horn at the beginning of this song. It's made completely from human vocal chord sounds! It contains no artificial sweeteners and is gluten free. While Go Fish is primarily known as a children's group now, they came out with several CDs for all-ages in the late '90s and early 2000s. With engaging rhythms and poignant lyrics, you won't want to miss this CD!

"Yesterday's a Sign" by Ken Medema.

Everyone likes stories, and what's better than a story set to music? I know—a Bible story set to music! On this CD, you will find the story of Moses, the story of the man healed at the pool of Bethesda, the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth, and the story of Ananias and Saul set to rollicking piano accompaniment arranged and played by Ken Medema himself! Additionally, this album comes with several tracks of beautiful, original hymns.

"Go," "In the Hands of God," and "Greatest Hits" by the Newsboys.

What other Christian band has lyrics about barbequing hamsters ("Shine") or Hobbits leaving the Shire ("Secret Kingdom")? What other band describes hell as a place where they don't serve Captain Crunch ("Breakfast") and where they play Celine Dion all night ("My Friend Jesus")? That's right, only Newsboys with Peter Furler at their helm has lyrics like this! That's why you should invest in these three CDs.
"Go" contains such hits such as, "I Am Free" and "Something Beautiful," as well as lesser-known greats such as, "The Mission" and "Your Love Is Better Than Life."
"In the Hands of God," Peter Furler's last full album with the Newsboys is a little out-of-the-ordinary, but that's why you're here, right? Some favorites are "No Grave," "The Upside," and "Dance."
If you're already a fan of Newsboys and are looking for a CD with all of their vintage hits, then their "Greatest Hits" album is definitely for you! It features "Shine," "Breakfast," "He Reigns," "Amazing Love," "Stay Strong," and thirteen other fabulous songs!

"On Fire" by Peter Furler.

If you still miss Old Newsboys, before Michael Tait took over as lead singer, then you might want to check out Peter Furler's first solo album after leaving Newsboys. He took Newsboys unique sound and unique lyrics when he left and you can find them, and much, much more, on this CD!

"Songs" by Rich Mullins.

"Mullins had a distinctive talent both as a performer and a songwriter. His compositions showed distinction in two ways: unusual and sometimes striking instrumentation, and complex lyrics that usually employed elaborate metaphors," says paragon of intelligence, Wikipedia.
Rich Mullins' use of hammer dulcimer adds an original layer to his already fabulous worship music. Who doesn't like interesting instruments?
Not suitable for people who don't like their faith challenged by intricate lyrics.

"Art of the State" and "Reconstructions" by AD.

Are you stuck in the '70s? Or, worse, are you stuck in the '80s??

~cue screaming~

 

Or, perhaps, worst of all, you are stuck in the Supernatural fandom and can't stop singing "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas. If you answered "yes" to one of the above questions, you may want to check out AD. One of their principle members, Kerry Livgren, used to be a member of Kansas and actually wrote "Carry On My Wayward Son." He brought that style of music with him when he left Kansas and formed the Christian rock group AD.

"Comatose" and "Awake" by Skillet.

If you like giving yourself whiplash by shaking your head back and forth, hard rock Christian group Skillet may be for you! Their albums "Comatose" and "Awake" feature some of their most prominent hits such as, "Whispers in the Dark," "Hero," "Awake and Alive," and "Monster."
Disclaimer: Abbey will not be held responsible for whiplash damage or for the damage caused by feeling like a monster.

And there you have it! Eleven CDs to break the monotony of the Christian radio station! It's been an honor to be featured on the blog. Remember, I am Abbey, magician of melody, herald of harmony, and rocker of refrain! My agent would love to discuss any comments, suggestions, or undefined hatred toward me with you. Until we meet again, I'll be whipping my hair back and forth to some Skillet!

~cue applause, booing, and tomato-throwing~

 

Thanks for visiting the blog, Abbey! Wasn't she lovely, folks? I'm contractually obligated to say that. I'm also contractually obligated to say that all albums mentioned above can be found wherever good music is sold.

Ahem.

Come back next week when our special guest will be Cristafiora the classical music mogul!