Greater Vision to Debut New Album on Enlighten

Greater Vision has just announced a special radio broadcast to be aired tonight. Tune in to hear interviews and clips from their new album! Here’s the press release:

Tonight at 10pm (Eastern) and again on Saturday at Noon (Eastern), you can listen to a special edition of “Daniel Britt & Friends” featuring interviews with Chris, Gerald, and Rodney, and songs from the new “For All He’s Done” CD!

“Daniel Britt & Friends” can be heard on the Enlighten Channel on Sirius/XM Radio (Channel 65) and on Dish Network Satellite receivers (Channel 6065). 

Borrowing: “Fit For a King”

When was the last time you heard a song that treated the fire-and-brimstone street preacher with admiration and love? Here’s a Garth Brooks song that turns all the stereotypes upside down. Sorry Rob Bell. (To clarify, Garth sings it, although he didn’t write it. The authors are Jim Rushing and Carl E. Jackson. Never heard of either of them, but country music seems to have more than its share of nameless, faceless Nashville tunesmiths behind the scenes of all our favorite hits.)

In my opinion, the Isaacs were born to sing this song. Can’t you just hear Sonya on the verses? Who else would like to hear them cover it?

Derrick Selph Leaves Brian Free & Assurance (Again)

Brian Free & Assurance is one of my favorite quartets. Baritone Derrick Selph has been a solid vocal presence who helped give the group that slight pop flavor they’re known for. But with a second baby, he’s decided to step down. He left for a while three years ago to go to electric school but then returned. I suspect that his growing family may keep him busy for a little longer now.

I’ll be very interested to see whom BFA goes for next. One singer I think would be a fantastic addition is Andrew Goldman. But Andrew is an essential member of Ryan Seaton’s young group Union Street right now, so he may be content there for a while. Also, most of BFA’s really huge songs showcase the powerhouse vocals of Brian or Bill (who, for pure technique, gets my vote as the best lead singer in the genre right now). So Andrew’s own gifts might get hid under a bushel to some extent as baritone.

Are there some die-hard fans out there with any thoughts? Meanwhile, I found a tribute video from the last concert before his first departure, which seems appropriate to feature here:

Monday Morning Humor: Superfluous Buns

Ever shopped for hot dogs and hot dog buns at the same time? Steve Martin feels your pain:

Recently Added/CD Review: Love Has Come For You

In past editions of “Recently Added,” I’ve featured artists, genres, or themes. Today, I’m sharing a whole album! Consider this a CD review in addition to a “recently added” installment.

Up until fairly recently, I knew Steve Martin only as a great comedian. But when I discovered the music of Paul Simon, I discovered that not only was Steve Martin a friend of Paul’s, he was actually a highly regarded musician in his own right. His instrument of choice? The banjo. Who under 50 would have guessed?

When I saw that Steve was writing and recording a new project with Paul’s wife, singer/songwriter Edie Brickell, I was very interested. After it came out, I immediately found that the record company had posted the whole thing on Youtube the other day.

It’s very rare for me to sit in one place and listen to an entire album all the way through. But for this one, I did.

Love Does Not Equal Respect

“You can respect someone’s opinion while still disagreeing with them.”

When’s the last time you heard that statement? Probably just the other day, right? I know, it’s contagious, like all shallow memes. Well, time to put this one in its place.

First of all, what does “respect” mean? Let’s get out a dictionary: “A feeling of appreciative, often deferential regard; esteem.” Or, “Willingness to show consideration or appreciation.” Does that seem fair? Yes?

Good. Now that we’ve established what respect means, let’s discuss the implications of this meme. Let’s also consider the contexts where we often see it used, because let’s face it, you’re probably not going to encounter it in a discussion about what people’s favorite color is, or whether you prefer dogs to cats. This is a meme created pretty much solely for the context of political debates. And sometimes, moral political debates. Sometimes, especially moral political debates.

And that’s where things go south. At warp speed.

Does Southern Gospel Need Youthful Appeal?

Recently I was browsing the Musicscribe mega-blog (which y’all should check out in its full glory here), and I read a contribution from Kyle Boreing about the country/gospel sister act Red Roots. Kyle praised the sisters’ smart, creative marketing choices, holding them up as a tasteful but effective example for the rest of the industry in this area. Specifically, he highlighted their use of radio contests and music videos. And it’s paying off, as they’ve gotten significant airplay and a handful of new artist nominations.

I also like Red Roots and agreed with most of Kyle’s points. However, I gently pushed him a bit on one line in his post. When he listed the sisters’ accomplishments, he added “… and they’re doing it with a youthful appeal that is otherwise SORELY lacking in gospel music.” That wording caught my eye: SORELY lacking.