Music {No. 2}

Thinking back, I haven't done a post about music lately. I have no idea if you guys are the type of blog-readers (like me) who see a bunch of links to other blogger's favorite songs and just say "I don't have the time" or if you are the kind who say "Oooh! Recommended music! My library could use some new additions!"

In case some or any of you are the latter group, be glad and rejoice (on the off chance that you haven't already heard these songs a gazillion times already...) - I bring new tidings of great cds!

First of all, as I mentioned many moons (or months, if you're not from a moon-counting species of the human race) ago, Audrey Assad - one of my favorite album artists - released a new cd in Feburary. Heart. And it is worth every shiny (and tarnished) penny I paid for it. In fact, I like it even better than her first album The House You're Building (which also happens to be worth every penny...) She has a very distinct and different style of song-writing and singing. Her rhythms and vocal riffs are really neat and her lyrics are poetic. Sometimes you have to think about them for a while before you understand what she's getting at. 

My favorite songs from Heart are:

- Blessed Are the Ones (which I hear tell is inspired by C.S. Lewis)

- Even The Winter

- Sparrow (A spin-off of the hymn His Eye Is On the Sparrow)

- Won Me Over 

- No Turning Back 

- Wherever You Go

Of course, I love the other six songs on the album, but it takes too long to link them all up to include anything but my top, top favorites. 

Now, I have also recently introduces myself (via Spotify - which is amazing!) to Laura Story, whose albums - Blessings and Great God Who Saves - I am currently addicted to in a wholesome and non-habit forming way. Her lyrics are very solidly Scripture-based (at times it sounds as if she's just singing verses from the Bible), thought-provoking, and worshipful. She has a clear and straightforward singing style - which reminds me of a mixture of Kristyn Getty and Meredith Andrews. A complete win on both sides.  =D

My favorites from Blessings include:

- Friend Of Sinners

- You Are Love

- What A Savior

- Blessings

- Your Name Will Be Praised

- Faithful God

And from Great God Who Saves:

- Bless The Lord (Probably my absolute favorite of all the songs she sings)

- Immortal, Invisible (not the hymn we're all used to, just so you know)

- Mighty To Save

- Indescribable

- Great God Who Saves

- Make Something Beautiful

- Grace (This one is really, really sweet and contemplative)

- I Think Of You

Hmm, that's almost the entire album...Shows you how good it is, I guess! =D

Hopefully you'll listen to at least a few of these and perhaps discover a new artist to add to your collection! 

Till next time!

Ann Recruits the Parishoners (This is NOT a joke!)

though I wish it was...

I found this on Kellee's blog and decided that I feel like doing something fun and mindless. Feel free to copy it to your own blog if you so desire to provide mindless (and hopefully amusing) reading material to your blogging friends! Take the questions, set your iPod to shuffle and let the mismatched craziness ensue!


1. What do your friends think of you?
As Long As It Takes - Meredith Andrews - Haha, that's actually kind of funny if you think about it the right way... :P

2. If someone says "Are you okay?" you say:
Revelation Song - Kari Jobe - Uhmm, ok... If I said that, I suppose they would know that I'm not okay - in more ways than one too.

3. How would you describe yourself?
An Ocean of Memories - Titanic soundtrack - Now that would be interesting

4. What do you like in a friend?
The Council of Elrond - Lord of the Rings soundtrack - I should say not; I don't even know what the Council of Elrond is! 

5. How do you feel today?
Veruca Salt - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory soundtrack - So, does that mean I'm feeling bratty today? 'Cause I'm not...

6. What is your life's purpose?
Robbie Hannan's Jig - Jerry O' Sullivan (The Dance Music of Ireland) - This is a sad state of affairs, I must say.

7. What is your motto?
Dragon Training - How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack - Hahahaha - no.

8. What do you think about very often?
The River - Meredith Andrews - Awesome song, but hmm... I suppose I think about the message of the song a lot...

9. What is 2+2?
Rumour Has It - Adele - Wow. Ok... Rumour has it that 2+2 is...5!

10. What do you think of your best friend?
Jack Dawson's Luck - Back to Titanic soundtrack - I seem to be having a lot of strange thoughts considering my friends here

12. What is your life story?
The Future Has Arrived - Meet the Robinsons soundtrack - Ugh, not really. And I'm not...well, never-mind. It makes it sound like I'm an alien or something...

13. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Who Is Like You? - Meredith Andrews - She seems to be cropping up a lot. I think my iPod is involved in some sort of conspiracy theory...

14. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Simply Love You - Ginny Owens - Well, that's not too bad, actually. You couldn't dance to it of course, but I don't think I'll be dancing to anything at my wedding anyway.

15. What will they play at your funeral?
Learning to Fall - Martina McBride - Hmm, I hope not

16. What is your hobby/interest?
This Is Home - Switchfoot - Well, I do like being at home... 

17. What is your biggest fear?
Bless Us and Keep Us - John Waller - Goodness, what a horrible thing to be afraid of!

18. What is your biggest secret?
Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood - Heehee, not happening!

19. What do you think of your friends?
Star of the County Down - The Irish Rovers - My friends must be Irish today or something

20. What will you post this as?
Ann Recruits the Parishoners - The Patriot soundtrack - Oh drat, I knew I was going to get something like this! :P I suppose it'll arouse idle curiosity if nothing else...

'Till next time!

P.S. The last installment of The Redemption Ring is going up tomorrow! Don't miss out; visit Scribbles!

September In The Rain

The grey skies and driving rain splattering through the yellow leaves outside my window today remind me of a song I heard last week - and old, old song by Frank Sinatra with such melancholy words and such a sad, sad feeling to it. I thought I'd share and put you all in the same grey-day feeling. :)

September In The Rain

The leaves of brown came tumbling,

remember?

In September, in the rain.

To every word of love I heard you whisper,

the raindrops seemed to play a sweet refrain;

the sun went out just like a dying ember,

that September,

in the rain.

Though spring is here, 

to me it's still September - 

that September -

in the rain.

Songs like that always make me wonder about the stories behind them. To me this one speaks of a young woman, standing under a tree on a dark street with the sky heavy and grey above her and the rain falling around her and a single street lamp shining a golden glow on her face. And she's just standing there, thinking about her fiancee who is "somewhere over there" fighting in the war and remembering the last time she had seen him - which could be the last time she ever would.  

I hope you feel properly melancholy now!

'Till next time,