Musical Odds and Ends

I am home with the flu. Ugh. I have not been sick since last fall, and I have not missed it.

So I am laying low. And bored as I am, I realized that I have a few little musical things floating around in my head and on my screen that I thought I would share. It's that, or work on my taxes...

Mark Wampler has written a nice, concise review of the new U2 record, No Line on the Horizon. He was able to identify and articulate a few attributes of the record that I had felt but couldn't name. Jury is still out for me on it - at least as it compares to the rest of the U2 canon - but I am listening to it once or twice a week.

If you read my blog you know that I often mention the blog, Take-Away Shows: musicians in unlikely environments in and around Paris performing impromptu concerts for whoever happens to be within earshot - all filmed beautifully by Vincent Moon. If you read my blog you also know how much I love Sigur Ros, the atmospheric and wildly creative band from Iceland. Guess what? Last week's entry on the Take-Away show blog? Sigur Ros. Two wonderful worlds colliding. See "Vid Spilum Endalaust" here.

Finally, last week I shared the new trailer for film version of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are . The Arcade Fire song, "Wake Up" provides the music for said trailer. A group of us where standing around before worship on Sunday talking and the trailer and Arcade Fire's musical contribution came up. Tim Bridgham mentioned that he wasn't sure if the movie looked that great on its own or if it just looked so good because everything looks better accompanied by the music of The Arcade Fire. He then emailed me an edited version of the movie trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 with "Wake Up" dubbed in over the original music, and I have to say, he might be onto something. And if you are unsure, then rewatch the Where the Wild Things Are trailer with the original TMNT2 music.

[UPDATE - Okay, I just realized that when the embedded videos are done playing, the video viewer suggests videos not wholly appropriate - sorry about that. If you want to see them, you can do so here]

By the way, for those keeping score at home, following the singing of the benediction at worship, Thomas Mueller and Tim Bridgham cued up and played "Wake Up" in the sanctuary - a fitting anthem on a Sunday when the topic was sloth, don't you think? Here's a few of the lyrics:

Somethin' filled up
my heart with nothin',
someone told me not to cry.

But now that I'm older,
my heart's colder,
and I can see that it's a lie.

Children wake up,
hold your mistake up,
before they turn the summer into dust.

Comments

[Mike]

Tim,

If you get a chance to post the Willoman (sp?) quote from Sunday regarding spiritual joy, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

[Tim]

Sure, Mike. Though I did quote Willimon, the quote I think you are referencing is Thomas Merton. Stay tuned...

[Marlies]

Arcade Fire has become the anthem of my life the past couple of years. I read this article where the journalist was trying to get Win to say he was a Christian and Win wasn't interested in helping this guy prove his point (which I love when people think larger than just a label).

Can I get an AF soundtrack to follow me around and make me look cooler?

[Tim]

I think that is something we can work out, Marlies. Stay tuned...