Time Lapsed = Awesome

I've always been a sucker for time lapse photography. In a minute you can see hours, days, weeks and even years (!) pass before your eyes.
It also takes a lot of work.
We're talking thousands of photos over hundreds of hours. However, like all good things, all that work pays off.
Especially if you have a good sound track.

Fireflight Concert

As you probably hear once or twice... or 15 dozen thousand times... Fireflight was in town on the 19th. I was stoked! So stoked, I brought my camera along for the ride.
As before, I shall let my adequate skill as a photographer do all the talking...

Getting things started with some flying guitar.

 Why not add another guitar and a bass (not to be confused with a bass)?

 Dawn begins to serenade us

 I really like this photo... in case you were wondering

Slappin De Bass, Mon!   

I love this shot too... during one of the few calm moments

More concert shots

 Look! We found a fern!

 This is my favorite shot. Love the back lighting on it.

Pieces of a Plate

While doing some work near the kitchen sink, I heard a plate falling. Having fairly fast reflexes, I reached out and caught it without even looking. Had I looked I would have know it was not a plate... but PIECES of a plate.
I cut may hand up pretty good. Had to pull glass out of it and was wrapped up in bandages for the better part of a week. It also hurt a bit. Not a lot, but a fair amount. And there was a lot of blood. A lot.
While thinking about the state of my hand one day and how much that whole thing sucked... it hit me.
Jesus was whipped and pierced.
If my hand had caused me so much grief, imagine what Jesus would have gone through?
Jesus would have been beaten with a cat-of-nine-tails. A whip with pieces of glass in it.
Even thinking about it makes me sick. And he did that all for me. It's a sobering thought. One I thought I had grasped, especially after seeing The Passion of the Christ. I was wrong.
I know it seems like a loose analogy. My hand barely felt what Jesus would have. But still! That really is love. That he would lay down his life, in such a horrid way, for us. People that could have cared less about God or a relationship.
I never would have thought a shard of plate would boost my faith, but I guess that's how God works. He takes the bad and makes it good.

Anthem For Today CD Release

Tonight was a night that has been on my calendar for months. The cd release party for Anthem For Today!
It didn't disappoint. Loads of lights, loads of sounds and some great songs all round. Plus, FREE CAKE! It was a win win win. I could continue to say how great it was, but a picture is worth a thousand words. So I will let my over enthusiastic shutter finger do the talking.

 The crowd is gathering. The allure of free cake beckons... as do the tunes...

 Leah Mathies was the warm up, 16 with a stand out voice

Pip Lucas and the guys from Anthem For Today get things rocking

 With a healthy helping of guitar

 Some bass with the guitar for good measure

Pip sharing stories from the career of Anthem For Today

As promised the cake. With the guys faces on it too!

Top 10 of 2012

It's that time again! Where I give you what I loved in 2012. Before you start asking where x, y and z bands are on this list, this is only stuff that I've heard. I know I will likely love Fireflight's new one, Flyleafs, Future of Forestry's, The Classic Crime's and Anchor and Braille (Anberlin's side project) however, I have yet to hear them.
This is my list based on what I have heard.
If you should feel compelled, leave me your list in the comments.

10. KJ-52 - Dangerous 

We get things rolling with some rap...and rock...and techno...and dubstep. This album really is all over the map stylistically, but, it never feels out of place. My only grips are the second and third song. I know they probably sound good to a fan of heavy rap, I'm not much of a fan of heavy rap. Too rappy, not enough singiness. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

9. Owl City - The Midsummer Station

Listening to this album in the middle of winter is kinda funny considering the name... seriously though, back to the review... If you've been looking for some Christian Top 40 dance pop, this is your album.
It wont be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like to pound your foot to a four on the floor kick with synths all over the place, check 'er out!

8. Thousand Foot Krutch - The End Is Where We Begin

This was a Kickstarted album. I expected it to look and sound like it was. Thankfully, the guys made good use of their goal smashing $100,000. Not only is the album art worth the price of admission, the cd ain't so bad either. It's not constantly profound or cutting edge, but it is a good album to throw on and unwind with.
Besides, Be Somebody may have been one of my favorite singles of the year. War of Change is also really good.

7. For King and Country - Crave

I saw these guys at Kingdom Bound last year. After just one song, I was hooked. The band is a duo of brothers (who are also the brothers of Rebecca St. James). Not only are the harmonies really good, the lyrics are AMAZING. The Proof of Love is a great example of that. Taking 1 Corinthians 13 and making it more accessible and relatable. Also of note is Fine Fine Life and Pushing On A Pull Door.

6. Children 18:3 - Always on the Run

I love how fun these guys are. Nothing overly professional, just good old fashioned rock punk. It's not so much an album to listen to during the winter, but come summer.... It will be cranked!
Check out tracks like We'll Never Say Goodbye, Always on the Run and Why Are You Afraid of the Dark.

5. Andrew Peterson - Light for the Lost Boy

I love vivid lyrics. Especially when they deal with weighty subject matter. Throw in really ambient music some folk roots and you get Light for the Lost Boy. It deals mostly with straying from God and then returning. Great images. Come Back Soon, Cornerstone and Day By Day are all great to relax to or listen to if you feel like chewing on some lyrics. Plus it may have the best artwork of the year.

4. David Crowder* Band - Give Us Rest

This album got the year started in awe. It's a work of art from start to finish. Classical piano thrown into a fray of guitars, synths, drums and moving lyrics. The sequence tracks alone make it worth buying. Plus the fact it's not one but TWO(!) cds long. Check out I Am A Seed, Blessedness of Everlasting Light and Come Find Me. The only reason this didn't hit #1 was the overuse of bluegrass. I like it, just not on half the second disc.

3. Anberlin - Vital

Don't tell Scott Jackson, but I love this album. It's wrapped not only in soundscapes of soaring guitars and vocals, synth rifts, ambient pads but, lyrics that are cleaver and sometimes
(by sometime, I mean almost always) cryptic. It's Anberlin almost at their best.
The main problem with it is the fact it can be a little too cryptic and "muddy" sounding at times. If you can get past the "mud" on the songs. You'll love it.

2. Paper Route - Peace Of The Wild Things

No, not the book (or the too freaky for kids movie). This is a triumph in pop. It's not their debut Absence, which turned me off on the first listen. However, upon countless repeats, I realize it's special in it's own way. While Absence was mostly about toxic love, this is about redemption. Seeking forgiveness when we mess up our relationships. Plus it's uber catchy. It's not the most "Christian" album on this list, however Glass Heart Hymn and Calm My Soul still give me chills/encouragement

1. House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want

This album was everything I wanted it to be and more. A foot stoppin' rock fest with awesome lyrics and a lot of grit. It's not "The End Is Not The End" but I doubt anything ever will be. This is a great album. Look for highlight tracks Remember The Empire, the single Touch This Light and the chilling Suspect... plus everything else