Filipino-Christian Blogger Ganns Deen

Ashes Remain, “Unbroken”

Ganns — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:00:02 +0000

Contemporary Christian rock band Ashes Remain has released Unbroken, one of the harder-edged tracks off its album, What I’ve Become. Most Contemporary Christian music listeners may find Unbroken quite a massive leap from Everything Good, the band’s Christian AC crossover ballad, but they should be able to appreciate the solid earnestness behind the lyrics that still come out powerfully amidst the wickedly awesome guitar and drum work. It’s the essential sonic tug-of-war that affects talented acts like Ashes Remain: they can rock out with the best of them but also create some of the most moving and powerful ballads on Christian rock radio today. (Another solid example, not related much to Ashes Remain, but a good example of what I’m trying to illustrate is Relient K; they’ve got some pretty neat rock-out songs, but I’ll always appreciate them for their ballds.) What listeners – and the Christian AC programmers who think Unbroken might be a tad bit too loud for their formats, and therefore keep the band solidly niched into Christian CHR – need to do is appreciate Ashes Remain for the talented fellows that they are, and perhaps get beyond their initial bias for the driving guitars and hard-ass vocal work, and see that Unbroken speaks to the Christian heart, to one that desires the transformative power of Christ.

UNBROKEN Lyrics
Ashes Remain

Shut down tell me there’s gotta be
A way out from underneath the gravity
My heart is breaking down

I can’t shut out and silence the confusion
Spun around and lost in the illusion
My mind is breaking now

I’ll walk through the fire
Just to feel You next to me
Hold on to desire
You’re the only hope I see
I hate what I have been
Falling apart within
Dying to be unbroken

Lost in a broken generation
Desperate for a revelation
These walls are coming down

I’ll walk through the fire
just to feel You next to me
Hold on to desire
You’re the only hope I see
I hate what I have been
Falling apart within
Dying to be unbroken

The Museum, “Love Will Find You”

Ganns — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:22:56 +0000

Contemporary Christian pop/rock band The Museum has released Love Will Find You, the carrier single off their sophomore album, My Only Rescue, which drops across the United States in CD and digital formats on August 28. The band has spent significant time in the past few months working on this album, and I’m glad to see that the group is back in fine form.

Love Will Find You is an encouraging song that speaks to those who may be deep in the valley right now, and are looking for a word of hope to get them through the tough times; it may also speak to those feeling a little rebellious, perhaps after feeling that God has abandoned them to their own devices. The truth is God is always there, and He, in his perfect love, will always find us when we are lost, and even when we try to escape Him. I love that about God, and I really love how Ben, Josh, Chris, and Loyd have put these sentiments into music. The care and concern from the band in Love Will Find You more than sentimental; I’ll bet the band’s time in the Philippines as part of Compassion spoke into how they crafted out this brilliant song.

I’ll be honest: while the chorus of Love Will Find You isn’t as instantly catchy as the band’s breakthrough hit, My Help Comes From The Lord, what Love Will Find You misses in initial radio-friendliness, it makes up for in earnest lyricism and a heartfelt vocal delivery that will definitely hit the mark in Christian AC and Soft AC/Inspo. Ben sounds as great as he always has – Never Look Away is another great track from The Museum that all y’all should check out – and I predict a final Top 20 finish for Love Will Find You at Christian AC and potential Top 10 at Soft AC/Inspo.

LOVE WILL FIND YOU Lyrics
The Museum

I can see you lost your way
It’s just easier to hide
But He sees inside your soul
Where your past cannot define

You’ve been heading down this road
And you don’t know who you are
But He knows what’s in your thoughts
And He feels what’s in your heart

You could run ’til you can’t find home
Sail ’til you can’t see land
There is no place you could go
You could fall ’til you’re out of hope
Chase things that never last
You could never run too far
Love will find you where you are

So you’re feeling all alone
But you are never out of sight
There is healing in His arms
There is mercy in His eyes

No height, no depth could ever separate us
From the power of His great love

You could run ’til you can’t find home
Sail ’til you can’t see land
There is no place you could go
You could run ’til you can’t find home
Sail ’til you can’t see land
There is no place you could go
You could fall ’til you’re out of hope
Chase things that never last
You could never run too far
Love will find you where you are

Elliott Yamin, “Three Words”

Ganns — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:25:25 +0000

American Idol Season Five finalist Elliott Yamin, who scored a #3 hit in 2007 with Wait For You, has released Three Words, the carrier single of his third CD, Let’s Get To What’s Real. After tasting mainstream success with Wait For You on independent label Hickory Records, Yamin is back on Koch Records – labelmates include Brian McKnight – and ready to make the kind of music he wants to make.

Let’s Get To What’s Real, according to Koch press releases, is Yamin’s most inspired and distinctive collection of music yet, thanks to its honesty and sonic intimacy. Yamin’s faithfulness to the old-school sound of artists like Donny Hathaway guarantees a sound fresh from the synthesized computer-generated music currently making the rounds at Top 40.

So where does that leave 3 Words? Yamin sounds as good as he always has; there was never any doubt the brother can sing. I also like the quality of the production, and the song is easily singable, although it isn’t as instantly catchy as Yamin’s first carrier single, or many of the other tracks on his debut release. Still, it’s very radio-friendly, and in another place and another time, when radio programmers were more open to playing artists attempting to get back into their good graces, 3 Words would have easily made Top 40. Whether it will hit now, however, depends on how much Koch can generate buzz for Yamin, who has remained relatively quiet since Fight For Love, his sophomore release, failed to catch fire at Top 40. Clearly, Three Words is Yamin’s best bet for relevance after tripping over the sophomore jinx, and it’s a strong and solid attempt.

The 3 Words video, by the way, is certainly, um, different. Your thoughts on it?

THREE WORDS Lyrics
Elliott Yamin

Every story has an ending
Ours is just the same
We can’t run away
Where’s the glory in holding onto something
We can’t change
Ooh
There’s a distance between the things you say
And what you do
Let’s just tell the truth
And the resistance
Pretending that our love is bulletproof
When it’s all over
Say it’s all over

You pulled me in and shut me out
But that’s no way to say you need me
You lift me up and let me down
Apologise and say you love me
We need more than 3 words to take us backwards
It’s almost like we’re tryna find another way to say it’s over
To say it’s over

Do you remember the mystery in how it used to be
Or is that just me
Ohh
The feeling lingers
But never long enough to make me believe
That it’s not over
It’s really over

Tonight we’ll see the last of us
The final scene
Tonight
Tonight
You pulled me in and shut me out
But that’s no way to say you need me

You lift me up and let me down
Apologise and say you love me
We need more than 3 words to take us backwards
It’s almost like we’re tryna find another way to say it’s over
To say it’s over
To say it’s over
To say it’s over
Every story has an ending
Ours is just the same

Ganns’ Top 10 – May 19, 2012

Ganns — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:53:32 +0000

On Ganns’ Top 10 this week, Jimmy Needham’s If I Ever Needed Grace earns a second week at #1, fending off Mary Mary’s Go Get It and Heather Williams’ You Are Loved.

TOP 10 CHRISTIAN SONGS
1. (1) Jimmy Needham If I Ever Needed Grace
2. (5) Mary Mary Go Get It
3. (4) Heather Williams You Are Loved
4. (2) Kari Jobe We Are
5. (6) Francesca Battistelli Angel By Your Side
6. (3) Group 1 Crew featuring Chris August He Said
7. (7) City Harmonic Mountaintop
8. (10) Audrey Assad Won Me Over
9. (9) Beckah Shae Overflow
10. (8) Sidewalk Prophets Live Like That

On the secular chart, Taetiseo makes it two weeks at #1 with Twinkle. New to the chart is Secret with Twinkle Twinkle at #4 (pictured). I love chart serendipity! How cute is that? Two “Twinkle” songs! (With the word “Twinkle Twinkle” appearing thrice! Since Taeyeon’s such a tiny girl, can we say that she’s a Twinkle Twinkle little star?

TOP 10 SECULAR SONGS
1. (1) Taetiseo Twinkle
2. (3) Wilson Phillips Good Vibrations
3. (2) SISTAR Alone
4. (new) Secret Twinkle Twinkle
5. (5) B.A.P. Power
6. (4) CN BLUE Hey You
8. (7) Jason Mraz I Won’t Give Up
8. (6) 4Minute Volume Up
10. (10) John Park Falling
10. (9) 2AM I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me

Billboard Top Christian Songs – May 26, 2012

Ganns — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:41:01 +0000

Building 429′s Where I Belong scores three months now on top of the Billboard’s Christian Songs chart, with a bullet, meaning an actual increase in airplay. As a matter of fact, the Top 4 songs all register bullets; you’d have to go to #5, Phillips, Craig and Dean’s When The Stars Burn Down, to find the first song that’s lost steam. (MercyMe’s drop from 3 to 4 registers a backwards bullet, meaning even if it dropped down the chart, it gained overall; it just so happened that Newsboys’ God’s Not Dead registered a larger increase, ergo its 5-3 jump.

Also noteworthy is Group 1 Crew’s He Said (pictured), which moves up 13 to 10 this week. With this, the popular Christian hiphop duo – formerly a trio – registers its first-ever Top 10 Christian AC hit. So well-deserved!! I’ve been rooting for Maxwell and Blanca for, like, forever, and it boggled my mind as to why Christian AC didn’t pick up their singles as soon as they dropped! He Said is certainly one of their more accessible singles, and so, I’m really, really glad they’ve finally scored that elusive Top 10. On a side note, He Said features Dove Award winner Chris August, whose new single, Center of It, the carrier single of the singer’s sophomore release, The Upside of Down, is now going for adds at Christian AC.

tobyMac scores Hotshot Debut honors, as his comeback single, Me Without You, enters the chart at #36. He is also featured on Mandisa’s Good Morning, which climbs up seven notches to its new peak at #18. Let’s go, Mandisa, score three straight Top 10s from an album and earn yet another Christian music record! Come on, Christian AC programmers, you know you want to play Good Morning!

Also new to the chart are Needtobreathe’s Keep Your Eyes Open at #40 and Tenth Avenue North’s Losing at #47.

1. (1) Building 429 Where I Belong

2. (2) Jeremy Camp Overcome

3. (5) Newsboys God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)

4. (3) MercyMe The Hurt and the Healer

5. (4) Phillips Craig and Dean When The Stars Burn Down

6. (7) Britt Nicole All This Time

7. (6) Newworldson Learning To Be The Light

8. (8) Sidewalk Prophets Live Like That

9. (10) Passion featuring Chris Tomlin White Flag

10. (13) Group 1 Crew He Said

HOTSHOT DEBUT
36. (new) tobyMac Me Without You

Chris August, “Center of It”

Ganns — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:07:08 +0000

Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Chris August has announced on his website that his new single will be Center of It. The Dove Award winner got into an accident recently – someone got carried away by too much skateboarding fun – and August admits that he had to take time off to rest and heal, an experience completely different from what the singer was used to. This most likely helped color the development of the songs on The Upside of Down, August’s sophomore release, releasing to the American public in, fittingly enough, August.

August is currently on tour to promote Center of It and The Upside of Down, alongside headliners Contemporary Christian pop-rock legends MercyMe and up-and-coming Christian singer Moriah Peters, so I’m looking forward to hearing Center of It, which drops on iTunes on June 8. Once that’s out, I hope someone will upload a sample onto YouTube so I can share it with all of you. Until then, let’s keep tuned to our local Christian radio stations and hope they play Chris August’s Center of It!

CENTER OF IT Lyrics
Chris August

Somedays I’m feelin’ like I
Can’t win, can’t get it right and it
Don’t matter how hard I try
Today is not my day
When it feels like I’m going crazy
And it looks like nothings changing
Come sun come rainy day
You are still the same

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall
You’ll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

Some nights I lay awake and I
Can’t push these thoughts away
I’m worried where I’m gonna go
Where I’m gonna be are You gonna be there for me
When it feels like the doors are closing
Gotta trust that You’re doing something
Come sun come rainy day
You are all I need

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall
You’ll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

There will be days I will forget
Everything You’ve done for me
But when I go back there again
I’m reminded

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and the night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall
You’ll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it
The center of it all, the center of it
In the loss, in the win
In the beauty and the sin
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

Switchfoot, “Afterlife”

Ganns — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:49:44 +0000

Fresh from the success of the first single Dark Horses and its follow-up Restless, (Contemporary Christian) rock band Switchfoot has released the much harder-edged Afterlife from its Vice Verses opus. While my 35-year-old ears were initially surprised by the rather loud sound, Afterlife quickly grew on me, and I can certainly expect to hear Afterlife playing on CHR rock stations, secular and Christian, throughout the USA.

AFTERLIFE Lyrics
Switchfoot

I’ve tasted fire I’m ready to come alive
I can’t just shut it up and fake that I’m alright
I’m ready now
I’m not waiting for the afterlife

I’ll Let it burn the way the sunlight burns my skin
The way I feel inside, the way the day begins
I’m ready now
I’m not waiting for the other side
I’m ready now, I’m ready now

Cause everyday the world is made
A chance to change But I feel the same
And I wonder
Why would I wait till I die to come alive?
I’m ready now
I’m not waiting for the afterlife

I still believe we could live forever
You and I we begin forever now
Forever now
Forever
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/switchfoot/afterlife_20978690.html ]
I still believe in us together
You and I we’re here together now
Forever now
Forever now
Or never now

Cause everyday the world is made
A chance to change But I feel the same
And I wonder
Why would I wait till I die to come alive?
I’m ready now
I’m not waiting for the afterlife

Everyday
A choice is made
Everyday
I choose my fate

And I wonder
Why would I wait till I die to come alive?

Everyday I still feel the same
And I wonder why would I wait till I die to come alive?
I’m ready now
I’m not waiting for the afterlife

I’m ready now
I’m not waiting till the afterlife

TobyMac, “Me Without You”

Ganns — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:26:03 +0000

Contemporary Christian superstar TobyMac has released Me Without You, the carrier single off the rapper’s fifth studio album, scheduled for release in August 2012. Me Without You will be available for commercial purchase via iTunes on June 12th, and as early as now, Christian AC stations are picking up on Me Without You.

Me Without You is another toe-tapping, guitar-driven singalong jam that is perfect for driving down the highway with the windows down. TobyMac has always been very good at making great songs, but the feel of Me Without You has a different take to it, it’s very contemporary and can easily be played on secular stations. It’s fun and has a great dance vibe to it. Fantastic work, Mr. McKeehan!

ME WITHOUT YOU Lyrics
TobyMac

Raindrops rolling off my brim
Street lights got the pavement glistenin’
Touchdown, I’ve fallen to Your arms, right where I belong
Your everlasting arms

And where would I be with You…
I’d be packing my bags when I need to stay
I’d be chasin every breeze that blows my way
I’ve been building my kingdom just to watch it fade away
Its true
That’s me without you
That’s me without you
That’s me without you
Dont know where I’d be without you

Flashback
Stepping through the scene
There’s You and theres a very different Me.
Touchdown, You had me at believe, You had me at believe, You did

And where would I be with You…
I’d be packing my bags when I need to stay
I’d be chasin every breeze that blows my way
I’ve been building my kingdom just to watch it fade away
Its true
That’s me without you
That’s me without you
That’s me without you
Dont know where I’d be without you

You rescued me
You are my, I am Yours
You rescued me
And I am Yours forever
You saved me, remade me,
Where would i be.

I’d be packing my bags when I need to stay
I’d be chasin every breeze that blows my way
I’ve been building my kingdom just to watch it fade away
It’s true

I’d be packing my bags when I need to stay
I’d be chasin every breeze that blows my way
I’ve been building my kingdom just to watch it fade away
It’s true

That’s me without you
That’s me without you
That’s me without you
Dont know where I’d be without you
That’s me without you
Dont know where I’d be without you

Starfield, “The Kingdom”

Ganns — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:44 +0000

Contemporary Christian pop-rock band Starfield has released its first-ever official music video, for The Kingdom, lifted off its latest release of the same title. Tim and John Neufeld have crafted some of the more memorable Christian pop-rock anthems of the past few years, including Son of God, Reign in Us, I Will Go, and Let Me Rediscover You. The video of The Kingdom is sprawling in its various location shoots, all designed to highlight the beauty of God’s creative majesty and glory. I personally love the whole “singing with nature” concept, because God did create all of this, and together we sing His praise. The song itself is quite catchy too, with its singalong chorus and all, but I think I’d agree with most that The Kingdom is particularly noteworthy because of the quality of its video rather than its own musical merit; having such a great-looking video stands to increase the chances of The Kingdom receiving credit where it is due. Top 50 status, with possible Top 40 results, but given the band is now independent, having concluded its distribution deal with Sparrow, I’m hoping but not too expectant for a much better chart performance.

THE KINGDOM Lyrics
Starfield

Oh Oh Oh
We have come to testify
Oh Oh Oh
Our God is surely Great
Oh Oh Oh
His love is like a river wide
So let everyone beneath His skies
Lift their voice and sing

For the Kingdom of our God
Carries on
Carries on
Carries on

Oh Oh Oh
His kingdom is inside of you
Oh Oh Oh
It’s everywhere you are
Oh Oh Oh
Celebrate your life made new
Come on let His freedom bloom
Lift your voice and sing

For the Kingdom of our God
Carries on
Carries on
Carries on

Everybody sing Hallelujah

Album Review: Jimmy Needham, “Clear the Stage”

Ganns — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:39:42 +0000

ALBUM TITLE: Clear the Stage
ARTIST: Jimmy Needham
PRODUCER: Ed Cash and Jimmy Needham
BEST TRACK/S: If I Ever Needed Grace, My Victory, Clear the Stage, Arrows, The Only One
OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

It is no secret that I have the highest respect for Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Jimmy Needham, but I must tell you that on Clear the Stage (Inpop), Needham has set such remarkable new heights for himself that it boggles the mind why Christian AC has not opened itself up to him. Given his penchant for clever little wordplay, irresistible singalong melodies, and ultimately, the desire to be, as he himself puts it in track number eight, Arrows, an arrow that points back to God.

I credit a lot of this growth to producer Ed Cash. Cash, an award-winning producer who has worked with artists like Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Bebo Norman, David Crowder Band, Kari Jobe, and Casting Crowns, clearly stretched Needham musically on Clear the Stage, employing a variety of musical arrangements and styles not previously available on Needham’s previous release, the brilliant Nightlights, which results in a more accessible, mainstream sound that definitely works, although occasionally, I find myself longing for the southern soul that was clearly present on Nightlights and the previous release, Not Without Love.

If I Ever Needed Grace by Jimmy Needham

Thematically, Needham delves into a wide range with Clear the Stage, although he returns most convincingly to the themes of grace (If I Ever Needed Grace, Rock Bottom, My Victory) and humility vs. pride, which Needham dealt with beautifully with The Reason I Sing off Nightlights, and with the title track on Clear the Stage. He sings about his baby girl Lively on Daddy’s Baby Girl and God’s omnipresence (Arrows). He even offers God more unrestrained worship with My Victory and The Only One, and indulges in a lovely duet with Lizi Bailey about God’s love on Stay.

My Victory by Jimmy Needham

Album-opener I Will Find You, which features Christian rapper du jour Lecrae Moore, starts Clear the Stage on a clearly contemporary vein. Not unlike Grace Amazing off Nightlights, which featured Trip Lee, I Will Find You reads like a letter from God to His children, encouraging them to never fear, because He is with them. The theme of encouragement also carries through to track six, In the Middle.

Clear the Stage by Jimmy Needham

Carrier single If I Ever Needed Grace, which is now #31 on the Christian AC chart, is a moving paean to God’s grace, and probably Needham’s most clearly personal single to date. Its powerful, anthemic chorus makes for excellent singing along, although I think the most singable song on the album is My Victory, track 8, also the most blatantly worshipful of the ten songs on Clear the Stage. Needham has several videos on YouTube leading worship in various churches throughout America, but his albums have by and large been relatively devoid of material that can be of use in congregational worship. Clear the Stage has My Victory.

Lyrically, Needham has always had a way with words, and Clear the Stage is chock full of them. Among the more noteworthy lines, some Jimmy Needham (and Ross King!) quotes, are:

It’s true I’m spending nearly half an hour making faces just to get you to smile (Daddy’s Baby Girl) – Oh I remember this! Any father will connect with this and say, “Yeah! That’s me!)

My hungry heart was desperate for a meal | I feasted on the Bread of Life (If I Ever Needed Grace) – Another Clear the Stage reviewer found this line awkward; I humbly beg to disagree. I love the way that this line is halfway between literal and symbolic. Our hearts hunger for something greater, something to fill it up and satisfy its hunger, and nothing fills a heart up like Jesus, nothing satisfies us more than His presence. I loved this line!

If pain is the ocean you’re swimming in, if I can’t pull you out, I’m divin’ in (In the Middle). This was actually the first line off the entire album that made me go, “Wow.” I just love the imagery of it, and I love its duality as well; either way, the singer will rescue the object of his affection.

Everywhere I go, I see arrows pointing the way back to you… Make me an arrow, put me in Your bow, pull back and let go, and send me wherever you want me to go (Arrows). Actually this entire song is one of my favorites on Clear the Stage because it tells the story of how anything (and possibly everything!) is God’s way of speaking to us, of leading us back to Him, and we, in turn, can also be arrows, pointing people back to Him. The thing about arrows, is that they need an Archer to point them in the right direction, and I love how Needham makes it clear in the bridge that God alone can send us where He wants us to go, and He can lead us there.

My weakness Yours, Your mercy mine, My God, You’re not the leaving kind (My Victory). Wow, just wow. So much theology in one line!

If You’re the water, fill me up ’til lesser loves are washed out to sea (The Only One).

We must not worship something that’s not even worth it | Clear the stage, make some space for the One Who deserves it (Clear the Stage). Ross King wrote Clear the Stage in 2005, and seven years later, the song is just as powerful. Every Christian should hear this!

I can’t begin to tell you what a fantastic album Clear the Stage is. I strongly, strongly recommend you get a copy of Clear the Stage because lyrically and musically, it’s right up there with the best you’ll hear this year. Every song is clearly distinct from all other album tracks. As a matter of fact, I find in the presence of Needham’s work, I feel woefully inadequate to explain how moved I am by his songs, which are on-target in my life. If they speak to me, a Filipino-Christian, I believe they will speak to you as well.