AUDIOBOOK of "Broken Record" is now on iTunes!

I am very excited the iTunes access for the book is now up and running.

I'd love to hear feedback from any of you who download the audiobook. Did you like it? Where did you listen to it? Was it easy to listen to? What should I do different on the next one? Keep 'em coming?

You can buy the audiobook by using the button below.

Broken Record Audiobook is Here!

Click on the picture above or here to download the audiobook from CDBaby! The audiobook will be on iTunes and other outlets soon. I will let you all know.

Chord Sheet for "It's Jesus" the Official Theme Song of "Jesus Manifesto" by Len Sweet and Frank Viola

I am getting requests for a chord sheet for my new song, "It's Jesus." So here is a link so you can download a PDF or Word doc of the basic chord sheet.

It's an easy song, but this will save you some work and/or allow you to easily put it in your own format for your band at church.

The song is stripped back in it's original form on iTunes.

Len and Frank wanted a song that was meditative and complemented the app's almost "creedal" form. You can arrange the song any way you please. We have done it at Westwinds as recorded, with just me on guitar, just Kelsey on piano, full band with moving solo (including sax), bigger band with rocking guitar . . . it's approachable and pliable.

Praying it will speak well to you and yours.

Zach Williams Folk Prophet

I met Zach WIlliams at Q in Austin this week. Zach opened Q with an acoustic guitar and sang a song that summoned all the good things I love about the prophetic singer songwriters in the tradition of Dylan, Cash, Jonatha Brooke, Derek Webb, Jon Foreman, Sufjan Stevens and the likes. Zach is a legit new folk voice with a sense of urgency and daring vulnerability.

On top of all the great vibe and the rapture of my musical senses, Zach was a great conversationalist with a huge heart for Brooklyn (where he is involved in a church plant) and a huge love for Jesus and people. Zach strikes me as the guy who wears others' burdens physically. He internalizes others' struggles and feels a deep sense of their pain. I think that's what makes him a great songwriter. You can buy some of his stuff on iTunes but the real magic is seeing him live. He's a great storyteller to keep your eye on.

Zach is planting a church in Brooklyn and is connected with my friend Jon Tyson, pastor of Trinity Grace Church in NYC.

Music for War-Torn Children

Today, I’m listening to the War Child: Heroes album. The album was released just a few days ago. The concept is brilliant. 15 music icons were asked to select one of their favorite tunes from their extensive catalogue and to pick which “current” icon or newer artist they trusted to cover the tune with their own interpretation in order to support War Child.

War Child comments, “In devising the concept behind this album - inviting musical legends to place their faith in the next generation – we sought to mirror War Child’s work. We feel the reaction was fittingly awesome.”

The following bands did theses covers from the following artists:

Beck (Bob Dylan: Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat)
Scissor Sisters (Roxy Music: Do The Strand)
Lily Allen (The Clash: Straight To Hell)
Duffy (Paul McCartney: Live And Let Die)
Elbow (U2: Running To Stand Still)
TV On The Radio (David Bowie: Heroes)
Hot Chip (Joy Division: Transmission)
The Kooks (The Kinks: Victoria)
Estelle (Stevie Wonder: Superstition)
Rufus Wainwright (Brian Wilson: Wonderful/ Song For Children)
Peaches (Iggy Pop: Search And Destroy)
The Hold Steady (Bruce Springsteen: Atlantic City)
The Like (Elvis Costello: You Belong To Me)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (The Ramones: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker)
Franz Ferdinand (Blondie: Call Me)

It’s not the first time there has been a compilation album of covers by a variety of artists. Usually these kinds of albums are tribute albums to one specific artist such as the “In the Name of Love” album by Artists United for Africa or “Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin” by various artists. We’ve also seen tribute albums recreated by one particular artist in their style such as Booker T. & the M.G.’s recreation of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors album. Or, genre tributes such as “Is It Rolling Bob?: A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan.

I like this fresh approach.

I’m particularly fond of the Beck, Duffy, The Kooks, Elbow, and Rufus Wainwright offerings at this point in my early listening through the tracks.

According to the site . . .

“War Child works with children affected by war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. We work with children who have been hit hardest by the joint forces of poverty, conflict and social exclusion. Our groundbreaking work with former child soldiers, street children and children in prison has supported and helped thousands who would otherwise not have been able to reintegrate with their community, gain access to education or enjoy sustainable livelihood support.

The children we work with participate directly in our decision-making and project design. In this way our projects reflect their needs not ours.

War Child works closely with other aid organisations and local and national government to ensure the knowledge and skills gained through our work are shared with as many people as possible. In this way we are able to help many more children than we can hope to reach directly.”

Buy the album. Support this work.

Desert Island Gigs (GBs)

Have you ever had the “Desert Island Disc” discussion? You know, if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only bring 3 albums, which would you bring to listen to for eternity?

I love those discussions.

Recently, when I acquired my iPhone, I came up against another similar quandary. My iPhone is 16 Gigs (GB). I want travel music, but I must decide who goes on my iPhone. I don’t want to take up all the space with music—that’s what my iPod is for. So . . . I limited my choices to 8 Gigs.

It shall be written: No more than 8 gigs—or, ½ of my iPhone shall be filled with music.

This leaves room for video clips, movies, etc.

Now, I know there is no freaking way I am going to listen to all the songs on my iPhone. I usually listen to music as I travel (iPod) or at my desk (MacBook Pro) or at home (iPod/CD’s).

But, what about that one time I am stuck for hours in an airport and all I have is my iPhone?

What if?

I decided I am putting some “most recent” albums on my iPhone. Then, I will follow with albums I can’t be without. Or, at least, don't want to be without. This week.

Then, I gave myself permission to change it everyday if I want because I can’t be put in a box.

I must be free.

Here is how it shook down (remember . . . newer albums and ones I don’t want to live without is the criteria)

Although . . . it has a lot more to do with how I am feeling right now. Maybe in a week I will dump some for others. So many choices.

The list : : :

AC/DC Back in Black
Angels and Airwaves We Don’t Need to Whisper
Audioslave (everything)
Beck (everything)
Big Tent Revival (various)
Billy Joel Greatest Hits
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Britney Spears Baby One More Time
Chris Cornell Carry On
Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head
Counting Crows (everything)
Crosby Stills Nash and Young So Far
Dan Wilson Free Life
Dashboard Confessional
The Shade of Poison Trees
Def Leppard Vault
DownHere (various)
Five O’ Clock People (various)
Foo Fighters (everything)
Fountains of Wayne (everything)
G N’ R Appetite for Destruction
John Mayer Continuim
John Voelz (everything)
Jonatha Brooke 10 Cent Wings
Justin Timberlake (everything)
Kings X (various)
Led Zeppelin (everything)
Leeland (everything)
Lenny Kravitz (everything)
Liz Phair Liz Phair
Mark Roach
Matchbox Twenty Mad Season
Michael Jackson Thriller
Mike Knott (various)
Muse (everything)
MuteMath (everything) *added after being chastised 5/15
Neil Young Harvest
Nirvana Nevermind
No Doubt Rock Steady
Oasis What’s the Story Morning Glory?
Of Montreal (everything)
Once Soundtrack
P.O.D. When Angles & Serpents Dance
Panic! At the Disco Pretty. Odd.
Paramore Riot!
Pearl Jam Vs.
Peter Gabriel Hits
PFR (various)
Phil Wickham Cannons
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon
Prince (everything)
R.E.M. Accelerate
Radiohead (everything)
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine
Red Hot Chili Peppers (various)
Robert Plant (various)
Rufus Wainwright Release the Stars
Serj Tankian Elect the Dead
Sheryl Crow (various)
Sigur Ros Agaetis Byrjun
Soundgarden Superunknown
Steely Dan Decade
Stevie Ray Vaughn Greatest Hits
Sting (various)
Stone Temple Pilots Purple
Sufjan Stevens (various)
The 77’s (various)
The Afters Never Going Back to OK
The Almost Southern Weather
The B-52’s Cosmic Thing
The Beatles (everything. Yes, everything)
The Black Crowes Warpaint
The Cars (everything)
The Chemical Brothers We are the Night
The Cure Galore
The Decemberists The Crane Wife
The Flaming Lips Yoshimi
The Frames The Cost
The Police Synchronicity
The Raconteurs (everything)
The Rolling Stones 40 Licks
The Shins (various)
The Vines (various)
The Who (various)
Third Day (various)
Thom Yorke The Eraser
Tom Petty (various)
U2 (everything)
Van Morrison (various)
Vicky Beeching (various)
Vigilantes of Love Summershine
Wilco A Ghost is Born
Worship Circus A Beautiful Glow
Yael Naim Yael Naim

Mission accomplished. Under 8 Gigs.

Does anything surprise you?

Does the lack of something surprise you?

Leave me a comment. I could have had a brain fart. I may have to change something.

What would your Desert Island Gigs be?

Radiohead is Nude

As if I needed another thing to make me love Radiohead even more!

Radiohead is marketing Nude RE/MIX Radiohead on iTunes at this very moment. Nude is the third song on "In Rainbows."

There is a contest for the remixes as well. Remixes are uploaded on the contest site and the public will be voting on a winner by May 1st.

I am most excited about something else entirely. The separate parts of the song or "stems" as they are called, are available for bass, voice, guitar, strings/fx and drums. You can remix them anyway you like and a really cool part is . . .

If you order them before April 8th, (all five stems) you will be sent an access code via e-mail for a free Garageband project file that is ready to import into Garageband.

Guess what church is going to be using live Radiohead loops and incorporating them into cool junk on the weekend. Mine. Giddee Up.

P.S. Nothing is quite as freaky cool as listening to Thom Yorke's voice without any instrumentation. At least buy that track and be amused.

2.0 be or not 2.0 be. That is the Question.

(actual screenshot of last night's ah-ha moment)

Needed to unwind last night. Everyone asleep. Me—still feeling a bit whacked. So, what better way to unwind than with my laptop?

I got a few Twitters from @spencesmith (his Twitter) as we joked about how old we are getting (although, now that I think about it, I think it was more about how old “I” am getting). Talked about The Tubes, Wings, 8-Tracks, cassettes, the “introduction” of the debit card . . .

It reminded me that earlier on in the same day my daughter asked me if I was alive before DVD’s.

Then it hit me in the face—just how much my world has changed in the last few years. The revelation came to me as I stared at my laptop and looked at the multiple windows and frames that were up and running.

iTunes playing the soundtrack from Once.
Twitteriffic open
Email open
Word open
My blog open
Watching ragamuffinsoul play ping-pong live on Mogulus
Chatting with everyone who was watching ragamuffinsoul vid
iChat open

This is how I unwind. Loving every minute of it.

Some mock me. Some don’t understand.

What’s not to understand?!?!

I can play my iTunes library straight for 950 days straight—that’s 24/7—and not hear the same song twice. I can talk into my cell phone and have it turn my message into text that immediately posts on the web for hundreds of my friends and thousands of others. I can watch my friend in ATL play a game on live streaming video while writing a post for my blog and chatting with my friend in Nash-Vegas. Duh.

Most opponents to this tech-saturated life say things like,

• “That stuff is supposed to make life easier and I just see people spending more time.”

• “Technology is hard to learn and I have done just fine without it!”

• “If you really want to simplify your life throw that computer away!”

You know what? They are right.

My life is not “easier.” My life is not “simplified.” Technology is “hard to learn” sometimes.

We need to stop talking in terms of web technology “simplifying” our lives and stop defending that stance. Sometimes, it just doesn’t. We need to use a new vocabulary when talking about what web technology can do for us and stop apologizing.

1. What technology (2.0, apps, digital, etc.) does for me : : :
2. Puts me in touch with people I rarely have a chance to talk to
3. Introduces me to new ideas
4. Stretches my creativity
5. Helps me learn processes that help me in multiple venues
6. Keeps me sharp and talking the current language of our culture
7. Helps me communicate what I want to say
8. Makes me more accessible
9. Makes my friends more accessible
10. Helps me promote business
11. Invites others into a conversation with me I couldn’t have otherwise
12. Helps me network
13. Helps me meet new friends
14. Helps me share about Jesus and what He has done for me
15. Promotes collaboration
16. Introduces me to new things fast!
17. Helps me learn what people are saying about the church and me
18. I can speak my mind before others spread what they “think” I said
19. Get my news fast!
20. Helps me not lose touch with my kids
21. Share and spark ideas in real time
22. Emergency alerts through a variety of vehicles
23. Conference with people when they are inaccessible
24. Exchange important data stat!
25. Warn people of impending robot domination (this one is just to make sure you are paying attention)
    

This list was off the top of my head at breakneck speed (you should see how fast I typed them!). I’m sure the list isn’t complete.

Bottom line : : : If an easier life is what you want then let life pass you by, clean your VCR and go buy a roll of stamps. Then again, if you are reading this that last sentence probably doesn’t apply to you.

Don’t get into a battle with anyone over things “not getting easier.” It is the wrong battlefield and a losing battle.

Life is not getting any easier.

For those who choose to embrace this new life2.0 however : : : it is exciting, friends are closer than ever, new friends are waiting to be met, new businesses are waiting to be dreamed and promoted, brilliance is a Google search away, and the world is indeed very, very, small.

By the way, I talked with (2-way conversation) over 50 people while writing this post.