In the most recent Christian headlines it would seem Jenninfer Knapp has come out of the closet. According to Christianity Today, the singer/songwriter has been in a relationship with her partner for “almost eight years” and cites her lifestyle choice as one of the many straws that drove her away from full time songwriting for seven years.  It’s a good article but the following words from Jennifer were the ones I found most profound:

During my college years, I received some admonishment about some relationships I’d had with women. Some people said, “You might want to renegotiate that,” even though those relationships weren’t sexual. Hindsight being 20/20, I guess it makes sense. But if you remove the social problem that homosexuality brings to the church—and the debate as to whether or not it should be called a “struggle,” because there are proponents on both sides—you remove the notion that I am living my life with a great deal of joy. It never occurred to me that I was in something that should be labeled as a “struggle.” The struggle I’ve had has been with the church, acknowledging me as a human being, trying to live the spiritual life that I’ve been called to, in whatever ramshackled, broken, frustrated way that I’ve always approached my faith. I still consider my hope to be a whole human being, to be a person of love and grace. So it’s difficult for me to say that I’ve struggled within myself, because I haven’t. I’ve struggled with other people. I’ve struggled with what that means in my own faith. I have struggled with how that perception of me will affect the way I feel about myself.

Knapp always been one of my (few) favorite “Christian” singer/songwriters and I’m looking forward to her latest.

Let me preface this post with two thoughts: 1. I am not cool, 2. I am not as smart as I would hope.

I feel that I am constantly trying to discern what is my “taste” and what fad I am buying into.  There are a few pseudo-anthropologists who can nail down my lifestyle choices with pinpoint accuracy.  While I find it fascinating they can be so insightful it is also quite disturbing. Am I simply a pawn to some unseen force that is able to dictate my future choices and preferences?  Yes and No.

This is a hard concept for me.  Maybe it’s because I’m too shallow, maybe I’m materialistic, maybe I’m just American and trained to think in a certain way… Whatever the case I’m all too aware of it’s implications.

The picture above is of a band (actually just a guy) who was recently featured in Relevant magazine.

When I saw them covered in a review I got a bit squeemish.  That was MY band.  I listened to them, how dare a publication I did not approve of bring the spotlight on them!

Now everyone will listen to them because “that” magazine identified them as a great band.  It’s one of those things that influences culture (alt-Christian in this case) and brings somewhat exclusive items into the mainstream. Somehow this hits me on a  level I can see but is hard to control.

How ridiculous! Right?  They are still the band that I listened to, their music hasn’t changed.  Somehow I consider my interest in them slightly invalidated since they were mentioned in a publication that is sold outside of mom & pop record store newsprint.  Since they will now be embraced by “the masses” aka those “who are tasteless” (wrong I know) was I really that insightful in the first place?

It’s a little less about being exclusive than it is about questioning my own tastes… do I lose a bit of my individualism?  Maybe I just have a hard time seeing myself as a demographic, like twenty-something, Christian, musician… who likes long walks on the beach?

That’s when the questions start and thoughts are re-examined.

Because I can do that, too easily.

It’s a line I’m constantly redefining and redrafting but I’m glad I see it, I suppose that’s half the battle.

(The band is called Bon Iver, here’s one of their videos for your enjoyment!)

Recently I’ve been on a Soul kick

Soul, as in The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown…

But the newer, post-Winehouse, British soul movement has gotten most of my attention.

People like Jamie Lidell and Raphael Saadiq

Folks who are re-inventing this genre of music by adding their own little nuances

But, last night I found the most amazing music video I’ve seen in awhile, best of 2008 for sure.

I didn’t care too much for Gnarls Barkley’s first album but I’m secretly loving their second.

Here’s one reason why.