General - Written by Pastor David on Saturday, June 17, 2006 16:45 - 2 Comments
new favorite artist- Regina Spektor
It is rare for me to be blown away when hearing an artist for the first time. Usually, most sounds and artists grow on me over time and before I realize it, I dig them in a big way. Not so with this whimsical, playful, anti-folk, Moscow born, East Village New Yorker by the name of Regina Spektor. I’m really impressed with her piano work and lyrics. She is a great story teller, but not J-Cash style. Her story telling is more a snapshot of time that she encapsulates in song and bangs out on the keys. Her style reminds me of a still life that would make Rembrandt proud as she pens and performs verbal photos of life in all its interesting particular parts. Her new album is ‘Begin to Hope’ but if you want a treat, listen some of her later work like ‘Soviet Kitsch’ or 11:11. Her worldview seems to be the norm among thoughtful east coast artists- spiritual, observant, and brave to point out irony and contradiction in our world while attempting to articulate a message of hope without a foundation or destination. At least this is what I am gathering through her body of work thus far.
Give yourself a treat and take a listen on her website. Make sure you listen to ‘US’ and ‘Samson.’ You’ll be hooked and thanking me for introducing you to another poet in our day who is attempting to navigate through the pains and joys of life while trying to find meaning and purpose under the sun.
P.S. If you buy her new album on iTunes you get 7 bonus tracks that are really good b-sides. Listen to ‘Baobabs’ or ‘Hero’ where she chants defiantly “I’m the hero of the story and don’t need to be saved!” This is a great peek into the thoughts of those image bearers in our day who have yet to come to the true Hero of the story.
2 Comments
PaulR
Pastor David
Paul,
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the talented Miss Spektor. I was listening to her on my flight to and from Denver this last week. One song that just grips me is her song “Hero.” It brings tears to my eyes as she attempts to articulate her seeming disdain for the idea of original sin. It seems as if she’s saying that mommy and daddy gave us that hang up. Then she cries out “I’m the hero of the story and don’t need to be saved!” It is powerful, saddening, and makes me weep for the lost in our world as we do all we can to ignore the reality that we can not truly save ourselves. Also, Sufjan Stevens is great. Good to see that someone is listening to the music before and after service!
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David-
Amy and I are really enjoying the Spektor songs that we downloaded, especially “Samson” and “Fidelity.” A similar band that we like a lot is Over the Rhine, an Ohio-based husband and wife team.
The first time that Amy and I attended Kaleo one of the little “signs” that persuaded us to come back was that Sufjan Stevens, one of our favorite singer/songwriters, was playing before and after the service…