United Methodist Communications http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2285815/k.9064/Faith__Culture.htm en-us Copyright 2005 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved. Lane Densonumc@umcom.org no Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:31:37 GMT 20 Fri, 8 Aug 2008 09:59:00 -0600 United Methodist Communications While the longtime Cat Stevens fan might wish for something more robust, we’re lucky to have his music back in any form. Roadsinger is a thoughtfully-crafted reminder of that good fortune, even if the singer himself is a lot further down the road. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090617_islam/music_review_islam_podcast.mp3681 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:29:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications The absence of post-modern irony makes the retro-pop confections on Lucky One not unlike the experience of cracking open a fortune cookie—something you can look forward to even though you already know what’s inside. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090610_malo/music_review_malo_podcast.mp3680 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:46:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications On Madeleine Peyroux's latest, Bare Bones, she graduates from an interpreter to a full-fledged singer/songwriter. It’s a brave move, and one that results in a more personal listening experience, though arguably a more challenging one as well. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090603_peyroux/music_review_peyroux_podcast.mp3673 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:11:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications On their first album in more than four years, U2 both accommodate and confound expectations. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090527_u2/music_review_u2_podcast.mp3672 Fri, 29 May 2009 10:50:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications On The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, the singer skillfully follows the big footprints of those who went ahead of her. But the truth is that Foster, whose grasp of classic soul sounds partly earned and partly learned, still has a few miles of her own left to walk. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090513_foster/music_review_foster_podcast.mp3670 Thu, 14 May 2009 17:37:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications It takes effort to embrace the holistic concept she presents on Testimony: Vol 2, Love & Politics. But by binding themes of agony and ecstasy into a single strand, Arie gives her affirmations credibility and purpose. And, in her version of the story, love triumphs. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090429_aire/music_review_aire_podcast.mp3669 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:41:00 GMT Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications With his rustic title track, Trucks nearly revises musical mythology, creating a period-perfect early-1900s rural blues that substitutes joyous liberation—and a hint of salvation—for the now-infamous legends of soul-selling associated with the origin of the genre. While Trucks’ emotive improvisations and his band’s vigorous support offer plenty to satisfy the mortal appetite, it’s doubtful that the vibrant and generally wholesome music on Already Free owes any debt to the devil. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090422_trucks/music_review_trucks_podcast.mp3667 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:02:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications Coming from a Southern Baptist upbringing, it's interesting that Campbell addresses faith from a slant that's more philosophical than evangelical. But her good-natured and thoughtful handling of all the subjects she covers on Save the Day comprises a potent case for the ongoing existence of old-fashioned Southern grace. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090401_campbell/music_review_campbell_podcast.mp3650 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:51:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications Springsteen’s latest work focuses less on the strength of his songwriting than on the sheer musical power and abandon that informed his late 1970s work. But if this isn’t the labor-intensive album fans have come to expect, the awareness of human struggle that undergirds Working on a Dream proves that the Boss is still on the job. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090325_springsteen/music_review_springsteen_podcast.mp3648 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:21:00 GMT 5:20 Music Review, UMC, Methodist, Bruce Springsteen Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications Costner could have made a throwaway album that capitalized on his fame, with guest stars galore and Nashville-tailored material. Untold Truths holds no stunning revelations, but its no-frills, middle-age-appropriate country-rock is commendable for its refusal to tell any lies. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090318_costner/music_review_costner_podcast.mp3647 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:08:00 GMT 5:20 Kevin Costner, modern West, Untold Truths, country, music review Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications Because Newworldson’s derivation of soul and gospel picks up its influences downstream from the original source, it won’t quench hard-core fans of those bedrock African-American styles. But if you’re up for a holy-rolling locomotive ride that visits a few important landmarks, Salvation Station is the place to get on board. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090311_newworldson/music_review_newworldson_podcast.mp3646 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT 5:20 newworldson, Salvation Station, Christian, blue-eyed soul, music review Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications For all the album’s odd turns, Gift of Screws shows that the tools from which Buckingham once fashioned multi-platinum success remain sharp and firmly in his grasp, even if the blueprints have changed. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090304_buckingham/music_review_buckingham_podcast.mp3643 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:26:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications Fraser’s recent embrace by faith-based American listeners indicates that they’re famished for music that isn’t factory-baked. And indeed, on Albertine, the bread Fraser serves, if day-old by secular standards, is a hearty multi-grain that gives the spiritually inclined something both to chew on and to savor. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090225_fraser/music_review_fraser_podcast.mp3642 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:54:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications On Hurricane, her first album in nearly 20 years, Jones both revisits and updates the sound of her early ’80s prime. In the process, she proves that her dramatic, rhythm-driven style remains edgy enough to keep middle-of-the-road listeners at arm’s length even two decades later. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090218_jones/music_review_jones_podcast.mp3641 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:42:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church United Methodist Communications Just as a true chocolate aficionado prefers the pure stuff over a peanut butter cup, dyed-in-the-wool rockers may reject Cook, or at least question his credibility. But anyone with a pop-slanted ear will find it difficult to doubt his sincerity. http://media.umcom.org/umcorg/music_reviews/_2009/20090211_cook/music_review_cook_podcast.mp3640 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:28:00 GMT 5:20 Religion & Spirituality> Christianity United Methodist Church