You Are My Sunshine

Aaron Marsh sings like a girl. This is something that is regarded as true, especially lately. Just ask my sister, who burst into laughter after hearing only a few seconds of Copeland's new album You Are My Sunshine. But I don't care. While liking Copeland may not add any points to my manliness scale, I still can't seem to keep myself from being transfixed with their music.

Not that I am trying. I have been a Copeland fan for several years now, ever since Beneath Medicine Tree was my favorite album for whatever year it was that it came out. For the longest time "When Paula Sparks" was the best song I had ever heard, and the rest of that album was almost as good. But that was way back when Copeland was more of a rock band. That was when crash cymbals and distorted electric guitars were heard a lot more than piano and other keyboard-like sounds. Even back then, I still remember thinking they were a much heavier band live when we saw them live at Furnace Fest.

But as time has gone on and their sound has evolved, Copeland has gone from a rock band to a genre that I don't know if I can name. I just don't know what to call it. They've gotten a lot softer and developed their own sound. Aaron sings even more like a girl, and he uses his high falsetto voice more than ever. They have written a lot more slow songs and have effectively defended the title I give them as "band most likely to make you fall asleep."

That's not a bad thing, though, and that's what I'm trying to get at. I bought the new CD the other day and I find myself constantly going back and listening to it. On the same day I bought You Are My Sunshine I got Anberlin's new album New Surrender, which is more rock/pop and a heck of a lot catchier. But I haven't listened to Anberlin nearly as much as I listened to Copeland. Why is that?

Originality.

Over time I have learned that what I value more than anything in my choice of music is the fact that it's unique or original. This is why I am such a big fan of bands like Lovedrug, Counting Crows, mewithoutYou, Norma Jean, Caedmon's Call, and Copeland to name a few. All of these bands have a unique quality about them that I haven't found anywhere else. And while they are all capable of writing good music, they also are so creative and unique in their sounds that I find myself drawn to their tunes more than just a catchy, typical rock band.

This is one of the reasons that I am so turned off by current Christian contemporary music, especially what's on the radio. There is absolutely no originality and little creativity in many of these songs. The lyrics are cliche, the tunes sound like something that was good 20 years ago trying to fit in and be cool with the modern music of today, and it just isn't working.

But I digress. I just don't want to hear the same stuff recycled and fed to me over and over, and that's why I like bands like Copeland who continue to experiment and evolve their sound. I really didn't expect to like their album nearly as much as I do.

Aaron, thanks for singing like a girl. Not many males do it but you do it and you do it well. I'd rather hear that than Mac Powell's overrated voice any day.

Taking the Low Road

So we are finally reaching the home stretch of this election season. I'm kind of glad. It's been fun and exciting the whole way, but it will be nice when all the political tension goes away. I'm looking forward to casting my vote, getting my "I voted" sticker, and waiting to see what happens. We have some fireworks left over from the 4th of July and I've never figured out a good occasion to finish shooting them off. Maybe if things turn out the right way on November 4 then I will have a good reason.

I've been watching the debates and some of the coverage and I just want to ramble some thoughts really quick while they are fresh on my mind. So here goes nothing...

First, I'm getting the feeling that the McCain campaign is trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator these days. The polls are showing that Obama is leading and many people believe he will be our next president. I'm not comfortable with this because this kind of coverage may get the McCain supporters to rally and possibly make a late push before the election. Even with that possibility, the Straight-Talk Express does seem a little desperate now.

Maybe you have seen the footage, maybe you haven't. I've seen it a few times. It's of some of the McCain-Palin rallies. While the candidates are giving their speeches and getting the crowd (or maybe you could call it a mob) pumped up, some vocal McCain sympathizers are shouting things like "terrorist" and "kill him."

Really?

This is coming to that?

Now I have to give John McCain credit in showing a little disgust in this sort of behavior. But I haven't heard him officially come out and condemn those kinds of statements. Sarah Palin, who was giving a speech while things like this were being said, made no attempt to rebuke her audience. This kind of thing is offensive, over the line, and very dangerous. Barack Obama is not a terrorist. He is not Muslim, Arabic, Jewish, or whatever other stereotype someone can draw up from his name/appearance. I was talking to a friend the other day and he told me he believes Obama is a Muslim and a terrorist. I asked him why and he said because that's what Obama said. I said, "Where did you hear that?" He said he read it in an e-mail.

An e-mail.

I don't want to come out here and say that the McCain campaign is encouraging this kind of stuff. I honestly don't think McCain is that kind of person, he is better than that. But it does make me wonder when Sarah Palin is quoted saying things like, "We're gonna find out who the real Barack Obama is." And I don't think anyone can deny that this has been a major focal point for their campaign lately.

In my opinion, this kind of stuff appeals to the lowest common denominator. If you're voting for John McCain, that's fine. I don't have a problem with that. But vote for John McCain because you agree with him on the issues, because you think he would make a great president. Don't vote for him because you are buying into this garbage about Barack Obama being an Islamic Communist terrorist who wants to teach sex ed to kindergartners.

There's a higher road than that. Take it.