My Favorite Holiday Music

I love Christmas holidays and I especially love the music that you hear a lot more of during the season. (Yes, I really am a music-lover!) While many songs are religion-based (thereby stirring up controversy in today's society), there are also many that are non-denominational cheerful carols you sing to bring uplifting spirits to everyone around you. Who doesn't get their winter blues chased away after listening to timeless classics like "Jingle Bells" or "Frosty the Snowman?" What about the humorous classics "I'm Getting Nuttin' For Christmas?" and "All I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Teeth"?

When you take a moment to really try and take away the stress of modern day-to-day living, take away the cynicism of non-conformists, and take away the negativity of those who simply can't stand to see others in celebration around them, you can feel the true meaning of "holiday spirit". Remember - that's the lesson that the Grinch learned after he tried to steal Christmas away from everyone in Whoville?


There's so much variety in holiday music today that a music lover like me can have a favorite in almost every genre. When it comes to children's holiday music, I really love the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas(TM). Perhaps those of you who enjoyed the cartoons of the 70s can remember the scene where Schroeder plays the piano and everyone is dancing happily around him. That was just so fun to watch - even as I grew up!

When it comes to religious holiday music, I really love "What Child Is This?" because it's so endearing and mellowing. I love it sung acapella and I love it even when it's played instrumentally. I can even play it on the piano!

Rock musicians have also created some pretty good holiday music or recorded timeless classics which they've adapted to their styles. My personal favorite holiday music from the rock music category would have to be the Band Aid tune "Do They Know It's Christmas?" which was recorded as part of a huge fundraising effort by the musicians involved. That song always gives me goosebumps, reminding me that there are less fortunate people out there that need help. We - the more fortunate ones - should never forget that because life could've been the other way around and we could be the ones needing help.

There's also a genre of music that has become very popular with the coming of the Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO for short). It's called the rock opera. If you haven't already heard them, you really should. So I'm posting a YouTube video of TSO performing my favorite TSO tune called "Christmas Eve Sarajevo". The music totally rocks!




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Souljourners

I've recently come across a progressive metal band from Temecula, California that is also classified as a Christian metal band because of the spiritual nature of their song topics. They remind me of that famous Christian metal band that I used to listen to, Stryper, except that this band has more virtuoso and 21st century elements to their music compared to Stryper's sound during the 80s. They also have a very mature, well-trained, and polished sound. It's hard to believe that this band is composed of four very young men who were voted Best High School Band by the Southern California Music Awards in 2006. You rarely, if ever, find bands that young sound so professional. What I find impressive, too, are their lyrics which are very poetic in the sense that you can interpret them like poetry and find meanings other than the most obvious. This band is called Souljourners.

I think their music really rocks - but that is putting it mildly. Their beats and singing can hook you to where you can keep "hearing" their music long after your CD player has stopped. Seriously, this is one rising band that you don't want to miss. You can learn more about the band by visiting their official website.


The following lyrics are from their newly released album, Mind Control.

Permanent Scars

It's time to wake up...

The minutes are passing by and I stretch myself so thin.
The shadows they catch my eye I find spirits wandering.
The bloodstains are telling why and I feel it setting in.
The moonlight uncovers lies and I'm left here wondering.

I'm cracking the shells of time and when I look to where I've been.
I'm getting constrasting signs when I try to comprehend.
I'm hiding in my disguise and I think I'm gonna win.
The daylight unmasks my eyes and I see them on my skin.

I feel my tired skin.

My eyes are blind... senses are heightening.
My hands are tied but stronger from fighting
and I've lost my direction to the place where you are
and how do I start to try to cover all these permanent scars?
All of these permanent scars.

The healing, it happens as I trust my faith within.
The darkness is passing by as I play this to the end.
The clutter, it finally dies and I move ahead again.
The spirit surpassing why and I feel it pouring in.
I feel it pouring in.

My eyes are blind... senses are heightening.
My hands are tied but stronger from fighting
and I've lost my direction to the place where you are
and how do I start to try to cover all these permanent scars?
All of these permanent scars.

My body breaks.
My soul starts to wake.
It drives through my veins. Through my veins.
The scars start to fade. Yeah.

All of these permanent scars.

My eyes are blind... senses are heightening.
My hands are tied but stronger from fighting
and I've lost my direction to the place where you are
and how do I start to try to cover all these permanent scars?

My eyes are blind... senses are heightening.
My hands are tied but stronger from fighting
and I've lost my direction to the place where you are
and how do I start to try to cover all these permanent scars?
All of these permanent scars.

Ohh! Ohh Yeah!

Incidentally, Phil Collen of Def Leppard is a featured guitarist on "Crazy Times" which also appears on this album. Pretty exciting, isn't it?

I wonder whatever happened to...

BROKEN SILENCE...this was a Christian rock band I met in Hawaii just before they moved to the mainland (I forgot where they said they were moving to at the time) in 1991. That was a long time ago!


My best friend was dating (later married and then divorced) a guitarist from another band at the time who knew the guys in this band so we went out to see this group perform at the Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu. If I remember right, it was a farewell show they were having because the band was getting ready to leave Hawaii and try to make it big time. Unfortunately, I think they may have broken up after moving to the mainland because I never heard about them anymore after they left.

The guys were pretty talented and really cool, too! See they each even autographed that publicity photo for me! Anyway, I wish I could find out what directions their lives took and whether they still managed to make new music on their own. If anyone knows, I'd sure like to hear from you!