Just Breathe

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Jason

Those of you that follow this blog know that I’m a music junkie. I just completed my “Best of 2009” music list and with a cadre of fresh downloads waiting for me over at eMusic, I’m ready to start in with some piping hot 2010 releases in the coming months (Arcade Fire, Spoon, The National, and Radiohead are the ones I’m looking forward to the most).

But inevitably, there are always a couple of albums that I just never got around to purchasing from previous years that remain on my radar. I hardly ever pay full price for any of the albums I download; eMusic and the Amazon MP3 store make it silly to do so (with prices as low as $1.99 at Amazon and approx. .10 cents per song over at eMusic). But that means I’ll sometimes miss out on a great album that never goes on sale on either of those sites.

One such album from 2009 was Pearl Jam’s “Backspacer”. Thanks to an unexpected gift from a good friend today, I had $20 to spend over at iTunes. So I grabbed a copy based on the recommendations of a few friends. Upon initial listen, this is a solid album, right up there with some of their other stuff. But the track that grabs me most is “Just Breathe”, which has just started getting some radio play. Eddie Vedder says this is as close to a love song as the band has ever recorded. I’d have to agree.

Yes I understand that every life must end…
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go…
I’m a lucky man to count on both hands
The ones I love…
Some folks just have one,
Others they got none…
Stay with me…
Let’s just breathe.
The song closes with the following line:
Hold me till I die…
Meet you on the other side.
The point Vedder makes is one that I’ve thought about a lot. He’s talking about the kind of relationship that isn’t nearsighted; the kinds of relationships that endure beyond the present. I think the happiest people I know are the ones who have the luxury of inclusive language; people who use words like “we” and “us” and “y’all”. As Vedder says, “I’m a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love.” That’s a great way to describe my state of mind these days. I find myself living with this incredible awareness of God’s blessing in my life with regard to other people. Sure, I’ve had to say goodbye to people I loved; and I’ve also lost my fair share of friends through the years for one reason or another. But at the end of the day, it really is overwhelming to realize the enormity of God’s gift to me in the individuals He has placed in my life. The four other people that live under this roof are making me such a better person; the people that I work alongside every day teach me so much about the heart of God; the friendships we have as a result of His Body are some of the greatest blessings of all — the kinds of relationships that flow on into eternity.
__________
My good friend, Corey — the one who gave me the unexpected iTunes card today, by the way — used to have a way of saying it that was just beautiful. We’d be talking together or praying together and he’d say something like, “You know, Jason, I’m glad that we have this friendship here on earth, but imagine what it’ll be like in eternity. Imagine being in a place with no time constraints, no burdens, no pain. Imagine sitting there by the River of Life, watching as it flows out from the great City of God. And imagine Immanuel Himself walking out of the city, coming to be with us. And there we are, the two of us, sitting beside the Creator of the universe, all three of us with our feet dangling in the water of the River of Life.”
I still imagine that day, buddy. Thanks for the gift today — but even more for the gift of imagination and friendship.
Meet you on the other side!
Posted in Eschatology, Faith, Jesus, Music | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Things I Want To Remember

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jason

Memory is a weird thing. I have a great memory about certain things, like totally arcane information that I’ve committed to memory. Like the fact that Wally Joyner hit 34 home runs in 1987 for the California Angels. Pretty worthless, but it’s there on the hard drive.

Other things, really important things, I tend to forget. Just ask Sunny. This happens all the time — she’ll ask me to do something and while I’m on my way to do it, I’ll forget what it is I’m supposed to do. Yesterday Sunny was reminding me about a funny story about Joshua at the dentist’s office from a couple of years ago. He was sitting in the chair while the lady was cleaning his teeth and out of the blue he goes, “Miss Scarlett, guess what? I have a train in my mouth.” She said, “OK, that’s great Joshua.” Joshua then goes, “And you know what the train says?” Before she could answer, Joshua belts it out at the top of his lungs: “CHOO CHOO!!!!” Then he just turned to her and grinned from ear to ear. Sunny told me this story and I had absolutely no recollection of it. I’m sure I heard all about this when it happened, but it was like I’d never heard it before when she told me. And that made me sad, because I thought, “What other things am I forgetting about?” It made me want to just store up as many of these memories as possible so I can never forget them.

So I decided to start a list. “Things I Want To Remember”. I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list a lot in the coming years. Hopefully, when I’m old and gray, I’ll be able to look back at this list and remember some of these snapshots from my life.

Things I Want to Remember

  • The way Sunny looked on our wedding day. She was simply radiant and I remember feeling so blessed to be marrying her.
  • For a brief time in my life (age 20), I could dunk a basketball.
  • The way Abby Kate labors over her arts and crafts projects she makes for me. She wants me to take each one of them and hang them in my office. And I do.
  • The way I felt about my boys after reading “The Road” for the first time.
  • My mother’s warmth and compassion. She’s the reason I’m in ministry.
  • My father’s presence. Nobody ever filled a room like Al Bybee.
  • The ministering influence of my mentors like Johnny Markham, Gary Bradley, Lee Milam, and Calvin Crim. I stand on the shoulders of giants.
  • The pride I felt when I had the chance to preach my grandfather’s funeral.
  • Seeing my kids for the first time.
  • The Cardinals improbable World Series run in 2006.
  • I hope I remember the greatness of Albert Pujols. I’ll be able to tell my grandkids about seeing one of baseball’s all-time greats play at the height of his career.
  • How scared we were during our pregnancy with Jackson. We were really worried about him 2 or 3 different times, but those uncertainties brought us closer together and closer to God.
  • The way my imagination fires during the 60 seconds of hoedown-bliss at the end of “Laundry Room” by the Avetts.
  • The way Joshua looks at me that lets me know I’m his hero.
  • Jackson’s giggle.
  • The FCS “Sixth Man”. Some of the best times of my life.
  • The simultaneous mixture of fear and joy when the doctor told us we were having twins.
  • The way my sister and brother-in-law took me in after the death of my mother.
  • Watching LOST and theorizing about “what it all means”.

I’m sure I’ll have plenty more I’ll want to add throughout the years. But that’s a nice start.

Posted in Family, General | 7 Comments

Resolution Broken

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Jason

I made one resolution this new year.

And it took me all of one day to break it.

I’ve made some weird resolutions over the years. In 2007, I resolved to go without fried foods, desserts, and Mountain Dew. But amid full time ministry, grad school, moving homes, and a pregnancy full of turbulence that winter / spring, I think I made it all of six weeks. If you know my predilection for Dew, you’ll realize what a gargantuan accomplishment that was. In ’08, I made a commitment that became something more than a resolution: I sought to do only those things that were compelled by the love of God. I failed miserably here, too, but the failing was transformative. I’ve never really shared much of that year long journey, except to say that it afforded me a slight glimpse of the enormity of God’s love that we’re called to live into. Needless to say, that’s more of a lifetime focus than a one year resolution.

This year, I wanted to do something simple, attainable, yet significant. I love writing, but I find it hard to carve out the time to do so. But when I do, it’s good for me. Helps me think. Helps me breathe. So, my resolution was to write something — anything — each day of 2010. I’m planning on using this blog as the primary forum for said writing. 365 days, 365 posts.

Except that yesterday I wasn’t around my computer very much and when I was online, I was busy reading set lists from recent Avett Brothers concerts.

But starting today, I will write. Every day. Probably.

Some days it may be an in-depth post; I’ll continue my Sermon on the Mount series, which I’m really excited about. Other days, it’ll probably be lighter fare; with LOST and American Idol back on the air in the next few weeks, I’ll be providing my weekly recaps and ruminations. And, of course, I’ll be writing a lot about what I’ll be listening to in the coming months. In the end, I’ll just be excited if I can write on a more consistent basis.

Looking forward to the journey.

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Why God Gave Us Hands

Posted on December 31, 2009 by Jason

Last night we were eating at Cracker Barrel when Joshua suddenly convulsed into this raging coughing fit. For something like 15 or 20 seconds, he was hacking and wheezing and spewing spittle everywhere, all over his plate, our biscuits…everything. While this was going on, I was simultaneously concerned for his life and irritated that he wasn’t covering his mouth. Granted, he looked scared to death, so it was hard to fault the little guy for forgetting the rules of etiquette in his moment of desperation. Survival over manners I always say.

Anyway, when he was done and everyone in the restaurant had stopped staring at us, I leaned down to Joshua’s face and said, “Are you all right, man?”

“Yes,” he managed, as cough-induced tears wet his eyelashes.

“You know, buddy, when you’re coughing like that, try and remember to cover your mouth. Okay?”

“Okay, Dad,” he replied.

After a moment he looked back at me and said, “Dad?”

“Yes, son?”

“Is that why God gave us hands? So we could cover our mouths when we cough?”

Unsure of what to say, I looked at him and said, “Uh, among other things….yeah.”

Happy New Year everybody.

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The Sermon on the Mount 6

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Jason

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. — Matthew 5.4

I used to have a really hard time with this passage of Scripture. I think those of us who have grieved deeply over the loss of a dear loved one hear something completely counter-intuitive in these words of Jesus. Are you mad, Jesus? What blessing could there possibly be in mourning?

It helps me to remember that Jesus is well acquainted with grief. They tell us that the shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” It may be the shortest verse, but there are fewer that are more powerful and profound. After the death of his dear friend Lazarus, Jesus experienced the heart-rending grief common to all who mourn. He wept. Knowing full well what was about to happen, Jesus still gave in to his heart’s desire to remember the life of his friend. Jesus wept and this is what qualifies Him to credibly call the church to a life of weeping alongside those who are grief-stricken (Romans 12.15).We are to be bearers of comfort, the same kind of comfort we have received from God (2 Cor. 1.3-4).

It also helps me to understand that the word translated “mourn” (penthountes) has a connotation broader than simply grief. Jesus is describing those who are grieved over the present condition of the world, those saints who empathize with the hungry, the thirsty, the oppressed in the world. Moreover, this grief prompts action — the kind of action that aims to deliver these from their current condition. Jesus is saying that there is a blessing in store for those who are grieved to the point of action on behalf of the poor, the downcast, and the oppressed. In the end, God will bring an ultimate sense of peace and restoration to those who have grieved. This comfort is expressed beautifully in the eschaton, when God Himself will “wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21.4)”

Until all things are made new, blessed are those who mourn.

Posted in Eschatology, Gospel, Jesus, Scripture, Sermon on the Mount | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Albums of the Decade: Top Three

Posted on December 28, 2009 by Jason

I’ve gone back and forth here on my favorite albums of the decade. There have been three albums that have emerged as my favorite of the past 10 years or so. As far as I know, none of these are critical darlings. Most hardcore critics would laugh that I don’t have Radiohead or Kanye or The Strokes here as the most important albums of the decade. But these are the sets of songs that I’ve listened to the most and, thus, they’re my favorites. I really can’t rank these because I love all three of them equally. So, here’s the pantheon of great albums of the 00’s for me.

David Crowder Band’s A Collision

I’d never been acquainted with Crowder’s work until this 2005 release. But after listening to this brilliant concept album, I was hooked. The album blends different song styles and genres: bluegrass, punk, piano ballads, rock opera. But the common denominator in this eclectic set is that each of these different songs is directed heavenward. Isn’t that what worship is about, a diverse people united to worship a common God? Simply a great album.

U2’s No Line on the Horizon

Some will argue that the band’s most important work came nearly two decades ago. Maybe so, but I’m pretty sure this will go down as my favorite U2 album. And that’s saying something. I’ve already written about this album in my year end list; in my opinion, the band has never sounded better. I just don’t think there’s a bad song on the whole set.

The Avett Brothers’ Emotionalism

These North Carolina bluegrass-rockers are getting a lot of notoriety these days for their major label release I and Love and You, and rightfully so. But this ’07 release captures the spirit of the band’s more raucous live shows. “Go To Sleep” and “Paranoia in B Major” will go down as two of my favorite songs ever. If I had to pick one of these three as the king of the hill, I’d probably go with this one, although the margin of victory is slim.

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What Does God Want for Christmas?

Posted on December 24, 2009 by Jason

In all the hustle and bustle of this season of giving and receiving, I had a funny thought today: what would God want for Christmas? I should add that these are the kinds of thoughts I usually have when I’m either mowing the lawn or vacuuming the house (the latter of which I was doing this afternoon).

The question made me smile because it seems so juvenile, the whole notion of “getting” God something. I mean, what do you get the guy who LITERALLY has everything? (“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” — Psalm 24.1) But the question did prompt me to think about a much more important question, one that has fully occupied my mind for most of the afternoon: what does God want? I couldn’t help but think about the 8th century prophets of Israel and the message they preached. I thought of Micah 6, which makes for unusual Christmas Eve devotional reading, I’ll admit. No manger, no round yon virgin. No, Micah 6 begins with God summoning his people to trial to account for their idolatry and wickedness. To make matters worse, God Himself is the plaintiff, accusing Israel of breaking her covenant vows with Him. 6.3 is perhaps the most chilling line of all: “What have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!“ Not exactly the kinds of things you want to hear from God.

Israel’s response is telling (6.6-7):

“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

Three attempts to buy off the LORD, each one increasingly more absurd than the previous one. “Can we appease the LORD with a sacrifice of great quality — a year old calf?” In the sacrificial system, calves could be offered anytime after they were 7 days old (Lev. 22.27), so a calf that had been fed and cared for over the course of an entire year would have been considered a choice sacrifice in Micah’s day. But God doesn’t seem interested. “Or how about a gift of great quantity, LORD? Thousands of rams? Ten thousands of rivers of oil?” Again, no dice. Israel’s final offer indicates just how great a breach of covenant has occurred: the offer of a child sacrifice, a common pagan ritual. With this, Israel slinks back, realizing she has offered YHWH all she can offer. Now we’re ready for Him to lower the gavel and hand out a sentence of judgment.

But that’s not what we find. Instead, these words:

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

What does God want? He’s not interested in our finest gifts or the sheer volume of our offerings. Instead, God desires a responsive heart. He wants His people to pursue acts of justice and righteousness for His name’s sake. He wants His people to live in loving (chesed) relationship with Him and with others. And He wants us to walk, albeit with humility, into a future defined by justice and love.

That’s what God wants for Christmas.

Christmas Eve, 2009

Posted in Faith, Scripture | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

12 Best Reads of 2009

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Jason

I’m a little disappointed in my reading output this year. Each year, i set a goal for myself of reading one book a week. Even though I fell woefully short of 52 books (by the time I finish my current read, I’ll be at 30), I still came across some great books this year. I also spent a lot of time re-reading some of my favorites from years gone by; the cream of the re-read crop is included in this list as well. These are the 12 best books I read this year:

1. Richard Stearns – The Hole in our Gospel

Stearns, a former corporate CEO and current President of World Vision argues for a holistic gospel that most evangelical Christians fail to emphasize, a gospel of good news for the poor, the orphaned, and the forgotten. By asking the question “What does God expect of us?”, Stearns presents a whole gospel that moves us beyond altar call “pie in the sky by and by” forms of Christianity to a vibrant engagement with the world to bring the Kingdom of God to the here and now. No other book I read this year ate my lunch more than this one; even more, no book prompted me to take action in the name of Christ quite like The Hole in our Gospel. Reader beware.

2. Rob Bell – Jesus Wants to Save Christians

Bell has a real gift for situating the Old Testament’s story of Israel in a way that has relevance and resonance for today. But he also writes a word to challenge today’s church to answer the call to be a light to the world, to actively participate in the ministry of Jesus to bring healing to the nations. He also does a great job of articulating the New Exodus theme that is woven throughout the Biblical narrative. A great read.

3. Eugene Peterson – The Jesus Way

I’ve been reading Peterson’s series on spiritual theology for a couple of years now, so it’s no surprise that this text — his examination on the way in which Jesus is “the Way” — makes my list. Peterson has such a gift for language, but his exegetical prowess is also considerable; I found his contextualization of several key OT figures (Abraham, Elijah, Isaiah, etc.) to be incredibly insightful.

4. Steve Stockman – Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2

I’ve long been drawn to the music of U2. The simmering spirituality of “Where the Streets Have No Name”; the existential angst of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”; the boundless hope of “Walk On” — U2 has a way of blurring the traditional demarcations of sacred and secular. Stockman, writing as a fan on behalf of fans, peels back the music and lyrics to take his readers to a deeper place, the bedrock convictions that drive both Bono’s social activism and the band’s demonstration of “market place faith”. I read this one in anticipation of the concert in October; even though I didn’t make it to the show, this was still a great read.

5. Clarence Jordan – The Sermon on the Mount

I’ve read several great texts on the Sermon on the Mount this year (including a re-read of Glen Stassen’s excellent commentary Living the Sermon on the Mount), but Jordan’s simple, concise material has been absolutely incredible. His scholarship is only enhanced by his ethos; I know Jordan lived what he preached. I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff.

6. George Robinson – Essential Judaism

I’ve long been fascinated by the Hebrew scriptures and customs. This year, I set out to immerse myself in a deeper understanding of the Jewish faith, both ancient and contemporary. This text was a fascinating read that gave me a greater sense of appreciation for the customs, rituals, beliefs, and narratives of the Jewish faith.

7. Donald Miller – Searching for God Knows What

I picked this one off my shelf a week ago, thinking I’d read it a few years ago. Turns out I was wrong; I’ve never read it. I did read Blue Like Jazz a few years back and loved it, but somehow I missed this one entirely. Miller just has a way of communicating that really resonates with me.

8. Randy Harris – God Work

Harris, professor of theology and ethics at Abilene Christian University, was one of my teachers in my undergraduate days at Lipscomb. Known throughout churches of Christ for his quick wit and a gift for thoughtful expression, Harris has collected some of his more recent sermons / teachings in written form under the title God Work. The attempt to make theology accessible to the masses is one that I deeply appreciate. I couldn’t help but both laugh and reflect as I read this great little book.

9. Joseph J. Ellis – Founding Brothers

I’ve become something of an American history nut in the past year or two, so it was no surprise that I was able to devour Ellis’ examination of the ordinariness of the interconnections between the extraordinary men of the Revolutionary period: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Hamilton, Burr, Franklin. Ellis has a gift for taking these mythical, historic figures from our collective consciousness and making them imminently human to us. If you love American history, you’ll love this book.

10. N.T. Wright – Simply Christian (re-read; originally read in 2006)

I put the re-reads here so as to distinguish between the “first timers”. This is sure to go down as one of this decade’s classic Christian texts. Wright does away with the “insider language” that corrupts so much of Christendom’s jargon and expresses the faith in beautifully evocative terms. This would be a great book to offer a seeker looking for an explanation of Christian faith and doctrine. Simple, concise, profound…Wright has given us a treasure in Simply Christian.

11. Sam Walker – Fantasyland (re-read; originally read in 2006)

Each summer, I read a baseball-related book. This year, I decided to re-read one of my favorites from a few years back, Fantasyland. To say this is a baseball book, though, is something of a misnomer; it’s actually a fantasy baseball book. The only thing geekier than playing fantasy baseball is reading books about fantasy baseball. Or re-reading them. Anyway, it was just as lively, hilarious, and endearing the second time around as it was back in 2006 when I first read it.

12. Eugene Peterson – Christ Plays in 10,000 Places (re-read; originally read in 2008)

It says something that as soon as I finished this text, I flipped back to the first page and instantly began re-reading it. Peterson’s book makes my ’09 list for myriad reasons: his eloquent articulation, his detailed exegesis of some of Scripture’s paradigmatic texts (Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, John, Mark, Luke / Acts), and the anecdotal material he deftly weaves into his writing. But what I most appreciated about this work was its pastoral tone. It really blessed me at a time when I needed it the most. And that’s the norm, rather than the exception, when I read Peterson.

Posted in Baseball, Books, Faith, Music, Scripture, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Subject of Every Verb

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Jason

Terrence Fretheim, in his book The Pentateuch, makes some interesting observations regarding the rhetorical features of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. In addition to the portrait of God as Creator, Law-Giver, Judge, and Savior, an entirely relational Being emerges from the pages of Scripture. He writes,

These wide-ranging images of God suggest that a primary theme of the Pentateuch will concern God and God’s interaction with the world. God is the subject of more verbs than any other character, many of them key verbs: God creates, judges, saves, redeems, elects, promises, blesses, enters into covenant, gives the law, heals, guides and protects in the wilderness, and holds the human party accountable.

When I look back and tell story of my life, I hope I have the eyes to see God’s activity to this degree. To understand Him as the subject of every verb, the direction of every action. May our being be grounded in The Being, the God who is, the great I AM.

For in him we live and move and have our being. — Acts 17:28

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Best Albums of 2009: 1-10

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Jason

Let me just reiterate what a great year this has been for music. I can’t see how 2010 can even possibly measure up to ’09. A great way to close out the decade.

Back to the list:

10. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

I’m a little late to the party when it comes to this alt-country crooner. Actually, alt-country may be a bit of a misnomer; Case’s voice embodies her songs in a style that is truly unique. Her latest is a tour de force of songwriting acumen and beautifully emotive harmonies. There is something raw and elemental to Case’s artistry, and these are the qualities that make her quite the rarity. Of my top ten, this is the album most likely to climb two or three spots in the next few months. Download this: “This Tornado Loves You”, “Middle Cyclone”

9. Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band – Outer South

This guy has been busy lately. The former Bright Eyes frontman released a self-titled solo album last year while also collaborating with M. Ward, Mike Mogis and Jim James on the Monsters of Folk project. Somehow, he also found the time to release this stellar crop of songs with the Mystic Valley Band, the band he assembled in the wake of Bright Eyes’ hiatus / demise. The result is an album that is equal parts rollicking Americana and bluesy poetic sensibilities. The best track of the batch — the seven-minute “I Got the Reason” — functions as a microcosm of this rock / blues dichotomy. While the album would benefit from some editing — the 16 tracks here need to be trimmed to 10 or 12 — Outer South is an impressive recording nonetheless. Download this: “Slowly (Oh So Slowly)”, I Got the Reason

8. Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream

This was the first really great album I listened to in 2009. In my opinion, the E Street Band hasn’t sounded this vital in years. The band demonstrates their versatility by covering a wide range of song styles here: the wistful working man pop of the title track; the rollicking roadhouse blues of “Good Eye”; the gospel-choir tinged “The Last Carnival”. Even a throwaway cut like “Tomorrow Never Knows” sounds like a lost CCR track.

The highlight of the album, without a doubt, is the eight minute western epic “Outlaw Pete”. Springsteen uses the great American cowboy narrative and our infatuation with the West to plumb the themes of death, justice, redemption and forgiveness. I can’t help but think my Dad would’ve loved this song; Outlaw Pete is as conflicted and tortured a character as any Cash ever wrote about. (Well, except maybe that guy sitting in Folsom Prison.) Easily the coolest song of the year.

7. Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk

When M Ward, Conor Oberst, Jim James and Mike Mogis collaborated on this little folk-rock project, they had to know the Traveling Wilbury comparisons were going to come their way. What nobody knew is that the comparison would be justified. These four are at the top of their game here, plying their craft and swapping instrumental and vocal solos throughout. One of the best tracks is album-opener “Dear God”, an existential rumination on God’s goodness amid suffering. Who knew these folk-rock wunderkinds were interested in theology? This is the kind of project that could’ve easily turned into “too many cooks in the kitchen”; instead, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Download this: “Dear God”, “His Master’s Voice”.

6. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

These French purveyors of power pop have been labeled as “Strokes-lite”. Maybe, but they’re also producing literate rock music bereft of the self-absorption that derailed their NYC counterparts. Wolfgang is the product of ten years of honed craftsmanship; tight hooks, soaring harmonies, intelligent lyrics. This is indie-rock that yearns to be mainstream. But not at any cost. Take, for instance, the frenetic “Lisztomania”, an ode to 19th-century classic composer Frank Liszt who had young female fans fighting for his handkerchiefs at concerts a full century before the Beatles. The references to both Liszt and Mozart help situate the tension between true artistry and selling out for mass approval. Phoenix have clearly settled the issue for their fans: the adoring masses may come their way, but on the band’s terms. Download this: “1901”, “Countdown”.

5. Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies

Being the son of a legend must be tough. Following in Dad’s footsteps professionally without trading on his name has to be even more difficult. But with Midnight at the Movies, Justin Townes Earle establishes himself as a bona fide alt-country troubadour in his own right. His sophomore LP is made up of an organic set of folk-blues and country that boasts an everyman-wisdom rarely embodied by a twenty-something. But the lingering questions will always surround the young man and his surname; I can’t help but wonder if “Mama’s Eyes” is a thinly veiled response to those who want to cry nepotism: “I am my father’s son….We don’t see eye to eye….I’ve got my mama’s eyes / her long thin frame and her smile / and I still see wrong from right / cause I’ve got my mama’s eyes.” He may have his mama’s eyes, but he also demonstrates a songwriting ability and precise vocal delivery that approaches both Dad and his venerable namesake. Download this: “Mama’s Eyes”, “Walk Out”, “Can’t Hardly Wait”.

4. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You

This album was something of a disappointment to a fan base that had grown accustomed to plenty of barn burning hoedowns on their Avett Brothers discs. But the fact that the raucous factor has been dialed down a notch should not take away from the fact that this is a great record. Uber-producer Rick Rubin has smoothed off some of the rougher edges but the result is a radio-ready LP that still boasts some of Scott and Seth’s best songwriting to date. In fact, this is probably best understood as the next step in the band’s natural maturation process. Balladry was always a viable option in the Avett Brothers canon. What they’ve produced here is an album of wall-to-wall ballads. And it works.

The center piece is the title track, a piano-drenched ballad about wanderlust and love lost. Written on tour (after a performance in Brooklyn, New York, a place that seemed as far away from home as any place the band had ever performed), the song laments “three words that became hard to say: I and Love and You.” It is out of this kind of heartfelt honesty that the entire album flows. “January Wedding” is a quirky ode to true love and winter weddings; “The Perfect Space” takes on the dangers of pride (“I wanna have pride like my mother has / And not the kind in the Bible that turns you bad.”); greed becomes the topic of discussion on the stellar “Ill With Want”. My favorite cut, though, is probably “Laundry Room”, a heart-wrenching plea for unrequited love. It also contains a grace note: a sixty-second bluegrass romp that simmers with banjo before exploding into a joyous eschaton of fiddle, guitar, and rhapsody. For just a brief moment, we’re reminded that these boys may be hitting the big time, but they haven’t forgotten their roots. Download this: “I and Love and You”, “Laundry Room”, “Ill With Want”.

3. Eels – Hombre Lobo

Pound for pound, this has to be the most surprising album of the year for me. I had a few free downloads over at eMusic and I came across this one and decided to give it a try. Little did I know that it would become one of the records I would listen to the most this year. I was initially drawn in by the great guitar-rock sound. But what truly gripped me was the lyrical depth. Thematically, the album deals with desire, specifically our deep-seated desire to find love. Hombre Lobo vacillates between yearning / churning rockers (“Prizefighter”, “Lilac Breeze”, “Fresh Blood”) and beautifully minimal sonnets (“The Look You Give That Guy”, “All the Beautiful Things”, “In My Dreams”). The album’s best line comes from “Ordinary Man”: I’d rather be alone than try to be someone that I’m not. You go, Hombre Lobo. These are clearly songs for the Wolf Man in all of us. Download this: “Fresh Blood”, “Ordinary Man”, “All the Beautiful Things”, “Beginner’s Luck”.

2. M Ward – Hold Time

This guy ought to be a household name. He certainly doesn’t lack for trying. In addition to his side project on “She and Him” and moonlighting with the Monsters of Folk gang, Ward produced one of this year’s best albums, in my opinion. Hold Time is an effortless amalgam of blues, folk, country, and gospel that sounds at once immediate and timeless. Ward has played with these genres on previous efforts, but never this well. Americana soul is perhaps the best way to describe this beautiful meandering record.

Hold Time, much like some of Ward’s earlier work, attempts to capture some of our timeless musical expressions while simultaneously reinterpreting them, a difficult — if not impossible — task. Yet, Ward has achieved something that sounds fresh alongside the rest of my favorite albums this year while still retaining a proper sense of perspective. For me, it all works. “One Hundred Million Years” would be comfortably at home on the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack; “Never Had Nobody Like You”, with its guitar grind and drum stomp, pulsates pure rock ‘n roll fun; covers of “Rave On” and “Oh Lonesome Me” attempt to apprehend music’s transcendent quality. The guy’s not afraid to name drop either: Lucinda Williams, Zooey Deschanel, and Jason Lytle all make cameo appearances on Hold Time. But in the end, this is still Ward’s record. And his record is a great one. In any other year, this might’ve been at the top of my list. Download this: “Never Had Nobody Like You”, “Epistemology”, “To Save Me”, “Rave On”, “For Beginners”.

1. U2 – No Line on the Horizon

It’s one thing to say this is my favorite album of the year; it’s another thing entirely to say this is my favorite U2 album. After their last two releases (2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind and 2004’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb), I wondered if No Line could possibly measure up. It did. It would’ve been easy for Bono and the boys to mail this one in; after 30 years as the best band in the world and on the heels of two critically acclaimed albums, a subpar effort was almost expected. I mean, how long can they honestly keep this up, right? But No Line plumbed enough familiar terrain to make it a U2 album, but it was risky enough to make it worth listening to. In my opinion, the band has never sounded better. The Edge plays with the ferocity of a mad man here — especially on “Breathe” and “Unknown Caller”. As always, however, Bono’s voice is the band’s greatest instrument. “I was born to sing for you/I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up,” he sings on “Magnificent”. Indeed, Bono.

There are plenty of great songs here: “Magnificent” and “Moment of Surrender” are already live staples. The understated minimalism of “Cedars of Lebanon” and the world-weariness of “Fez – Being Born” help create a sound that is much more textured than anything on How to Dismantle… or All That You Can’t Leave Behind. But the best song on the album, hands down, is “Breathe”, a timely song about fearmongering and the courage it takes to rise up against the fear that is so prevalent. Its a song about refusing to buy what they sell on talk radio and the cable news networks every day. Its about finding all that you need in the siren song of grace amid fears both local and global. Ultimately, in these uncertain times, Bono affirms “I found grace, it’s all that I found.”

In a year when my theme word, my root concept has been hope, there’s not been a refrain that’s filled my ears more often than this one. I love the wistful, hopeful line: “These days are better than that.” Download this: “Breathe”, “Moment of Surrender”, “Magnificent”, “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”, “Cedars of Lebanon”.

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