Music
Rhymes across time
“Hip-hop is layered prophetically, because you’re tying the past to the present.”
Stephen Sondheim’s expressions of yearning
My spirituality was shaped by this secular artist’s powerful spiritual questions.
Our staff's Christmas picks
Here at CC, we have some recommendations for your shopping list.
Brown Skin
In the midst of all the unarmed black people dying at the hands of police and the even larger problem of anti-black ideology that has normed our society, I thought it fitting to share Moe's song. Let me know what you think about his song entitled Brown Skin.
Family, by Thompson
The story of Family begins with the unlikely reunion of a married couple who once made remarkable music together but then didn’t speak to each other for years.
Love Ran Red, by Chris Tomlin
Tomlin’s latest collection of worship songs brandishes a full-band sound, yet many should adapt well to more intimate settings.
The Whole Night Thru, by Sam Llanas
Those who know Llanas from his time in the BoDeans will recognize his voice: still sharp and tough, yet infused with urgency on the leadoff track “Déjà Vu” and the plaintive rocker “The Best I Can....
Awake, by Elise Erikson Barrett
On her debut, this Duke Divinity School grad from South Carolina delivers inspired surprises to engage and delight the listener....
Does Bob Geldof know it's 2014?
I'm not a big fan of Adele's music, but this week I'm a huge fan of her as a human being.
Bob Geldof was assembling a bunch of celebrities to relive that "Do They Know It's Christmas?" glory 30 years later, but for Ebola this time. Never mind that a lot of people in Europe and North America have gotten a little more self critical in recent decades about things like paternalism, white-savior complexes, and the fact that Africa isn't one big country of backward horribleness.
The Boat That Carries Us, Peter Himmelman
Peter Himmelman is a rock ’n’ roll anomaly: an observant Jew who has long declined to play any shows on the sabbath. But this serious commitment to his faith gives his songs heft. He’s addressed brokenness, healing, and humility in songs such as “Impermanent Things” and “Mission of My Soul.” And Himmelman has a knack for melding lyrical complexity with catchy melody.
Joy in Spite of Everything, Stefano Bollani
Those who love Bill Evans or Art Blakey will relish this disc, though Stefano Bollani has his own freewheeling improv stamp....