Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Jon Foreman's "Limbs and Branches"; More Daily Foot coverage

We start today's update with an article about Jon Foreman's new solo album, "Limbs and Branches." Most of it, we already know, but it's still an interesting enough read. Here it is in its entirety below:



Acclaimed Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman releases Limbs and Branches Oct. 28 on lowercase people records / Credential Recordings / EMI CMG. The full length, 12-song recording features two new tunes, “Broken From the Start” and “Over the River,” as well as the most popular hits from his widely acclaimed Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer solo EPs that have sold the equivalent of 150,000 copies to date.

Each EP serves as a chapter of Foreman’s stripped down, intimate and direct vision. It is one that begins with a foray into death and decay, but eventually transforms into reflections on growth and rebirth. All four discs were produced by Foreman with GRAMMY-nominated Charlie Peacock serving as the executive producer.

The EPs have been heralded as “Brilliant Sonic Works of Art,” “Impassioned,” “Brutally Honest” and “Fresh, New Sounding” in reviews covering a wide media spectrum from MTV, Performing Songwriter, and Plugged In to PopMatters, The Album Project and Relix, to Philadelphia Daily News, San Diego Union Tribune and Orlando Sentinel.

In addition to the critical acclaim, Foreman has developed a unique following with the best-selling EPs beyond his role as the lead vocalist for the multi-platinum selling rock band Switchfoot. Gathering over 1.4 million spins on his MySpace page, fans also helped select the songs for Limbs and Branches through www.JonForeman.com, including the current radio single, “The Cure For Pain,” from Fall. This song was also used in the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

“For the past few tours we’ve done as a band [Switchfoot], I’ve made a habit of playing a set after the show,” said Foreman prior to the release of Fall. “Many of these ‘after shows’ have been incredible experiences, a chance for spontaneous acoustic music that is completely juxtaposed to the rock band environment: no booking agent, no light show, no amps or guitar techs – just Dylan covers, some sing-a-longs, and honest stories. These projects are an attempt to create a musical conversation that mirrors that experience.”

What began as impromptu solo performances by Foreman at coffee shops, bars, cafĂ©’s and alleys around Switchfoot’s touring worldwide has continued following the release of the EPs and expanded into noteworthy performances at SXSW, New York City’s Central Park, Koffeehouse 2008 “Evening of Independence” Music Festival, Tribeca Film Festival (NY), Fishmouth Live Event and more.

Inspired by his frequent, impromptu solo sets, Foreman is a man still journeying towards self-discovery, unafraid of questioning anything in his path. Some people write songs to get famous or gain respect, but Foreman writes songs to understand himself.

“I write questioning songs,” he says. “I’m interested in reading philosophy and trying to figure things out. The melodies come to me quite easily so it’s the poets, philosophers and psalmists that help me put the melodies where they belong. The songs assist me in the challenge of knowing who I am, so the shoulders of great writers are a good place to start.”

Called a “master songwriter” by the press following the release of his EPs, Jon Foreman is currently recording songs with Switchfoot for its highly anticipated new album slated for a spring 2009 release. “I really feel that the next Switchfoot album will be our defining record,” relates Foreman. He’s also on the groundbreaking 23-city major market “Music Builds” Tour with Switchfoot that benefits Habitat for Humanity.

More information about Jon Foreman can be found at www.jonforeman.com.

Limbs and Branches track listing: 1) Your Love Is Strong • 2) Behind Your Eyes • 3) The Cure For Pain •
4) Resurrect Me • 5) Southbound Train • 6) Broken From The Start * • 7) House Of God, Forever • 8) Instead Of A Show • 9) A Mirror Is Harder To Hold • 10) In My Arms • 11) Learning How To Die • 12) Over The River *
(* New songs)


SOURCE

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More Daily Foot entries! check them out!


Phoenix, Arizona



Irvine, California


Saturday, September 27, 2008

Switchfoot - "The Early Years" Goes Gold!


This is somewhat old news (it was certified gold a year or two ago), but the band just received their golden record plaque awards for their "Early Years" compilation at the Nashville show!

Congratulations, Switchfoot! Here's to many more gold records to add to your illustrious collection.

Background: "The Early Years" was a three-cd set of the first re:think records from the band. The set included "The Legend of Chin," "New Way to Be Human," and "Learning to Breathe" all in one case, complete with original album art and lyrics booklets. It was released in 2004, after the enormous success of "The Beautiful Letdown," and was a welcome addition to new fans' Switchfoot collection.

(I myself have one, and have it sitting proudly on my dresser.)

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How's that for some awesome weekend news?? And as if that's not enough, it looks like we might be getting some sort of live DVD/documentary/TV show-esque footage of that Nashville show. Check out what Andy Barron posts on the latest Daily Foot entry:

back at the venue, things were being prepared to film tonight's show for something. i don't think we really know what it's gonna be used for quite yet, but it should look awesome with this stage setup and whatnot.

and later...

well, the camera peeps came on a good night, cause the guys pretty much owned. they threw dirty second hands in there for the first time all tour, and boy did it rule with all this new production and stuff. so good!


(Proof:)


Can't wait to see what this could possibly mean!

Friday, September 26, 2008

"The Best Yet" DVD-side tracklisting!

Switchfoot's myspace has a new header, and quite frankly, it's awesome:



Apparently, it is confusing for some people who construe the new new album to be "The Best Yet." But no, folks, that there be the true beast greatest hits record for the guys. Speaking of which, we have some new and exciting news about "The Best Yet."

(Press release taken from CMcentral.com)

Switchfoot - First Ever 'Greatest Hits' Anthology
Nashville, Tenn., September 26, 2008 -- For all their achievements, including a half-dozen acclaimed albums (with global cumulative sales of more than 5 million) and more than twice that many signature chart singles and album tracks, Switchfoot has yet to release a ‘greatest hits’ anthology. For the first time, THE BEST YET pulls together Switchfoot’s history representing all six albums they recorded on the indie re:Think Records and Columbia, where their 2003 breakthrough broke the platinum barrier.

The 18-song collection THE BEST YET, featuring one newly-released song, “This Is Home” (from the summer 2008 movie soundtrack of Disney’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting November 4th through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTER TAIN MENT, and Credential Recordings, a division of EMI Christian Music Group.

“These are songs that we would like to play for someone who has never heard of Switchfoot,” says Switchfoot member Tim Foreman. “There is quite a wide musical journey expressed in that list, and we’re very proud of that part of our history as a band. Beyond that, we’ve been digging into the vault to find rare video content for the deluxe edition, so that the hard-core fan that does decide to buy it won’t be disappointed.”

In addition to the songs, the Deluxe Edition of THE BEST YET features 14 videos, including not only its huge MTV/VH-1 played hits, but also rare and never before released for sale videos, “The Blues,” “Happy is a Yuppie Word” and “Company Car.”

The release of THE BEST YET follows (by two weeks) Switchfoot’s conclusion of the groundbreaking 23-city “Music Builds” Tour. A portion of the funds raised during the tour benefits Habitat for Humanity affiliates located in the tour cities.

Switchfoot – Jon Foreman (vocals, guitar), his brother Tim Foreman (bass, backing vocals), Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keys, backing vocals), Drew Shirley (guitar), and Chad Butler (drums) – has maintained a strong commitment to social and humanitarian causes ever since their ascendance into the rock pantheon. Since the band’s inception, they have been actively involved in such projects as DATA, Bono’s THE ONE Campaign, Invisible Children, Habitat for Humanity and To Write Love on Her Arms. They also founded the Switchfoot Bro-Am, a surfing and music benefit-event.

Although more than a dozen of the tracks on THE BEST YET are drawn from Switchfoot’s Columbia years – The Beautiful Letdown (2003), Nothing Is Sound (2005), and Oh! Gravity. (2006) – the collection also reflects the band’s earlier years. After playing only a handful of gigs around Southern California as Chin Up, the band was signed to Charlie Peacock’s new indie label, re:Think Records in 1997.

Renaming themselves Switchfoot (a surfing term), the band released their debut album in June 1997, The Legend Of Chin (with “Concrete Girl”). That year, they received an ASCAP Award and San Diego Music Award, both for Best New Artist. The industry began to take notice of Switchfoot with their second album for the re:Think label, 1999’s New Way To Be Human (“Only Hope,” “Company Car”). With New Way To Be Human, Switchfoot cracked for the first time the Billboard Heatseekers chart (at #31).

The next album, 2000’s Learning To Breathe (with “Learning to Breathe” and “Love Is the Movement”) again scaled the Heatseekers chart (#34) and received a GRAMMY Award nomination. At the San Diego Music Awards, it won Best Pop Album and the band won Best Pop Artist. In 2001, Jon Foreman went on to win the Les Paul Horizon Award for the Most Promising Up-and-Coming Guitarist.

A giant break came in 2002, with A Walk To Remember, the high school love story starring Mandy Moore. The movie soundtrack featured four cuts by Switchfoot, including “You” (from The Legend Of Chin), “Only Hope,” “Learning to Breathe,” and a new song, “Dare You To Move.” In addition to Switchfoot’s original version of “Only Hope,” Mandy Moore recorded a version that she sang in the film.

Switchfoot was on the rise. Another San Diego Music Award, Best Adult Alternative Artist for 2002, and the exposure from the movie led to their signing later on in 2002 with Columbia. The Beautiful Letdown, their first major label album, became a pop sensation, riding into the Top 20 (#16) on the Billboard 200 chart but it do not happen overnight. It took nearly a year for Switchfoot to notch their first top 40 radio hit in 2004 with “Meant To Live,” which also climbed into the top 5 on alternative radio and earned RIAA gold status. A second Top 5 hit followed six months later with “Dare You To Move,” which made ASCAP’s Top 50 list of Most Performed Songs of 2005.

In addition to “Dare You To Move” and “Meant To Live,” THE BEST YET also turns to The Beautiful Letdown for four other tracks: “This Is Your Life,” “On Fire,” “Twenty-Four,” and the title cut, “The Beautiful Letdown.” At the San Diego Music Awards, the recording earned Best Pop Album and Album of the Year honors, as well as Song of the Year for “Dare You To Move.”

The Beautiful Letdown was certified RIAA double-platinum in December 2004, and Switchfoot followed up less than a year later with the RIAA gold Nothing Is Sound, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. In addition to the RIAA gold single “Stars,” the album was the source for “Lonely Nation” and “The Shadow Proves The Sunshine.”

Switchfoot’s final Columbia album was 2006’s Oh! Gravity. (featuring the title track, “Dirty Second Hands” and the hit single “Awakening”). The album rose to #1 at iTunes, #18 on the Billboard 200 and was named Album Of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards in 2007. Switchfoot’s legions of dedicated fans eagerly anticipate their band’s new independent release in the spring of 2009.

THE BEST YET by Switchfoot (Columbia/Legacy, Credential Recordings) Selections:
1. Dare You To Move (D) •
2. Meant To Live (D) •
3. Stars (E) •
4. Oh! Gravity. (F) •
5. This Is Home (G) •
6. Learning to Breathe (C) •
7. Awakening (F) •
8. This Is Your Life (D) •
9. On Fire (D) •
10. Only Hope (B) •
11. Dirty Second Hands (F) •
12. Love Is the Movement (C) •
13. Company Car (B) •
14. Lonely Nation (E) •
15. The Shadow Proves The Sunshine (E) •
16. Concrete Girl (A) •
17. Twenty-Four (D) •
18. The Beautiful Letdown (D).

Deluxe Edition Bonus DVD Videos (Credential Recordings)
1. Dare You To Move (D)
2. Meant To Live (D)
3. Stars (E)
4. Oh! Gravity (F)
5. Awakening (F)
6. Company Car* (B)
7. We are One Tonight (E)
8. The Blues* (E)
9. Chem 6A (A)
10. New Way to be Human (B)
11. You Already Take Me There (C)
12. Happy is a Yuppie Word* (E)
13. Meant To Live (Original) (D)
14. Dare You To Move (Alternate) (D)


* Rare, never released videos

Album key:
A – from The Legend Of Chin (issued June 1997, as re:Think 51595)
B – from New Way To Be Human (issued March 1999, as re:Think 51688)
C – from Learning To Breathe (issued September 2000, as re:Think 51736)
D – from The Beautiful Letdown (issued February 2003, as RED Ink/Columbia 71083)
E – from Nothing Is Sound (issued September 2005, as Columbia 94581)
F – from Oh! Gravity. (issued December 2006, as Columbia 82880)
G – from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian original soundtrack (issued June 2008, as Walt Disney Records D00074202)



Wow, just wow. I am soo stoked. Thanks joanna from the Official Message boards!
--------------------------------

Now for some Music Builds stuff, check out this review from azcentral



Although they weren't headlining, Switchfoot at times stole the spotlight, with singer Jon Foreman's power-packed vocals articulating the message of bringing the world together through peace and love.

"There are so many people facing problems in the world," Foreman said. "If we all maintain faith, we can all band together to become stronger than we are apart."

Switchfoot had an army of devoted fans, including a fan club section ready to sing their top 40 mainstream pop hits that propelled the Christian artists from San Diego to mainstream success and helped make their 2004 release double-platinum.

Tears streamed down some audience members' faces as they sang along. Foreman walked into the crowd and began high-fiving many of his devoted fans and having them sing the hooks to We Were Meant to Live.


the rest is about the other three acts.

That is impressive, and the reviewer is so right. Switchfoot always steals the spotlight! WOOT!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

A whole lotta new Switchfoot Album Chatter! - Chad Butler talks to Alternative Addiction about the "Surprising" new record

SOURCE (full article)

San Diego rock band Switchfoot are hard at work on a new album, their first independent release on their new imprint label. As for the new album’s sound, drummer Chad Butler says fans can expect to be “surprised” when they hear it.

“It’s some new territory for us musically,” Butler told Alternative Addiction in a recent interview. “I think people are going to be surprised when they hear it, that it’s Switchfoot. I’m thrilled about it, to finally have the capacity and the freedom to do it.”

That freedom is something the band rarely experienced while signed to Columbia, where they released their previous three albums. The band has also benefitted from working on their own schedule, also a rarity for the band while on Columbia’s roster.

“There’s a certain schedule that you had to keep,” said Butler of the band’s time with Columbia. “Right now we don’t have anybody looking over our shoulder while we are in the studio; it’s completely on our own time

The band has been recording the new album in their new home studio in San Diego in between tour dates this summer. Butler says the album over 50% complete, and that they have 3 to 4 songs to still record. The album is expected to be out in the spring of 2009.


Also, listen to or download the audio interview here:

It has a lot more incite into what the Music Builds Tour has been like, as well as a lot of new information what the experience has been like while recording the brand new Switchfoot record.

Here are some highlights:

-Chad says he has been recording with as little of the full drum kit as possible. He's been using maracas, drum machines, and hip hop beats. Wow!

-Jon Foreman has been writing some songs on the piano. Wow2!

-They aren't really working on a huge hit "single" at the moment (big surprise there...), but are really focusing on the art and the album as a whole. When the time comes, "We'll figure out a song for radio."

(Site note: These highlights have been added to the "New Switchfoot Album" page.)



This is all exciting news, and I can't wait to be surprised by what the band is doing with their record. Hip hop beats... really?!

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Also, for Music Builds coverage, check out the newly updated Daily Foot!


Thursday, September 18, 2008

Jon Foreman releases track listing for "limbs and branches"

Mr. Jon Foreman has posted a new myspace blog and in it, he gives us his tracklisting for the upcoming "Limbs and Branches" CD!

Here is his blog:



Wednesday, September 17, 2008


limbs and branches

Hola folks,
We've settled in on a list of tunes for limbs and branches- thanks to everyone who put their two cents in! I used the votes and my own thoughts on the songs to come up with the following list of tunes:

Your Love Is Strong
Behind Your Eyes
The Cure For Pain
Resurrect Me
Southbound Train
Broken From The Start new guy 1
House Of God, Forever
Instead Of A Show
A Mirror Is Harder To Hold
In My Arms
Learning How To Die
Over The River new guy 2

see you out there on the road...
peace!
jon


I'm liking the tracklisting, but I'm kind of sad that "Love Isn't Made" didn't make the list. Otherwise, looking forward to the "new guys"!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Fiction Family Album Art has been Released!



www.fictionfamily.com

Taken from Nickel Creek's online store:

You may have heard about Sean and Sara's 6 year residency at the LA club, Largo. Frequent special guests include Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Greg Leisz and Fiona Apple. Thus began The Watkins Family Hour.

Besides performing live as The Watkins Family Hour, Sean has been focusing most of his attention on Fiction Family, a band he formed with Switchfoot front man, Jon Foreman. Their debut album will be released on January 20th through ATO Records, A full tour will follow, be sure to check out his website for the latest news.


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ATO Records is putting this out! Amazing! We now know Starbucks will not be putting this record out. This is sad news, considering how huge the record would've been, but ATO is the distributing label of Radiohead and Switchfoot, so it's not going to be to bad.

This is excellent news!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Legacy Recordings: "Switchfoot... The Best Yet, first ever 'Greatest Hits' Anthology gathered on beloved San Diego band"

from LegacyRecordings.com


9/15/2008 9:38:00 PM
Switchfoot

18 hit singles and signature album tracks represent all six Switchfoot albums on re: think, sparrow, and Columbia labels, 1997-2006

Available at both physical and digital retail outlets starting November 4, 2008, through Columbia/Legacy and Credential Recordings

For all their achievements, including a half-dozen acclaimed albums (with global cumulative sales of more than 5 million) and more than twice that many signature chart singles and album tracks - Switchfoot has yet to release a 'greatest hits' anthology. For the first time, THE BEST YET pulls together Switchfoot's history representing all six albums they recorded on the three principal labels of their career: the indie re:Think Records, Sparrow Records, and Columbia, where their 2003 breakthrough broke the platinum barrier.

The 18-song collection THE BEST YET - featuring one newly-released song, "This Is Home" (from the summer 2008 movie soundtrack of Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian) - will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting November 4th through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, and Credential Recordings, a division of EMI Christian Music Group.

The release of THE BEST YET follows (by two weeks) Switchfoot's conclusion of the groundbreaking 23-city "Music Builds" Tour that also stars Third Day, Switchfoot, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, and Jars of Clay. A portion of the funds raised during the tour benefits Habitat for Humanity affiliates located in the tour cities, through a multi-platform program run by Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity (HFHFH) and Live Nation, in conjunction with the artists.

Focus on 2003's double-platinum RED Ink/Columbia debut breakthrough album, The Beautiful Letdown - with "Dare You To Move," "Meant To Live," "This Is Your Life," "On Fire," "Twenty-Four," and "Beautiful Letdown". Includes "This Is Home", newly released song from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie soundtrack of summer 2008.

The Best Yet by Switch (Columbia/Legacy 8869738346 2)
Selections:

1. Dare You To Move (D)
2. Meant To Live (D)
3. Stars (E)
4. Oh! Gravity (F)
5. This Is Home (G)
6. Learning to Breathe (C)
7. Awakening (F)
8. This Is Your Life (D)
9. On Fire (D)
10. Only Hope (B)
11. Dirty Second Hands (F)
12. Love Is the Movement (C)
13. Company Car (B)
14. Lonely Nation (E)
15. The Shadow Proves The Sunshine (E)
16. Concrete Girl (A)
17. Twenty-Four (D)
18. Beautiful Letdown (D)

Album key:

A - from The Legend Of Chin (issued June 1997, as re:Think 51595)
B - from New Way To Be Human (issued March 1999, as re:Think 51688)
C - from Learning To Breathe (issued September 2000, as re:Think 51736)
D - from The Beautiful Letdown (issued February 2003, as RED Ink/Columbia 71083)
E - from Nothing Is Sound (issued September 2005, as Columbia 94581)
F - from Oh! Gravity. (issued December 2006, as Columbia 82880)
G - from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian original soundtrack (issued June 2008, as Walt Disney Records D00074202)


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Notes/Thoughts:

Legacy Recordings is the sub-label under Columbia/SonyBMG that puts out records from former artists who used to be signed to the label. Obviously, this is why Switchfoot's "The Best Yet" is getting put out by these guys.

Welp, about the article, there's nothing new here for those of us who have been around.

I notice that they have been touting "This Is Home" a lot. Perhaps its only because of the newness of the song and nothing else. Well, I have to say I'm pretty stoked.

Apologies if I sound totally unintelligent in my remarks section in this here post... I'm working on about 4 hours of solid sleep, and my macbook is on the verge of dying from a virus... WHAT THE HECK RIGHT!? INCONCEIVABLE. But yes, there's my sad excuse for an excuse... Have a great evening/day... whichever one works for you. =)

Friday, September 12, 2008

Fiction Family Release Date Set for January 20, 2009!

Yes, folks, it has been confirmed on the official Nickel Creek website. (Nickel Creek is the band from which the great Sean Watkins hails from).

SOURCE (Thanks to my great buddy, Jesse, for this great find!

Wootage. I hear that this is going to be a huge record, in terms of promotion. If Starbucks indeed is putting this thing out, we can count on it.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

"Every breath is magic...": This Is Home Movie Credits Version

Download HERE! (Thanks to "God Wins" from the official message boards for this amazing find!)

This is an interesting piece. I noticed that the lyrics in this version are drastically different from the actual Soundtrack version we have come to know and love. BUT, it is also incredibly different from the version found in the actual movie credits!

I've transposed the credits for the new version here:

"I've got my memories, always inside of me,
but I can't go back, back to how it was.
I believe you now, I've come too far,
and I cant go back, back to how it was...

Oh, oh, oh...
Oh, oh, oh...
Oh, oh, oh... I'm moving forward...

So everyday starts with a magic spark,
I've got my hopes high with second start,
we are miracles, every breath is magic...
So you give yourself away, with your miracle heart,
yeah, just to be alive is a magic art,
we are miracles, every breath is magic...

Belief over misery, I've seen the enemy,
and I won't go back, back to how it was.
And I got my heart set on what happens next,
I've got my eyes wide, it's not over yet,
we are miracles, and we're not alone...

That's when everyday starts with a magic spark,
I've got my hopes high with second start,
we are miracles, every breath is magic...
That's when you give yourself away, with your miracle heart,
yeah, just to be alive is a magic art,
we are miracles, every breath is magic..."


There you have it. The fourth version of "This Is Home" known to mankind. Weird, but I like this version too.

Rock the Universe Video; Bro-Amage (Video Reel)

Switchfoot - Learning to Breathe.



Do watch it in "hi-quality." I think it's pretty stunning.

And here's a sweet Bro-Am video.



Enjoy this short update in a time lacking in Switchfoot updates. Peace out friends!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

"jon foreman is tracking" and Answering letters!



Ah, the glories of Myspace statuses. This indeed is fine news... methinks something good this way comes... Go Jon!

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Oh, in other Jon Foreman-related news, here's the newly uploaded Profile Picture on his Myspace!



(the now-famous self-portrait)

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Lastly, (also a completely Jon Foreman news piece), here is a new blog from the Foreman dude. Read it and prepare to be amazed!

Saturday, September 06, 2008


letters to the editor 4

Hi tonya,
thanks for your thoughtful question. I like where you're coming from- trying to get at the heart of what it means to be a believer and how to best spend our time here on the planet. I don't recall ever saying that we want to be "relevant to our current culture" but it's certainly a tag we've received from others at times. here's my thoughts on the subject:

to begin, let's separate the talk about content and language for a moment.

content first: I want to create art that has timeless transcendence shining through, art that is true. It seems to me that if the subject matter is an attempt to be "relevant" it might as well be an act. There's nothing wrong with acting but I'm a horrible actor! I'm not interested. For this I meditate and pray that God would give me his words, the words that were true before time began.

language: For communication reasons, language has to be understood- current, "relevant." We need to use metaphors and icons that will be meaningful to the folks around us. We need to dive into what it means to be alive in the house, alive in the community, alive in our country. We need to invest deeply in the folks around us and give them love in ways that are meaningful to them.

the paragraph that you included says, "imagine what would have happened had they spent their time studying and conferencing about the pagan world around them." Maybe we've forgotten that paul himself studied up on greek gods. When he started his appeal for Christ in Athens he began like this: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." So he did his homework and began with common ground.

I agree with you that our current western church (including myself from time to time) is far too interested in being cool, being trendy, being relevant. But these folks might be doing the same thing you're hoping to do: namely, trying to figure out what it means to be a believer in the here and now. So talk to them about it. We can't resort to throwing rocks at the things we don't understand... especially other believers. The hand needs the foot needs the mouth needs the ear. And we all need the mind of christ. We're called to love each other and love never goes out of fashion.

Christ will never be cool. Terrifying, life-changing, shocking,
and iconoclastic, but never cool. Jesus is not my homeboy. The Gospel will always be "relevant" but never trendy.

peace,
jon


----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Tonya
Date: Aug 12, 2008 12:58 PM


First I want to say I think you are a very talented singer/songwriter. I really enjoy your music.

I have a question, I have read some articles where you were quoted as saying you were trying to be "relevent to our current culture" I don't know if this is true or not, but below you will see an excerpt of an article I recently read and I thought of you and wanted to know your opinion on such matters. I know you say your Christians in a band, not a Christian band, but I sometimes wonder if we as Christians should allow a separation/or line drawn in our lives like that. I am not trying to offend, just very curious as to your thoughts. Here's the excerpt that made me question :

Their official slogan for the conference is, "The Culture is Changing: Are You?"

So these leadership gurus busy themselves in this 8th year of the new millennium, frantically running from one conference to the next, telling pastors they need to keep changing every time the culture does. The speed with which society leaps from one fad to the next is in direct proportion to the chronic and worsening restlessness of a world that has rejected the one true God. Instead of holding up the one thing that never changes, the Word of God in its timeless clarity, these foolish men chase the wind, desperately trying to stay hip and cool, trying every carnal means at their disposal to stay clued in on the latest Big Thing, while all the time, what the world really needs is set aside. What a wicked waste of time, money and talent in this futile quest for acceptance by the world. In the polytheistic world in which the Apostles ministered, imagine what would have happened had they spent their time studying and conferencing about the pagan world around them to get clues about how to best present a "relevant" Gospel. No. They preached Christ crucified in the power of the Holy Ghost, and the world was turned upside down.

Thanks in advance if you respond,

Tonya Vakser


Welp that's it for now!

Friday, September 5, 2008

"Switchfoot spreads its wings to make next album fly..."

There's a new article from the Orlando Sentinel in which Jerome Fontamillas discusses the new record.


It's been two years since Switchfoot's most recent studio album, Oh! Gravity.

That's an eternity in the music business, but keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas isn't worried that the long stretch will tax the attention span of the band's fans. Instead, Switchfoot -- set to perform this weekend at Rock the Universe at Universal Studios Orlando -- is more concerned about taking the time to make the next album perfect. It will be the Christian band's first release since leaving major-label Columbia to launch its own independent label.

"The cool thing about being an independent band is that you can record a song and have it released right away, or you can take your time and make sure the things you want to record are right," Fontamillas says. "I know this record has taken a long time, but we want to make sure it's special, that it's good for us. And we have our work cut out for us."

That's because the recording sessions -- some of them being Webcast live on switchfoot.com -- involve sorting out some 100 potential songs. Although frontman Jon Foreman does the lion's share of the songwriting, there are also contributions from the other band members: Fontamillas, guitarist Drew Shirley, bassist Tom Foreman and drummer Chad Butler.


FULL STORY

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Jon Foreman - "Your Love Is Strong" to be a radio single...?

(Bonus Coverage)

According to this site and last week's Radio and Records stations added songs list, Jon Foreman's "Your Love Is Strong" is slated for release to Christian CHR radio in advance promotion of the full-length "Limbs and Branches."

We're looking for more official confirmation, but the song has already been added on two CHR radio stations. I'm hoping a different single will also be pushed to mainstream radio, even though that appears unlikely. We'll keep you posted.

Switchfoot rocks Texas A&M Football! Plus... Music Building...

Our friend Caleb from the official Message Boards posted this photo from the Texas A&M College Football game he was at this past Saturday.

Amazing.



Although they didn't play the song "This Is Home" during or after the game (probably because the team lost), there was a video montage in which they played "Golden" by our very own Switchfoot! Caleb also recorded the moment:



You can faintly here it playing. But great work to the Texas A&M staffers or whoever put this all together!



Honestly, I never thought "This Is Home" would become somewhat a sports anthem! What a pleasant surprise for sure.

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And, the Music Builds Tour is roaring on... here's some more daily foot entries to keep us all in the loop:

Indianapolis, Indiana




Chicago, Illinois




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Also, check out what Myspace has been doing to help spread the word on the Music Builds Tour! (thanks gellie for the screencaps)