Music Review:  Neon Porch Extravaganza (EP) – Crowder
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This surprise new live recording available exclusively from iTunes from Crowder features six songs, five of them from his excellent 2014 release Neon Steeple (one of my favorites from last year), plus a video of one of them. The songs were recorded on the front porch of Crowder’s home church, Passion City Church in Atlanta, where Louis Giglio is the pastor. The songs came off so well Crowder decided to release them on iTunes. The album cover art features Kenny Rodgers, the Artic Fox, Crowder’s touring sidekick.

The album features excellent live high-energy versions of “My Beloved” (watch this video of the song being performed. Note: the video is not included on the EP), “I Am”, “Come As You Are”, and “Hands of Love” from Neon Steeple. It also features Crowder’s cover of Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home”. That’s right, Crowder covers a Drake song. Although Drake sings it to a girl, in his interpretation, Crowder sings to the Lord and to believers:

I got my eyes on you
You’re everything that I see
I want your high love and emotion endlessly
I can’t get over you
You left your mark on me
I want your high love and emotion endlessly

So just hold on we’re going home (going home)
Just hold on we’re going home (going home)
It’s hard to do these things alone (things alone)
Just hold on we’re going home (going home, going home)

Also included is a new version of “Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains) featuring a powerful rap from Tedashii. A video of this performance is also included.

All in all, you get a lot of value (six songs, including the video) and 25 minutes of music for just $4.99 on iTunes. Can’t wait for the next studio release from Crowder.

Caroline. Watch Jon Foreman perform his song “Caroline” from his The Wonderlands: Sunlight EP as he tests out the Fender Acoustic SFX amplifier.

Go Tell It On the Mountain. Watch this video of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” from Keith and Kristyn Getty’s new Christmas album Joy: An Irish Christmas LIVE.

Noel. Watch the video of Lauren Daigle performing “Noel” from Chris Tomlin’s new album Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship.

• Ashley Cleveland on the Eric Metaxas Show. Listen to Grammy Award-winning singer, and one of my favorites, Ashley Cleveland share her story and talks about her memoir Little Black Sheep. Ashley will be returning to the Jesus House locally as she films a documentary about her life on November 27.
• God is Glorified in Our Weakness. In three minutes, Trip Lee explains how he’s seen God’s strength glorified in his weakness. He encourages believers to embrace their weakness and rest in God’s strength.
• This mashup is going to “funk you up.” In a new remix of Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,”  Nerd Fest UK shows just how well the catchy single pairs with 100 movie scenes from the Golden Age of Hollywood. With the 2015 single in the background, this mashup perfectly pairs the music with the moves of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly. Don’t believe us? Just watch!
• Hear Dion, Paul Simon Duet on Heartfelt ‘New York Is My Home’. Watch the two music legends sing this new song, interspersed with scenes of New York City. This is the title cut from Dion’s February, 2016 album.
• Greatest Hot 100 Songs & Artists of All Time: Chubby Checker’s ‘The Twist’ & The Beatles Reign. Billboard magazine recently released an update of their all-time songs and artists.

Music Quotes:

• It’s better to create something that others criticize than to create nothing and criticize others. Lecrae
• Is it just me or are newer iPhones jetting worse at spellunking wurdz? Matt Maher

Clothed in Righteousness – Jeff Lippencott and R.C. Sproul

This week we begin our countdown to our annual “My Favorites” listing with our #5 song of the year. The words are by theologian R.C. Sproul and the music by Jeff Lippencott. It is from the sacred music album Glory for the Holy One. It’s a hymn I sang a few times at Ligonier National Conferences and in worship services at Saint Andrews Chapel before this album was released. You can listen to the song here.

Fallen race in Eden fair
Exposed and full of shame
Fled we naked from Thy sight
Far from Thy holy Name

Refrain

Clothe us in Your righteousness
Hide filthy rags of sin
Dress us in Your perfect garb
Both outside and within

Sent from the garden in the east
Outside of Eden’s gate
Banished there from Thy pure light
Were Adam and his mate

Scarlet souls are now like snow
By Thy atoning grace
Crimson hearts become like wool
For Adam’s fallen race

Refrain

No work of ours is good enough
For evil to atone
Your merit, Lord, is all we have
It saves, and it alone

Refrain

Next week we’ll look at our #4 song of the year.