Kris Rasmussen: April 2007 Archives

The Gospel Music Association celebrates the many faces and voices of contemporary Christian music this week with the 38th annual Dove Awards. While the award ceremony is Wednesday evening , it won’t air in (limited) national syndication until next month. Such a lag time between award show and air date, in my opinion, points to the ongoing struggle of contemporary Christian music to remain relevant as an industry.

With more and more bands that have Christian roots finding mainstream success, one might think the demand to broadcast the best Christian music has to offer would be on the rise. And maybe it would be if the GMA was showcasing many of the more well-known CCM artists such as Jars of Clay or David Crowder Band. Although both of these bands have multiple nominations, they will not be performing or presenting. In fact, I am guessing they may not even be in attendance. But these and other major Christian acts are most likely not on the award show schedule as a conscious choice on the part of the musicians to distance themselves from an industry struggling to redefine itself while still desiring to create God-centered music.

The bottom line: The tension between art, commerce, and faith means the fans miss out some great music and some great performances on what could be an amazing awards show

So since most Idol Chatter readers will not get to watch the Dove Awards this week or see their favorite artist when it does air, I am happy to provide my thoughts and predictions on who will win tomorrow, regardless of who's watching.

Song of the Year

The nominees are: "Bless The Broken Road"; "Cry Out To Jesus"; "Drifter"; "God's Still God"; "Imagine Me"; "Made To Worship"; "Me And Jesus"; "My Savior My God"; "Nothing Left To Lose"; "Praise You In This Storm"

My thoughts: While "Nothing Left To Lose" has gotten huge mainstream airplay, I think this category is a close competition between two worship songs that received massive airplay on Christian radio in the past year--"Praise You In This Storm" and "Cry Out To Jesus." Because of Third Day's long, successful career, I am going with "Cry Out To Jesus" as the winner.

Artist of the Year

The nominees are: Casting Crowns; Chris Tomlin; Jars of Clay; Stellar Kart; The Crabb Family; Third Day; TobyMac

My thoughts: I have never understood why groups are allowed in the same category with solo artists, but regardless, I think Chris Tomlin and TobyMac have little chance to win this year. It's going to be a race between Casting Crowns and Third Day, with Third Day coming out on top.

Male Vocalist of the Year

The nominees are: Aaron Shust; Chris Tomlin; Jeremy Camp; Mark Hall; Mat Kearney

My thoughts: Because I believe Aaron Shust is a slam dunk to win the New Artist of the Year award, I think this award will go to Mat Kearney over veterans like Jeremy Camp and Chris Tomlin.

Female Vocalist of the Year

The nominees are: Christy Nockels; Krystal Meyers; Natalie Grant; Nichole Nordeman; Rebecca St. James

My thoughts: This is probably the least interesting category to me, and makes me wish for the days of groundbreaking female artists like Jennifer Knapp and Ashley Cleveland. With such safe, traditional nominees, I will make a safe, traditional prediction and say that the winner will be Nichole Nordeman.

Group of the Year:

The nominees are: BarlowGirl; Casting Crowns; David Crowder Band; Jars of Clay; MercyMe
My thoughts: I don't like to ever vote against my all time favorite group, Jars of Clay, but considering a MSN Poll named the David Crowder Band as the Artist of the Year, I think they will edge out MercyMe for this one.

To check out Beliefnet's gallery of Christian music stars and to listen to music by many of this year's Dove Award nominees, click here.

Listening to pop/gospel artist Nicole C. Mullen's powerful vocal gymnastics on songs like "Call on Jesus" and "Redeemer" has long been an antidote for lifting my spirits whenever I'm feeling a little blue. So it was difficult not to feel some significant disappointment at first when I listened to her latest effort, "Sharecropper's Seed, Volume 1." This is a softer, more reflective Mullen and, after a second listen, I realized that although the album has a few stellar moments, Mullen's new, more mature style-- which focuses on spare musical arrangements--might take a little getting use to for her fans.

Mullen draws from her family experiences for several songs on "Sharecropper’s Seed," but does so effectively only on the title track, in which she tenderly looks back at her family's difficult, yet priceless, spiritual legacy. The other songs like "Baby Love" and "When I Grow Up" feel so intimate and personal that they leave the listener feeling awkwardly uncomfortable--like an outsider who is eavesdropping on a someone's private conversation.

There are also the prerequsite worship songs that Mullen's fans have come to expect, but songs like "Elohim" and "Convinced," while thoroughly enjoyable, are still too predictable and just don't have the depth of her previous work. The closest Mullen gets to her past worship efforts is on the song "Fall," in which she passionately expresses the beauty of letting go of life's troubles and relying on the grace of God.

So while I am not sure there is a memorable blockbuster on "Sharecropper," I think Mullen hits just enough emotional notes--as well as musical ones--to make keep most of her fans happy, while her mellower style may attract a few new ones.

I never had the chance to see "The Last King of Scotland," which tells the tale of psychotic Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, when it first came out. I was expecting a very different movie than the one I saw when I watched it on DVD this week.

The movie is not so much a look inside the mind of a power-hungry madman as it is a powerful commentary about the consequences of everyday people ignoring the warnings of evil taking root. In light of current events such as the Virginia Tech shooting and the ongoing White House staff investigations, I found the movie especially thought provoking and worthy of discussion. So "Last King" is my DVD pick for this weekend.

"The Last King of Scotland" begins with Idi Amin's ascendence into power after another Ugandan dictator had been overthrown. It then follows his government up until a few days before Amin himself is taken out of power and eventually exiled. However, the entire story is told through the eyes of a somewhat naive and morally shallow Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan, and it could be argued that perhaps he is the one the title of the movie is referring to. The doctor originally comes to Uganda to do relief work, but soon finds himself a close advisor to Amin--a man who claims to love Scottish people for their brave warrior-like history.

What is affecting about this drama is that Garrigan is given numerous warnings by many others
around him that Amin is not the charming man Garrigan thinks he is. He is also warned that his association with Amin will end badly if he is not careful. Yet Garrigan, even as he sees Amin's erratic behavior, continues to allow himself to be sucked into this privileged, insular world. When he does finally make a decision to escape from Amin, it is too late to do so.

The ending of the story seems to teach that change only happens when individuals stop ignoring signs of evil corruption and instead use their lives as a witness--sacrificially if necessary--to tell others about what is happening. Then the community can defend those who will be the victims of that corruption or evil. If we don't, we are as guilty as the ones perpetrating the crimes.

It's a truth that sounds so simple, but as we have been reminded this week in the news, is actually quite complicated. Or is it?

Author Kurt Vonnegut, the man best known for writing the dark, satirical novel "Slaughterhouse Five" died Wednesday at 84, leaving behind a literary legacy founded on a restless angst in search of truth. His novels and essays never stopped attacking the flaws and hypocrisies of societal institutions in all shapes and forms. His works always, in one bizarre way or another, asked the big questions about life, like "Why are we here?", "Are there consequences for our choices as a culture?", and "Where is God in all of this mess?"

It is the question of the existence of God that Vonnegut seems to have wrestled with the most in his lifetime. In interviews, he attacked evolutionists as well as Christian extremists, and in speeches referred to himself as a humanist who lived "without any expectation of rewards or punishments in an afterlife." He is a man who said, "If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music," while also once saying in a speech, "And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, 'Kurt is up in Heaven now.' That's my favorite joke."

However, if Vonnegut was never completely convinced of the existence of God, he was clear on his role as a writer. He didn't hesitate to refer to himself as a prophet in the Old Testament style of Jeremiah, trying to warn anyone who would listen that our world is on a path to a cultural and literal apocalypse. And while his razor-sharp insights and literary wit will long be treasured and discussed, in my mind, considering Vonnegut a prophet is inaccurate. Vonnegut, like so many other artists of his generation, seemed to lose sight of the fact that a true prophet not only points out the sins of society but also points the way to a greater truth that provides hope and a way out of our sin.

After several posts right here on Idol Chatter in the last few months begging and pleading for Chatter readers to watch the small town drama "Friday Night Lights," it seems NBC has finally listened to me--and you. The good news is that NBC has renewed "Lights" for at least six episodes next fall, and I am sure all of you who sent comments to me saying you finally took time to give the show a chance helped NBC make that important decision!

If, for some inexplicable reason, I still haven't convinced some of you to give the show a try, I dare you to watch last night's season finale in reruns on Bravo or on the web and try not to be moved. That's right, the season finale gave viewers two more reasons to love this series. First, the episode showcased the funny, healthy, honest marital relationship of Eric and Tami Taylor as they received news that they are--to their huge surprise--about to become parents again, just as Eric was to make a huge move to benefit his career. Once again, Eric and Tami chose each other over ambition and selfishness.

But even better than that, "Lights" reminded me that a show that is supposedly about football probably has the most intelligent, respectful portrayal of teenage girls currently on the tube. The ways that both the Ali/Landry romance and the Ali/Lila friendship finally materialized last night defied all the usual high school drama stereotypes.

So with "Lights" momentarily safe, I suggest Idol Chatter readers join me now in focusing our energies on devising a plan to convince NBC to bring back "Studio 60." Suggestions, anyone?

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