The days are evil but my ipod isn't

A while back, I bought an 80-gig ipod. At the time, I really hoped it wouldn't be a waste of money; in fact, I had hopes of it being a help and blessing to my spiritual life. Towards that hope, I have delved into the world of podcasting: investigating, subscribing, unsubscribing and listening to a lot of different podcasts. In the end, I'm very happy with what I'm able to listen to every week. I thought some of you may be interested in this list of my regular downloads.

Preachers
-Joel Beeke
-Mark Driscoll
-Sinclair Ferguson
-Thabiti Anyabwile
-Ted Donnelly
-R.C. Sproul (Renewing Your Mind)
-Alistair Begg (Truth for Life)
-Several RPCNA Pastors (see reformedvoice.com)

Lectures
-Covenant seminary's church history
-Covenant seminary's preaching class
-Sovereign Grace Leadership Series

Fun/Humor
-NPR's Car Talk
-Best of YouTube

Culture/Music/Other
-This American Life
-NPR's live concert podcast
-NPR's All Songs Considered
-NPR's Science Friday
-Mahalo Daily
-Paste Culture Club
-National Geographic's Wild Chronicles
-Grammar Girl

What am I missing? What podcasts help you or encourage you in some way?

I'm almost 30

I'm listening to Bruce Hornsby on Pandora right now. And I really like it. Perhaps adulthood has its perks. Like not being required to hate piano pop anymore. Billy Joel, watch out.

Magazine

This week only, you can subscribe to Paste magazine for $_.__! They're letting folks name their price. Everybody wants to be like radiohead.

I love Paste magazine - it's a thoughtful and fun journal of culture. I find more great music with them than anywhere else (they send a free [and good] sampler CD each month). I've never seen an offensive photograph in their pages; the content is adult, but most often in a good way. They often review significant Christian artists. Etc. You should subscribe. (ht: Lynard)

What my brain is eating

Here are some things entering into my brain these days:

The Narnian, by Alan Jacobs - this is sort of an intellectual biography of C. S. Lewis. It is, without qualification, excellent. After fifty pages, I thought Jacobs was very smart. After 100 pages, he started to make me smarter. I especially have been appreciating his explanation faery (an English literary construction - important for all y'all who don't like fairy stories). The title reflects Jacobs thesis, that Narnia was place Lewis inhabited, spiritually and intellectually, and the books he wrote flowed from his God-enchanted worldview; I want to live in Narnia. They have talking mice. With swords.

Handel's Messiah by the London Philharmonic Orchestra - Goose bumps covering goose bumps.

Ringing Bell, Derek Webb - Paste magazine gave Webb's new CD 5 stars, which prompted my purchase. It's a trim, 30-minute pop music masterpiece. Smart songwriting and good music. Let's hear it for Christians who've moved their art past kitsch.

Depression: A Stubborn Darkness, Ed Welch - My respect and appreciation for Ed Welch continues to rise. His excllent book on addictions should be required reading for anyone interesting in killing idols. This book on depression is gracious and gentle and Christ-centered. He doesn't run to quick solutions or hurtful platitudes about depression. If you fight depression or love folks who do, please buy this book and read it with them.

I'll be at synod next week, accompanied by my laptop. If you luck out, I just might post some updates; last year, I did updates in haiku. This year, I'm considering limericks. Or, if I'm really, really crazy, iambic pentameter.

7-word album reviews

The Black Crowes, Freak 'n' Roll...Into the Fog (live at the Fillmore) - The best live rock album ever. Maybe.

Tom Petty, Highway Companion - To be played with windows rolled down.

Madeleine Peyroux, Half the Perfect World - Norah Jones with jazz cred. And romantical.

R.E.M., And I Feel Fine...the Best of the I.R.S. Years (1982-1987) - Learn well, young friends; the eighties rocked.

Norah Jones, Not Too Late - Slow doesn't always mean boring. Does here.

Taj Mahal, Shake Sugaree: Taj Mahal Sings and Plays for Children - Taj rescues your children from musical ignorance.

Umphrey's McGee, Safety in Numbers - Jamband; uptight, eighties version of Phish. Awesome.

1978 was a banner year. Clearly.

Country Soul

It's been a while since I've foisted my musical tastes upon you (I think I'm still bitter that you haven't bought Derek Trucks' album yet). Anyway, here's a doozy: a country album by the king of soul, Solomon Burke, the King of Rock and Soul.

This is quality stuff. Who knew soul singers and country went so well together? Mind you, this isn't country you'll hear on Hank-FM or whatever you have floating through the airwaves. This is vintage country, tears-in-your-uh-lemonade country. Not twangy, but vintage.

Nashville's producer, Buddy Miller, found a great balance between slow ballads, hoe-downs and country rockers. He also found several incredible guests: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch and Patty Loveless.

If you're shopping for some new music to make you smile, tap your toes a little and sing along in your best soul singer impression, this is it.