Archive for December, 2009

Be Present

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

As it turns out the internet is full. Or should be. Too bad there’s not an internet lid or “F” like there is with our gas tanks (or a gag reflex that kicks in when get gluttonous).

Certainly our brains are full. Not that we don’t care about each other, but we DON’T CARE THAT YOUR GRANOLA GOT SOGGY! (We’d love to, we’ve even tried. We just can’t.)

We’re just as guilty as the rest. (And I quote from a past Stereoreel blog.) ” “HAROLD! YOU SENT THE WRONG SALAD UP HERE AGAIN! GET ME A SOUTHWEST SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN!!”

See?

We offer this video as a challenge to you and ourselves. Let’s find some time this week to stop the craziness, forget about whether your friend posted a new video of their pet ferret, or if someone you don’t even know got an afternoon nap, and point our hearts toward the Maker.

May we suggest a reading of Psalm 27? Read it. Consider it. Chill out.

This call to worship came from a collection called Come and Worship. Read more here.

Goodbye 2009… Wait When Did You Show Up?

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

We here at Stereoreel are not totally above conformity. So, in the fashion of every moron with a blog, micro-blog, or a big mouth, we’re officially going to present our own version of an end-of-year recap and farewell.

Stereoreel Snow Bound

2009 The Year of Firsts Recap:

We played our first New Year’s show, celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary (no roses), released our first single “Lord, Help Me” to rave reviews by our friends and family, met a band called Restless Street, ate pancakes in Ohio, crabcakes in Virginia, began a creative juggernaut we lovingly call “52 Weeks”, began playing for Grace, we Cadenced, we CrossLinked, retreated, block partied, car showed, coffee shopped, and yard-saled. In the thick of this we also found time to eat burritos. God help us, we ate burritos. A little-known endeavor that we have been crafting together during these last few months: recording and mixing our song “Little Stronger” and re-recording and mixing “Same God.” It is that same God who has blessed us more than we deserve in this year.

2010 The Year the Zero Moved Aspirations:

Achieve national radio play with one of the many many songs we will release. Play a festival or 5. Work off last years burritos while simultaneously trying to match or exceed last year’s total. Rock out at a big concert. Acquire the skills to play speed metal. Respectfully refuse to play speed metal. Release a music video or two. Be fitter, happier, more productive. Set up a booth at Creation. Successfully juggle all these things with our hectic personal and alter-professional lives. After years of crawling through grassy areas, finally catch ‘em all. Build a recording loft. Publicly mock the next Twilight movie and painted abs. Build robot guitar and drum techs a la Muse. Be commissioned to write the opening song to a television series. Record the best Christmas album since A Christmas Gift to You From Phil Spector. Buy Christmas gifts without scraping the bottom of the barrel. In spite of our goals, follow God’s calling for our lives and this band.

Do better. We dare you.

52 Weeks-8: The Whole World Waits

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

Another Friday, another song!

This one inspired by a movie about the Star of Bethlehem (it’ll blow your mind), the sound of Nora Jones new album (The Fall, get it at Starbucks), the general sound and productivity of Ryan Adams (we’re trying to keep up), and the simple fact that God came to earth.

It’s a rough draft, but, given that it’s really too late for this year, maybe it’ll be ready by Christmas 2010.

Hear planets speaking and hear stars agree
The world’s ready for its king
The virgin mother’s wait is near complete
Crowned with stars and dressed in peace

Here’s the song!

This song is part of a Songwriting Exercise we’re calling 52 Weeks. Check in next Friday for yet another song. Listen and let us know what you think, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes .

We need you! If like one of these songs, please comment on our blog at Stereoreel.com. Your opinions will help us decide what’s on the next album. Even if you just want to make a suggestion, or accuse us of cryptomnesia we’d love to hear from you. (Don’t necessarily expect songwriting credit or royalties though. Sorry.)
All songs copyright 2009-2010 Stereoreel Music, LLC.

52 Weeks-7: Ring Out, Wild Bells

Saturday, December 12th, 2009

Seth sings one! This week Caleb and Google collaborate to suggest an Alfred, Lord Tennyson poem as a worthy mate to a guitar riff of Mr. Dean, Sr.’s creation. (Names containing commas are certainly the best.) Ethan joins in with the low-strung guitar. Beauty ensues.

Here’s the song!

The poem:
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

This song is part of a Songwriting Exercise we’re calling 52 Weeks. Check in next Friday for yet another song. Listen and let us know what you think, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes .

We need you! If like one of these songs, please comment on our blog at Stereoreel.com. Your opinions will help us decide what’s on the next album. Even if you just want to make a suggestion, or accuse us of cryptomnesia we’d love to hear from you. (Don’t necessarily expect songwriting credit or royalties though. Sorry.)

All songs copyright 2009-2010 Stereoreel Music, LLC.

52 Weeks-6: The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

There’s an ancient Greet lyric that I’ve been considering for awhile. I found it somewhere and loved the words, but consider the tune pretty uninspiring. Not only that, but our modern musical sensibilities require a chorus. So here you are: some old words with a new melody and a new chorus…perfectly timed, given the fact that we’re in the middle of Advent. Enjoy.

HERE’S THE SONG!
Here’s the chord chart.

Here’s the skinny on the original song.

This song is part of a Songwriting Exercise we’re calling 52 Weeks. Check in next Friday for yet another song. Listen and let us know what you think, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes .
We need you! If like one of these songs, please comment on our blog at Stereoreel.com. Your opinions will help us decide what’s on the next album. Even if you just want to make a suggestion, or accuse us of cryptomnesia we’d love to hear from you. (Don’t necessarily expect songwriting credit or royalties though. Sorry.)

All songs copyright 2009-2010 Stereoreel Music, LLC.