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52 Weeks-Episode 16: Look Now

Caleb Nei — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:06:16 +0000

We are a bit behind, we know. But better late than dead.

Our Palm Sunday song tries to capture the crazy wonder of Jesus entry into Jerusalem, the shouting children before and behind, the crowds waving palm branches and crying “Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Meanwhile, Jesus still goes into the temple, drives out the money changers, and heals the blind and lame. All this while he know he’s going to die within the week!

One meaning of Hosanna is “save us.” It’s in this spirit we sing.

Here’s the mp3.
Here’s the chord chart.

52 Weeks-Episode 15: Pray for Grace

Seth Dean — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:48:16 +0000

A song about struggle. A song about overcoming by God’s gift of grace the lie that we need to be good enough on our own before we can be forgiven.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! -Romans 7:18-25a

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. -Ephesians 2:8-9

Download the mp3 here.

Pray for Grace
You know what I say
You know what I’m really like
I’ve been in a bad way
Stayed there way too long

I battle my mind
I battle my secret life
My spirit is abhorred
My flesh is way too strong

Please hear what I say
I know you’re the only right
But I’m stuck in these bad ways
And all I write is wrong

Please shatter my mind
‘Cause I am worldly wise
Please teach me to love
‘Cause I’m just a clanging gong

I’m tired of trying
I can do no good on my own
Teach me of love; teach me of grace
And please save my soul!

Save my soul!

Once guilty as sin
Now free from its deadly price
My serpentine exploits
all start to come undone

I know you as mine
And I am finally yours
Resplendent redemption
I’m free and death is gone!

I’m tired of trying
I can do no good on my own
Teach me of love; teach me of grace
And please save my soul!

Save my soul!

Don’t know how long I’d spent just scratching at the surface of love
Failing at trying to impress the world to get to my goal
Your grace and mercy taught me that you’d take me with all my flaws
You choose to love my worst disgusting when you save my soul!

Save my soul!

Ethan Dean and Seth Dean

This song is part of an 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. Your opinions will help us decide what’s on the next album. Copyright 2009-2010 Stereoreel Music, LLC.

52 Weeks-Episode 14: Nothing

Caleb Nei — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:16:40 +0000

…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. -Jesus, quoted in Luke 14:33

A few lines of a Tolkien poem + the words of Jesus + a dark, distorted piano + a 100-year blizzard + Caleb, Seth and Ethan + a heartfelt desire = Nothing. It’s this week’s song.

Download the mp3, Nothing, here.

Nothing
All that’s gold does not glitter
All who wander aren’t lost
And saints before me endeavored
Even though it cost them

Everything, everything
Though it cost them everything they owned

When I find a true treasure
Worth a significant price
I don’t have much to offer you
So I’m willing giving

Everything, everything
I will give You everything I am
Everything, everything
I will give You everything I am

Crowning thorns may be glorious
A splendor worth every pain
Jesus, you’ve been victorious
Trusting You I will gain

Everything, everything
Surely I’ll gain everything I need
Everything, everything
I know that I’ll gain everything I need
Everything, everything
Jesus you are everything I need

There is nothing I shouldn’t give

Caleb Nei and Seth Dean

52 Weeks-Episode 13: This Is How It Feels

Caleb Nei — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:59:26 +0000

Here we go again! Week thirteen: This Is How It Feels.

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. -Genesis 2:8-9

Download it here.

And the “making of” video:

The lyrics, for your approval:

A wildly verdant garden
Filled with splendid fruit
I breathed the gentle atmosphere
Oh, to be with you

Brilliantly, your presence
Sends a bolt right through
This quivering, beating heart of mine
Every day is new

This is how it feels to be here right now with you
This is how it feels to be here right now with you

I wouldn’t mind forever
From just this point of view
You and me together
The elation that ensues

This is how it feels to be here right now with you
This is how it feels to be here right now with you
This is how it feels to be here right now with you
This is how it feels to be here right now with you

I fell in just an instant
I ate illegal fruit
All the things, my pleasure
Begin to fade from view

Aaaaaaaaaugh!
Aaaaaaaaaugh!
Aaaaaaaaaugh!
Aaaaaaaaaugh!

Though I felt forsaken
Blinded and confused
Though my faith was shaken
Still, I cried to you

Yeaaaaaaaaaah!
Yeaaaaaaaaaah!
Yeaaaaaaaaaah!
Yeaaaaaaaaaah!

They say today
If I hear today
The intended bond
Can be remade

Caleb Nei and Seth Dean

This song is part of an 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 .

52 Weeks-Episode 12: Heaven’s Fire

Caleb Nei — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:25:48 +0000

A bit of a bonus this week! Audio and video versions. Twofer! Heaven’s Fire is inspired by a recent reading of the book of Acts. Simply listen to the song or watch the video to hear Seth talk more about what he was thinking when he wrote it.

The mp3 of the song is here.

With Heaven’s fire on the ceiling
And the air as thick as violence loud
There’s amalgamated breathing
In foreign voices that address a crowd.

Drunken foolishness, look how they talk so!
Old men seers and the young men dream?
How a cloud could be a miracle
Things aren’t always as they always seemed

Sound good news
In joyful jubilation
Everything now new
The rooftop revelations
Resounding through hearts’ darkened halls
Greek and Jew: God’s son can save us all
Save us all!

Now Prison doors are shaking fearless
Static bodies move again to life
Useless legs no longer needless
Simple men now unafraid to die

I don’t know what we’re not doing anymore
That our faith is less than great renown.
Are we shamed to name our Savior?
Do we love our power more than God’s?

This song is part of an 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.
Copyright 2009-2010 Stereoreel Music, LLC.

52 Weeks-Episode 10: Starlight, Alright (Done Right)

Caleb Nei — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:57:10 +0000

Our good friend Lisa pointed out that last week’s recording sounded like detritus. She was, of course, correct and now we’ve tried to remedy that pitiable situation. (Don’t ask what the song means. We don’t know. We’re hoping a proper lyric will show up sometime. Meanwhile, enjoy the catchy jangle of the Hummingbird.) Peace out.

Starlight, Alright (Done Right)

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

Caleb Nei — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:21:49 +0000

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.)

52 Weeks-Episode 5: Waiting For You (Tangerine)

Caleb Nei — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:47:55 +0000

There’s a tangerine glow on the skyline
An indistinct morning horizon
And still I am waiting for you
Still I am waiting for you…

HERE’S THE SONG!
And the chord chart…

52 Weeks-3: Won’t You Bring to Mind

Caleb Nei — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:12:32 +0000

Week 3. So far so good! I even have week 4 done. Look for that in a few days. Meanwhile enjoy:

Won’t You Bring to Mind

This song is part of a Songwriting Exercise we’re calling 52 Weeks. For the next year, we’ll write a song every Friday. Listen and let us know what you think.
Like it? (Or not?) Leave a comment at Stereoreel.com. Your opinions will help us decide what songs actually make it to the next album. We’d love to hear from you.

PS- We’re the proud parents of a baby iTunes podcast! Subscribe here.

52 Weeks-1: I Will Not Go

Caleb Nei — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:57:37 +0000

Ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, aliens, pets, and music-loving house plants. We offer this offering: A song. Written just for you. But it’s not just the song, but the promise of more. Fresh. Each week. For a long time. Yes, we plan on writing a song every week for the next year. It’s a Herculean undertaking, but we, being descendants of Hercules (and you though he was a Myth), think we’re up to it.

In fact, we relish the challenge (though we might rather say “pudding” since that’s what our brains sometimes feel like after writing an entire song in a single day). So, we offer to you this: SONG NUMBER ONE. It’s a song inspired by the heart of King David, a certain Hummingbird guitar, the God who protects and sustains, and the key of Bb (including a very cool Em7(b5) chord.

We’d love this project to be a conversation with you so…leave a comment. Let us know how we did. If you’ve got ideas for improvements, we’re open to hearing them. Your opinions will help us decide what songs actually make it to the next album and which ones end up on the studio floor. Even if you just want to accuse us of cryptomnesia we’d love to hear from you. (Don’t necessarily expect songwriting credit or royalties though. Sorry.)

Coming soon: an iTunes podcast.
Don’t feel like watching the video? Love this song so much you want to download it to you iPod? Here’s the audio:

I Will Not Go

Want to play along? Here’s the chord chart. And the capo chart.