Seeds To Trees » music

What I’m Listening To: Enfield – O For That Day

lynn — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:31:53 +0000

If you were fortunate to go to Resolved 2008 in Palm Springs, no doubt you were probably floored by the worship in music. I was blown away by the musicianship and the professionalism of all the folks on stage. They were modest, humble, yet rocked the building inspiring those to lift their voices to God even if it meant struggling to hit that super high range that John (lead) tends to reside in.

So that worship band released a heavenly themed CD dubbed ‘O For That Day’ and it has been on loop in my car for the last week or so. Besides being just catchy music and melodies, it really has deep messages and theological references to Heaven itself. This in my opinion, takes their album from a mere studio production to work of art.

Review
The band’s name Enfield is in reference to Enfield, MA which is the location where which Jonathan Edwards (theologian) preached his famous sermon entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This album, I believe, was made for the purpose of being released and introduced in a worship setting at the Resolved 2008 conference on the subject of Heaven and Hell. So aptly named “O For That Day” it references to the many sights, sounds, and feelings that are described to Christians in the Bible.

The title track is an upbeat rock track with a very active string quartet and raging electric guitars. It has an awesome outro instrumental that always tempts me to crank it when I hit that section. Another track, “Unfailing Grace” is a lot more subdued, utilizing a more delicate touch on the piano with a emotional violin melody. They even have a track, “Wayfaring Stranger” that very closely resembles Field Hollers or perhaps even gospel spirituals.

All in all, the album consists of strong drum beats, creative string riffs, and solid vocals throughout. It leaves very little to be desired if anything. It is a well written, well produced album and I hope it continues to inspire those wondering about the reality of heaven (and at the same time the realities of hell).

Rock on Enfield, see you at Resolved 2009. I hope you put up another album as good as this one up by then!

The Autumn Film Releases Another FREE EP

lynn — Sun, 18 May 2008 19:50:21 +0000

I’ve been a fan of these guys since I first saw them live. The Autumn Film has a very unique blend of sounds (two synths, violin, electric, rock-solid drummer, and a silky smooth voice that is Tifah). Their new songs consistently have fresh melodic outlooks and although are reminiscent of mainstream bands, they always seem to have their own spin on things. Just the other day they released their new Grey EP that they had promised a while back. I heard all these songs live and they were great then too.

Get their new Grey EP here. And don’t forget to get the So Loved EP on the same page. Free rocks!

Monterey Stratocaster – In Love Once Again

lynn — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:43:17 +0000

My love for guitars first started about six years ago when I was searching for an instrument to keep me busy during college. Naturally everyone played the guitar in the dorms so I thought it’d be a good instrument to learn so that when ever you see one laying around you can pick it up, bust out with some song and use that to start a conversation with the nearby people.

Since then, anyone of my close friends will tell you that my love has turned into an obsession. When I first got into electric guitar, my natural role model was Jimi Hendrix. I mean, what electric guitarist doesn’t follow Jimi Hendrix to some extent? After a while I started reading up on the history of Jimi’s playing: his pioneer usage of the fuzz pedal, the Marshall stack, and studio effects. The one thing that stood out the most was the guitars he used, primarily the strat that he painted and played (and burnt and smashed) at the 1967 Monterey Pop festival.

Here’s a snippet from Wikipedia concerning the significance of that performance:

From Wikipedia (Monterey Pop Festival):

The festival may have become legendary because of the first major American appearances by Jimi Hendrix (who was booked on the insistence of board member Paul McCartney) and the Who. Jimi Hendrix huddled backstage before the Monterey Pop Festival with Pete Townshend, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones. When Townshend insisted that Hendrix headline over the Who that day, Hendrix said, “I’m going to have to pull out all the stops.” Hendrix then blazed through a 45-minute set capped by setting his guitar afire, then smashing it and throwing the remnants into a delirious crowd who were watching Hendrix’s first-ever American show.

Popout

Of all the stratocasters I’ve always wanted (no, make that of all the GUITARS I’ve ever wanted PERIOD), the Monterey Pop strat was it. Today, my little dream of owning one was realized as three years of collecting parts and supplies came together, assembled by a magician of sorts (Chris at K-Line Guitars) arrived in a humble Fedex box this morning at work. I couldn’t believe it when I took it out and to tell you the truth, it came out BETTER than I had expected. The neck was finished beautifully and the fret work was impeccable. The body looked as good as it did when I sent it to Chris and even better with all the hardware put together on it.

I played it tonight and at first I was trying to not expect too much since I didn’t want to be let down if it didn’t sound right. However, a combination of the light 2pc Alder body and the solid, quartersawn maple/rosewood neck paired with the unbelieveable Jason Lollar Tweed pickups, I soon found that it was the best strat I’ve ever played. Not only did the neck play effortless but the tones coming out were bell-like and crystal clear.

Am I happy? You bet, this project couldn’t have gone any smoother and I want to thank Chris, the guys at Musikraft for such a killer neck, and Paul who did the extraordinary artwork. Thank you all for supplying the necessary parts to finally give me my dream guitar.

During those 3 years I had lost hope that I would ever own a Monterey Pop strat because I had never had the time to finish one for myself. Now, I’m in love with this guitar all over again.

The Autumn Film

lynn — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:49:15 +0000

I just saw The Autumn Film at the Dream Street Live venue in Ocean Beach. They are playing at the Epicentre in Mira Mesa on Saturday 3/29 so go check them out if you’re in town.

The Autumn Film is a band based out of Colorado. The have a great sound (think Coldplay, Snow Patrol, maybe even Radiohead) and Tifah’s voice is spectacular. The band’s playing is creatively refreshing. Amidst the layering and looping, there is a strong backbeat and a catchy melody. The band really has it going and I’m sure they would appreciate it if you went to go check them out.

They are also playing at Flood during all four of their services on Sunday 3/30 so hit that up too.