Music and Labels: A Mini-Rant.

Discussion in 'Other Music' started by User Name, Jul 11, 2005.

  1. #1
    User Name

    User Name Angry Marines. Always angry, all the time. >:C LPA Super Member

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    To call bands like Project 86, blindside, and Anberlin 'Christian rock', not only are you putting them in a box, but you're also applying a religion to music. Music is not human; it cannot hold a faith. Think of how ridiculous it would sound if someone said that the note, B flat, was Muslim.

    A faith can have an influence in what you write, but do you ever see it jump and down and say "Hey look! I'm Christian!"? Let me just put it this way: You'd have a better chance at winning the lottery than to see that happen.

    In fact, the whole idea of genres is completely absurd. Putting a name on a band just makes them seem so one-dimensional, you know? What do you guys think?
     
  2. #2
    $pvcxGhxztCasey

    $pvcxGhxztCasey meanwhile... LPA Addicted VIP

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    To call bands like Project 86, blindside, and Anberlin 'Christian rock', not only are you putting them in a box, but you're also applying a religion to music. Music is not human; it cannot hold a faith. Think of how ridiculous it would sound if someone said that the note, B flat, was Muslim.

    A faith can have an influence in what you write, but do you ever see it jump and down and say "Hey look! I'm Christian!"? Let me just put it this way: You'd have a better chance at winning the lottery than to see that happen. [/b][/quote]
    What about gospel music?
     
  3. #3
    User Name

    User Name Angry Marines. Always angry, all the time. >:C LPA Super Member

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    Falls under the same category. It's spiritually influenced.
     
  4. #4
    minusxerø

    minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

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    What about gospel music? [/b][/quote]
    I was about to comment about genres and how the whole aspect is ridiculous, but Casey's offcomment just shot this mini-rant to shit (the whole religious aspect, at least).

    EDIT: Gospel music is all about praising God, from what I know. "Praise the Lord" and all that jazz.

    Music ABOUT the religion... hmm.
     
  5. #5
    $pvcxGhxztCasey

    $pvcxGhxztCasey meanwhile... LPA Addicted VIP

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    But it doesn't talk about anything else but religion. Yeah it does play a role in the music, but religion is practically the music to that genre.
     
  6. #6
    Atsuzen

    Atsuzen Super Member LPA Super Member

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    :lol:


    I just don't get the idea of how people can label a band under 'Christian Rock'. Yeah, sometimes their song writing do get influenced by their faith/ religion and stuff, but conclude that they're a Christian band?

    As for genres, well ... it helps me sort my music better. :whistle:
     
  7. #7
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    I was going to say something but I still don't entirely get what you mean.

    When someone calls Project 86 a Christian Band, it isn't necessarily because they're music has Christian beliefs in it but the band follows Christian beliefs.

    Other than that...Project 86, Pillar, and Anberlin are all in the Christian section at every FYE I've been to...though I don't understand why.
     
  8. #8
    minusxerø

    minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

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    Well, to counter-point (not really, but hey), a lot of chord progressions and scales have been associated with ethnicity. Like a lot of Japanese, Chinese, and Southern Asian music are on the same major, minor, etc. scale, and progress the same.
     
  9. #9
    User Name

    User Name Angry Marines. Always angry, all the time. >:C LPA Super Member

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    But it doesn't talk about anything else but religion. Yeah it does play a role in the music, but religion is practically the music to that genre. [/b][/quote]
    So, say that someone talked about Islam for a awhile; explained their beliefs, origins, who their leader was, whatever. Now, replace the whole idea of music in your post with an actual person. Under your logic, that person must be Islamic, but he/she is not. See what I'm trying to get at?

    Christian's in a band. Believe me, this definition makes a lot more sense.
     
  10. #10
    minusxerø

    minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

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    Here are some Gospel lyrics for you.



    <!--QuoteBegin--Have Thine Own Way
    @ Lord
    Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
    Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
    Mold me and make me after thy will,
    while I am waiting, yielded and still.
    [/quote]

    <!--QuoteBegin--Jesus Loves Me

    Jesus loves me! This I know,
    for the Bible tells me so.
    Little ones to him belong;
    they are weak, but he is strong.
    [/quote]

    Now tell me Gospel music isn't religious. :lol:

    EDIT: Oh, and further evidence. I did a search for 10 Gospel songs and you know what my results were?

    Jesus Loves Me
    Amazing Grace
    Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
    We Gather Together
    Anointing Fall on Me
    Awesome God
    Have Thine Own Way, Lord
    Holy, Holy, Holy
    I Am Thine, O Lord
    I Need Thee Every Hour
     
  11. #11
    User Name

    User Name Angry Marines. Always angry, all the time. >:C LPA Super Member

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    The only thing that it's really showing me Minus is that the writers of those songs were heavily influenced by their faith. A song doesn't automatically become religious because of that; it can't.
     
  12. #12
    Joe

    Joe It's all the same to me LPA Administrator

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    Alter Bridge are not a "christian" band. ;) If you can find any links to the christian faith and this band BuriedxTragedy i'd like to see them.
     
  13. #13
    Heavy is the Louis

    Heavy is the Louis No really, we are so back. LPA Team

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    I do agree with the whole idea of how if a band's songs are influenced by religion, it doesn't necessarily make them fit under the category of Christian Rock or Muslim Rock or Jewish Rock or anything.

    But genre's are made not to judge a band, it's more or less to minorly define a band's music. For example, a band like...let's see, The Killers. They play Indie Rock music, but they aren't necessarily considered to be a downright Indie Rock band.

    But Cameron, genre's are not neccesarily to put a name on a band, it's more or less to put a name on the band's music. That's how I view it.

    Exactly it, my friend.

    So, I agree with Cameron, but you've got it a bit wrong. It doesn't put a name on the band, it puts a name on the music they make.

    EDIT: But you also mention that music does not have beliefs, obviously true. Oh God, now I sound like I keep changing my point...

    *sigh*

    Of course, music does not have beliefs, but saying a certain type of music is Christian Rock or Rap, it's sort of correct. I mean, if it involves Christianity, by all means, it's Christian. Now, it'd be more right to say it's Christianity-involved, but it's the label they have for it.
     
  14. #14
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    Alright, If you're going to be that way about it...

    http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/gli...dayremains.html

    Wind-Up claims that they're not a Christian band but even a Christian website (Christian magazines and such are usually very critical of bands) says that their lyrics seem highly faith-based.
     
  15. #15
    Joe

    Joe It's all the same to me LPA Administrator

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    Alright, If you're going to be that way about it...

    http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/gli...dayremains.html

    Wind-Up claims that they're not a Christian band but even a Christian website (Christian magazines and such are usually very critical of bands) says that their lyrics seem highly faith-based. [/b][/quote]
    :lol: That is ridiculous, it's picked out a few lines from songs and related them to christianity, you could do that to any bands lyrics if you tried. It's all about interpretation, and i don't interpret their lyrics as being christian at all, that site was just looking for links between the lyrics and the christian faith, and your bound to find some if you're trying to.

    The best part about that article is the way they try to influence the reader into thinking they're a christian band because they "thank God a couple of times in the linear notes", that made me laugh, a lot of bands thank god, that doesn't automatically make them a christian band. ;)

    That article is nothing but speculation & interpretation, and is in no way proof that they are a "christian band".
     
  16. #16
    Ant

    Ant Ambient

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    Alright, If you're going to be that way about it...

    http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/gli...dayremains.html

    Wind-Up claims that they're not a Christian band but even a Christian website (Christian magazines and such are usually very critical of bands) says that their lyrics seem highly faith-based. [/b][/quote]
    Christian websites like to say that about everything...

    ...oh, since this song seems to be abstractly related to religion, it's a Christian band! Oh,

    ...oh, since that movie has a gun in it, it's satanic!

    Alter Bridge aren't a Christian band. The members are Christian, but it's not Christian music.
     
  17. #17
    Chris.

    Chris. LPA Super Member Über Member

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    Christian websites like to say that about everything...

    ...oh, since this song seems to be abstractly related to religion, it's a Christian band! Oh,

    ...oh, since that movie has a gun in it, it's satanic!

    Alter Bridge aren't a Christian band. The members are Christian, but it's not Christian music. [/b][/quote]
    Hence forth, why I would call them a Christian Band. Because the Band themselves, are Christians. Like I stated in my earlier post, just because the band is labelled a Christian band, it doesn't mean they're labelling the music.
     
  18. #18
    Methybrea

    Methybrea Well-Known Member

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    I think labels are dumb, but genres are not. All music (or literature, for that matter) follows a set of conventions, and each genre has different conventions...I mean jazz and rap are very different: jazz focuses on improvisation and is usually very sophisticated musically/harmonically; rap is fairly simple, if not minimal in this department. The structures of the songs, the mood, and the instruments that are used are very different, as well. I think we need genres like this to be able to categorize different conventions, just like we say that such-and-such a book is romance and another is a suspense novel.

    I see your point when you talk about labels like Christian rock though. There's a fine line as to what Christian rock is (as there can be many interpretations of it) and many of these labels come with some really dumb stereotypes (such as saying System of A Down is bad because they are "nu-metal" another dumb label/stereotype). All in all, I think that is how are mind works, but I think some people are really pigeonholed into a specific way of thinking with labels.
     
  19. #19
    savetomorrow

    savetomorrow Well-Known Member

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    Jewish Rock would be so awesome.

    Barmitzvah Heights - Jerusalem Is For Lovers
     
  20. #20
    Ant

    Ant Ambient

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    Hence forth, why I would call them a Christian Band. Because the Band themselves, are Christians. Like I stated in my earlier post, just because the band is labelled a Christian band, it doesn't mean they're labelling the music. [/b][/quote]
    No, actually, calling a band a "Christian Band" normally is indicative of the music.
     

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