Die Weihnachtszeit fängt so langsam aber sicher an. Es wird wieder früher dunkel, es wird kälter, der Schnee fällt gegebenenfalls, es wird Glühwein getrunken und gegessen und natürlich darf eines nicht fehlen: Der Stress um die Geschenke. Was habe ich hier nun aufgezählt? Hat das alles was mit Weihnachten zu tun? In der heutigen Zeit ist dies das Bild von einer Zeit, die uns besinnlich auf die Geburt unseres Christkönigs vorbereiten soll. Jedoch keine Spur von dem eigentlichen Grund, weswegen man Weihnachten feiert.

Der Geburtstag Jesu Christi ist der eigentliche Grund dieser besinnlichen, ruhigen und schönen Zeit. Es soll uns auf seine Geburt vorbereiten. Ein Rätsel in meinen Augen ist es auch, warum Menschen sich eigentlich beschenken lassen, wenn sie doch gar keinen Geburtstag haben? Wäre es nicht viel besinnlicher und schöner, Jesus ein Geschenk zu machen? Wäre es nicht viel fröhlicher, wenn man nicht so viel an materielles denken würde? Jesus ein Geschenk machen durch beispielsweise fasten wie in der österlichen Fastenzeit?

 Opiate Sun EP by Jesu

2009 (4 tracks, 25:55)

rock

Jesu’s latest release is a four song EP entitled Opiate Sun.  For non-fans, Jesu is the brainchild of Justin Broadrick, founding guitarist of grindcore granddaddies Napalm Death.  He later helped to start another genre with the punishing industrial crunch of Godflesh.  Since 2003, Broadrick has been front and center in Jesu, where he’s been tapping into what he considers his more accessible pop music inspirations.

Opiate Sun is not a pop record-despite what JB says, Jesu is not a pop band-but the use of conventional song structures grafted onto Broadrick’s slowed down multilayered guitars is sorta poppish.  “Losing Streak” is Jesu at it’s melancholy majestic best.  Broadrick’s harmonized vocals and repeated instrumental motif build on top of each other to create a heartbreaking climax.  “Deflated” features a chugging metallic groove, but instead of going with a more-expected screamo wail or a hard core bark, Broadrick chooses to sing his lyrics, which creates an interesting counterpoint to the heavied-up guitars. 

This is not a record for everyone though.  No song is shorter than 5 minutes and change.  Like most of Jesu’s material, the songs take their time reaching their destination and take just as long to toddle off into the sunset.  More importantly, Broadrick’s decision to play all the instruments on the album leads to some iffy spots.  While great to good on guitar and bass, JB’s drumming only reaches the ”endearingly workmanlike” category.  A tune like “Morning Light” could’ve used some more nimble fills and runs.

These are quibbles though.  Opiate Sun is a welcome addition to the Jesu canon.  For fans of the band, Broadrick gives them what they’ve come to love about the group.  For noobs, it’s a tight introduction to JB’s 21st century musical pallette.  That’s as much as you can expect from any album and once again Jesu delivers the goods. 

Jesu-”Losing Streak” from the EP Opiate Sun.

is it just me or does jesu seem more at home here than on hydra head? doth broadrick on these records not have more in common with the fuzzy slo-mo murmurings of mark kozelek and alan sparhawks rockist tendencies?

i think so. in fact i’d be so bloody bold (though not really) to say that this shit is just red house painters turned way the fuck up. actually that’s a pretty stupid thing to come out with. retraction, your honour.

anyhoo. this is the new ep. and all my favourite jesu shit comes out on ep. seems more suited to the two or four tracks, thirty minutes format than the hour long long player. don’t ask me why. it’s not like i don’t have the required saintly patience for this kindof thing. coz i do. it’s just that pop music (which relatively speaking this is) should be short and sweet. it should be a fizzing burst of adrenaline.

now obviously this ain’t no shot of epinephrine. even tranqued sloths would be fiddling with the 33/45 function on the turntable on first listen. no what you get is some bastard form of chugging alt-rock (gaah, horrible term) , an almost bliss pop-like structure, melody (which admittedly is sometimes avalanche buried) and post-rock (stop, enough, please…) portentousness.

why does all this stuff (nadja, isis, pelican to a lesser extent) make me wanna dig out my snow metaphors?

or to put it another way it’s a tar-pit you can hum along to. it’s like a radio edit of that nadja covers album, with it’s deadly combo of fuzz, tunes and not quite glacial pace. all sabbath drone and phil spector miasma. it’s like a narcotics-era dylan carson smooching kevin shields. which i realize is a hideous fucking image…

where was i? yeah, jesu. opiate sun. caldo verde. four tracks. twenty five minutes.

losing streak reduced is just rawk played at the wrong speed. there’s even a lumbering solo in there. and while not quite napalm death, it’s not quite stars of the lid neither. like if swervedriver got absolutely anabolically tanked up. the most silver-esque track on here. and everything flirts felicitously with the warmer side of doom. particularly on morning light. it’s all subtle unfurls and evolutions. it’s all arpeggiated laments and vocalized malaise. it’s all about gravity weighing down on yr soul. hell, dig deep enough and there’s something approaching an ultra-tectonic stoner groove. possibly.

as an intro to broadrick’s cuddlier side this (and even more so, the silver ep) is ideal for the uninitiated. but it also obligingly serves as a portal to metal folks interested in exploring drone textures and post-something. and for drone bores and shoegazers wanting to branch out into something heavier.

ideal then.  now howsabout a collaboration with kath bloom?

jesu / caldo verde / myspace

In-between our listing lackey taking time off for a small tour with his band and being under the weather PLUS Modern Warfare 2 have caused work to stumble into last weekend and crawl into this one.

That said, things should be back to normal the rest of this week and into the week after!

Ataris, The – End is Forever
Avail – 4AM Friday
Avail – Dixie
Avail – Over the James
Beck – Sea Change
Bravery, The – Slow Poison
Dead Weather – I Cut Like a Buffalo
Foo Fighters – Greatest Hits
Jesu – Opiate Sun
MxPx – Live at the Show
Nirvana – Nevermind
Vandals, The – Oi to the World

Congress is voting on the gobsmackingly vile health care bill as I write this.  I dunno what the fuck these clowns are doing, besides pissing away money we don’t have on a system that will make medical care in this country far worse, with a heaping dash of overreaching government control on private citizens’ lives to boot.  Oh well, we can always count on Harry Reid to bail us out, right?  Right?!?!

In that spirit of absolute disgust for Barack Obama and any congressional asshair that votes for this bill, I dedicate “Blind and Faithless” by Jesu to them.  I know it’s not really the big rah-rah angry fight song to pump up the crowd, but I’m not really angry so much as freakin’ depressed.  That and ‘blind and faithless’ is the most fitting song title for these pigeon-dicks that are panting for socialized medicine.

Here you go, socialist weasels.  Enjoy.

Onde sua vida está fundamentada, na Areia ou na Rocha?

Que me encuentro esto el día de hoy, me reí como loco, resulta que Sarah Silverman, tiene una ambicioso plan para darle de comer A TODO EL MUNDO! quise compartirlo con todos ustedes, y me puse a ponerle SUBTITULOS EN ESPAñOL, espero me hayan quedado bien, así es que aquí pueden ver esta gran Hipótesis de Sarah Silverman, con subtitulo en tu idioma! y pues yo creo que seria una buena solución esto de vender esa palacio (ciudad), pues como dice ella… los idiotas estos predican vivir humildemente, PORQUE NO LO HACEN! :p

Porque el Papa “Joseph Alois Ratzinger“, tiene que estar rodeado por lujos joyas, grandes cuartos… y nada de mujeres???? por eso son homosexuales los sacerdotes Católicos! los tipos estos solo se la andan viendo a otros hombres! pero bueno vean el vídeo de como darle de comer al mundo, con la ayuda del Papa Benedicto XVI y del Vaticano

les recomiendo verlo en mi canal, dale click aquí para verlo en mi canal directamente en ALTA DEFINICIÓN!

VENDE EL VATICANO Y DALE DE COMER AL MUNDO!!! NECESITAMOS UN HÉROE, Y EL PAPA ES EL PERFECTO HÉROE CON CAPA!,  y Sarah también nos explica que con esto, tanto el Papa como todos sus amiguitos pueden obtener todas las vaginas que quieran! y todas las Mujeres! con este simple acto de humildad el Papa podrá tener SEXO!, y esto nos lo explica como lograrlo muy claramente en este video…

Saludos!

AL SUR DE MANEADERO EXISTE UN TERRITORIO HABITADO QUE PABLO ALEJO TIENE OLVIDADO...RECLAMAN SU ATENCION.

POR EL PROFESOR GERARDO GURROLA SANTIAGO

Me comentan y la paso al costo….

Parece ser que al PRESIDENTE MUNICIPAL PABLO ALEJO LOPEZ ya se le olvido que mas alla de Maneadero existe un gran territorio que tambien es parte del muincipio de Esenada y con el cual tiene deberes pendientes.

Programas federales no aterizan por estos rumbos,alegan aca,debido a que se concentran por parte del municipio en la Ciudad de Ensenada y en los pueblos de la llamada ruta del vino…

Yo la paso al costo….

No han recibido en el paralelo 28,llamese Jesus Maria y el Arco una visita de su edil siquiera para recordar su rostro…..

Aca no se pavimentan calles….

No existe alumbrado pulbico….

La policia preventiva es abusona….

No tienen patrullas……

La recoleccion de basura es pesima…..

Estan abaandonas dedese Maneadero para aca,aseguran los Ensenadenses marginados…

Que no los pela PABLO ALEJO porque son INDIGENAS la mayoria de los habitantes de los pueblos del sur de Ensenada.

Se la paso al costo….gratis.

Got some new pre-orders going up today, including the upcoming Atreyu & Jesu records as well as a couple singles for new records from The Bravery and Lostprophets.

Atreyu – Congregation of the Damned
Bravery, The – Slow Poison
Jesu – Opiate Sun
Lostprophets – It’s Not the End of the World
Morrissey – The 7 Inch Singles ‘88-’91 Box Set

Ho una notizia buona e una cattiva. La cattiva è che nemmeno oggi c’è stata la crisi di governo. La buona è che Caldo Verde, un’etichetta che per il solo fatto di essere stata aperta da Mark Kozelek ha il privilegio di poter pubblicare dischi di Mark Kozelek*, ha messo in streaming su myspace l’intero nuovo EP (quattro pezzi) di Jesu. Che è, sì, sostanzialmente la solita sbobba postr*-k sh++gaze malinconico-melodica da giorno del giudizzio con due zete, ma
1) suona molto meglio di quasi tutta la merda che etc etc
2) Justin Broadrick è nato per portare il cappuccio
3) alla prima passata sembra davvero uno dei capitoli più ispirati della già ingestibile discografia-Jesu
4) solita copertina della madonna.

E già di per sé il fatto che Mark Kozelek si sia messo d’impegno a fare uscire un disco di Jesu è una cosa che mi sta flippando il cervello che manco un etto di porra, tipo la più improbabile chiusura del cerchio della settimana. Anzi, volete una roba figa? Se ordinate direttamente il disco dall’e-shop dell’etichetta vi beccate gratis UN LIVE DI MARK KOZELEK, tipo customers who bought this also bought. Ti immagini Mark che pensa “sì, ai fan dei Jesu i miei dischi gli calzan proprio addosso” e prova a piazzarglielo sotto la coda.

Quindi insomma, sta su myspace in ascolto ed esce verso fine mese. Godiatene. Io ne godrò.

*Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon etc. Fa anche l’attore nei film di Cameron Crowe. Cià una faccia incredibile. Quando Bukowski descrive Friedman o Fischman in Hollywood Hollywood, un vecchio con una mostruosa faccia da neonato, io penso sempre a Mark Kozelek. Speriamo che M.C. lo piazzi a breve in un Download Illegale.

BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY
BROADCAST #3

Year Long Disaster – Leda Atomica
With a line-up this weird, you’re bound to get something interesting.  You have the son of The Kink’s Dave Davies, the bassist from seminal instrumental stoner rock band Karma To Burn, and the drummer from…Third Eye Blind.  That last one throws me for a loop every time.  Anyways, great band.  Will report how their debut LP sounds.

Screaming Trees – Anita Grey (Alt. Version)
It’s a damn shame this album never officially saw the light of day; it looked like the Trees were going in a great direction.  Rumor has it that Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who was the Trees’ live rhythm guitarist at the time, provided backup vocals for this release.  If you listen closely, you can hear him (or someone that sounds like Homme).

The Black Keys – Something On Your Mind
As interesting as it is to see where this duo is going musically, I honestly miss their lo-fi, bare bones production of the past.  It made the blues rock sound that they were going for sound amazing.  Still, their latest release, Attack and Release, is quite the album, and BlakRoc is going to knock everyone on their asses.  Just watch.

Mos Def – Hip Hop
We don’t listen to enough hip hop on this station.  Probably because I don’t listen to a lot of hip hop.  Anywho, don’t know much about Mos Def’s music career, but I digg him as an actor.  Black on Both Sides is a great album that shouldn’t be missed.

Mark Lanegan – Museum
Seems appropriate to play some Lanegan after his band Screaming Trees.  This is off his debut album The Winding Sheet and there’s not a single bad song on it.  The melancholic, bluesy sound is quite different from the Tree’s psychedelic grunge offering, which I imagine took fans by surprise.  I found it cool that Cobain (who provided guest vocals on the album) and the gang decided to look to this album for influence while doing their Unplugged album.

Kyuss – Space Cadet
Here’s an odd offering from Kyuss.  They put down the fuzzed-out guitar for a few minutes and jammed acoustically.  This is off their fantastic Welcome to Sky Valley album, one that bands are still trying to top to this day but end up coming short.

Acid Bath – Scream of the Butterfly
This is another odd offering from an otherwise heavy band.  Acid Bath, for those who don’t be knowin’, were an amazing sludge metal band that hailed deep within Louisiana’s dank, nasty swamps.  Now the lead singer, Dax Riggs, has a few solo albums out that should be checked out immediately.

Jesu – Lifeline (Alternative Version)
Justin Broadrick never ceases to impress me.  After a long career with his band Godflesh, Broadrick decided to tone down the hate and start up his Jesu project.  Named after the last song on the last Godflesh album, Jesu manages to stay pretty heavy, while keeping an optimistic tone both instrumentally and vocally.  I guess a person can’t hate the world forever.

Gonga – La Pique
Despite only releasing two full-length albums so far, these guys have gone through three bassists and a vocalist.  The sixteen minute song we heard tonight featured the original vocalist, Joe Volk, who sounds quite Homme-esque.  The new vocalist, Matt Williams, had better have the voice of an angel because I’m seriously missing Volk.

Harvey Milk – In The Ground
As rough as the vocals sound, I’ve been listening to this song nonstop lately.  This song is from a limited 7″ split between Harvey Milk and Wildildlife that was just recently put out.  Be sure to grab yourself a copy or two if you can find some.

Opiate Sun will be released as a one time only edition of 2000 copies, broken down across five different colors (300 each) and black vinyl (500 copies), housed in a Stoughton old style tip-on jacket, and mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering at 45 RPM for maximum fidelity.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Losing Streak
2. Opiate Sun
3. Deflated

4. Morning Light

click here for more info.

Sooner or later I’m gonna have a long fucking rant about how I feel about the current state of the dubstep scene. And there will be a lot of curses in it. For now I’m just gonna post a small observation i made a couple of months ago and just happened to remember.

Not surprisingly the heavy wobbles of dubstep soon turned into a subgenre, call it filthy if you will, i’m not gonna, pushing the wobbles and the dirty sound further. Artists started competing with each other to make the heaviest, dirtiest track. Labels like Rottun recordings made great releases. I’m certainly all for it. A classic track was Koan Sounds Mafia, below in a Trill Bass remix:

But this track also made me realize that the sound was starting to get quite similar to something i had heard before. A itch in the back of my mind, a sound i faintly remembered from long ago. It was of course the sound of 90s industrial music. Difficult to find exactly what i was after i noticed while searching, apparently  those tracks are no longer in vogue, but here is a somewhat good example: Sonar – Consume

Now I’m not saying theres anything wrong with this, actually i like it, I’m just saying; history repeats, even in music.

Also, it’s perhaps not that surprising. Now considered dubstep artist Scorn was once a member of grindcore legends Napalm Death before he started making industrial music and then ventured into electronic dubland. Same is true for Justin Broadrick who was also in Napalm Death before starting legendary industrial rockgroup Godflesh, and who later went on to make electronic dub with Kevin Martin, now known as The Bug. He has since gone back to the guitars and is now with his “Jesu” project a major player in the “Post Metal” scene. Round and round it goes.

.this comes from one of those times where you get an idea in your head and you need to just do it and forget it. I am aware of the slowing pace about a 3rd way in but I still enjoy it. The material comes from around 9 or so royalty free videos but only after scrubbing through somewhere around 30 or so films. This will probably be my last royalty free mixing as I don’t know how I feel about for mixing others people’s music to other people’s footage. Though I love “ford-ism” (I dont know if that is a word or not) footage, I feel I should take up some other hobbies.

Last note : Going into this, I made a few rules for myself to follow. The first was that the first section (minus the opening) be all assembly, all black and white. This was in hopes that the flower time lapse would have more impact at the last section of the song, just after the bridge. In the perfect world, I would have ended the last section with all time lapse of color flowers but being that I couldn’t find enough material, I made do with what I could find. The thought of mixing the boy relaxing and changing back to black and white is just the idea of our children can relax because of our parent’s labor. Though, this wasn’t my first intention, I did start to feel/think that a bit as I went through all this material. That’s why we go from the boy relaxing to the harsh cut of the laborer’s face. I did this several times to jam home that idea. Though, I’m not sure how it will translate. The boy running from black and white to color is just the simple changing of times. Anyways, I’m half asleep as I write this so it’s probably not making any sense to you or me. Ok, I’m out.

Praise the Lord! We are saved by grace! We are saved only by, through and because of the blood of Jesus. We are saved by faith . . . not by works, lest anyone should boast. We know we could never earn our way into heaven by working and yet we still have some work to do. We know God doesn’t love us more if we “do” more.” His love never changes. It never fails. He never leaves us alone nor forsakes us. And . . . yet . . . we can not be hearers only. We must do something. For we, also, know that faith without works is dead and though righteousness was accounted to Abraham because of his faith . . . still . . . God wanted him to demonstrate his faith in action (some very difficult action, by the way.) He called him to be circumcised and . . . to sacrifice his son . . . and God was pleased as Abraham obeyed. Are we to “do” differently than Abraham . . . or the apostles or Noah or Moses or Esther or Rahab . . . or . . . Jesus?

So . . . what “works” are we talking about? Why do we do them? How do we determine the ones we will “do” . . . the ones we won’t and why? Perhaps our proper, our purest “works,” spring forth naturally from simply pursuing what it is that we are called to pursue. That being, I believe . . . the two greatest commandments . . . to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls and all our minds and the second like it . . . to love others as we love ourselves. Jesus said that in these two commandments ALL the law is fulfilled. That seems to make what we should spend our time on . . . what we should be pursuing . . . very simple and very clear . . . and yet . . . somehow we still don’t “get it.”

As I pondered this, I began to ask; what is it that we pursue? Are we not pursuing that which we spend our time on? Would that time spent then, in actuality, be our “works”? If so, would it not be true that what we are working for can be clearly seen, by where and on what we are spending our time?

Pursuit . . . defined by Webster, is an effort to secure or attain. Synonyms include chase, hunt, search, activity and preoccupation.

So, what is it we are chasing after, hunting for, searching out? What are we preoccupied with . . . pleasure, comfort, security, safety, fun, success? Or . . . holiness, purifying our hearts and minds, His glory, spreading the gospel to a lost and dying world? Are we pursuing others who are hopeless and hungry (both physically and spiritually) and may be one of (close to) 150,000 that die each day – many of whom do not know Jesus? One hundred and fifty thousand . . . each day. Who and what are our lives about . . . Jesus . . . or . . . me and mine?

Perhaps our works . . . are simply our pursuits . . . those things we run after . . . and are many and varied. The work we are called to by God may be much different than the works we often spend our time doing, and are often burned out by, as we try to include both what this physical world seems to offer and still fit in, our “service” to God. Our work for Him may be demonstrated by being the hands and feet of Jesus in someone’s life – yes . . . baking a casserole for a family in need, or taking dinner to a family who has just suffered loss or sitting in the hospital with your brother in Christ. It is helping your neighbor with their lawn . . . it is holding Bible studies in your home or at your office. It is interceding in prayer. It is studying the Word of God. It is hosting events at your church. It is all those things. Oh, but, we are busy! Yet . . . pursuing and doing may be two very different things. I ask . . . What is it we are pursuing? I know we are “working” for the Lord and we wouldn’t do much of it, if it weren’t for His call on our lives . . . but what are we pursuing? Not . . . doing and rationalizing . . . as the time we “gave up” for Him . . . but pursuing.

I venture to say . . . the majority of us are pursing happiness, either for ourselves or for our children. We continue to live life, busily . . . and there Satan has had his power . . . and . . . we have lost ours. We have been distracted, entertaining ourselves and our children. Working and playing and going to every activity, as fast as we can . . . so busy, so full that there has been no quiet time to sit with the Lord and learn how . . . so we can teach our children how . . . to pursue God instead of achievement or success or “self” esteem or being entertained. Others of us are simply not happy at all and since happiness seems an elusive, maybe impossible thing for us to attain . . . we no longer pursue anything. Of course, God wants us to be happy – He loves us. But I suggest that we are not called to happiness, but rather to Holiness. And somehow, amazingly, if we will do it . . . as we pursue Holiness . . . we become happier; content, secure, peaceful . . . joyful. As we, on the other hand pursue happiness . . . though for a moment at each level we may feel elated . . . it dissipates like a vapor and we must move to a new place . . . something different or something more or . . . just something. The pursuit of anything that seems to offer happiness . . . other than a relationship with God . . . other than becoming more like Jesus, more perfect, more loving, more Holy . . . is simply an illusion. An illusion put into place by the deceiver, by the father of lies – Satan himself.

How, then, do we pursue what we are called to pursue – Loving the Lord our God with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind? We first must move close to God . . . in order to know Him . . . so that we love Him the way He asked us to. I believe there is perhaps a process for learning to love like that . . . one way, at least, that looks like this:

Psalm 100:4 – Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

I think most of us thank God regularly and it may, in fact, flow forth easily. We have been taught to be thankful. But perhaps a moment reflecting on the Lord’s goodness to us and to remind us to count our blessings is in order. To remind us to dwell on the good things that we have been given . . . and to remember that every good gift comes from above! Thanksgiving for what He has done and for what He has provided opens the gates through which we enter the inner courts of the throne room. There God, Most High, sits and Jesus is seated at His right hand. Thanksgiving is the way we enter the gates so that we may address the Lord, our Father in heaven, the King of kings . . . in prayer. So, do let us thank Him for every gift He gives us . . . small and large . . . and every provision and way He has made for us, including, simply, our daily provision. Many of us have so much, even during this financial crisis, that we often take for granted, to a degree, what we have. We don’t think about it or clearly and deeply understand that so many people in the world are starving and that it is only by the grace of God any of us are who we are and were born in (or able to live in) this great, rich and blessed country. We are not here by our own intelligent positioning. We were placed here by God, in His grace and mercy . . . for His purpose. He can just as easily remove us from this place or remove His hand from blessing our country. So let us thank Him that our home is the home of the free! Lets us thank Him for every good thing in our lives; our shelter (whatever that means to you), daily food (pray thanks before dropping that chip, candy bar, smoothie, etc., into your mouth, not just at “full” meals – understand where it came from and remember Him for it.) Thank him for our children, the beauty that surrounds us, our health (all parts that are good), for good friends, the church family, freedom to worship our Lord, our pets, the sunshine, the rain, our beds and fireplaces and praise and worship music and accessibility to it. . . for everything . . . and . . . even for our trials (James 1:4 says to Count it all joy, for the testing of our faith produces patience and we are to let patience have it’s perfect work in us, so that we can be made perfect and complete.) Wow – even “bad,” with God is good! Let us pursue . . . talk with Him, entering His gates many times each day . . . with Thanksgiving!

___________________________________________
Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
James 2:14-26 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab, the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Galatians 3:1-9 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing – if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (NIV)

Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 1:17 Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Psalm 116:17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving. And will call upon the name of the Lord.

Ephesians 5:20 . . . giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Chronicles 29:13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.
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Prayer

Oh Lord, my Lord . . . I thank you that you reign in heaven and on the earth. I thank you that your mercies are new every day. I thank you, Lord that you are my provider and for every blessing! I thank you for specifically for _________________, ________________, ________________, ________________, and _______________ (Fill in the blanks) I thank you that Your thoughts toward me are more than the grains of the sands and that you know every star in the heavens and that you call them by name. I thank you that you know my every thought and every intent of my heart and that you forgive my sins and that you will create a new heart in me. Blessed is your name in all the earth. I lift you up and praise you Lord! God of heaven, King of Kings Lord of Lords. You are my deliverer and my provider. I thank you, Lord, that you limit Satan in his plans to harm me. I thank you that you will not allow more than I can bear . . . even though it sometimes feels that I will not be able to withstand it . . .You give me grace. You give me mercy. You comfort me through it. You strengthen me and I thank you for all that You do. Thank, Lord, for walking beside me through each day and for redeeming me in the end. Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to come to earth and die for me and for interceding on my behalf as You sit again on the throne with God. Thank you for depositing Your Holy Spirit in me. Thank you for empowering me with Your Spirit and for sealing me and marking me for the day of redemption. Oh I praise You, God . . .for You are great and Your name is greatly to be praised! Thank you, Lord, for being You and calling me! I bless You now. I bless Your Holy name and the name of Your son, Jesus and Your Holy Spirit. It is in Your sons most precious name, I come and bow at Your feet – Thanking You, Lord, for all things . . . Amen.

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Practical Application

1. List your weekly activities and how much time you spend on each:

Activity Time Spent each week

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2. Based on what are you spend your time on – what are you pursuing, chasing after, hunting for, searching out? What are you
preoccupied with? Pray that God gives you a clear mind and the ability to “see” your own heart in this.
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3. List fifteen (or more) things that you are thankful for – Count your blessings! Name them one by one! __________,____________,___________,___________,_________

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4. Dwell this entire week on thanking God . . . all day, every day for everything around you. Thank Him for the small things. Thank
Him for the big things. Focus only on His blessings and gifts in your life. Take every thought captive and put the bad, the negative, etc . . . out of your mind – for this week. Thank Him for what He is doing through every event and circumstance in you life and what He will accomplish for you and for His kingdom. through and/or, in spite of them. Thank Him that what Satan means for evil – He means for good – . . . ultimately . . . whether you can see how or not . . . Trust Him, turn to Him and just thank Him. Let us begin our deep pursuit of the King of Glory!
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*All scriptures NKJ unless otherwise noted
**Contact me at cindylynne.wordpress.com or be my friend on Facebook!
***Book Release – Coming Soon –TO THE WIRE. . . With God, Almighty by Cindy Lynne – A true story of hope and inspiration . . . of God’s daily provision after incredible losses. A journey from Michigan to Wyoming with no money, no plans and no one . . . except the God of the universe! Hear of His answers to prayers, His supernatural intervention and lessons learned.

I’d like to jump the gun and say fall the begins today but. But. It doesn’t. There are still 22 days left before I get to blurt that one out. But when the day comes — and it will, soon! I’ve already begun counting — I’ll be standing outside, hopefully nestled under a couple layers and grinning like a monkey in a banana factory. Until then, I’ll be dressing weather inappropriately. For my upcoming trip to the Philadelphia area, I’ve actually gone as far as to pack a long sleeve shirt. It’s green. It has short jersey ruffles. I’m pleased.

Here’s to the end of the summer:

The Real Thing by Faith No More ♥ Here Come The Waterworks by Big Business ♥ Sun Down/Sun Rise by Jesu ♥ wearing jeans again ♥ mornings that are 54°F ♥ death to humidity ♥ long live the breeze ♥ visions of hot chocolate dance in my head ♥ donuts and walks home at night ♥ hello, busy September! ♥ the forthcoming Melvins / Weedeater show ♥ also approaching: Mono

Hello. It is raining here so let’s make it worse by watching an entire set of Red House Painters live in Washington DC in 1996!

Or, listen to a song off the upcoming Jesu EP! (Coincidentally it’s being released on Mark Kozelek’s label, Caldo Verde.)

OR you could just go here.

Fish! ♥ laying in Prospect Park as the apocalyptic clouds roll in ♥ sharing an umbrella ♥ seeking refuge underneath awnings ♥ downpours ♥ caffeine fueling stations with free WiFi and good music ♥ PL/SQL in the Tea Lounge ♥ sitting next to someone who sings along to the Clash ♥ hearing songs I haven’t heard in forever ♥ big plastic ice cream cones ♥ seeing Moon for a second time ♥ taking walks instead of getting on the subway ♥ anything with marzipan ♥ cupcakes for lunch ♥ looking up actual flights for make-believe trips ♥ “Shit, that’s the worst deal ever.” ♥ laughing until I cry ♥ a list of food I want to make this fall ♥ Skype ♥ late, late nights ♥ cold-brewed coffee ♥ the KitchenAid mixer is still a girl’s best friend ♥ bus tickets being booked ♥ finishing freelance work ♥ checking things off the to-do list ♥ cool mornings — end-of-summer indicator! ♥ coconut samosas ♥ listening to Tom Waits over summer insect hum ♥ The Heart of Saturday Night, always ♥ late afternoon napping for three hours, oops ♥ every nap is improved by playing Jesu ♥ days that hang in the mid-60°Fs ♥ wearing jeans again ♥ teal / purple / blue / acidy yellow-green ♥ reconnecting with family members ♥ silly conversations with geek cousins ♥ making blueberry pancakes on a whim ♥ blueberry pancakes for lunch ♥ and dinner

1. Amber, Autechre
2. Geogaddi, Boards of Canada
3. We Are Monster, Isolée
4. Pale Sketches, Jesu
5. You Are There, Mono
6. Hvarf/Heim, Sigur Rós

Shuffle.
Satisfaction guaranteed.

Greymachine
Disconnected
Hydra Head; 2009

• “Vultures Descend” from Disconnected.

The elephant in Greymachine’s room is the pedigree of its roster: Justin Broadrick (Jesu/Napalm Death Godflesh), Aaron Turner (Isis), Diarmuid Dalton (Jesu/Godflesh) and Dave Cochrane (Head of David). The roster bears mentioning because it’s an easy selling point for fans of post-metal. But the expectations it puts upon Disconnected – that this would be some brooding, fuzzy and dynamic Jesu/Isis halfway-mark – are quickly usurped by the grinding, smoldering bass stomps that open “Wolf At The Door.”

This is characteristically heavy, but shatters all of Jesu’s brooding shoegaze and Isis’ placid-till-it-explodes post-rock into a million fragments of jagged post-industrial noise. All of the timbres employed here are jarring and abrasive, trudging through a blackened expanse that stretched the record’s eight songs over more than an hour.

It’s only in the slow-reveal of its melodic structure that this begins to resemble something one might assume to be the work of (primarily) Broadrick and Turner. And even so, it’s a decidedly dark, desolate trail to take from Jesu or Isis.

The thick sheets of noise and rumbling bass that become the bulk of the album’s arrangements paint stark, harsh landscapes. Electronic skree wails like ghosts behind the storm of guitars poured down by Broadrick and Turner. It’s a punishing listen.

But it’s also one of the most exciting records I’ve heard this year.

Perhaps it’s the dense textures that beg for close listening that intrigues. Perhaps it’s the release that challenging music affords to those who can endure it. But, ultimately, I think it’s because this hour-long slab of noise-scorched doom is imbued with an inextricable core of emotion. There isn’t much optimism to be found, but there’s a sense that the desolation expressed is very human. It pulses with urgency, beating as a warm heart beneath the crust and sludge and debris.

Even as it beats us down with deep, heavy bass, and slams into us with blasts of harsh timbres – distorted screams, muck-flinging guitars and fragmented electronics – Disconnected is, like Frankenstein’s monster, defined by its humanity, not its brutality.

As mentioned last week, here is the new track showing Justin Broadrick in full sonic bliss…

Già da qualche giorno abbiamo pubblicato dodici nuove recensioni riguardanti dischi usciti recentemente. In particolare, si tratta di:

• Au Revoir Simone – Still Night, Still Light – Moshi Moshi
• B.Fleischmann – Angst Is Not A Weltanschuung! – Morr
• Coalesce – Ox – Relapse
• Cult Of Luna – Eternal Kingdom – Earache
• Fightstar – Be Human – Search and Destroy
• He Is Legend – It Hates You – Tragic Hero
• Her Space Holiday – XOXO Panda & The New Kid Revival – Mush
• Jesu – Infinity – Avalanche/Daymare
• The Most Serene Republic – …And The Ever Expanding Universe – Arts & Crafts
• Silversun Pickups – Swoon – Dangerbird
• So Many Dynamos – The Loud Wars – Vagrant
• William Elliott Whitmore – Animals In The Dark – Anti-

Tutte le recensioni possono essere lette su www.dedication.it.