Realmente bueno el album de los Strokes, recuerdo que en el cch era la sensanción...

Todos conocemos el semanario musical NME, que se dedica a promocionar a la música Indie en Gran Bretaña, comúnmente siempre al día de todo el entorno musical tanto local como mundial. Esta vez la publicación inglesa nos proporciona la lista de los 100 mejores discos de la década. ¿En que se basaron? Bueno, realizaron una encuesta hace como 2 semanas (no recuerdo bien cuando vote) y el resultado completo se puede ver aquí. Yo solo les dejo la lista de los primeros 10 con su respectivo link de descarga ;D.

Me gusto el resultado, realmente se le hace mucha justicia a bandas que han marcado la década, como los Yeah Yeah Yeahs aunque me hubiera gustado que salieran The Hives…pero no se puede obtener todo en la vida xD! Me deprime que el Absolution de Muse este en el lugar 49 pero creo es algo a comparación de Coldplay que esta vez, apesar de estar en la lista de votación, ni siquiera aparecio entre los 100… Ni modo nos quedaremos con la mención en el 2002 -w-u.

La gran mayoria esta en MU solo dos en RS. Diviertanse escuchando musica =3

1. The Strokes – Is This It
2. Libertines – Up The Bracket
3. Primal Scream – XTRMNTR
4. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say That’s What I’m Not
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
6. Pj Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
7. Arcade Fire – Funeral
8. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
9. The Streets – Original Pirate Material
10. Radiohead – In Rainbows

A brit NME egy zenészekből, producerekből, zeneszerzőkből és kiadó vezetőkből álló zsűritől kért véleményt a 2000-es évek eddigi legjobb albumairól, és a kapott szavazatokból összeállította az évtized legjobb 50 lemezének listáját. Az első helyen a New York-i Strokes debütáló korongja, az ‘Is This It’, másodikként a Libertines bemutatkozó lemeze, az ‘Up The Bracket’ végzett, míg a 2000-ben kiadott ‘XTRMNTR’ című Primal Scream-album harmadikként zárt. (lejjebb a z első 50 helyezett)…

A Strokes első albumát elsősorban fontossága miatt választhatták elsőnek, a New York-i formáció 2001-ben retró divathullámot indított el az albummal, ezt követően szaporodtak meg a garázsrockot felhasználó együttesek, és a posztpunk újjáléledését is részben Julian Casblancas zenekarának köszönhetjük.

A évtized legjobb lemezei az NME szerint:

1. The Strokes – Is This It (2001)
2. The Libertines – Up The Bracket (2002)
3. Primal Scream – xtrmntr (2000)
4. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell (2003)
6. PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000)
7. Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
8. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)
9. The Streets – Original Pirate Material (2002)
10. Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
11. At The Drive-In – Relationship Of Command (2000)
12. LCD Soundsystem – The Sound Of Silver (2007)
13. The Shins – Wincing The Night Away (2007)
14. Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
15. Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf (2002)
16. The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free (2004)
17. Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise (2005)
18. The White Stripes – Elephant (2003)
19. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (2001)
20. Blur – Think Tank (2003)
21. The Coral – The Coral (2002)
22. Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
23. Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future (2007)
24. The Libertines – The Libertines (2002)
25. Rapture – Echoes (2003)
26. Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner (2003)
27. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (2006)
28. Johnny Cash – The Man Comes Around (2002)
29. Super Furry Animals – Rings Around The World (2001)
30. Elbow – Asleep In The Back (2001)
31. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (2005)
32. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones (2006)
33. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (2007)
34. Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump (2000)
35. Babyshambles – Down In Albion (2005)
36. Spirtualized – Let It Come Down (2001)
37. The Knife – Silent Shout (2006)
38. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm (2005)
39. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (2008)
40. Ryan Adams – Gold (2001)
41. Wild Beasts – Two Dancers (2009)
42. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend (2008)
43. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
44. Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
45. Avalanches – Since I Left You (2001)
46. Delgados – The Great Eastern (2000)
47. Brendan Benson – Lapalco (2002)
48. Walkmen – Bows And Arrows (2004)
49. Muse – Absolution (2003)
50. MIA – Arular (2004)

-est-

Breck Road Lover, Solo - The Libertines

it's a demo, it's on none of their albums, you can find it on youtube or you can
download it legally at albionarks.com

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Up The Bracket
Time For Heroes
Mayday
Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
Tell The King
What Katie Did
Can’t Stand Me Now
What A Waster
The Delaney
Boys In The Band
Death On The Stairs
I Get Along
What Became of The Likely Lads

Download

What Became of The Likely Lads
Skag & Bone Man (Live At Brixton)
Time For Heroes (Live At Brixton)

Download

Can’t Stand Me Now
Last Post On The Bugle
Don’t Be Shy
The Man Who Would Be King
Music When The Lights Go Out
Narcissist
The Ha Ha Wall
Arbeit Macht Frei
Campaign of Hate
What Katie Did
Tomblands
The Saga
Road To Ruin
What Became of The Likely Lads

Download

Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
Death On The Stairs
Tell The King (Original Version)
Skint And Minted (Demo)
Mockingbird

Download

I Get Along
Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
The Delaney
Mayday
Skag & Bone Man

Download

Vertigo
Death On The Stairs
Horrorshow
Time For Heroes
Boys In The Band
Radio America
Up The Bracket
Tell The King
The Boy Looked At Johnny
Begging
The Good Old Days
I Get Along
What A Waster
Mockingbird/Mayday

Download

What A Waster
I Get Along
Mayday

Download

7 Deadly Sins
Anything But Love
Bucket Stop
France
Hooray For The 21st Century
Love On The Dole
Music When The Lights Go Out
Sister, Sister

Download

It’s a bit unfortunate that Pete Doherty is in the news so much, because it means that attention is taken away from the amazing music he makes. And it is amazing music. The Libertines were arguably the first of this huge influx of new ‘indie’ bands. Indie either meaning individual, or independent. Most modern ‘indie’ bands are neither of course.
But The Libertines were. And it was a pity when they broke up because in a way there was no one to fall back on. Of course, there was Babyshambles, and eventually Dirty Pretty Things (again – no longer), but it never seemed the same somehow.
So imagine my glee when I heard the ‘almost confirmed’ rumour that The Libertines would be reforming to play at Reading/Leeds 2010, something which I have been planning to go to since before I even knew.

This song is one of the most well-known Libertines songs. Even if you have never heard of the name, it’s more than likely you’ll have heard the song. It’s on TV a lot. Anyway, it’s quite good. And when I say quite good I mean very good. And so on and so forth. It sounds like it’s been recorded in a bedroom. The video looks like it’s been shot with a £80 camcorder. Which to be honest it probably has. This is what modern rock’n'roll should be like. Not whiny Mancunians saying nothing much about nothing important.
So despite their not actually being together anymore, long live The Libs I suppose.

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g207eTzVw0
Follow: http://www.twitter.com/hallojoe

a list of my current addictions this October..

M.I.A.
I love her style and her music… and I swear if i’ll be preggy (which probably will not happen, but if in the case that i do..) i’ll dress up like this lady

Kate and Pete
i know this is soooo 2007.. but i obviously can’t get over it.

versus Kate and Jamie
they look good together too, but i’m really a sucker for Pete Doherty

Garibay’s Art
i am also currently addicted to Emmanuel Garibay’s art and plan to own one someday. I am currently doing a lot of research about artists and galleries and his art is consigned
e v e r y w h e r e.

The couple I look up to,
Rachel Zoe and Rodger.
I admire how they worked their way up the ladder.

BLACK
It might be because i am mourning, but I somehow managed to love wearing black lately.
sometimes too much actually

SAVING and CARDING

cos I’m planning another trip
cos I miss  s o m e o n e

^_^

the rambutan is a fruit that i can’t really describe except to say that the inside is tasty, slimy, lychee-like and delicious and encased in a soft-spiny-acorn-like casing.  my sole rambutan experience took place in a suburb of kuala lumpur, where two malaysian women and five malaysian men took turns plucking the fruit from the trees surrounding a habitat-for-humanity candidate (pictured below) while i tried my best to ignore the ants crawling up my arm towards the most geographically-suspect, papaya-sized mosquito bite i’d ever encountered.

the rambutan playlist is very much like the fruit, except only insofar as it is enjoyable despite seeming a little suspect on the surface.  still, the plainly forced connection really doesn’t speak to the actual reason this playlist is called rambutan.  the actual reason is this: it was the first word to pop into my head after lycheefruit, which i’d used for a playlist a few months ago.  if i was really combining an itunes playlist with rambutan, it might look something like this:

if you’re so inclined, click on the above image for a better view of the actual playlist, which has been thrice road-tested and once gym-tested – and, if you’re even further inclined, download the tracks and put it together yourself.  you might find that you enjoy it.  you might also find that it’ll cost you about sixteen dollars and that the electrolightz song isn’t actually released (but can be listened to on myspace) and that you can’t quite pull the ratatat remixes from your roommate’s laptop while he’s vacationing in bali quite as easily as i can.  but still, all the information is here, there and everywhere…

check out tha boogie here, electrolightz here and get your hands on the jaydiohead remixes here.  after that, you’re on your own.

you. are. welcome.

Continuando a saga…

40. Hissing fauna, are you the destroyer? – Of Montreal (2007)

O oitavo álbum do Of Montreal soa como uma anomalia — para a banda, no underground desde 1996, e para o indie rock americano da geração 2000, que encontrou um ídolo ambíguo onde menos esperava. Mas, acima de tudo, o disco conta uma história extraordinária: depois de uma década inteira de psicodelia, Kevin Barnes chegou ao topo exatamente num dos momentos mais trágicos da vida. Transformar os dramas pessoais num cabaré multicolorido e afetado é, sim, um tipo de arte.

39. Fever to tell – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2003)

A estreia do Yeah Yeah Yeahs pode ter decepcionado quem esperava a crueza do primeiro EP — ainda, na onda pós-punk do início da década, poucos outros discos soaram tão ásperos —, mas já deixava clara a inclinação pop do trio, que (ironicamente) acabou fazendo sucesso com a faixa mais delicada do álbum (Maps). Apesar das mutações que viriam a seguir, ainda soa como a síntese das ambições da banda: o diabo na carne de Karen O.

38. Twin cinema – The New Pornographers (2005)

Culpem o Canadá: o “novo rock” viu uma interessantíssima queda de braço entre Nova York e Vancouver, sem vencedores. A liga dos super-heróis canadense atendeu por New Pornographers, uma superbanda de power pop liderada por Carl Newman e fortalecida pelos golpes de Neko Case e Dan Bejar. Qualquer disco vale a pena, mas em Twin cinema a coletividade fala mais alto. E são tantas as pérolas que fica difícil escolher uma (The bleeding heart show?).

37. The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem (2000)

Por alguns minutos, esqueça o Eminem entediado e oportunista que você conhece desde meados de 2005. No início da década, o rapper soava como um Andy Kaufman do hip hop (ou um Sacha Baron Cohen pré-Brüno). Depois de criar um curto-circuito entre a própria biografia e a ficção mais doentia (nessa brincadeira, acbaou processado pela própria mãe). O tempo maltratou Eminem, mas The Marshall Mathers LP fica: é um slasher movie narrado em primeira pessoa, hilariante e perturbador.

36. The woods – Sleater-Kinney (2005)

Um dos discos subestimados da década merece ser redescoberto o quanto antes: o canto de cisne do Sleater-Kinney é um cataclisma — e, de bônus, contém um dos grandes trabalhos de Dave Fridmann na produção (antes de diluir os próprios truques no disquinho superestimado do MGMT). O trio trata as influências de rock clássico com a falta de cerimônias com que encarava o punk rock. O resultado é tão furioso quanto enxuto: nenhum ruído é usado em vão — e haja ruído.

35. And then nothing turned itself inside-out – Yo La Tengo (2000)

Os discos mais acessíveis do Yo La Tengo são os mais diversificados, que soam como coletâneas de rock psicodélico do final dos anos 60. Não é o caso desta pequena e silenciosa obra-prima. que parece ter sido gravada à meia-luz numa noite de inverno. Uma coleção de baladas sobre amor e casamento, trata-se de um dos álbuns mais maduros e delicados gravados por uma banda de indie rock. Provavelmente soou como uma surpresa até para o próprio trio, que não fez nada igual depois.

34. Nixon – Lambchop (2000)

Quem tratava o Lambchop como uma banda de country alternativo foi obrigado a rever os conceitos depois de ouvir este Nixon, um álbum de soul music made in Nashville. Com arranjos cuidadosos de cordas e melodias etéreas que remetem a Van Dyke Parks, a banda cria sinfonias que revelam novos detalhes a cada audição. O clímax vem precocemente, com o coro gospel de Up with people — mas a maior revelação do disco é a voz de Kurt Wagner — o homem em queda.

33. Give up – The Postal Service (2003)

O único álbum do Postal Service é um acidente brilhante: Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) e Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) trocaram pedaços de canções pelo correio (daí o nome do projeto) e, quase sem querer, criaram um modelo para toda uma nova geração do lo-fi americano. Em tese, parece bobagem (sussurros confessionais sob eletrônica sutil), mas a simplicidade dos arranjos e o clima de intimidade sugerido pelas canções o transformam num disco singular (e um que eu levaria para uma ilha deserta).

32. Up the bracket – The Libertines (2002)

Preto no branco: este é o álbum britânico mais influente da década. A estreia do Libertines inspirou dezenas de bandas de garage rock, foi usada pela imprensa inglesa como uma espécie de termômetro para novidades e (apesar das semelhanças com os primeiros singles do Strokes, muito notadas à época do lançamento) vale como lembrança de que a banda de Londres já soou verdadeiramente como um quarteto. Dos grandes.

31. Silent shout – The Knife (2006)

Há arrepios no terceiro álbum do Portishead, mas o trem-fantasma mais eficiente da década é este “disco de horror” da dupla sueca The Knife. Com vocais distorcidos que se aproximam do grotesco, Karin Drejer Andersson (Fever Ray) e Olof Dreijer fizeram um disco que explora ambiente sombrios e surrealistas como uma versão dark para Alice no país das maravilhas. Ame-o ou deixe-o, mas é complicado negar a sensação de estranheza que ele provoca.

We’re coming home to Sankey & Penketh to put on a special show for you, and we can’t wait to get back to Rum central! 

PENKETH TAVERN – WARRINGTON

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18th

SOLD OUT

A long time ago, on November 10^th 2007…. the 66 played their first hometown gig at ‘The Lounge’ following a warm up at Jabez Clegg in Manchester the night before. 

This is the tale of that fateful night and the events leading up to it.  For legal reasons the real truth has always been restricted… Until Now….

At a top secret conference in Dublin, Ireland.  It was decided by 2 leading musicalists Mike Bee and Coco Bordello, that an experiment would be put into play that could change the course of local and world history forever.  The problem was putting all the pieces together, or more ‘getting them together.’  On their return from Dublin there was no time for talking anymore, the stars were aligning in just a few months time, it was time for action. 

 The chemicals already existed in raw form, 1 part Pollen, 1 part Rum, 1 part Hammer, 1 part Snake… the Hammer and Snake compound found in Padgate and Newton Le Willows were used to balance out the instability of the Pollen and Rum. 

 There was still one vital ingredient missing to cause all the ingredients to work together….  Various options were thought about with no joy, where were they to find the catalyst to ignite the machine they had built?

 There had been tales stretching back years of a mystical chemical compound hidden within the Great Sankey region of Warrington.  Situated on the outskirts of the Town there had been a long heritage associated with the region.  It was football, dealing drugs, or being in a band.  Sankey was a shining example of all these things and many more that could be achieved with a little love, dole money, and a pack of Rizla.  With an abundance of Chip shops, Pubs, Parks, the local population had mutated over the years into a genetically superior race of Rummans, not to be confused with the far less superior and completely different Chav race.  This was Reebok Classics mixed in with the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Oasis and the Verve, with a large splattering of dance music.  The Chosen Ones… 

Sankey Gathering

Two of the chemical compounds of Pollen and Rum had already been discovered in this region, it was down to the Pollen factor that there remained hope they could locate and inter-grate the lesser spotted ‘Liquid Wilson Jaw’ a mystical creature capable of mass groove, with the ability to rotate his jaw skin at a staggering 433 miles per second… The only previous sightings had been a brief glimpse during a ‘British Foo Fighters’ gig years before, the in-famous WILSON JAW VERSUS MECHA GODZILLA 60 years ago in Japan… 

Mecha Godzille VS Liquid Wilson Jaw

Some time later, fate came a crawling…

During a heavy session Bee received a notification from local Jim-stock Festival security guard Mike Delooze (also a Sankey resident) that the ‘Liquid Wilson Jaw’ had been spotted in neighbouring Penketh… this was unbelievable as Bee was just around the corner in the Butchers Arms.  They immediately set off for Penketh and on their arrival wasted no time and stormed the building he was in.  Sedating the Wilson using an animal tranquilizer more commonly used on horses and Si Heavey, they dragged him back to the 66 machine headquarters in Warrington Town.  

Local Security Guard - Mike Delooze

The Liquid Wilson Jaw was inserted into the newly constructed ‘66 Hydrogen Wilson Collider’ and remained there for 3 months living off a combination of nutrients and man-made call shakes to try and counteract the violent effects of trapping the Jaw. 

the 66 Hydrogen Wilson Collider

As they began to harness his power it was clear this experiment was taking on a life of its own.  The other elements began taking on each others traits and developing their own way of communicating using music and self-abuse.   

 It was from this evolution that the machine generated a new substance called ‘City of Culture’.  Controversially they placed a sample on a science website called ‘Myspace’ to gauge public reaction.  Shortly after a date appeared on the same Journal – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10^th – this was the day they would switch ‘the 66 Hydrogen Wilson Collider’ machine on….

 The cat was well and truly out of the bag now and people around Warrington had begun to talk

 Many people expected them to fail; many secretly hoped they would fail.  However most people were just intrigued to know how these raw elements would react with each other… Would they rip a whole in space time as many scientists had feared?  Or would the elements react against each other causing a blast equivalent to Hiroshima times 66 million, wiping out our civilisation as we know it?  or would it just be a massive failure…

 Unlike alot of the population, the residents of Sankey didn’t have such fears.  They saw this as an adventure, something of their own to be cherished and celebrated.  They organised meetings to raise awareness and support for the experiment.  This culminated in the greatest mass exodus from Sankey since Gings Stag doo at the Grand National. 

 The date had arrived; on the day of switching on the machine Bee and Rimmer were sat in a secret hideout around the corner from the test zone… Rimmer received a call from ‘international man of mystery’ Paul Glover on a scouting mission…

 Glover - I’ve never seen anything like this, I’m actually scared.  There are hundreds of people who look like they’re from Sankey congregating around the 66 Hydrogen Wilson Collider, I think you better get down here yourselves… They’ve stopped letting people in….

Rimmer – Glover, you aint afraid of No-man?

Glover – There’s something in here, and it aint no-man

Bee and Rimmer immediately set-off and minutes later entered the test site through a side door, and snuck down through the basement before finally approaching the machine.  It was too late.  The masses of Sankey were already there waiting in-front of the 66 Hydrogen Wilson Collider, 20minutes ahead of schedule they had no choice but to hit the ignition button… 

 With a blinding light of power and noise, people began flying onto the stage as they were thrown at the 66 by an out of control Ferret, heads were being stepped on, crowd surfing erupted in a room just big enough for 100 people, the PA system collapsed onto the crowd before being hoisted back up again by the crowd… and for 40 minutes the Sankey faithful and other souls who braved the riot had witnessed the beginning of the machine…

 A local music journalist who happened to be there at the time had this to say,

 DAVE ADAIR – www.allgigs.co.uk

Descending the stairs into a compact, leery pit of expectation that is awaiting the first hometown gig from the rugged rock/garage/indie and psychedelic mixing Warrington troupe The 66, is reminiscent to that of The Roadhouse in Manchester several years back. Back then it was some rising southern misfits who went by the name of The Libertines causing the air of anticipation. Tonight, it is The 66 stirring things up even before their entrance.

 Full Article – http://www.allgigs.co.uk/view/review/2716/The_66_The_Lounge_November_2007_Live_Review.html

 EPILOGUE

 Since the blinding night of November 10^th we’ve gone onto many adventures in the North West and far beyond, playing some incredible gigs and shows, racking up some amazing reviews and comments from the industry and alike, meeting some top people, working with some top names and making friends across the globe… it’s been a hell of a ride and it’s only just begun…

We’ve never forgotten who was there to support us in the first place, the souls of Great Sankey and Penketh… This gig at the Penketh Tavern is for you as a thank-you for that initial boost of energy that propelled us from the very beginning…

We’re going to put on a monstrous show for you, so put your lotion in the basket and bring a towel… it’s going to get sticky as sin

LOVE, THE 66 xx

Parmi les groupes résultant d’une relation amoureuse entre les deux frontmen (comme les Subways, Kills ou White Stripes), rares sont ceux où la relation fut aussi contesté et complexe que celle vécue par Carl Barat et Pete Doherty. En seulement deux album, ils ont marqué le rock comptemporain et se sont définitivement inscrit dans la liste succinte des plus grand groupe du XXIème siècle.

Produits par Mick Jones, Up the Bracket (2002) suivi de The Libertines (2004), seront les seuls opus du groupe. Les textes de Pete Doherty, dans un style poétique, relatent de la vie dans l’Albion – référence à la Grande bretagne- qu’il continuera avec son autre groupe Babyshambles. Sexe, drogues et rock’n'roll tels seront aussi les thèmes du groupe, qui le conduiront au succès mais aussi à leur séparation.

What became of the Likely Lads?

Tracks:    Don’t look back into the sun – Time for Heroes – The man who would be king – What became of the likely lads – What Katie did – Can’t stand me now

O tempo passa diferente no mundo da música. Bandas como o Nirvana acabam no auge e outras, como os Rolling Stones, parecem que nunca vão acabar. E tem até aquelas que acabam e voltam, como o Queen e o Guns. Mas já parou para pensar naquelas que viram seu fim mesmo antes de começarem propriamente dito? Bolamos uma lista pra você relembrar e conhecer.

Long Blondes
Essa durou de 2003 a 2008 e é uma pena mesmo ter acabado. O principal motivo foi o derrame de Dorian Cox, o guitarrista. Os britânicos lançaram dois álbuns, sendo “Someone To Drive You Home” o primeiro, com boas músicas como “Giddy Stratosphere” e “You Could Have Both”.

New Radicals
A banda de rock alternativo durou apenas três anos, tendo lançado apenas um CD, “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too”. O que pegou? Bom, a banda tinha apenas um membro fixo! Alexander produzia, escrevia e tocava vários instrumentos. O troca-troca de funções fez com que a banda não tivesse base e terminasse.

Elastica
Amigos de outras bandas se reuniram a formaram o Elastica, que tocou britpop de 1991 a 2001. Foram dez anos, mas apenas dois discos – o primeiro teve participação de Damon Albarn, do Blur. Problemas com drogas, membros que abandonavam projetos no meio, brigas, confusões amorosas e até LER foram motivos que se somaram para o fim do grupo.

Eagle-Eye Cherry
Responda rápido: o Eagle-Eye Cherry se aposentou? É, talvez nem ele saiba bem a resposta. O último álbum de inéditas do músico sueco-americano saiu em 2003. Ele até lançou um DVD três anos atrás, “Live and Kicking”, mas ninguém viu.

Morphine
Com bateria, baixo, sax e voz ,a banda Morphine começou em 1989. O sucesso modesto rendeu cinco álbuns de estúdio. Mas acontece que o baixista, Mark Sandman, teve um ataque do coração em 1999. Atualmente, os membros restantes rodam o mundo com a Orquestra Morphine, relembrando as músicas do grupo.

Libertines
Com algumas críticas nas costas e manchas nas roupas, o Libertines durou três anos, entre 2001 e 2004, pegando onda no novo rock lançado pelo Strokes. Foi daqui que surgiu Pete Doherty, figura marcada das confusões recentes da música. A banda lançou dois CDs e ficou conhecida pelo hits “Can’t Stand Me Now” e “Don’t Be Shy”.

Jellyfish
Já ouviu falar nessa banda? Ela existiu de 1990 a 1994 e é dona de músicas geniais, como “New Mistake”, “I Wanna Stay Home” e “That Is Why”. Como não é raro no mundo da música, a separação aconteceu por causa do que os membros chamaram de diferenças artísticas, ou seja, brigas!

Lembra mais alguma?

Psalm 119:4  Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

While we can see the error of the Legalists on one hand and the Libertines on the other, we should never let such excesses paralyze our own due diligence in the pursuit of holiness. And, mind you, the pursuit of holiness cannot be rightly taken up without the Law of God, for it is the standard by which we measure our progress. Granted, we will only have gradual progress until that day the Lord returns and makes us like He is, but we are nonetheless charged to “keep [God's] precepts diligently.”

Do we love Jesus? Then we ought keep His commandments (John 14:15). Do we hate our sin? Then we ought diligently study the Law to see our sin in light of God’s perfection (Romans 7:7b). Do we love one another? Then we ought seek their good, for Christ’s sake (Exodus 20:12-17). Do we realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin? Then we ought see that the mortification thereof is more important than life or limb (Matthew 5:29, 30).

Christians have the privilege of possessing an alien righteousness that gives us a right standing before the Holy God of Scripture. In light of such a wonderful truth, is it really so difficult to believe that God expects, nay demands, our pursuit of perfect obedience to His Law? It shouldn’t be. Romans 12 calls it out “reasonable service.” Does this mean we can merit God’s favor by keeping His Law? Of course not, because even in our greatest law-keeping we are yet deficient. We don’t keep the law to merit favor, but as a response to undeserved favor lavished upon us.

Would that we can echo the Psalmist when he says, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

Josh

Psalm 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

Previously, we discussed the Right Group (as opposed to the Wrong Group) within the context of the Libertines. Today I’d like to explore the Right Group within the context of the Legalists. It will really be quite brief, because I’d like to simply reference some sermons from Pastor Todd Ruddell that go into detail concerning the relationship of God’s Law to the believer.

Although Legalists carry the aura about themselves as folks who love God’s Law, we must understand that such boastings are all a charade. Due to their misuse of God’s Law they may rightly be classified as antinomian, for their abuse and misuse is truly against God’s intended purpose of the Law in the life of the believer. Legalism proper can be defined in two ways:

1. Legalism: Trying to gain merit before God by keeping the Law.

2. Legalism: Requiring more of people than God requires.

Having already addressed the number 2 definition in a previous post, I’d like to hit on the first definition as it is the import of this particular series. The Law of God obeyed by the works of man cannot merit any favor from God, and that is not its purpose. While the Libertines have taken that and decided to abrogate or severely distort the purpose of God’s Law altogether, the Legalists have done quite the opposite.

The Pharisees not only thought they could merit favor before God by keeping the Law, but in order to “keep” the Law they had to change the depth and breadth of the Law altogether. Jesus called them white washed tombs because they “kept” these Laws on the outside, but they did not truly keep the Law in its fullness. Christianity is a heart religion. The Religion of Yahweh was a heart religion. It is not enough to simply keep the outward letter of the law, but we must be compelled to obey the Law in our hearts too.

This, of course, was Christ’s purpose in preaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). He would say to the Pharisees, “You have heard it said, but I say unto you…,” and in doing so would tear down any pride the Pharisees may have had in their so-called “law keeping.” They were like white washed tombs because on the outside they looked nice and clean, but on the inside were full of dead men’s bones.

The Law is not a means of salvation for anyone. The Law cannot be fully kept by any mere human born to woman. All of Adam’s posterity have broken God’s Commandments in thought, word, and deed, so to pretend that we may attain salvation by the keeping of said law is a farce. The prophet Isaiah has referenced that even the “greatest” of our “righteousness” is filthy rags in the site of the thrice Holy God of Scripture. God does demand perfect obedience to His Law to have salvation, and that is exactly why Christ had to come and obey the Law perfectly on behalf of His people so that we will be able to stand before God as pure, holy, and undefiled. And THAT’s the good news of the Gospel, Friends!

Christ paid our debt that He did not owe. But we must never see God’s Law as a means to merit favor before God or a way to salvation. No, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Rather, our obedience to God’s Law should be a loving response to the glorious truth that God, in His mercy, has saved us from ourselves, passing us from death unto life. Our love, study, half-obedience, and failure of God’s Law are to serve as a reminder that we cannot please God with our works, and a reminder of the good news that Jesus has pleased the Father on our behalf.

So, is the Law of God binding upon the believer? Absolutely. Does our half-hearted keeping of God’s Law merit us anything before the Almighty? Absolutely not. Does this fact negate our responsibility to obey God’s Law to the best of our abilities and with the utmost sincerity of our hearts and minds? Absolutely not. For God’s Law is good, perfect, holy and just. Our hearts are not. We seek to obey and uphold God’s Law because He has commanded it be so. Jesus said, “He who loves me, obeys my commands.” The following links are a sermon series that my pastor preached on Matthew 5 concerning the Law, the distinctions therein, the proper & improper uses thereof, and its relationship to the believer. I implore you to listen to them, as they are greatly edifying and helpful.

1. The Law or the Prophets: Who Are They?

2. Distinctions in the Law: How is Law Used in Scripture?

3. Distinctions in the Law, Part 2: Ceremonial, Judicial

4. Distinctions in the Law, Part 3: The Moral Law, Part 1

5. Distinctions in the Law, Part 4: The Moral Law, Part 2 – the Moral Law Abides)

6. Uses of the Law, Part 1: Unlawful Uses – As a Means of Justification

7. Uses of the Law, Part 2: Unlawful Uses (Cont.)

8. Uses of the Law, Part 3: Lawful Uses – Who’s Law Will Prevail?

9. Lawful Uses of the Law – How Do You Define Sin?

10. Preaching the Law – The Revealer of Sin

11. Uses of the Law, Part 4: Lawful Uses – The Law Binds us to Christ

12. Uses of the Law, Part 5: Lawful Uses – An Affectionate Rule of Life

13. Preaching the Law – Do You Love God’s Law?

14. Introduction – The Greatest and the Least

15. Are You Least or Greatest in the Kingdom?

16. Keeping the Least Commandments

17. Keeping the Least Commandments, Part 2

18. True Biblical Greatness

19. Doing and Teaching the Least Commandments

Josh