Shaun Groves
A couple years ago Jars of Clay’s front man Dan Haseltine wrote to the band’s fans…”Don’t be surprised by the contemporary Christian music industry…They have created a monster and now they do not know how to kill it gracefully. And even though it is a monster, most times its motives are to become a very good monster.” The posting, on jarchives.com of course spread beyond the fans to the rest of the industry, causing more than a few eyes to roll and a few folks to treat the guys in Jars of Clay as if they were the monsters.
Well, they’re good monsters. I’ve toured with these guys and they’re the nicest artists I’ve ever worked with. Totally self-less, treating their crew and opening acts like equals. They get a massage therapist every week on tour for the guys who do the heavy lifting – not for themselves. They let me live on their bus, the best bus of the tour. When Becky came out for a visit on the road and wound up having an emergency appendectomy in L.A., they gave me time off without my asking, and put us up in a hotel at their expense so she could recover and not be alone. They bought pizzas after a show at the House Of Blues for the union guys who loaded us in and out. They’re always looking for ways to take care of other people. They are truly good.
And so is their music. They’re the only band who’s music I buy without listening first. Their music sticks in my head and makes me think – a rare thing. Like this song from the album Good Monsters called Work:
Buy Jars of Clay music right here.
And, look, now they’ve got a blog. (Where’s the blogroll guys?)
euphrony says:
I love Good Monsters and the meaning they have behind calling people good monsters. They’ve taken some knocks over the years (they’re too secular! no wait, they’re too Christian!) but they do make good music that is though provoking.
And I love the video, but I still don’t know what that floating thing up front is.
Michael Anthony Curan says:
They’re too damn good !!!
That’s why they never get any radio airplays nowadays because in todays radio,both christian and pop,are feeding trash to kidz cox these people thougt we are buying trash.
well the rising popularity of singer/songwriters and bands like the shins,the strokes,the fray,snow patrol,david crowder band (beating nelly furtado in MSN) tells us that not all kids are into trash anymore. why can’t radio programmers don’t get it?
that kidz are tired of manufactured and non sense music.
Shaun Groves says:
“The kidz” also buy plenty of pop too. The kidz, as it turns out, don’t share one brain.
But, yes, there is always a market for music that makes people think. It’s just harder to reach that market without radio play. But, I wonder, if radio stations played what you like, would the fans of such music actually listen? Or would they be too busy scrolling through their iPod playlists to even notice the change in the local station’s playlist?
shaunfan says:
Sometimes I’m surprised to think that Jars of Clay has only been around for 10 years, “Flood” seems so long ago. “Good Monsters” is their best CD since “If I Left The Zoo”-still my favorite. I also buy their CD’s without needing to hear it and “Work” is my favorite song on the new CD.
I like how they’ve changed their style and to the radio friendly/intelligent music comment, I’m too busy scrolling through my iPod playlist to notice any change in the local station’s playlist.
Shaun, I think the new CD is a style you could also pull off (a little edgy) and I would like to hear that from you on your next CD. Also, I could hear you being the “Christian” Jason Mraz if you can pull off a little fusion of hip-hop and alternative rock. Have you ever tried that? Ever Karaoke “The Remedy” by Jason Mraz? Just a thought.