I was reading reviews on iTunes of this week’s free single. a few of the top reviews said things like, “No offense i’m Hispanic but this is America and i like my songs in English” And, “seriusly why is it in spanish… iTunes you need to pick better songs that people actually listen to.” Typically I think people in our country are a lot less backward than they think, but to discount a song because it’s not in the language you grew up with, what is that about? Anyway, my favorite (read: least favorite) was from someone named “blessedBEtheNAME1080p.” A funny name alluding at once to Jesus and high definition television. Maybe they were just going for a “Jesus in high resolution” kind of thing. Anyway, this person has written two reviews, one thanking the Lord that they were able to listen to this person’s music live and only one other, a review of this week’s free single, Bestia. “Catchy beat but it ruins it when its in a different language.” It ruins it when it’s in a different language? Maybe they were just sad they couldn’t understand the lyrics, but if that had to do with an actual consideration of whether the song is good, what a sad vision of what beauty means!

- Dave

My friends… you all are wonderful people, and if you’re a fan of the band you’ve probably been hearing us tell you for the last six months or so that a new album is in the works, due by what would now be about a month and a half.

After much deliberation, The Northern has decided to break up

JK

BUT!!!! We are delaying the release of our album to a future date that we very intentionally do not have a release date for. We believe we have the potential to bake some really good cookies. We have all the necessary ingredients, but why throw them all together when you don’t know the right measurements of the individual ingredients? We’ve got Brown Sugar (Jon), Butter (Jason), Dough (Jim, though the last time I called him my “little dough boy” I received a black eye that didn’t go away for months), and Chocolate chips (which I guess would be me).

The biggest issue is that for a variety of reasons, many of which involve subconscious sibling rivalry issues, we’ve tended toward too many chocolate chips. It’s like, “Welcome to the chocolate chip show! Have a little cookie!”

Another problem we’ve had is being more focused on a career goal than an artistic one. saying things like, “Album due May 1. It’s going to be awesome!” before the album is even half-finished.

So what we’ve decided to do is to wait. “Chew the cud” so to speak. I’m releasing my grasp on “my” concepts for the sake of this album becoming OUR art. The result will be more Jon, more Jim, more Jason. More J’s in jeneral. The Northern has been a group product from the get-go. Let no-one be deceived… but I’ve been hogging the driver’s seat and apparently I’m not the only one on this road-trip who likes to drive.

There’s an album coming your way, but hopefully and more importantly there’s better art and a better band coming your way.
In the meantime, come to a show. You will no doubt witness some spectacular growing pains.

- Dave “the fewer chips” Chalk

Found this on youtube today… Incredible.

Not nearly as glamorous as it sounds… No actual hanging out happened, however, Ryan Adams did come out with a new album which is always a treat for me… Most of the songs are really short, less than three minutes. There are definitely some gems.

Finished the bulk of drum and bass tracking in Studio 510, which is nice. We also tracked piano for Still, a pianuh based track that’ll close out the record… Get excited!!!! Plus, we were on NPR! Listen to the story and soon we will be in your ears!

Have you ever heard of Kate Walsh? I have. I don’t now how it happened, but I’m sitting for joy about it. She makes some really nice music. I feel really good right now.

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

—Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Section 125, tr. Walter Kaufmann

This is so incredibly compelling. His last question is certainly a retorical one, the answer to which is yes. Think about it. Nietzsche, you speak truths you know nothng of.

Must we not ourselves become gods simply to appear deserving enough to kill the God who created us?

Good things are going on in New York City

All the Greatest Things… if I Could meet the Architect

I watched Serendipity tonight. Pj and I thought it would be fun to watch a movie and there were only a few out in the guesthouse… Just excuses. We both really like the movie, so we started watching it. About five minutes into what is maybe the happiest movie of all time, PJ’s own little “serendipity” called and I was left alone for the remainder of the movie.

I love how unabashedly romantic it is. It’s really a movie about faith. During the movie I aslo started reading “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. I only got through the first page, but whenever I think about faith, I think about how foolish faith really is. Concurrent with that thought, runs I Corinthians 1: 26-31. “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’”

“God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise.”

Whatever is true and good to me seems to have this foolish yet hopeful urgency and wonder about it.

Serendipity, but still, somehow, not.

Serendipity3

So, family, as I am writing to you there is a wonderfully gifted string trio recording parts for our songs “Just the Way You Are” and “Give Up”.

I really really like the parts. Just the Way sounds really romantic, much more than it does on it’s own.
REALLY ROMANTIC

Give Up Sounds good too, I think!

K.D. Lang – Simple

This song gives me so much peace. It’s beautiful. I’d like to not be the annoying one who puts up song lyrics instead of actually talking about life, but I just feel like everyone who doesn’t know this song should.
You really do have to read it one line at a time for it to soak in. I guess that’s why it’s a song. Give it 5 seconds between each line. You rock.

Flawless light in a darkening air, alone, and shining there;
Love will not elude you, Love is simple.

I worship this tenacity, and the beautiful struggle we’re in.
Love will not elude us. Love is simple.

Be sure and know that all in love is ours.
And love, as a philosophy, is simple.

I am calm in oblivion, calm as I ever have been.
Love will not elude me, Love is simple.
Be sure and know that all in love is ours.

Love, as a philosophy, is simple and ours.