My Top Ten Favorite Podcasts

The radio as we know it is dying. With so many people having thousands of songs in their pocket at any given time or subscribing to satellite services such as sirius or XM radio the am/fm radio is quickly fading out.

One modern form of broadcasting that is quickly taking over is the downloadable podcast. iTunes alone has tens of thousands of podcasts in any genre/category imaginable. Podcasts can be created by anyone and can contain any video or audio content that you can think to put into it. I have been listening to and watching podcasts ever since I first got an iPod, but I never really dove into the podcasting world until this year. After weeding out the bad stuff and picking out the gems I decided to share some of my top podcast picks with you. Enjoy!

*These are in no specific order*

1. The RELEVANT Podcast 

-The audio companion to Relevant Magazine and relevantmagazine.com

This podcast first caught my eye this winter when I was searching through the top Christian podcasts on iTunes. If you haven't seen the magazine or website Relevant is a resource focused on Christian 20-somethings. The site/magazine, and podcast hold a collection of reviews, news, blogs and thought provoking articles geared toward the emergent church. While some of their doctrine is anything but traditional their overall mission is sound. Their goal is to take the church to pop culture like never before. They have found that college age Christians arent looking to Christian tv and bookstores for their culture and they have bridged that gap.

Their podcast contains new music, exclusive interviews (i.e. Barack Obama, John McCain, Dan Merchant, Mark Steele), "Slices"(humorous and interesting news reports found by the gang), listener feedback and consistent hilarity throughout. The podcast is always a good time and is nice background for an hour of your life each week

2. Jentezen Franklin Ministries Podcast

-Sermons from minister, Jentzen Franklin

I always love listening to good preaching and Jentzen Franklin never disappoints. After years of ministry he has compiled countless powerful messages that are now readily downloadable. The podcast is very simple. It usually contains a sermon clip that is about 25 minutes long in most cases. That is shorter than some others, but it is power-packed and it always gets the job done. If you want a quick message to challenge you, get you thinking and get you psyched up for the week the Jentzen Franklin Ministries Podcast is an unbeatable choice.

3. The Passion Podcast

-Music & ministry commentary from Passion leader, Louie Giglio

If you have been involved with worship or youth ministry at all in the last 8 years or so you've most likely heard of Passion. Their CDs have held multiple instant classics for worship such as How Great Is Our God, O Praise Him, Blessed Be Your Name etc. The podcast is the work of Passion pastor Louie Giglio. His podcast isn't preaching, but more of a news podcast. He interviews Passion artists (I.E. Chris Tomlin), discusses their current tours/ministry happenings worldwide, highlights new cd releases and announces various ministry news. This podcast is usually between 30-60 minutes in length and updating is very random. It is a great podcast because of the news and interviews, but it doesn't hold anything horribly groundbreaking. Hopefully they will develop a more consistent schedule or even a video podcast of the worship events.

4. SWITCHFOOT Video Podcast

-Your behind the scenes pass to the crazy life of Switchfoot

The Switchfoot podcast has been one of my favorites since the summer of 2006. It is updated every few weeks or so and it never exceeds 5 or 6 minutes, but it is always fun to watch. Not only is it awesome to see the band performing around the world, hear rare songs and watch recording sessions and video shoots, but their off-stage antics are what really makes the podcast great. I remember spending an entire night watching through about 30 of the podcasts right in a row with one of my best friends. We just couldn't get enough of it and never stopped laughing. If that isn't an indication of the podcast's awesomeness i don't know what is... so go watch it... now! No wait... read the rest of this blog and then go watch it!

5. Worship House Media

-Church media releases, news and exclusives

I'm watching this one at this very moment. It probably won't be interesting to the average viewer, but being involved in worship arts and church media I love it. Worship House Media is a website that holds a vast quantity of church media resources including short films, motion backgrounds, countdown videos and graphics for worship services. The format of the podcast is two of the Worship House guys sitting on a couch in front of a giant green screen that shows the video content that they are discussing on the show. Obviously the graphics and video presentation of the podcast is very slick looking and is what gives this podcast the cutting edge. This podcast always comes in at under 20 minutes and I highly recommend it if you are involved at all with church media and wanna see what's new and available to enhance your church service. *As an added bonus they always promote deals and sales on the show*

6. The Bored-Again Christian

-Your source for the best music that you've never heard of

I found this podcast through meeting the creator in a Christian music discussion on Roov.com (i'll tell you about that in a later blog). This podcast is nothing but music. There is a brief intro from the host and then an hour of continuous Christian music. That is great, but the thing that sets this show apart from normal Christian radio is the actual music content. In the last episode there was not a single song that i'd heard previously and it was all great music. Pete goes to great lengths to find indie and un-signed bands. This podcast comes out once a month and is definitely worth a listen if you're looking for some new music to add to your collection.

7. Relient K Official Podcast

-Relient K with a camera... nuff said

After an over 18 month long podcasting hiatus Relient K has finally returned to the web with their new "Official" video podcast. The format is almost exactly the same as Switchfoot's and has the same general effect. Their old audio podcasts had interviews and things of that nature but the move to video brought about all of the hilarious antics and fun to watch characters that make up the band known as Relient K. Their last episode about bats was pretty funny and I hope to see this podcast continuing on for a while.

8. Steelehouse Podcast

A variety of news, reviews, and discussions with Steelhouse Media Creators Mark Steele and Jeff Huston

Steelhouse media is the producer of some of the best media available for church and event use. This however has almost nothing to do with the podcast. The podcast is very very similar to The Relevant podcast with the only major difference being length. The average Steelehouse podcast clocks in at nearly an hour and a half which makes it by far the longest podcast on this list. This can make it hard to fit in in one car ride, but the extra length is achieved by in-depth content. The hosts go into deep discussions about faith, church structures, books, movies, music, technology and did I mention the office? Their show is very well rounded and always interesting. It is not as edgy as Relevant, but still has an appeal with the emergent generation. I should add this podcast takes full advantage of the iTunes interface by using different pictures throughout the show and links hidden in the now playing window. This obviously doesn't do you any good if you listen on the road, but it makes the experience more enjoyable at home or in the office.

9. Tooth & Nail Podcast

-Monthly music updates from Christian rock record label, Tooth & Nail Records

Tooth & Nail records has arguably become the most popular and most succesfull Christian record label ever. Their artists are in rock genres that vary from Hawk Nelson & Capital Light's melodic punk to the hardcore sounds of Underoath & Demon Hunter. Their podcast is all about the music. The half hour show is packed full of interviews, news, and song clips from the best tooth & nail artists. The only downfall to this show is that it is a monthly so don't expect to be super up to date as far as the music news goes, but when it does come out there is always something new and exciting to hear. This podcast also takes advantage of the picture links so be sure to watch for links to your favorite artists and new music sites as well as album releases and pre-orders.

10. XXXchurch.com

-The podcast produced by the self-proclaimed #1 Christian porn site

Before you get freaked out XXXchurch is not at all what it sounds like. It is a ministry focused on people breaking their porn addictions and reaching the people that work in the adult film industry. Over the past few years their ministry has grown substantially and they are reaching countless numbers of people all around the world. Their next endeavor is going to be an actual XXXChurch on the Las Vegas Strip. As far as the podcast goes it has a lot of variety. The shows range from video clips of their ministry trips, various short film clips/commercials and their actual panel podcast show. The show is called Dirty Little Secrets and it has a lot of the same format as Relevant/Steelehouse. They discuss pop culture as well as their own ministry. They have interviews with authors/artists etc just like the other podcasts. Their podcast is the longest running out of all of these. Last weeks podcast was #97 and it has been running for nearly 3 years now. They will soon move over to a fully video show and they have a lot planned for their 100th episode. Their content is very groundbreaking, sometimes humorous and always unique and thought provoking.

Well that wraps up my top ten podcasts. You can listen to them all for free by clicking the links and downloading them on iTunes. If you don't have iTunes for some reason you can get all of these and other podcasts just by looking them up on the web. Feel free to leave comments on this blog with links to your own favorites. Happy listening!

Look out for The Electrified Life Podcast which is set to launch this fall!

My Warped Experience

After 7 years or so of listening to Punk, Alternative, Pop-punk, "emo", screamo, etc. , wearing skate shoes and lots of black t-shirts, and watching the x-games (cuz I can't skate) I finally made my first pilgrimage to the punk-fest that is the Vans Warped Tour. 

*Disclaimer* This is no way a professional review of the show. This blog is me simply sharing my experience yesterday and my opinion on some of the bands and the festivities. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog...

My Warped experience began as soon as I pulled into the massive parking lot at the Post-Gazette Pavilion. All of the cars were in two lines slowly making their way down the driveway(if that's what you call it?) toward the main lot. I had my windows down so that I could talk to the parking attendants and the car next to me offered me a smoke (i'm not sure of what tho). Of course I declined and just put the window up when he started asking me why and stuff (I totally missed a ministry opportunity there, but of course I didn't know what to say). The funny part of that wasn't that he did that, but that he was really just trying to be nice. That's just not my crowd I guess.

After finally getting into the parking lot we watched a kid climb out of the trunk of the car next to us (who needs mini-vans when compact cars have such spacious trunks?). We then made our way to the first of many long lines that we would stand in throughout the day. We stood in the sun and listened to a guy running up and down the line promoting a band. That's cool and all, but I can't even type some of the stuff that guy was saying in order to be humorous. Why do kids find that vulgar stuff funny anyway?

After getting into the amphitheater and making our first trek over the steep hill and down through the bazaar of band-merch we had finally made it to the main stage (Which was no where near the actual main stage. There was no one big at all playing on the amphitheater's stage. I still can't figure that one out.).

One of the first performances of the day was the alternative-rock act Anberlin. They were a great way to start the day. While their show wasn't too high-energy, the music was great and they put on a decent show. One of the best parts of the show was listening to lead singer, Stephen Christian. I love when a band's singer has a voice that really sticks out, especially when it is the same live as on their recordings. Christian has one of those voices so it was really cool to hear that unmistakable sound at a live show. I can't say that it was one of my favorite shows I've ever seen, but it was still enjoyable and I can now take Anberlin off of my list. 

After Anberlin's set we wasted an hour at the merch tables waiting for Family Force 5 to start. They were the single biggest reason for me attending the warped tour yesterday. I have been addicted to their music since winter and I could not wait to see how their crunk-rock craziness translated into a live show.

We went over to their stage a little early so we could be close and we got to see the stage being set. Their logos all over the amps made it cool enough, but I got way excited when I watched Nadaddy bring out the Family Force 5000. I'd explain what that is to you, but words wouldn't be enough so enjoy this video clip:

Pretty awesome eh? Being a music-tech geek I sat there figuring it out the entire time they were setting it up. I love that stuff.

After getting all set the band came out and kicked into "Drama Queen". This set the tone for the rest of their set. The best way to describe their show is just fun. The lead singer (Soul Glow Activatur) was just having fun the whole time and seemed to be a really cool guy. They were all real laid back for as insane as they can get while they're rockin. All of their music is fun on CD, but it goes from a fun CD to jam to to a full fledged party when they do it live. There was never a low-point in the show. It was 30 minutes of crunk-rock fun. 

The only thing I didn't really like about the show was their support of Sen. Obama by changing the lyrics of their single Kountry Gentleman from "My momma raised me in the dirty south" to "Obama raised me in the dirty south". I was disappointed just because I'm so against Obama's run for presidency. I certainly wasn't holding that against FF5 though and I enjoyed the rest of their show. I am really looking forward to seeing them do a longer set at the Winter Wonder Jam tour @ ORU.

After FF5 we got in line for Relient K's signing @ the "Kia Lounge" tent. After briefly meeting my favorite band of the last 6 years we grabbed some food and wasted more money at the merch tents. 

The next band we watched was Relient K. Yet again, we pushed to the front and got to see them up close. This was my third time seeing them live, but i had never got to be that close before so that added to the experience.

Due to the shortness of the set they didn't get to do many classics (Sadie Hawkins, etc.). They just started with "Be My Escape" and played their singles off of the last couple of albums. Their live shows are known for covers and other randomness and even at the warped tour they didn't disappoint. They kicked off one of their newest singles "The Best Thing" by playing a brief cover of Kanye West's "The Good Life". It was random, but fun to listen to. One the highlights of their show for me was their ode to The Office (my favorite show). Here's a clip of them doing it on another tour:

As you just heard their ode segued right into the theme song from The Office. I thought the ode was hilarious and I loved listening to them play the theme. I had heard them do this bit last winter when they were on the Appetite for Construction tour with Switchfoot, but I couldn't quite make out the ode's lyrics from where I was sitting.  

They continued to play some great songs off of their latest full-length CD as well as one song off of their EP that came out this month. They concluded with their boldly christian anthem "I Need You" and singer Matt Thiessen Stood on the rail in the crowd and sang out the last song with the crowd's help. Their show was great and they proved once again why they have always been one of my favorite bands and will continue to be for years to come.

We had all been getting really beat down from standing around in the sun all day and I didn't want the girls to get sick so we decided that we'd leave early after catching a little bit of Angels & Airwaves' set. We moved toward the back of the massive crowd and listened to their first song and decided to leave when lead singer Tom DeLonge introduced them as "Angels & F****ing Airwaves". I wasn't shocked, but I just would rather not listen to that on pupose. Their first album was parental advisory, but their recent "I-empire" album had considerably less profanity than usual and contained a few tracks that were blatantly pointing to God. I thought that was awesome and was hoping that their live show would contain that same spirit, but I wasn't too surprised by DeLonge's  language. He is a former member of Blink-182 after all. I understand that it's the Warped Tour and all, but is that really necessary? DeLonge is quoted as saying that they will be the biggest band in the world someday. I would argue that cutting the profanity out of their show would help them achieve their goal and make them appealing to a much wider audience. Who knows, maybe their maturing sound and content will continue over the coming years. They might be a whole different band when they're on their own headlining tour and maybe they will be the biggest band in the world.

After stopping by the Relient K booth one more time for a shirt we found the car and headed home. I am glad that I finally went to the Warped Tour, but I don't know that I'll go back. I vastly prefer arena tours to outdoor concerts. The lights and stuff just make it feel more like a show. As far as the bands go I'll be seeing the ones that I liked again at other locations and I think it'll be a more enjoyable experience. All of the vendors and stuff is cool, but when you aren't into that many of the bands it isn't that big of a deal. If it was a Christian festival where I knew I'd like all of the bands I know that I would enjoy it all much more. I'm glad I went once and I can't say that I hated it, but in the end it just wasn't for me. I know that I am in the small minority, but I normally avoid profane language in music and all secular music for the most part. I can respect the artists musically and 6 years ago when I listened to everything regardless of language I would have loved everything there. I just live by a different standard now and I know how to enjoy music with some redemptive value to it. There are plenty of awesome bands out there that are completely devoid of four letter words. Hopefully bands like Relient K and FF5 keep rising up in the mainstream and creating a new standard for everyone at Warped Tour and all of the music industry. The whole scene is changing and I can't wait to see where the music industry goes over the next few years.