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Still a pile of great $5 albums at Amazon. Check out my recommendations including Radiohead, Frightened Rabbit, Band of Horses and more.

A few other recommendations on some new albums. The Autumn Film: The Ship and the Sea is outstanding (same folks from some of my favorite worship music, Page CXVI). Titus Andronicus: The Monitor is getting tons of playtime on my iPod. It rocks. Makes me think of a mix between The Gaslight Anthem, Conor Oberst and Flogging Molly. 

SPECIAL NOTE: The new David Ford: Let the Hard Times Roll was a must buy after I fell in love with his previous album, Songs for the Road. Some of the most "felt" music being made. Melody and heart. The dude can sing, and is a great songwriter. Even better for my Louisville, Kentucky friends. Go TONIGHT to the Zanzabar to hear David Ford play with Sojourn's Brooks Ritter. It's only $10! If you live in or near Louisville and miss this concert you are a moron. I say that in love. Also check out Brooks' album, The Horse Fell Lame.

Go watch The Antlers play a Tiny Desk Concert. Their album, Hospice (only $7.99) was my #1 album of 2009 and this live performance shows you why. Outstanding. Warning: There is some language.

The National have a new album out in May, High Violet. Here's "Terrible Love" played on Fallon (via Heather)...

The Heavy do "How You Like Me Now?" on Letterman. So much fun. Just crank it up and bop along. Grab their album, The House That Dirt Built, for only $6.99.

>< Starting to read Introverts in the Church by Adam McHugh soon. So much good buzz out there on this book. I've needed a book like this for years, and now it's here. From the introduction...

My hope is that, through this book, God will begin or continue a process of healing introverts--helping them find freedom in their identities and confidence to live their faith in ways that feel natural and life-giving, the way that God intended.

>< I'm still working on a review for Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic by Chris Castaldo. I really like it. If you are doing outreach to Catholics or have Catholic family and/or friends (that's pretty much all of us), I recommend this book. 

>< Phriday is for Photos tomorrow. Some of the photos from the photography project for 5th grade art are up at the school and I snapped a couple of pics. Proud of these kids. 

>< The last few days have been an explosion in good, new music. Looking forward to a few great recommendations on Monday.

>< New Lots-o-Links post middle of next week or so.

>< I'm planning to put a post up next week on resources I've been using to study and understand Catholicism. 

>< Getting a lot of ideas for posts on both evangelism and discipleship. Hope to start getting to those next week.

>< April is coming up fast, which means National Poetry Month comes once again to Reformissionary. Can't wait!

The newest album from Passion, Awakening, just released. It has songs from your favorites including Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Fee, Kristian Stanfill, Matt Redman and more. You can listen to the album one time in its entirety for free below:

If you like what you hear, feel free to use my Amazon link to download the new album. After you’ve listened, leave a comment indicating which track is your favorite.

Related Posts:

• TobyMac Livestream on TonyMorganLive.com
• Listen to New TobyMac for FREE!
• #4 in 09: The New Traditional Church – Music
• 5 Questions with Matt Redman
• Listen to New Relient K for FREE!

• David Bazan: Curse Your Branches - $2.99 today. You need this one.
• Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) is dead. Sad.
• Outstanding $5 albums.

The Avett Brothers/The Low Anthem concert on Saturday night at The Riverside in Milwaukee was an outstanding show. Molly and I were front row, pressed up against the stage. Yeah, we are old and it really hurt to stand that long. Yeah, we were next to 19 year old girls on both sides. Yeah, we were also right next to a very, very drunk guy who was slamming PBR's, leaning on people and asking the girl next to us "Why don't you think I'm hot?" Yeah, we would absolutely do it again. Best concert we've ever seen. Go buy all their albums. They are all great.

Here's just a little clip of the end of one song. I might have a full song for you at some point...

Vampire Weekend on Saturday Night Live with "Cousins." Always fun, these fellas. Their album, Contra, still only $7.99.

Lately I've been sharing a few of the hymns and songs we sing at Grace Fellowship Church that are original or somewhat rare. Here is one written by Joseph Hart in the mid-1700's. We sing it to a new melody written by our lead worshiper and use one of the verses as a chorus. I am particularly drawn to the third stanza: "Convince us of our sin / Then lead to Jesus' blood / And to our wondering view reveal / The mercies of our God." How beautiful is that?

Here is the hymn:

Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Let Thy bright beams arise;
Dispel the sorrow from our minds,
The darkness from our eyes.

'Tis Thine to cleanse the heart,
To sanctify the soul,
To pour fresh life into each part,
And new-create the whole.

Revive our drooping faith,
Our doubts and fears remove,
And kindle in our breasts the flame
Of never-dying love.

Convince us of our sin,
Then lead to Jesus' blood,
And to our wondering view reveal
The mercies of our God.

Dwell, therefore, in our hearts;
Our minds from bondage free;
Then shall we know and praise and love
The Father, Son, and Thee.

Some fantastic albums on sale for $5 this month at Amazon. Here are the ones Reformissionary Recommends. See all 100.

• On sale today, John Hiatt: The Open Road - $3.99
• Go get some free, live Joe Pug at Daytrotter

Check out Joe Pug's album, Messenger. It's really good. Here he is singing "Bury Me Far From My Uniform"...

Molly and I are attending a concert this Saturday with a band you may have heard of, The Avett Brothers. Check out their many great albums. Here's their Tiny Desk Concert from last summer...

Amazon has provided another great month of 100 $5 albums, including some real gems. Here are Reformissionary Recommendations in no particular order... 

• The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
• Spoon: Transference
• Band of Horses: Everything All The Time
• Iron & Wine: The Creek Drank The Cradle
• The Shins: Chutes Too Narrow
• Phoenix: It's Never Been Like That
• Dr. Dog: We All Belong
• Frightened Rabbit: The Midnight Organ Fight
• Radiohead: Kid A (Collectors Edition)
• Tom Waits: The Early Years Vol. 1
• Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now, Youngster...
• Joe Henry: Blood From Stars
• See all 100 albums at Amazon.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend introduced me to the music of Christa Wells. I had never heard of her before and immediately fell in love with her music. Now I often hesitate to share my musical preferences because it seems almost inevitable that as soon as I do so, someone will email and say, "Didn't you know that she [insert grave sin here]." (Yes, it's happened before) Nevertheless, I wanted to draw your attention to one of her songs: "Weightless." You can hear the song by visiting her site (look for the nimbit player and scroll to the song). Give it a listen and ponder the weightlessness of being forgiven.

Nothing scalds
like the memory of wrongs I did when I was young
how could I, how could I
I’m sorry

I see the eyes
of the ones that I so carelessly abused
how could I, how could I
I’m sorry

Well, I’ve carried this a long time
in a well hidden bundle on my back
but I’ve realized repentance is weightless
so I’ll leave my burden on the tracks

And then I face
the yesterdays that disappointed
misunderstood by a cruel world
and I’m angry

You might suppose
the years would close the curtains on a scene
from such a time, but this was mine to harbor

Well, I’ve carried this a long time
in a well-hidden bundle on my back
but I’ve realized forgiveness is weightless
so I’ll leave my burden on the tracks

Its gonna be like delivery that’s overdue and getting too heavy
Then suddenly, I’m weightless

Other favorites on the album are "All The More," a sweet love song and "On the Mountain," a song about striving toward the perfection of heaven.

If you like Christa's music, you can download a free sampler from NoiseTrade or buy her album from Amazon or iTunes.

 Download these great $5 albums at Amazon...

• Vampire Weekend: Contra
• Surfer Blood: Astro Coast
• Eluvium: Copia
• Andrew Bird: The Mysterious Production of Eggs
• Flogging Molly: Within a Mile of Home
• Flogging Molly: Swagger
• Check out all $5 albums