no 'sects in the city'

so all saints - come out of the tomb of a dying colonial christianity and let's all work together across scotland - arm in arm - to heal the land

no 'sects in the city' but and incarnational revolution of 'saints into the city'
Jesus was sent and turned water into wine- but we need a revolution of apostolic sending of the saints with signs and wonders following:

• turning sectarianism into true community (the kind that involves God. people and land)
• turning addiction into prayer and celebration ie into real friendship with God, people and land
• turning masochism into shining in public in the land

jesus can:

• turn denominational sects into community
• turn addictive worship services, ministries and christian practices - into true prayer and friendship with God and people out in creation
• turn centuries of self-harm among saints into releasing their declaration of love for self and God by releasing their dreams into the land

but He can't do it without us- we are his physical body - so don't hold it back and close your spirit down and quench the Spirit of God - GO! leave all that crap behind and get stuck in.. to healing a wee bit o yer ane land

wee beautiful pict

I am proud to call Paul Thomson a friend... and his latest post is really challenging me. He is challenging the very nature of what it means to be out there... and the "crap" I should leave behind. I recommend you read the whole post and soak it in.

Chai & Conversation

Met up with Dan Rous this evening for a cup o' cha. He was in town for a conference for furniture recyclers (amazing how many Christian organisations are involved in used furniture... encouraging!) and had a spare hour for a blether.

It was great to catch up with someone who I consider to be "on page". Hearing stories from his Corps in Glenrothes. Keeping me up-to-date with whats happening with the "G-Gang" aka some of the kids I met at Summer School.

Then, as if God hadn't done enough with us in the music area, one of the G-Gang had asked if she could speak at the God Spot. This is the only point in the Youth Club where we insist on what the young people do - they have to sit and listen for 5-10 mins as we usually shoehorn a message into a video clip, news item or something similar. This girl simply spoke without notes about how difficult it was to stand out from the crowd especially at school and how so often people just go along with the crowd - usually ending up in all sorts of problems and trouble. She went on to say how being a Christian was really helping her in her life and then - shock of shocks - she went and prayed with the group! Its rare that we do pray with them and we are probably at fault for that, but she spoke, read from a Daily Reading book, then prayed. I was so chuffed yet felt myself sinking in my chair because here was this young girl doing what we should be doing. A few of us chatted about it afterwards and were all equally blown away by her confidence and the strength of her message.

Rous Ramblings

Awesome!

We then spoke of new expressions of church within the Salvation Army... and the tension (actual or perceived) between the traditionalists and more forward-thinking folk. Dan and his good lady, Carol-Ann, host (with my pals Chris and Dawn) Catch the Fire - a monthly alternative worship event in Glenrothes. It amazes me how people can get so blinkered... like the Zen parable that asks what is the sound of one hand clapping?... what is the sound of church that isn't held on a Sunday? Some people are so blind to what is happening... because it refuses to follow the "rules"... the tradition. We are the church - where 2 or 3 are gathered... that's church because Jesus is there. This isn't solely a Sunday thing. They don't acknowledge the work done through the week... because they are not there to see it.

Furthermore... as a movement we are great at looking beyond a person's appearance when we are seeking to help them... but terrible for judging our "own", especially when we deviate from what is deemed to be tradition or... the norm!

We then spoke of the people "out there" and I tried to say that our terminology is wrong... we refer to them as them... when we should consider them us. The whosoever is us... we just haven't acknowledge this yet. What I mean by this is that when we personalise the people... when we identify with them and get to know them... they stop being them and start being us. Its a small but meaningful change in our perception.

Its like the barracks vs citadels thinking that Col. Napier spoke on a while back. We need to change our thinking if we want to succeed.

Anyway... thanks to Dan for chai latte and the conversation. Fab.

Bank Holiday Monday

Today was a good day! Here are the reasons why...

a) I get English Bank Holidays - today was one of them. We'ans at school. Olly at work. The house to myself until 1500hrs.
b) Woke up at 0920hrs... with faint memories of being kissed goodbye by my girls.
c) Stayed in bed... Iona playing on the iPod... Blogged... Facebooked... IM'd with a pal from the Netherlands and my brother from another mother (and father) Jody over in Auld Reekie. Spoke to my pal Stewart and arranged a coffee for next week.
d) Got up around 1100hrs-ish. I love it when time is hazy.
e) Ran a bath and enjoyed some quality reading time. Read from Romans and from Sex God
f) Got dressed and made some food - fried egg and proscuitio ham sandwiches. Nice.
g) Hung the washing out and did the dishes.
h) Watched roughly 10 mins of telly.
i) Uploaded content for the Summer School Blog.
j) Picked up the girls from school. Its a great feeling to see them run towards me.
k) As a family we headed to The Fort. Walked and looked. Picked up a Jose Gonzales 3 track CD single for 47p.
l) Enjoyed a fab dinner in Nando's.
m) Came home and finished Sex God.
n) Got a chance to do some more blogging and Facebooking.
o) Went to bed. Didn't think about work once today.

I am a Scotsman who wants more English Bank Holidays! How was your day?

----------------
Now playing: José González - Heartbeats
via FoxyTunes

New listening experiences

I love this pic of my dad playing with my iPod.

Anyway, been listening to some new tunes and have a few music-related links to share.

First off is a sampler for Luaka Bop :: David Byrne's world music label. The majority of this CD is fantastic Brazilian or Cuban music... old and newer sounds... compiled together to make a fab soundtrack. This sampler is like an exclusive playlist from the iPod of David Byrne... and I am digging it. Tracks from Tom Ze, Oz Mutantes, Shuggie Otis, and Zap Mama for example demonstrate a wealth and diversity in what is lazily referred to as world music. Check it out... I picked it up in Borders for £1.

You will all know by now that I am a huge IONA fan... a real evangelist for their form of progressive-celtic-spiritual-ambient-rock sound. Their music is timeless and distinctive... something I never tire of. I honestly believe Journey into the morn is an album that brings me closer to God.

Anyway... picked up their latest album :: the circling hour :: and am loving it. More rock than their previous work... but that's not a bad thing. They are trying new things... experimenting... and I like that.

To kick the album off with lyrics from a hymn called "How wonderful this world" is just so awesome...

How wonderful this world
A fragment of a fiery sun
How lovely and how small
The smallest seed in secret grows
Thrusting upward and so seen
The bidding of the light

the song then continues with new words...

How wonderful this life
No random path this great design
Haw fragile and how bold
The mystery of creative thought
The wonder of the human frame
Of spirit and of soul.

Truly wonderful!

Joanne Hogg's voice is just amazing... ethereal and enchanting! I also love the pairing of Troy Donockley's Uileann pipes and Dave Bainbridge's electric guitar. It stirs something deep inside me... something in my celtic blood. I am also digging Frank van Essen's violin playing - a real contrast from percussion. Gentle... Delicate... Beautiful...

I can't single any tracks out for special praise... because the whole album is amazing. Well worth checking out.

Lastly, I picked up Derek Webb : How to kill and be killed on DVD and am enjoying it. Its concert footage that, at times, seems almost amateurish and raw. I'm not too familiar with the material... I need to watch it a few times to get into it... but from what I have experienced so far... I have to say I'd love to see him in concert. He is a brave man who is talking... singing, even... the truth of the Gospel to the poor and exploring his faith in depth. His is deep music... for people who are tired of the froth of CCM. Nice.

I have briefly mentioned AURGASM before and have to say its become a goto resource for finding new music. The blog specialises in the kind of obscurity that I just lap up. Recent posts have included the ambient folktronica of Marsen Jules and the electro pop of former Gus Gus singer Hafdis Huld. Well worth banging into your RSS reader.

Another fab website for trying before you buy is Sub Pop Records - been a huge fan of their output since the heady days of the Seattle scene in the late 80's / early 90's. Their output has become more diversified and I like what I hear. The Album Leaf, Iron and Wine, DNTEL and The Shins to name a few of the acts that you can download tracks for free. Well worth checking out. If you do, make a playlist and let me know what's on it.

Lastly, senuti is a wee piece of software for Mac and Windoze that allows you to take tracks from your iPod back into your iTunes. The idea is to use senuti when you lose your iTunes but have the mirror on your iPod. Works well and does what it claims on the tin. Check it out.

Technorati Tags: music

The Apple Store in Glasgow :: Part 2

Been there... got the tee-shirt!!!

I got up at 0700hrs... got washed and dressed... and headed out to Glasgow for the opening of the new Apple Store on Buchanan Street (near Urban Outfitters). Grabbed a coffee in the Starbucks on the other side of the street and then headed out to queue.

There were only about 1 - 2 hundred folk there at 0800hrs... although it got busier before 0900hrs. Not a real fantastic mix of people... mostly white men with facial hair (so I kind of fitted in) but there were a fair number of women and Asian men in the queue.

Loads of toys on display... mostly iPods and MacBooks... although there was one guy showing off his Newton PDA. At one point, he was holding it like a Street Preacher holds his King James Version. Proud as punch. Kind of fitting as we were watched over by Science and Art from above the entrance to Urban Outfitters. Afterall, Science + Art = Apple.

Prior to the doors opening... the staff... the genii (plural for Genius) gave the queue a huge walking clap and cheer... which was lovely.

When the queue walked through the doors (bang on at 0900hrs) they (myself included) walked through a gauntlet of cheering genii. Seriously affirming... and, although embarrassing, kind of fun too. I can't really think of any other corporation giving you so much love.

The store itself is awesome... in an Apple Store kind of way. They have done justice to the "a" listed building. Stock is great - real choice of product and accessories. All in... a worthy addition to Glasgow... and a great start to the day.

Check out some other pics here

Technorati Tags: apple, glasgow

The Apple Store in Glasgow :: Part 1

The Apple Store opens on Buchanan Street in Glasgow tomorrow at 9pm... and there are folk queuing already:

My colleague, Linda, took the photo above and the one below and MMS'd them to me. She noticed the queue while out for a drink.

By the looks of the barriers... they are expecting a few folk to turn up. I hope to be one... if I can get myself out my bed in time.

Technorati Tags: apple, glasgow

Headphones and a Shuffle

Been rockin' my new headphones and shuffle all week. Love them. Have to say I'm not sporting them together as that would be just silly now...wouldn't it? The shuffle is fab for work... just put it on random and forget about it. I've put a ton of netlabel folktronica and prog rock on it. Love it when I don't know what is coming next - trust Apple to turn a design flaw into something sexy and covetous.

Have to say, however, without sounding ungrateful to Roscoe and Janey... that I wanted this shuffle!

Ha ha... who in their right mind would drop approximately £20k on an iPod shuffle? This world is truly insane.

Speaking of Apple... guess who is coming to Glasgow??? I'm thinking of heading into town on Saturday pretty early to see if I can score a Tee-shirt. I am such a geek!

Col David Napier at Port Glasgow

I mentioned in my previous post that it was wonderful to see the Napiers at Port Glasgow. Truly beautiful people. David should have been General... he is so switched on when it comes to his faith. A real inspiration along with his wife Grace.

David spoke briefly on Saturday night... He talked about numbers... the use of "4" in texting (which he condemned as a sin because he can't do it!)... he spoke of the global 614 movement and talked about the retired General... Eva Burrows and her involvement in a 614 corps in Australia. He then spoke on 125... as it was Port Glasgow Corps' 125th year flying the flag in their small corner. It was also the Govan Band's 125th anniversary.

He read from Isaiah 12:5 (New International Version)...

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

... and highlighted that we should be a worshipping people 24/7. Not just while we are at church... singing songs and listening to the band... as we did that night. Always.

He then pointed out that from worship comes witness. We need to tell the world... that the Lord has done glorious things.

David talked about a corps in New Zealand... a new corps... that had a sign above the exit that reads:

When the worship ends... the service begins!

...and emphasised the need to be out there... where people are and not expect them to come to us. Awesome!

One thing that caught my attention was a reference to the church building within the Army. Some buildings are called Citadels - these tend to be the larger buildings. David remarked that in the early days... the buildings were called BARRACKS instead. Notice the difference? You rest and train in your barracks... you don't expect to do your work there (as in a Citadel). You expect to be out and about on your mission. Have we lost this thought in recent days?

Fantastic to hear Col Napier again. I wish I had recorded him for a podcast.

Technorati Tags: salvation army, scotland

Wow... what a weekend!

This is me... and I'm thirty three!!! It was my birthday yesterday and I wanted to say thanks, up front, to everyone who wished me well and sent their best. Thanks... it means a lot. I have to say FACEBOOK is a fab resource for keeping connected with folk for things like birthdays... my wall was inundated with messages... and I even got a Deep Purple video to watch!

The weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon with a coffee with Paul C. I have moved offices and don't get to see him as much... which kind of sucks... but it was nice to catch up with him.

Now look at the ear to the left of the photo... do you recognise it?

Does this help??? Recognise the ear... anyone?

Think Middle Earth... think the name of my Cairn Terrier... Any ideas??? [I'll let you know at the end of this post]

In the evening... after work... Olly and the we'ans surprised me by taking me to a local Indian restaurant [Indian Villa on Windmillhill St] for some food... which was lovely.

The place is small and intimate... with great service and fab food. I had a Chicken Garam Massala that was lovely... not too hot. Olly had her standard Chicken Tikka Massala - she should do Mastermind... with her specialist subject being Chicken Tikka Massala. Lovely!

Afterwards... we headed to ASDA (tut tut) for munchies for the eviction... and I picked up a couple of albums:

First off was Close to the edge by YES - Yes... I'm now delving into the world of Prog... and its not that bad! The album - 3 tracks - almost 40 mins... crazy beats and multiple rhythms and electronic sounds. I get it. Robert... if you read this... I'm sorry!

The other album I picked up (BTW - both were £3 each) was the classic debut from The Magic Numbers - truly classic rock music... great sounds and tremendous feel. Great for the car... in a really manic singalong kind of way.

Later on I got a call from our wee pal Calum from Summer School - the gang from Glenrothes kept texting me... wishing me a Happy Birthday... and Calum called to do so too. He told me he was considering becoming a Junior Soldier... which was fab!

Saturday was wet... the rain never stopped! We took it easy... only venturing out briefly to search for shoes and a handbag for Janey's wedding... with zero success.

We watched Lord of the Rings on the DVD and chilled. I love nothing more than curling up in front of a great film surrounded by my family.

Later on we headed over to The Fort - I shocked everyone by agreeing to go to Port Glasgow's 125th Corps Anniversary festival... especially considering Govan Band were playing. We left too late to go to IKEA and too early for the meeting... so we headed to Borders for a caffeinated refreshment... where we met my cousins Emma and Studgie. It was fab to catch up with them.

While in Borders... Olly picked up some headphones for my birthday. These babies :: MDR0XD100 :: are monsters... they hold my whole ear and make me look like a Cyberman. Thanks honey!!!

The festival was great. The Band sounded great... and Olly and I were surrounded by some fab people: Janey & Roscoe... plus folk from Summer School - Laura K, Gregor, Brian, Fraser, Matthew, Heather... to name but a few. Felt good to hear their stories and share some of ours (like Calum's story). Can't wait to the gathering next Saturday in Edinburgh.

Colonel David and Grace Napier were the guests at Port Glasgow and that was just the gravy - they are wonderfully talented and Godly folk... and David was, as usual, on fire. I'll post about his thoughts later.

Sunday was my birthday... and I was jumped on by the we'ans with my cards and present. Unfortunately, I needed to work in the morning... get a head start on a paper I am working on.

Olly came home after 1300hrs... and took me over to Janey and Roscoes...

I am Roscoe's best man... and they combined my birthday pressie with a wee token for the wedding... and got my an iPod shuffle. I love it. Its so dinky... and yet it holds over 100 songs. Sweet!

On the way home... Olly decided to take me for some food. Her excuse was that she couldn't be bothered cooking. She took me to The Bentley Hotel in Motherwell. When we got there I realised I had been conned... deceived by my most trusted friend!

My folks were there... which was a wonderful surprise. What a lovely way to pass the time... good food (Pakora followed by Cajun Salmon) and great company:

Fantastic!

So that was the weekend that was... Sunday night was finished on the 'tinterweb or in a book. I am blessed with great family and friends... and my thanks to everyone - you know who you are!

Oh and who was the owner of the ear???

Billy Boyd aka Pippin in Lord of the Rings. I never realised it was him... I never saw him until I left Starbucks. The thing I thought was cool was how everyone left him alone.

----------------
Now playing: Various Artists, Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele, Karl Böhm - Hojotoho! Heiaha!
via FoxyTunes
----------------

Social Networking...

Been thinking about Facebook recently... I spend way too much time on it... but get so much from it. Keeping in touch with Adele in the US... Pernell in Canada... Roy, Johnny and Lloyd in London... Nuno in Portugal... as well as all my friends in Scotland.

Noah Brier (a blogger I respect as an authority on social networking and a friend on Facebook) recently asked a question...

What do you think of Facebook..?

Personally I like it. As discussed above... it keeps me in touch with my pals in a way email or the blog doesn't. Its two way... almost immediate... and friendly. Sure it is addictive... but its fun.

I love the group functionality... Olly and I recently created a group to show our love for the choir leader at Summer School '07 :: The Ann Howlett-Foster Appreciation Society. This was in response to Andrew Blyth (the "A" Bandmaster) having his own Appreciation Society. As I said... Fun.

There are other ways to have fun on Facebook - Ian McKenzie suggests you try a google-game... Type in "[your first name] is" into google and choose some random result for your status. Mine is presently...

Thomas is all about doing it right, executing blocks as they are designed.

Nonsense!

What I don't like about Facebook is the closed nature of it. Most of the grown-up kids I know are on Facebook... where as the younger folk I know are mostly on Bebo or MySpace. I hate the fact I can't access their pages without a Bebo account and can't comment if I don't have a MySpace page.

Social networking is about openness... not closed communities. I'm not alone in this thought... Internet law professor Michael Geist says, in an article on the BBC News website, that the walled gardens of social networks should be pulled down. He makes a good point...

Unlike the global internet, which enables virtually the entire world to connect, social networks have created very large, localised communities with far more limited international interaction.

This needs to change. I don't want a Bebo account or a MySpace account... I am happy with Facebook.

But I want Facebook to be open. If I wanted a closed network... I would have joined Holypal which describes itself as a...

Christian myspace alternative. Meet connect with Christian friends, community profiles, Christian blogs, christian videos, pictures, chat, christian groups, Christian forum, Christian news, Christian singles service.

Why??? What is wrong with Christians who only want to surround themselves with Christians? In the world, people... salt and light!!! As I have said before... reject ghettos in all forms!

Another thing I hate... or at least dislike... is the childish nature of some of the apps. Sometimes its too much. Just like the notifications... my gmail has gone nuts with all the invites for silly apps. Facebook is more than this... and we need to protect it with a wee bit of restraint.

Anyway... rant over... I'll leave you with a comment from my pal Johnny:

...still prefer blogging to Facebook for the deeper stuff, and Facebook to hook up with all my non-bloggin' buddies

Makes sense to me. I'll keep on bloggin'... just maybe not as often as I used to.

If you are on Facebook... hook up with me. If you are not... what are you waiting for?

----------------
Now playing: Vangelis - Blade Runner (End Titles)
via FoxyTunes
----------------

Technorati Tags: facebook

This is me...

Do you like the t-shirt? The Soos brought it back from a wee visit to Seattle in '92/'93... I love it... I have one in white too. They were by Sub Pop and were the thing at the height of the whole Seattle music scene. I haven't worn them in ages (wearing the white one as I type) but was reminded on them recently...

Olly, the we'ans, Pippin and I (note: I know my place) were invited by Bobbito and Diane to go to the Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre in the middle of the nowhere part of Perthshire. Scenery is absolutely stunning... or at least what we saw of the scenery... considering it never stopped raining!

Wet! The kind of weather Noah dealt with. The only part of my attire that was dry were my pants (that's British pants).

So anyway, back to the tee... Why was I wearing it? Vicky, the older fruit of the loins of B&D accompanied us with Charlie... the cutest Spaniel ever. Recently, at a barbecue, I asked why Vicky kept her bebo locked... and she answered (and I quote)

...to keep losers like you out of it!

Well, honey, I got the t-shirt on that one!!! Check out the rest of my photos from the centre here.

Oh and while we are (kind of) on the subject of t-shirts... check this out:

Its from a website called Oddica - they have some really cool and innovative designs that'll help you stand out in the Urban Outfitters / thrift shop crowd. The one above is called Sith Abandon Ship 2 and I like its humour. I'm not only a loser... I'm a geek too!!!

----------------
Now playing: Weather Report - Barbary Coast
via FoxyTunes
----------------

Technorati Tags: scotland, t-shirts

Banana + Scratched CD + Glass Cleaner

U*P*D*A*T*E

I needed to remove the video... It linked to porn at the end... and I'm not into promoting that kind of thing.

Thanks to everyone who commented on it.

Adium

Found out about this wee app for the Mac :: Adium :: Its an instant messaging client for the Mac that brings all the IM you have together: AIM... GTalk... .Mac... MSN... Yahoo... so rather than having MSN, Yahoo and iChat open... I only need Adium. Nice. It will let me talk to more folk on more networks (don't keep many pals on MSN or Yahoo because I preferred using iChat)

Check it out... if you rock the Mac.

Technorati Tags: Mac, IM

Mo' Tunes

I came home from work this morning with the Skids... unfortunately I don't mean the band of the same name (into the valley anyone???) I've been chillin' as best I can and thought I'd mention some more tunes that have been keeping my mind occupied.

First off we have Half the perfect world by Madeleine Peyroux - it has a latenight and warm jazz sensibility... with a real romantic edge. The guitar and piano combination is just gorgeous. Its pretty trad at times for jazz... doesn't get to obtuse... its within the box but nicely within the box. Worth checking out for a nice evening in with someone very special.

Picked up a copy of Neon Bible by Arcade Fire to find out what all the kids were talking about... well actually only Ally... but he's cool and I wanna be him. Its dark and orchestral... with some great beats and a real feel about it. I'm getting it... although some of the lyrics aren't really on point for me... but I am assured I'll get them. They are like the anti-ELO... and that's actually a complement.

Next up is a band who have never released a record :: The Bays :: Its easier for them to explain their thing...

What drives this band is a need to communicate with their audience in a way not possible with traditional live bands. There are no ‘songs’ as such to perform, there’s no album to promote, there are no commercial imperatives at play. The Bays only perform live, they never rehearse, they don’t have a set-list and they couldn’t ever do the same performance twice. It’s all about the moment – an experience or an event that exists between the band and the audience for one time only.

Luckily some of their sets have been recorded for folk to check out... They are a big draw at festivals and the like... and I hope to catch them up north sometime. Fab electronica... intelligent and daring... real headphone music!

I think Frerk by My First Trumpet is possibly one of the best netlabel releases I have heard in a long, long time... Truly beautiful electronica... graceful beats... live instrumentation... soulful... serene and yet glitchy... Here's a snippet of the blurb for more detail ::

Kevin "ClickClickDecker" Hamann is showing a slightly different side of his musical life. As "My first trumpet" he is enjoying a new freedom, not known from his many other projects. Quite hard to put into a certain genre, the album FRERK combines a couple of modern styles, all under the melody tree.

FRERK is a bedroom- and first trial production, never losing its beauty for melodic moments.

Melodic folktronica... beautiful! Another top-of-class release from the amazing Aerotone netlabel.

Lastly, the seasonal playlist from Refinery29 is superfab. A great collection of bleeding-edge alt.rock and beats... from some fine musicians including Rihanna, Justice, Interpol, Hot Chip and the fab up-and-coming St.Vincent. All for free... Nice. Bit of a nightmare to download - all numbered differently... but worth it when brought together in iTunes.

Check them all out... Well worth it.

----------------
Now playing: Bluebridge Quartet - Spektrum
via FoxyTunes

Tunes

Been listening to some new stuff lately...

First off... we have The View with Hats off to the buskers... great guitar driven indie rock... folky and acoustic... reminiscent of the Pogues... all the way from Dundee, Scotland. My group at Summer School recorded a "video" for their song Same Jeans... this is where I got hooked to them. Good fun.

The next CD :: Total Youth Invasion - Send the fire :: is a compilation of fantastic reworkings of Salvation Army classics and other worship songs... and its fab. Its pre-Singing Company and, if I'm not mistaken, has an Eric Himes vibe about it. We used Phil Laeger's rendition of I'm in His hands for a prayer time on the final Saturday of Summer School. Its wonderful and fitting when accompanying a quicktime movie of all the folk at Summer School. Essential listening... and a fab resource.

Finally succumbed to another Scottish indie rock band - The Fratellis and their awesome album Costello Music - Its worth it just for Chelsea Dagger... but the rest of the album shows depth and substance... with a real good time rock sensibility. Fun.

I'm a huge fan of Iona even when they are called "Prog Rock". Open Sky is an amazing collection of beautiful folk rock soundscapes that explore faith and love. Joanne Hogg is such an amazing vocalist... someone who brings me closer to God... and the music is just magical... truly spiritual. If this is "Prog Rock" then... I'm a fan! Iona are my fav band at the moment and are well recommended.

Something completely different... Out of the woods by Tracey Thorn is a sonically diverse CD where she displays a fantastic aptitude for acoustic folk, dubby electronica and even 80's pop sounds. Lovely and intelligent. Great for walking in Glasgow... its has an urban elegance about it. Nice.

Lastly, I finally picked up Pocket Symphony by Air and love it. Its subtle and delicate... but to describe it as chill out music would be lazy. There is something about their music that I love... even when others think its a tired formula. The guest vocalists featured including Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon contribute their own unique sound to the mix. Pocket Symphony builds upon their recent work: Talkie Walkie, Charlotte Gainsbourg's 5:55, and the solo project Darkel... Sure, its not Moon Safari... but its still good and worth checking out.