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Still hanging in there!!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:08:56 GMT

We're still hanging in at #5 after 3 WEEKS!! If you've purchased The_Bright_Sadness on iTunes...THANK YOU! Make sure and post a review of the new music and let everyone know what you think!!

There are some great reviews up at iTunes and we hope that more and more of you will weigh in on The_Bright_Sadness. Word of mouth is a HUGE help for this record. We really did our best to say something we can stand behind and judging by the reviews there are some people out there that are picking up what we're putting down. ; )

Thanks again and keep it up!

P.S. I've included a little picture for your enjoyment!

The_Bright_Sadness is finally released!

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:03:42 GMT

     I know that most of you are already aware of this little nugget of knowledge, but for those that aren't....here's your "heads up"! We're one week in and we're pretty thrilled. Lots of good reviews have been coming in and they're not just good reviews, but we've had some encouraging glimpses in them that maybe someone is starting to understand us a bit...Christianity Today said, "The bulk of The Bright Sadness is admittedly far from the stuff of Sunday morning church services, but that doesn't negate its effectiveness as a worship album. It's alternative, but it's still a terrific disc that could well find an audience among more left-of-center congregations and ministries. Better yet, it sounds great on a stereo, which makes it ideal for a time of worship in a personal setting."
     It feels good for someone to say these things about us out loud. We're a band who leads worship, but worship songs aren't just the songs that every congregation knows before they even hear them. They can also be songs that we listen to as we meditate and think on Jesus...songs that we can grit our teeth and confess our failures and doubts and still bring them to the feet of Jesus our Redeemer.
     I can only speak for myself with absolute certainty on this one, but I think the rest of the guys would agree. One of our hopes is that the worship music that's being written (in general) would begin to look and sound more and more like Psalms. There's lots of beautiful honesty and truth in that book. Honesty is about acknowledging how and where you are, truth is about acknowledging how and where God is. A big part of faith is submitting the former to the latter. For some reason, we tend to be afraid to admit our weakness and doubts until after we have conquered them and can learn a lesson from them. I don't see David modeling that in scripture. I see him embracing God even when he doesn't understand Him.
     Charlie's been saying a phrase here lately that's caught my attention. "I understand God less, but I love Him more." Every so often I'm reminded of how human I am, and how big God is. It's comforting and unsettling all at the same time. C.S. Lewis summed it up well in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, "He is not safe...but he is good" and that's the bottom line for me. We can't always figure Him out, but we know that He's holy. We know that life doesn't always make sense, but we know that somehow He turns our mourning into dancing. I don't pretend to understand all of this, I just know that in the darker moments of life I hang onto that truth when my knuckles are bruised and bleeding, like now.
     This is My_Bright_Sadness.

Bright Sadness CD is out!!

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:14:48 GMT

hey just a reminder the CD comes out today (Tues, Aug 19th) Stay tuned as we start our travel this week playing the new stuff and hanging with you guys, of course you'll have to come out for that to really happen. check www.charliehall.com or www.myspace.com/thecharliehallband for the schedule. :)

stay tuned . . .

Our friends at Shure...

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:58:03 GMT

Just a little shout out to our friends over at Shure.

They're having an exciting new Worship Arts Technology Summit at Maranatha Bible Missionary Conference. It's in Muskegon MI this fall. Sept 14-18 brought to you by Shure, Yamaha and Martin Lighting. Shure has been so good to us for all these years. Check it out at http://www.shurenotes.com/how27/spotlight.html

Hello from Amsterdam!

Sat, 17 May 2008 13:29:43 GMT

Don't have any pics to share, but last night was Kyiv, Ukraine and the kick-off of the Passion World Tour. Wish I could show you what nearly 4,000 people packed into a sports arena looked like last night, but let me put it this way....it was amazing. Wasn't sure what to expect in a room full of people who didn't speak English, but as the night progressed, the voices got louder and bolder and more raucous. To say it was an inspiring way to start the tour is an understatement.
Right now, we're sitting in the airport in Amsterdam waiting for our flight to Stockholm, Sweden. From there our band heads home for a few days while the Tour progresses on through Brazil and then we meet back up with them in Uganda. Pray for the Tour and the tremendous amount of details that go into it. Pray that God moves clearly and uses this to encourage believers at every stop. There's really no way of knowing what the real impact of something like this, but whether it's a drop or a flood, we're out here. God is the one that looks down through all of time and knows the turning points, the defining moments, and the little breaths that occur all along the way.

Dustin's a better photographer...

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:19:37 GMT

Sitting here in our little building finishing up the recording goodness with Kendall. We've had the pleasure of taking our time on the keyboards/programming/editing on this record. Not because we have oodles of money to spend, but actually because we're being thrifty.

After our Music Group studio sessions, we set up a little impromptu studio in our downtown OKC office using all of our personal gear so we'd have lots of time to work on the record and not feel rushed by a ticking clock. Let me just say, it's been great. I've got all my keyboards set up and we've got the freedom to try most anything that jumps into our brains.

I am still pretty excited about the songs, and I'm sure my wife is tired of hearing the daily tiny incremental musical updates. Most days she just says "How is that different from what I heard yesterday? ....oh, you changed ONE NOTE in a FIVE MINUTE song?! How in the world did I not notice? Geesh!" ;)

All jokes aside, I know we're all excited to share this new music with everyone and if we had less self control we'd just invite you all over and gather around the computer and play it for you, but the billions of people waiting anxiously for this CD's release couldn't possibly fit into our tiny office. OK, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. There aren't billions anxiously waiting...millions? ....thousands? ...dozens? OK, so immediate friends and family? I'm hoping for at least the dozens category.

Here are some pics I took with my trusty laptop. They aren't beautiful and inspiring and artistic like Dustin's but I thought you might like to see what it's like here...oh and in case you're wondering, that IS a pedal steel in the picture.

New Studio/Live Photos!

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:31:10 GMT

The view of Harrisburg, PA from Wormleysburg, PA

I guess we rocked so hard that dust from the old church's ceiling fell and coated everything. funny thing is, we played pretty soft that night...

At the Music Group, in Oklahoma City, beginning to record the new album! This is last week-Brian inspecting all 900 of his keyboards.

The drums were chilly i guess.

Kendall close up.

Kendall turning knobs, breaking hearts.

Charlie in black and white.

Mac love.

where the tone is.

Quint bringing cool.

Quint bringing cooler.

Charlie hard at work.

our channels.

Brian at the CP-70

my wife Becca, Quint, and David-making hits, checking email.

Alright folks-more to come soon. we have two new videos on YouTube-

and much more to come as we continue to work on the new songs-thanks for being patient with the process-and come see us play near you-and come say hi and hang out.

peace be with you all. Dustin.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:42:35 GMT

This is kind of the "calm before the storm" so to speak. We'll be going into the studio this spring to record what looks like will be 14 songs. All 14 won't make it on the final CD, but all 14 are destined to see the light of day...don't worry. Our motto is "no song left behind". ;)

Our label has heard the demo and is every bit as excited about the songs as we are (which is a huge encouragement for us). There are some moody/contemplative songs (would you expect anything less?), some folk-y songs, and even some pretty rawkin' songs. Heck, there's a guitar solo on one of the demo tracks that would make Skynyrd proud That's all I have to say about that one.

There are some old songs, some new songs NO borrowed songs, and I guess you could refer to some of them as a little blue...and I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say we can't wait for you to hear them all. Watch here for regular updates on the progress, complete with pics/video/blood/sweat and a cameo appearance of "Tears For Fears". (just kidding about that last part)

New Videos Indeed

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:09:02 GMT

Well, we have finished demo recording in the lovely Music Group (where we did FID's vocals and some programming, and we stayed up till 630 am looking for a missing fade file...). We have something like 15 songs, most brand new, a few old but not released, and one from Boston. We did some hardcore 12 hour plus days, but tanked em all out, and i have to honestly say while some are stronger than others i sincerely love each song, not one is a filler.

Now what our label thinks is another story, but rest assured, they have our backs, they are not like the evil labels that might or might not be out there squashing good music...so we'll see how that all susses out!

I hope everyone is enjoying the Advent season, getting done with school, surviving ice storms and major power outages like we in OKC just did. Anticipating Christmas. Shopping. Not shopping.

So, i have also put together some very ghetto videos from our songwriting process, and from our recording days. They are rough, but also very honest....yikes.

Here are the videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PBMGmte0bU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymwut_GsoUQ

And here also are Dustin's (mine) picks of music for 2007. This was done quickly so i'm sure i forgot other things...but we would love to hear your favorite music and things from 2007-i'll try to get the others guys on this as well.

Peace to All!

My Albums Of 2007

St. Vincent: Marry Me
Somehow Annie Clark blends a large mash of styles and makes it sound like it comes from the same place. This is composed music, not just good songs. These are pieces. More rewarding for each part you hear and feel each time you listen.

Emelo-Tranquilizers, Brain Screwdrivers, And A Book Full Of Cheery Poems
I am biased here, but Ryan Walker has worked out some terribly quality songs, very diverse but also maintaining some imagery and melody that plays from song to song. He manages spiritual topics with thankfully non cheesy energy and honesty, and can bring images of beggars and heaven and death and love lost into great relief within one amazing record.

Student Film-Sleeping Giant
Finally, the full length masterwork from some friends of mine. This, along with their season EPs finally gives a well-produced, well engineered collection of this very talented and singular band. They should be lauded for consistent style and non-sentimental emotion. While this can feel hodge-podge from their oeurve played live, it does gather in the songs from several years of work in one place, and shows us all how powerful they can hopefully become as a band, and how powerful they already are.

Zach Payne-Zach Payne
One of the most honest and still fresh contemplative and public worship records i have heard, with simple choruses that are catchy but not only in melody but also in sheer quality. Diverse, and not full of the gloss that too much worship music has. One of the ones i would give to those who are burned out on the Church or on worship music.

Andrew Bird-Armchair Apocrypha
The artist i have grown to love most this year, hands down. His lyrics are deep enough to plumb for years, but hold me into bits and pieces of relation. The songs are composed here, well thought out, and he rescues the tired self looping trend and spits it back out with fire. "Armchairs" might be one of the most beautiful songs about getting older i have heard. then again, it might be about love, or complacency, or just "epoxy, and a pair of pliers." His show with the Decemberists, the LA Philharmonic, and Band Of Horses at the Hollywood Bowl was resplendent, and i was able to see it with my fiance right after we were engaged in LA, with an outdoor picnic and perfect weather to boot!

The Shins-Wincing The Night Away
I loved Chutes Too Narrow while most other folks seemed to love only Oh, Inverted World (Love Is Hell is also my favorite Ryan Adams record while everyone still can't get over Heartbreaker...). This record takes the Shins into lifer territory, that is, intelligent, catchy rock/folk songs with James Mercer's unmatchable weird melodies-this tuff could last them into their Rolling Stones ages, and God bless them for it. The production and sonic quality has finally matched the quality tunes, and they have embraced electronic textures and flourishes with wise restraint.

Linkin Park-Minutes To Midnight
This one is to make the purists mad (and parents maybe). I am an unashamed fan of this band, since i saw their making of Meteora video, where they turned out to be very intentional artists following a vision, not rap-rock jocks. This new record is no exception, and they continue to hold mainstream music in balance with interesting and honest ideas. "Leave Out All The Rest," and "Shadow Of The Day" are both irresistible, no matter how Williamsburgy you are.

Spoon-Ga Ga Ga Ga
While not as classic as the last two, this one deserves mention just because i can see the lifer aspect kicking in to this band as well. This one, like The Shins' new one, has a sonic leap forward as well as continuing mature songwriting while not feeling quite like any other rock music out there.

LCD Soundsystem-Sound Of Silver
Every kid playing with drum machines and samplers needs to listen to James Murphy. Every sappy songwriter does as well. He combines technology better than most bands, along with TV On The Radio and Junior Boys, he brings a heart to Ace Tone drum machines and Junos. "Someone Great" on the iPod at 1am driving into NYC, midtown slowly growing in front of you as you glide thru Jersey, the bright green lights of the George Washington Bridge swallowing your imagination and then flicking you out like a pinball into Manhattan...

Interesting records from this year i recommend also- The New Pornographers, The soundtrack to Once
Jens Lekman, Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, Beirut, Jason Collett, Metric, Broken Social Scene, Aqualung, Jimmy Eat World, LT and Fruits Of The Womb

Alright. Out. dustin.

11 songs doesn't mean we're done!

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:32:43 GMT

     Just wanted to drop this little note in on everyone. Several comments on my last post, so I guess that DOES mean a few people are still reading this thing. ;)
     Thought you might like to know that we definitely don't consider ourselves done with writing. 11 songs is just scratching the surface. Writing and preparing for a recording takes a ton of work and preparation and much more writing than 3 days worth of songs. It's possible that by the time this is all said and done 30-40 songs could be the count...just to settle on the right ones for the recording. It could be more, it could be less...but I'll assure you that 11 won't finish it. Some writers can reel off 11 and be done. That's just their way. Having loads to choose from is ours.
     As we write, pray that God's real heart is clear in the music and lyrics. We want the songs to hum with honesty (and at times, rawness) and that's a difficult proposition. There is often risk and vulnerability and discomfort where truth meets honesty. Pray for wide eyes and wonderment at this God that we sing about, rather than smug dry answers.