Who is this King Wenceslas fella? What makes him good? And why does he merit a song at Christmas?
Music
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
Heaven, hell and humanity: The surprising spirituality of indie rock band Car Seat Headrest
Will Toledo, the founder and lead singer of the band, often uses his music as an outlet to examine his teenage feelings as a young gay man in northern Virginia.
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The story of ‘Carol of the Bells,’ a Christmas classic born in Ukraine
How is a song used in 100 holiday ads somehow connected to Ukraine? It turns out every carol that we sing at Christmas has a story behind it, some inspiring, some strange.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
What Mariah Carey’s ‘Butterfly’ has to say to children of divorce
Listening to the album anew, I can see how Carey’s songs shed light on the spiritual and psychological struggles of children of divorce (like Mariah Carey and I).
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
The Christ-haunted artistry of Florence + the Machine
Florence + The Machine have a number of Catholic allusions and ideas hidden within their music; the lead singer’s upbringing as a Catholic can still be seen in some of her lyrics.
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Bad Bunny is a spiritual guide for our postmodern culture
Bad Bunny’s allusions to God, astrology and spiritism speak to young people who find themselves bored with middle-of-the-road secularism.
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Andrew Bird sings good news for a hurting America
On his new album, Andrew Bird takes a hard look at the ills of contemporary America and wonders how on earth we got here.
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Interview: Composer Sarah Hart on writing a modern Catholic hymn
“In the Living Waters” speaks directly to anyone who finds themselves suffering, ashamed or alone, and it describes a God waiting to welcome them.
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Nick Cave is not a practicing Christian. But he wants to be your spiritual director.
For hundreds of thousands who follow his music and his newsletter, The Red Hand Files, Nick Cave has become a pastor of sorts.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
The (unofficial) Pope Francis Playlist
If you’re anything like me, Pope Francis’ recent visit to a record shop in Rome probably has you wondering: What might the vicar of Christ’s Spotify playlist look like?