Andy's Extras

WHAT IS ANDY'S EXTRAS?

Andy's extras is just what it sounds like, it's just extra stuff that I want to put somewhere for people to see. We all have this thing in us that if we share something with someone and they then end up liking it, we feel good about ourselves. That's what I'm doing here.

I don't want to put this on the main page, where it interferes with the countdown, and I don't want to have to send out notifications. It's just here for you to look at if you want to. If not, no biggie.

WARNING: What you find in here is not going to be all worship music, and it may not even be Christian songs. I love all types of music, and when I find something (or more likely re-discover something), I might feel like sharing it. So, that's what this is. No big write-ups, no pictures of cats, just a quick intro and a free song for you.

EVERY SINGLE TIME I hear the piano intro to this song come up in my car or on my iPod, my heart smiles a little bit. I love this song, simple as that. Considering Lily was a band formed by two sisters that was popular in the late 1990s. They had a few decent hits, but this song that came out in 1999 was their best. My hope is that most of you reading this aren't familiar with it. You're in for a treat. 

All right, even I'll admit we need to get off the Jamgochian bandwagon soon. But it's just so hard, because of all the Jaime stuff on here, this song might be her best. Just a beautiful song in every possible way. And as luck would have it, some random youtuber person made a pretty darn good video. Enjoy.

Yet another great song by the luminous Jaime Jamgochian. This time, she actually uses more than just her voice and a piano. It starts out pretty much the same, but then it slowly ramps up and rocks out. A really good song for worship, it kind of reminds of the same style and type as We're Here To Worship. Take a listen:

Once again, this is just Jaime Jamgochian and a piano. Beautiful song, beautifully sung. Enjoy.

Here's another truly great Jeff Deyo song. It probably would have made my list if it was slightly more qualified to be called a worship song. Maybe it is, maybe it's not, I really don't know how to tell. But what I know is it's a great song:

I have to tell you, I really like Addison Road. I don't really know anything about them, but I've got a bunch of AR songs on my iPod. This one is just simply beautiful. A perfect song:

And yet another great Christmas song from the one and only Amy Grant. This one is from Amy's wildly successful first Christmas album A Christmas Album. This is another Amy Grant original Christmas song.

I have long held that when an artist puts out a Christmas album, it's the beginning of the end for their careers. The exception that proves this rule is Amy Grant. Amy put out not one but two GREAT Christmas albums. In 1983 Amy put out A Christmas Album, which probably gets a 9.5 on a scale of 10. In 1993, she did it again with Home for Christmas, which I'd probably give a 9. The thing that sets Amy Christmas albums apart  from all the rest is not her renditions of old favorites, but rather her great new original Christmas songs. I might have time for 3 or 4 of these before Christmas. Here's a good one from 1993, although this is not technically an Amy Grant original, it was mostly unheard of before Amy put it on her Home for Christmas album. Heck, there's even a real music video for this song: (Viewer Warning: As always with any Amy Grant video, please try not to be distracted at how hideously disfigured and homely she is)

All right, I guess it's that time of year, 'Tis the season and all that. I suppose I should give in and do the traditional A Very Brady Christmas, or whatever, so here goes:

Back in 1988, Sparrow Records released a Christmas album, cleverly entitled Christmas, in order to showcase some of the talent on their label. At the time, that talent included Steven Curtis Chapman, Margaret Becker, Geoff Moore, etc. I think the whole album is pretty darn good, with several tracks that stand out and that I still listen to to this day. One of my favorites is Whiteheart's arena rock/heavy metal version of The Little Drummer Boy. Prepare for a treat:

First off, I love this song. I think it's great. Every time it comes up in my car or on my iPod, I can't help but sing along. One time I had my headphones on in church, and this song came on, and I forgot where I was, and started singing aloud, 'Who loves you pretty mama'. Good thing I was in a Catholic Church, they just thought I was talking about Mary.

So, here is how this song plays into the beginnings of this blog. Sometime in June, I was talking to Ann Bryner on the phone, and somehow we started talking about this song. I had remembered hearing it, but didn't know what it was called. Anyway, later on I looked it up and I sent the video link to Ann so she could hear/view it. 

Then, for some reason, after I saw this video below, I sent her an email with a bunch of snarky remarks about the video ( from 1975). I actually had fun doing it, and I thought to myself "Hey, it's fun making snarky comments to songs on youtube videos, I'd like to do more of that". And thus, the seeds of this blog were planted. 

Here's what to look for in this video:

1. For some reason, it was perfectly acceptable in 1975 to refer to women as 'pretty mama'

2. Frankie Valli looks like some punk who got whacked in season 4 of The Sopranos

3. The drummer looks like he's decided to dress for the 80s, while everyone else is staying firmly planted in the 70s.

4. The chubby guy in the white shirt and glasses looks like he gave up music in the late 60s, and had to take off work at his insurance job to cut this record. 

5. I have no idea who the keyboard guy with the blue demin jacket is. But I can guarantee you if you googled his name, the first result that comes up would be heroin.

6. I'm pretty sure the tall guitar player uttered these words some time just before recording started, "If Frankie's unbuttoning 3 buttons, I'm unbuttoning 3 buttons". But, in all seriousness, this is a GREAT song. Franki Valli's voice is sublime. 

 

This next one comes to us from a group named Flyleaf. I absolutely LOOOVVVEE this song. One thing I really love about it is that some of my younger readers will appreciate it's inclusion here, while some of my older readers will absolutely not be able to make it through the whole video. (it's a little weird).

HELPFUL HINT: If you are my age or thereabouts, you may want to go to youtube and listen to the David Crowder remake of this song first. Then you'll appreciate the beauty of it's lyrics before you see this.

This video has been around almost 10 years now, and it is L-A-M-E LAME! It attempts to pull on our heart strings and emotions, with overly sentimental stuff, which I'm much too manly to give in to. As I said, LAME-O-RAMA! Simply put, it's just people acting out having a great life with Jesus, but then relationships, money, popularity, etc. creep in and take you away from Him. I know, sounds lame, right. This video is so lame that I can't help crying like a little baby every time I see it. I'm pretty sure most of you have seen it, but if not, you're in for a treat.

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