averyfineline

Since I flogged the switch at Solid Gospel radio in Nashville from sg to Praise & Worship pretty hard, I should probably say something about the recent purchase by Grace Broadcasting of WVRY 105.1, (formerly Solid Gospel). Grace promptly undid the P&W format and reinstated the Solid Gospel programming, putting sg back on the air […]

Janet Paschal
Sounds like Sunday
Vine Records, 2007
ALI: 100%

From her very early days with the Rex Nelon Singers, Janet Paschal’s career has been defined by stylistic dexterity: after her stint in southern gospel, she branched out into 1980s inspirational anthems as a soloist for televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, a style that morphed during her time on the […]

Roy Pauley’s June column in the Singing News has all the makings of an interesting read: “Gospel Music’s Biggest Blunders.” And indeed it’s arguably true that, as Pauley has it, prematurely parking the Gospel Singing Caravan and consistently inducting gospel greats into the hall of fame posthumously have lastingly diminished the long-term viability of gospel […]

So is it, as David Bruce Murray wonders, Austins Bridge (no possessive on that first word) or Austin’s Bridge? I initially thought the former, judging by the group’s website. But then in certain advertisements for the group (including the big World Vision* spread in this month’s SN), it’s Austin’s Bridge. Any authoritative, as opposed to […]

So “God has worked” in Josh Cobb’s “heart”, as Aaron Swain puts it, and dissolved his bitterness toward southern gospel (as Swain implies) because Cobb may have shaved and cut his hair and had his picture taken in front of an old upright piano?
Hmmm. Methinks Swain might be hanging out too much with Daniel “by […]

The various discussions about songwriting that have cropped here and elsewhere recently bring to mind a point that often gets lost in the cut and thrust of analysis, argument, and debate about a particular lyric’s merit or a given song’s artistry. Namely: lyrics are only half of the equation (and some times less). Music – […]

A few items worth noting that don’t warrant their own post.

1. David Bruce Murray reviewed Austin’s Bridge’s debut cd. He’s less obtrusive than I was and I would have taken at least another half-star off the grade for the flaccid songwriting that hobbles the project (plus two timeouts and one week of detention […]

It’s been a rumor kicking around for some time now that Anthony Facello (formerly of Mercy’s Mark and the Heaven Bound) was starting a new group. Now, it seems, it’s official.
Anybody know anything about who the other group members are (it’s difficult to tell who “Justin” is in the photos gallery, much less whether he’s […]

[Note: the dead-end, tangential “debates” about scripture have sucked all the oxygen out of this thread; comments are closed]
As admirable as it is for Daniel Mount to attempt an intervention into the obnoxious Sister Tenor schtick that afflicts so many hackneyed sg emcees’ repertoire or “jokes” (and I agree, these droolingly dumb jokes can’t stop […]

Ron Ronsenbaum explores the lyrical complexities of country music about cancer. This is not just good writing, great analysis of lyrics, and even better culture criticism. It’s proof that good lyrics stand up to scrutiny (and that, contra some of you who become so exasperated with my “over analysis paralysis,” I’m not the only guy […]