There's some good contemporary Christian music out there, and there's some, ah...not-so-good contemporary Christian music. (I'd put the majority of it in the second category, but that's just me.) When I was in college a friend introduced me to the music of Caedmon's Call, who I still enjoy to this day. Their music was kinda rock/folk. Lots of acoustic guitars and bongos, an occasional banjo. (I haven't heard their more recent material, so I don't know if they're still any good, but they were) I wouldn't necesarily call them a Christian band. But they are certainly a band made up of Christians, with some decidedly Christian themes to their music (like U2, P.O.D., Johnny Cash, Van Morrison).

Not that I've really been searching, but I have not heard any contemporary Christian music that I would compare to (or that is anywhere near as good as) Caedmon's Call. Until now.

I just became aware of an Orthodox Christian country band (yes, you read that right) from Lafayette, IN called the SmallTown Heroes. They claim that they are "not a band," but "friends who play music," and supposedly describe themselves as "Byzantine Bluegrass." I'm not sure what that means, but, having listened to a few snippets of their songs [here], I would definitely not classify them as "bluegrass." Nor is there really anything in their lyrics or music that is overtly Orthodox per se (except for maybe: "I want to be a picture on your Sanctuary wall..."); I mean, they're not singing in Greek or anything.

But they're good. There's something about them that makes me think of Caedmon's Call. Maybe it's the acoustic guitars, maybe it's the occasional female voice. Maybe it's that moody quality that appeals to twenty-somethings. It may not bring you to the foot of the Throne the way the monks of Valaam will, but it seems like something worth listening to. Their CD is available from Saint Romanos Records (which has a lot of non-traditional Orthodox music). And, according to their website, they will be performing live at Sacred Grounds Coffee in Lafayette on Jan 16.


Note: Since I wrote this, I went ahead and bought their CD on iTunes, and I definitely recommend it. It is reminiscent of Caedmon's Call: folksy, with some rock-n-roll, a couple of sappy love songs, country-ish in a few places, with some Christian-themed lyrics. You won't hear any of it sung in church (ever), but it is a good CD.