Sorry to rehash in a way, but I think I have an opinion that actually wasn't touched upon in the responses to the poor guy's request.
I have a lot of very devout Christian friends. Most of them, sharing the same high school classes, college choice, or ticket purchases, listen to the same music that I do. Some of them also enjoy listening to overtly Christian music. Since knowing these people, I've actually been fascinated (although from a distance) with Christian Rock. It always just seemed an...odd...combination. Christian. Rock. Huh????
But if you think about it, rock and roll has its base just as much in Christianity as it does in anything else. From Aretha Franklin to Sam Cooke to Wilson Pickett, the true legends of early rock started their careers in gospel. Whether it was a children's choir or a full-fledged minsitry (think Al Green's late years), these people were influenced not only by the Christian faith, but by Christian Music-- be it old Negro Spirituals, European Art Masses, or simply folk tunes related to Jesus. Why is it so weird that people today want to take these same influences and apply them to the music that has evolved from Rhythm and Blues' early years?
On the other hand, while people like Otis Redding were undeniably Christian, they were also a) sexual and b) geniuses. To dispose of a), it is more a European Victorian thing than a Christian thing to not talk about sex. As for b), I think that the call of the musician in many ways is inherently stronger than the call to be a CHRISTIAN musician. Before the religious people take me to task, they should ask themselves: would Petra or the Newsboys be any LESS Christian if they were stockbrokers? Being a carpenter obviously wouldn't preclude one from being a devout Christian, but it also would not inhibit a talented craftsman from focusing on his or her chosen artform. Likewise, many of the best "Christian" bands/artists today don't feel the need to proclaim themselves as such. Hell, U2 could have been tagged as a Christian band all the way through and especially including The Joshua Tree. Pedro the Lion was mentioned in the last topic.
All of this is just intended to show-- the reason you can't think of Christian Indie bands is not that they don't exist, it's just indicative of the fact that the independent music industry is made up of people focused primarily on craft. Which happens in every era. See Henry Rollins' commentary in Don Letts' new film on punk, or Seamus Heaney's reaction to pressures to write overtly political pro-Catholic/Republican/"Irish" poems.
Put another way- Moby is a Christian techno artist. Whatever you might say about his music, apparently the man is genuinely devout in his Christian, Vegan and Egalitarian beliefs. And "Everything is Wrong" is a much better album than most explicitly "Christian" bands have made. Those in search of explicit bands should think on that, and those of us who are otherwise inclined need to remember that without church, rock and roll would never have happened.
Oh, and in my opinion, skip the "Christian indie" search and just go buy Mozart's "Requiem", John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," and Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem"
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Topic: Not to dredge it up, but Christian indie opinion (Read 7368 times)