I was having a conversation a few weeks back with Seth, Shaun, Fancy, Lindsey, and others about the copycatting that is oh-so prevalant in Christian music. I made a remark about the "Sounds Like" charts in the Jesus stores. They're the charts where the CCM brags about how much like real music. Usually, it appears in the form of: "If you like Celine Dion, you'll like Natalie Grant."
It's just... so wrong. I try to find a motive, a real motive for it. I try to pretend that it's more than marketing. I try to convince myself that it's not sleazy. I'm not sure how good at all that I am. It almost seems like a guilt-trip to me. As if by reading what you really like and then seeing that a Christian artist sounds like them, you'll realize that you should be doing the Jesus thing and spending over retail on the Jesus one rather than supporting Satan.
So I did a little investigating. And I found the mother lode. Here is the official 'Sounds Like Guide,' (I swear I couldn't make this up), from blessings.com. In it, you'll find lots of useful and helpful information. The source page has user quotes testifying:
"Finally, a way to find the mainstream sounds I love in a comparable Christian band!"
and...
"It's about time! Now I can recommend great Christian artists to my Sunday School class!"
But really, the best parts are inside. For example, I had no idea that Shaun Groves sounded like Nickelback! Nor did I know that Rich Mullens sounds like Dave Matthews. (Boy was he ahead of his time.) Or that Petra sounds like Creed. (Although apparently so does Falling Up, Day of Fire, and Jeremy Camp.) Maybe my favorite is that T.D. Jakes sounds like Barry White.
Read. Enjoy. Any thoughts?
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17 Cachinnations
My Favorites are
The Oakridge Boys sound like ... The Oakridge Boys
and
The Gaither Vocal Band sounds like Brooks and Dunn??
Ok, I'll give them the first one... I've listened to both...The Oakridge Boys really do sound almost exactly like The Oakridge Boys
And i'd love to hear the Gaither Vocal Band singing My Maria, or Boot Scootin Boogie, or Rock my World )Little Country Girl). Let's work that concert up.
and i'm sorry but Third Day sounds nothing like Hootie and the blowfish...that's an insult...but i'm not sure which band is insulted.
And I heard Billy Graham sounds like Jerry Seinfeld...but it wasn't on the blessed list.
Posted on 6/02/2006
I think you're going to hell for even mentioning the names of secular artists. How could you lead your readership down that broad road paved with deceptively good music leading straight to you know where?
Posted on 6/02/2006
I think you're going to hell for even mentioning the names of secular artists. How could you lead your readership down that broad road paved with deceptively good music leading straight to you know where?
Posted on 6/02/2006
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Posted on 6/02/2006
WOW. Have they really gone that far to steer us from listening to mainstream? I stopped listening to CCM a long time ago just because they started to sound like each other. Then they started re-recording songs like Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me" and Leann Rimes "How Do I Live" with another artist and slightly altered lyrics to make it CCM. Now who can we get to sound like Marilyn Manson but sing altered lyrics about "Your Own Personal Jesus"?
Posted on 6/02/2006
Keith Green sounds like Meatloaf!
Posted on 6/02/2006
Ya know, the guy in the red Nerf cowboy hat somehow just obliterates all chances of me CARING who they think these artists sound like.
I'm sorry, but you cannot liken the Beatles to Taylor Sorenson...much less anyone.
And you cannot liken James Taylor to Michael Card. What are they thinking?
Now, Bob Carlisle and Michael Bolten, yeah, I've thought that, too. Nerfboy's dead on there.
Posted on 6/02/2006
It's good to know those things. I had forgotten that Norah Jones sounds like Toby Mac. Who knew?
I think the real question is "What were you doing on a site called Blessings.com?" I hope you got there through a google search and didn't actually type that in. :-)
Posted on 6/02/2006
Do you think they used the abbreviation "BNL" just to save space, or because they thought the band's whole name was too scandalous?
Posted on 6/02/2006
I'm sorry but Sara Groves and Tori Amos do not sound alike. Not really at all. If you like...then you might like...is better.
In all fairness to these sorts of comparisons, I think it's just because there is no way to know about Christian music or books, because they just don't get the same press and exposure, so it helps people have an idea of what they are looking at when they hold a cd in their hands. However, it's not very helpful if it's completely wrong.
By the way who is that Jonatha...person? Apparently they sound like Watermark? I have some new secular acts to look up!
Posted on 6/02/2006
HA! That's like the complete opposite reaction the creaters of the 'Sounds Like' guide were going for! That cracks my stuff up. That may be the funniest thing I've heard all day!
Posted on 6/02/2006
You know, the sad thing is that if many Christian artists were truly free to record whatever they wanted, there would be a lot more originality, and it would be a lot harder to do a "sounds like" for them.
But this whole concept plays right into the hands of how the companies think and do their marketing.
"Yeah, dude, your original stuff is really nice, but nobody wants to hear that. Here, we've written a couple of new songs for you and set you up with a producer who is going to make you sound just like [insert secular artist name here], then you'll be a big hit!"
Might be funny if it wasn't so true.
You know that this is why groups like Mute Math want no part of it.
And Five Cent Stand of course, who have been honest about the ongoing battle they fight, wanting to do their own excellent original stuff, but knowing that the potential for a much wider audience is there if they'll compromise, just a little...
I defy anyone to do a "sounds like" on Seth and Amber's stuff. :-)
Posted on 6/02/2006
Kirk Franklin sounds like Outkast?!!! I know me some Outkast and I know me some Kirk Franklin...and they don't sound ANYTHING alike. The sounds like chart is painful.
Posted on 6/02/2006
Chaotic hammer hit the nail on the head. Business people aren't artists. Maybe it's time to steer away from Nashville.
Posted on 6/02/2006
yes, it is definitely annoying that bands like Five Cent Stand feel like they have to "dumb down" their music for the major public. however, isn't it just like 20 people in Nashville calling all the shots anyway?
i have a 15 year old student with excellent taste in music and she won't listen to Christian music because of the copy-cating. the listeners aren't as stupid as the "20 people in Nashville calling the shots" would believe.
Posted on 6/02/2006
I accept your challenge Hammer.
Five Cent Stands smells like hand-me-down underpants.
Oh... wait... sounds like... ummm... I'll keep working on it.
Posted on 6/02/2006
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Posted on 6/03/2006