Music Minute

Jen here, with a look at Christian music this week. Not a lot is going on; the dog days of summer have settled in, officially — until August 11, according to Wiki (check out that link for a little astronomy lesson, which isn't as geeky as you might think).

What's brand new: New releases from Relient K, Joel Auge, Capital Lights and Sever Your Ties will hopefully take the edge off the heat and help you relax into your summer.

Special props to ec's copy editor Emily, who is recovering from a tonsillectomy. Get well soon!



What we like:
The ec team got copies of the new Capital Lights album This Is an Outrage!" in our mailboxes last week, and I don't know about anybody else, but I **love** this album and can't stop listening to it. It's full of power-pop hooks that will stick in your brain for days at a time. Fans of Relient K and Hawk Nelson should check it out. Favorite tracks: "Mile Away" and "Out of Control."





Speaking of Relient K, they released a 26-song EP (no, that's not a typo!) on July 1 called The Bird and the Bee Sides. (For anyone born after 1980, the "A" side of a 45rpm record was typically the radio single. The "B" side was the flip side of the single. Some bands release B-side albums — with songs that weren't released as singles, are exclusive, or non-album tracks.) Bee Sides is available at Target for $9.99. You can also pick it up on iTunes for the same price. We like "The Scene and Herd," but there's plenty to go around on this album.



Joel Augé has a new album full of solid, catchy acoustic rock called On the Blue. We like "Even the Rocks." Joel also gets the award this week for coolest album cover / myspace design (hey, I'm the designer!). Nice work, guys!



What we're looking forward to: Fall.

What we don't like: Warm ketchup, wet beach towels, and sand in your teeth.

Leave a comment with your favorite summer tunes!