RockOm Blog

O God of all the Nations

Posted on July 3, 2009 at 03:24 AM

Earth HandsAs the US celebrates its Independence Day this weekend, we share with you these old church hymn lyrics as a sort of meditation. What a beautiful and balanced hymn - celebrating one's country of origin as well as recognizing the larger picture and world community. Words by Lloyd Stone.

"This is my song, oh God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine."

MORE verses after the jump...

Read More, Share and/or Comment

New Podcast, 7/2: Mark Karan and Ali Akbar Khan

Posted on July 2, 2009 at 10:33 AM

Ear BudsOn this week's podcast episode, out today:

  • Musician Mark Karan shares about the two most important lessons he learned during his battle with cancer as well as speaks about his new album, Walk Through the Fire. [Interviewed by RockOm's Tom Crenshaw]

    Karan has performed with some of the world's finest musicians as side-man. He now takes center stage with the debut of Walk Through the Fire.

  • We remember the life and legacy of Indian Master Musician, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan whose many firsts introduced Indian classical music to the western world and went on to influence the sound of The Beatles.
Swing over to the podcast page to download this episode individually or to subscribe to all future podcasts with iTunes or any other podcatching software.

Share and/or Comment

Annual Harmony Festival

Posted on July 1, 2009 at 04:03 AM

Rocker-T and Joan BaezPRThatRocks.com

Rocker-T and Joan Baez Perform Live Duet at Northern California's 31st Annual Harmony Festival

Rocker-T, the internationally-renowned, ground-breaking, and award-winning Reggae and World Music recording artist, delivered an unexpected and exhilarating live acoustic performance of his new single, "The Way Life Should Be..." to the capacity crowd at Northern California's 31st Annual Harmony Festival accompanied by singer and human rights activist Joan Baez with Gabriel Harris, Joan's son, on percussion. And for those that don't believe "lighting strikes twice," the duo delivered a surprise and equally rousing second live performance of the song later the same evening. "The Way Life Should Be..." is from the new Epiphyte Records EP release, featuring five mixes of the duet single "Luv is the Foundation" written and performed by Rocker-T with Joan Baez.

The first early afternoon mainstage set featured Rocker-T, backed by a 50 voice Choir, performing "Rise Up and Stand" to the audience of approximately 3,000. In the first of the two impromptu guest performances, Joan then joined Rocker-T on stage to perform her legendary "Gracias" before the two segued into "The Way Life Should Be..." The set ended with a powerful version of "Amazing Grace" which, backed by the Choir, was the high point of their first performance together.

(MORE...)

Read More, Share and/or Comment

What's Rockin @ RockOm: 6/30

Posted on June 30, 2009 at 05:05 AM

Mark KaranMark Karan's long anticipated debut album Walk Through the Fire is out today on Quacktone Records. Four years in the making, Walk Through the Fire is a testament to Mark Karan's dauntless musical spirit which shines through brilliantly on each track of this remarkable album.

Since 1998 Mark has been performing with the extended Grateful Dead family (The Other Ones, Mickey Hart's Planet Drum, and Bob Weir & RatDog). He has anchored the lead guitar slot in RatDog for the last eleven years, touring the US year round. Before crossing over into the land of the Dead, Mark worked his guitar and vocal voodoo for the likes of Dave Mason, Delaney Bramlett, the Rembrandts, Paul Carrack, Huey Lewis, Jesse Colin Young and Sophie B. Hawkins.

RockOm caught up with Mark Karan recently to discuss Walk Through the Fire, as well as his time with RatDog and how he healed from throat cancer through the power of optimism and by "walking through the fire".

RockOm: Your new CD Walk Through the Fire is fantastic. You must be proud of it.

Mark Karan: I feel really lucky. I can say that I am. You get so close to a record when you're making it- you can hear every bleep, fart and wart. A lot of people that I know who have made records- by the time they get to the end of it they've put a lot of work in it and they hate it. Everybody else loves it, but they hate their own record. I'm not having that experience at all. I feel really lucky.

(MORE...)

Read More, Share and/or Comment

The Man in the Mirror

Posted on June 29, 2009 at 03:44 AM

Michael JacksonAs the world mourns the loss of master entertainer Michael Jackson (1958-2009), RockOm takes a minute to invite you to reflect on one of the more lyrically moving songs in his extensive catalog.

(MORE...)

Read More, Share and/or Comment

Previous Posts

Weekend Links

Posted on June 27, 2009 at 06:42 AM

Read More, Share and/or Comment

RockOm.net... Year One

Posted on June 26, 2009 at 03:31 AM

Read More, Share and/or Comment

New Podcast, 6/25

Posted on June 25, 2009 at 09:52 AM

Read More, Share and/or Comment

Cool Kids

Posted on June 24, 2009 at 05:23 AM

Read More, Share and/or Comment

Welcome!

RockOm is an online community to celebrate, share and explore the common ground of music and spirituality, inclusive of all faiths and all musical styles. We at RockOm have created this venue to be a haven for spiritually-inclined musicians to share and promote their art, for listeners to encounter the power of their musical expressions, and all to forge new friendships, help each other, and discuss and further explore the bonds of music and the spirit.

Featured Track of the Week

by Mark Karan

Mark's Website

Mark KaranMark Karan, of RatDog, celebrates his debut album Walk Through the Fire. The album features an outstanding cast of world-class musicians, including Delaney Bramlett in his first posthumous release.

It also introduces "Jemimah Puddleduck" (JP), Mark's collaboration over the last decade with John Molo (Phil Lesh & Friends) on drums, JT Thomas (Bruce Hornsby, Captain Beefheart) on keys, and Bob Gross (Albert King, Delaney Bramlett) on bass.

As an offering of gratitude for his own survival in his battle with cancer, Mark is donating all proceeds from the song "Walk Through the Fire" to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

Featured Track: "Walk Through the Fire"

"I've spent my life playing with great musicians and helping many artists realize their musical visions. Post-cancer I felt it was time to make my own statement and make good on my promise to finish my record. I'm thrilled to say that, with a lot of love, hard work and the help of some amazing friends, that's finally happened. Thank you for listening." [Mark Karan]

Comment

"Seasons" by Scott Valentine

Week 14 Song: "Cool Kids"

57 free songs spanning the seasons. A young man's expanding consciousness through his journey of mortality.

Follow Seasons with us here


Most Recent Featured Articles

We're All Jah People

Family Man ThumbnailThink reggae and you immediately think of Bob Marley and the Wailers. No artist since has embodied the sound, message, philosophy and lifestyle of reggae music in such a mainstream and influential way as did Bob and his band. Original bassist, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, shares with RockOm about the band's powerful impact, the spiritual foundations of reggae, the 30th anniversary re-release of Exodus and a "secret" new album.

Read More, Share and/or Comment

A Celtic Mass for Peace

Sam and PhililpA Celtic Mass for Peace: Songs for the Earth, which was written as "a way of speaking of the sacred presence that is at the heart of everything in the universe," contains an unusual blend of classical and Celtic instruments, a distinctive harmonic space and melodic texture, and a mystical Celtic vocabulary of sound and feeling. RockOm spoke with composer Sam Guarnaccia and lyricist J. Philip Newell about their moving work and synergistic collaboration.

Read More, Share and/or Comment

Play It In Your Own Spirit

The New Riders of the Purple Sage, which began as a part-time spin-off from the Grateful Dead, is back with a new album, Where I Come From. Buddy Cage, the steel guitar player who stepped in after Jerry Garcia's leaving, took some time to share with RockOm about the band's legacy, doing things one's own way and more.

Read More, Share and/or Comment

Featured Articles from the Archive

Dar Williams' Ongoing Sense of Meaning

Dar WilliamsDar Williams is a modern folk icon whose songwriting, heartfelt lyrics and beautiful vocal delivery have enabled her to build a solid (and growing) fan base since the early 1990's. She spoke with RockOm recently about faith as "not knowing," community living and which of her songs has made the deepest impact.

Read More, Share and/or Comment

For All We Care: An Interview with The Bad Plus

The Bad PlusSince The Bad Plus's self-titled debut album was released in 2001, the critically-acclaimed "bad boys of jazz" have been bringing their rocking, avant-garde music to the masses, inspiring even non-jazz listeners to perk up their ears. Through wild, humorous, and irreverent rearrangements of pop and rock songs (among them "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Iron Man," and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World") as well as their wonderfully crafted original pieces, The Bad Plus presents a unique musical offering for fans of jazz and rock alike. Bassist Reid Anderson shared with RockOm about their new album For All I Care, music's ability to communicate in the absence of lyrics, and the excitement of a new U.S. tour.

Read More, Share and/or Comment

God is Hope: The Gospel According to the Blind Boys of Alabama

Blind BoysSince 1939 The Blind Boys of Alabama have been serving audiences near and far with their blend of Gospel music and have garnered four Grammy Awards along the way. The Blind Boys' Ricky McKinnie recently shared with RockOm about the group's gospel roots, their newest New Orleans-based album and the hope and joy that comes through their music.

Read More, Share and/or Comment

MOG Music Network