Note: I asked Mark Hansen, LDS musician and Mo’ Boy Blog author, to write a guest commentary/primer for A Motley Vision on LDS music. His response is below. He has also written a second commentary that speaks to the dilemma of artists finding an audience and the audience finding artists which will appear tomorrow.

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The State of the Art
By Mark Hansen

William, of A Motley Vision, e-mailed me and asked for a guest blog, a commentary on what’s happening on the LDS music scene. One of his first questions to me was “Why do I think the Mormon music scene is worth checking out?” His second was, “Why do I think it’s getting better?”

The funny part about those two questions is that it reveals an underlying dissatisfaction that we Mormons have had with our music for close to two decades, now. Ever since Papa Lex brought us “Saturday’s Warrior”, and the CES seminary program released, “Like Unto Us”, we’ve been slowly developing a scene. A place (virtual, not necessarily physical), where we can hear music made by us, for us. Music that expresses our unique vision of cristianity, our unique lifestyle. So, what’s wrong with that? What’s there to be dissatisfied of?

Well, up until just recently, there wasn’t much diversity. There still isn’t the kind of diversity that CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) has, nor mainstream popular music, but there is certainly more than there was ten, or even five years ago.

In its infancy, LDS pop music was limited to pretty much one style, all encompassed by the sounds of Afterglow, Michael McLean, and Janice Kapp Perry. There were a few albums and early CD’s that attempted to break out of that mold, but they failed, by and large, to draw much attention.

In the mid-90’s or so, things started to change a bit, and the singer/songwriter/troubadour type began to bring a bit more diversity. A couple of the bigger LDS labels started to put more and more emphasis on the quality of the writing, so that the songs were more like the radio, less like a Sunday school lesson that rhymed. A major leap forward, in my opinion. The quality of the productions increased as well.

Since then, we’ve developed our mainstream pop music into four current, basic sounds:

1. Traditional “Soft Sunday” ballads. The gentle, relaxing music that you hear on a couple of the Salt Lake City Sunday radio stations. Mostly keyboard and orchestra-driven, it’s very tranquil and inspirational. A lot of church members still love this stuff. Though there are individual songs that I love, by and large, it puts me to sleep!

2. The folk singer/songwriter troubadours. Acoustic instruments, intelligent writing, often not directly focused on gospel topics, frequently artistic! Peter Breinholt, Ryan Shupe, Sam Payne, and the celtic group Fiddlesticks have been champions of this style. There are many, many others.

3. A Capella and other vocal groups are quite popular. Mostly good-looking younger guys, they range from the silly (Moosebutter), to the temporarily hip (Jericho Road), to others with a bit more mileage under their belts (Eclipse).

4. Pianists are quite ubiquitous in the Mormon world. In the current scene there are several making CD’s of inspirational piano music. Some would call it “New Age” music, others don’t like the association with the “New Age” religions of recent years. Paul Cardall is a great example of this genre.

Now, there are others that are making CD’s that don’t fit into these categories. There are some categories that are just beginning to make a showing. Rock is a great example. For a long time, the only rock music was Greg Simpson (and he was sort of on the edge of folk and rock). Then, along came The Singles Ward and The RM soundtracks, and that showed us that rock can be cool, fun, and even safe for our testimonies. Still, I can count on one or two hands the CD’s that I’ve heard that are really LDS-oriented rock.

Country is also woefully underrepresented. Jazz is beginning to make some appearances as well. In my ‘net travels I have even encountered a handful of LDS rappers, though all but one were still too preachy.

To find much of the more diverse LDS music, you have to look and look deep. You have to find the underground, looking for the music beyond the Deseret Book shelf. You have to explore the ‘net and spend some time.

I have to give a few warnings. Much of the indie music within LDS Music is new stuff. It’s being produced and paid for by the artists themselves. As a result, it’s often not as technically polished as the music you’ll hear from Deseret Book/Excel. Many of these projects are DIY, with someone sitting at home recording their music in front of their computer. Still, I encounter some of the most innovative work while plowing through the depths of the Internet.

William also asked for some recommendations. Keep in mind that these are personal suggestions. I like them. A lot. Your mileage may vary. These are in no particular order.

1. Stephanie Smith — She’s a little on the edgier side of the troubadours. Great writing and a wonderful voice.

2. Cheri Magill –- One of my newest favorites. he’s a singer/songwriter, but some of her tunes rock. Others are just good anyway!

3. Greg Simpson –- I’ve been a hard-core fan of his since I heard “Seven Wonders”. Not very prolific, but I’ve found him to be worth the wait. His gravelly rock voice is, I think, one thing that keeps him from winning any of the many Pearl Awards he’s been nominated for, but that’s what draws me in. That, and his driving beats, virtuoso guitar work, and intelligent lyrics.

4. The RM Soundtrack –- I love this one! The rock versions of the hymns and the Janice Kapp Perry songs are way too much fun. In addition, there are a few songs that cross over from novelty into full-on art.

5. Dave Edwards is one of the most innovative songwriters I’ve heard in years. He’s the greatest.

6. Sam Payne — Even though Sam is a singer/songwriter, his tunes are bit more jazz-based. Really fresh stuff.

7. Lastly, I can’t resist the shameless plug. My own brand of LDS-oriented rock, to be found at http://markhansenmusic.com. “One United Generation” is the only CD I know of aimed at an LDS audience with songs that rock this hard.

8. Well, except for Fast Sunday’s “SumsaykyasmuS.”

In addition, there are a few good hubs for finding independent LDS music out there on the net. Start with LDS Musician, and also check out LDS Audio and Latter Day Songs. Then just Google “LDS music” or “Mormon music,” and see what comes up.

Ultimately, I’d love to see the scene grow to the point where we have the kind of diversity that CCM has. Pop, punk, rock, country, jazz, fusion, classical, folk, techno… The fullness of that kind of variety is a number of years off. The audience needs to be more aware, the musicians need to step forward and produce (represent, yo!), and then it will truly “blossom as a rose.”

Thanks, Mark!

ALSO: Read the inaugural “Soapbox” commentary — my sermon/rant on Mormons and media consumption.

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