The article's description of the "Christian Rock" scene reminded me of the days when Stryper hurled Bibles into the audience.

Here's what comes to mind when I think of Christian music: Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Johnny Cash, David Bazan, Nick Cave, Al Green, Starflyer 59, King's X, Blind Boys of Alabama... yep, pretty terrible stuff there.

Nick Cave? Are you serious? Yeah, "Murder Ballads" was a real Christian album.

The members of King's X are self-proclaimed Christians, but their lyrics only reflect religous beliefs in the vaguest sort of way (good luck making any sense of their lyrics).

I'll give you Johnny Cash, but his gospel albums were among his poorest sellers. Most people prefer "Folsom Prison Blues" to "Peace in The Valley."

Yes, Nick Cave is a Christian, showing that Christians are not the cookie-cutter stereotypes offered by this article's author ( a Salon piece discusses Cave's spirituality here). Cash also recorded many murder ballads, just as there are many tales of murder in the Bible itself.

None of the artists I mentioned sing the happy-clappy, "Jesus is the Rock who makes me roll" crap. They sing the life-and-death, puking-after-a-bad-binge, broken, suffering and ailing reality that is the human condition. Again, this shows that "Christian music" isn't the monolith of pabalum that the author describes.

As with most "Christians", Nick Cave appears to be a Christian only when it suits him. If you listen to the "Murder Ballads" album, it's a nonstop orgy of wallowing in gore and death, with no mention of God or any sort of spiritual or religious beliefs (with the possible exception of the lame Dylan cover that closes the album). Don't get me wrong, it's a great album, but Nick Cave calling himself a Christian reminds me of the idiot celebrities and athletes who thank God when they win something. It's not terribly convincing.

Good post. You might add to your list: Van Morrison, Patty Griffin, Juan Luis Guerra, albums such as Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Dylan's "Slow Train Coming,"...