The latest thing to hit my desk is the party rock of Family Force 5. They're crazy. There's definitely a lot of '80s influences, but it's mostly rockin' guitars with rap vocals, but much less electronic than Earthsuit. So what's my first impression? It's great for music to pump you up. Does it have any value besides fun music? Not really, but it's not bad.

The other thing that was interesting was a sheet included in the press kit from the band. In it they described how their music doesn't have much spiritual meaning, it's just good plain fun music. But, apparently, since they were all Christians, they wanted to be on a Christian label (and hopefully a mainstream label too). They managed to do that, I guess, but what happens now will be interesting. It's markedly different from the way Mute Math went, I guess. Instead of trying to stay away from Christian music, they made sure they were in it. Of course, from Mute Math's perspective, the "Christian" tag will hurt the band. I guess we'll see.

There's no denying that the movies are not as popular as they used to be. And well, everybody seems to have their reasons why. This excellent article in Time proposes that George Lucas's promotion of the digital projector could save the movie houses. But who knows? I know I'm looking forward to see V For Vendetta on the big screen sometime soon!

Probably the biggest music news of the week is that Mute Math has filed suit against Warner Bros./Word Records for their handling of their debut EP. You can read the Reuters story and the comments at Shlog.com for more information.

What I have to say is that I wholeheartedly support the band. Why? Because I think they have a point.

It has long been a point of discussion, but here's what I believe the "Christian" music industry is defined as:

• It is those that edify the church (aka. the Christian faithful) through their music. MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, Bill Gaither, Rich Mullins, Sara Groves and Apologetix do that.
• It is a haven for bands that aren't good enough to be successful in the mainstream. MercyMe, Sanctus Real, Building 429, and Jeremy Camp are good examples of this, in my opinion.

I guess, you could say, the third category is those who are stuck in the Christian music industry. They started in the Christian world, and since then, they've not been able to escape despite their great music. Recent examples of this include The Listening, The Elms, Mat Kearney, and Mute Math, while older examples include dc Talk, Jars of Clay, and P.O.D.

Thankfully, some of these bands were allowed to escape a little. If they weren't plagued with the "Christian" tag, though, they probably could have made it much farther. There are many who, maybe even subconsciously, associate Christian music with second-rate, not-worth-my-time music.

Some of the newer names on that list are getting the chance to escape. Switchfoot is almost known on its own without being labeled a Christian band. Mat Kearney and Mute Math are making it too, and it looks like The Elms may get their break with the May 2nd release.

But what about Mute Math? Well, I think they have a right to sue their label. The claim that they went into talks with the label under assurances they would not be on Word Records, the Christian arm of Warner Bros. Records. I think they had a right to demand this, because they've been in a Christian band and knew that their new venture, Mute Math, could be much bigger. They may be Christian believers, but that doesn't mean that their music can be only heard by Christians, which is what the Christian music industry is for.

Of course, how long did Mute Math comply with Word's requests? Eight months or so after their Word release, they hit some major Christian festivals and were fairly popular. Does that mean they were admitting to being a Christian band? Were they interested in being Christian then but are no longer? That, to me, seems to be the only hole in their thought.

Best of luck to you guys. I hope that the publicity goes well and that your new CD is well-received.

Another release I was listening to yesterday was the debut album from House of Heroes. It's been out for about six months, and it's pretty darn good.

I remember the old House of Heroes when they were played on RadioU during the indie days. Actually, I think really early they were called "No Tagbacks", which obviously is a kiddie pop-punk band. But with their major-label debut release, they've transformed into an amazing art-rock band. If you want to check it out, find their video for "Serial Sleepers". Great stuff.