Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads

Mark Hansen Music - LDS Rock Music - Free Downloads
Get the new CD, "The Third Time" HERE




WARNING: Listening to this music doesn't require parental approval. It's a bit of clean rebellion. It keeps your outlook up and your hope alive. It's got strong drums and screaming guitars. It pumps you up and drives your life. It's a hunger for exploration. It chooses the right and returns with honor. It's music you don't have to confess to your bishop.

It's not your parents' "Saturday’s Warrior".

It's "A Joyful Noise"

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Christmas Music... Bah Humbug...

I'm not, generally, a big fan of pop Christmas music.  Most of it is pretty vapid and annoying.  I especially dislike it when famous pop artists who dress and act all skanky all year long suddenly get all religious at Christmastime, when you have to sell a new holiday compilation CD.  That, plus, how many versions of "Chestnuts Roasting" do we REALLY need?

Please.

But, I love it when artists (particularly LDS artists) write new Christmas songs, and revisit old ones in new ways.

For about the last three Christmases, I've taken moments here and there to record tracks for a Christmas tune I wrote (which still has no fixed title).  Last night I pulled out the tracks and gave it a listen.  I played with the mix just to see how everything would blend.  I got to thinking that I could even finish it by time to release it for this holiday.  Maybe.  We'll see. 

But, I got excited about it, anyway...


Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: How to Cook a Dutch Oven Turkey

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Drums on "Alleluia"

Tonight, I imported Jason's drum tracks on "Alleluia".  His playing is amazing.  I think he's going to make a big impact on the LDS music scene.  Then I added some lead guitar and did some preliminary mixing.  I'm really excited about this tune!



Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: How to Monetize a Blog

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Back on Track

Well, we shuffled our house around again.  Once more, the studio is down in the basement.  So, after about a week to a week.5, it's all finally set up again!

It's a good thing, too, 'cause I'm jonesin' to get recordin'!  I want to finish up "Alleluia", and our friend, Amanda, has been wanting to do some of her songs.


Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: Brendon makes Baked Ziti in the Dutch Ovens, Authority and Power!, LDS Games - The Armor of God,

Monday, November 02, 2009

LDS Music Connecting

A long time ago, I was convinced that I was gonna make a big splash in the world of LDS music.  I was gonna rock the house down, and turn it on its ear.  I was gonna do a whole lot of other cliches, too.

Over the years that I've been working at this, I've come to realize that any impact I've had has been one listener at a time.  Once in a while, I get an email or hear something from someone who's listened to a song I've done and they say a nice thing about how it touched their life.  it makes me feel good.

So, I've been working on a new song, I've mentioned it here before, called "Alleluia".  Jason was eager to drum this one as well, so I encouraged him to, and as he and I were emailing back and forth to get the tracks cut, we had this exchange:


First was this: 

"Hey bud... Sorry this has taken so long, but I finally got to it, and man... I gotta tell ya. Whatever album you put Martyrs and this song on is gonna be epic.

"Ya know... Sitting here, after listening to Alleluia 20 times over, I'm so filled with the spirit thanks to your song. My eyes are actually filling with tears due to the wonderfully powerful lyrics and music you've created. Every time the chorus comes, after the huge sound of the verses, and simply says "Alleluia" over and over, I can't help but think of exactly what this song's meaning is: Alleluia! Christ has overcome the world! Alleluia, Christ is our savior! Alleluia!

"Seriously, Mark. Thank you. This song is simply beautiful, and although some people have criticized your arrangement, dare I say it's the arrangement which brings such power to the chorus... Such simple beauty of one guitar, and one voice cutting through all the noise, proclaiming with child-like fervor, "Alleluia, Alleluia"

"Thank you for bringing the spirit so powerfully to one guy, sitting in a mixing booth, shedding tears of joy through Jesus Christ. Alleluia.

"Let me know what ya think, and if anything needs to change."

--Jason



That was amazing to me.  I responded back quickly:

"Now you're makin' me cry just reading your reaction! It's so nice, as an artist, when someone else gets what you're saying so exactly! I can't wait to hear what you did for it!"

--Mark

I played his drums and they're solid, just like he did for "Martyrs".  He replied:

"No worries, bro. I'm just sayin' it like it is. Very, very powerful arrangement. Hope ya like the drums. This was one of the easiest songs to play along with, simply because the emotion inside let me know what needed to be done. Here's the song, just in case it didn't come through the first time."

-Jason


...and then attached the link to the rough mix of the song with his drum tracks.

That means that there's not much else to do on this song.  I want to add in a touch of lead guitar.  I need to recut the lead vocals, of course, and some harmony vocals, and it's done!

I got to thinking, also, as I was IM'ing with Jason later, that this collection that I'm working on right now, "The Third Time", is probably the most religious of the three I've done so far.  I think the other two were about a 50-50 split between religious and non-religious songs.  I think there are only two tunes on this CD that don't reference scripture or some part of the Mormon experience in some direct way.

Interesting...



Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: Dutch Oven Apple French Toast Desert

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Old, Old, Old Songs!

OK, I went through some "major" drama a few weeks back because one of my old hard drives (in a USB box) crashed.  I was afraid that I'd lost a lot of my old mp3s of really old songs.  Lost, as in, permanently gone.

But, I found some backups of them on CD, so I'm all good.  Drama averted. 

So, I put three of them up.  I'll do more as time goes on.  You can hear them here.  3 Songs:  "A Joyful Noise/Rockshow", "Long-Haired Weirdo", and "Superman".

Let me tell you a little about them. 

In early 1993, I put out a cassette album, my first, called "A Joyful Noise".  I'd always thought of my music in those terms.  Some people (like my dad) think rock is just noise.  OK, if that's how you think, that's fine.  The scriptures tell us to make a joyful noise, so I'll do that! 

"A Joyful Noise/Rockshow" was the title track of the album, and the first one on side one.  I always envisioned it being the opening for a big concert.  I can see in my mind's eye just how it would all play out, flash pots and all!

"Long-Haired Weirdo" was also from the same collection.  It was written in anger.  My wife and I, being involved in foster care, had been attending a training on how to teach kids about AIDS.  They taught us how to be sensitive to the feelings of others who had chosen "alternative lifestyles".  OK, that's fine.  But then they spent much of the time belittling and ridiculing those who had chosen traditional lifestyles.

Also, at the time, I had very long hair.  It was interesting at the time, because it also meant that I wasn't always fully accepted within LDS circles, either, even though I was an active, card-carrying member.  In a lot of ways, I wasn't welcome in either camp.

The last one I posted, "Superman", was done at the request of Andy J.  This one was written as an apology to my dear wife, who has put up with me and my crazy musical dreams for a lot of years, now.  It was done in the summer of 2002, as I was working on "One United Generation".  This one is my attempt at a ska tune.  Some who have heard it have mistaken it for a mariachi band.  Your mileage may vary.  In a lot of ways, this one is still my kids' favorite of mine.



Come back often to hear about new songs and shows. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including his Dutch Oven blog: Mark's Black Pot and his LDS pop culture blog: MoBoy blog.



Mark's Other Blog Posts: 7 Years of LDS Pop Culture, A Twitter Primer for Small Businesses

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