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108 - DC Talk - Jesus Freak (feat. Tarence Ray) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-10-11 06:00:04
Edited:
2025-04-22 13:31:33
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Downloads

Content

Tarence Ray (Trillbilly Worker’s Party) and the lads jot down their devotionals and sing praises to the mid-90s as they cover DC Talk’s seminal 1995 grunge-as-worship album: Jesus Freak. Topics include the band’s Liberty University origins, the impressive sonic palette, and what it takes to make art in the world of corporate evangelicalism.

Tarence Ray - Twitter // Instagram // The Baffler // The Nation

Trillbilly Worker’s Party - Trillbilly Worker’s Party is a podcast about a town called Whitesburg, Kentucky. Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Patreon

Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes and add your name to the masthead of our website by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall!

Media Referenced in this Episode:

Jesus Freak by DC Talk - Spotify // Apple Music

33 1/3’s DC Talk’s Jesus Freak by Will Stockton and D. Gilson. Bloomsbury Press, 2018.

DC Talk: Jesus Freak-The Pitchfork Review by Brad Shoup. Pitchfork.com. August 1st, 2021.

“Finding Hip-Hop's Sacred Ground” by Natalie Hopkinson. The Washington Post, April 20th, 2003.

intermission: a decade of dc Talk. PAX TV Special. November 17th, 2000.

Michael Tait thanks President Trump

President Trump gives Michael Tait (of #NewsboysUnited) a shout out!

TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com

Files

Comments

Workers' Lit

This episode was straight up made in a lab to make me in particular hype. Can’t wait to listen this afternoon

Paula Sulpice

Just started listening. It's interestng the slower turnover rate in Christian music. I was born in '96, but I am still familiar with a good half of this album since its big songs were still getting play on christian radio and at youth group meetings well into the 2000s and even 2010s.

Paula Sulpice

But also I wad homeschooling so maybe it was just that why I was behind the times lol.

Zipzapzop

You guys should cover the hells bells series

Dergon

It's so weird being able to see both how the CCM I grew up is kind of a shitty version of pop music AND how Christian music really did fall off lol. Even when I was still in that mindset I had opinions about the direction it was heading. Fuck you Hillsong, David Crowder, etc.

Grouchiest Marxiest

I hate how I had to go back and listen to Jesus Freak for the first time in 20 years to prepare for this episode.

Virginia Paine (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-07 00:00 It's interesting to hear Pedro the Lion mentioned because I was a big fan in the early aughts, as were a lot of people in the scene in my extremely secular mid-size midwest college city. I remember initially being very iffy about them and a friend assuring me that Pedro the Lion "wasn't that kind of Christian band". They were, as far as I can remember, the only acceptable Christian music in our little punk/indie scene.
2023-10-11 16:13

Zipzapzop

Featuring such lines as “anecdotal evidence from that have consorted with the devil” and “he preached everything from reefer to reincarnation”

Dergon

PS, wasn't expecting to get triggered by hearing AJ say "preaching the word."

Rosey Armstrong

M88 was the same as KLYT. Calvary church in Albuquerque bought KYLT and eventually renamed it / rebranded as M88.

Rosey Armstrong

From my memory anyway. Brian feel free to fact check

Nyeaustin

Can confirm, I interned there for a few months. It was then rebranded as Static Radio then Star 88 before becoming just basic modern Christian music.

Nyeaustin

I'm from Albuquerque an love the New Mexico talk with Brian and Tarence. Hearing all the niche NM evengical references makes me feel very seen.

Rosey Armstrong

Yes! Static! Forgot that one, it was definitely later/when I was in college/not in NM/and not listening to or at least listening less to Christian music. Interesting, thanks for the info

'Bortion Scott Card

Literally begging God to make you guys go on Guys: a Podcast About Guys ASAP. Which denomination of sweaty American Protestantism do I need to convert to for my prayer to be answered?

Blast Hardcheese

I’m all for this BUT they should have the guys from Guys as a guest

Blast Hardcheese

I’m all about that but it would be the cherry on top to have the guys of Guys as guests lol

Robert Young

"Neutral Pope Milk Hotel" :glares at podcast:

Paula Sulpice

I actually think David Crowder Band was one of the better '00s praise and worship bands if only because they covered Sufjan Steven's on an album

Dergon

Their music wasn't really for me, but my main complaint wasn't them specifically just the way that type of music took over. Sure, a lot of tbe stuff from the 90s and early 00s was trying to sound like pop music but it was also more interesting musically and even sometimes lyrically versus the "Lord I lift your name on high/ I can inky imagine" type stuff that took over. Only speaking for myself here, but there def started a "who's the most spiritual because their music focuses more on praising God" type vibe in the circles I was in. Helped push me past just listening to Christian music cause it all sounded the so similar and stale to me.

BrianAlflordIsGoodActually

they did have bryan q on back when he was on street fight but i agree we need some guys x twoapw synergy. both awesome podcasts

Paula Sulpice

Just finished the episode! I've thought a lot myself about the sea change in Christian music to where it all sounds like "vibes." To me while it was starting to happen over the 2000s, it didn't really kick in until the Obama presidency. During the 2000s as a Christian kid there were still bands like flyleaf, Thousand foot krutch, and reliant k making "youth-oriented music." I feel 2012 is really the year the vibes took over. I remember as a kid being upset because skillet had released a new album but air 1 (our youth oriented k-love sister station) wouldn't play it, then just played the single skillet recorded for the Shack movie that sounded like CCM . I feel like it partly had to do with evangelical christianity becoming a more insular subculture after W Bush. As less of it bleed out into mainstream culture, less of mainstream culture bled back into it resulting in the sound of Christian music cannibalizing itself.

Nathan Woods

Hi AJ. After Tarence's comment about them, I'm genuinely regretting not showing you Skillet back in the day. I was I N T O those first two albums.

Allen

what would people think

Allen

there ain’t no disguising the Truth

Nancy Carr

Sufjan Stevens occupied a similar position for awhile.