Peter:
Mostly local bands that are beyond obscure, but the bigger ones were Blink 182 (before they went all pop so like Dude Ranch and before), the Ataris and others. I even liked (shudder) limp bizket (sp? not wanting to dig CDs out of the closet that should remain there).
The thing I've noticed with all non-Church music is that the tune gets stuck in your head and distracts praying the Jesus Prayer - a good enough reason not to listen to it at all for me.
Limp Bizket stuck in your head!? Is there any worse punishment!? 
(Sorry, just a little friendly jab from a former metalhead who hung with the crowd that dissed bands such as limp and korn) I know what you mean though, I still sometimes get metal tunes stuck in my head and just wish they would finally leave. Luckily, there is an answer (ie. the cleansing of the nous, which can heal even our so-called "subconscious," and keep those pesky songs from popping up) :mrgreen:
"He who hears the word and turns,
To do not what it says and learn,
Is like the man who gazed into,
The mirror for an honest view.
Saw himself and walked away,
Forgot the sight without delay,
This story could be for me or you,
So seek the Lord in grace and truth!" - Kirkpatrick (Tourniquet, a good Christian thrash metal band... not that I listen to them any longer... but the Fathers quoted Plato, et al., so I see no problem quoting them when they say something well 
)
Justin
Back to that Gilquist thing...
If I'm going to listen to any "Christian" secular music, it's going to be something like the Louvin Brothers or Bill Monroe. I know it probably sounds a little hokey, but that kind of bluegrass/americana type music has really been growing on me lately. I don't find anything harmful about it either.
As far as the history of my musical interests...when I was in my first year of high school(10 years ago...so there's my age) I discovered punk rock- not the popular "punk" that's around today..this is when punk was still more punk and you got funny looks for being into it. I listened a lot to the dead kennedy's, the misfits, minutemen, black flag, and some other band names that shouldn't be listed here 
Anyway, a short while after that I started listening to "harder" bands along with the more mellow punk bands...bands like youth of today, chain of strength, earth crisis, side by side, insted, 7 seconds, etc....as well as some bands with a spiritual slant(albeit a pagan spiritual slant) like 108 and shelter.
The lyrics and mood of some of these bands contained both a lot of bad, and some good. The good comes in a way from the non-conformist attitude that comes with the music(this can also be harmful too i suppose). The idea that we're not going to find happiness through material pursuits, that there's a higher purpose in life than pleasing yourself, and that the ways of "the world" are often times completely opposed to the right thing. I won't get into the negative elements of the music like excessive pride, the absense of God in the good intentioned ideals, etc. I know Justin Marler who wrote Youth of the Apocalypse has showed a relation between punk rock/hardcore ethics and the other worldly spirit of Orthodoxy to get people into the faith...I really have mixed feelings about that overall, but I know his approach definately inspired me.
As far as secular music goes for me these days...I've toned it down a bit and am more selective in what I listen to. I've been getting into more folky type indie rock stuff like Palace Brothers, Neutral Milk Hotel, Cat Power, Josh Ritter, etc. as well as trying to explore classical a bit more.
All of these band names may be as foreign to some of you as the Greek on the new section of the page is to me...
Ha! You blew me away with the hc references...(score 10 punk rock points) I started going to punk shows when I was like 15..and you could still call me straight edge after 10+ years...I don't get into the punk/hardcore music like I used to...I still have friends in that scene...but I have just kind of moved on....
although after a bad day at work I have been known to listen to black flag...
anyways, back to the subject...this modern "Christian" rock really rubs me the wrong way...especially when someone tries to pass it off as Orthodox...and of course I listen to Orthodox music-I listen to recordings of services and some tapes from some Russian monasteries...all very traditional and so beautiful!
Funny that is. I used to love |>|< and totally bought into the philosophy of Jello Biafra. Over time I moved from stuff such as them, Misfits, Black Flagg into Skinny Puppy, KMFDM and Ministry. I wonder how many people went from that to Orthodoxy too?
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I don't know...it's not as if I went from a punk background to an Orthodox lifestyle...I have just always held them as two totally separate parts of my life...for instance, speaking in a religious sense, I am very traditional, but I have always been interested in the philosophy of Kathleen Hanna!
And Jello is just funny to listen to-period .
Ha! That's really funny...how many other people on this message board aren't owning up to their punk rock past? I think it's kind of interesting also that of the Orthodox I know who used to be interested in this type of music, most, if not all, are involved with either more traditional jurisdictions, or at least take a more traditional approach to Orthodoxy.
I don't think Jello would be pleased with us...
