ok, some will need a little background here. there’s this band called lost and found. they’ve been around for-like-ever. interesting and unique guys — two of ’em. george baum and michael bridges. george is currently in seminary, training to become an episcopal priest, and michael is pursuing a future in electioneering. really.

i love watching people have their first exposure to lost and found. the first few seconds are almost always an uncontrollable wtf facial expression. but, then, somehow, the contagion sets in. and the “i don’t quite know why, but i like this” realization starts to spread.

lost and found call their musical genre speedwood. it’s jesus-y unplugged completely unpretentious guitar, keyboard and voice. and they have two styles of songs, in my opinion: there are the pounder songs that are almost like some acoustic version of gospel punk, with george slamming the keyboard in a style that makes it remarkable that he strikes many of the right keys, and michael bobbing his moppy head like the best headbanger out there (all the while standing on one leg like a flamingo). then, there are the pretty songs. when lost and found play their slow songs, they are decidedly pretty. like (sorry guys) simon and garfunkel, or innocence mission, or sarah masen. that kind of pretty. not to look at, mind you. aurally pretty. oh — and this is extremely unique for christian musicians — their lyrics actually have theological depth. weird, huh?

lost and found have played pretty much every youth specialties convention for 6 or 8 or more years. i suppose a few people might hate ’em, and a handful just don’t get ’em, but most — once they’ve heard them — love ’em.

so. lost and found has released a cornucopia, called: lost and found, the early years. it’s a numbered boxed set (mine is 1780 of 2500) with three cds, one dvd, and one booklet. the cds each have 22 – 24 tracks on them. the description is:

This boxed set contains all the early recordings of LOST AND FOUND–many long out of print, some never released, most available for the first time on CD, and all in their original state–reflecting the sound of Michael and George from 1986 through 1995.

and it’s only $55, which is pretty cheap for all that stuff.

now, if you’re a LAF newbie, i don’t know that i’d recommend this collection as your on-ramp. start with one of the newer cds. or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you might try the ‘hymn’ cd (just remember before clicking “purchase”: speedwood). but for a LAF fan — like myself — this box set of old skool stuff (much of which i’d not heard) is honey. maybe slightly rancid honey. but honey, nonetheless.