Clicketh thou the link that rocketh or on the beautiful artwork (done by the amazing Kyle Steed) to hear the entire Reckless album now and get your copy for $9.99.

If you’re more of a physical CD kind of person, pre-orders of the actual disc are still available, and you can order one for $15 and receive an immediate download of the whole album as well. Your physical copy will ship free as soon as it comes in from manufacturing.

Kyle is finishing up the artwork as we speak, and we expect to have the package in had mid-August. Thanks to all who pre-ordered and donated to the cause. Because of you it is all being done debt-free!

If you have already pre-ordered your copy of Reckless but you either didn’t give us your email address or you haven’t heard from us regarding your free download of the album please email us at us@theblackthornproject.com and we’ll send you your free download code!

Here is some great camping info:  do you need to rent sleeping bags, or tents?  REI in the Springs rents all kinds of camping gear: Tents, pads, stoves, etc. They just don’t rent out sleeping bags. For a 3 man tent it’s around $20 for members of REI from Friday to Sunday and $25 for non members. Their phone number is (719) 260-1455.

1. Visit http://music.theblackthornproject.com

2. Preorder Reckless by entering enter your email, shipping address, and electronic payment. You’ll be among the first to get the new album when it comes out.

3. Check your email to start immediate download of the “Mud Song” rough mix

3-b. Fun notes on this version of “Mud Song”: In the Reckless session, the recording of “Mud Song” takes on a bit of Andean influence since the Simple Series release. This is a result of Tim’s recent trips to Peru where he was given a charango. The song features Steve Holley on upright bass, Karla Adolphe, Aaron Strumpel (also producer of Reckless), and Ben and Robin Pasley from Enter the Worship Circle: Fourth Circle on group party vocals! Tim and Aaron do the lo-fi percussion.

4. Realize you are a part of something very special. Many things, actually. Be thankful you are on the earth. It needs you.

Anyway, here’s a new video for your viewing enjoyment. I’m off to record some lead vocals at Aaron’s house.

Making this video made me want to play this song more often. It’s an old one, but I love it. Enjoy!

Also, mark your calendars for Worship@8500, June 25-27, in Divide Colorado. Bring your instruments, your hacky-sacks, your tents and sleeping bags and join me (Laurie), Tim, Aaron, and many more of our Worship Circle friends for an entire weekend of worship jams, encouraging talks, and Colorado mountain hang time.

The 411:

Origins Community | Boulder, CO
When: Sun, Feb 7, 2010 6:00 PM
Where: 1421 Spruce St., Boulder, 80302
Origins on the web

Our great friend Aaron Strumpel (writer of the songs Twenty-Three, Centuries, and co-writer with us on Trouble Won’t Go, Too Proud, and Sweep Me Away) agreed to co-produce the project with us, and we love the flavor that he brings to our work. Aaron challenges us in the best ways to stretch the boundaries of our music, to really push ourselves creatively, and to fully understand our vision for the album. And we do know this for sure: this is an album of songs of worship.

We’ve tried not to put many limits on ourselves and on the work–and the work has been so fun as a result. Tim has been living out quite a few of his secret dreams, in fact. The latin percussionist, the Bruce Springsteen, and the crazy goat-hoof shaker guy all thrive within him.  And with this project, they finally have their outlet!

And I get to pursue some secret dreams of my own.  No, I haven’t gotten a Shakira moment yet, but yesterday I put a string section on Whisper Your Love that involved “Sugar-Plum Fairy” strings. High, flitty, and super fun to play. That’s almost as good, right? I also get to continue my foray into the wonderful and frustrating world of the cello. Most of the time, if I keep it simple, the cello does what I tell it to.  Yesterday, however, it almost got itself thrown off the back deck because of its disobedience.

We’re recording in Aaron’s house here in Woodland Park–here’s the view heading up–

and we’re thinking about splitting the studio to be in our house, too, so that we can continue recording when the babies are in bed. It’s a completely different thing than our last album; we’re working around our kids, we’re recording in a home studio, and we’re having so much fun experimenting, drinking coffee, making pancakes, and then experimenting some more.

I’m not sure when the new CD will be available for you to hear and enjoy. I know we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll be done tracking our vocals and instruments by the end of this month, but with our chaotic family life, we just have to hold everything loosely. Rest assured, though, you’ll have it before Christmas for sure!

There are lots of ways you can keep up with our recording process. The best way is to be a fan of us on Facebook. It is so easy to upload pictures and one-liner status updates, so we do that often.

You can also follow us on Twitter, which also has some one-liner updates.

I am also updating my new blog for mommies with reflections about how this process fits in with my life as a mom of two small kids. Those posts that are less about motherhood and more about the process will also be posted here, I think.

So there you have it! We’ll try to be updating often, but until the next one, we’ll see you on Facebook or Twitter!

Click the poster for more information! The full day of worship music featuring Karla Adolphe, Aaron Strumpel, Ben and Robin Pasley, and more TBA. The gathering is going to be casual and packed with value. You might never get a better chance to revel with and engage us in our hometown…er home mountain…pass…area.

Our good buddy Aaron Strumpel has a new album called Elephants. We played with him on it and it stretched us musically beyond what we knew before. It was magnificent and is now available for you and very worth hearing. It’s not light listening (hence the name) but is full of deep, pungent layers and unhindered expression of every kind, all soaked in the scriptures.

Aaron is having a CD release concert on Friday night in Fort Collins, CO at Everyday Joe’s. Laurie and I will be joining many crazy (and I think crazily dressed) friends who will bow, pluck, pound, shake, yell, dance, and sweetly whisper into the microphone as Aaron’s band of supporting pachyderms. Come on out if you’re ready for some crazy Jesus love for the courageously faint of heart.

You can buy a CD at the show, but if you live far away, you can listen and order a first edition on Aaron’s website. Click the image or links above. Here are the show details:

Aaron Strumpel Album Release w/ Listener & Fienix,
Friday, May 1st
Everyday Joe’s
144 S. Mason St.
Fort Collins, CO
7:00pm- 10:00pm
$5

One final note: Gary Adolphe is playing in the band. Wowza.

This video has lived on Youtube for a while but I’m retroactively posting it here a year later. Video from the house concert featuring Tim and Laurie Thornton (The Blackthorn Project, Ben and Robin Pasley (Enter the Worship Circle) and Barry and Michelle Patterson. The song is “Trouble Won’t Go” by Timothy Floyd Thornton, Aaron Strumpel, and Robin Pasley, from Enter the Worship Circle: Fourth Circle.