Question 2: What are some good clean bands?

I wish I could just list off a few good bands but I think there is something that needs to be talked about in reference to this question. That is the nature of music or at least what I have learned in nearly 22 years of existence. Growing up I got the same tag lines from all the "adults" in my life and that was: "What you listen to is what you'll turn in to." I never thought that was true. I thought that if you just don't listen to the words than it will all be ok. The beat is what really matters right? Well I couldn't have been farther from the truth. When I worked at a department store in Des Moines I had to listen to music that wasn't exactly the greatest and I found myself singing those songs. Just as a warning...if you decided to listen to "bad" music no matter how much you think you'll just listen to the beat you'll find yourself thinking and maybe even singing the words. Music can be very good and influential to people but it can also be incredibly detrimental as well.

That being said, now to answer the question. There are lots of good bands out there. But for the sake of the question I'll list only the bands that I like that are good and Christian. Yes, I know that those two words aren't usually synonymous but they are with these bands. Some of these bands are labeled as Christian and some of them aren't. I believe that they are all acceptable. If you click on the band names you will go to their websites so feel free to browse.

All-American Rejects
Alter Bridge
Anberlin
Andrew Platter (worked with this guy, he's cool)
Audio Adrenaline
Better Days Ahead
Benjamin Gate
Between Thieves
Blindside
Building 429
Burlap to Cashmere (oldie but a goodie!)
Calibretto 13 (formerly Black Sheep)
Chris Rice
Chris Tomlin
Creed
Cross Movement (this is a group of lots of artists)
David Crowder Band (personal favorite)
Demon Hunter
EleventySeven
Evanescence
Everyday Sunday
Explosions in the Sky (instrumental)
Falling Up
Family Force 5
Flyleaf
FM Static
Foolish Things
The Fray (not my favorite but not bad)
Further Seems Forever
Hawk Nelson
Hyper Static Union
Jennifer Knapp
Jeremy Camp
Jonah 33
Keith and Krystyn Getty (cool people, solid songs)
KJ-52
Kutless
Lost and Found
Matchbox Twenty
Phil Wickham (also worked with this guy)
Plumb
Rebecca St. James
Relient K
Rich Mullins (personal favorite)
Shawn McDonald
Stellar Kart
Sufjan Stevens (personal favorite)
Third Day (good stuff here)
Thousand Foot Krutch
TobyMac
Todd Agnew (cutting edge)
12 Stones

So there is a list of solid bands. They are all clean and in my opinion good bands. This is a list of core bands that I always end up listening to. However, something to remember is that Christians should not seclude themselves from society. We must be careful what we do, but we should never just ignore what the people we are trying to minister to do and the music they listen to. I listen to a lot of oldies these days and other bands that are more mainstream. But that doesn't mean I don't filter. For example, I try to filter out songs that swear and not listen to songs that are written about sexual experiences or likewise. I think you get the picture. I don't believe that Christians should listen to everything but I do believe that in order to be effective in our ministry we have to at least know of the bands that are big in our times. But if you are looking for good music that doesn't swear every other word, its out there, don't be afraid to go looking. Sometimes, I'm guilty of this, we get stuck in the same music and we never listen to anything new. Make it a point to broaden your horizons sometime.

In making decisions about what to listen to just remember one verse...
Romans 12:2
"Do not be conforned to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you by testing you will be able to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."