Michael Spencer, who styles himself as the Internet Monk, wrote today about Christian counter-cultural music. Sound like any wee bald laddies we know?

Listen to Derek Webb’s take on a Dylan-esque voice, and notice how the mainstream Christian music industry attempted to pigeonhole him for being too political. Webb continues to be at the center of a different kind of Christian art; a socially conscious, challenging voice of a counter culture that resists the “mainstreaming” of the Christian artistic voice into the Christian ghetto. “We Don’t Have A Savior On Capital Hill” isn’t going to make it on K-Love anytime soon.

Monk decries the mainstream evangelical culture, speaking further about the “Christian ghetto” and name-dropping the Square Peg Alliance:

Christian radio will not play these voices. They will not be leading the bouncing worship songs at your next youth event. They are not entertaining the sheep into a state of altered- and largely insensitive- consciousness.

You will find them at Square Peg Alliance and Paste Music. You’ll hear them cited as “indy folk” more than Christian. You’ll have to endure the question “But is that really Christian music?”

Evangelicals have now produced a massive consumeristic niche ready to buy, wear and applaud whatever fits in its pre-described mold of entertainment oriented discipleship and warm, fuzzy, evangelical experience.

We figure that most of you are nodding your heads vigorously. We were.

[Hat Tip to Chris Hubbs via email.]