Month: May 2020

This is without a doubt, the BEST release of 2020 (so far) and the best music I've heard in the past 5 years. How can I make such a bold claim? Well my taste is really just objective and entirely my own but everything about "I'm a Wreck" screams quality. From the production and full sound heard throughout the entire full length, to the graphic art of cover and included designs, to the songwriting, lyrics, substance, and overall vibe of this record. I can't believe I'm saying this but Nate Parrish has created one album that will be tough to beat in the years ahead. You wan't explosive, in your face, heart on the sleeve, roots rock n' roll with a strong punk undercurrent, then this album is for you.

Rock & Metal

• Collision of Innocence – Today We Rise
• Death Therapy – Terra Infirma
• Deathbreaker – Isolate
• Emery – 2:38
• Fang Fang – Fang Shui (EP)
• Fit For A King – Backbreaker (with We Came as Romans)
• Jodi Essex – What Is Your Truth?
• KIDS – All Smoke, No Fire / Pale Horse
• Lightworker – Cholera
• One 21 – Say It Loud (EP)
• The Recovery System – Live Like This
• Switchfoot – Swim Good
• Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern (live from outside)
• Unwed Sailor – Haze

Pop & CCM

• Abe Parker – Found Belief
• Andrea Hamilton – Mud
• Anna Golden – Peace
• Bien – Times Like This
• Bonray – Where I Wanna Be
• Bryan Boliver – Playing to Win
• Cade Thompson – Provider (Dirty Rice Remix)
• Carmen Justice x Simple Thieves – Money Honey
• Cochren & Co.

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Nate Parrish covers the great Social Distortion song “Through These Eyes” and does a fantastic job. The song features Joey West of Disciple on Drums and Chris Bellamy on sax. Such an amazing rendition. Check out the video below. Read my review of the upcoming Nate Parrish album, soon.… Continued →

A new band hitting the scene hard is called “The Recovery System” from Portland, Oregon. It is melodic, heavy, and pop-punkish. The new song is titled “Live Like This” feat. Kaylene Barber. The sound is reminiscent of bands like Anberlin, The Wedding, Amber Pacific, Search The City, A Day to Remember, and Autopilot Off. Its really a diverse project and still sticks to the punk rock aesthetic running throughout. Check out both new songs below.… Continued →

Legendary punk rockers, The Blamed, are back with a “covers” related EP titled “Quarantine Days Revisited”. It features covers of classic bands with guests like Jason Wisdom of Becoming The Archetype and Death Therapy, Luke Easter of Tourniquet, Kenny Klein, Sally Grayson, and more. Read more about it below. Preorder on CD right here.… Continued →

For the first time ever on IVM, Light The Way gets the interview treatment. Check out my questions and answers with Andrew (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Christian Moore (Guitar), and Christian Appel (Drums) [Evan is missing in action, sorry pal] from Light The Way, below. About the song “Hope”: “For me, Hope is a birds eye view of how sinful we as a human race really are, and at the end of the day, the only thing that really gives me hope that reaches beyond “just living a good life,” is that Jesus forgave me for all of it.… Continued →

What a lineup! Jim Chaffin (The Crucified), Marcos Curiel (P.O.D.), Stu Brooks (Dub Trio), Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.), Cory Brandan (Norma Jean), Josh Kemble (Dogwood), and Mikey Carvajal (Islander) have put together a quarantine cover of The Crucified’s “Intro/Hateworld” and it is amazing. Check it out below and drop your thoughts in the comments!… Continued →

Texas based pop-punk band, Brave Days, have just released their insane new album called “Work In Progress” through Honey Gold Records. For a new band, they have surprisingly hit it out of the park on this debut. Melodic, energetic, aggressive, moody, uplifting, and altogether, heart-pumping punk rock. There are hints of old emo and Drive Thru Records, 00’s like pop-punk. This is like a gift for all fans of the genre and a love letter to those seeking hope. I have a feeling you will be hearing a lot more from this group in the near future.… Continued →

The punk band known as American Arson are back with a hard hitting, aggressive, and very hopeful new song titled “Forever”. Check out the song below and make sure you preorder their new album “A Line In The Sand” due out July 3rd on Facedown Records. I can’t believe how insane these new songs are and I have a feeling the full length is going to be one of the best new releases this year. 2020 is surprisingly turning out to be a strong year for new music.… Continued →

The other night, Anberlin did a livestream acoustic show, during which Stephen announced that the band would be writing some new music. This would be the band’s first new material since 2014’s “Lowborn”. While there are currently no announced plans of anything in the way of specifics nor full-on tours, this is welcome news for fans of the band. Are you ready for new Anberlin?… Continued →

I won’t turn this post into a political post, as I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of that. But in times like these, it’s important to find voices worth listening to. Too often Christian bands have been too closely aligned with playing it safe–if not musically, then at least lyrically. Often even bands in the punk and alternative scenes have been too comfortable with the status quo. Enter The American Culture Experiments, a hardcore punk band from Waco, Texas. Posing questions not many in our scene were bold enough to ask (Crashdog as another notable example), and not offering easy answers either.… Continued →

One 21 have returned after more than a decade with a brand new EP titled “Say It Loud”. Check it out this slammin’ new punk rock release at your digital network or streaming site of choice. Also check out their label Philadelphia Recording Service who have also dropped a bunch of other great releases today as well. Listen to the song “Don’t Fear The Liars”, below.… Continued →

In celebration of the upcoming 20th Anniversary of Indie Vision Music I have decided to put a couple titles on wax. This isn’t some big budget, massive vinyl release that so many labels and brands are doing these days. Through Kunaki and Vinyl Revolution a few titles have been given the green light for vinyl pressing. I am listing those titles below. Some are available to order now and more will be added soon. Click here to check out on Bandcamp. Please read below for further info.… Continued →

Two Years in the making, Prescott, AZ's own Spirit Filled Skate Punk act, Reliance, have returned with an 8 song release full of scripture based anthemic sing alongs! FFO: Pennywise, Millencolin, Lagwagon, and other 90's era skate punk

Another rarity from the archives, this early nu metal band released one EP back in 2001 called A Trip To Southern Metal, but must have had another release as Last.fm shows a few other songs not from that album. They had a sound akin to Pantera, but was a bit muddy with downtuned vocals that at times were rapped. They seem to have hailed from Texas and had released music on the old mp3.com and Godcore sites. Hope you like this tune “Bring The Noise” as it reminds me of Metanoia’s Time to Die LP especially “Now Listen Up”!… Continued →

The artist “Teddy at Night” which is actually Teddy Boldt former drummer of bands like Wavorly, Family Force 5, and For King & Country, has dropped 3 new songs in 2020 and they are a beautiful representation of a talented solo artist trying to convey inner emotion. This synth driven, newwave like 80’s revival project is actually really good. Not everyone will dig it but those that do know what’s up. Check out the new song, “Happiness”, below along with a music video for the song “Not Who I’m Not Anymore” and the previous track “Little Ones”, below.… Continued →

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we present you with the new song "Hard Times" by Thumper Punk band Reliance, streaming now! FFO: 90's style skate punk bands along the lines of Pennywise

Rock & Metal

• American Arson – Forever
• Emery – Biddy
• Man Ov God – Tempting
• Relent – Heart Attack
• TAKE – Everything I Once Was
• TIMŌRĀTUS – Are We There Yet?

Pop & CCM

• Aaron Cole – Only U Forever
• Air Ralley – Resurrect
• Anchor & Braille – TENSION
• Austin French – Wake Up Sleeper
• Drew Weeks – For the Weekend (EP)
• Godlovesjudah – Showers.
• Jet Trouble – God and Me
• Jimi Cravity – Nehemiah
• Kyle Guisande – Without Reasons
• Landry Cantrell – Glasshouse (EP)
• Lily-Jo – Be the Change
• Marie Love – War for Peace
• Me+mad – Tigers Are Cool
• Paul Wright – Bright Future
• Rachael Nemiroff – Temporary
• Samecity – Stuck With You
• Teddy at Night – Happiness
• Trampolines – Jesus 10x
• We Are Leo – IWKY (HGHTS Remix)
• Via Music – I Got You

Electronic

• Daniel Baciu – Logic
• Jhonny Vergel – World’s Light
• LZ7 – Forever Young (GIDI Remix)
• ØM-53 – Seasons (Dlmark Remix)

Folk & Singer/Songwriter

• Christa Wells – Western Shoreline
• David Hostetter Jr.

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A little over a year ago, I wrote a review for “Heart Attack” by new(er) nu metal band, Relent. Recently, the band has re-released the ep on Rockfest Records and so, I thought I’d re-review the re-release. Without looking back to the review done last March, let’s revisit “Heart Attack”, including the newly added tracks. I will say that since the initial review done last March, my love and excitement for the ep hasn’t waned a bit; it has longevity. For an album, much less an ep, to maintain its excitement and “go-to” factor after a year says something.… Continued →

On his third single from The Dying Ones, DIE-REK carefully analyses the supposed importance of the “praises of men”, the value it adds to our lives or the lack thereof. Even though the primate-like thump of the self-produced beat will make you do the Klingon Face™ immediately, the lyrical content is still intensely personal. DIE-REK’s unique perspective on props from peers will require repeated listens for effective digestion. It’s safe to assume that DIE-REK humbly accepts any renowned kudos, but he also knows that his legacy is greater than Earthly trinkets and his real treasures are stored in Heaven.… Continued →

Noah H. of course will update you all with the weekly new release list but I thought i’d open this up to comments and sharing. What new music did you pick up this week? New Anchor & Braille, Slow Coming Day, Relent, plus singles from Paul Wright, Teddy At Night (Teddy Boldt from Wavorly, Family Force 5, and For King & Country), American Arson, Audiophile, and more. Let us know what you’re spinning, what’s new, and what classic release you are listening to most these days.… Continued →

Velvet Blue Music has launched pre-orders for the new Starflyer 59 EP “Miami”, due out June 19th. Unfortunately it appears the “Deluxe” Vinyl edition has already sold out at the time I have typed this. You can still order the black vinyl though. Check it all out right here on the VBM site. You can also watch a fun promo clip for “Miami” below.… Continued →

David Hostetter Jr has been putting together a few tunes and they’re now available on digital wherever you get your music. Check em out!!! (No, no links. We should all know how to navigate the music sites we frequent by now 😉)… Continued →

Slow Coming Day will release a new album perfect for these times titled “Quarantine Sessions”. It will be out this Friday on Indie Vision Music. You can pre-order on bandcamp here and it will be available on every digital network available including TikTok for you savvy social media influencers (lol?). Check out all the songs below in a very special stream. I’ve also included some music videos. Hopefully there will be a physical media option soon. Stay tuned.… Continued →

Vagabond 12 was a brief rap rock band which reminds this listener of Broken Yoke and NOT the heavier rapcore music made known by bands such as EDL or Jack Of All Trades. They seem to have only released a two song single before fading into obscurity. But the 2 songs are very radio friendly with rapped vocal hooks laden within acoustic guitars. Crystal Clear (the rockier of the 2) found is way on an indie show out of Florida, but research shows the 4 man band out of Greenville, South Carolina .… Continued →

Rock & Metal.

• Almost Always – sisyphus
• Audiophile – The Coast
• Emery – The Road Beneath My Feet
• Lacey Sturm – The Decree
• Nine Lashes – Guilty Hands
• Off Road Minivan – Swan Dive
• Various Artists – Rockfest Records (Vol. 1)
• Starflyer 59 – This Recliner
• Stranger Kings – Red R

Pop & CCM

• Andrea Hamilton – On Again
• Apollo LTD – NOW!
• CHPTRS – Chapter Five
• Chris Howland – With You
• Colton Dixon – Colton Dixon (EP)
• Crowder – Nights Like This
• Crystal Rome – All for You
• Elizabeth Grace – Chasing Quiet
• Harbor & Home – Hold Me
• Holly Starr – More
• JohnLion – Gravity
• Jared Marc – WHAT YOU WANT
• Joshua Micah – We Can Be The Ones
• Judah & the Lion – Beautiful Anyway
• LZ7 – Amazing Grace
• Matthew Parker – Snapshot
• Neoni – Deep Water
• Riley Clemmons – Over And Over
• Ri-An – What You Do
• Ruelle – Love Changes Everything
• Sajan Nauriyal – PERSPECTIVE
• Sam Tinnesz – Warplanes
• Tom Golly – I’m Letting Go
• Wakeup Starlight – Loco Train

Electronic

• God’s Warrior – Big Power

Folk & Singer/Songwriter

• Clarensau – More Lost Than Found
• Ross King – Seahorses
• 6’10 – The Road

Hip Hop & Urban

• Aaron Dews – No Rush
• Arik Nelson – Every Single Time
• BigBreeze – What a Time to Live (Deluxe)
• Bl1nd3d – So Cold
• Caleb Tucker – MAKE A TOAST
• Cape Lions – The Valley
• Cellus Hamilton – Psalm 55
• Chris Soul – Company
• Coop – Intro to Exile
• Da Church – Never Fold (feat.

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Lacey Sturm (Ex-Flyleaf) gets aggressive on the new single “The Decree” which is available now on all digital networks via Followspot Records. Check out the song below.… Continued →

Nate Parrish (Guitarist for Kutless) embarks on a glorious, adrenaline filled, punk rock journey. Complete with soaring choruses and hard charging punk rock rhythms. It’s like if Mike Ness and Social D intertwined with Brian and The Gaslight Anthem while sitting at lunch with Face to Face, Bruce Springsteen, and Rise Against. It’s an interesting combo that definitely makes sense and this sound is something that not only appeals to me but should with many of you. It’s a classic yet current sound and hits hard in the gut with relevant lyrics tied to the world we live in today.… Continued →

RIYL: Attalus, The Classic Crime, Cool Hand Luke, classic Emery

After releasing last year’s opus Young in My Head, Starflyer 59 are already back. The veteran indie rock band have just released a new single, “This Recliner” and boy oh boy is it good! Fueled by inspiration from the best of his 80s new wave AND shoegaze influences (The Church, Psychedelic Furs, Jesus and Mary Chain, et. al.), the man truly knows how to write a pop song. Sometimes I think his skill lies in brevity. Rather than dragging stuff out, founder Jason Martin always leaves you wanting just a little bit more.… Continued →