Month: April 2021

The downside to being involved in music “news” is there’s a certain urgency to be the first to the plate with coverage on new releases. Full transparency – my involvement is fully of volunteer nature. But I do prefer to cover releases when they’re most timely and need the boost. The obvious drawback in instances where I don’t have a pre-release copy is that I have to make make some quick judgments. Typically I can glean through things pretty quickly nonetheless. But I know that I surely won’t be able to do J Lind’s latest effort the full justice it needs here.… Continued →

Briertone is quite possibly the only Christian-associated outlaw country act to exist, and their tenure was sadly short-lived. The group mixed dark cinematic rock rock with banjo for an end result that was fascinating in a way many other artists could only hope to emulate. Sadly, the group is no more – but lead vocalist Adam Pasion continues to write new music and the indie-pop act Goldboot spawned from ex-members as well. Check out Briertone’s flagship track below and Spotify embeds for the new projects. … Continued →

I’ve got a confession to make. I don’t know a lot about electronica. As much as I love genre-fying musical artists and trying to pinpoint them within their style or scene, I just can’t get my heard around the hundreds of subgenres of electronic dance music. I was never one for going to nightclubs (where the genres and all its cognates developed), and the scene is just too huge to know thoroughly without being immersed in it. However, I do know what I like, and occasionally an artist or album comes along that just sounds good.… Continued →

Pulling from the archives, Oregon’s The Clergy had a sound that was a cross between the Go-Gos & old skool punk rawk. With only one album under their belt & songs on several compilations, this seemed to be a one-off in Christian music. One of the band members even went on to start the quirky art rock band Yum Yum Children who found themselves eventually on 5 Minute Walk records. I remember this song on an indie college rock station that played Christian music every once in a while & has stuck with me as memorable over the years.… Continued →

Light The Way are back in the thick of recording for their 2nd full length record. This will be a follow up to “False Memory Syndrome” which released back in 2018 on the now defunct Indie Vision Music label. Make sure to check the band out on all digital networks and give a listen to their songs. They are extremely talented, fun, and full of unrelenting energy. There really aren’t too many pop-punk-hardcore bands with a strong Christian message like Light The Way. They are one of a kind and you are sure to find something to appreciate in their music.… Continued →

Must Build Jacuzzi are a little more than half way done writing their next full length record. The band will (hopefully) record the songs very soon and release this year. What is your favorite Must Build Jacuzzi song and what do you hope they do more or less of on this next record?… Continued →

The online, quarantine-like “Fest” featuring a ton of great Christian rock, metal, punk, Post Hardcore, Indie, etc. bands, is now archived online via YouTube. You can watch Day 1 and Day 2 right here at IVM, below. This epic event is almost 10 hours total worth of engaging new music. Powerful stuff and unique for this music scene. Check it out below. Oh and our buddy Nate Parrish is one of the performing artists on Day 1. What did you think and did you have any favorite artists who performed?… Continued →

Thrice just announced the production on their upcoming TBA album and have begun studio work on this release. You can see some studio pics on the band social accounts. Are you looking forward to this new release and if so, what do you want to hear more or less of? Thrice last released “Palms” in 2018 via Epitaph Records.… Continued →

Allen Odell just released an inspiring and dreamy sounding new song that is both laid back and poignant at the same time. A telling song for a challenging time we are in. Adding backing vocals of Benjamin Daniel just adds to the many layers this song already consists of. Check out “West Lawrenceville” below. The song deals with grief and heartache from a loss of life through the lens of hope. This is released as a 2 part single along with “Little Sparrow” so make sure to give that song a listen as well.… Continued →

Death Therapy have announced their mind bending new concept album called “Melancholy Machines“. You can pre-order the album on CD/Digital from Tooth & Nail Merch Store here. You can also find the new track “Tension”, on all digital networks now. Take a listen to the track below. Let’s hear some thoughts. The album drops June 4th through Tooth & Nail Records.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics: … Continued →

Convictions will drop their latest full length album titled “I Won’t Survive”, on May 7th. If you’ve heard a few of the new songs then you know you’re in for a real treat. One of the greatest independent heavy/rock bands hitting the scene today. Pre-order the highly anticipated new album in a few different formats including vinyl, right here. Make sure to check out the latest songs from Convictions on digital networks now.… Continued →

I am so excited to share this news with you all. Ska/Punk project, No Lost Cause, is dropping a new release titled “Take 2” which will be a collection of songs with a heavy dose of horn parts and ska flavor. You’re gonna want this in your ear drums guaranteed. Check out the art for this new album, below. “Take 2” is out this summer on Thumper Punk Records.… Continued →

With the band name pulling from Matthew 12: 40, 3 Days Under is a hard rock band from Kentucky that is not ashamed of the Gospel. Today’s SOTD is my fave from them, but their song Mended comes in at a close second. They also just released a new single called Bleeding Through on March 21st, 2021. … Continued →

Rock & Metal

• Anberlin – Paper Tigers
• At The Wayside – Somewhere Between (EP)
• The Choir – Deep Cuts

Pop & CCM

• Stephen Stanley – Stephen Stanley (EP)

Electronic & Dance

• Jesus Loves Electro – Infinity: Remixes (EP)

Folk & Singer/Songwriter

• Rob Ray – Yours is the Day (EP)

Hip Hop & R&B

• Agloe TN – Welcome To (EP)
• Caleb Gordon – Before the Garden, Vol. 3
• Cephas – We Will Go
• Coop – Childlike (EP)
• Corey Wise – INFINITY VIBES
• Genuine – UNEASE
• GodFrame – Hello Jesus 2
• J-Heir – Honor & Glory (EP)
• Joe.wit.da.HolyGhost

… Continued →

Rob Ray is the kind of artist that has the rare ability to instantly capture listeners’ attention. Blending what could best be classified as a mix of Josh Garrels, John Mayer, and Macy Gray, Ray crafts punchy tracks with instant appeal. More practically, it’s a soulful mix of R&B-tinged indie. Yours Is The Day meets the biblical classification of “spiritual songs” in no time flat. This is an upbeat, fun EP with a bit of gospel bravado to keep the energy high throughout its 21-minute runtime.… Continued →

The late 90s/early 2000s had some great emo bands including The Juliana Theory, Brandtson, Acceptance, Further Seems Forever, Dashboard Confessional & today’s SOTD band, Ancient of Days. The background of this band is they were musicians before they became Christians & had played the bar scene back in the day. The LP was released by Rescue Records whom had released bands such as Dogwood, P.O.D.& some hip hop acts. Check out these worshipful lyrics that moves me to tears. Some day… This will all make sense to me… When faith is all I have to give… Still all I want is you Lord… Filthy… I come before you everyday… Broken on my hands and knees… You see past the sin in me… Fighting with myself again… Filling up my emptiness… Your love Fills the loneliness… Waiting for you to speak to me, Patiently… I listen to your voice calling me… Nothing can compare to the promise I have in you… Knowing that you’re right here next to me… … Continued →

If you turn the Christian indie shaker upside down, not too many psychobilly bands fall out. One of the first and best was The Calicoes, from Texas. They released one fantastic EP called Rumble (the title a contextualized reference to the battle between good and evil), and a full-length named Custom Acceleration. For my money, the EP is the better release song for song. It’s more primitive and raw, which suits the style better in my view. You can’t go wrong with any of those 6 songs, but check out track 5, “Read.”… Continued →

Ravenhill is a soulful blues rock tinged band hailing originally from southern Illinois. Nearest mainstream bands would be The Black Keys or The Ranconteurs. My son Tyler & I had the pleasure of chilling with vocalist Joshua Clifton a few times locally at a music festival called Audiofeed & seeing them live.  To be honest, there are several great songs I could have chosen with this band, but another album review was done on Soul & Midnight Gold deserves some recognition! Anyways have fun with this rocker that eludes to our freedom in Jesus as only He has the cure for our sin-His forgiveness by His death burial & resurrection.… Continued →

You all need to check out this phenomenal new project from Tommy Green (Ex-Sleeping Giant) called Holy Name. Check out the song “Fall On Your Knees” (Feat. Brook Reeves). It’s an amazing representation of how Faith, Christianity, and Music in general should intersect. This my friends is the future of heavy worship and heavy music in general. Two songs have been released so far and you can listen to both below. This should send shivers down your spine and a fire in your heart.… Continued →

At The Wayside have just dropped their brand new EP “Somewhere Between”, today, on all digital networks and streaming sites. Take a listen to the songs below or pull up your favorite streaming service. What do you think?… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics:… Continued →

Gr8frt‘s sophomore release is not one of vanity. From its raw vocals to quirky cover, this is not the type of EP meant to fly off the shelves. And it’s clear this is the artist’s intention as well: These five songs were painstakingly recorded over the course of two years. The songs survived a catastrophic computer failure, getting sober, a relapse of a different sort, suicidal thoughts, and a whole lot of upheaval. We started this album as farm workers and ended it as missionaries.… Continued →

Indiana’s Richard Wayne Mullins is a vital part of the Christian music industry. Besides penning & performing one of the best worship songs of all time, “Awesome God”, he also was a very talented musician who was proficient with the piano & the dulcimer which can be heard on many of his songs. His first couple albums did not gather much radio play, but The World As Best As I Remember It Vol 1 & 2 garnished many songs heard all over the radio at the time.… Continued →

Sure, the title feels trite – a conversation that has happened a hundred times already for decades. But I’m not approaching this from a strictly musical standpoint. Instead, my focus is largely ideological. Punk, and even other genres like outlaw country, centered around ideas that ran counter to the mainstream narrative. But now, it feels like what many of these artists believe or fight for lines up curiously with the same things coming from the media (an undeniable extension of the political structure as well as collateral of the the consolidation of journalism to under ten companies) and pop artists alike.… Continued →

This will be a series of posts based upon old “indie” (or ‘independent’ for the savvy) albums released over the past few couple decades collecting dust and cobwebs in the vaults of our devices (or computers for those living in the past). Check out these 20 Indie Albums You Almost Forgot Existed and maybe discover something old that is now new again? Enjoy.… Continued →

Wolves At The Gate just dropped a brand new song titled “Stop The Bleeding”. It’s classic Wolves At The Gate mixed in with a little new, the perfect combo. Check out “Stop The Bleeding”, below. The song is now available on all digital networks and streaming sites.… Continued →

If you like Christian Rock then make sure to check out Contagion Fest Part 2 April 23rd-24th presented by Christian Rock X and iChristianRock. You can watch/stream it live from YouTube here or here. Watch the trailer for it below. Nate Parrish is one of the many artists playing so you can’t go wrong with that right?… Continued →

Arkansas’ Common Children reminded me plainly of a cross between The Prayer Chain & Skillet. Why, might you ask? Well, CC has some serious ethereal atmospheric music akin to The Prayer Chain. And Skillet due to the obvious grunge influences and the three male band members when they first formed. Skywire came out in 1996 as did Skillet’s S/T. As far as the band’s name, well Jesus Freak Hideout’s site interview vocalist Marc & it is “because we are all common children in the sense that we all live together, in a broken world, in need of grace—beggars attempting to tell other beggars where to get bread.”… Continued →

Rock & Metal

• Alex Henry Foster – Standing Under Bright Lights (Live from Festival International De Jazz De Montréal)
• August Burns Red – Guardians Sessions EP

Pop & CCM

• Haiva Ru – Bloom Baby Bloom
• NEEDTOBREATHE – Live From the Woods Vol. 2
• Tauren Wells – Citizen of Heaven (Live)

  Folk & Singer/Songwriter

• Andrew Blooms – 987

Hip Hop & R&B

• GOSPEL READY, D4christ – Simplicity  (EP)
• J. Crum, Starlite Drive – STARLITE DRIVE (EP)
• Mitch Darrell – Rap Should Be Fun, Vol.

… Continued →