Month: May 2021

Code of Ethics hit on the Christian music scene in 1991 with their brilliant debut Visual Paradox for R.E.X. Music (later re-issued on Forefront), having already released an independent cassette demo a year prior. The album was a synth-pop triumph, taking the best of techno-pop and alternative dance and fusing them into a singular whole that was as danceable as Information Society, but as catchy as Pet Shop Boys or Erasure. I once had a chance to catch the band live, opening for The Prayer Chain.… Continued →

The Calicoes are a fun rockabilly/psychobilly/surf rock band with a sound akin to Ruby Joe & mainstream band Social Distortion. Hailing from Texas, one can find their one full length, EP & single through Velvet Blue Music. As far as lyrics, they are atypical of the love lost variety. Hope you like the sound & if you do check out the instrumental Rice Burner. PS, I moved this SOTD til a later date due to another review being on the band in April! Lol … Continued →

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

Rock & Metal

• Convictions – I Won’t Survive
• Jerry Fee  – Truth
• Revival Hymns – Birth Pains

Pop & CCM

• CAIN – Rise Up
• JJ Heller – I Dream of You, Vol. 1
• Katy Reynolds – Healing

Electronic & Dance

• God’s Warrior – See Us In Paradise

Folk & Singer/Songwriter

• Jess Ray – Baby Take My Hand
• Calah Mikal – Footnotes on Healing

Hip Hop & R&B

• Bryann T – Kingdom Psalms 2: Silver, Gold, and Precious Stones
• Calvin Martyr – Calvin Martyr Unplugged
• Larell – Larell’s Coney Island, Vol.

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When I first heard this song, I was diving in the “alternative rock” scene & my musical overfilled mind was whirling from all this weird music that was not like the Petra’s or White Hearts I had grown up listening to. There were so many linked bands to this project such as Fluffy (check my review on Guitars Guns & Girls!) & Duraluxe which was formed with Hoi Polloi’s Troy Daughtery to name a couple. Check out the www.knottheads.com website for more info. It was hard to choose between this SOTD & Icky & Cavewoman so check them out also.… Continued →

Indie Vision Music presents the debut 14 song full length from Brownstory titled “Replanting”. It’s an eclectic collection of songs ranging from folky, indie rock to acoustic, alternative, with a punk rock undercurrent. It has that 90’s vibe mixed with something current and Faith centered. Brownstory is the alter-ego of Mainframe, consisting of the same 4 members with a style all their own. Check out the 4 song album teaser below and pre-order on Bandcamp right here (featuring instant download of 5 songs). Full lyrics are posted on bandcamp.… Continued →

Reese Roper and Joe Yerke are up to their old games again. They obliterating our ear drums with a new podcast that will chase friends away and make enemies of family members. This “Pickle & Boot Shoppe Podcast” is the things nightmares are made of. Listen through your favorite podcasting/digital network now. Make Millennials shed snowflake tears with this icy cold, middle aged attempt to grasp at fading youth. Well, you know I do appreciate the music of both their respective bands so I can’t knock this too hard even if they are jaded, sarcastic old guys that reek of grotesque cynicism.… Continued →

Velvet Blue Music shakes off the dust off this extremely rare, underground album by Jason Martin and Ronnie Martin, two extremely talented and legendary music makers who’ve blessed our ears with unforgettable music for over 30 years now. Find out what the members of Starflyer 59 and Joy Electric were doing pre-their famous main projects and back in the late 1980’s (during that Dance House Children time period or before). The original name for the project was “Morella’s Forest” but since the project got shelved, their fellow friends in the scene took that name and ran with it.… Continued →

A band we’ve discussed right here at IVM quite a bit in the past, have returned with a new single titled “On An On”. That band is Author and this is their new song. You can download/stream/purchase right here on their bandcamp page. This indie pop-rock song is the perfect song for our oncoming HOT summer sure to topple even the most cold of climates. Great production can be found here and layers of textures that make one become enveloped with a massive wall of sound.… Continued →

Revival Hymns just dropped a brand new 3 Song EP titled “Birth Pains”. This is their first new music in over 7 years. The indie/shoegaze band has garnered much interest here in the states by way of Finland/Germany where the members reside. You can listen to the new song “Praise for the Bereft” below. “Incredible”, “Breathtaking”, “Inspiring” are not words to merely toss casually at artists in regards to igniting false hype around something a journalist may find especially appealing (or a record label deems “Important” for us as writers to check out).… Continued →

Veil of Ashes was a college rock band from Oakland, California, who debuted with the critically-acclaimed album Pain on Graceland Records (an imprint of Frontline) in 1989. While they had started out as a post-punk outfit with goth leanings, most of that influence had faded by the time their debut hit. A second album The Young and the Reckless: The Regression of Veil of Ashes was released on Blonde Vinyl in 1992, but it was actually a retrospective release of earlier demos. That same year the band shortened their name to Veil and released their final studio album (before taking a long hiatus and re-forming in the late 90s) Mr.… Continued →

American Made was a fun band that only released 2 LPS, but some of their songs have remained my fave in their tiny genre. What I mean by that is that they combined rapcore with funk & punk & hip hop. Interesting combo for sure, but imho it worked for its time. Both releases garnered Christian rock airplay with the Against The Flow title track, Earth Girls, Matt & Benny & the awesome Better Off Dead. Today’s SOTD believe it or not, was produced by White Heart’s Billy Smiley!… Continued →

Wow, how great is this new heavy song from new band, The Undertaking!? The song “And Everything Worked Out Just Fine” just dropped and it features backing vocals from Cove Reber formerly of Saosin. Check out the song and music video, below. The debut album “Funeral Psalms” now available worldwide from Solid State Records.… Continued →

Radical Radical drops another really great song titled “Middle Aged Masterpiece”. This is a heart on the sleeve, extremely honest, and completely vulnerable. This expression of age through the lens of someone hanging on with hope in their heart, and love in their eyes is nothing short of extraordinary. Inspired songwriting with pure pop-punk spirit. I love this song so much and the first one that dropped, “Misfit Toys”, is just as good. If this is any indication of what’s to come with a full length or EP, then we are quite possibly looking at something mind blowing.… Continued →

Sexy Baby Records and the band, Huntingtons, are bringing the classic 1999 album – “Get Lost”, to vinyl and tape once again. The Ramones-esque album was an instant classic and further cemented their place in our hearts, minds, and music players back in the day. Led by the hit single “No Pool Party Tonight”, the album blazed through song after song of pure punk rock glory and didn’t let up for a second. I loved their T&N contributions but the band has a vast discography going all the way back to 1995 (and an album that dropped last year in case you missed it).… Continued →

Andrew Schwab and his long running hard rock/metal band – Project 86, just announced a very special 25th Anniversary celebration. The 3 Night Memorial Day Event will take place in Nashville, TN. and will feature 25 songs from the vast discography P86 has in their arsenal. In person (very limited) and Virtual Tickets will all be available. More info can be found right here at their official website. All ticket holders will receive a full double live album of the performance. Video can be found below.… Continued →

Not to be confused with the AC pop band East to West (lol), Cali’s East West were a driving force in the rap metal scene in Christiandom along with EDL, Pillar, Beanbag, etc… I actually saw them live in Greenville, SC in the early 200s with Pillar & The Benjamin Gate. Known for their unabashed view on Christianity with the band name derived from Psalms 103:12, they were known as Rachel’s Silence at one point. They have had many songs which I would consider to be outstanding including, Seven, Thru 2 U, Breathe & Closure, but my fave is today’s SOTD.… Continued →

Rock & Metal

• Dens – Tamed Tongues
• Real Face – Dumb Blue Car
• The Undertaking! – Funeral Psalms

Pop & CCM

• Joseph Habedank – Change Is Coming
• Land of Color – Show Me What It Means
• MercyMe – inhale (exhale)

Electronic & Dance

• Alory, Xael – Ballroom (Remix Album)
• Jesus Loves Electro – Infinity: Remixes
• Paulo Gomes – Born Again (EP)

Folk & Singer/Songwriter

• Cory Breth – Anywhere in Between / In Color (EP)
• Garret Hursh – Wayward (EP)
• J Lind – The Land of Canaan
• Jason Hoard – My Grass Is Blue
• Micah McCaw – The First Family
• Zan Fiskum – Sleeping Problems

Hip Hop & R&B

• Apex Frazier – Missions & Convictions
• Bumps Inf – The Chaos Is Beautiful
• D4Christ – Abundance Of Faith
• L.

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Convictions has dropped a new music video for their newest single, “Wreckage”. The song is off the band’s upcoming release, “I Won’t Survive”, out this Friday. Check out the video below. Will you be getting this album?  … Continued →

British progressive power metal band Balance of Power is what I would consider a unappreciated gem in the genre. Forming in circa 1995, they have release 5 full lengths & one comp. Vocalist Lance King eventually joined in 1997 & left in 2003 & I would think he is the most well known member as he was in Pyramaze, Avian, Defyance, Ilium & Shining Star, all of whom I have heard over the years. Today’s SOTD hails from the Perfect Balance LP which does not have an appropriate cover so I chose the one we here.… Continued →