Author: Rob J

In 2016, I saw my tastes in music grow a bit more. This would account for why you’ll see some albums make an appearance on this list that, if you know me, you wouldn’t normally expect to see here. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good year for music, but a number of times some of the albums I was most excited about lost something after numerous listen throughs. This could account for why some albums (if you know me) you’d expect to see on my list are noticeably absent.… Continued →

With dates going from February all the way through May, the City Rockfest Tour will be making the rounds in 2017. Boasting a rather impressive lineup, this tour promises to be nothing short of amazing. For a full list of dates and to keep updated on potential new additions, be sure to check out their Facebook page at City Rockfest Tour. Who’s looking forward to this??  … Continued →

Check out this new lyric video from Oh Sleeper called “Oxygen”! It’s been a while since we last heard from these guys! What do you guys think??  … Continued →

In writing reviews, occasionally you come across an artist or band you’re entirely unfamiliar with. There can be a number of reasons for that, but nevertheless, when I come across them, I look forward to writing the review. It’s often a great way to find and share new artists/bands to listen to and you know you’re sure to present a fresh take on the album you’re reviewing. Such is the case with JJ Heller’s newest offering, a Christmas album, called “Unto Us”. Before even kicking off the first song, my expectation was a very folky album, with perhaps a hint of country thrown in.… Continued →

If you downloaded our most recent comp, “Hearts Bleed Passion, Vol. 6″, you may have heard this song. Definitely one of my favorites on it. Here’s a brief explanation of what it’s about from the band’s vocalist, Matt Evans: ” “The Laws That Guide My Feet” is kind of an anthem for people who feel lost and out of place. However, lyrically, it’s also a lot more than that. It transitions between various perspectives to illustrate a bigger picture. For example, most of the screaming vocals are from the perspective of satan…and most of the clean vocals are from the perspective of someone who is hearing both satan’s and God’s voice and doesn’t feel like they fit into either narrative.… Continued →

2012 saw the departure of Lacey Sturm from Flyleaf. She announced to her fans that it was her desire to take some time off and focus on her family, an admirable and noble decision for sure. In the hearts of her fans was a feeling of support for her decision, yet at the same time, those feelings were mixed with a hopeful wondering of whether or not we’d hear from Lacey again in the music arena. 2 years passed with hardly a peep as Lacey enjoyed some well deserved time off with her family.… Continued →

Looking for some new hip hop to check out? Check out The Trade’s newest video for their track “No Chill Button”. Good stuff. … Continued →

  Over the years, the name “Memphis May Fire” has become nearly synonymous with the genre commonly referred to as metalcore. Some love metalcore, some not so much, but regardless of your preference, it’s hard to deny that Memphis May Fire is one of the best the genre has to offer. From the guitars chugging away in dropped tunings, to the breakdowns, to the versatility of Matty Mullins’ vocals, the band offers a variety of things to love, and more recently, a few laid back tunes have even made their way into the band’s catalog, showing off their ability to maintain the listener’s interest with some slower, melodic, catchy material.… Continued →

In the first two sentences of his new book, Lovely Things In Ugly Places, Mattie Montgomery wastes no time expressing what he believes the heart of God is…love for the broken; “For those who are forgotten or feared by most of our post-modern church”. He goes on to say that “Wherever fear has built a wall, love can build a bridge.” What follows throughout the rest of the book are examples of exactly that, as Mattie recounts the history of For Today and intertwines the numerous interactions he’s had over the years with various folks he’s met during his time with the band.… Continued →

The Old-timers are releasing 'Be Reconciled', their brand new album on July 1st. Check out the review below!

The Way have released their new album 'I Keep Falling'. Check out the review!

Check out my review of The Old-timers "Spiritus Sanctus" on Thumper Punk Records.

Check out my review of the Relient K and The Almost tour stop in New Jersey this past week.

Red Cord Records announced the first single, “The Hero I Had” from With A Voice‘s debut record, The Witness In The Valley, which will be released on Feb. 19th! You can also check out their pre-order bundle packages  on our merch store here. Watch below.… Continued →

The first song off the Color Morale’s upcoming album (Know Hope, in stores 3/26!) is now up on youtube as a lyric video! Check it out and let us know what you think!… Continued →

I didn’t really know what to expect tonight as I drove down to Barnegat, NJ to see Love and Death for the first time. Being a church show (which I tend to enjoy more than others), I had a few preconceived ideas as to what I could expect at the venue. Well, all my expectations went right out the window as I pulled up to the church. Pulling up I was waved in by volunteers to where a division was made for cars to either park or drop off.… Continued →

Read my review of "Seek and You Will Find" by Steve Owsinski

Check out this review of Grave Robber's new album "You're All Gonna Die!"

Uprise Festival 2011 was certainly an experience. From where I live it’s roughly a three and a half hour drive, so we packed up and took off around 1 or so and made our way to the fairgrounds in Shippensburg, PA. Very easy to get to and the parking was great, very close to the grounds where the stages, food, merch, and everything else were set up. After making our way onto the grounds and checking out the merch we went over to the main stage to check out the bands scheduled for that night.… Continued →

Many of our readers here at IVM are familiar with Grave Robber. I was first introduced to the band via a myspace friend request a few years ago and my first impression was simply “whoa”. After checking out the songs, reading the lyrics, and so on it was impossible for me not to love what they’re doing. After catching a live show I can honestly tell you they have one of the best live shows around and if you have the opportunity to see them don’t miss out!… Continued →

Check out Grave Robber's third full length release "Exhumed", which is actually a collection of new and old songs.

I remember being in high school and rocking out to Live's albums Throwing Copper and the Secret Samahdi. Still great albums today. Some of the songs were just so infectious that getting them stuck in your head on a near daily basis was simply inevitable. If you're familiar with the band I'm sure you can relate.

I got my first listen of Hello Kelly by pure chance. I was walking through the store and came across the self titled album sitting on the shelf and for some reason or other went to the computer and sampled it and liked what I heard. That was about 3 years ago. 3 years later, we're about to see the release of the band's follow up album, EASYFORYOUTOSAY and it will not by any means disappoint. Let me break it down for you...