Articles

Gerwin Koudijs aka Tresice is an EDM artist from the Netherlands. I have been following his career for many years & one can even find him on Twitter! I played this song under the moniker of DJ Whosoever when used to DJ live with Nuklier Productions. His music is starting to be a rarity as he generated a lot through the old mp3.com platform … Continued →

This catchy song is an outstanding pop punk classic. They hail from South Carolina in the same town as Islander & unfortunately dropped off the “Christian” band label. Also check out The Jellyrox which is a side project from their lead vocalist. … Continued →

Love this song. So heavy & so meaningful. The band goes by just Forerunner now & I play them on my Ripper Radio show. Check out these lyrics. Why do I always give in, turn to the things that torment my soul, when will I finally submit, and give You all I am, Lord break me and rip these chains that always hold me down, tears from my eyes as I can’t resist, I am once again, once again, being taken away in the wrong direction, Lord take me away from this bondage, from this bondage, I don’t want to be a slave to this world, I want to run away from the pain but I can’t, I do not need you, I do not need you any more, I need to stand my ground, and look you in the face, I need to stand my ground, and put you in your place, I need to stand my ground, my King is here, and look you in the face, He lives in me, I need to stand my ground, whom shall I fear, and put you in your place, my King is here as I point to my chest, He is alive in me, no more will I succumb to darkness I am set free, my chains are broken, I am set free, because my Savior went to the cross and died for me [x2], I am released from this bondage, and the enemy tried to bury me, but I won’t, I won’t, back down, and I will look him in the face, no, you weren’t from the bottom, you were sent from Hell, you sent to bring me down [x2] and now I send you back to hell.… Continued →

90s alternative. People either love it or hate it. Despite the excesses of the genre, or the just plain slackness of it, I still love it. 3 Car Pile-Up was never going to win any awards for their musical contributions–unless it was maybe the high school talent show. Their one and only album is raw, somewhat sloppy, and even kind of juvenile in its approach to both music and lyrics. However, that is exactly what I love about it. If you can’t relate to the lyrics of “Dweeb” then I’m not sure you actually lived through American Christianity in the 80s/90s: When I was in grade school, my friends made fun of me They used to call me stupid names, like “Jesus Boy” or “Freak” But I knew come Sunday, that I’d be number one ‘Cuz I knew all my verses, and I would get some gum I’m a dweeb!… Continued →

Disciple is a mainstay in modern rock. They have been around since 1992 & even did some arena rock before they went to blues & rapcore & settling on hard rock. I have seen them twice, once w/ their By God album & the most recent last July. I would definitely recommend seeing them live. Here are my personal 3 faves.          … Continued →

Bringing it back to the early 90s with this one. They only released 2 LPS, but man were there tons of great songs ie Bad Place, Don’t You Run, Heaven’s on my Mind, Story just to name a few. They also crossed over onto CCM radio which was a feat imho. Vocalist Pagano released a couple of LPs after the band disbanded also. … Continued →

This will be confusing, but appears there are 2 Christian rappers that call themselves Double M. One is an Egyptian that you can find more about on Reverbnation & this one that has done a few songs I have enjoyed over the years. This one came out circa early 2000s & is really hard to find much about him. Appears he made 3 LPs in his run. I have always loved this song’s lyrics so listen closely.   … Continued →

Perhaps better known as the bassist/vocalist of hardcore punk cum crossover thrash band The Lead, Nina (full name Nina Llopis) released her debut album No Shadow of Turning for R.E.X. Music in 1991. As my friend and fellow fan Tim “Greybeard” Henderson (ex-Warlord) said, “This is a perfect example of 1991 music!” He’s so right. The album had hints of goth rock/post-punk, alternative rock, and jangle pop–a description which doesn’t make logical sense unless you lived through the early 90s. Musically similar to other early 90s female-fronted alternative bands like The Darling Buds and Concrete Blonde, the effort was a huge departure from her previous material with the hardcore/thrash band from which we’d come to know her.… Continued →

Today is my birthday (when this will run) & so I decided to let y’all hear the song that I asked for on the CCM local radio station to play every year for like 3-4 years of when I was a kid (circa the early 80s). Anyways, check out the song that originated a lot of the Christian dance music that became a scene. … Continued →

Welcome to the song that brought me a lifetime love for Christian Reggae. The band has been around since the mid 90s & still releases music almost every year. They have done a few worship albums & even some kid stuff! This is an example of a band that I label in the ministering category of “Christian” music as they are unabashed about the Gospel. From their LastFM site The name is pronounced CHRIST-AH-FAR-EYE, in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, Christafari is the name given to “a group of people who collectively represent Christ.”… Continued →

Back in my military years I ran into a Christian family who was into goth music. The daughter introduced me to this band whom I have followed ever since. Check out all their stuff as you will not be disappointed if you’re into the doomy symphonic sub genres of goth. Also, check out a bad audio, but live version of another of theirs. Sombre Romantic is one of my fave albums of all time.   … Continued →

Geoff Mann was a fairly well-known prog rock artist in the UK, but unfortunately his renown didn’t quite make it across the Atlantic. Having been the vocalist in an early incarnation of famed UK prog rock band Twelfth Night, he effectively left the band when they moved to London and he decided to remain in Manchester. Sometime in the early 80s, Geoff became a Christian through a “deep and lasting Christian conversion” (for more info, check out this article). At this point Geoff begins making very creative, even experimental prog rock.… Continued →

Prodigal Sons were a rave/techno trio that produced some great tunes back int he late 90s/early 2000s era. Greg Hobgood still makes music which you can find on Bandcamp. I always liked this one due to the music & the whole home school in the remix name. I was homeschooled most of my childhood.   … Continued →

This Swedish death metal band formed in 1996, and has been active ever since. They immediately began recording cassette demos, initially focusing on traditional death metal and morphing over time into more a melodic and progressive take on the genre. Of course, Sweden is known for its melodeath sound, centered in Gothenburg, but Pantokrator are from the opposite side of the southern peninsula. Lyrically the band tend to feature songs about biblical mysteries, not your typical Christian metal fare. Rather than topics of salvation and judgment, they tell stories about obscure characters like the Nephilim, the legendary and quasi-biblical Lilith, and Melchisedec, featured here.… Continued →

Texan Bloodlines is a cross between metalcore/deathcore/djent. They have even tapped into the Mainstream with Colder. Anyways, my son & I like this song & it was my ringtone for about 6 months. Also check out the lyrics. I’m giving in, giving in once again Cause I can’t keep up I’m caving in to my sins and I feel like I’ve lost all hope I keep on fighting this war Thatdoesn’t seem to end And now I’m broken inside I think I’ve lost my mind When does it end, when does it end?… Continued →

Let the Day Perish is an awesome up & coming metalcore band from the Chesapeake Virginia area. I moved down here about a month ago now & actually attend the church guitarist Juan attends. Their name comes from KJV Job 3:3 “Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said., There is a man child conceived.” The band is comprised of 3 military veterans & resonates with me as I spent almost 8 years in. Check out their Bandcamp where the lyrics for both hard hitting songs are housed.… Continued →

This pop punk band only released 2 full lengths, but obviously caught the punk scene by surprise as they were an all girl band on their first LP. They added a guy for their 2nd. This song reminds me of ska band Bob’s (Bunch of Believers) Mission Trip to Mexico for obvious reasons as tunes referencing mission trips.   … Continued →

The best way I can describe Coolidge is as a sort of ‘prequel supergroup.’ All of the members are now well-known for their contributions to indie rock, though none of them were very well-known at the time, and Coolidge remains a fairly obscure blip on the map of alternative music. Formed in 1992, the band featured Damien Jurado on bass and vocals, David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones, Lo Tom) on drums, and Eben Haase (Blenderhead, Don’t Know) on guitar. They played an intense and unique form of emo-core that interweaved lo-fi indie rock into the mix.… Continued →

This is a blues rock band from Massachusetts. They remind many of ZZ TOP due to the look & their sound. Anyways check out this SOTD which is vocalist/guitarist fave of their discography.   … Continued →

New Zealand’s Enoch has been on the scene since 2016. They remind of groovy djent metal whose comparison artists could be Azusa or mainstream Arch Enemy. Check em out if you haven’t already.   … Continued →

I have dug this song from when I first heard it when it came out. The 2 piece is a brother & sister duo that primarily did pop rock that explored CCM radio back in the early 2000s. They were in their mid teens when they started. The band resonates with me also as both were homeschooled just like me. Both pursued soloist careers after they released 3 LPs together. Check out these lyrics. & hope y’all have a great safe New Years! It’s a beautiful pain When Your grace shines and touches my face I know Your love I’ve heard it sung a thousand times before But still I cry for more Surrender to my Lord And tonight and the rest of my life I want to live for You Still I cry for You … Continued →

Haven was a heavy metal/power metal band from New Jersey active in the late 80s and early 90s. The band released two stellar full-length albums for R.E.X. and a third independent release that moved away from heavy metal into hard rock and alternative territory. Fans were often divided on Haven, particularly over the vocals. They were kind of a love ’em or hate ’em thing. Personally, I really enjoyed the unique style. There were enough similarities to Geoff Tate (Queensryche), Mike Lee (Barren Cross), or Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) to draw comparisons, and yet there was a roughness to the high-pitched vocals that made them stand out.… Continued →

So this band reminds me of Memphis May Fire. Yeah, I saw them around, but never listened as they never landed on anything Christian related that I saw. Until maybe 10 years ago for both bands. Thrice is very well known obviously so I started to listen to their back discogs. They got some great stuff & this is my face from them, but please check out their other stuff. And yes, their songs are in the mainstream. Also, Check out their vocalists Dustin’s solo stuff   … Continued →

Pop punk Philmore were a band that released some fun songs back in the early 2000s era. Most would remember Our Finest Hour, but my friend loves Fishy. The members currently work in a few different fields. One is a fireman, one realtor & one photographer. Enjoy my fave!     … Continued →

Merry Christmas, Friends! I’m going to type up some thoughts on bands that should most definitely reunite in 2023 to 1) Play an anniversary set, 2) Re-Release a classic album on either vinyl, tape, or cd with bonus features (and band commentary) and 3) Throw some new and/or unreleased tracks at us that we most definitely need to hear. Thoughts and ideas can be found below…. Oh, and Tim Taber if you’re reading this, I hope you’ll consider the words below and incorporate them into future plans with Transparent Productions here in Orange County and Southern California in general.… Continued →

This 4 piece Canadian band released a demo & 1 LP. They sound pretty tight to me & I’ve heard thousands of bands. The Chrisman tape underground has a little info on them if you want to check that site out. Anyways, enjoy from 1993.   … Continued →

Honestly I think this is a song that only Half-Handed Cloud could write. Aside from the ever-present pop bliss is a song about a baby trying to reach shiny Christmas ornaments that are out of reach, and yet so desirable. But Ringhofer makes a point that only he could make, about humanity’s incessant need to grasp for shining things that are always slightly out of reach and that we really don’t need after all. Merry Christmas IVM friends–may you find the true joy of Christmas this year–the baby in the manger!… Continued →

All In released 2 LPs on & then fell away into obscurity from what I gather. Their 2nd cd was very different in that every song is titled after someone in basketball’s Olympic dream team. They are hardcore & appears to have had 5 members. Anyways, love this song.… Continued →

The WWMT has so many good dance songs. They changed their name to The Tribe & influenced so many Christian EDM artists. Beth is actually worship artist Matt Redman’s wife. My fave member of the band is Andy “Heavyfoot” Hawthorne. His voice is very unique. Also check out the other projects LZ7, & thebandwithnoname.   … Continued →

NT was a band from Cali who released 3 LPs of energetic pop punk tunes circa the late 90s. Appears the bass player went on & played w/ Eager Seas & Lakes that I’ve seen around. Their drummer was also in Upperhand. This jam is my fave.   … Continued →