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Here is another deep cut from 90s alt shoegaze female led Morella’s Forest. Maybe someone knows if this one became known by another name? The other is my 2nd fave song song from them following their superb cover of ‘Til Tuesday’s Voices Carry. Enjoy!    … Continued →

Starting off the year with another Afewloosescrews deep cut. This one’s production isn’t all that decent, though, so beware. It does, however, show how far one of my original favorite punk bands had come by the time there were signed by Alarma! Records. Anyways, enjoy!   … Continued →

So I have been listening to gospel hip hop for many years. I remember having this rap group Pullin’ No Punches as a kid. It sported the marvelous collab w/ Bride & the reworking of the God Gave Rock & Roll 2U song. DOC was an abbreviation for Disciples of Christ. There were several 90s hip hop artists that abbreviated their names such as ETW’s End Time Warriors, SFC’s Soldiers for Christ, PID’s Preachas in Disguise, CROW’s Constantly Right Overcomes Wrong, etc… Anyway’s fast forward to 2016 & w/a name change released Welcome to Nimisilla Park.… Continued →

This band from Southern California was one of the first wave of bands who set the foundation for what was known as “Spirit-filled hardcore.” A wave which also included Focused, Strongarm, Six Feet Deep and a handful of others, many of which remained unsigned. The scene was characterized by ‘new school’ or ‘chugga chugga’ or metallic hardcore of the early to mid-90s, combined with lyrics that were bold and unapologetic about faith issues. The first time I heard Unashamed was actually a live show as they were the opening band at the first Tooth and Nail Weekend in 1994, a mini-fest at the Where-House in Bartlesville, OK featuring all Tooth and Nail bands (also on the bill were Focused, Chatterbox, Plankeye, Starflyer 59 and Wish for Eden who sadly had to cancel due to a broken down van).… Continued →

In some ways, it hasn’t been the most exciting year for music. Perhaps I’m getting older, busier, or pickier. Either way, I know I statistically listen to a lot less music as a whole than I did even five years ago. That said, there were an incredible handful of releases this year that I wanted to highlight. This list is in no particular order as they all play to different strengths. Maggie Miles – The Lack Thereof I wanted to start with an album that we haven’t covered but that you’ll nonetheless want to check out.… Continued →

The Bell Jar is comprised of 3 friends, 2 of whom were in the original Showbread line up. You can definitely hear Showbread’s influence on TBJ’s sound. Josh Porter aka Josh Dies is a music genius imho. Check out his Church of Agony project as well & his site. This SOTD is a reminder that hurting people hurt people so try & be kind as Jesus would. https://www.joshuasporter.com/ … Continued →

This band is a supergroup with members of P.O.D, Demon Hunter, Disciple, Attack Attack & Inhale/Exhale. I have seen all bands except for Attack & Beartooth is on my bucket list. This song has been on various Christian/Mainstream music charts for the past 6 months or so. This song is so darn catchy dont’cha think so? & Merry Christmas! … Continued →

Let’s mix it up with some Celtic folk punk music akin to The Crossing or a toned down Ballydowse. They are like Jesus People USA to a degree in that they are a Christian community. I ran into another community like their in Charlotte NC when I lived down there several years ago. Anyways, this pretty song is obviously worship & I love what vocalist Scott Krueger’s view that “our Christian walk is supposed to affect every aspect of our lives. So as artists, we want to have that shape our art.”… Continued →

My favorite Christmas songs tend to be the traditional carols. Sure, I love a good cheesy secular holiday tune every now and then (“Let it Snow” anyone?), but I find the deep theology of the carols to be particularly meaningful, and therefore apropos for the season. Having said that, there are also some wonderful contemporary renderings of the traditional tunes. Viva Voce was an indie rock band, centered on wife-husband duo Anita and Kevin Robinson. Originally from Alabama, they transplanted to Portland, OR somewhere along their musical (and geographical) journey.… Continued →

California’s nu metal band Prone released one 2006 EP. They also have a girl drummer which is different. Check em out & good luck with finding the full EP as I have tried to track it down for years. Also, here is a great site that I use & this link has a bunch of verses that deal with hypocrisy. My fave verse on the subject is 1 Peter 2:16. https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-hypocrisy/ … Continued →

Hope for the Dying is a symphonic metal band which had its roots in metalcore. They formed under the moniker Convicted in 2003 & released 3 EPs/demos until 2007 when they changed their name. Seriously, If you haven’t heard their stuff check em out.  I haven’t heard anything new since their awesome 2016 release Legacy so here’s to hoping they release new music at some point. … Continued →

I’m very excited to introduce you all to Linden Hope. She released her first single today, and we had a great opportunity to discuss the context of the song, the ways we truly live out Christ’s mission of being one family, and all things surrounding her forthcoming record. Check out the song below and read on – this is personally one of my favorite interviews in quite a while! … Continued →

This band released one demo in 2008. Appears they were labeled as spirit filled hardcore & were from Sacremento, Cali. Check this rarity out.  … Continued →

A lot of the music I listened to was in the past, I mean after all, Spotify labeled me a “Time Traveler” this year, lol? However, there was plenty of great music that released in 2023 that of which got the blood pumping and adrenaline rushing, even some songs more on the “chill” side that could cause one to contemplate the deepest complexities of life (and what that next meal will be). The past year wasn’t without challenges, more so personally and because of which I retreated more and more inward yet the music had it’s way of soothing my soul.… Continued →

This band has been around since the 90s, maybe even the late 80s, making brilliant folk/pop/rock/blues/adult alternative/whatever type music. They’re the sort of band that other musicians love to love. The core of the band is husband-wife duo Linford Detweiler on piano and Karin Bergquist on vocals. The rest of the band has been a revolving cast, and in the half-dozen times I’ve seen them live, roughly half of those have featured just the pair. They’ve always danced around the edge of whatever “Christian music” means, always dropping hints about their faith, but simultaneously distancing themselves from the industrial machinations of the Christian music industry.… Continued →

Pop punk Freshmen 15 was an early incarnation of the modern rock Wavorly. Freshmen’s music is very hard to come by, but Wavorly had a pretty good run on Christian rock radio. Check out how much their sound changed.     … Continued →

1. Lacey Sturm – Kenotic Metanoia: This November Lacey Sturm released her first album in nearly 8 years. To say it was worth the wait is an understatement. If it’s going to take 8 years to release a new album, this is the caliber release you want to shoot for. Lacey sounds as good as ever and has dropped an exceptional album here. It easily outshines her previous release, Life Screams, and is, in my opinion, her best work to date, including her material with Flyleaf.… Continued →

Spirit Filled Hardcore was a label put on early Christian metal micro genres. Saved by Grace fell into the metalcore portion. Members also played in Hopesfall & Eighteen Visions, both of whom I’ve seen live. … Continued →

This Christian modern rock band started in Washington state & relocated to Texas. They created 4 LPs & got their start on True Tunes record label. Here is also a live recording of the same SOTD, but also check out the title track to Bigger Than Ourselves & Misfits from their Thread album.   … Continued →

Lightforce was a heavy metal band from Australia, active in the late 1980s. They recorded 3 cassette demos from 1986-87, before getting the attention of US-based Pure Metal Records. The band’s label debut Mystical Thieves was a unique entry in Christian metal. While based in traditional heavy metal, it touched on speed metal and power metal without ever fully crossing into thrash territory. It was heavy, loud, and raw. In 1990 the band recorded a fourth and final demo called Break the Curse, which saw the band going in an even heavier direction, just before changing their name.… Continued →

AKFJ is a post hardcore/metalcore band that hasn’t released much new music since 2014 until now! You might remember them for Oh, Infamous City or II that I saw working their way around “Christian” metal radio shows back in the day. A video was also made for War from their 2014 release New Bodies. Check out this new one & also their prior discography along with their reimagined work. … Continued →

Remember when punk & ska music collided in the 90s? There were all these comps & tons of labels had a punk or ska band or both on their labels. N’ Soul was primarily a dance label & this L.A. band also included a member of Pax217. The demo appears to have been released in ’98 the same year as the N’Soul one. Check it out. … Continued →

Straight from obscurity is a rock band named Strangers in the World who appears to have released one LP called Transformation. I have 4 songs of theirs & I do remember a Myspace account of their backs int he day before that site went caput. Check it out if you like indie modern rock bands.   … Continued →

Blah (fka Childhood) was a punk rawk band from California that released 2 LPs on Rescue & Bulletproof after a couple demos. Bulletproof housed a plethora of great bands back in the 90s.This tune has a rockabilly sound akin to Ruby Joe & appears is drawn from Psalms 145. … Continued →

Kindred is a 4 piece Spirit Filled Post Hardcore band out of Crown Point, Indiana. FFO: Being as an Ocean, Idle Threat., and Household

Poor Old Lu are/were one of the most celebrated alternative rock bands in the Christian scene. They hit at the height of the Christian indie scene in the 1990s, and formed a core unit of alternative rock bands that included The Prayer Chain, Plankeye, Starflyer 59 and a handful of others. Hailing from the Seattle area, the band also had close ties with others in the scene like Pedro the Lion, Damien Jurado, Blenderhead, and even Sunny Day Real Estate (vocalist Jeremy Enigk provided guest vocals on one POL track).… Continued →

So my very first SOTD was from one of my fave bands DighayZoose. D.O.N. aka Degradation of a Nation was comprised of dudes who were also in Prophets on Vacation, DHZ & their later incarnation Hot Pink Turtle. DON is obviously hxc punk/thrash. Check out the webzine Christian tape underground f& Matthew Hunt’s Youtube channel for more hard to find Christian music. … Continued →

Hopesfall heralds from Charlotte, NC where I used to live. This screamo was pretty popular at the time & this tune has been a fave of mine over the years. Their style changed & I think most got into them after the Frailty record released. Check out these lyrics: Love broke me Trials are in vain I press on not knowing what there is to gain In all that I’ve failed I have come to realize Your truth shines through the pain Enjoy. … Continued →

I do these song of the days to hopefully spread the Christian music that I like  & have accumulated out into this big world. Some of this music has almost been buried into obscurity as such as this band Hearken. They are a Texan death metal band. Here’s the Bible passage where the lyrics come from. Isaiah 64:6-7 KJV But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.… Continued →

Brazilian death metallers Krig have been making Christ-centered metal since 2007. The band formed in their native Belo Horizonte in southeastern Brazil, and release their technical and brutal Feed Me independently in 2007. They proceeded to release three more albums across the next 6 years, culminating in some of the strongest Christian metal by any band from any continent, and especially from their home country. Some members have since relocated to Canada, making it difficult to keep creating music as a whole. But members have been involved in other projects as well.… Continued →