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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 →

Emotional, ambient, heavy, screamo act out of Detroit, MI. Featuring members of Kept on Hold.

Free show tonight 12/16/2022 in Canton, MI at The Barn! American Arson, Kept on Hold, Camino Kid, Ryley Kilby, and Rosemont!

This brilliant synth-pop band hailed from Sweden. They released one fantastic album in 1989, that hit the States the next year, then disappeared until 1994 when they re-surfaced–though just barely–with a Swedish-language album, that didn’t make much of an impact outside of their homeland. Their debut, the nearly-eponymous W.O.W., was beautiful, but sadly never got the attention it deserved. Recorded primarily in the synth-pop style, it also had hints of Europop and new wave. In short, it was too alternative to be mainstream pop or CCM, and too poppy to appeal to fans of alternative rock.… Continued →

So this has gotta be the heaviest song Andrew & co. has ever released. It is the first single for their last project (no pun intended!) entitled Omni that will be released in early 2023. I’ve seen them almost as many times as Norma Jean live & they are great in ever way with their musical finesse. I helped crowdfund their live album & have a unreleased pressing from it. Their eponymous album was the first cd I purchased when I joined the military at an army PX!… Continued →

This Arkansas band was a fave of mine when their The Scenario We Know So Well EP released. Prior songs from their Moments to Monuments were on my radar but this EP blew me away. They reeased a S/T LP that tbh I didn’t really care for which is I am guessing they went from the emoish modern rock sound to a rock n roll band.  Anyways hope y’all like it & here are some lyrics. I was lost at sea And your gentle touch rescued me You said you would stay but I was walking away I heard your voice say come to me It’s Our Time I feel so free tonight    … Continued →

This blues band has been one of my musical faves for years. I finally got to see them live & took my mom!  Check out their whole discography as they have released a lot over the years. This review will also run on a day when I will be travelling to my new job in another state so seems like a fitting title!   … Continued →

This 3 piece grunge band made one album & fell into obscurity from what I can tell. Their label is none other than Grrr which houses a lot of the Jesus People U.S.A artists. Check em out if you like the garage grunge that seemed to rule the early 90s. … Continued →

Embraced was a short-lived hardcore band from Florida, active in the early 2000s. I was able to catch the band live a couple of times at local gigs and mini-festivals, and enjoyed their shows. I always liked their semi-melodic take on hardcore (I mean, they were from Florida, after all!) They were clearly playing HC, but with hints of emo and indie rock at times. Perhaps in a similar vein to Bloodshed, Beloved, and Underoath, but with their own take on it. The band only released one mini-album, the 7-song An Orchestrated Failure, in 2002 for Theory 8 Records (who also an album by The Goodbye Letter and an early split with Copeland and Pacifico, among others).… Continued →

Mark Robertson has done a lot musically. This project is industrial w/ the 2 albums having a concept story, but he was also a part of the Ragamuffins w/ Rich Mullins & fronted This Train. He also played bass for the Legendary Shack Shakers. These 2 UM albums were faves of mine in high school.  Check out the rest of his discography-you won’t be disappointed. … Continued →

This SOTD is unfortunately a memorial to the vocalist from this band. He was sadly killed by a drunk driver. This song Reborn was featured on some Christian radio stations back in the day. The band’s name came from a lake in their hometown. If you want to know more about them, follow the following link. https://archive.org/details/HAMMERTOWN   … Continued →

I apologize in advance, but here is a very obscure band that I found through an old Christian online radio station playlist. Wish I had more, but from what I gather their only other song was called For What’s It’s Worth. This song is pretty catchy imho. Maybe someone someday reading this will know more about them than I do. I don’t even know if their name is spelled right.   … Continued →

Last week I shared my top 20 rock EPs of 2022 with you. This week I’m back with my top 10 pop EPs of 2022. 10. Margot Osborne – Motion This EP is short and maybe not the most original sounding but it’s very well done. “Motions” and “Technicolor (Open Up Your Eyes) are both earworms that have been stuck in my head for months now. 9. Olivia Grasso – Risk Risk delivers on it’s name with a somewhat quirky pop EP. It’s got a great lead single in “Sidelines”, a strong closer in “Disjunct”, and even some thoughtful commentary on “Late Night TV”.… Continued →

I’ve never been a huge fan of pop-punk–just dabbled here and there–but darn it all if this isn’t a catchy tune! I popped this into the car CD player earlier this week, having not listened to it in years, and that opening tune was so ridiculously familiar! I think I must have heard it on a compilation somewhere too for me to remember it so well. Anyway, Olivia the Band was originally from Hawaii, but eventually relocated to San Diego. They released their self-titled debut in 2005 on Essential Records.… Continued →

Who likes Black Chery Soda? 2 choices-Pop punk band or the drink. Band is from PA & lasted almost the whole 90s time period. They had a few songs that hit “Christian” radio & I’ve always liked this one the best. … Continued →

This band formed from the ashes of early emo band Dear Ephesus. The musical aspects dive into more modern rock. Appears they reformed under Tenderfoot to fulfill their contract with their record label & to reach a more versatile market outside the “Christian” industry. Anyways, also check out #1 & Low Road to Heaven also.   … Continued →

A few weeks ago I appeared on the JFH Podcast to talk about my favorite EPs of 2022. In the process of preparing for the episode I listened to a lot of EPs and figured I might as well make the most of it and make it into a list. Rather than a single massive list though I decided to break it down by genre. So here’s part one of my favorite EPs of 2022: 20 rock EPs ranked. 20. November Sky – Out of the Black I am really glad to see the members of Scarlett White moving forward with a new project.… Continued →

This band formed from a church worship band. They were one of the first modern rock worship bands I think. They had a tight modern rock sound & had songs on Christian edgier radio stations including Ride, Undiscovered. They have since changed their name to The Listening. Gabe Wilson has worked with many musical endeavors over the years also. These lyrics are awesome! I remember the day When the love of God landed in our town He took all the silent and broken hearts And fixed them up and gave them a sound He had almost every different kind of kid From every different kind of social background Taking all the cool they had and praising God As He spun them around, it’s when God came to town And the people in our churches, they were constantly amazed At the kids kneeling at the altar with their different fashion flavors You had squares and preps and skater punks, Goths and techno-ravers And the tattooed kids with the colored hair And they were all getting saved You think the sixties had good vibrations?… Continued →

Rap music in the early 90s was making huge breakthroughs into both mainstream pop music and Gospel music, all the while splintering into dozens of subgenres: gangsta rap, new jack swing, Miami bass, among the most prominent. Tulsa locals D.O.C., AKA Disciples of Christ were fluent in the Philadelphia-based new jack swing sound, a combination of hip-hop, urban contemporary pop, and R&B/soul sounds. Alton Hood and Kevin Harvey met in college before they knew the Lord. Having dabbled in the party lifestyle, and even in the occult, they turned their lives over to Christ through a miraculous intervention of God.… Continued →

xNo Kingx are a new Christ centered, scripture based, beatdown, straight edge, hardcore band out of Nashville, Tennessee. FFO: Cultist, Prayer, and heavy beatdown hardcore. No king but Christ!

Ripped Up are a new up and coming Christian punk band out of Fort Worth, Texas. FFO: Anti-World System, The MOPIC, and Luther's Hammer

Who besides me think covers can be awesome? Well MF did a great cover of ‘Til Tuesday’s classic song. Sydney has a unique voice & it does carry throughout this song. I listened to their Hang out EP for hours as a kid. I loved the shoegazing aspects of fuzz from MF & Starflyer. Tooth & Nail were putting out very different music sounds from the rest of the “Christian” market back then & I was fully on board. Before joining the military I had dreams of going to work for the label.… Continued →

Forever Moon was a modern rock band that released an EP & full length before disbanding from what I gather. I bought the EP, but now it runs for around $100 from what I’ve seen. They were reminiscent of the early 2000s  era that “Christian” rock  stations played on edgier stations with rock shows. Win You Over was their other main song.   … Continued →

Saw this band with Slick Shoes many years ago. Hung outside the place w/ the guitarist & drummer from what I remember. Hope you remember & like them as much as I have over the years.     … Continued →

The Awful Truth–the best band that (almost) never was! In the late 80s I was huge into King’s X and what would soon become known as the “Houston sound.” It was part progressive metal, part groove, part rock, and lots of harmonies thrown in. I’d started hearing about this new band (at the time) called The Awful Truth, who had recorded their debut album for mainstream Metal Blade Records, and sadly broke up before it even came out. In fact, by the time the album was released, two thirds of The Awful Truth had formed a new band with two other members, the now-legendary Galactic Cowboys, increasing that groovy-metallic Houston Sound to yet another band.… Continued →