Articles

Soulstice is a very obscure band that released one S/T LP in 2003 on Faithrunner Records. That’s about as much as I know about the band. They seem to be a blues tinged hard rock band. Finally was able to obtain a copy via Ebay after looking for many years. I saw them pop up on 2 online Christian indie rock radio shows back in the day playing the song Away & this rocking SOTD. … Continued →

Dakoda Motor Company was an awesome surf modern rock band that brought surf music to the 90s Christian rock scene imho. Guitarist Peter King even had a brief stint on MTV with its show Sandblast. The band had toured with several artists including Petra which I always thought was a weird matchup. This SOTD has always been my fave, but also check out Sondancer, Trip To Pain, All Good Generals & Railroad. I also included a live video of them performing Sondancer just because it’s cool to reminisce & wonder if they will come out with new music as they seem to be still playing shows.… Continued →

Undercover went through a ton of style changes during their extensive tenure as a band. Labeled as new wave, punk, rock & even gothic, the band had its humble beginnings as a 2nd generation Jesus music band (which I briefly mentioned in another SOTD review) associated with Calvary Chapel in the early 80s. Bandmates included a wide variety of musicians including Ojo Taylor, Ric Alba, Chuck Cummings whom all 3 would go on to other projects. I remember picking up the gothic tinged Balance Of Power at my local library back in the day & was amazed at what I heard.… Continued →

So I saw a video recently on an Christian punk rawk Facebook group of Crashdog on Jerry Springer where they sang their The Pursuit Of Happiness song & vocalist Spike Nard had to defend it to some church looking guy whom was talking smack about Spike being a Christian & playing that genre of music. This totally made me want to do a SOTD on them so check it out sometime as is great if you can find it. Gotta love the bagpipes in this song which is why I specifically chose this one.… Continued →

Brazilian Doomsday Hymn remind me of Sepultara or Soulfly for some reason with their 2015 Rottweiler Records release. This post is in anticipation of an upcoming possible new release as they teased 3 newer songs back in 2018/2019 respectively. Today’s SOTD & album name is a play on MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN from the book Of Daniel when the handwriting on the wall doomed Belshazzar’s kingdom that was about to be conquered by the Medes & Persians which also eludes to the band’s name. … Continued →

The amazing thing about “Martha” from Bloodshed’s 1995 self-titled EP isn’t just how complex it is. Yes, it hits that sweet spot, distinctive of top-notch emo-core where the perfect balance of harsh and soft, noisy and melodic come together. It’s also not how mature the lyrics are. They’re inspired by a poem written by a young girl (the song’s namesake) during World War 2. It’s also not how proficient on the instruments the members were. The track features complex, angular riffing that wasn’t all that common in mid-90s hardcore, a mixture of clean singing and hardcore screaming.… Continued →

So this post marks my 100th for the site! Today’s SOTD features the newer band Lightworker from California & is great metalcore ballad that falls in the lines of TDWP: Louder Than Thunder, Underoath: Too Bright To See Too Loud to Hear & Fit For A king Skin & Bones. The song features the regular vocalist & also Laura McElroy who also sings for Comrades (a band that I’ve seen live). What if I faded away with no trace left behind? You’d only hear fading words to let you know I’m fine There’s no expectations, I’ll let go It’s all said and done with nothing left to show There’s nothing left to show Now this is all I have to give of myself With my hopes wearing thin Now this is all I have left in pieces But just enough to begin again Here I find myself retracing the steps of what could have been And I find myself reflecting on the moments I failed in I’m only unwanted, disconnected, bruised and jaded I’m only spare parts but this heart will revive and beat again Now that you’ve faded away there’s no trace left behind What’s left of these memories are frozen still in time … Continued →

Today’s SOTD was one of my top 10 songs of all time growing up. I have this song hundreds of times & it has never gotten old. The lyrics deal with YHWH being there for us & is patiently waiting for us to come to HIM or return home. Hailing from New Zealand, the band dabbled in roots, funk & modern rock, but Jenny Gullen’s voice set the band apart from any other. I remember actually playing this song in a setlist I was djing in Columbia, SC at an outdoor festival.  … Continued →

Another quirky 90s alternative rock fun band, Hokus Pick (Maneuver) hailed from Canada. The band focused on writing sarcastic silly lyrics that portrayed a deeper message of Christian truths such as revealed in this SOTD – that  Jesus will hold true to His promise that He will return. Now that is an optimistic feeling. I chose this SOTD for a few reasons, with one being to make my son laugh. Listen to the guy yell at the beginning lol!  Also included a live show from them.… Continued →

It’s amazing how one can listen to music for years, decades even, and still find an obscure gem from days gone past that was missed out. Vancouver’s Cannon Heath Down only released one album: 1987’s Heart-Throb Companion (and a cassette demo 2 years later). The self-produced album was only released on LP, and its stellar take on indie pop will appeal to fans of The Ocean Blue, Morrissey, Game Theory, Riverside, The Mighty Lemon Drops, etc. The album fetches top dollar too, as I’ve seen copies listed at triple digits.… Continued →

Prepare The Way hails from Mississippi & appears to have sadly only released one EP. But, this title track is powerful. I guarantee all of us have felt the sting of failure & sin in our lives. To rely on Jesus to get us through turmoil & tragedy is a touch thing to do, but that is where His perfect peace can shine the brightest. Hope you like this SOTD as much as I have the past few years. suffocating ever waiting till the deed is done evil angels all against me so they say they’ve won all these chains around me can you push them to the ground every time I’ve tried every time they’ve pulled me down they’re pulling me down Is there anything left of me Can I find the strength to stand up to my feet Will I ever heal these chains of flesh are real And they’re holding me this burn of pain I feel You’re not Alone Every failure that I’m wishing would just go away All the lies you tell me shallow dreams that wish to stay All these chains are binding freedom fighting for a chance Angels carry me help me find my way to stand Will you help me stand Is there anything left of me Can I find the strength to stand up to my feet Will I ever heal these chains of flesh are real And they’re holding me this burn of pain I feel You’re not alone Now fly away lets fly away To find a life without this pain Just open your eyes and breathe within Let go of these chains don’t love them again … Continued →

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

So I’m going a long ways back for this SOTD. But, the truth is that it brings still holds true today. Pulling from 3 different Bible verses, the lyrics deal with going through life while dealing with different choices that can take us down a dark path. The most relevant is 1 Peter 5:8  “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I really do miss the days when my fave music was directly tied to the Bible & the lyrics sheet had the scripture reference.… Continued →

Galesburg/Monmouth, Illinois is the first place you think of when you think of blackened melodic death metal, isn’t it. But, since 2004, AHTDU has been playing just that. I have seen the band numerous times & even been to a few shows with members of the band in the crowd or playing with other bands, like the southern rock The Comancheros. This is some true headbanging stuff so if you get a chance, check them out live. The band is also cool enough to post videos on YouTube of bass & guitar playthroughs if you’re interested like me.… Continued →

Arizona’s No Laughing Matter were kind of a ‘love ’em or hate ’em’ kind of game. Dark and broody, they didn’t fit in with most CCM at the time. Heck, even the alternative stuff wasn’t quite this dark, for the most part. Scott Roman’s dramatic wail was an acquired taste. The guitars alternated between goth-rock and the occasional nod to funk (see “Helltown”). Of particular interest were the deep bass grooves. They were one of Christian music’s very few, true “post-punk” bands in the proper sense of the term.… Continued →

Headnoise was a band I found while thumbing through one of my friend’s CDs back in the early 2000s. They are most def a true hxc punk rawk band but with a twist, Edie Goodwin’s vocals. She can really belt out this genre of music & has been going since 1994. Think Crashdog, The Distillers, dreads, & mohawks. Life was different back then-Lol! You can find their stuff on Glenn Kaiser’s Grrr records as they were part of the Jesus People USA commune for some time.… Continued →

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

Join us today on Discord and meet a friend, dive into deeper conversations, or find something new to call yourself a fan of. Let’s develop this community we’ve started here on IVM and take it to the next level. Click here to join and find the “Indie Vision Music Community” on Discord.… Continued →

The 90s were a great time for quirky fun Christian rock music. Believable Picnic is closely related to the Beatles-esque PFR aka Pray For Rain as the frontman was the older brother of PFRs frontman. The lyrics for this SOTD elude to the Biblical viewpoint that Christians are not of this world per John 17:14 & 18:36. Sadly, the band only followed up with one more LP. … Continued →

This band is “Anything But Plain” as their debut released in 2003 & was a modern rock band fronted by a female singer who had a distinct way of singing her vocals with Guardian’s Tony Palacios helming the production. Their name comes from the idea that no one is a plain jane in God’s eyes. One can still find their old Myspace & Soundclick pages & other goodies from the band is The Door & Gravity. … Continued →

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 →

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

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 →

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 →

I’ve got a confession to make. I don’t know a lot about electronica. As much as I love genre-fying musical artists and trying to pinpoint them within their style or scene, I just can’t get my heard around the hundreds of subgenres of electronic dance music. I was never one for going to nightclubs (where the genres and all its cognates developed), and the scene is just too huge to know thoroughly without being immersed in it. However, I do know what I like, and occasionally an artist or album comes along that just sounds good.… Continued →

Pulling from the archives, Oregon’s The Clergy had a sound that was a cross between the Go-Gos & old skool punk rawk. With only one album under their belt & songs on several compilations, this seemed to be a one-off in Christian music. One of the band members even went on to start the quirky art rock band Yum Yum Children who found themselves eventually on 5 Minute Walk records. I remember this song on an indie college rock station that played Christian music every once in a while & has stuck with me as memorable over the years.… Continued →

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

With the band name pulling from Matthew 12: 40, 3 Days Under is a hard rock band from Kentucky that is not ashamed of the Gospel. Today’s SOTD is my fave from them, but their song Mended comes in at a close second. They also just released a new single called Bleeding Through on March 21st, 2021. … Continued →

If you turn the Christian indie shaker upside down, not too many psychobilly bands fall out. One of the first and best was The Calicoes, from Texas. They released one fantastic EP called Rumble (the title a contextualized reference to the battle between good and evil), and a full-length named Custom Acceleration. For my money, the EP is the better release song for song. It’s more primitive and raw, which suits the style better in my view. You can’t go wrong with any of those 6 songs, but check out track 5, “Read.”… Continued →