Articles

This review is in response to a Facebook post I had made a month or so ago on a review I had done on here. The gentleman I had spoke with & I have a lot in common, including our passion for Christian EDM.  Joey Belville & company IMHO brought the fledgling Christian electronic/synthpop rock genre to fruition. Several other artists involved in the genre ie Painted Orange, Code of Ethics, Sheltershed, LZ7, Capital Kings & World Wide Message Tribe, etc… I remember owning Scott Blackwell’s Myx Records release Defend Your Joy back in the mid 90s & I was ecstatic.… Continued →

Welcome to what is probably the most underrated album in Christian alternative music history. The problem is largely that it just wasn’t heard by enough people. This Pennsylvania band comprised one third of the ‘holy trinity’ of Christian jangle pop, rounded out by Virginia’s The Throes and Minnesota’s The Swoon (coincidentally all band names beginning with the definite article). They released their one and only album, not counting their independent demo cassettes, through Talkingtown (also home of metal band Armageddon) and co-released through R.E.X. Indianland is a real slow-burner of an album.… Continued →

Shiloh is my absolutely fave dance/DJ band of all time. Forming under Shilotrance probably in the late 90’s, the Canadian Moreh brothers have an extensive catalog which a good chunk of it can be found on Beatport’s website. Their music can mostly be found as MP3 singles/vinyl, but they ended up releasing 2 physical LPs:  Bleed & Elements which are very worth checking out if you are into this musical genre. I have had the privilege of conversing with Justin over the years through social media & he sent me Shilohtrance’s whole back extremely rare back catalog which had been released on the old mp3.com… Continued →

This is an impromptu review in homage of Carman’s passing. For those who may not know who he is, he was a singer/songwriter/performer whose music was all over contemporary Christian radio in the 80’s & 90’s. He did many ballads, but also dabbled with rock & rap & even kids music. Many of his songs were stories put to music. To get a good overview of his more upbeat stuff from his extensive discography, check out the following songs & today’s SOTD: A Witch’s Invitation, The Champion, God’s Got an Army, Addicted to Jesus w/ DC Talk, Great God, Who’s in the House & Sunday School Rock.… Continued →

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

Does anyone remember the swing revival back in the early 2000s? Bands such as The Deluxtone Rockets, The Dingees & Denver & the Mile High Orchestra were very common on alternative/rock Christian radio stations. Flight 180 was one such band who went by a couple name derivatives including several lineup changes over the years they were in existence. I think this is another genre that Tooth & Nail innovated in the Christian music industry.  I’m pretty sure they took their name from the Final Destination first film.… Continued →

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

This review is in response to a Facebook post that I was following on Christian bands that others may have not heard of. This is one of those rare hard to find any info on the web bands that I bring to the IVM table. They seem to have been a side project of former Deliverance members Jim Calvert & Justin DeTie which makes sense considering the release date & Jimmy P Brown producing. I waited for many years before dishing out the funds to buy the Hybrid release on Hour House Records (which from memory was one that dealt with dance music).… Continued →

Long before Scott Stapp was crooning about going higher and breaking out of his own prison, there was this Creed, a traditional heavy metal band from Germany. The band released only one full-length album through Pias Music in Europe (and Pure Metal in North America), after releasing an obscure EP. The band played an intensely melodic brand of heavy metal without ever crossing into glam. And although a couple of the tracks approached breakneck speeds, they weren’t speed metal either. This style of metal was prominent in continental Europe at the time, but never garnered a major audience in the United States beyond the mid 80s.… Continued →

This review is in response to one of my fave metalcore bands that I just noticed having reached enough popularity to find themselves on Radio & Records Mainstream Rock chart. Other bands who have started in the Christian arena & found their way on the same chart are Underoath, Beartooth, Wolves At The Gate, Love & Death, Chevelle & Skillet to name a few. There are many valid arguments on Christian vs mainstream routes, but my take & honest opinion is that I like the exposure.… Continued →

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

Children of the Consuming Fire appear to have risen from the southern California Vineyard ministry with their record label housing alt-rock bands such as Asight Unseen & The Violet Burning. This SOTD has a live video you can find on Youtube as well, but was hard to catch the music atmosphere. The band did not catch much airplay that I remember, but with the cool bass line and the driving music, I really dig the band & song name. I think the band had a fun time on this track.… Continued →

We are hosting a Spotify playlist series and this week I am combining #3 (Click Here) and #4 (Click Here). The overall goal of these is to increase exposure for some great independent talent and hopefully, get some hefty plays. I think with enough attention we can increase plays while also drawing attention to great independent talent who have something positive to say. These plays will not only help independent bands who own their music but also independent labels who rely on streams and purchases across digital networks (yes, including Indie Vision Music).… Continued →

Choo Choo Pye (a la The Wait) may have a funny sounding band & album name, but their music reminisces this reviewer of greats such as Midnight Oil, The Call, or Cloud Merchants. Composed of 3 members, the band seems to have hailed from California. The early 90s vibes are definitely there & they achieved Christian radio history by having the highest debut entry by an unsigned artist on the most awesome Pure Rock Report Multi-Format chart. They have a music video for their song U.S.… Continued →

I’m really hesitant to do this, but I’m gonna lay it on you. I’ve been a fan of music for well over 40 years. Narrowing down a favorite anything is really difficult. My list of favorite songs probably numbers near 1,000, and that’s just favorites, not all the songs I ‘just like.’ But, most days, if you ask me my favorite song of all time, it’s this one. The Seventy Sevens have had an extremely long career, with roots going as back as the late 70s/early 80s in a Sacramento church-based band called the Scratch Band.… Continued →

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

Cowpunk (punk music w/ acoustic guitars instead of electric) is such a thing & Calibretto 13 did it well if I might say so. Green Day was probably the most popular band that dabbled in the genre, but MxPx & Officer Negative’s side project Zippy Josh & the Ragtag Band also played it in the quasi-Christian arena. Tooth & Nail Records’ Calibretto has some great songs with their most famous being High Five which featured quirky lyrics about being friends even if people do not agree.… Continued →

"Called to be His soldiers. Stand strong as warriors. By His hand we carry on. By His stripes, we are healed."

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

South Africa’s Forfeit Thee Untrue is a metalcore hybrid with clean & unclean vocals that have their own unique sound. I like many South African bands including The Awakening, Neshamah & Tree63, but FTU (as opposed to TFU-Training for Utopia-catch the reference?!) has quickly risen to my top 5 for that country. Originally started as a 2 piece, they have evolved into 3 as 4 others have come & gone. They are currently signed to Rottweiler Records & this review is in hopes that their new album will be released soon  I was going to review the Pantera-esque Halo Crippled (released in October 2019), but looks like one was already done last year.… Continued →

I got this idea from the whole Gamestop / AMC Theaters / Silver concept being run through Wall Street by savvy investors and reddit users. In this case we are hosting a Spotify playlist to increase exposure for some great independent talent. The goal is to get these songs to 100,000 plays. It’s a hefty goal but I think with enough attention we can get it done. These plays will not only help independent bands who own their music but also independent labels who rely on streams and purchases across digital networks (yes, including Indie Vision Music).… Continued →

I am enabling the PayPal donation button here on Indie Vision Music. Since this is a self-run hobby inspired website run in my off hours away from work, the financial burden can sometimes outweigh the positive outcomes of this site. There are costs involved in operating IVM, little things but unfortunately they add up. There are still bills to pay. If there is anything IVM can offer in return, please let me know in the comments and I’ll gladly support the best I can. Even just $5 can go a long way.… Continued →

Silverstar was a 4 man band that released one LP. The electronic influence is surefire & the guy who provided it ended up starting another one-off project titled Gathering Of Souls. The song featured here has a Smashing Pumpkins vibe & has been featured on a Ballistic Test Productions comp & even a HM compilation. I love the lyrical portion where the vocalist sings “I Stand free in Jesus’ name!” at 3:03. It can be pretty hard to find information on many of these older releases so feel free to chime in if you know more about them.… Continued →

The funk-punk and funk-metal scene(s) rose quickly in the early 90s and then disappeared just as quickly. At one point, it was looking to be the next big thing, but as a genre it never dominated alternative rock as it once looked like it would. In fact, aside from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction, few in the general market ever made it big, even though bands like Fishbone and 24-7 Spyz were just as talented. However, the fusion/hybrid genre did help pave the way for other crossover genres to gain steam, particularly third wave ska (with its derivatives ska-punk and ska-core), rap-core, and industrial metal.… Continued →

Blacklight Records Californian Temple of the Times was a 2 man fare that released an EP & several remixes of the song featured here. Anthony Roberts & Bikos have created an industrial EBM laden hybrid which will surely be enjoyed by those into the softer industrial/darkwave genre.  I actually played a track of their EP on my latest Ripper Radio show. Beware, the song is different from my normal spectrum & will appeal to fans of Skinny Puppy, Circle Of Dust, Argyle Park, etc…… Continued →

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

I am stealing this idea from the whole Gamestop / AMC Theaters / Silver concept being run through Wall Street by savvy investors and reddit users. In this case we have created a special Spotify Playlist to increase exposure for some great independent talent. The goal is to get these songs to 100,000 plays to support great bands. It’s a hefty goal but I think with enough attention we can get it done. These plays will not only help independent bands who own their music but also independent labels who rely on streams and purchases across digital networks (yes, including Indie Vision Music).… Continued →

Formed under the name Switch in 1997, Arizona’s Re:zound switched their name after finding another band w/ the same name. Ironically, there is a current pop/synth Christian band also called Switch!  Well, Re:zound is one of those rock bands that turned into primary worship music before most had. Their second LP Re:Worship was released a couple times w/ new tracks added & is actually really good w/ great tracks such as Majesty, Great I Am, & one of my fave worship songs of all time In This Place.… Continued →

It’s always a pleasure to find a new band to listen to and many times I find myself wondering how I’m only now hearing about them, especially when they sound so good.   Windvent is a progressive post-hardcore band from Chihuahua, Mexico. They have a very heavy, yet melodic sound. The guitarwork is incredible and the vocals range from sounding like Mouth of the South to Lifelong, and also feature some really great sounding cleans. Excellent lyrics! The band released a few singles in the past year or two and have a full length release, “Relief” that dropped in 2018.… Continued →

Much like the song Hey Gene by The Choir, this song is an homage to the late Gene Eugene who fronted mainly Adam Again, but also conspired on various other projects. Tragedy Ann’s band members have risen from the ashes of one of my fave 90s bands Sometime Sunday (especially their Stone release) & then went to start a rock ‘n roll worship band literally called The Rock & Roll Worship Circus. This song reminds us to be humble no matter what our profession is and inspire others to look to our Saviour Jesus.… Continued →