In the Silence of the Mind - Thinking/Over/Thinking - Part 1
The In the Silence of the Mind column starts taking us on a journey into... our minds. Don't miss it.
Articles
October 18, 2013
October 10, 2013
In the Silence of the Mind - Here's How to "Double Honor" Your Pastor this Month
Part two of our look at pastor's appreciation month is here. To conclude this series, we look at how to "double honor" your pastor.
October 3, 2013
In the Silence of the Mind - Here's How to Destroy Your Pastor (w/ Book Excerpt)
In honor of Pastor's Appreciation Month, this edition of "In the Silence of the Mind" examines how you can destroy your pastor, their ministry, and their sanity. Fun times had by all.
September 27, 2013
In the Silence of the Mind: Purity in the Media - Part 3
In the Silence of the Mind: September 27th, 2013
Purity in the Media: Part 3.
Lee Brown: FaceBook l Website l Twitter
“Music is God’s gift to man, the only art of Heaven given to earth, the only art of earth we take to Heaven.”
– Walter Savage Landor
Now, I know my thought for today won’t be a popular one. Anytime a “preacher/teacher” speaks out about questioning our media choices, people feel as though the Spanish Inquisition is happening all over again. For many years Christian leaders have tried to dictate followers’ media choices through coercive means.… Continued →
September 19, 2013
In the Silence of the Mind: Purity in the Media - Part 2
In the Silence of the Mind: September 19th, 2013
Purity in the Media: Part 2.
In part one of In The Silence of the Mind: Purity in the Media I recounted a pivotal moment in my life where my preferred media choices and my devotion to Christ came to a head. Let’s continue our journey together by starting with a great quote from an amazing author.
“Christians aren’t really so different from non-Christians, certainly not on the scale you would expect considering the promises of love, joy, and peace boldly pronounced from thousands of pulpits across the land.… Continued →
September 13, 2013
In the Silence of the Mind: Purity in the Media - Part 1
How does the media effect our purity? Can what you consume, really consume you? Can what you watch and listen to effect your relationship with God?
September 2, 2013
The Problem with Numerical Scores
William Shakespeare once penned a line for one of his most indelible characters to utter; “What’s in a name?” Shakespeare used the rose, which would smell the same if it were called something other than a rose, as an example of how titles can sometimes mislead. Within the journalistic genre in which I put my pen to the test (when I’m not writing books like this that you should read… I know shameless self promotion!) the problem is often not names. Though we could easily re-apply Shakespeare’s words to those times when bands change members/sounds/styles, as they are so prone to do, the problem for those of us who review albums (and those of us who read reviews) is of a different sort.… Continued →
August 30, 2013
IVM Weekly Social Update: August 30th
Just dropping you all a line to let you know that we are on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a group page on LastFM. There is also Google+ but does anyone really use that site (I Don’t). Anyway, check us out on those networks and join in the fun.… Continued →
August 28, 2013
A Message to Our Readers: Please Comment
I have decided to come to your our readers for a little feedback on content here at IndieVisionMusic. If you’ve seen our twitter you may have noticed a tweet from myself about scaling back CCM coverage here. Our focus at IVM has always been on independent Christian artists/musicians/bands/songwriters and that fervor hasn’t changed since day one. However, in the past year or so we have been increasing our coverage of more, how do I say this politely, mainstream Christian music. Now there is nothing wrong with covering a mainstream market but does it really fit the focus of “Indie” Vision Music?… Continued →
August 25, 2013
Staff Blog (Brandon Jones): A Remembrance
I wrote this piece for my Grandfather’s funeral that took place on Friday. In case you didn’t know, my grandfather went into the hospital about 3 weeks ago because of a collapsed lung from a biopsy procedure the week before. They went in to remove the cancerous tumor a few days later and discovered that the cancer had already spread throughout his body. The family decided to let him come home with hospice care and live out his final days. His health deteriorated quite quick and he passed away on August 15th at his home.… Continued →
July 4, 2013
Analyzing Iron Sharpens Iron - "Justice"
A while back I had the opportunity to connect with Iron Sharpens Iron and be one of the first to review their Beware the Wolves EP. For a recap, the band had a moving and powerful testimony that helped to feed even more passion into an album that was dominantly leaning towards power metal.
With their recent release of the song “Justice,” see lyric video below, the band begins to expand their range into the metalcore genre. As Brandon noted, rather than a RIYL that would stray towards Blessed by a Broken Heart, now the band is going head to head with the likes of Phinehas and August Burns Red.… Continued →
June 26, 2013
August Burns Red Week - Day 4
In honor of their new album Rescue and Restore, out everywhere now, IVM has teamed up with Solid State Records to give you August Burns Red Week. Each day this week drummer Matt Greiner will answer one “easy” and one “tough” question about the band, life, music, and more.
What Christmas songs are left for ABR to cover?
We still have yet to cover many great Christmas songs, notably ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.”
20-30 years from now, what do you hope future generations look back on ABR and remember?… Continued →
June 25, 2013
August Burns Red Week - Day 3
August Burns Red Week continues with a question asked in Andrew Schwab's honor.
June 24, 2013
August Burns Red Week - Day 2
In honor of "Rescue and Restore, out in stores today, IVM brings you our exclusive August Burns Red Week.
August Burns Red Week - Day 1
August Burns Red Week kicks off as Matt Greiner shares those who have been most influential in his life.
June 23, 2013
Rethinking "Wait For the Siren"
As a reviewer I admit that I’ve likely given too many “4’s.” A month or two after writing up a review, I’ll look at the score with a little perspective and think “that was really more a 3” (and even an occasional 3 that should have been a 2). Though this is certainly not common, it does happen. However, I have come to pride myself that I save the big one (a perfect 5) for only the best of the best albums around.
To date, I have given two perfect scores.… Continued →
May 13, 2013
The Meaning Behind "Against Such Things"
Josh Booth goes track by track though Take the Name's newest release, "Against Such Things"
March 27, 2013
Staff Blog: Happy 10th, Dismissed
Happy 10 year anniversary to the Dismissed “Taking the Good With the Bad Album”, released in March of 2003 on Indie Vision Music. Not too many people know who this band was but they held a special place in my heart. I once saw them open up for Fall Out Boy to a venue of maybe 100 people max in 2003. It’s funny when you think of where one band went and the direction of the other band. I’ve learned a lot in 10 years but I still look back with fondness on those Dismissed guys and their music.… Continued →
February 18, 2013
Metaphysical Monthday: Martians Matter
Sometimes, as Stephen King said, the most mind-boggling thing is size. Size conquers all. The sheer size of the known universe, for example, crushes the mind when you just consider it.
As I think about the mysteries and wonders in creation, usually my mind turns to the insanely vast reaches of space. Recently, scientists discovered a galaxy that is much, much larger than any galaxy was expected to be capable of. The physical limits on the size of a galaxy that scientists previously held were horribly outdone by this newly discovered galaxy.… Continued →
February 8, 2013
Where Have All the Teachers Gone?
A few weeks ago I was browsing through the used section of my local record store and was thrilled to see a whole bunch of old school Christian “punk” CDs. For $3 or $4 each, I got albums by The Insyderz, Twothirtyeight, Value-Pac, Ill Harmonics, and Pedro the Lion. Listening to each of these compelled me to pull out other records that I’ve had for years: Five Iron Frenzy, The OC Supertones, MxPx, Brave Saint Saturn, and more. Even though this music was once the only stuff I ever listened to, it had been a while since I’ve really dug into it, and one thing shocked me as I started jamming out to them again today.… Continued →
January 28, 2013
Metaphysical Monthday: Month 1
You may have noticed a subtle change in the title of this column. You may have also noticed I haven’t posted a Metaphysical Monday for several weeks. Both of these situations exist because I’m working hard at turning Kafka’s Metamorphosis into a reality. It’s taking longer than it did in the book, but so far, I am successful: my body is slowly turning into a bug. A beetle, actually. Sadly, not a Beatle.
Anywho, the point of all this is that I’m planning to write Metaphysical Monthday once every month.… Continued →
January 16, 2013
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 11 - When I Learn To Sing
When I Learn to Sing
The process of finding a front man for a rap-rock band is no simple task. There are many stringent qualifications that must be met. You need someone who can hype up a crowd, rhyme words at a fifth grade level, look good in parachute pants and a backwards hat… and maybe even sing. Matters became complicated to an even further extent in the case of Christian rap-rock bands circa the year 2000.
In addition to the previous check list of “skillz”, the mythical creature known as the “front man of a Christian rap-rock band” was in this era expected to be one part adolescent rebel and another part pastoral guide and counselor.… Continued →
January 9, 2013
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 10 - Rock the Party
Rock The Party
Around the turn of the century a new genre of music would see a meteoric rise in popularity. Teenage boys were stoked. Music critics were not. This genre would come to be known as “rap-rock”. Rap-rock was exactly what it claimed to be, a mixture of hip-hop and alternative rock or metal, usually played with down-tuned guitars and loads of testosterone fueled angst.
Although pre-internet North Dakota was always a couple of years behind the rest of the world, rap-rock made a fairly timely breakthrough thanks to MTV and massive radio hits by groups like Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park, Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, and 311.… Continued →
January 2, 2013
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 9 - We're A Band
We’re A Band
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I’ve known way too many people who have said, “This is the year! I’m going to do P90X!” Most of them get up at 6:00 AM the next day, struggle through the first routine, go to work and exuberantly tell people “I’m doing P90X! It’s so hard! I’m so awesome!”, go to bed that night tired out but with a sense of accomplishment… and then wake up at 6:00 AM feeling like they got run over by a convoy of 18 wheelers.… Continued →
December 26, 2012
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 8 - Fever (A Defense of The Big Three)
Fever (A Defense of The Big Three)
I need to take a brief pause at this point in my story to address something that I believe to be very important. To my knowledge it is something that has never been properly articulated publicly by any music critic from within the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) community. I will take the heat for my opinions and get straight to the point.
Those from the outside world often form their perception of all Christian music based on the single experience of having accidentally stumbled onto a mainstream CCM station (designed to explicitly cater to “the church”) while scanning the dial in their car.… Continued →
December 19, 2012
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 7 - Let It Begin
Let It Begin
I’ve always been one of those guys who shakes his presents. I’ve also been known to ask clever, probing questions in an attempt to sucker a gift giver into accidentally letting an all important hint slip out about what I might be receiving. To be completely honest, I probably find just as much (if not more) satisfaction in figuring out what a gift is before opening it as I do in the actual gift itself. It’s rare that I don’t have at least some notion of what is hidden beneath the wrapping paper.… Continued →
December 12, 2012
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 6 - Best Kept Secret
Best Kept Secret
It’s hard to keep anything hidden for long in a town with a population of less than 2,000 people. You know who’s at the post office by looking at the cars parked out front. If you are walking down the street and see someone working in their yard, chances are you’ll know each other by name. If a kid gets a speeding ticket (or God forbid a minor) it seems like the lady at the grocery store will somehow manage to find out before their parents do.… Continued →
December 5, 2012
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 5 - Every New Day
EVERY NEW DAY
The life of the average teenage boy is full of overwhelming contradictions. You want to fit in with everyone else, but you want to “be yourself”. You want to be treated like an adult, but you don’t want to take out the garbage or clean your room. You want to attract a girlfriend but you don’t want to use deodorant or change your socks. These are just a few of the complicated issues you have to wade through on a daily basis during those tumultuous teenage years.… Continued →
November 28, 2012
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 4 - All The Way Live
ALL THE WAY LIVE
1999 would prove to be a pivotal year in my young life for many reasons. I had just started the ever-tumultuous 8th grade, I got my first job washing dishes at a local greasy spoon, I finally managed to score my first kiss, and most importantly… I started my first Christian rock band. This may never have come to be though, had not an equally significant event taken place before hand. That significant event was The Supernatural Tour.
I still have the ticket stub from the concert.… Continued →
November 21, 2012
God Gave Rock and Roll to You: Part 3 - Set It Off
SET IT OFF
I’m going to be honest with you. I am not a Calvinist. I like to believe that God’s sovereignty is shown through the fact that humankind gets to make its own choices even though God could pull every string and direct every action. However (get ready for the hyperbole), it is hard for me to look past the idea of divine appointment, née even the possibility of total pre-destination in some extreme instances. Such an instance was about to occur. It wouldn’t seem like much at the time…
I will never forget the day that I received “The Tape”.… Continued →