Reviews

Artist: Yours for Mine Album: Dear Children Label: Blood & Ink Records Release Date: January 13, 2009 Reviewer: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. We Need You Here 2. Absence Is Elegance 3. My Tomorrow 4. The Angry End 5. Native Tongue 6. What Happened to Us? 7. Bling Crosby 8. Dear Children 9. Call Me Distant 10. The Instrumental Every time I hear that gurgly scream, I picture Jimbo, the tallest of the three school bullies on The Simpsons. With this in mind, seeing him screaming the words into a microphone, it makes listening to Yours for Mine different than other melodic metalcore bands.… Continued →

Artist: The Apprentice Album: The Apprentice Label: Future Destination Records Release Date: August 15, 2008 Reviewer: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. Lessons in Letting Your Guard Down 2. Riverside 3. Disease 4. Gray Day in Louisville 5. Tracks 6. This Road 7. Lullaby 8. In the City 9. Adeline 10. Love Deferred This self-titled album, the forth release from The Apprentice on Future Destination Records, contains many things I expected and many things I didn’t. Most of the songs, such as “Disease,” are built on the mellow coffeeshop singer/songwriter sound that has been the constant foundation from The Apprentice from its beginning.… Continued →

Normally when you see a charging rhino, you wanna get out of the way. In the case of our blue and purple friend on the cover of this album, however, you will want to keep a safe but interested distance. Or at least I will. Fans of Eleventyseven, Cute Is What We Aim For, and Relient K will rush in close and give that rhino a hug, embracing the catchy pop-punk sound of Philmont, but for now it’s something I will admire from afar. Once my favorite genre, I lost interested when Hawk Nelson became the poster-boy, a band that started out without a lot of skill and later on just became boring.… Continued →

While this label’s name might not have made much sense at certain points over the past 20 years of Forefront Records existence, Abandon is the type of band that helps this company truly be at the forefront of today’s music. Long time readers of IVM know that I have a big problem with the majority of CCM out there, calling it boring, generic, behind-the-times, cheesy, too safe, narrowly-focused, etc. I’ve torn apart Building 429, had little to say about the mediocrity of Mainstay and Everyday Sunday, and been disappointed by even the great David Crowder Band, one of the most innovative worship artists of our day.… Continued →

Artist: My Epic Album: I Am Undone Label: Dreamt Music (Facedown Records imprint) Release Date: August 5, 2008 Reviewer: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. Prologue 2. The Oil Press 3. Lest We Die 4. The Lover and the Thief 5. Perelandra 6. You Know We All Love You 7. Our Little Girl 8. Men in Little Houses 9. Communion 10. You Became I 11. – 12. It’s at Times like This I Realize That Survival Is Not Enough. When I first started writing for Indie Vision Music, I loved a lot of crappy bands because they were all I knew.… Continued →

Tracklist: 1. Sweet Love 2. Esther 3. Still Beauty to Be Found 4. How Great Is Your Love 5. Free the Light When I heard I would be reviewing this EP, I was excited. I remembered liking their first album, Lamps, and an acoustic EP is almost always a good time. But then I realized that I hadn’t listened to their debut since I had reviewed it back in March. I had to look at my old files to see that I had given it a 7/10.… Continued →

Artist: Goodnight Caulfield Album: The Masquerade Label: None (released independently) Release Date: January 3, 2009 Review by: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. All You’ve Got 2. C.S. Why 3. The Prowl 4. Blue Room 5. The Departure 6. Goin’ Nowhere Fast 7. You Don’t Love Me Anyone 8. Hearts 9. Far from Fiction 10. Angels in Disguise 11. Without a Sound 12. Sleepwalk It’s been a number of years now since the fall of emo. The music itself still exists under its new name, indie-rock, but the old word has become something to be avoided.… Continued →

Artist: Goodnight Caulfield Album: The Masquerade Reviewer: Tyler Hess This album reminds me of why we’re in the business. As much as I love bands that everyone else and their mama know about that tour around the world and are loved by millions, there is always that local scene (which through the internet isn’t totally local) where indie bands perform in their area as they grow a local fan base and expand. Through sites like this we help bands like Goodnight Caulfield get the word out about their music and get them attention from labels and such (hopefully).… Continued →

Artist: Jars of Clay Album: Closer EP Label: Gray Matters Buy It: eMusic or Amazon MP3 Reviewer: The Headless Horseman 1. Closer 2. Safe to Land 3. Love Song For A Savior (2008) 4. Flood (New Rain) 5. Prisoner of Hope “Thank you so much. You’re ready for the angry rock ‘n roll of Jars of Clay.” – Kevin Max I was lucky enough to see Jars of Clay live this summer. It was a great performance, with highlights like “Work,” “Frail,” “God Will Lift Up Your Head” and “Crazy Times.”… Continued →

Artist: Jerome Madigan Album: Instructions for Deconstruction Reviewer: Tyler Hess A few years ago a funny thing happened: ska died.  I know, I know, some of you loved ska, its okay for you to be wrong, that really isn’t what I’m getting at here.  When ska disappeared from the scene, ska band members still had their instruments and still wanted to make music that people appreciated.  Some went on to other ventures, like how some OC Supertones went onto help form Demon Hunter, Five Iron Frenzy’s end led to Brave Saint Saturn and now apparently the former vocalist for indie ska band Nifty Tom Fifty has gone up to Nor Cal, become a worship pastor and come out with an appetizing worship album.… Continued →

Artist: Fellow Album: Fellow EP Reviewer: Tyler Hess Sometimes what you expect to happen is the very cause of the opposite action to occur.  In related news, I enjoy both making up my very own proverbs and listening to the same CD over and over again until I can actually find something more than the obvious in a band, at least when I have the time and opportunity.  At first glance, Fellow, an alternative rock band out of Visalia, California has incredibly similar vocals to Flyleaf (minus any kind of screaming), but with a different approach. … Continued →

Artist: Blood and Water Album: self-titled Reviewer: Tyler Hess It is always interesting when two seemingly drastically different genres of music are meshed together to form one harmonious piece of art.  It would be like watching a movie that mixes comedy, horror and romance all into one film experience.  Oh wait, they did that in the “Evil Dead Trilogy”.  That was an epic series of films.  I also have completely distracted you from my point.  Blood and Water have famously (not yet, they should be soon though, if I have my way) grafted in their reggae leanings with their pop punk stylings and morphed them into twelve songs of awesome.… Continued →

Artist: See You Soon Album: Don’t Give Up EP Buy It: Smartpunk or Amazon MP3 Review by the Headless Horseman. 1. Lights 2. Run Run Girl 3. Never Be The Same 4. Don’t Give Up 5. Fall In Love 6. Perfect 7. If You Want To There are two kinds of musicians: those who are like Flight of the Conchords, and those who aren’t. Explaining the meaning of this will be difficult, so allow me to illustrate. Rise Against are not like Flight of the Conchords.… Continued →

Artist: The Atlantic Manor Album: On The Wrong Side Of A Saturday Night Label: Do Too Records Reviewer: Tyler Hess Eight. Think about that number. This is the eighth record in eight years for this indie folk country artist that is probably most comparable to Neil Young, yet still hard to define into one simple genre. That is determination and consistency for any band, but especially for one that will probably never have much of an audience. This is definitely one of those things like Mountain Dew, you just have to have a taste for it or you’ll probably hate it.… Continued →

Artist: Backdrop Album: What’s Next? Released: Spring 2008 Reviewer: Tyler Hess Well look at what we have here, another band from Iowa, this time from Iowa City, as Backdrop comes full speed ahead with their alternative rock that they recorded and produced by themselves at home. That is about as indie as you get, so that alone pretty much makes them a good fit around these parts, at least, that is, if they are any good. Taking a simpler approach to music compared to a lot of the bands out there these days that break out with a hundred layers on every song and synthesizers that can get a bit overused, Backdrop’s “What’s Next” is a 3 piece band with catchy hooks matched up with nasally vocals and generally forgettable but workable guitar work and unnoticeable drums.… Continued →

Artist: You The Symphony Album: From Air To Arms Reviewer: Tyler Hess Never have I read so much about one band and understood so little about what they (or their management) are trying to say about themselves as I now have about You The Symphony. Yet, that takes absolutely nothing away from the enjoyable six track piece of rock music that they have provided on their “From Air to Arms” EP. What surprises me the most is their ability to have a cohesive sound on the record, yet I never feel like I’m listening to the same sound twice.… Continued →

Artist: The Almost Album: No Gift To Bring Label: Tooth and Nail Released: 11/24/2008 Reviewer: Tyler Hess I give up. You win, Aaron Gillespie. You can do anything you want to. The Almost, the brainchild of the backbone of the heart-pounding body that is Underoath has brought us yet another project to sink our teeth into, this time a mere appetizer of an acoustic EP displaying a new song, a Christmas song, a hymn and two new versions of old songs. No, this probably isn’t going to display the new direction that the almost will take whenever they come out with another full length later next year.… Continued →

Artist: Here’s My Chance Album: Through The Towns Released: Spring 2008 Reviewer: Tyler Hess Apparently, there is a scene in Iowa. It makes sense, I’ve just never thought about it. Have you? Well, maybe you should, I’m sure they’d appreciate it. I bring this up, in case your deductive powers are low due to thinking way too much about Christmas shopping, Here’s My Chance brings us their pop-punk sound from Des Moines, a town name I’ve always enjoyed saying, because I’m a nerd. Now that I’ve said too much about too little, are you wondering what they are really all about?… Continued →

Artist: Shane & Shane Album: Glory in the Highest: A Christmas Record Label: Inpop Records Release Date: October 14, 2008 Review by: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. O Holy Night 2. O Come O Come Emmanuel 3. Away in a Manger 4. It’s Beginning to Look like Christmas 5. Born to Die 6. Silent Night 7. White Christmas 8. Holiday 9. Glory in the Highest 10. O Come Let Us Adore Him While our site has never been especially big on CCM singer/songwriters, there’s a special leniency that comes every December where people who love all styles of music come together to celebrate winter and/or the birth of Jesus.… Continued →

Artist: Danielson Album: Trying Hartz Label: Secretly Canadian Release Date: November 4, 2008 Review by: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: Disc 1: 1. Now Try 2. Body English 3. Flip Flop Flim Flam 4. Singers Go First 5. Jersey Loverboy 6. Animal In Every Corner (Version) 7. Rubbernecker 8. Sold! To The Nice Rich Man! (Live) 9. Thanx To Noah 10. Rallying The Dominoes 11. The Lord’s Rest (Live) 12. A Meeting With Your Maker 13. Daughters Will Tune You 14. Runnin’ To Brother Disc 2: 1. A No No 2.… Continued →

Artist: Switchfoot Album: The Best Yet Label: Credential Recordings Release Date: November 4, 2008 Review by: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. Dare You to Move 2. Meant to Live 3. Stars 4. Oh! Gravity 5. This Is Home 6. Learning to Breathe 7. Awakening 8. This Is Your Life 9. On Fire 10. Only Hope 11. Dirty Second Hands 12. Love Is the Movement 13. Company Car 14. Lonely Nation 15. The Shadow Proves the Sunshine 16. Concrete Girl 17. Twenty-four 18. Beautiful Letdown Switchfoot is a band that has always stood out among its peers.… Continued →

Artist: Jon Foreman Album: Limbs & Branches Label: Credential Recordings Release Date: October 28, 2008 Review by: Eric Pettersson Tracklist: 1. Your Love Is Strong 2. Behind Your Eyes 3. The Cure for Pain 4. Resurrect Me 5. Southbound Train 6. Broken from the Start 7. The House of God Forever 8. Instead of a Show 9. A Mirror Is Harder to Hold 10. In My Arms 11. Learning How to Die 12. Over the River Taking a break from the crunching guitars and loud sing-a-longs of bestselling modern rock band Switchfoot, vocalist Jon Forman spent the past year recording a series of four EPs, each named after the season in which it was released (starting with Fall and ending with Spring).… Continued →

Artist: The Radiance Effect Album: Wake The Forgotten Reviewer: Tyler Hess With some bands it is just difficult to translate their music from one format to another. Either they are a great studio band that can’t really put on a show to get the kids’ attention or they are a great live band that can’t fit all their raw energy onto some kind of a cohesive recording. The Radiance Effect is a band that boasts of playing 250 shows a year in a manner that helps them to reach out and touch people’s lives.… Continued →

Artist: Awake! Awake! Album: We’ve Been Strangers Reviewer: Tyler Hess Hailing from the incredibly cool name of a town, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this band has brought forth a solid effort of alt-rock along the lines of other indie bands that are known around here such as My Epic and Sleep For Sleepers, with vocals that often go into more of a Number One Gun/Kessler/Esterlyn type sound. To tell you the truth, I had so many bands that I wanted to compare these guys to simply because they refuse to stick to just one sound for the entirety of the album.… Continued →

Artist: The Listening Album: Transmission 1 Label: Indie Release Date: October 28, 2008 Review by: Michael Mayer III Tracklisting:

1. The End
2. When
3. Prayer in the Dark
4. Fight With You

It’s tough for me to review EP’s since I usually never buy them for their lack of substance. However, when one of my favorite bands hasn’t released any new material in close to 4 years I tend to get giddy with excitement and make exceptions… and it was a wise choice. Yeah, it’s only 4 songs, but they combine for a solid 20 minutes of music that I can’t get enough of.… Continued →

Artist: Arkeo Album: Of Clive And Malcolm Reviewer: Tyler Hess Hailing from the mythical state of Hawaii, this progressive alt rock band has come out with a new full length that might push them to the next level. See also: maybe, possibly, could. That is what we in the world of thesauruses call synonyms. I use them as an emphasis. It is usually the little things that help bands go from bad to good, from good to great, from great to amazing. The question that must be answered is what has “Of Clive and Malcolm” done for Arkeo?… Continued →

Artist: The Distance Between Album: Building Bridges Reviewer: Tyler Hess First of all, I am not a big fan of incomplete sentences. Sure, it makes you think, but I have enough on my plate these days that it just isn’t something I need right now. That is strike one. Second, I don’t really need any more mediocre alternative rock in my life. This is one genre where you better do it well or stay home. Where does The Distance Between fit in? Well, essentially… By starting off fast, these Californians start off rocky.… Continued →

Artist: Death is Not Welcome Here Album: Death is Not Welcome Here EP Reviewer: Tyler Hess It isn’t very often that I am introduced to a band with the thoughts “hey check these guys out, they basically just broke up”, so it is with a different attitude that I consider this 5 song EP. Sure, the music is the same either way you hear it, but what follows is going to be different. There is no looking forward to the future of the band, wondering what direction they are going.… Continued →

Artist: Chandelle Album: The Cold That Keeps You Alive EP Label: Green Bean Recordings Buy It: Amazon MP3 Review by the Headless Horseman. 1. The Cold That Keeps You Alive 2. Lions and Lambs 3. In These Bones 4. Our Days are Numbered 5. I Keep the Door Open 6. Throw Your Spark I have a confession to make. I am a dirty sexist rotter. Shun me. I have this thing for girls who sing pop songs. And Chandelle made me fall, very, very hard.… Continued →

Artist: Curbsquirrels Album: We Wish We Knew How To Quit This Reviewer: Tyler Hess A few years ago, there were two relatively unknown bands that came together to produce a split CD called “Composition” on the now defunct “DUG Records” Label. One of them, Last Tuesday, went on to sign with Mono Vs Stereo and record two great albums before calling it quits in early 2007, while the other faded into relative obscurity. That other band was the Curbsquirrels, whom I tried on various occasions to track down over the past couple of years, to no avail.… Continued →