Tag: California

December 16, 2023

December 2, 2023

November 17, 2023

Song of the Day: Cast in Stone - You Can't Hold Me Back

Cast in Stone was a hardcore band from California, who recorded their first cassette demo in 1998. Their early material was that old school meets new school subgenre sometimes called “tough guy hardcore.” It’s no surprise then that some of the members also did stints in Sleeping Giant, xDEATHSTARx, mainstream Bleeding Through, Point of Recognition and hardcore supergroup Dodgin’ Bullets. They recorded an EP for indie Warfare Records in 2000, a 3-way split release with Point of Recognition and Torn in Two for Facedown in 2001, and then a final cassette demo in 2001.… Continued →

October 20, 2023

Song of the Day: L.A. Symphony - Next

One of the larger, more legendary cyphers in Christian hip-hop, L.A. Symphony came to us from where else but Los Angeles. They emerged in the late 90s with a few 12″ singles and a full-length album on member Flynn Adam Atkins’ own independent label Eartube Empire, via which Flynn had also released a full-length solo album earlier. The group’s breakthrough came in the form of 2003’s The End is Now for Gotee Records. I had the privilege of booking/hosting the group for a youth event in Atlanta in the mid-2000s.… Continued →

September 29, 2023

Song of the Day: Steve Scott - Heaven Hears the Heart That Breaks

British-born poet/artist/performer Steve Scott has been involved in or connected with Christian alternative music since 1983, having emerged from Croydon (South London) via the Bowery (New York City) before winding up in Sacramento, CA with the Exit Records scene there (Seventy Sevens, Charlie Peacock, etc.) where his debut album Love in the Western World was produced by Steven Soles (of Alpha Band fame). His solo work was a gleefully artistic take on new wave and/or post-punk with literate lyrics that pointed to his art school upbringing.… Continued →

September 22, 2023

Song of the Day: Dance House Children - Once Upon Your Lips

Our feature today comes from two brothers who started making music in their teens, first as a new wave/post-punk band called Morella’s Forest (no, not that one), and then an immensely quirky synth-pop group called Dance House Children, before parting ways and forming two of the most legendary, creative, and prolific Chrindie groups ever–Joy Electric and Starflyer 59. Yes, we are talking about none other and Ronnie and Jason Martin. In the early 1990s an independent label emerged (technically started much earlier but with very limited distribution) called Blonde Vinyl.… Continued →

September 15, 2023

Song of the Day: Eternal Ryte - The Killer

This band had the glammy looks and the flashy hooks, but their sound was heavier than the stereotypes led us to believe. Riding the line between glam metal and traditional heavy metal/power metal, the band played loud, melodic tunes with lots and lots of riffs. Hailing from Hollywood, California, the band came by their glam tendencies honestly. But listen to the riffs on “The Killer.” You won’t hear anything that heavy from Poison or Def Leppard. The band released a pair of cassette demos in 1988 and their only full-length album World Requiem in 1990 before calling it quits, with drummer Scott Ernest joining the ranks of another famed Christian melodic metal band, Angelica.… Continued →

September 1, 2023

Song of the Day: Jimmy Hotz - Observations of a Larger Reality (R.I.P. Jimmy Hotz)

Independent Christian music lost another legend recently. Jimmy Hotz (inventor/producer/solo artist/band member/producer/engineer/electronic music pioneer/author/multi-instrumentalist–and we’re not even exaggerating) died in June. Hotz first recorded in CCM in the 1970s with the group Dove, and then a handful of other mostly CCM artists before recording his solo album–and many would say his magnum opus–Beyond the Crystal Sea, released in 1980 on Oklahoma City-based Vision Records. Fortunately for fans, Born Twice (a division of Retroactive/Boone’s Overstock) re-issued the album in 2010. Hotz wasn’t content to release one of the greatest Christian rock albums of all time (this claim is verifiable too, repeatedly making appearances in all-time lists from reputable sources like HM, CCM, and various others).… Continued →

July 27, 2023

Minor Rockstar release new digital EP through Thumper Punk Records

California band Minor Rockstar just released a five song Wasted EP today through Thumper Punk Records. The band feature a style of rock-n-roll that blends 90s alternative with a touch of punk rock. Their debut single “Wasted” can be streamed at: https://youtu.be/IToO7F8X5gk The full release can also be streamed or downloaded via the Thumper Punk bandcamp page: https://thumperpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wastedContinued →

June 3, 2023

May 24, 2023

May 15, 2023

May 8, 2023

Song of the Day: (Un)Worthy - Heavy Worship

This metal band has a no holds barred evangelism message & do not waver the Christian label. This tune is like a lyrical theme song to every Christian band’s message. Check out these lyrics & the reason behind the song. What better place than here What better time than now Every tongue will confess And every knee shall Bow We preach a message of love They shake their fists in the air Our light shines in the darkness It’s no wonder they’re scared I can hear them curse His name I feel spit hit my face Religion shoved down their throats They never experienced grace This crowd is our congregation And this stage is our pulpit Others think this is noise We’re praising God with heavy worship Other Christians can’t seem to get it They’ve shut themselves off from the truth They won’t reach out to the least of these But this is what I was called to do Let them feel Your love See Your face Hear Your Word Know Your name Continued →

May 5, 2023

Song of the Day: Dodgin' Bullets - Knife To Your Heart

Since the genre first emerged in the early 1980s, hardcore (originally hardcore punk) has splintered into dozens of sub-sub-subgenres including melodic hardcore, beatdown, old school hardcore, new school/chugga chugga, d-beat, crust punk/crustcore, metalcore, emocore, and so forth. By and large my favorite artists have generally been those who kept closest to the genre’s origins, even if they took those beginnings in new directions. The old slogan (which I’ve often quoted here on this site) “loud, fast rules!” is apropos here. In the late 90s/early 00s a revival of the style emerged, sometimes referred to as “tough guy hardcore.”… Continued →

April 14, 2023

Song of the Day: Tunnel Rats - Trz

The most legendary holy hip-hop cipher of them all? Perhaps. Tunnel Rats’ debut Experience (1996) was truly mind-blowing. It’s one of those rare albums where the line between art and artist was completely blurred, if it even existed in the first place. The lyrics (as well as the passion behind them) reflected absolute love of hip-hop music and culture, and absolute love of God and his Gospel. Very few artists, very few albums or artistic endeavors reach that climax of full integration where neither the message nor the artistic medium was compromised in any way whatsoever.… Continued →

April 8, 2023

April 7, 2023

Song of the Day: Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice

The first time I heard this band, I was completely blown away. The year was 1988. I was about 14 years old, and I had just started getting into Christian metal via bands like Jerusalem, Whitecross, and Barren Cross. Sacred Warrior was probably the heaviest I’d heard at the time. Then one night I was listening to KOKF 91FM out of Oklahoma City, a Christian radio station that had a late night metal show. I heard the most intense, loud, gnarly thing I’d ever heard in my life.… Continued →

April 6, 2023

April 4, 2023

March 27, 2023

March 18, 2023

Song of the Day: Pete Stewart - Spinning

Pete has been in the CCM music industry for years. Most know him from grunge band Grammatrain whose Lonely House LP is one of my fave. He also sang for The Accident Experiment which was a side project of Payable on Death’s Marcos when he temporarily left the band. Pete also worked with Mike Tait’s solo work. This SOTD comes from Pete’s first solo album which garnered several CCM radio airplay. He also served as the engineer/mixer for Mackelmore’s The Heist LP which had the annoying Thrift Store rap song.… Continued →

March 17, 2023

Song of the Day: The Discarded - Religious Lie

I first heard of this LA punk band when I was running distro in the early 2000s. They had an EP out on The Legion (short-lived label that only released 3 titles), which I began stocking, and then they put out another release on the upcoming Clumsy Records (also home to Combat Junkies, The Stivs and a few others). I had the chance to catch them live at Cornerstone 2002, which was a fantastic show! In fact, that year was a great year for punk at the festival, as I also saw Huntingtons, The Remnants, One Bad Pig, World Against World, and Headnoise that year among others.… Continued →

March 10, 2023

Song of the Day: Azitis - Time Has Passed

We’re digging deep into the archives for this one. Azitis was a psychedelic rock band from Sacramento, originally formed as “Help” in 1966, but they had to change the name for legal reasons because of a British band by the same name. The band’s name was taken from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy will be done on earth ‘azitis’ in heaven.” Having come up through the late 60s garage rock scene, by the time they recorded their debut, there was a plethora of original material to choose from.… Continued →

February 22, 2023

February 15, 2023

January 23, 2023

Song of the Day: Christafari - Listening

Welcome to the song that brought me a lifetime love for Christian Reggae. The band has been around since the mid 90s & still releases music almost every year. They have done a few worship albums & even some kid stuff! This is an example of a band that I label in the ministering category of “Christian” music as they are unabashed about the Gospel. From their LastFM site The name is pronounced CHRIST-AH-FAR-EYE, in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, Christafari is the name given to “a group of people who collectively represent Christ.”… Continued →

December 23, 2022

Song of the Day: Half-Handed Cloud - Christmas Baby's Last Straw

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 →

December 17, 2022

December 15, 2022

Project 86 releases Metatropolis

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 →

November 12, 2022