Tag: song of the day

The Lead was an early hardcore punk band, forming in South Florida in the mid-80s. As best as we can tell, they formed in 1984 in Miami, making them the very first Christian hardcore band. An early version of the band that eventually became The Crucified also formed in 1984, but with some significant member changes and a name change (they started as K.G.B.), giving The Lead the slight edge for being the earliest. It wasn’t just their early beginnings that set them apart. It was also their originality.… Continued →

Dutch black metallers Duister Maanlicht have been active since 2000, but not always as a faith-forward entity. The project started as a secular black metal project, until lone member Heidendoder found faith in Christ and pursued a different direction. The band name in their native tongue means “dark moonlight.” The band plays traditional/raw/primitive black metal with a distinctly European feel, and yet there is sometimes a hardcore punk influence as well. While that may seem strange, it isn’t as uncommon as you might think. Even secular mainstays Darkthrone have dabbled in the influence, particularly in their later years.… Continued →

In the early 90s, there was this amazing independent record label called Blonde Vinyl Records. They were putting out all sorts of alternative music from punk to alternative folk to goth rock and even industrial. In 1992, they put out this amazing electronic music compilation called SLAVA Compilation: Voice of the People. While it was compiled of all electronic music, the styles ranged from harsh EBM to industrial dance to synth pop and techno. It also featured a mix of unsigned artists as well as a few artists with albums out through Blonde Vinyl or other labels.… Continued →

Silage was an alternative rock band from Grass Valley, CA. Their debut album, Watusi featured an upbeat blend of power pop, pop-punk and even ska. The band focused on silly, fun lyrics that were rooted in Christian faith but proved that they never took themselves too seriously. The album was filled with songs about the temptations of road rage (“My Car Makes Me Sin”), our culture’s obsession with celebrities (“Drop Some Names”), and relatedly–our own tendencies to want to fit in, as the title track “Watusi” suggests: And I go on and live my life and Hide away From you and you or me Or whoever wants to believe What I am singing and No I don’t wanna be this way Or see this way Or believe in my intention to be cool While some critics might argue there wasn’t much substance behind the band, in a very literal sense, the joke is on them.… Continued →

Indie Vision Music to release Vol. 5 in the "Fighting From The Ground Up" series on October 23rd 2026. This digital compilation will be available through all digital networks as well as on Bandcamp. Featuring a varied cast of talent and characters sure to bring a smile to any face with plenty of finger points to the stage, solo room moshing, and unforgettable bed stage diving. Expect new and recent music from Brave Days, Protect Your Heart, Light The Way, Pipe Bomb, Too Bad Eugene, Splitcast, Chase Tremaine, Gametime, Sower, Nobody's Uncle, Dire, Feeble Attempt, bloke., Sam's The Hero, Humble Kings, The Caballerials, Cold Streets, XIII Minutes, and so many more plus a special unreleased Slow Coming Day song. Will you join with us? Let's make this the biggest FREE IVM Compilation release ever! Send a song link, YouTube link, etc to: compilation @ indievisionmusic.com All our band friends, if you are reading this and you have a new song to contribute, send us an email!

Krautrock was a distinctly German form of underground, progressive and/or experimental rock, first appearing in the late 60s and coming into full fruition in the 70s. But where American progressive rock incorporated influences from jazz and classical, krautrock took things in a completely different direction. Concepts like melody, rhythm, time signatures–all of these were relative in the genre. Many of the artists experimented with synthetic and electronic sounds, and as such krautrock was a huge influence on later genres like electronica, industrial, and noise rock. Some of the more well-known names in the genre include Kraftwerk (who later became known as an early electronica act), Tangerine Dream (who ventured into new age music), Neu!,… Continued →

So maybe you’ve been wondering . . . “Hey Loyd, what’s your favorite hardcore song of all time?” Yes, yes, I know. Many of you have been wondering, even asking me this for years. I get emails almost every day asking me to reveal the winner. All kidding aside, I’ve been wanting to unleash this beast on our followers for a long time. When I first entertained the idea of featuring this track, it wasn’t available on YouTube. But good news for us, a few years ago Jason Parker (who played in the band, as well as Outnumbered, Sandalwood, and a few others) treated us by uploading the compilation for streaming.… Continued →

It’s been a trying week. England lost in the semifinal of the World Cup. I recently found out that some bands in a scene that I deeply love are fascist and antisemitic. Later I watched another guy (from a band I’ve seen live) “preach” the most hateful and disturbing “sermon” I’ve ever heard. And you know what? As much as it sickens me, I can’t hate any of them for it. I feel sorry for them, for not really knowing the true love of the Lord–Jesus of Nazareth.… Continued →

This Denver, Colorado band were a fun skate punk band from the late 90s/early 2000s. One  of the members, George Fraska, was born in Liberia, Africa & is/was involved with several bands, including Minor Threat & Operation cover bands. Two songs did the Christian radio circuit including Love Your Enemies & this one that boldly proclaims their stance: “Jesus is my foundation.”   \https://thesmileykids.bandcamp.com/album/skate-and-smile-collection… Continued →

As IVM readers have come to expect over the years, we cover a wide array of styles and genres for the Song of the Day feature. It’s part nostalgia, part new discovery, and part unearthing treasures from the past. I think this is probably the first time we’ve covered a disco artist at IVM, and while there is no obvious (or even indirect) connection to indie rock here, part of the point is to show that faith-based artists have always been involved in contemporary music across the decades, despite what the popular narrative might tell us.… Continued →

Australian band Metanoia (not to be confused with the punk band from Chile) was active from about 1994 to 1999. In that short span of time, they made quite an impact on the Christian metal scene. They played traditional death metal, but as has been pointed out by Scott Waters at nolifetilmetal.com, they also infused melodic and groovy parts from time to time, especially on their earlier material. The band recorded a couple of demos, and was also included on a number of compilations, many of which featured Australian bands exclusively.… Continued →

A new band on the rise by the name of Natural State just dropped their killer new single titled "Losing It" featuring Disciple and it's so dang catchy that I find myself streaming it over and over again. It's a great song and if you've never heard the band before, a perfect introduction. Check out the music video and song, below ​👇🏻

Philadelphia band Black Cherry Soda had all the elements of a 90s punk band: short-fast songs, references to skating and Jesus, a touch of hardcore, and loads of melody, all filtered through a distinctly 90s slacker sensibility. After a handful of independent demos, the band released a split 7″ with Portland punks Crux on Boot to Head Records. Shortly after, the band signed to Swirle Records (distributed through VIA) for their full-length debut, the aptly-titled Grin. After 3 years of relative silence, they returned for Back on the Map, this time for Bulletproof Records (a division of Gray Dot).… Continued →

I’ve written here on IVM (and elsewhere) about the so-called ‘holy trinity’ of jangle pop (I mean the term playfully, no disrespect intended), which includes three Christian bands that all start with the definite article: The Walk, The Swoon, and of course The Throes. Each of these bands offered something unique and worthwhile to the genre, but The Throes had the most longevity. The band formed in northern Virginia/DC suburbs in the late 80s, and by 1989 had issued a critically acclaimed, if sparsely available, demo cassette Era of Condolence.… Continued →

This band stayed criminally obscure, despite having a fairly original sound and releasing two albums in the early 2000s. Unfisted came to us from north-central Florida, near Ocala, and played a form of post-hardcore that had ties to both groove metal and nu metal. I remember hearing them at the time (having come into contact with them through my distro during the era), and finding them really hard to peg. They had elements of hardcore, indie rock, and metal, but the song structures and tempos were different than most of what I was hearing from those genres.… Continued →

This band signifies much of what was great about the mid-00s emo movement. The Last Broadcast’s sound drew from influences as diverse as punk, post-hardcore, lo-fi indie rock, and even baroque pop. I know very little about this band, unfortunately, but here’s what we do know. They released an independent CD (burned by the band members themselves) in 2003, consisting of 7 tracks. Then they released a 4-song EP entitled Matthew, through Lansing, Michigan-based Selah Records, who also put out releases from Anathallo, Bloodlined Calligraphy, and Anah Aevia.… Continued →

M.C. GeGee (born Gina Rodriguez, now Lopez) was a Christian rapper from Dallas, Texas, who began her career in 1990, potentially making her the first female Christian rapper. She began rapping shortly after her brother, famed holy hip-hop pioneer, D-Boy was killed. While the details of D-Boy’s (Danny) death are still somewhat mysterious, it is postulated that he was either killed deliberately by the gang members he was trying to reach, or at least that he was caught in the crossfire. As best as we can tell, he was gunned down by gang members who didn’t like that he was leading kids out of the drug-influenced lifestyle.… Continued →

Cryptic Embrace is a somewhat mysterious black metal band from England. Very little is known about them, and I’m not sure if they’re still making music or not. Their history goes back at least to 2013, when they released the album Passion of the Christ and the EP Risen from the Crypt, both issued by the German label No Sleep till Megiddo. What I really like about this band is how they mix the early/raw sounds of traditional black metal (like early Mayhem or Horde) with some experimental sounds borrowing from ambient and dungeon synth.… Continued →

This brilliant alternative rock band formed in Santa Barbara, California in the 1990s. They released one full-length album Way Before the Flood and a follow-up EP 5 Years, 50,000 Miles Davis, before changing the band name to Model Engine and releasing one more album, The Lean Year’s Tradition. All three releases came out through 5 Minute Walk and/or SaraBellum Records (the latter an imprint of 5MW). The band’s sound was unique. They played an earthy, rootsy form of alternative rock but also had some progressive tendencies–more so later on as they morphed into Model Engine.… Continued →

Pensive was a short-lived but brilliant and unique emocore band from West Virginia, active in the second half of the 1990s. The band ended when half of the members wound up in Zao. Shortly thereafter the remaining members joined Brett Detar in The Juliana Theory. These are some serious credentials for a band that has remained fairly unknown/obscure. The music might have had similarities to the members’ other projects, but it was distinct as well. It was an unusual mix of clean guitars and clean singing interspersed with distorted guitars and raspy screams.… Continued →

Hot take: Crashdog was the most punk band the Christian scene ever produced. In fact, there are only a handful that would rival them for the title. But when we factor in a number of elements: sound, lyrical focus, longevity and impact, they come out as the clear winner. There are at least two different iterations of the band. The first one featured Spike Nard (actually Tim Davis) on vocals, Andrew Mandell on guitar, Brian Grover on bass, and Greg Jacques on drums. This version recorded the band’s first two albums Humane Society and The Pursuit of Happiness, until Greg Murphy took over on drums for Mud Angels.… Continued →

I’ve made a somewhat comical observation that in independent Christian music, it’s the metal bands who give us the best material for Easter. I guess it’s something about our Savior dying a cruel death, then rising again victoriously to win our salvation–that message just goes better with loud, aggressive music. Believer was quite possibly the best and most original thrash band to come out of the Christian scene, forming in Pennsylvania in the late 1980s. They released a cassette demo in 1987 and contributed a track for the legendary East Coast Metal compilation the following year.… Continued →

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. -Isaiah 53:5

When you read about, or hear talk of “Spirit-filled hardcore,” this is what they’re talking about. Where were you when you first heard Strongarm? Do you remember? For me, I think it was on the first Helpless Amongst Friends compilation. I was blown away by so much on that comp. The raw aggression. The lyrical strength and (what seemed like) commitment to the Lord. There was a passion behind the music and the lyrics that deeply resonated with me as a young 20-something in the 1990s.… Continued →

The name Saviour Machine evokes a wide variety of reactions: love, confusion, controversy, and about a dozen others. My friend George reveres them as his favorite band of all time. Others find them dense and difficult. Still others enjoy the dark mysterious sounds as well as the lyrical approach. The band formed in California in 1989, and soon after issued a demo CD of gothic metal replete with classic metal riffs and dramatic vocals. Their label debut released in 1993 for Intense Records and still featured an even combination of gothic rock and heavy metal.… Continued →

Grace Graber has been rolling out a very solid amount of worship/ccm covers in her unique pop-punk stylings over the past few months. Today we get her cover of “Oceans” which a few years ago was literally EVERYWHERE but now Grace Graber has unleashed this now dated worship jingle from the depths of the sea and given it a pop-punk feel. The awesome new cover is available now wherever you find your music or by listening below.… Continued →

Protect Your Heart are on a literal roll with fantastic new material already this year! We’ve gotten “Losing My Mind” and “Run” so far in 2026 and now today they drop “Kings Rd”, an absolute fantastic, road tripping, an endearing so cal adoring new single. This perfect tribute to their beginnings and all that sums up their hometown appeal in the form of an easycore springtime anthem. Check out the music video for “Kings Rd” right here on IVM, below.… Continued →

Static Ultra have just returned after a short break to drop their comeback indie jam “Tie The Rope” which has that old school emo/pop-punk flavor blended with some post-hardcore sensibilities. This is the perfect song for spring time and the coming heat (for those of us on the West Coast, we’re feeling the HEAT right now!). Put on those headphones and jam this at full volume, you won’t be sorry you did! Check out “Tie The Rope” right here below.… Continued →

Third wave ska hit the Christian scene hard in the mid- to late-90s. There were dozens of bands in the chrindie scene fusing punk, ska, reggae, and alternative rock in different measures. San Jose’s Freeto Boat was one of such bands, but their brand leaned heavily on the punk side of ska-punk. It was almost like punk with horns at times, especially on their debut album Hindsight 20/20. By the time the sophomore album End of the Beginning hit, they pretty much dropped the ska influence altogether, opting for a primitive hardcore punk sound.… Continued →

Scott Blackwell was a well-connected producer and DJ who brought house music to CCM, and played a huge role in the advent of Christian-themed electronic dance music. He founded N*Soul Records and later Myx Records, both of which saw releases in subgenres like house, techno, rave, breaks, and more. Besides his important roles in the Christian music industry, he’s also worked with mainstream artists as diverse as Joe Diffie (country), Debbie Gibson (pop/top 40), Book of Love (synth-pop), The Gap Band (funk). Blackwell has more than 150 credits to his name in production, remixes, songwriting, and so forth.… Continued →