Tag: song of the day
May 11, 2021
May 7, 2021
Song of the Day: Veil of Ashes - Without Eyes
Veil of Ashes was a college rock band from Oakland, California, who debuted with the critically-acclaimed album Pain on Graceland Records (an imprint of Frontline) in 1989. While they had started out as a post-punk outfit with goth leanings, most of that influence had faded by the time their debut hit. A second album The Young and the Reckless: The Regression of Veil of Ashes was released on Blonde Vinyl in 1992, but it was actually a retrospective release of earlier demos. That same year the band shortened their name to Veil and released their final studio album (before taking a long hiatus and re-forming in the late 90s) Mr.… Continued →
April 30, 2021
Song of the Day: The Bubblebaby Experience - The Big Blue
I’ve got a confession to make. I don’t know a lot about electronica. As much as I love genre-fying musical artists and trying to pinpoint them within their style or scene, I just can’t get my heard around the hundreds of subgenres of electronic dance music. I was never one for going to nightclubs (where the genres and all its cognates developed), and the scene is just too huge to know thoroughly without being immersed in it.
However, I do know what I like, and occasionally an artist or album comes along that just sounds good.… Continued →
April 27, 2021
April 23, 2021
Song of the Day: The Calicoes - Read
If you turn the Christian indie shaker upside down, not too many psychobilly bands fall out. One of the first and best was The Calicoes, from Texas. They released one fantastic EP called Rumble (the title a contextualized reference to the battle between good and evil), and a full-length named Custom Acceleration. For my money, the EP is the better release song for song. It’s more primitive and raw, which suits the style better in my view.
You can’t go wrong with any of those 6 songs, but check out track 5, “Read.”… Continued →
April 20, 2021
April 9, 2021
Song of the Day: Chasm - Unknown
In the mid- to late-90s when all of the other Christian hardcore bands were doing new school/chugga chugga style hardcore with increasingly metallic influences, Bakersfield’s Chasm were drawing on earlier inspiration. These influences came mostly from the 80s British hardcore punk/d-beat sound (Discharge, Conflict, etc.), although somewhat ironically this track has elements of early black metal in the guitar riffs (a la Venom or Bathory). Nonetheless it’s still filtered through a hardcore punk sound.
The band released one 7″ (Squander, Squander the Bright New Dawn) and one full-length (Gye Nyame, from whence our featured song is taken).… Continued →
April 6, 2021
April 2, 2021
Song of the Day: God - Revelation
Is it a bit pompous to call your band “God”? Maybe. But what’s particularly interesting about this band is we know nothing about them. Band members are completely anonymous. Is it even a band, or a solo project? Where are they from? No idea. Because the project is completely designed to “Challenge you to consider Him as well as your life & death through the power of music,” they figured the best way to do that was anonymously.
And you know what? I can respect that.… Continued →
April 1, 2021
Song of the Day: Five Iron Frenzy - Shut Up
Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube
Lyrics:
Shut up.
Follow: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube… Continued →
March 29, 2021
Song of the Day: A Week Away Film, Awesome God Medley
So our family discovered this cute little Netflix film called “A Week Away”, which conveys a strong, hopeful message, and plenty of sing-a-long moments (think The Greatest Showman meets High School Musical meets Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist). The film takes cues from familiar Christian stories and uplifting films without getting too overly cheesy. Yes, it’s a family sing-a-long film but kids can stay connected to the story regardless of age(s) and find something meaningful to absorb. I found the film not only brings families together but can also be a great teaching tool for sharing Faith with those that are maybe seeking out greater meaning in this chaotic life we share.… Continued →
March 26, 2021
Song of the Day: Disturbulenced - EXpose(d)
While Gospel music to most probably represents tradition and preservation, there is also a strong undercurrent of experimentation and the avant garde. Among faith-filled artists are John Coltrane’s divinely-inspired free jazz, classical composers pushing the envelope of what music should be (Bach, for instance), heck even the first rock and roller (arguably) was essentially a Gospel singer/guitarist who just cranked things up a little louder. I mean, of course, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Add to the list Orlando Greenhill.
Greenhill is probably most known for his upright bass playing in Havalina Rail Co.… Continued →
March 19, 2021
Song of the Day: Beloved - Before There Was You There Was Everything
Wow, what a great band, with such potential! Sadly, Beloved released only one EP (originally for Vindicated from the Deep Water and later re-issued by Solid State) and one full length. That first EP rocked my world. I got to see the band live 2 or 3 times in this era and they were rapidly becoming my favourite emo-core band. They had a truly unique take on the genre fusing melodic indie rock with emotional emo and brutal hardcore, all in one go! It was really refreshing.… Continued →
March 16, 2021
March 12, 2021
Song of the Day: Resurrection Band - Beggar in the Alleyway
Depending on how you define the term, Resurrection Band was arguably the first Christian heavy metal band. While their debut album was released in 1978, their earliest demo recordings date back to as early as 1973. While many fans and critics will argue, “they’re not heavy metal, just hard rock,” this outlook unfortunately judges the past by current standards. Metal has moved on and splintered into a hundred different and more extreme subgenres. However, in the 1970s, their brand of bluesy hard rock would definitely have been considered heavy metal at the time–just as bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Kiss and others were.… Continued →
March 11, 2021
March 5, 2021
Song of the Day: 4•4•1 - Show Me
4•4•1 burst onto the SoCal new wave scene in 1984, releasing their debut album on Royal Commandment Records (soon to be re-named Blue Collar Records). The band formed in 1983 in Los Angeles County, diligently rehearsing in the garage of bassist/keyboardist Glenn Holland’s parents. They recorded a 4-song demo and subsequently sent out copies to area youth pastors. The unconventional move proved successful as they caught the attention of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, a large church that hosted lots of concerts for Christian new wave and early alternative bands.… Continued →
March 3, 2021
Song of the Day: Value Pac - Big Dream
Today’s Song of the Day post (by me, Brandon) is none other than Value Pac, a short lived and mostly “90’s” exclusive, pop-punk act. The band got their humble beginnings in 1995 here in Orange County, CA. I first heard of the band with a demo tape under their original name, One by One at a show I went to in Tustin, CA. circa 1995. The band played raw (sometimes rough) pop-punk that would please punk purists and pop fans at heart. It was the perfect blend of poppy melodies over a garage-y like sound mixed with the sun soaked beaches and concrete jungle of Southern California.… Continued →
March 2, 2021
February 26, 2021
Song of the Day: The Walk - Vessels of Noble Worth
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 →
February 23, 2021
February 21, 2021
February 16, 2021
February 11, 2021
February 9, 2021
February 2, 2021
January 26, 2021
January 22, 2021
Song of the Day: Moral Support - Control
Punk rock developed somewhere in the 1970s when what had essentially been garage rock bands got louder, snarlier, and started playing shorter, faster songs. While critics argue about the official beginning of the genre (is proto-punk still punk?), it was fully fledged in the late 70s, and had already started giving way to what would become two new genres. New Wave was the poppier extension of punk (that would further develop into synth-pop and electronica). Post-punk was the darker, more introspective branch that would eventually give birth to goth and alternative rock.… Continued →
January 19, 2021
January 12, 2021
