Author: Casey Gallenberger

If Paige Tremaine’s name isn’t quit familiar, perhaps you’d at least recognize her husband Chase – the entrepreneurial spirit behind the JFH podcast, one of the mainstays in the Christian independent music world, and a man who boasts several albums to his name (among many other hobbies and talents). It might be easy to mistake that Paige’s songwriting, assisted powerfully by her husband, would be simpler or have more of a side project feeling to it on paper. But you’d also be quite wrong: it’s clear Happy Powers, her musical moniker, means serious business and is in fact a captivating rock project.… Continued →

“I have no song in me. There is nothing in that I have to say that my brother can’t say instead,” feels like a fitting set of lyrics for Jacob Goins’ newest collection of largely-instrumental song. Opening track “No Song” sets the scene with a tale of lack: Goins address the God who makes the white snow while admitting his own impurity; he speaks of the God who gives birds flight while he at the same time seems immobile. Thus, A Spring May Well Up is a journey of sorts through deadness and dryness, often conveyed through meditative quietude of sorts.… Continued →

After Sower first came on my radar earlier this year with debut EP THE SOIL, I was greeted with a collection of songs that were both sonically refreshing and biblically-literate. Project mastermind Eric Tuffendsam describes the project as “biblical indie rock” and the emphasis here is two-fold: these aren’t your musically-tame church songs, nor are they lyrically esoteric like many modern rock songs. Sower has something to say, but, to borrow from the defunct Attalus, “the music is original but the words aren’t.” Sower relies on the Bible as historically understood to create a sort of musical catechism that walks through the fundamentals of the Christian faith.… Continued →

Denver folk collective Mercy Club, most known for their song about letting the intrusive thoughts win, has returned with a brand new single and video. “Too Late” takes on a conversational tone, at first tackling moments where it feels like life has passed you by and you’ve missed your chance at a job, a relationship, or a dream. On the flipside, frontman Darren Thornberry also notes that it’s too soon to grieve and give up hope. The song was inspired by the death of one of Thornberry’s friends, though the lyrical impact certainly feels universal.… Continued →

The story of Peter is one of the most challenging parts of the gospels apart from perhaps the story of Judas. He walked alongside Christ, was given a new name and title, was in Jesus’ inner circle even within the Twelve – yet still was rebuked for his lack of faith, verbally denied Christ multiple times, and deserted the Lord upon the hour of His death. Of course, the story does not end there – and Peter is three times asked if he loves Jesus and is ultimately restored to ministry with more boldness than before, even to the point of becoming a martyr.… Continued →

Sower, the self-described “biblical indie rock” project, have returned only moments after releasing their debut EP to show the firstfruits of their upcoming follow up EP that tells the narrative of the Gospel across four songs: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. “Creation”, serving appropriately as the first single, is out now and tells the controversial tale of God’s good design for humankind and the world in which we live. The song pulls heavily from Genesis and presents listeners with reminders of the world pre-fall. Listen below and stay tuned for more news on the full EP soon!… Continued →

I have never been the kind of person to cheaply review an album. I’ve written a fair amount of things over the years, so I’m well acquainted with how much time goes into penning each lyric, and, to a larger extent, the intentionality placed into each note and melody. Sometimes this means I listen to an album for upwards of 20 hours beforehand to do it justice. So, when I was presented with Zane Vickery’s upcoming 77-minute, 17-track behemoth of a record, I can only say that I felt immense pressure to give it proper honor.… Continued →

Zane Vickery’s upcoming album, Interloper, is undeniably one of emotional weight. That reality doesn’t downplay the joy, hope, and healing that are just as prevalent. Vickery’s final single, “Sad Dads Club,” explores themes of personal shortcomings, trying to keep up with the Joneses, and going numb to the world – all while reflecting on childlike wonder and how in moments where we feel like we’re barely moving forward, God can carry us through to the finish line. Musically, it’s a bright, synth-laden indie track with modulated guitars, Vickery’s incredible trademark vocals, and a huge mid-song crescendo.… Continued →

It feels improper to simply open with the fact that Attalus’ Facedown debut Into the Sea is the better part of a decade old at this point, but it’s probably how most people are familiar with Seth Davey. After the band’s arguably-untimely end shortly thereafter, life moved forward, and while the album continued to be one of the most captivating releases from the label, there seemed to be a huge need for similar works that spoke so adeptly toward the intersection of historic Christian tradition and our strange modern moment which such artistry.… Continued →

Typically, when I get an album in advance, I dive right in. I play it on repeat. I soak in it for hours, digesting every word. Benjamin Daniel’s (Ben Kunz) latest album somehow alluded me. Maybe it was because it was in a Google Drive file or maybe it was because I was closer to the album this time around by helping with a music video. That’s not to say I never played through it or hadn’t already found some of my favorites, but admittedly listening through things post-release feels less spoiled than usual.… Continued →

RIYL: Attalus, Valleyheart, sosaveme, My Epic, Manchester Orchestra, Copeland There are artists you run into tangentially – someone you know shares might follow them or you hear a clip of a track, but things get buried. I’m ashamed to say that Sower is one such project. From the very first notes of the project’s first EP, I couldn’t help but hear elements of many of my favorite bands. There’s a varied indie-rock sound which ranges from the fringes of post-hardcore to the glowy emo of bands like Mae and Copeland.… Continued →

It’s always interesting to hear artists re-record their older songs. Copeland has done it, Emery has done it, Car Seat Headrest has done it. But in the case of theLionhearted, this album is not so much a reimaging but a perfecting of songs that have become staples over the past few years. Mastermind Richie Pete Ares took these seven tracks and poured blood, sweat, and tears into rerecording them. The result is a far more polished and definitive form of the record. And quite frankly, if you haven’t listened to theLionhearted in years (or ever), this is a great place to start.… Continued →

Zane Vickery has been trickling out new songs from his forthcoming behemoth of an album, Interloper. These songs have seen Vickery shift toward an incredibly personal and vulnerable approach, watching him wrestle with concept of belonging through a lens of faith, grief, his near-death experience, and the rejuvenated outlook on life which has followed. That certainly doesn’t mean the entirety of the record is bleak by any stretch, and “Hydrangea” is a perfect example of this. It’s addressed to Vickery’s wife and it’s a confession of longsuffering and mutual endurance through life’s challenges.… Continued →

Despite a central theme of the Christian faith being the betrayal, desertion, and execution Jesus endured and the consequent call for us to lay down our lives in similar fashion, the reality is that, to some degree, it’s still okay to be a Christian in the Western world. It’s easy to piecemeal select verses into a textbook suburban life. But what about when a conviction costs you your job? What about when committing to a church means you drop all your hobbies? What about when things like marriage, retirement, a long life, or owning property are off the table?… Continued →

Even though I covered Adjy in the past here, it’s been a few years and a lot of time has passed. In 2021, the group released their ambitious debut album spanning nearly 100 minutes – the FIRST part of a larger tale. And if you are a fan of conceptual works and multi-media projects, this is THE album for you. An accompanying hard-cover book (purchased separately) lays out the lyrics in a way that might be compared to House of Leaves, and there are all sorts of references to history, psychology, mythology, and literature that abound.… Continued →

Seth Davey of Attalus fame has broken what seems to be a long stretch of silence with a new single and a campaign for a new album. And while Into the Sea will live on as one of the most ambitious things to ever come off Facedown Records, Davey’s first solo album was very stripped back and simple in a way that didn’t seem to quite show the full dynamic I was used to. This time around, the campaign makes it clear there will be plenty of drums, guitar, and strings alongside his trademark piano.… Continued →

The following ideas are my own opinion and do not represent IVM as a whole. For all the creeds and confessions we have, for all the things Christians past and present have died and are currently dying for, for all the sentiments of things that were simply understood in regards to what it means to be human, the present understanding of what it means to even be a Christian is about as abstract as trying to define which subgenre of punk this or that band is.… Continued →

Appleton, WI solo outfit Strategic has returned with yet another proper album after several years of wandering between a collection of children’s songs and a Christmas album. While the project’s early work was closer to pop punk and alt rock, the new songs flirt with adult contemporary, jazz, folk, and even hints of classic rock. All in all, it’s quite a deviation from previous albums. These songs are years in the making, and it’s interesting to here the finished result put to tape. This is a 13-track album which runs over 50 minutes, perhaps the longest Strategic album to date.… Continued →

In some ways, it hasn’t been the most exciting year for music. Perhaps I’m getting older, busier, or pickier. Either way, I know I statistically listen to a lot less music as a whole than I did even five years ago. That said, there were an incredible handful of releases this year that I wanted to highlight. This list is in no particular order as they all play to different strengths. Maggie Miles – The Lack Thereof I wanted to start with an album that we haven’t covered but that you’ll nonetheless want to check out.… Continued →

I’m very excited to introduce you all to Linden Hope. She released her first single today, and we had a great opportunity to discuss the context of the song, the ways we truly live out Christ’s mission of being one family, and all things surrounding her forthcoming record. Check out the song below and read on – this is personally one of my favorite interviews in quite a while! … Continued →

When I first heard “Demimonde”, I was immediately thrown off. Was it a demo, maybe? Maybe it wasn’t mixed yet? The roughness and natural reverb feels distant and uncomfortable. But as I continued to listen, things soon felt “normal” once again. Then, later in the track, things get all echoey again. Enter a conceptual world, a world where love and lust are at war, secret lives intertwine with the normalcy or the family unit, and the choice to use your dignity as currency is ever available.… Continued →

Life often moves in cycles; sometimes those cycles repeat, while other times the seasons are delineated more clearly. American Arson has been an IVM favorite since its inception, and many readers are familiar with Evan Baker from Good Luck Varsity even further back. While there’s always been a core of rock, pop punk, and post-hardcore at play, American Arson’s independent EPs were all adorned in unique personalities and moods. And when the band signed with Facedown Records to much acclaim, their sound continued to shift even further.… Continued →

Elijah Herrell’s forthcoming EP is titled Casualties, and it’s an appropriate way to describe the population of those faithful to Christ who deal with same-sex attraction. It’s a position of being caught in the middle – too religious and objective for the left; too weak or messy for the right. Many struggle in silence and carry the weight on their own, sometimes their whole lives. Others, of course, deconstruct and renounce their faith. And while there are plenty of albums in the recent years that lean toward this latter approach, Herrell offers a needed and honest perspective.… Continued →

It might seem strange to cover an album that’s already several years old – yet not old enough to warrant any significant anniversary milestone. It might seem even stranger to do so the same week the artist in question is releasing a new song. But I’ve inevitably found myself enraptured in Zane Vickery’s debut album, perhaps even more deeply than when I first discovered it. Sure, songs like “Weighted” and “Scales” stood out to me from the start. But time progresses, we grow older, and the chasm between who we are and were seems to ever widen.… Continued →

Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” meets The Assembly Line’s “Tonight” on “You Will Find”, the first track off Joseph Cutshall’s latest release. While Stay Close is branded as folk rock, there’s something a bit more intricate at play here – hints of 90s and 2000s singer-songwriters, subdued ambience of acts like The Frozen Ocean, and even more standard indie fare in general. Don’t expect a mostly-acoustic, Americana-flavored release. This is a record adorned in dynamics, evident from its first notes. Neither so is the record fixated on any singular subject for too long – a true theme might like wrestling in the valleys between sight and certainty that we call faith.… Continued →

Oyarsa, featuring members of Comrades and Eaves, continues in the technical and emotionally-charged lineage of its progenitors, opting for an even noisier, frenetic sound. The band debuted last summer with their first single “Lament” – now, they’ve surprise-dropped their first EP. I don’t know about you, but I think Facedown Records should come pick these guys up right now. The EP isn’t yet on streaming services, so hear it below first! Lost in Familiar Places by Oyarsa… Continued →

Zane Vickery set out with an ambitious $15,000 goal for his new album, Mockingbird. The funding request largely came after he and his family incurred severe medical expenses from a near-fatal car crash last year. And while it seems unlikely he will hit the full goal in these final few days, if he raises at least 50%, he can begin recording. Factoring in other donations outside of the campaign, this leaves about $2000 left. Can we pull together and help him out? Check out the campaign here.… Continued →

Zane Vickery’s latest EP came during a difficult period in my life where I personally found myself spiritually, physically, and emotionally exhausted. His words were thoughtful, provocative, and encouraging all the same – yet never denying the things we hold in tension as believers in a broken world. It was like the words of a comforting friend who was okay to share in my suffering but didn’t simply want me to stay there. Now, on the other side of literal life-changing car crash, Zane is working on a full-length album about grief, recovery, and faith.… Continued →

I’ll be honest – Former Ruins’ (Levi Dylan Sikes) latest album is one I’m cautious to provide any sort of commentary on. It can be easy to be flippant with certain, or, to be frank, a majority of albums and not fully grasp the humanity behind them. And in many ways, that is the essence of No Creature Is Hidden – what does it mean to be a creature, to be seen, to hold fast to our weaknesses and beauty alike in the eyes of Christ Who saves?… Continued →

Borrowing its namesake from a Watashi Wa song, Colorado Springs-based Fepeste craft similarly-intricate, chill songs. Fepeste’s second album expands on its predecessor, opting for a greater focus on electric instrumentation and guest collaborations. The result is a surfy/psychedelic approach to songwriting anchored firmly in Scripture. These latest offerings may feel oddly seaborne given their origins in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, but rest assured Eric Jett and crew know what they’re doing. There’s a strong sense of simple honesty at play – the ruminations of an adult with children, navigating hectic life in our post-truth world.… Continued →