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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 →

Minnesota’s Ace Troubleshooter was a pretty cool pop punk band back in the day. They were very close with Relient K & vocalist John played bass with RK & RKs drummer Dave played in Ace. Check out this catchy this SOTD & those of us into Godzilla & other kaiju will did the title (although I have no clue as to why it’s included).   … Continued →

This pop rock 2 piece (Scott Riggan & Ben Bauman) had a couple songs hit Christian AC radio in the 90s. They remind me of a few bands that were big at the time including Jason Ingram Band. Their song Talk About Love was featured on a Word records comp called Mindy’s Revenge which y’all gotta check out the CD cover!. Scott became a worship pastor in Idaho & still released praise & worship music to this day. Check out this fun rare SOTD & Scott’s website. … Continued →

Mainframe have just dropped their first single which is the title track off their upcoming album, “Good Hearts”. You can find the new song on all digital networks and you can pre-order now over on the Indie Vision Music Bandcamp right here. All pre-orders on bandcamp including an instant download of 2 songs! The new Mainframe album drops worldwide on November 24th. Check out the song below this post. Follow the band on Facebook / Instagram here: mainframepunk… Continued →

This hard rock band hails from Minnesota and released 1 LP back in ’03.  Took a while to track it down, but received it this past week from drummer Donn Kranz. The music has a tad of prog feel which changes it up from other similar releases. Highlights for me also include The Light and Quietly. The lyrics are very Godly. This SOTD speaks of God’s grace & mercy as we can’t please God with our sin nature. Only Jesus can per His atonement for our sins on the cross.… Continued →

The brand new, debut EP from Chives McAlister just dropped yesterday via Small Step Records. Small Step is on quite a roll lately with so many great releases in 2023! Go check out the label and definitely give this new Chives McAlister EP a listen because it rules. Take a step backwards and give Names Without Numbers, Dona Luzi, Chainstay, Light The Way, and newest signees Sam’s The Hero, all a listen as well because they absolutely will make even the gloomiest of days that much brighter.… Continued →

Legendary east coast punk/post-hardcore band JOEY’S LOSS that many had never heard much of outside of their home state of TN. and some small Indie Vision Music promotions, are potentially staging some sort of return. Just what this means is unclear at this point and I’m not going to speculate but I do have a special appreciation for their musical output two decades ago. 20 years of “Unwelcome Travelers and Other Brave Men” is next year and could this be something to celebrate in a live setting?… Continued →

Early Christian rap is a thing of beauty. Similarly to mainstream rap, early examples–though they give insight to the development of the genre–often suffer from simplistic lyrics, weak production, and/or rapping styles that are now outdated and sound lazy by today’s standards. However, we must remember that the genre took decades to develop. In fact, the early 90s were a tough era for the style. It had started to become mainstream and risked disappearing into a subgenre of pop music until it was rescued by gangsta rap and alternative rap a few years later, pushing the genre to new styles and heights, though not without controversy.… Continued →

This song is a cover of a pop punk band called S.O.K. which I am guessing was the band’s former name. I looked for this song for years as was a great pop punk tune. The lyrics reference the weight of sin that can be broken by asking forgiveness & following Jesus. … Continued →

This is outside the realm of music (well except for that dope 80’s song in the opening) but then again it is Faith AND ENTERTAINMENT With an Independent Perspective, am I right? Anyway, Sony Pictures just dropped a shivering teaser video for “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (watch it below). It looks to be a chilly, COLD new film set to freeze those poor folks in New York City in a film that will certainly be a highlight of everyone’s 2024 (unless we’ve blown each other to smithereens and we are walking a real life post-apocalyptic scene which in turn might terrify rather than excite).… Continued →

Small Wars return with a new digisingle titled “The Devil and Better Angels” which will drop on November 17th through Fair Vaux. They are recommended for fans of Face to Face, Alkaline Trio, Samiam, and I would say a little Gaslight Anthem, Frank Turner, and even Hot Water Music. The band’s debut full length will release in 2024 via Fair Vaux and distributed through Steadfast Records. If you enjoyed their last 2 releases then I am sure you’ll be very interested in what new stuff this band brings to the table.… Continued →

An underground indie pop-punk band I’ve been following since the Punk Never Dies days called Sam’s The Hero, has just announced they have signed with Small Step Records and will be releasing their label debut single on November 17th. You might have heard them on Fighting From The Ground Up Vol. 3 so get ready to stage dive off your bed to the sweet melodic pop-punk sounds of Virginia’s own Sam’s The Hero. More to come soon.… Continued →

Wage War. DTGL-era Underoath. Confide. These are but a few of the names that readily spring to mind when I listen to Spiritwalker’s debut release, “Heretic”, which dropped this past July. The independent release is extremely well written and well produced, easily standing shoulder to shoulder with other well-known bands of the genre that have been at it for years. The project, based out of Asheville, NC, is the sole effort of one man, Brandon Marlowe.   The album is unashamedly direct about matters of faith, touching largely on where our hope and purpose lies, expressing the frivolity of seeking such things here and focusing our gaze to God, where we’re found in the fulness of all these things.… Continued →

This punk rock supergroup features ex-members of Crux, Empty Tomb, Cicero, and Gov’t Hate Mail. So you can see why I was excited about hearing this disc. The EP contains 7 songs, clocks in around 17 minutes, and comes as a pro-CDr in a standard jewel case with a single panel insert with credits and no lyrics. Musically what we have here is no frills punk rock and roll. It’s not quite as spastic as Crux, and doesn’t have the hardcore/thrash leanings of Empty Tomb. When comparing to its members previous projects, it’s probably closest to Gov’t Hate Mail, but just slightly heavier than that project.… Continued →

Impending Doom announced today that they will be independent be releasing a new ep titled “Last Days”, which is set to drop on 11/20/23. The EP will consist of 3 songs: “Eternal”, “In The End”, and “Spit”. “Eternal”, the first single from this offering, dropped yesterday and can be found at the usual streaming services. Additionally, the band also release new merch today. You can find that, as well as keep up with all the most current news on the band HERE.… Continued →

Mainframe are back with their first new collection of songs since 2019. This new album is titled “Good Hearts” and it will see a release on 11/24/23 through bandcamp and all digital networks. The first single, the title track, goes live this coming Friday! Go pre-order the new album right here via Bandcamp in digital format. You get 2 instant songs with preorder. This digital release also includes a cover of “While The Nations Rage” by the late great musician and artist, Rich Mullins. Just a heads up, the song that is on “Fighting From The Ground Up 3” is not a Rich Mullins cover song.… Continued →

Lacey Sturm took to social media earlier today, announcing the release of her sophomore album, “Kenotic Metanoia”, which is set to drop just 2 weeks from today on November 17th. Pre-orders are available HERE.… Continued →

Names Without Numbers are excited to announce that they will be releasing a very special 20th anniversary edition of their album “Running Marathons / Chasing Ambulances” on White Vinyl (limited to 100 copies)! The album has been completely remastered and new reimagined artwork by Matt Traxler (Steadfast Records/Brandtson). The Vinyl drops officially on November 24th but you can pre-order now over on their bandcamp page. This is the album that featured the song “Waking From The Coma” which appeared on a compilation I put together called “I’m Your Biggest Fan Vol.… Continued →

Pillar recently posted on Facebook thanking everyone for their patience and letting us know that an announcement is forthcoming. Over the past year or so, the band has expressed a desire to do another tour (or at least a batch of shows). What does everyone think? Shows? New album? Both?… Continued →

This punk/new wave band from Alaska released one 4-song EP via 7″ vinyl in 1980, entitled Beat the Cynics for their native Unregulated Records. The band was contemporary with other punk acts at the time who had already started shifting their sound to either new wave or post-punk. The Cynics don’t sound too far off from The Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Stranglers, and at times is reminiscent of the funky approach of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Yes, their sound is remarkably British, considering how far they were geographically from that region.… Continued →

For those that missed the news. Indie Vision Music just released a hot new digital compilation titled “Fighting From The Ground Up Vol. 3” featuring over 60 songs from a variety of artists and bands all over genre spectrum. You can download and stream over on Bandcamp right here or check it out below this post. I have also created a special Spotify playlist with all the songs that are available on that platform right here (or listen below). Look for Vol. 4 in early 2024!… 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 →

Protect Your Heart just released a really cool new music video for the killer song “Embers”. Video can be found below this post. You may have heard this song on the recent Indie Vision Music compilation “Fighting From The Ground Up Vol. 3” available right here.… Continued →

Metal band DIRE will return with their brand new release “Crush The Head” on 11/29/23. News on this release will come shortly. Get ready!… Continued →

Too Bad Eugene just announced a new song titled “Shaking My Fist at Clouds” which drops on November 24th via People of Punk Rock Records. The band also announced that they have a new album on the way in 2024! This personal favorite always creates fun, melodic punk rock with loads of smooth BGVs, thoughtful, spiritually engaging, singing out loud at the top of your lungs, and did I say FUN? I am already looking forward to 2024 (if we’re still a functioning society by then, lol?).… Continued →

MxPx are back with another music video off their latest album “Find A Way Home”. The song is “Undone” and you can check out the music video below. This is such a great song too by the way!… Continued →

Lugsole was a noisy indie rock band from Birmingham AL with hints of post-punk and emo in their sound. Despite a significant number of releases–both independent and label-issued–they remained a fairly obscure act, whose fans were either music critics or diehard independent music aficionados. Recorded output begins in 1995 and ends in 1998, and in those four short years, they managed to release three cassette demos (two EPs and one full-length), a split 7″ with Dear Ephesus, an EP on compact disc via Daddy-O Records (who also released the first Dear Ephesus recordings), and a 3-way split CD with mainstream acts The Paper Chase and E-Class.… 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 →

American Arson have returned strong this year with a bunch of songs off their upcoming album “Sand & Cinder, Tide & Timber” due out November 3rd on Facedown Records. This latest titled “Arrowheads” is a perfect representation of the glorious punch and delivery that American Arson have to offer through their music. There is something awe inspiring and utterly magnificent about this band. Everything from their songs and artwork to the songwriting and vocals just strike me as unique, a cut above the mundane. This is another bright spot for the killer independent label that Facedown Records remains.… Continued →