Tag: song of the day

July 10, 2022

July 9, 2022

July 8, 2022

Song of the Day: Jyradelix - Out for Love

For a brief moment in the early 1990s, it looked like electronica (or techno, or rave as it was being called at the time) was going to take over popular music. It had a huge following in Christian alternative music for a good two years. Although the synthesizer-driven genre had little to do with the guitar-dominated alt-rock, grunge, and hardcore punk of the era, what it did have in common with those genres was simply being an oddball style of music with which to glorify God.… Continued →

July 4, 2022

July 2, 2022

July 1, 2022

Song of the Day: Deliverance - No Love

Metalheads are divided over whether the subgenre dubbed “speed metal” actually exists or not. Often confused with shred metal and/or Neo-classical (yes, those guys play fast, but that’s not the same thing), it’s almost synonymous with thrash except there are often clean vocals and/or slightly cleaner guitars. In the Christian scene, the most obvious examples are the seminal and fantastic Valor, Tourniquet’s early work (also adding a progressive element) and the mighty Deliverance. While Deliverance has flirted with a lot of different styles (speed/thrash, gothic metal, alternative metal, groove, etc.),… Continued →

June 29, 2022

June 27, 2022

Song of the Day: Slick Shoes - Fulfilling

This band is cool. I remember seeing them back in the day & I was impressed. I’d consider them pop punk & they were one of the early T&N bands that I had collected. Chose this one as I always understood the lyrics. The life’s torn from you, there is nowhere to turn. You’re all alone, you feel hollow and empty. Nothing you do can suppress the heartache that you feel. The only strength you have is used to cry in misery. Could you fill the hole you’ve made inside your heart, when you can’t erase your past mistakes?… Continued →

June 25, 2022

June 24, 2022

Song of the Day: Dogwood - In The Line of Fire

With regard to the news of today that is surely causing friend to turn against friend, family members against each other, man against man, woman against woman, and the general disregard for one’s truth, with precious life taking a back seat, I thought I’d share a song that fits today’s message. This song is called “In The Line of Fire” and it appears on Dogwood’s 2nd full length record, “Through Thick and Thin” (1997). It’s a great song and the sentiment still rings true. A few words… Remember who is inflaming tensions, who is stoking the fires of anger and hate, and who is ripping apart our humanity at the seams.… Continued →

Song of the Day: Bruce Cockburn - Wondering Where the Lions Are

This veteran, Canadian singer-songwriter has been active since at least the early 70s (probably earlier), since his debut eponymous album came out in 1970. I first became acquainted with his music in the 1990s, reading an album review in CCM Magazine, but also hearing equally about his accolades from the secular press. I took a chance on buying a live album, when I found a copy of his 1990 live album (he’s done at least 5 live albums), Bruce Cockburn Live on cassette. I’d heard he was a folk artist, and a songwriter, so I was prepared for the mostly acoustic sounds on the tape.… Continued →

June 22, 2022

June 20, 2022

June 18, 2022

Song of the Day: Ron Collins - Run This Race vs All I Know

Ron Collins was a vocalist from the late 80s/early 90s whose prior band was TwentyTwenty & when this solo album came out, David & the Giants was his backing band. While I was in the military, I sang Run to myself many times while I ran my 2 miles during the physical fitness test. I got a 12:04 twice in a row. All I Know I think is one of the best songs ever & when I heard it on radio I was amazed.
 
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June 17, 2022

Song of the Day: Travail - Weakling

Hailing from the fertile heavy music scene of the greater DFW region, and specifically Ft. Worth, Travail mixed heavy rap-core and nu metal riffs with dark tones and lyrics about the Christian struggle. Heavier than most in the genre, the band was sometimes referred to as “gothic rap-core” due to the darker tones and minor keys. Yet the lyrics pointed to higher things: I’ve failed you I’ve lied to you Yet you forgive and let me live Oh God help my weakness Oh give me your strength Father help me I’ll go to any length On my face, on my chest, on my knees God help me please My spirit is willing but my flesh is weak The band released a split EP with Luti-Kriss (who, of course, eventually became Norma Jean), and two full-length albums: Anchor of My Soul for the secular Pluto Records and Beautiful Loneliness for Metrovox, a sub-label Metro One.… Continued →

June 15, 2022

June 13, 2022

June 11, 2022

June 10, 2022

Song of the Day: The Awakening - Don't Wait for Me

The Awakening was a progressive pop-rock/AOR band from Canada, active in the 1980s–not to be confused with the goth/industrial band from South Africa. This Awakening was poppy enough to be CCM-adjacent (in fact, this is probably the poppiest SOTD I’ve ever featured), but yet had a slight progressive/alternative edge that set them apart from other bands. The band released three albums, culminating in their excellent Into Thy Hands (Reunion Records, 1988). It featured 12 tracks of progressive pop goodness, not too dissimilar to 80s-era Yes. Lyrics were filled with encouraging but never preachy biblical references.… Continued →

June 8, 2022

Song of the Day: Five Iron Frenzy - Every New Day

Probably my most fave song from this long time running punk/ska band. I have never seen live & I am sad. 🙁  Anyways here are the lyrics & probably why I like it so much. Can you imagine the world where CCM radio would have this as a worship song instead of nonstop Hillsong? When I was young, The smallest trick of light, Could catch my eye, Then life was new And every new day, I thought that I could fly. I believed in what I hoped for, And I hoped in things unseen, I had wings and dreams could soar, I just don’t feel like flying anymore. … Continued →

June 6, 2022

June 4, 2022

June 3, 2022

Song of the Day: No Innocent Victim - Strength

Emerging from the original wave of Spirit Filled Hardcore (or SFHC) came southern California’s No Innocent Victim, AKA N.I.V. In contrast to their SFHC peers like Unashamed, Strongarm, and Overcome, who often integrated metallic influences that were becoming more popular in hardcore, NIV stuck to their old school roots with a “Loud Fast Rules” mentality. In fact, their old school approach to fast and heavy hardcore played a part in sparking a revival of the style, which eventually evolved into “tough guy hardcore,” essentially an update of that old school sound with added breakdowns and heaviness.… Continued →

June 1, 2022

Song of the Day: Simple Mystery - On my Own

Simple Mystery is a band that is from my hometown Normal, Illinois. The 4 piece comprised of Jason, Eric, Jimmy & Chris. Chris you may have heard of  from his later band The Frantics & his work with Miss Angie & pop rock/worship group Goodbye Audio. Anyways my buddy Kelly Kerfoot let me borrow the cassette tape & I had looked for this song for many years since my cassette tape bit the dust maybe 20 years ago!
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May 30, 2022

Song of the Day: Six Feet Deep - Narrow

This band was awesome imho. The early days of Christian hxc bands had met their match with this phenomenal cd The Road Less Travelled. Songs like Congruent, Purify, Slip, & Steadfast are just pummeling.  It was like a breach of hxc w/ metalcore. Myk Porter & Matt Traxler went to to form an awesome emo band called Brandston (whom I got to see live several years ago) after but the band got its start in 91 in Ohio. I have always thought this is one of the best metal instrumentals of all time.… Continued →

May 28, 2022

Song of the Day: The American Culture Experiments - Talk

The American Culture Experiments were a punk band from Texas. Their first LP I bought off Accidental Sirens records which is the label from Scaterd Few’s/Men As Trees Walking Allen Aguirre whom I had the pleasure to interview back in my college days. Humans Being was also featured as a single on Christian indie rock shows back in the early 2000s.  Lloyd wrote a SOTD on another song from theirs here: https://www.indievisionmusic.com/news/song-of-the-day-the-american-culture-experiments-freedom-in-part/     This one has Laraine on vocals & bass.
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May 27, 2022

Song of the Day: Sincerely Paul - Nineteen Years

One of my all-time favorite record labels of the indie Christian scene was Blonde Vinyl. Run by Michael Knott (LSU/Lifesavers, and about a dozen others), it was one of the first truly indie, truly alternative record labels focusing on Christian artists. Knott never got rich off of the sales. (A few years later, Brandon Ebel would show us how to make a Christian indie label financially profitable.) Furthermore, not all of the releases on Blonde Vinyl were even that great–I won’t name any names–but all of them were charming in some way.… Continued →

May 25, 2022

May 23, 2022

Song of the Day: Cloud2Ground vs Shiny Toy Guns - Face2Face vs Somewhere to Hide

There are so many memories of these 2 bands. C2G first started up back in 99 w/ Jeremy Dawson (who is an awesome musician). He added Chad Petree who was in a boy band called PC Quest which started in 91. C2G released 2 of my fave EDM albums of all time. Then they started releasing other projects under Slyder, RRDS & Shiny Toy Guns. STG took over & they ended up releasing their mainstream debut in 06 but was floating around as an indie release in 05.… Continued →

May 21, 2022