Tag: song of the day

My song for the day is from a newer indie-pop artist by the name of Teddy At Night. Teddy (Boldt) played drums for bands like Wavorly, Family Force 5, and more recently For King & Country, as well as many others. On his first solo endeavor as singer/songwriter, his songs take on more of a pop sheen, sprinkled with a heavy dose of 80’s like synth driven new wave. These are songs for the broken-hearted, the lovers, and the seekers. These beautifully composed pop inspired takes are interwoven with a certain level of professionalism mixed with Teddy’s unforgettable vocal delivery.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Google Play Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics:… Continued →

En Mi Lugar (In My Place in English) is a Spirit Filled Melodic Hardcore band from Bogota, Colombia. FFO: Venia, Advent, Poured Out, and Atrocities.

Today’s Song of the Day post is all about Arthur Alligood and specifically the song, “Shouldn’t Be That Hard”. This was a criminally underrated song that flew mostly under the radar of most music fans out there. Arthur has been making great Americana/Folk Rock for more than a decade now. He has appeared on a few past free IVM Compilations and was featured here many times over the years. The song “Shouldn’t Be That Hard” appeared on his 2012 full length, “One Silver Needle”. The Americana influenced folk-rock track takes a turn toward artists like The Wallflowers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, and Bob Dylan, while keeping his own style and approach.… Continued →

This obscure black metal band only issued a handful of releases from 2008-2011, before shunning Christian lyrical themes for their final release in 2014. “Howls of Worship” is taken from their self-titled EP and also appears on the full-length To Known Hell (what is it with extreme metal’s deliberate use of incorrect grammar?), and is a full-on black metal worship anthem: Come let us worship and bow down Let us kneel before the Lord our maker Come let us worship and bow down to our maker While it’s awesome to have a full-on worship song in the extreme metal format, that is not the track’s sole accomplishment.… Continued →

Another album celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary is “Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place” by the world renown alternative rock band, Anberlin. This Brendan O’Brien produced full length effort (their 5th album by 2010) was a slight departure from the sunny, bright, more upbeat sounds of their commercial break through record, “New Surrender”. One of the stand out highlights from this album was definitely “Pray Tell”, with it’s thundering drum intro and light guitar strumming mixed with Stephen’s unforgettable vocal contributions.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Google Play Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics:… Continued →

It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since the release of the first Close Your Eyes album on Victory Records – “We Will Overcome”. This album had a ton of great songs including this one called “The Body”, which is a favorite of mine and perfect for this Song of the Day post. Melodic hardcore and punk combine to make a furious blend of energetic singing and screaming all delivered in one healthy dose. “The Body” has inspiring lyrics and a solid message felt through the music.… Continued →

Lovers of traditional, old school death metal will know there is a significant lack of it coming from bands with a Christian worldview. The reasons for this are complex, and we won’t get into them here, except to say that it probably has something to do with the lyrical themes that often accompany their secular counterparts: death, gore, and the occult all being regular topics. Minnesota’s Crimson Thorn have often led the way in Christ-centered brutal death metal. Building on work from predecessors like Australia’s Mortification, CT got even heavier and unlike the boys from down under, Crimson Thorn didn’t dabble in other styles.… Continued →

Listen: Amazon Music | Apple Music | Google Play Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics:… Continued →

The song “Silent Streets” appears on the 2nd official (or 3rd if you’re keeping count) album from this punk/hardcore band out of Canada called “Every New Day“. It appeared on the album, “Even In The Darkest Places”. This song was unlike most I’d heard in the genre around that time period. END pieced together hardcore, punk rock, and hard rock to create an explosive mix. Elements of your favorite bands from the 00’s taken to a whole other level and with the sound quality/production most bands only dreamed about.… Continued →

Mad at the World has had a very interesting and diverse career as a band. They started out doing somewhat dark synth-pop on their self-titled debut (in the vein of Depeche Mode, New Order, Clan of Xymox), then added guitars to their new wave sound for Flowers in the Rain. By their third album, they ditched the synths and morphed into a full-fledged alternative rock band with metallic influences. This carried on for three albums (Seasons of Love, Boomerang, and Through the Forest).… Continued →

Listen: Apple Music | Amazon Music | Google Play Music | Spotify | YouTube Lyrics:… Continued →

After releasing last year’s opus Young in My Head, Starflyer 59 are already back. The veteran indie rock band have just released a new single, “This Recliner” and boy oh boy is it good! Fueled by inspiration from the best of his 80s new wave AND shoegaze influences (The Church, Psychedelic Furs, Jesus and Mary Chain, et. al.), the man truly knows how to write a pop song. Sometimes I think his skill lies in brevity. Rather than dragging stuff out, founder Jason Martin always leaves you wanting just a little bit more.… Continued →

When Extol’s first album came out in 1998, the Christian hard music scene had been dominated by hardcore and the then-developing metalcore sound. This was being spearheaded prominently by labels like Solid State Records (a division of Tooth & Nail), and Facedown Records. Enter Norway’s Extol. No one quite knew what to do with them. Sure, there was still an active underground metal scene, but Solid State had not signed any heavy metal bands yet–only hardcore bands that dabbled in metal. But Burialwas a full-on heavy metal cacophony, bridging subgenres–progressive, black, thrash and death metal–often within one song.… Continued →

As has been the case of late, I am doing a great deal of write ups on little known songs/releases and this one is no exception to that rule. This is one of the better Off The Record songs from their mostly unheard final EP in 2004 titled “Nothing New”. Nothing New was released in 2004 on a west coast punk label called New School Records. The label released albums by 7-10 Split, Off The Record, Twenty2, Not Long After, No Trigger, among many others.… Continued →

While metallic industrial became the dominant form of industrial music in the mid 90s and beyond, it was the dancier stuff that held my attention better. I liked the heavier stuff too (Circle of Dust, Mortal, Generation) because it gave a new spin on metal, but after the while the genre seemed to blend into one. Industrial-dance, or electro as it’s sometimes called (not to be confused with the hip-hop/funk genre from the 1980s) combined harsh vocals and samples with danceable beats into something altogether different.… Continued →

SoCal hardcore band Point of Recognition (or Point of Wreckinthangs as they were affectionately known by fans) released 3 full-lengths, an EP and a pair of split releases before disbanding in the mid-2000s. Members popped up elsewhere in the scene, but the band’s existence was sadly short. Nonetheless, their impact was felt strongly in both the Christian and secular hardcore scenes. Playing a heavy form of “new school” or “tough guy” hardcore, they stuck close to their roots, not following into the more and more metal-influenced versions of hardcore that were developing rapidly around them.… Continued →

"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him." - Mark 16:6

This Easter Sunday is unlike anything our generation has ever faced. Most of us are in quarantine, secluded to our homes and celebrating a momentous occasion from the comfort of our arm chairs. No standard Easter Services, no fellowship in person, and no Sunday school. This is an unprecedented week, month, and year in our histories that is being literally written before our eyes. Despite the seclusion, despite the dreariness and loneliness for millions we all know there is an answer. An unrelenting, purposeful Love through our savior, Jesus.… Continued →

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16 (warning: graphic video)

"Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul."

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

You’re probably tired of hearing it, but these are strange times we’re living in. How could any of us have been prepared for the reality in which we find ourselves? I don’t know about you but I’ve read a lot of dystopian fiction and watched a ton of post-apocalyptic films. Neither of them are all that helpful in our current scenario. But you know what is helpful? Hope. Friendship. Solidarity. Though the song touches on a depressing topic, it is ultimately these themes that emerge. Listen to the urgency with which Steve Taylor croons: If it all comes true And our dreams fall like bombs from the blue Oh!… Continued →

I loved Spoken from the moment their 3rd record dropped “Echoes of the Spirit Still Dwell”. The minute I heard this song, “Promise”, from the album “Moment of Imperfect Clarity”, I couldn’t shake my Spoken fandom. This band and their music came out at the perfect time post-9/11. It was uplifting, positive, and the songs were incredibly addictive in melodies. The Used, Story of the Year, Senses Fail, and Blindside all would have made perfect tour mates during this time period. The song “Promise” was really an inspirational song, one that felt like a warm pat on the back and an embrace when you feel broken and miserable.… Continued →

Ok, yes I know, I am incredibly biased toward the music and sound of Five Iron Frenzy. They are high up on my list of “favorite bands” and I hold their songs close to my heart. I was browsing Instagram this morning and saw a couple of fans cover this song in their own unique way as seen on the FIF page and I had to bust this track out from the dusty bins of my fragile mind. It’s a beautiful song in and of itself.… Continued →

Do you like playlists comprised of multiple genres featuring songs that span several decades? Yeah, maybe this was a bad idea but it’s too late now! I’ve compiled a playlist of all Song of the Day picks from our staff since we started the feature last summer. Well not all. There were at least dozen or so songs I couldn’t find on Spotify. But there is still over 5 hours worth of songs here if you fancy yourself a genre Renaissance man. … Continued →

If you’ve been following my new release lists closely you may have noticed one artist has been in every list this year. Poor Bishop Hooper is Jesse and Leah Roberts and they’ve been busy working on a new project called EveryPsalm. Over the course of the next three years Poor Bishop Hooper will release a new song inspired by a psalm every week until all 150 psalms have been covered. That’s some dedication! Tomorrow the band will be releasing Psalm 12, but in the meantime I’d like to share one of my favorites from the songs they’ve released so far this year, Psalm 10.… Continued →

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7