Tag: song of the day
June 5, 2023
Hailing from Hawaii, this fun 6 piece ska band has all the elements that drove probably most of us to love ska. Crowd vocals, music to skank to & mean guitars melding w/ horns. They released 2 LPs, an EP & a few songs on the IVM Ska Lives comps. Here is my fave. & btw, check out current ska band Must Build Jacuzzi from Peoria, Illinois whom I have seen I believe thrice live now.
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June 3, 2023
Song of the Day: Worth Dying For - Savior
This modern rock worship band made waves with their Love Riot album. To me they were kinda like Sonic Flood but, with a rockier twist & half female vocals. They changed their named to FearlessBND later.
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June 2, 2023
Song of the Day: Lovelorn - Feather
This was one of those ‘one and done’ bands, meaning they only released one album as Lovelorn. However, they were connected directly and indirectly to a number of other projects. Vocalist Jayson Holmes had been in metalcore band Eso-Charis, and later formed The Handshake Murders (who mostly recorded on secular labels). Corey Putman (Eso-Charis, Norma Jean) and Arthur Green (Eso-Charis, Living Sacrifice) also made appearances on the album.
The album is a wonderfully strange concoction of emo-core, hardcore, indie rock and math rock–almost like Roadside Monument meets Coalesce, but with bits of Karate thrown in just because.… Continued →
May 31, 2023
Song of the Day: Deitiphobia - TV
I’ve listened to this industrial band for many years now. You may also know them by their other band Massivivid. I have always liked songs that include preaching & this SOTD is off a remix album & combines their songs Red Society & World From an Altar.
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May 29, 2023
Song of the Day: Broken Flesh - Yeshua
Warning-Do NOT listen to this SOTD at full volume if you don’t like heavy worship music. I’ve know musician Kevin Tubby for a few years now since seeing him at several Audiofeed’s. I have also listen to his bands Obliteration & Death List before Broken Flesh. BF just released a live album which cleans up their live sound. I wanted to show the live video to show how fast their drummer is. Check em out if you already haven’t. & these lyrics too.
Yeshua without you there is no life, father messiah into your hands i put my life, lion of the tribe of judah.… Continued →
May 27, 2023
Song of the Day: Jhonny Vergel - Conviction
I love trance music. There are so many awesome EDM artists out there. Jhonny aka DJ Jhonny Vergel hails from Columbia & has released tons of music so check him out if you dig this SOTD. I always like the extended mixes.
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May 26, 2023
Song of the Day: Titanic - Dead Men's Bones
Titanic’s founder Bill Menchen has been active in the Christian metal scene since the 1980s, first with his band Redeemer, and later with a number of other metal-themed bands including Seventh Power, Menchen, Rev Seven, and perhaps his most well-known, Titanic.
Although they formed in the 1990s, they still played traditional heavy metal without any hint of alternative, grunge, or punk, which were so prevalent in that decade. The only 90s influence in Titanic’s music was the updated sonics and production techniques, which added a lot more crunch to the guitar tones than what 80s metal was known for.… Continued →
May 24, 2023
Song of the Day: Darrell Mansfield - Million Dollar Feeling
I love Blues Festivals. Darrel is probably the biggest blues musician along with Glenn Kaiser in CCM & has been around since the 80s. I actually saw on social media the other day that it was his Birthday! Also check out his Born to be Wild which contains a collection of blues covers.
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May 22, 2023
Song of the Day: Gawvi - Closer
Gawvi aka Gabriel Azucena has parents from El Salvador & the Dominican Republic. He was raised a Christian & it shows though his lyrics. Check him out.
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May 20, 2023
Song of the Day: Hospital - Pages
This nu metal band released some decent music in their 2001 release Stare. They fell off the music radar after they released a couple songs on some compilations. Then, The Charon Collective filled in the blanks when they released the band’s follow up If, Then a month or so ago. It contains those comp tracks Fault & Pages along with 3 more.
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May 19, 2023
Song of the Day: globalWAVEsystem - Deathstroke to Youth
It’s been a while since I’ve featured any industrial music, so this seems like a good time to remedy that. globalWAVEsystem has been around since the early 90s, playing a harsh form of electronic industrial or EBM. At times the music is danceable, but it had a much harsher, darker edge than Deitiphobia or November Commandment. Yet the songs were more structured than Mental Destruction or Blackhouse and there were never any guitars present.
In fact, their niche take on the genre is probably what kept them from getting broader exposure and more fans than their counterparts in Mortal, Circle of Dust, and the aforementioned artists.… Continued →
May 17, 2023
Song of the Day: Siloam - Apathy
I first heard this song probably circa 1995 & was immediately intrigued. This Canadian band takes their name from John 9:7 where it talks about the pool of Siloam. Their drummer has a story of where he came to Jesus after almost dying of a drug overdose. This SOTD contains the following lyrics that still make sense to this day: Let’s blame the world’s demise on God’s design, Apathy.
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May 15, 2023
Song of the Day: Dominic Balli - Again and Again
This pop reggae artist has some cool dreads! For real, his music is very catchy & has gathered a positive following over the years. Currently he serves as pastor for worship life in Ventura, Cali.
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May 13, 2023
Song of the Day: Love Like Gravity - Dig
This ministry modern rock band has released many singles that have charted well over the past few years. Their song Adrenaline was even the inspiration for a film of the same name. Their records producers are none other than Petra’s Jim Cooper & Guardian’s Tony Palacios. Check out their latest album Break the Silence.
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May 12, 2023
Song of the Day: Twothirtyeight - Songs Will Write the Words
Early 2000s emo, you gotta love it! One of the best, and painfully one of the most obscure in the genre was twothirtyeight (or sometimes 238). The band hailed from Pensacola, FL in the state’s panhandle. Florida seemed to be a haven for emo and hardcore during that era, and many of those bands ended up on Birmingham, AL’s Takehold Records, and then eventually on Tooth & Nail when they bought Takehold’s roster and much of its back-catalogue.
Twothirtyeight played a style of emo that minimized the hardcore influence and instead delved into a deeply emotional form of indie rock, like secular counterparts in Braid, Cursive, or Christie Front Drive.… Continued →
May 10, 2023
Song of the Day: Olivia the Band - 39
This pop punk band made waves back in the mid 2000s. This SOTD has always been my fave per its catchy music & lyrics. Check em out.
Every time it came He took the pain,
He took away,
And in our place He stands,
Everyday, all day,
He lived to die,
He died to pay,
And in our place He stands,
Forty minus one,
Sin caused undone,
Black eye and spit,
Innocence they hit,
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May 8, 2023
Song of the Day: (Un)Worthy - Heavy Worship
This metal band has a no holds barred evangelism message & do not waver the Christian label. This tune is like a lyrical theme song to every Christian band’s message. Check out these lyrics & the reason behind the song.
What better place than here
What better time than now
Every tongue will confess
And every knee shall
Bow
We preach a message of love
They shake their fists in the air
Our light shines in the darkness
It’s no wonder they’re scared
I can hear them curse His name
I feel spit hit my face
Religion shoved down their throats
They never experienced grace
This crowd is our congregation
And this stage is our pulpit
Others think this is noise
We’re praising God with heavy worship
Other Christians can’t seem to get it
They’ve shut themselves off from the truth
They won’t reach out to the least of these
But this is what I was called to do
Let them feel Your love
See Your face
Hear Your Word
Know Your name
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May 6, 2023
Song of the Day: Andrew Carlton and the Swing Doctors - Swing Thing
There was a swing revival for a brief time in the late 90s. The W’s were probably the most well known, but there was also Denver & the Mile High Orchestra & One Eighty. If you like retro swing, try Ralph Carmichael. There was also (can you believe it?) a swing praise disc. Andrew would go on & release pop music in the early 2000s.
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May 1, 2023
Song of the Day: Left Out - Wasted vs What Money Didn't Do
This band was a side project from Bryan Gray of The Blamed. I actually met Jeff Locke whom Bryan referred me to who gave me this awesome 3rd hard copy that you can now find on The Blamed’s website.
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April 29, 2023
Song of the Day: Exiting The Fall - Lazarus
Some members of this metalcore band are actually in a recent band on Tooth & Nail records that’s been releasing new music called Valleyheart. And you gotta love every band that defines themselves as spirit filled hardcore! Check out these lyrics
You’ve created a gap only searching for what you cannot see,
yet you still lack the balance of faith and reality.
Hear Him speak: “I Am what is and what will always be!
I Am the I Am. I fill the gap in between.
I Am the I Am.… Continued →
April 28, 2023
Song of the Day: Delta Haymax - Tidal Wave
Gosh, this song . . . this band . . . has a way of evoking memories of a certain period of my life. Lo-fi indie rock with only 2 members. One on guitar and vocals, and the other on drums. They released a very short–only 3 songs–but brilliant self-titled EP on Tooth & Nail in 1997. T&N had a fantastic run of EPs around that time (Pedro the Lion, Warlord, Inner Means, Training for Utopia, etc.) and this was certainly one of them. The songs were lo-fi, but not noisy.… Continued →
April 27, 2023
Song of the Day: Beautiful Eulogy - Exit Dial Tone
This Christian hip hop group is comprised of seasoned rappers: producer Courtland Urbano, Braille, & Odd Thomas. Check out these thought provoking lyrics
We are in this world not of it, not to be scared and run from it
We shine light in the darkness, that’s why He left us here
Calling out to all the exiles, the Lord will not forsake you
His kingdom can’t be shaken, hold strong the end is near
We are the light of the world, so, shine on
Hey, I thought we won the battle but it really looks like we losing it
What we do seems insignificant, so limited in our influence
They don’t listen to our message, we scream and yell it, they say it’s irrelevant
It’s the greatest story ever told but a television ain’t telling it
So often they just mock our faith and it makes me wanna hide my face
Why we sitting on our hands with no plans like we got time to waste?… Continued →
April 25, 2023
Song of the Day: DJ Tekoa - The Flowers Fade
This EDM artist hails from North Carolina & his songs can be found on several EDM stations around the globe. This my fave of his. Appears he also just released a new one so go check him out.
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April 22, 2023
Song of the Day: Chatterbox - Epignosis
This release was a side project of Jeff Belew who has been in a slew of music endeavors over the years. The music is industrial metal & is a classic in the genre. Guest vocals in this SOTD is Mark Salomon. Pic is Jeff & Scott Albert aka Celldweller aka Circle of Dust.
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April 21, 2023
Song of the Day: Not for the Crowd - Gain Back Lost Youth
Not for the Crowd was one of the few Christian ska bands who didn’t go the third wave/ska-core/ska-punk fusion route, instead focusing on more traditional and/or two-tone style ska sounds. In this they shared some similarities with The Israelites, except NFTC featured faster tempos.
Sadly, I don’t know anything about this band–where they were from, who the members were, or anything of the sort. I first heard of them through a few ska compilations in the late 90s, and IVM’s own “Ska Lives” series. I only recently discovered that the band had released an 8-song album in 1997 called Morningstar Radio Hour for indie label Morningstar Records.… Continued →
April 20, 2023
Song of the Day: Global Warning - Chasm
This band has put out some decent music over the years. They are one of the few bands that has been around since the late 90s whose website is still active (although it doesn’t appear to have been updated in a while). They even have a page dedicated to their songs that charted on Christian rock radio. Check em out If you like the hard rock sound.
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April 18, 2023
Song of the Day: Lordchain: In This Place vs Life Aside
Lordchain is a hard rock band that has released tons of music over the years, but formed in 1990. Their latest released in 2022. In This Place was the first I heard from them, but Life Aside is my fave. Check out the lyrics & maybe you can relate also. No matter how dark this life may get, Jesus is always there waiting for us to return to HIM with open arms.
Sitting in this darkness
I think about my wasted life
Every time I’ve failed you
I sit around and cry
How could I let you down?… Continued →
April 14, 2023
Song of the Day: Tunnel Rats - Trz
The most legendary holy hip-hop cipher of them all? Perhaps. Tunnel Rats’ debut Experience (1996) was truly mind-blowing. It’s one of those rare albums where the line between art and artist was completely blurred, if it even existed in the first place. The lyrics (as well as the passion behind them) reflected absolute love of hip-hop music and culture, and absolute love of God and his Gospel. Very few artists, very few albums or artistic endeavors reach that climax of full integration where neither the message nor the artistic medium was compromised in any way whatsoever.… Continued →
April 13, 2023
Song of the Day: Reliance - No Matter What
This Arizona skatepunk band reminds me of when punk was huge in my life. I don’t believe they have released any new music since 2019. Here’s to hoping we hear more!!!
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April 11, 2023
Song of the Day: Nouveaux - All That Glitters
This Michigander band seemed to span the bridge between grunge, 80s metal & modern rock. They only released 2 LPs, but their music actually found its way onto CCM radio back in the early 90s. Check out all the songs in their discogs as they are all good. Their vocalist Paul Alan also released a pop rock solo album. Also, check out the YouTube instrumental for this SOTD so you can sing it at your local karaoke bar!
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