Tag: Stairwell

I wasn’t sure what to make of this band the first time I heard them. It was heavy, metallic hardcore, created in the era just before full-blown metalcore had become a thing. And the vocals were unlike anything I’d ever heard in hardcore before. The band hailed from Riverside, CA and were only active for a couple of years in the late 90s. They released a pair of demos, before releasing a devastating 4-song EP for fledgling Solid State Records, then-brand new sub-label of Tooth & Nail focusing exclusively on hardcore and metal.… Continued →

*This is an update to an article that originally appeared on Indie Vision Music back in 2018 for the 15th Anniversaries of the albums below. Some wording and arrangements may have been altered. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I enjoy these albums. Happy 20th to all these and many more that may have been accidentally left off the list (my memory is fuzzy). 15 20 years ago, a collection of what can now be determined as “Classic Hits” were unleashed on a crowd that had an insatiable appetite for what was new and considered “ROCK” music.… Continued →

A new band I’d like to introduce is called Binder of Light. Its a new band featuring members of Stairwell, Bloodshed, Unashamed, Rainy Days, and more. The band just got picked up by The Charon Collective which is a newer label started by one of of the founders of Pluto Records. Check out the little write up below and make sure to visit them on Instagram @binderoflight and their label – The Charon Collective right here. “The Charon Collective is excited to welcome Binder Of Light to the family!… Continued →

I am proud to introduce you all to this really great and encouraging new bible-based website called I Am A Wall. You can find the site at iamawall.com. Here are a few words about the site from its founder, Kim: “Each musician takes on a chapter in the bible to study. He or She then creates a song from what the Lord says to the individual. Iamawall is simply a documentation of what the musician creates. The web page catches and showcases the beauty of the Lord’s heart and meets each person where they are in their walk with Him.… Continued →

Now introducing a brand new California based band called “The Ironside Collective” which features a mighty fine cast of characters of bands past and present. Instead of me explaining it all, please check out the post from their new label, The Charon Collective, below. This new heavy rock band will drop their debut 4 song EP later this year via the new label. Stay tuned.… Continued →

No, The Supertones weren’t the first Christian ska band. The Israelites’ first album pre-dated them by a year. But in the UK, Rev Counta and the Speedoze* (another incarnation of Ishmael United) had released a full-length as early as 1980! And perhaps some Jamaican bands that didn’t fit into the CCM/CBA mold had been active earlier than that, it’s hard to say. However, the Supertones were the first Christian ska band to release an album on a nationally-distributed label, releasing The Adventures of the O.C. Supertones just a few months before Five Iron Frenzy dropped Upbeats and Beatdowns.… Continued →

Stairwell, a band I’ve been a long time fan of and known for 2 amazing albums, “Pacific Standard Time”, and “The Sounds of Change” which both came released on Takehold Records (Hopeless Records picked up the final record and re-released it), just announced their reunion and lineup. Joining long time members Jonathan Caro and Zak Schultz is Justice Gulmatico (Bloodshed), Jeff Jacquay (Unashamed, Rainy Days), and new face – Andy Lara. This 5 piece lineup is sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face and bring back the fun.… Continued →

Following up last year’s big 20 I thought it was only appropriate to continue on with these “anniversary” look back at the past type posts. These are my 20 favorite albums from the year 2001, in the Christian Music realm. Read on to see what albums made the list.… Continued →

The amazing thing about “Martha” from Bloodshed’s 1995 self-titled EP isn’t just how complex it is. Yes, it hits that sweet spot, distinctive of top-notch emo-core where the perfect balance of harsh and soft, noisy and melodic come together. It’s also not how mature the lyrics are. They’re inspired by a poem written by a young girl (the song’s namesake) during World War 2. It’s also not how proficient on the instruments the members were. The track features complex, angular riffing that wasn’t all that common in mid-90s hardcore, a mixture of clean singing and hardcore screaming.… Continued →

Stairwell the famous band from Southern California known for two hit albums (plus earlier work with Neil Samoy) nearly 2 decades ago and featured former Bloodshed singer – Jonathan Caro, is back in action. The new version features Jonathan Caro and Zack of Stairwell plus Jeff Jacquay of Unashamed and Rainy Days finishing out the new band. They have dropped their brand new song on Bandcamp here. More to come in the months ahead including concert dates so stay tuned. Anyone else as excited about this project than me?… Continued →

The new post-hardcore/rock act, Ironside, which feature members from Living Sacrifice, Stavesacre, Stairwell, Fighting Jacks, and Echocast, are playing a huge show tonight in Hollywood at the Whisky a Go Go with He Is Legend. Go to their facebook page right here for more info. You can also find the group’s debut singles on all digital networks now. Preview video about the show can be found below.… Continued →

Jonathan Caro is a busy and hard working man. Not only does he have a full time job and family to attend to but he also somehow manages to find the time to record music for multiple projects like My Compatriots, Windowsill Audrey, B is Bridgie, and now his “solo” act “The Pacific Notebook“. Check out this lo-fi collection of dreamy pop songs perfect for the upcoming spring and summer months. Somehow visions of Brian Wilson immediately pop into my head while giving these a listen.… Continued →

Windowsill Audrey is the brain child of Jason Fleetwood (Bloodshed, Fanmail, Rainy Days) and Jonathan Caro (Bloodshed, Rainy Days, Slingshot David, Stairwell, My Compatriots, B is Bridgie, and more). They play a style of music that would please fans of Pavement, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Jets to Brazil, Starflyer 59, and Stairwell. Their indie rock sounds are sure to attract new fans from all over the world. The band are currently finishing up their debut ep and full length which they will release later this year.… Continued →

We are proud to present to you the brand new music video from indie pop rock group B is Bridgie for their song, “The Other Night”. Check it out below. B is Bridgie features Jonathan Caro known for his time in such groups as Stairwell, Bloodshed, My Compatriots, Pilot Whale and his wife Kim Caro on vocals. If you like what you hear, purchase their latest ep “500 Words” on Bandcamp here.… Continued →

I am pleased to bring you a full ep stream from the new indie rock/pop act, B is Bridgie. Their debut ep “500 Words” is out in late October. B is Bridgie features Kim and Jonathan Caro (Jonathan was formerly a member of Stairwell, Bloodshed, Pilot Whale, My Compatriots). They play a dreamy indie pop-rock type blend with female vocals. Check out the Ep below and purchase it when it goes up for sale in October. [Facebook] For fans of: Rainer Maria, Velocity Girl, Rocking Horse Winner, Morella’s Forest, Marine Research… Continued →

I am very proud to present you with a new song from My Compatriots titled “Let’s Just Stay on Board”. This band features former members of Stairwell and Bloodshed. The new album titled “California Redemption Value” will be out this summer. More music to come in the months ahead. [Facebook] [Soundcloud] [YouTube]… Continued →