Sufjan Stevens New Album ‘The Age of Adz’
It has been five years since Sufjan Stevens has put out his ground-breaking record Illinois. The second record in his 50 states series. We all where wondering how, could, and would Sufjan really pull this feat off. The years passed, and Sufjan confessed that the whole “states” project was a promotional gimmick that he never intended to finish. Now five years, one B sides record, a Christmas record, a movie soundtrack, and an EP later we get a brand new full length record called The Age of Adz’. This record seems to be a collection of Sufjans styles, from the electronic sounds in Enjoy Your Rabbit, to the smooth folk in Illinois. The record came out Oct 12th on Sufjan’s label, Asthmatic Kitty.

Songs to Slay the Dragons, Vol.2 Compilation Out Now
In this day and age of free music downloads, one website gives you some great music that is cutting edge and ahead of release dates. Indievisionmusic.com just put out two new downloadable compilations this week. Songs to Slay the Dragons, Vol. 2 is forty-four tracks of some of the best up and coming hardcore and metal. It includes bands such as Messengers, Close Your Eyes, Hundredth, The Gun Show, Thin Ice, Dependency, Sovereign Strength, I Am Alpha and Omega, Before There was Rosalyn, Saving Grace, Debtor, and Strengthen What Remains, witch was one of the Pick of The Litter bands in our Sep/Oct issue.

Third Day Album Debuts In Billboard Top 10
MOVE, the 11th studio album from multi-Platinum rock band Third Day, takes a spot inside the Top 10 on this week’s Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Top Current Contemporary Christian Chart. Produced by Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, Martha Wainwright), MOVE follows Revelation, which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in 2008, and 2009’s CD/DVD Live Revelations, which won the band its fourth GRAMMY® earlier this year. Mac Powell, Third Day’s lead singer states, “We have such loyal and dedicated fans. We want to thank them for their support of our new project. After being in music for so long, it’s great to see that our words and music are still strongly connecting with our fans.” Recent reviews on Move in such outlets as USA Today and The Atlanta Journal Constitution draw comparisons to U2 and solid Southern Rock roots grounded in faith and conviction. The lead single “Lift Up Your Face” featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama is the group’s fastest rising single of their career to date reaching over 40 million in impressions at radio alone. Third Day will be sitting down with CNN at its Atlanta-based studio to discuss music, faith and life on the road while band members are home for a break from its sold out touring schedule. Third Day, ranked as one of the top touring bands by Pollstar, recently launched the AEG Live-sponsored “Make A Difference Tour.” Nearly 80,000 fans turned out for the first few weekends of shows and over 100,000 tickets have already been sold for the 20-city arena outing, which wraps up at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC on October 30th. See below for remaining dates. Over the past decade, Third Day has racked up 27 No. 1 radio singles and sold more than seven million albums, receiving two RIAA Platinum and eight Gold certifications. The band has won four GRAMMY awards, an American Music Award, 24 GMA Dove Awards and multiple ASCAP honors. The band has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “60 Minutes” and “Nightline” and been featured in The New York Times, USA Today and on the cover of Billboard, which called Third Day “one of the best rock bands.”

Orianthi Partners With Flyleaf’s Lacey In New Video
Australian singer/songwriter Orianthi has released a new music video for the song “Courage,” from her recent release Believe (II). “Courage is one of my favorite songs to sing live… It’s very spiritual and it takes you to a colorful place,” she says of the track, which showcases the rocker’s softer side and features friend Lacey of the band Flyleaf. “I had a great time making the video with Lacey. I love the setting and the colors that were used in this clip – very earthy and exactly the way I envisioned the video for this tune to be.” Believe (II) also features Orianthi’s hits “According to You” and “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” and is available in store and on iTunes. Visit Orianthi.com and follow her on Twitter for the latest updates.

Endeavor Media To Film “Uncle America” Documentary
The fine folks behind the hip HM commercial spots, the Owl City “Fireflies” video are certain to make a great documentary. From their blog: “I’m excited to announce that myself and a group of close friends are going to be heading over to India to film a documentary called “Uncle America”. My business partner and friend, Steve Hoover, has been planning a documentary for some time now about the work his friend Rocky Braat is doing. Rocky left America to go to India to serve orphans who have all been infected with AIDS. But the story goes further than that: I encourage you to read the full synopsis of the film. We want people to watch this film and humbly question the depth of their love for humanity. We have been inspired by Rocky, and only wish to create a conduit through which others can also be inspired. Most of all, we want to tell a story that takes us from a life destined for middle-American success to an impoverished orphanage and all the while repeats the idea that love is not a part time job. That love can do just as much good in Pittsburgh as it can in India. We are looking for assistance in funding the project. We don’t care about profit. Every single person involved in this project is working for free. We are attempting to get $8,000-10,000, the majority of which is travel costs for four crew members. When the documentary is complete, we will be selling a DVD, the proceeds of which will be sent to help the orphanage. We just hope that you take a moment to either download our proposal or visit our project page at Kickstarter to read about the full scope of the project. Our Kickstarter account offers some great incentives to donating such as DVDs, Shirts, etc. In addition to that, if you are in support of what we’re trying to accomplish, we ask that you forward this to friends, post it on Facebook or twitter, and just pass it along. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read through this and consider helping out with this project. Thank you!

The Chariot Post New Video Blog
Georgia’s THE CHARIOT and AOL’s Noisecreep.com have posted the first of four exclusive video blogs in preparation for the release of the band’s new album, Long Live, on November 22nd. he band will release three more exclusive blogs throughout the remainder of the month at to-be-announced locations. Stay tuned for more updates on where you can catch the next video blog! THE CHARIOT is pleased to announce their addition to the Peter Says Denim presented ‘Winterizer Tour’, featuring SILVERSTEIN, MISS MAY I, PIERCE THE VEIL, and A BULLET FOR A PRETTY BOY. The tour begins on Friday, January 7th in Clifton Park, NY. Make sure to see below for more dates!
Tour Dates:
11/12 – Harrisonburg, VA
11/13 – West Springfield, VA
11/14 – Providence, RI
11/15 – Hartford, CT
11/16 – Toronto, ON
11/17 – Montreal, QC
11/19 – Windsor, ON
11/20 – Kitchener, ON
11/21 – London, ON
11/22 – Ottawa, ON
11/23 – Kingston, ON
11/24 – Peterborough, ON
11/25 – Barrie, ON
11/26 – Brantford, ON
11/27 – Mississauga, ON
11/30 – Edinboro, PA
12/1 – Pittsburgh, PA
12/2 – Poughkeepsie, NY
12/3 – Garden City, NY
12/4 – Vineland, NJ
12/5 – West Chester, PA
12/6 – Virginia Beach, VA
12/7 – Raleigh, NC
12/8 – Corbin, KY
12/9 – East Ridge, TN
12/10 – Prattville, AL
12/11 – Douglasville, GA
1/7 – Clifton Park, NY
1/8 – Allentown, PA
1/11 – Toledo, OH
1/12 – Madison, WI
1/13 – Palatine, IL
1/14 – Iowa City, IA
1/15 – Springfield, MO
1/16 – Tulsa, OK
1/18 – Albuquerque, NM
1/19 – Tucson, AZ
1/20 – Las Vegas, NV
1/21 – Pomona, CA
1/22 – Orangevale, CA
1/23 – Reno, NV
1/25 – Colorado Springs, CO
1/26 – Kansas City, MO
1/27 – St. Louis, MO
1/28 – Lansing, MI
1/29 – Buffalo, NY

Blue Like Jazz Movie Project Sets Record
A 30-day campaign generated by two Nashville men to save the making of the feature adaption of “Blue Like Jazz,” based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same name, has now become the largest crowd-sourced creative project in American history. The “Save Blue Like Jazz” project raised $345,992 from 4,495 supporters, topping Kickstarter.com’s previous record of $200,641. Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Kickstarter.com is the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. Filming began last week on Wed. Oct. 27 in Nashville, Tenn. and Portland, Ore. Marshall Allman (“True Blood,“ Prison Break”) is set to play the lead role of Donald Miller. Tania Raymonde (“Lost,” “Crash”), Justin Welborn (“Final Destination,” “The Crazies”) and Claire Holt have also been cast. The movie, directed by Steve Taylor, will be produced by Clarke Gallivan (Ruckus Film) and filmed by cinematographer Ben Pearson. “The crew in Nashville that didn’t have work until you helped us thanks you, the writers who really wanted to see their story on the screen thank you, our mothers thank you, the actors who live to bring other characters to life thank you, the musicians who will make the soundtrack thank you, the real life characters whose lives will be reflected in the story thank you, the people who were turning toward cynicism thank you, everybody who was about to give up before they heard this story thanks you, and I thank you,” said Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz in a blog post on www.donmilleris.com on the last morning of the campaign, Mon., Oct. 25. After seeing the news on the author’s blog that the movie was being put on indefinite hold due to a lack of funding, two fans of Miller’s famous Blue Like Jazz, Zach Prichard and Jonathan Frazier, created a grassroots style effort to save the film with the launch of www.savebluelikejazz.com. One of the movie’s investors committed to matching the amount raised if their campaign reached $125,000. To see the original video post from Prichard and Frazier, visit www.savebluelikejazz.com. The website encouraged viewers to download and pass along “Save Blue Like Jazz” posters, place Twitter hash marks of #savebluelikejazz, “like” on Facebook and, most importantly, donate on www.kickstarter.com. Pledge incentives included recorded voicemails from Miller, “Associate Producer” credits in the film’s end titles, t-shirts, screening tickets, copies of Miller’s script, digital downloads, personal “thank you” calls from the film’s director and more. Miller’s Blue Like Jazz has sold 1.3 million copies to date, and the writing of the movie’s screenplay was highlighted in his latest New York Times Bestseller A Million Miles In A Thousands Years.

The Rocketboys Release New EP
Brandon Kinder, lead singer of the Rocketboys, describes Wellwisher not as a concept album but a concept experience. The musical collaboration and nomadic recording process, combined with the lyrical themes of unity, brotherhood and relationships, all contributed to and exuded from the final product. The Rocketboys are still “creating rich anthems that are as infectious as they are sincere” (Paste Magazine) with “clear, ringing guitars and full-bodied keyboard arrangements, hard-driving drum lines and well-practiced transitions between calm and controlled chaos” (Austin American-Statesman). The band has already begun writing its second full-length, which will expand upon what Wellwisher offers. The currently unnamed release will be out by summer 2011 and feature a bucket of brand new songs from the six-piece group. The band had tracks featured on a plethora of TV shows including 2010 Winter Olympic Games, The Real World, The Buried Life and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, among others.
For a few song from The Rocketboys, visit:
paperthinmedia.com/download/therocketboysanarrowplace.mp3

Seabird Release Christmas EP
Seabird is releasing a seven-song Christmas EP, Over the Hills and Everywhere. The EP is available now exclusively with iTunes. Over the Hills and Everywhere comes as a follow-up to the band’s release of the song “Joy to the World” which was featured on an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” during last year’s holiday season. Songs included on the direct to iTunes ® EP include “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” “What Child Is This?” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.”
“I remember taking Aaron to see the Nut Cracker ballet one year when we were in our late teens. We both got dressed up in suits, headed down to Music Hall and lost ourselves in this magical classic,” admits Ryan Morgan. “We wanted to record the classics the way we would any other of our songs. After all, the lyrics are quite good and worthy of creative and inspiring music. I think it’s worked for us. We did two last year (‘Joy to the World’ and ‘Silent Night’), and our fans seemed to love them when we performed them in our set on our headlining tour last Dec. So we did five more this year that we are really pumped about.” Seabird will take their Christmas tunes to the road from the end of Nov. to mid Dec. on the “Over The Hills and Everywhere Tour” with opener Ben Rector.
For tour dates or more information on the EP, go here:
myspace.com/seabird

IVM Sampler Vol.1 Compilation Album Available Now
The second compilation is called IVM Sampler Vol. 1. This compilation has forty tracks from all sorts of bands like Blood and Water, The Ember Days, The Overseer, White Collar Sideshow, Grave Robber, Thirty-seven, and last but not least a brand new song from Craig’s Brother called “The Mistake of Caring”. The artwork was done by Matthew Shelton of The Wedding. Download the album here.

Proto-Kaw Not Broken Up After All
Proto-Kaw has announced that they are not broken up after all. From Kerry Livgren’s website: 10/17/10 – Well….after having announced the demise of Proto-Kaw, we are very pleased to say that the band has re-united and is presently at work on their unfinished (and presently untitled) studio album. It is scheduled for release this coming January.

©2010 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved

More news from last week:

still fresh (as far as you know)

The reality is that everyone will hate this list (or at least be angry about some inclusion or omission), but the good news behind this arduous task of whittling down the preliminary list of 500+ that we developed down to a final 100 is that there is a lot of great Christian rock out there. The bad news, of course, is that a lot of these titles are out-of-print and probably a tad difficult to find. Maybe the attention this list brings will help resurrect a title or two. This would be an honor and a great reward for this tough exercise in rock criticism.

While the companion/parallel list we printed in our “sister” publication (Heaven’s Metal Fanzine’s “Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of All Time”) had a simpler and more narrow focus, defining exactly what “Rock” is was a tad more difficult. The ‘90s revitalized and catapulted an ambiguous genre called “indie rock,” which certainly threw a wrench into the far simpler “does it rock or not” litmus test. Lighter, ambient and sometimes atonal experiments in music found their way into the hearts of rockers everywhere and we’ve tried to reflect that in our list assembly, too.

Ultimately, there are five major factors that go into judging an album in this light. One is greatness. Did the album touch the skies, so to speak? Did it achieve greatness? This is both subjective and objective. This is where it’s good to meet and discuss with industry people with either a keen sense of history or a great awareness of current trends (both is even better). We had the help of friends and compatriots like Brian Quincy Newcomb, Chris Hauser, Dr. Tony Shore, as well as some smart and enthusiastic readers who chimed in on Facebook.

Beyond greatness is that personal, entirely subjective factor of “Do I love it? Do I sing along to it?” (or play air instruments). Basically, “Is it one of my favorites?” It would only make sense that your vote for “best” would be equal to or close to “favorite” as well. This criteria is usually what will put an album on the list, and the other four criteria are the kind of factors that will keep an album on this list.

One of the biggest factors is the “classic” factor, which I like to break down to the simple question of, “Will I be listening to this album five years from now? “In the case of some early Jesus Rock albums, like Only Visiting This Planet or So Long Ago The Garden, the lifespan has nearly surpassed 40 years. This is why I rarely give a “5” rating for albums in our Album Reviews section. To me, a “classic” is one of those albums that stands the test of time. It still sounds great long after its shelf-life (which is a pretty sore subject with me and the Christian music industry, who seems to have no appreciation for the classics**). It’s really hard to know in the present how something is going to fare when it falls into the deep past of just four or five years.

Another huge factor is the “historical impact” of an album. Did it put Christian heavy metal on the map? It could be argued, for example, that Stryper’s To Hell With The Devil did that with its multi-Platinum sales and mad success on MTV’s Dial MTV. Did it freak out the establishment big-time? This could be said for early pioneers, like Larry Norman, either of the two Randy’s (Matthews or Stonehill) or Petra. Did it evolve a scene or take it to another level? The Human Sacrifice album by Vengeance Rising was certainly a historical event.

And finally, which (like the others) could stand on its own as possibly the most important factor (though I’d argue it’s not) is popularity. Did it sell over a million copies? How many times? Did crowds flock to see the artist on this particular album’s tour or shortly thereafter? Ideally, the Top Christian Rock Albums of All Time would score at the top in each of these five categories. Conversely, if they failed miserably in any one of these categories, it’d be hard to consider it the best.

So, without further ado, we press on with the list to end all lists. Or – more accurately – the list that started World War III in our scene.

In working on this list, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The task is enormous. A couple of exercises I’ve taken with my own list, which was hybrid-ized and conjoined with the lists of other industry folks, is to listen to some classic radio. If these albums are going to be called “the best,” then they better stand the test of time. So, to get some perspective, I thought it wise to listen to an Eagles song here, a Tom Petty song there. It’s probably too high of a standard to live up to, but even listening to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones give a good benchmark on what is great and what is not.

** A note about out-of-print albums and how they get there: The notion that the Christian music industry is to blame for this lack of appreciation for history is incomplete. You can’t blame the guys in the suits at the record companies when you and I as an audience are equally at fault. We don’t buy old albums in numbers. Part of that short attention span is the radio and television programming that’s out there. If no one introduces us or educates us on the classics, how are we to know? Not everyone has that friend who takes the time to inform you of Christian rock’s rich history. Magazines and other mediums are guilty, too.

At HM we try to keep a balance of history and current. We know that current is what people want, but we also realize that history is the foundation of what’s current. Our old managing editor, Jason Dodd, stole the quote from somewhere (I think): “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.” As rock critics we can satisfy our hunger for greatness at the same time we dish out current trends if we have a little of both.

The formula for when an album becomes “out of print” goes something like this: when the amount or cost of warehousing the music (think boxes and boxes of CDs on a shelf somewhere) exceeds the income from sales, it’s marked out-of-print and flushed out of the system. Retailers may get a chance at one final order with big discounts and then it’s off to the “junk dealers,” that buy these items in bulk at pennies on the dollar. “I used to get really bummed out when one of our albums went out of print,” admits T&N’s Brandon Ebel, “but there is an upside to digital” (and that’s keeping these albums alive).

#1 U2 – The Joshua Tree|Island|1987

“This CD was the turning point for me with U2. This album was so inspiring to the world. It was a universal cry of spirituality and common sense of human feelings. On Joshua Tree Bono continued to inspire me to write honest lyrics, like he did when they first came out in 1980. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” helped bring me out of my religious insanity. It was a perfect album in my opinion. The biggest thing I noticed about this CD was after 4 awesome records  there was a new maturity in songwriting. God bless Bono and U2.” —Doug Pinnick (King’s X)

“The Joshua Tree is not only one of the greatest rock albums of all time, but look at how its sound has directly influenced modern worship. The impact of U2’s style on the church of today is unquantifiable!” —Paul Q-Pek (One Bad Pig)

“Joshua Tree is one of my favorite albums of all time.” —Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.)

It’s only fitting that the top album on this list is also a great candidate (and a good argument) for the top rock album of all time, period – sacred or secular. Given that rock’s roots go straight into the church in the first place, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that an artist of faith would make some of the best music around, but it’s still a cool thing.

This album took the band from huge to mind-blowing in terms of prominence and historical impact. It starts off with an unforgettable song that both creates tension and brings emotional fulfillment. Like any great blues song, it laments our current conditions as it longs for heaven, where people will not get beat down for living in a certain neighborhood. “Where the Streets Have No Name” has probably the greatest crescendo in rock in what could be the greatest song in rock and roll. It builds with a spiraling tension that just explodes with color – like the transition from black and white to vibrant stage lighting that the band employed for that performance scene in their movie, Rattle and Hum. I think the band learned about the power of a hypnotic, building vibe with the previous album’s showstopper – “Bad.” —Doug Van Pelt

#2 Payable on Death - Satellite|Atlantic|2001

“The prayer was that God would use (this album) to get it in front of gazillions of kids. He honored the prayers of the saints.” —Noah Bernardo, Sr. (Founder, Rescue Records; father of drummer, Wuv)

“Satellite changed my life.” —Sonny Sandoval

With an album that came out on 9/11, along with a song that soon became a healing balm for a generation (“Alive”), this album had perfect timing … and monster jams. “Boom,” “Set It Off” and “Anything Right” roared with power, while “Youth of the Nation” was chilling and “Thinking About Forever” was just chill.—DV

#3 Stryper - To Hell With The Devil|Enigma|1986

“One of the most eye-opening albums of my childhood! Changed the entire music rulebook as we knew it!” —Brad Noah

“One terrific album – great sound, great riffs, solos, hooks – everything a memorable metal album that stands the test of time should be.” —Ted Kirkpatrick

When this album broke, it went multi-platinum, forever raising the ceiling of what heavy Christian music could do. While the ballad “Honestly” might’ve broadened the band’s appeal, the band perfected its pop metal sound with sharp-edged songs like “Calling on You,” “Free” and “Rockin’ The World.” They were giants in those days and their message on “More Than A Man,” the title track and “The Way” were as clear as any Sunday morning preacher. For some odd reason, however, the decision was made that the painting of four angels casting an evil dude into the fire was “objectionable” and a “safer” version was sold into Christian bookstores.—DV

#4 The Choir - Chase the Kangaroo|Myrth|1988

“Making that record was a turning point for us. I had just opened the studio and we were becoming more confident about our music. The record company thought we were doing demo’s for them, but we decided we were going to make the record without their input. We felt we were on to something special. That record is still one of my favorites.”—Derri Daugherty

This band helped define how great “alternative” Christian rock could be. This album flows from one track to another with refrains from one (“Clouds”) re-appearing in another and referencing a previous album (“The Rifleman”), making the album seem like a warm, yet melancholy journey. “Sad Face” was probably the first great mountain peak the band scaled, which they’d repeat with killer songs like “To Cover You” and “Sentimental Song” on subsequent albums.—DV

#5 Altar Boys - Gut Level Music|Frontline|1986

“You Found Me” could be the greatest punk rock love song to God ever written. In true biblical/evangelical fashion, the song turns to the audience and declares, “Let Jesus find you like He found me!”—DV

“A timeless alternative rock classic. Outdoing not just all Christian rock releases, but equal to or better than their secular counterparts The Clash, Bruce Spingsteen & John Cougar Mellencamp. Still on rotation in my music listening regulars.  A strong Christian message played & presented with unprecedented passion and arranged with ageless appeal.—Steve Rowe (Mortification)

#6 The Seventy Sevens - Seventy Sevens|Exit/Island|1987

This one remains strongly ensconced on my personal top-ten list. Every song is a gem, every moment just about perfect. So what that the rest of the world missed the boat on this one, the band hit a home run. Intelligent, gutsy, brutally honest and undeniably hopeful, I still listen to it regularly and sing along with every word.—John J. Thompson

“I can’t think of many other records in my collection that are this solid from top to bottom. It also carries a twinge of sadness for me. The songs are melancholy, and there’s also the memory of this project getting far less attention and success than it deserved.”—Chris Hauser (freelance radio promotions)

Mike Roe has told us that the staff at Island was going to push this album hard into the mainstream, but another one of their albums broke big beforehand and this push never happened. That other album? The Joshua Tree (sigh).—DV

#7 King's X - Faith Hope Love|Megaforce|1990

You’ve heard the term “art rock?” Well, this was art metal, and it was perfect.—DV

“There was some good stuff on that CD, it was our biggest selling album. But it’s like looking at a yearbook for me, I’m just too close to make an evaluation. But I still think ‘I’ll Never Get Tired Of You’ is a great song.”—Doug Pinnick Although they’ve never allowed themselves to be described as a “Christian rock band,” fans on the hard  music side of ccm have universally embraced the progressive power trio that is King’s X, especially the two previous efforts and this early 1990 commercial breakthrough. The disc exhibits the band’s musical dexterity and muscular mastery, mixing funk, soul, hard rock riffs and rich harmonic vocals in a wildly entertaining prog-rock stew, that also managed to garner a “pop” single/MTV hit in “It’s Love.”  Later records would never sound as polished as this Sam Taylor produced effort, but it’s winning songs like “We Are Finding Who We Are,” “Moan Jam” and the title track that kick started King’s X into the mainstream.  – BQN

#8 Stavesacre - Speakeasy|Tooth&Nail|1999

“Mark Salomon is probably one of three if not the top lyricist in Tooth & Nail history. An amazing voice and artist. He’s done everything from hip-hop to metal, hardcore and rock. One of the most talented guys I’ve worked with. That’s an amazing record, as well. Some people even think the pinnacle for Stavesacre.—Brandon Ebel (CEO, Tooth & Nail)

#9 mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister|Tooth & Nail|2006

“There’s another top three lyricist on the label as well, with Aaron. mewithoutYou was a surprise. We sign some bands that have remained extremely small on the label and that was a band, where you didn’t necessarily know where they would go. They basically became a band that has a complete cult following. They got pretty big and are definitely one of the highlights for us as a label in my career putting out their records. Definitely a band with a lot of integrity and vision.—Brandon Ebel

#10 Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice|Intense|1989

You should have seen the Star Song sales reps pre-selling this album at the CBA Int’l convention before this one hit in ‘89. They were giddy yet clueless at the revolutionary prospect. Nothing has really come out before or since this album hit the scene. Awesome riffs played at breakneck speed, but just gnarly, groove-heavy riffs on their own. Tunes like “White Throne” and the title track are without question high water marks of the Christian metal scene. Has only one blemish (probably the worst audio engineering glitch of all time) – a bad vocal edit, which comes in at 2:02 during the song “Burn.”—DV

#11 Switchfoot - The Beautiful Letdown|Sparrow|2003

An excerpt from HM#99 said this album was “perfectly titled … and I’m not talking about the words ‘the’ or ‘beautiful.’…” I guess HM was wrong on that one, huh?—DV

#12 Precious Death - Southpaw|Metro One|1995

As inventive as Faith No More was to mainstream metal was this progressive release to the Christian metal scene. Mix Living Colour with Metallica and Cher on lead vocals. “Say what?” Exactly!—DV

#13 Larry Norman - Only Visiting This Planet|Solid Rock|1972

Let your history search start here with the grandaddy of Christian rock. The first of a killer trilogy, this album features excellent, witty, sharp and poignant lyrics. He’s bold, blunt and street level (see “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus”).—DV

#14 MUTEMATH - MUTEMATH|Warner Bros.|2006

Cutting edge and even somewhat controversial, this is a landmark release and it simply blew people away with a fresh sound and world class songwriting. This album is so good it sounds like a major UK release.—Dr. Tony Shore

#15 Adam Again - Ten Songs|Broken|1988

For their sophomore effort, Gene Eugene took his band to the next level, mixing soul & funk with his edgy alternative rock leanings to come up with a record that is sophisticated and moving.—Brian Quincy Newcomb For their sophomore effort, Gene Eugene took his band to the next level, mixing soul & funk with his edgy alternative rock leanings to come up with a record that is sophisticated and moving.  Greg Lawless’s guitars deliver the raw rock energy that would dominate later records, but it’s the songwriting that excels. “Treehouse” boldly asks that none be excluded, “Who Can Hold Us” reminds us that God never turns away, while the back to back punch of “Eyes Wide Open” and “Every Word I Say” call for a life and faith lived authentically in the real world.  My favorite version ever of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” – BQN

#16 Scatered Few - Sin Disease|Alarna|1990

One of the best records to ever come out of the ‘punk’ scene. —Caleb Olsen (Boot To Head Records)

#17 Sixpence None The Richer - Sixpence None The Richer|Squint|1997

Everything about it – the friendships forged thru trials, the song cycle borne of artistic despair, the covert recording sessions, the extraordinary musicianship, the subsequent birth of Squint, and the album’s eventual worldwide success – still seems like a miracle.—Steve Taylor

#18 Tourniquet - Psycho Surgery|Intense|1992

It’s hard to pick between Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance or this one for this list, so we just flipped a medical thesaurus and it opened to Psycho…—DV

#19 Daniel Amos - Doppelganger|Alarma!|1983

I’d spent a couple years stretching my church friends (and radio listeners in Syracuse) with earlier DA, Mark Heard and Rez Band. When Doppleganger hit my desk, I was the one who got stretched.—Chris Hauser

#20 The Prayer Chain - Shawl|Road Dog|1993

I think we were all into Jane’s Addiction when we wrote that album. I thought we were really ahead of our time when we finished it, but listening back to it, you can defiantly hear the Seattle influence. —Tim Taber

#21 MxPx - Life in General|Tooth & Nail| 1996

Infectious, original, awesome and very musical. “Middlename,” “Chick Magnet,” “Cristalena” and “Move To Bremerton” are all still staples in a great live show.—DV

#22 Zao - Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest|Solid State|1998

Zao has had an amazing, prolific and brutal career thus far (both musically and personnel-wise), but this one really kicked into that heavy gear that helped define “metal-core.”—DV

#23 Bloodgod - Detonation|Frontline|1987

Quite an original metal sound. Unforgettable tracks include the back-to-back “Crucify” and “Messiah,” but evangelistic fervor meets metal in “Self-Destruction” and the ballad “Alone in Suicide.”—DV

#24 Outer Circle - Outer Circle|Tooth & Nail|1998

Crucified frontman Mark Salomon tries his hand at old school punk here and knocks one out of the park. Every track rules. “Manifesto” is a rally ‘round the microphone punk anthem.—DV

#25 Creed - Human Clay|Wind-up|1999

Lotsa people hate on Creed, but they perfected that classic rock formula of quieter verses exploding into huge power choruses better than most bands. I still like these songs. —David Bach (Guardian)

#26 Galactic Cowboy - Galactic Cowboy|DGC|1991

I loved this album. I remember them rehearsing these songs for a demo before they got signed to Geffen. They were such naturals at harmonizing. And with brutal metal underneath. —Doug Pinnick

#27 Lifesavers Underground - Shaded Pain|Frontline|1987

This monumental 1988 release from Michael Knott and LSU puts the lie to the idea that Christian music has to be positive. Angry, confused, hurting and worn to a thin hot line, this punk record was about telling the cold hard truth about existence, while we “cling to the faith” (“Tether to Tassel”) that “there is More to Life” than what we see.  – BQN

As great as Chris Carrabba was with FSF, his leaving to go solo was an awesome decision. Hearing these bleeding-heart songs sung back to him from 1,000 voices in the audience in concert on this tour was a flat-out phenomenon. —DV

#29 Whitecross - Whitecross|Pure Metal|1987

Listen to this album. It’ll blow your mind. It’s simplistic ‘80s metal to a fault (think Ratt with Jesus-first lyrics), but the shredding lead guitar by Rex Carroll in every fill, nook and cranny is primo.—DV

#30 Fleming & John - Delusions of Grandeur|R.E.X.|1995

Why this album didn’t change the world is a crime. Fleming McWilliams’ operatic vocal range and hubby John’s adroit songwriting was an eclectic groove alt-rock match made in heaven.—DV

#31 Deliverance - Deliverance|Intense|1989

“If You Will” into “The Call” is almost as good as metal gets.”—DV This record would forever change and impact me and the Christian metal music scene as we knew it! —Bill Bafford (Roxx Prod.)

#32 Kerry Livgren AD - Time Line|CBS|1984

One of my fav albums. Two vocalists dancing over sideways, rhythmic and very electronic beats was a fresh and highwater mark in 1984 for a few ex-members of Kansas that wanted to pen intelligent Christian lyrics to thinking man’s prog rock.—DV

#33 Mortal - Fathom|Intense|1993

Sonic brilliance, great hooks and killer riffs made “Alive and Awake,” “Rift,” Godspeed” and “Nepulsultra” stick in your head long after the tracks ended. Could be the most accessible industrial style music ever made by believers. —DV

#34 Demon Hunter - Summer of Darkness|Solid State|2004

A dynamic mix of the right amount of chaotic riffage, doomy low-end vocals, and singable choruses got this world-class album noticed in the mainstream. —DV

#35 Owl City - Ocean Eyes|Universal Republic|2009

Possibly the musical success story of 2009. Adam Young somehow crafted a dozen electronic songs in his parents’ Minnesota basement that just ooze infectious joy. —DV

#36 Flyleaf - Flyleaf|Octone|2005

Here’s a terrific, inventive and dynamic metal album that was miraculously given time to build an audience and take off over the course of 3-4 years. One listen and you’ll never doubt again if girls can do metal. —DV

#37 Thrice - Vheissu|Island|2005

Perhaps this is what U2 might’ve sounded like if they had formed in a post-hardcore Orange County. A creative masterpiece and high mark that the band keeps threatening to top. Scary. —DV

#38 Aunt Bettys - Aunt Bettys|Elektra|1996

Maybe we should just blame the marketing and radio promotions departments at Elektra for failing to make the song “Jesus” as memorable as a Nirvana hit. How could they have failed with material this good? —DV

#39 The Crucified - The Pillars of Humanity|Ocean|1992

I would’ve never started playing drums, which led to me being in NIV & then to starting a label, if it wasn’t for Pillars…—Jason Dunn The Crucified is one of the reasons why I joined and started P.O.D.. Pillars of Humanity was the first “Christian” album I’d ever heard.”—Sonny Sandoval

#40 The Alarm - Strength|IRS|1985

The Alarm were one of my favorite bands back in the early ‘80s. I was so blown away by them using Marshall amps with acoustic guitars! They were so spiritual, but not preachy at all. They were an inspiration to me. —Doug Pinnick

#41 Embodyment - The Narrow Scope of Things|Solid State|2000

What a change from Embrace the Eternal to this album … and what a killer song in “One Less Addiction.” It was like a new band – an awesome, passionate and emotional new band.—DV

#42 Believer - Sanity Obscure|R.E.X.|1991

When Christians make art that blows people away with its creativity, skill and excellence … well, isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be when people are in relation to the Creator? Sanity Obscure – case in point. —DV

#43 Dogwood - Building a Better Me|Tooth & Nail|2000

I (originally) signed ‘em, because I loved their heart. The way they connected with the kids was phenomenal. They made kids feel welcome all the time and they were pranksters. I loved that about them. —Noah Bernardo, Sr.

#44 Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety|Solid State|2004

I knew this was going to be a special record on hearing the demos. It brings back many fond memories of a great time in my life and marks the peak of my career at T&N. Without a doubt, this was a defining moment for Underoath. —Chad Johnson (Come&Live)

#45 Bride - Snakes in the Playground|Star Song|1992

This record best captured the apex of their live energy and great songwriting. —David Bach A turning point for the legitimacy of true hard rock in the Christian market (as opposed to overly premeditated/watered-down youth group filler). Snakes… was to Bride what Appetite… was to G ‘n R.—Dez Dickerson

#46 Maylene and the Sons of Disaster - I|Mono vs Stereo|2005

On paper the idea sounds crazy: a hardcore frontman singing lyrics about Ma Barker over a Southern Rock/metal hybrid … but it’s a marvelous thing. The ballad “Just Wanted to Make Mother Proud” could be today’s “Free Bird.”—DV

#47 Lovewar – Soak Your Brain|Pakaderm|1993

Hands down … the most underrated Christian rock band of all time. This record is sick! Tim Bushong is one of the great unsung music geniuses of Christian rock. —David Bach

Rooted in the voice and bass lines of Michael Been, The Call’s “Reconciled” confirmed that inspite of life’s challenges, “I Still Believe (Great Design).” And I find God’s Spirit “Everywhere I Go.” A masterful musical collection of artists, in songs of thoughtful, often biblical imagery, The Call revealed you could write about profoundly spiritual themes in mainstream settings and rock with intentionality, because “we need all the hope that we can get.” – BQN

#49 dc Talk - Jesus Freak|Forefront|1995

Even though you could find this album’s title track if you mashed “Self Esteem” with “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” it is still a great rally cry for Christian rockers. The album had more than one good song, too. And it (thankfully) found them moving towards rock. —DV

#50 John Mehler - Bow & Arrow|A&S|1982

Got this record when it came out. Still have it on vinyl! It was ahead of its time musically for Christian music. It sounded secular, which was a no-no in Christendom back then. Times have truly changed, and this record stands the test of time. —Doug Pinnick

#51 Seabird - 'Til We See the Shore|Credential|2008

Sounds classic even though it’s only two years old. Organic piano rock with grit, soul and a voice (in Aaron Morgan) that’ll fill a room.—DV

#52 Holy Soldier - Holy Soldier|Myrh|1990

I was the Myrrh Records promotion guy when they got signed. We all had very high hopes for them. They had Stryper’s old manager and ably played all the LA clubs where Poison and Van Halen got their starts. We had a couple #1’s – and the band was the first ever color cover of HM Mag! —Chris Hauser

#53 Pedro the Lion - Control|Jade Tree|2002

With each album David Bazan was able to break through my defenses, disarm my guards and inject a good dose of truth into my life. Control was one of those records. —Caleb Olsen

#54 Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay|Essential|1995

The song “Flood” was one of those surprises that catapulted this band of college friends all over mainstream radio, giving this skilled group of songwriters a healthy career that’s thankfully still going.—DV

#55 Brainchild - Mindwarp|R.E.X.|1994

Scott Albert’s an industrial music genius – fusing the power of metal, dance grooves and noise sampling. His second opus was originally released as a side-project called Brainchild, but later re-released as a Circle of Dust album.—DV

#56 Paramore - Riot|Fueled by Raman|2007

This thing is chock full of hits, which weren’t even exhausted on radio, but helped make them Warped Tour darlings. Critics should note that these songs would sound great with a guy singing ‘em and the girl that does belt ‘em out ain’t no slouch, either.—DV

#57 Showbread - Age of Reptiles|Tooth & Nail|2006

Shock rock, raw rock and dance rock all came together (with a sense of humor, too) for one great album here.—DV

#58 Anberlin - Cities|Tooth & Nail|2007

After refining its sound with the fantastic Never Take Friendship Personal, Anberlin was able to top themselves with a great collection of songs (like “Adelaide,” “Godspeed” and “The Unwinding Cable Car”), including the über-epic “Fin.”—DV

#59 Starflyer 59 - Leave Here a Stranger|Tooth & Nail|2001

Two of the most talented artists ever to be involved with Christian music come together on this classic release from one of the most underrated bands… Jason Martin’s Starflyer. Leave Here A Stranger was produced by Terry Taylor. They are all good but this record is a shining star in a discography of artistic brilliance. —Dr. Tony Shore

#60 Living Sacrifice - The Hammering Process|Solid State|2000

Reborn could just as easily be sitting here, but the band expanded its personnel and its sound once again for this album, achieving another brilliant musical breakthrough. —DV

#61 Guardian - Fire and Love|Pakaderm|1991

This was our sophomore and transition album with new members, label and producers. Still sounds decent after all these years. This album is still the anchor of our live set to this day. —David Bach

#62 441 - Mourning into Dancing|Blue Collar|1986

On this, their second album, 441 crystalized that dreamy male vocalist new wave sound (a la Duran Duran, Simple Minds, Paul Young) to perfection, adding heartfelt joy and an innocent worshipfulness that was magic.—DV

#63 Horde - Hellig Usvart|Rowe Productions|1994

Mortification alum Jayson Sherlock adopts the alias of Anonymous and records the album to kick off a Christocentric infiltration of black metal culture. Purported death threats and the mistaken idea that Sherlock meant to lampoon the music’s unrelenting evil follow, but the one-man act’s lone studio album holds up as a righteously furious assault.—Jamie Lee Rake

#64 Family Force 5 - Dance or Die|Tooth & Nail|2008

The word “crunk” might as well have a photo of FF5 next to it in the dictionary. This album could very well be that genre’s best. These 11 songs sure stand up well.—DV

#65 Jerusalem - Warrior|Lion & Lamb|1982

This Swedish hard rock band hit on all cylinders with “Man of the World” and “Constantly Changing,” but were revolutionary with its epic 12-minute “Sodom.”—DV

#66 Lone Justice - Shelter|Geffen|1986

Maria McKee remains one of my faves to this day and I keep this album near me at all times. As a teen it was “I Found Love” and “Reflected” that rocked me. As an adult, “Dixie Storms” slows me in my tracks every time I hear it.—John J. Thompson

#67 Petra - Back to the Streets|Star Song|1986

After several albums of being “pretty good” musically, this first album with veteran vocalist John Schlitt was flat-out arena rock great. Check out “Shakin’ The House.”—DV

#68 Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust|Columbia|1988

Peter Garrett’s intense political concerns about the environment, justice for aboriginals in Australia, and a world gone war-mad gives this breakthrough for Midnight Oil the furious energy of Hebrew prophets like Hosea and Amos. Aggressive, engaged, intense, Garrett leads the band through the hit, “Beds Are Burning,” warns that “your Dream World is just about to end,” and cries out with activist zeal in “Whoah” that “God is by my side.” – BQN

#69 The Violet Burning - Strength|Bluestone|1992

Strength just plain blew us all away. From the Tubbs brothers’ version of the band (precision with passion) to Pritzl’s chemical presence behind the front mic, this was worship music like I had never heard. Graceful, intense, evocative, sensual and soulful, in all the right places. Brilliance.—JJT

#70 Undercover - Balance of Power|Brainstorm Artist International|1990

I grew up on the fun punk anthems of Undercover, but Balance of Power marks a high point for the band with a very mature and artistic sound and it’s still my personal favorite from a very amazing band.—Dr. Tony Shore

#71 Matthew Ward - Armed and Dangerous|Live Oak|1986

The one male voice in the pretty, petite trio 2nd Chapter of Acts, you might never guess he could wail like Steve Walsh, but this album did that – with Dann Huff’s guitar shredding all over it, too.—DV

#72 One Bad Pig - Smash|Pure Metal|1989

Birthed out of Austin’s early ‘80s punk scene, this album captured that spirit with tunes like “Isaiah 6,” “Frat Rats,” “Looney Tune” and “Let’s Be Frank.”—DV

#73 Jeff Johnson - Shadowplay|Ark|1983

It’s amazing that music this experimental was ever distributed into the CBA. Take the trippiness of Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons and meld it with deep lyrics inspired by C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, etc, and you’re in prog rock heaven. Total sonic excellence from the pre-digital era.—DV

#74 Kansas - Vinyl Confessions|Kirshner|1982

When the songwriter behind “Dust in the Wind” found Jesus, it was a big deal to us Christian rockers. This was Kerry’s second post-conversion Kansas album and the first with vocalist John Elefante.—DV

#75 Novella - A Liquid Earth|Star Song|1992

Songs like “Missionary,” “Bad Place” and “Don’t You Run” resonate with a hopeful melodic sweetness and an arena rock thunder a la Journey in their heyday.—DV

#76 Magdallan - Big Bang|Intense|1992

We were trying to set new standards in Christian rock in hopes to inspire others to do the same. Something bulletproof the world would have a hard time demoting to irrelevancy like they do with most all Christian Music. I pray we did that and am still proud of that album.—Ken Tamplin

#77 Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Live at the Wetlands|Dare|2002

Robert Randolph and his Family Band introducing us all to the “sacred steel” genre is easily one of the best things to happen with rock guitar in the past decade (or two).—DV

#78 Red Sea - Blood|Rugged|1994

Led Zeppelin. Whitesnake. Red Sea.—DV

#79 Sacred Warrior - Obsessions|Intense|1991

On its fourth album this power metal band tweaked its Maiden/Queensryche sound more towards the Operation Mindcrime spectrum. In 1991 this was the perfect decision. —DV

#80 Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise|Asthmatic Kitty|2005

In his second of a 50-state project, this prolific songwriter became an overnight critic’s darling. The esoteric excellence of these songs are reason why.—DV

#81 Andy Hunter - Exodus|Nettwerk|2002

Hunter’s debut intersects the notion of DJ-led praise & worship with authentically club-banging techno/trance textures for the rare sanctified dance music project to rock listeners for whom the disco is their church. US Christian label patronage would move on, but not before leaving this scintillating classic.—Jamie Lee Rake

#82 Wovenhand - Mosaic|Sounds Familyre|2006

Any fan of great songwriting and alternative music will love this release. It is simply one of the most original and beautiful albums I’ve ever heard. The instrumentation and melodies will leave you wanting more. The fact that this is an independent release makes it that much more amazing.—Dr. Tony Shore

#83 Vigilantes of Love - Audible Sigh|Compass|2000

A decade into it, Bill Mallonee’s VoL appeared to find it’s mojo working with producer Buddy Miller, a way to connect his strong poetic lyrics to potent musical settings, aided in no small part by Miller and Kenny Hutson on mandolins and guitars.  Emmylou Harris sings harmony on “Resplendent,” one of the best songs of Mallonee’s canon. “Nothing Like a Train,” “Goes Without Saying” and “Could Be a Whole Lot Worse” make this a prime exhibit of the portent in Mallonee’s literate songwriting.  – BQN

#84 Evanescence - Fallen|Wind-Up|2003

15 Million copies of this album have sold worldwide. Not bad for a band that had sent its independently released Origin demo CD to this magazine two years prior.—DV

#85 Comeback Kid - Turn it Around|Facedown|2003

Sometimes the best bands and albums are created as a fun outlet – an experiment based upon musical hunches, passion and a hunger. Such was the wonderful surprise of this first chant-along album by some of these former members of Figure Four.—DV

#86 Project 86 - Drawing Black Lines|BEC|2000

With its second album Project 86 punched nu metal in the gut with real metal. The band’s been as consistent as ever with each release, but this one remains a fan favorite and live set staple.—DV

#87 Arkangel - Warrior|Star Song|1980

This might be the best album in the entire universe. Art/prog rock from 1980. Imagine Jethro Tull, Rush, Kansas and ELP rolled into one. “Warrior” is perhaps the best hippie worship song ever.—DV

#88 Skillet - Comatose|Ardent|2006

After years of being “pretty good for Christian rock” they can now stand toe-to-toe with any mainstream rock band and kill it. “Falling Inside the Black” and “Rebirthing” both soar.—DV

#89 Tonio K - Romeo Unchained|What?|1986

At a point when most of Christian music sounded the same and had to meet certain lyrical requirements, along came artistic genius Tonio K with quirky avant-garde sounds and lyrics that were way too honest and intelligent for the masses.—Dr. Tony Shore

#90 Steve Taylor - I Predict 1990|Myrrh|1987

There was so much controversy surrounding this album – the cover, the content, the store boycotts, the cancelled Australian tour – that in retrospect, I’m amazed it was ever released.—Steve Taylor

#91 OC Supertones - Supertones Strike Back|BEC|1997

Kings of ska’s third wave? Possibly so. Along with FIF at least able to make a claim towards the crown. Fiesty, fun and fast. Four of these songs made it on their just-released best-of, ReUnite.—DV

#92 Allies - Long Way from Paradise|Dayspring|1989

Dayspring Records probably never knew what hit ‘em. These veteran rockers let it all bang out on this blues hard rock opus with greats like “Devil is a Liar,” the title track, “Old Man Down” and “Christian Man.”—DV

#93 - Mad at the World - Mad at the World|Frontline|1987

This album stretched the mostly empty boundaries of what was really cool and “edgy” in Christian music at a time when the only other genre doing that was metal.—DV

#94 Iona - Beyond These Shores|Forefront|1993

Don’t say “Enya clone” until you’ve heard this band’s songs. It’s like Dream Theater minus the metal. Progressive yet beautiful and moving. Joanne Hogg’s vocals soar on “Treasure” and “Burning Like Fire.”—DV

#95 Sam Phillips - Martinis & Bikinis|Virgin|1994

The artist fka Leslie Phillips perfected her songcraft on this album, with powerful tunes like “Black Sky” “Baby, I Can’t Please You” “I Need Love” the trippy ballad “Strawberry Road” and the Lennon cover of “Gimme Some Truth.”—DV

#96 Extol - Undeceived|Solid State|2000

Burial introduced us to these Nordic Viking metallers, but Undecieved kicked it up even another notch.—DV

#97 Degarmo & Key - Straight On|Lion & Lamb|1979

“Livin’ on the Edge of Dyin’” could’ve been an outtake from Springsteen’s Born to Run album. And “Enchirdion,” “Long Distance Runner” and “Jericho” ain’t no slouches, either.—DV

#98 Jimmy Hotz - Beyond the Crystal Sea|Vision|1980

The guy who produced Arkangel’s album self-released his own solo album around the same time. It’s classic prog rock in the vein of acid rockers like Yes. Lots of atmospheric and space rock keyboards.—DV

#99 Asight Unseen - Circus of Shame|New Breed|1991

From out of nowhere this young band rocked with a veteran confidence and swagger. Influenced from a myriad of sources, like rockabilly, grunge, The Cult, STP, Jane’s Addiction. And how can you go wrong when you write a song called “Jimi Jones Boogie?”—DV

#100 PAX217 - TwoSeventeen|Forefront|2000

I would love to say I discovered and signed this band, but one of my A&R guys (Mark Nicholas) scouted them and chased down Howard Benson to produce. “Prism” is still one of the best Christian rock songs ever.—David Bach

© Copyright 2010 HM Magazine. All rights reserved.

Catch the behind the scenes video interview with HOH here

The opening band was called Romeria Lights. This immediately sparked an interest, because I used to live on Romeria Drive back in the late ’80s. For four years that was the apartment address where I ran HM Magazine. It’s just North of FM 2222 in Austin and in the same neighborhood as Hope Chapel (one of Austin’s greatest churches). As I began to enjoy their melodic sounds and pick up some profound lyrics (see below), I asked someone nearby what the band’s name was, so I could tweet about them. I was informed that the band included the former singer from Wide Awake. If you pay close attention to the Austin music scene, you’d know that Wide Awake was a band of believers that had lit up Austin with rave reviews and packed crowds, taking home a ton of awards a couple years in a row in the Austin Chronicle Readers’ Poll for “Favorite Rock Band” and other local categories.

We need a lot of love,
but don’t know how to show it

We’re all broken
and everybody knows it

Turns out the bass player for Romeria Lights is none other than JJ Placencio (former Sixpence None the Richer). Most of their songs were about real-life stories. Singer shared his heart a few times about the daily grind. Like any good opener, he also talked up House of Heroes and Seabird.

After a short set change House of Heroes casually took the small stage. Their second tune was a brand new one – “God Save the Foolish Kings.” It’s very dynamic. After a couple of songs I found myself wishing I could harmonize like these guys. Such great vocals. Sad thing is I’ll never get close to being able to hit a note like that. ha ha ha

Frontman Tim Skipper moved around a lot on stage and seemed to act as if certain guitar riffs touched his musical soul. Guitarist Jared Rigsby broke a string on the first strum of his instrument first song and suffered another string break later on, but dude moved around a lot, too.

Once Seabird set up their massive piano, that comes in two major pieces that’s held together with hinges, it became apparent that this was not a dream – we’d be enjoying a Seabird concert this night. That’s always a treat. While there were only 25 or so people in the small downstairs venue at Stubb’s BBQ, they were all treated to spirited and energetic performances by all three bands. The newer members of Seabird (drummer and bass, I believe) are fitting in seamlessly. Hearing Aaron Morgan roar is always impressive. If the vocals don’t grab you, seeing his mouth wide open and all that goes into singing at full volume (you know how the skin bunches up around the mouth and jaw to let that orifice get fully open) visually is enough to bring the point home. The dude puts out. The times when he and his brother on guitar are both standing up and banging out chords is infectious.

Catch the behind the scenes video interview with HOH here

We have a dynamo working at HM right now. Her name is Bianca and she has spearheaded the most concerted concert schedule in HM’s history. At least it feels that way. We’ve gone to more shows before, but there’s a bunch and we’re planning ahead like never before. I came back from Cornerstone Festival this past Sunday night and met up with the interns and was reminded that our House of Heroes (and on-camera video interview with band) was Wednesday. I found out a day or so later that Seabird was on the same bill. I thought, ‘Bonus!’ I love Seabird and I had to miss them at Cornerstone this year, because they were opposite August Burns Red on the mainstage. I also found out yesterday before the show that a local band was added to the bill. I kinda hate it when that happens, but sometimes that turns out to be a good thing, like last night.

The opening band was called Romeria Lights. This immediately sparked an interest, because I used to live on Romeria Drive back in the late ’80s. For four years that was the apartment address where I ran HM Magazine. It’s just North of FM 2222 in Austin and in the same neighborhood as Hope Chapel (one of Austin’s greatest churches). As I began to enjoy their melodic sounds and pick up some profound lyrics (see below), I asked someone nearby what the band’s name was, so I could tweet about them. I was informed that the band included the former singer from Wide Awake. If you pay close attention to the Austin music scene, you’d know that Wide Awake was a band of believers that had lit up Austin with rave reviews and packed crowds, taking home a ton of awards a couple years in a row in the Austin Chronicle Readers’ Poll for “Favorite Rock Band” and other local categories.

We need a lot of love,
but don’t know how to show it

We’re all broken
and everybody knows it

Turns out the bass player for Romeria Lights is none other than JJ Placencio (former Sixpence None the Richer). Most of their songs were about real-life stories. Singer shared his heart a few times about the daily grind. Like any good opener, he also talked up House of Heroes and Seabird.

After a short set change House of Heroes casually took the small stage. Their second tune was a brand new one – “God Save the Foolish Kings.” It’s very dynamic. After a couple of songs I found myself wishing I could harmonize like these guys. Such great vocals. Sad thing is I’ll never get close to being able to hit a note like that. ha ha ha

Frontman Tim Skipper moved around a lot on stage and seemed to act as if certain guitar riffs touched his musical soul. Guitarist Jared Rigsby broke a string on the first strum of his instrument first song and suffered another string break later on, but dude moved around a lot, too.

Once Seabird set up their massive piano, that comes in two major pieces that’s held together with hinges, it became apparent that this was not a dream – we’d be enjoying a Seabird concert this night. That’s always a treat. While there were only 25 or so people in the small downstairs venue at Stubb’s BBQ, they were all treated to spirited and energetic performances by all three bands. The newer members of Seabird (drummer and bass, I believe) are fitting in seamlessly. Hearing Aaron Morgan roar is always impressive. If the vocals don’t grab you, seeing his mouth wide open and all that goes into singing at full volume (you know how the skin bunches up around the mouth and jaw to let that orifice get fully open) visually is enough to bring the point home. The dude puts out. The times when he and his brother on guitar are both standing up and banging out chords is infectious.

I was glad our good friend Tornado got to hear their two best songs – “Rescue” and “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful.” I just wish our newly converted Seabird fan, former intern Daniel Garcia could’ve been there for the coolness. I’m sure Bianca got some killer photos, which will no doubt appear on this site somewhere soon. Here are a couple of lame ones I took with my phone.

As I Lay Dying Streaming New Stuff
AS I LAY DYING premiered their first single, Beyond Our Suffering, from The Powerless Rise on Liquid Metal (Sirius 27, XM 42). Along with the premiere, fans also could hear Liquid Metal’s Jose Mangin interview guitarist Nick Hipa. Beyond Our Suffering is available NOW on iTunes. The Powerless Rise iTunes pre-order has been launched today with an exclusive bonus track, Paralyzed – fans can check that out HERE. THE POWERLESS RISE marks the follow-up to the band’s critically acclaimed fourth album An Ocean Between Us which debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Rock Chart, earning the group a Grammy nomination for “Best Metal Performance” alongside metal heavyweights Slayer and King Diamond. For the new album, the group re-teamed with producer Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and mixer Colin Richardson who they’d previously worked with on An Ocean Between Us.

Seabird Debut New Video
The new music video for Seabird’s “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” is debuting today exclusively with the online home of the popular Seventeen magazine, Seventeen.com. The band’s single was also recently used on an episode of CBS’ Ghost Whisperer. After touring with Switchfoot earlier this year, Seabird just wrapped up their tour with Myspace Record’s Sherwood and Black Gold and Reece. They will also join NEEDTOBREATHE and Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers on the road later this month. Cincinnati-based Seabird comprises brothers Aaron (vocals/keys) and Ryan (guitar) Morgan as well as Preston Lane (drums) and Brandon Weaver (bass). The band signed with Credential Recordings in late 2007 and released its debut label project,‘Til We See The Shore, June 24, 2008. A collaborative effort with producers Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Kings Of Leon, Tom Waits, Switchfoot) and Allen Salmon (Mute Math, This Beautiful Republic), the album received phenomenal national publicity, featured on episodes of “Numb3rs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and promos for ABC’s 12-time Emmy-nominated series, “Pushing Daisies.” Their latest, Rocks Into Rivers, was produced by Paul Moak at the Smoakstack in Nashville, and Matt Hales at Ocean Studios in Los Angeles. The band was also recognized by its hometown as “Artist of the Year” at the 2008 Cincinnati Entertainment.
For more information on Seabird & their tour dates, visit:
myspace.com/seabird

Free Song From I Am Terrified
The Birmingham-based quintet I AM TERRIFIED is a study in contrasts, always zigging when you thought you saw a zag coming. After six years of constant performing and forceful sonic development, the blazing rock band served up their debut self-titled 6-track EP from Gotee Records as compelling documentation of their unique, spirit-driven journey. 2009 proved to be a banner year for IAT with their single “Falling on Everlasting” reaching #9 most requested video on TVU and the follow up single “To the Service” reached #18 most requested single on RadioU. I AM TERRIFIED is currently finishing up the final few touches on their debut full length album… but this summer they’re going to hit the road hard by sharing the stage with Newsboys, Skillet, Red and Family Force 5! Download the free song from I Am Terrified here.

X-Sinner News
Following on the success of their last release “World Covered In Blood” on Image Records – X-Sinner readies themselves for another round in the studio later this year after they blast their way through Europe this spring and summer first headlining The Elements Of Rock Festival in Switzerland and then performing at the Legends Of Rock show in Germany. The working title for the new album is “Sinner’s Xtreme” and promises to be a grinding hard hitter. Image Records is currently strategizing how the new release will actually be released since it has determined that over 30,000 illegal downloads of World Covered In Blood have been done online through various illegal file sharing sites. The label utililized web search reporting/tracking tools such as Google Alerts among others to locate and identify many of the illegal sites. “As soon as they get shut down many of these sites pop up a short time later under a new name” says Image CEO Dorn Reppert. “We figure about $180,000 U.S.(wholesale) has been stolen through free downloads. Unfortunately, that’s a lot of lost income for the band and for us as their label and is one of the reasons the band will not be doing a full U.S. tour even though the album was a hit. We’ve considered doing an all digital release via online stores like i-Tunes to help curb the losses on the next one but that won’t solve the problem – only delay it some.”

Green River Ordinance Launch Headlining Tour
Following the success of 2009’s Out of My Hands debut and its first single, “Come On,” Green River Ordinance launch a headlining tour that will not only benefit their many fans, but also five charities chosen specifically by each band member. On the road supporting the second single, “On Your Own,” Green River Ordinance is spreading the word about their thehopeGROs.com site and aiding their charities of choice—including Autism Speaks, charity: water, Freedom Is Not Free, Nuru International, and International Justice Mission–via the sales of downloaded music. GRO explains the motivation behind thehopeGROs.com: “This is the heart and soul of the band. We play music for a reason. Not just to be rock stars, not just to play music, not just to make money. We play music to reach out… and to use our gifts to push back the darkness in the world.” On thehopeGROs.com, the band chose 10 of its rare songs from previous recordings and demos (no longer available to purchase anywhere else), and 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of those songs go a charity of a band member’s choice–as selected by each consumer. The goal is to raise $100,000 for the collective group of charities in 2010.
Tour Dates:
4/24 – Dallas, TX
4/26 – Denver, CO
4/27 – Salt Lake City, UT
4/28 – Boise, ID
4/30 – Seattle, WA
5/01 – Portland, OR
5/03 – San Francisco, CA
5/04 – Modesto, CA
5/06 – West Hollywood, CA
7/23 – Louisville, KY
8/05 – Rock Springs, WY
8/22 – Des Moines, IA
8/30 – Cottleville, MO

Bread of Stone Starts New Ministry
Ben and Bill Kristijanto, founders of Bread of Stone recently visited their homeland, Indonesia to do mission work with Scavengers (people surviving from trash). Little did they know, the tugging at their heart that would happen. As they worked with their hands helping people, the command that God gave to take care of your own, came to light – thus forming “The Light Project.” “The Light Project was something we started to reach out to the Muslim community in Indonesia,” said Ben Kristijanto, lead singer. “We are working in partnership with a local church in Surabaya to help spread the love of Christ one community at a time, by helping them with every day necessities such as food, transportation, and to just be there as a family in Christ. Our visit there was nothing short of wonder. They have shown us how Jesus truly is the answer for us all. Even with having no worldly possession, the people there feels as though they have everything.” Going above and beyond in their giving to support the ministry of working with the Scavengers, Bread of Stone believes they are called not to ask their fans for support, instead, the band will donate an extra 10% from all of their merchandise sales. Bread of Stone is partnering with Christ in Action, a 501c3 organization that will monitor all the donated funds for “The Light Project.”
For more information on Bread Of Stone, visit:
breadofstone.com

New Klank Album
The new KLANK release titled NUMB…Reborn are available for download now here. f you are a fan of Electronic Industrial Techno Groove Metal you will NOT be disappointed!!!! NUMB…Reborn features 15 tracks of the classic KLANK sound with guest appearances from Jim Chaffin, Larry Farkas and Michael Phillips. Stand out tracks like Broken, The Rules, Don’t Count Me Out and Blind are here along with 3 killer remixes!!! Please pass the word along to all your friends and fellow music heads. Download your copy and experience the Heavy Dancy Electronic Grooves of KLANK. See for yourself how KLANK is where the Mosh Pit meets the Dance Floor!!!
For more information on Klank, visit:
facebook.com/klank

To Speak Of Wolves Unleash New Track
Freshly signed to Solid State Records, TO SPEAK OF WOLVES are starting to mark their territory with the release of the lead track from their forthcoming debut, Myself < Letting Go. The track, ‘Darkness Often Yields the Brightest Light’ is representative of the brutal yet melodic soundscapes that TO SPEAK OF WOLVES are bound to become known for, and is available to be streamed today on the band’s MySpace page. Mixed by metal mastermind Jason Suecof (ALL THAT REMAINS, AUGUST BURNS RED, TRIVIUM), Myself < Letting Go careens wildly between road-rash riffage and soaring, arena-worthy choruses. Rick Jacob’s vocals hammer and haunt, vaulting seamlessly from sky-high melodies to visceral screams. “It’s a good mix between catchy choruses and heavy parts,” says guitarist Corey Doran of the album. “It’s also very raw and dirty sounding, but still clean.” Previously members of already established touring bands, TO SPEAK OF WOLVES seem to have been bound together by something bigger than themselves, gravitating towards one another through the most unlikely of circumstances. A chance meeting at the Cornerstone music festival, a phone call in a bowling alley, a recommendation from a local video producer – one by one, the members fell in line according to some cosmic script. That dichotomy – the polished sound of seasoned musicians, the unhinged rage of a hungry, unproven band – is part of what makes TO SPEAK OF WOLVES so compelling. The band has toured relentlessly since just a week and a half after its inception, hitting the road with some of the most recognized names in its genre, from Emery to Underoath (fronted by WOLVES drummer Phil Chamberlain’s brother, Spencer), but has refused to be grandfathered into the big leagues. This is a hardworking band that is going to earn every accolade and every fan by fighting like the savage beast it’s named after.
With the release of Myself < Letting Go on May 18th, TO SPEAK OF WOLVES are ready to sink their fangs into the national music scene.

The Rocketboys Release Debut
The Rocketboys have pre-released their debut full-length album, “20,000 Ghosts”, on vinyl ONLINE ONLY. For a limited time, you will receive a live CD/DVD combo and a disc of unreleased tracks with every vinyl order. You can order the item at our online store. You will receive the vinyl within 3 to 5 business days, and a digital download code for the album when you purchase it on vinyl. At the bottom, there’s a description of “20,000 Ghosts”. About “20,000 Ghosts”: “20,000 Ghosts” is The Rocketboys’ debut full-length release. Recorded in Austin, TX, over three months in the spring of 2009, it displays a new range of diversity and maturity, while maintaining the pop-sensibility that fans have come to love in The Rocketboys’ signature sound. It finds the balance between a light, drum-driven brand of indie rock and deeper, more atmospheric moments coupled with lyrics and melodies you can’t get out of your head. The album was engineered by Louie Lino (Nada Surf, Matt Pond PA), mastered by Alan Douches (Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective) and features artwork from “Dark Was The Night” artist, Ryan Feerer.

Damien Jurado Announce US Tour
In order to create a live reproduction of the grandiose recordings of his upcoming record, Saint Bartlett, Damien Jurado enlisted eight musicians from Seattle band Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground to join him on tour as The Saint Bartlett Band. The resulting concerts will be unlike anything Damien Jurado fans have seen before – the songs done justice with an orchestra adding violin, cello, tuba, french horn and keys. Richard Swift, Damien’s Secretly Canadian Soul Brother, talented filmmaker and producer/engineer of Saint Bartlett, has provided us with a couple of album trailers to get officially stoked. Check them out at our vimeo here and here.
Tour Dates:
5/29 – Seattle, WA
6/02 – Boise, ID
6/03 – Salt Lake City, UT
6/04 – Denver, CO
6/05 – Lincoln, NE
6/06 – Des Moines, IA
6/07 – St. Paul, MN
6/08 – Milwaukee, WI
6/09 – Chicago, IL
6/10 – Louisville, KY
6/11 – Cincinnati, OH
6/12 – Indianapolis, IN
6/13 – Bloomington, IN
6/14 – Columbus, OH
6/15 – Cleveland, OH
6/16 – Cambridge, MA
6/17 – New York, NY
6/18 – Brooklyn, NY
6/19 – Philadelphia, PA
6/20 – Arlington, VA
6/21 – Charlottesville, VA
6/22 – Asheville, NC
6/23 – Nashville, TN
6/24 – Birmingham, AL
6/26 – Austin, TX
6/28 – Phoenix, AZ
6/29 – San Diego, CA
6/30 – Los Angeles, CA
7/01 – Visalia, CA
7/02 – San Francisco, CA
7/03 – Portland, OR
To pre-order the new album, visit:
scdistribution.com/cat/scd_catalognew.php?action=set_site_id&site_id=3

Amber Pacific’s New Album Hits
Amber Pacific’s incredible new album, Virtues, is in stores and available digitally everywhere. Virtues marks the tremendous return of AMBER PACIFIC’s creative, hook-laden and infectious pop-songwriting ability. Virtues, is a refreshing blend of everything you have come to love from AMBER PACIFIC. But, the songs are catchier, the songwriting is more developed and after a few listens you will want to instantly sing along. If you are a fan of Blink 182, Green Day and Jimmy Eat World, discover the fun, yet mature, pop-punk anthems that make up on Virtues. This could easily become your soundtrack to the summer.

©2010 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved

More news from last week:

still fresh (as far as you know)