Here we go with another Come&Live Spotlight. This time it's probably the C&L artist I was most familiar with before discovering C&L: Preson Phillips.
I first discovered him when he had his debut album, "The Observant And The Anawim" for free download off of his website. Preson Phillips mainly uses acoustic guitar and his voice (along with drums and background vocals at times) in order to craft worship music. The album begins with "The Lord's Prayer" with a skillful guitar intro and Preson's great voice. The music on the album overall is smooth and perfect to relax to. My two favorite tracks off of the album are "Then They Will Know" and "Hold Me Down." "Then They Will Know" features vocals from Aaron Gillespie (from Underoath and The Almost) and is an anthem for Christian life. "And then they will know, we are forgiven; and then they will know we are loved, God; and then they will know, cause they have seen and they have heard, and with our hands and with our feet we have shown love." "Hold Me Down" is the most emotional track on the album and is one I can really relate to.
Preson's latest album, "Weep . . . For He Loves the Mourner's Tears," is also a great listen and one that will stay on your iPod for a long time. Featuring the same basic sound, Preson again constructs prayerful songs that relate to all of humanity. "Deuteronomy Six" is my favorite song off of the album and constructs an addicting melody to a Bible passage many have heard. "We will hold with our hands, we will tie to our heads, we will sing to our children the things we have read. We will hail when we lie down, when we rise from our beds; for as long as skies remain, our king will reign." Other great songs from the album include "Psalm 23," "What Breadth?" and "Open For Me."
As with all of the posts on this blog, no amount of explanation can fully capture Preson Phillips's great music. Both of his albums are available on the Come&Live website and are well worth the downloads.
www.comeandlive.com/downloads
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Ska Is Not Dead!!
Question #1: What is ska?
I don’t know a specific answer to this question, but I’ll give an answer from my perspective. Ska is a musical genre that was alive in the 90s (especially with Christian groups) and faded away into the underground. It’s like regular pop/rock music but with horns, unique vocals, offbeat guitar chords, and a fun feel.
Question #2: Is ska dead?
According to our good friends at Indie Vision Music, ska is not dead! There are plenty of bands who are rocking out in a Christian style?
Question #3: Why should I care?
Glad you asked! Indie Vision Music recently released a 30 song free compilation of some awesome tunes! There are some sweet songs from awesome bands on here, including Blood and Water, the Insyderz, Mojo and Chemical Light, Send Out Scuds, and Five Iron Frenzy (their song is definitely a must-have since it’s one of their best and is their last song from their last live performance). Many of the songs have Christian undertones and will leave you rocking. Even if you’ve never encountered this style of music before (though it’s not a long leap from what you like), I encourage you to check this sampler out today!
Download it free from IVM at http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2010/10/01/ska-lives-vol-1-free-digital-download/
I don’t know a specific answer to this question, but I’ll give an answer from my perspective. Ska is a musical genre that was alive in the 90s (especially with Christian groups) and faded away into the underground. It’s like regular pop/rock music but with horns, unique vocals, offbeat guitar chords, and a fun feel.
Question #2: Is ska dead?
According to our good friends at Indie Vision Music, ska is not dead! There are plenty of bands who are rocking out in a Christian style?
Question #3: Why should I care?
Glad you asked! Indie Vision Music recently released a 30 song free compilation of some awesome tunes! There are some sweet songs from awesome bands on here, including Blood and Water, the Insyderz, Mojo and Chemical Light, Send Out Scuds, and Five Iron Frenzy (their song is definitely a must-have since it’s one of their best and is their last song from their last live performance). Many of the songs have Christian undertones and will leave you rocking. Even if you’ve never encountered this style of music before (though it’s not a long leap from what you like), I encourage you to check this sampler out today!
Download it free from IVM at http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2010/10/01/ska-lives-vol-1-free-digital-download/
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Come&Live Spotlight: Daniel Bashta
Time for a Come&Live Spotlight (if you can't tell, I'll be doing alot of these as time goes on). Today we focus on Daniel Bashta!
The first album that I got for free of off Come&Live is Daniel Bashta's "My Worship In Motion," and it's definitely an awesome download. The music is all about worship and recognizing our relationship with God. Starting off with "Offering" and a simple prayer, the album leads to "With Everything" (which is not the popular song by Hillsong, though I love that one too). One thing that is immediately apparent on the album is Daniel's unique voice that is pleasant to hear, and with the band behind him playing epic and addicting melodies, listening to the music is truly a worship experience.
One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Potter's Wheel." After rock melodies, this song slows down to a ballad, and the call to God is honest and engaging. "So brace me on the potter's wheel, spin me until there's nothing left but You in my life." The song builds up to a large crescendo, and I assure you that no matter where you are, you will be called to worship and prayer.
The final track, "Awakening," is actually the first Come&Live song I heard (off of their sampler), and it's energetic, fun, and musically pleasing. If you are a fan of rock or worship music, Daniel Bashta's album is for you, and the best part of it is that you can download the album for free at www.comeandlive.com/downloads.
If you download it and enjoy it, let me and everyone else know by commenting on this post. No matter what the topic on any post, I would love to hear your comments and get a conversation going. :)
The first album that I got for free of off Come&Live is Daniel Bashta's "My Worship In Motion," and it's definitely an awesome download. The music is all about worship and recognizing our relationship with God. Starting off with "Offering" and a simple prayer, the album leads to "With Everything" (which is not the popular song by Hillsong, though I love that one too). One thing that is immediately apparent on the album is Daniel's unique voice that is pleasant to hear, and with the band behind him playing epic and addicting melodies, listening to the music is truly a worship experience.
One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Potter's Wheel." After rock melodies, this song slows down to a ballad, and the call to God is honest and engaging. "So brace me on the potter's wheel, spin me until there's nothing left but You in my life." The song builds up to a large crescendo, and I assure you that no matter where you are, you will be called to worship and prayer.
The final track, "Awakening," is actually the first Come&Live song I heard (off of their sampler), and it's energetic, fun, and musically pleasing. If you are a fan of rock or worship music, Daniel Bashta's album is for you, and the best part of it is that you can download the album for free at www.comeandlive.com/downloads.
If you download it and enjoy it, let me and everyone else know by commenting on this post. No matter what the topic on any post, I would love to hear your comments and get a conversation going. :)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
This Week Only: God Save The Foolish Kings!
Here's a great download for you. I mentioned the band House of Heroes in my Lifelight review, and I believe that they are one of the top bands in the Christian rock scene today. You may not have heard of them, but now you have the chance to check them out with a free download of their song "God Save The Foolish Kings" off of iTunes.
The song is a straight-up rock song telling the tale of two gangs planning for a fight (which fits in quite nicely with the concept of their last album "Suburba"), but the song runs much deeper than that. For example, take the awesome bridge: "And we fight 'cause we'd rather break our bones then bear this lonliness, and we draw blood 'cause we just want to draw out some significance. But I met God on the street tonight and He said 'choose your battles wisely, or you'll never find Me.'" The song (featuring guest vocals from Stephanie Smith) features the band's awesome vocal harmonies and singing abilities, and there should seriously be a Broadway musical based off of this song (and the rest of their album.)
As I mentioned before, this song is a free Discovery Download off of iTunes this week and will be up until Tuesday (you need the iTunes software to download), so you better hurry up and get it! Also, I believe that the band's two latest albums are $5.99 each on the iTunes store, and you definitely can't go wrong with buying either one. I will post a larger spotlight of House of Heroes later on, but get a taste of the band now! It's a download you won't regret!!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/god-save-the-foolish-kings/id396467167 (or check in your iTunes store)
The song is a straight-up rock song telling the tale of two gangs planning for a fight (which fits in quite nicely with the concept of their last album "Suburba"), but the song runs much deeper than that. For example, take the awesome bridge: "And we fight 'cause we'd rather break our bones then bear this lonliness, and we draw blood 'cause we just want to draw out some significance. But I met God on the street tonight and He said 'choose your battles wisely, or you'll never find Me.'" The song (featuring guest vocals from Stephanie Smith) features the band's awesome vocal harmonies and singing abilities, and there should seriously be a Broadway musical based off of this song (and the rest of their album.)
As I mentioned before, this song is a free Discovery Download off of iTunes this week and will be up until Tuesday (you need the iTunes software to download), so you better hurry up and get it! Also, I believe that the band's two latest albums are $5.99 each on the iTunes store, and you definitely can't go wrong with buying either one. I will post a larger spotlight of House of Heroes later on, but get a taste of the band now! It's a download you won't regret!!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/god-save-the-foolish-kings/id396467167 (or check in your iTunes store)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Artist Spotlight: Switchfoot
Today’s band is a band that you might have heard of before. Switchfoot has had songs on mainstream radio, TV, and has toured with well-known bands. They are a great example of a Christian band who has become popular in the mainstream and yet is not shy about their faith.
I have five of Switchfoot’s seven albums. Last year I bought a 3-CD set (Switchfoot: The Early Years) which contained the band’s first three albums, “The Legend of Chin,” “New Way To Be Human,” and “Learning to Breathe.” This set included great songs such as “Chem 6A,” “Life and Love and Why,” “Company Car,” “Only Hope,” “Love is the Movement,” and “The Economy of Mercy.” My favorite of the three albums is “The Legend of Chin” as it is fun and has some great songs for the early band.
Switchfoot then broke into the mainstream with their next album “The Beautiful Letdown,” especially with their songs “Meant to Live” and “I Dare You To Move.” “Meant to Live” is a very meaningful song with great lyrics: “We were meant to live for so much more, but we lost ourselves.” It also has a nice melody and can easily get stuck in your head. “I Dare You To Move” is also a great song as well and definitely is a motivator (as foreshadowed by the title). Other great songs on the album are “This is Your Live,” “On Fire” (a great worship song), and “Twenty-Four.” Jon Foreman, the vocalist of Switchfoot, really shows his talents on this album as well.
I don’t have their next two albums, but I want to focus on Switchfoot’s latest album, “Hello Hurricane.” I would say that this is one of the best albums on my iPod and the best of Switchfoot so far, both in terms in music and lyrics. Starting off with a sweet guitar riff in “Needle And Haystack Life,” the album’s music is deep, varied, and powerful. The lyrics on the album are also great, as evidenced on the title track: “Hello hurricane, you’re not enough. Hello hurricane, you can’t silence my love. I’ve got doors and windows boarded up. All your dead end fury’s not enough, you can’t silence my love.” The faith that Switchfoot has is also clearly shown on the album as in “Your Love Is A Song,” “Always,” and “Sing It Out.” I recommend you to check this album out as it is awesome.
Overall, Switchfoot is an awesome band with a great message, and I encourage you to look more into them. To get you started in that process, here’s some free downloads.
A few years ago, Switchfoot encouraged its fans to freely share live bootlegs of the band’s tour, and the Switchfoot Bootlegs website was born. This iTunes podcast allows you to download 300 songs (not 300 different songs though, but there are a bunch of songs represented) performed live by the band. They aren’t all the best recordings, but they really show the energy that Switchfoot has. Any of the songs that I mentioned above in the post are worth getting and allow you to get a taste for the band’s music. You will need iTunes to download the songs, but it’s definitely worth it!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/switchfoot-bootlegs/id216245256
I have five of Switchfoot’s seven albums. Last year I bought a 3-CD set (Switchfoot: The Early Years) which contained the band’s first three albums, “The Legend of Chin,” “New Way To Be Human,” and “Learning to Breathe.” This set included great songs such as “Chem 6A,” “Life and Love and Why,” “Company Car,” “Only Hope,” “Love is the Movement,” and “The Economy of Mercy.” My favorite of the three albums is “The Legend of Chin” as it is fun and has some great songs for the early band.
Switchfoot then broke into the mainstream with their next album “The Beautiful Letdown,” especially with their songs “Meant to Live” and “I Dare You To Move.” “Meant to Live” is a very meaningful song with great lyrics: “We were meant to live for so much more, but we lost ourselves.” It also has a nice melody and can easily get stuck in your head. “I Dare You To Move” is also a great song as well and definitely is a motivator (as foreshadowed by the title). Other great songs on the album are “This is Your Live,” “On Fire” (a great worship song), and “Twenty-Four.” Jon Foreman, the vocalist of Switchfoot, really shows his talents on this album as well.
I don’t have their next two albums, but I want to focus on Switchfoot’s latest album, “Hello Hurricane.” I would say that this is one of the best albums on my iPod and the best of Switchfoot so far, both in terms in music and lyrics. Starting off with a sweet guitar riff in “Needle And Haystack Life,” the album’s music is deep, varied, and powerful. The lyrics on the album are also great, as evidenced on the title track: “Hello hurricane, you’re not enough. Hello hurricane, you can’t silence my love. I’ve got doors and windows boarded up. All your dead end fury’s not enough, you can’t silence my love.” The faith that Switchfoot has is also clearly shown on the album as in “Your Love Is A Song,” “Always,” and “Sing It Out.” I recommend you to check this album out as it is awesome.
Overall, Switchfoot is an awesome band with a great message, and I encourage you to look more into them. To get you started in that process, here’s some free downloads.
A few years ago, Switchfoot encouraged its fans to freely share live bootlegs of the band’s tour, and the Switchfoot Bootlegs website was born. This iTunes podcast allows you to download 300 songs (not 300 different songs though, but there are a bunch of songs represented) performed live by the band. They aren’t all the best recordings, but they really show the energy that Switchfoot has. Any of the songs that I mentioned above in the post are worth getting and allow you to get a taste for the band’s music. You will need iTunes to download the songs, but it’s definitely worth it!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/switchfoot-bootlegs/id216245256
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Come&Live Spotlight: Ian McIntosh
Time for our first spotlight from www.comeandlive.com! Ian McIntosh is a worship leader who has his album “Alive” available to download on the Come&Live website.
“Alive” is truly a breathtaking album. It has a pop-rock feel with a lot of keyboards, epic drumming, guitars, and awesome vocals (some in the highest octave you can imagine). I think Ian sounds loosely like Owl City, but I definitely like this much better with its worship setting and simple constructions.
The album begins with a sweet introduction and then leads into “You Are Faithful,” which sets the tone of the album very nicely. ‘What Does It Sound Like” is a simple song with simple lyrics, but it is extremely powerful and is a great call to worship. After another sweet instrumental, “Come Away” is next (as featured on the I Am Living Vol. 1 Sampler) and shows some awesome talent.
The next songs on the album are sweet with some featuring a female vocalist, but it’s the album’s closer “You Are Holy” that takes the cake. This thirteen-minute opus is epic, creative, and extremely worshipful. It consists of the same lyrics (“You are holy, my so holy, You are holy, Lord of all”) that are done throughout the song, and it is something that you have to hear to believe.
Come&Live is a label about worship, and Ian McIntosh’s “Alive” is a great example of this and is something to play on your iPod for years to come. Download it free today at www.comeandlive.com/downloads Enjoy!
“Alive” is truly a breathtaking album. It has a pop-rock feel with a lot of keyboards, epic drumming, guitars, and awesome vocals (some in the highest octave you can imagine). I think Ian sounds loosely like Owl City, but I definitely like this much better with its worship setting and simple constructions.
The album begins with a sweet introduction and then leads into “You Are Faithful,” which sets the tone of the album very nicely. ‘What Does It Sound Like” is a simple song with simple lyrics, but it is extremely powerful and is a great call to worship. After another sweet instrumental, “Come Away” is next (as featured on the I Am Living Vol. 1 Sampler) and shows some awesome talent.
The next songs on the album are sweet with some featuring a female vocalist, but it’s the album’s closer “You Are Holy” that takes the cake. This thirteen-minute opus is epic, creative, and extremely worshipful. It consists of the same lyrics (“You are holy, my so holy, You are holy, Lord of all”) that are done throughout the song, and it is something that you have to hear to believe.
Come&Live is a label about worship, and Ian McIntosh’s “Alive” is a great example of this and is something to play on your iPod for years to come. Download it free today at www.comeandlive.com/downloads Enjoy!
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