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!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Artist Spotlight: Everfound
Everfound is a band that I mentioned from my Lifelight review as “my best highlight of the day.” You probably haven’t heard of them, but they are AWESOME!
Everfound is a four-piece rock/alternative band made up of four brothers. They are originally from Russia, but they immigrated to America and now live in Colorado when they aren’t touring. Their music is very unique, featuring piano, orchestras, electronic sounds, and a great lead vocalist.
An important part of their music is their dedication to Christ and sharing the Gospel. As a prime example of this, the case of their latest CD says:
“The songs on this record are captured minutes of our daily journey in seeking the heart of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this record is to glorify the name of Jesus the Son of God above all names because he died for the sins of every human being. Whoever believes in him and walks in him will not die but will have everlasting life. He is alive and will return for those who love him.”
With that, you can’t really go wrong!
Everfound has released two main works, the “Everfound EP” and “Colorful Alibis and Scandalous Smiles.” I got their EP first, and it features some awesome songs including “Moments Like These,” “I Need You,” and “Paint A Picture.” “Moments Like These” is my favorite song by them as it speaks of the true beauty of meeting Christ and having him in your life. With a great opening riff and impressive high notes held by Nikita, the lead vocalist, this song is great. “In moments like these, I know that I’m alive. I finally see the meaning of this life. At moments like these, I’ve got no words to say. It’s moments like these that take my breath away.” “Paint A Picture” might be one of the most beautiful songs ever and definitely paints a grand picture in the listener’s mind.
Their full-length CD, “Colorful Alibis and Scandalous Smiles,” is also a great work, featuring songs such as “Lie Detector,” “She Said,” “Bring Me Back,” and “Believe In Love.” “Lie Detector” is an energetic song that gives a great glimpse of what’s to come on the CD. “She Said” is the band’s main single and has some great moments (to see the video, go to the band’s website). “Bring Me Back” is another one of my favorites that the band has done. It has an awesome chorus with the vocals going up into a very high octave that is sweet to hear. “Believe In Love” is a song that reminds me of something the Beatles would have done (as do several other songs on the album) and is pure fun. All of the other songs on this album are great and are ones that you can really get into.
I’ve seen Everfound play in concert three times. They first came to my town last year with Remedy Drive (to be featured later) for a concert sponsored by a youth group. At first I wasn’t overly impressed or energetic (mainly since I had just finished marching in a parade and wasn’t sure what to expect at the concert), but then they played “Moments Like These,” which truly took my breath away (pun intended). “Bring Me Back” was their next song and really brought everyone into a worshipful mood. After finishing with “Crashing,” the band went off the stage to great applause. I got to meet the band afterwards and got their EP.
A year later, the band came back for the same concert as the headliner. Their energy was even better, and their personalities shown through. One thing that must be mentioned is the enthusiasm of their lead singer, Nikita. He interacts with the crowd very well and creates a great show.
As I mentioned in my Lifelight review, their performance there was unbelievable. The best part of it was when they did their encore and did three worship songs, including “Take It All” and “How He Loves.” The presence of the Holy Spirit was known by all during that performance and was truly memorable.
Overall, Everfound is awesome, and you should definitely look into buying some of their music and supporting them. To tide you over, here’s a free download of “Bring Me Back” by the band (link also found in the Lifelight review). Now, the song is contained in a sampler with 50+ other songs, but if you have the Free Download Manager (see previous post), it will be much easier (though you definitely can’t go wrong with the other 50+ songs!). Enjoy!
http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2009/03/11/fighting-from-the-ground-up-vol-2/
Everfound is a four-piece rock/alternative band made up of four brothers. They are originally from Russia, but they immigrated to America and now live in Colorado when they aren’t touring. Their music is very unique, featuring piano, orchestras, electronic sounds, and a great lead vocalist.
An important part of their music is their dedication to Christ and sharing the Gospel. As a prime example of this, the case of their latest CD says:
“The songs on this record are captured minutes of our daily journey in seeking the heart of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this record is to glorify the name of Jesus the Son of God above all names because he died for the sins of every human being. Whoever believes in him and walks in him will not die but will have everlasting life. He is alive and will return for those who love him.”
With that, you can’t really go wrong!
Everfound has released two main works, the “Everfound EP” and “Colorful Alibis and Scandalous Smiles.” I got their EP first, and it features some awesome songs including “Moments Like These,” “I Need You,” and “Paint A Picture.” “Moments Like These” is my favorite song by them as it speaks of the true beauty of meeting Christ and having him in your life. With a great opening riff and impressive high notes held by Nikita, the lead vocalist, this song is great. “In moments like these, I know that I’m alive. I finally see the meaning of this life. At moments like these, I’ve got no words to say. It’s moments like these that take my breath away.” “Paint A Picture” might be one of the most beautiful songs ever and definitely paints a grand picture in the listener’s mind.
Their full-length CD, “Colorful Alibis and Scandalous Smiles,” is also a great work, featuring songs such as “Lie Detector,” “She Said,” “Bring Me Back,” and “Believe In Love.” “Lie Detector” is an energetic song that gives a great glimpse of what’s to come on the CD. “She Said” is the band’s main single and has some great moments (to see the video, go to the band’s website). “Bring Me Back” is another one of my favorites that the band has done. It has an awesome chorus with the vocals going up into a very high octave that is sweet to hear. “Believe In Love” is a song that reminds me of something the Beatles would have done (as do several other songs on the album) and is pure fun. All of the other songs on this album are great and are ones that you can really get into.
I’ve seen Everfound play in concert three times. They first came to my town last year with Remedy Drive (to be featured later) for a concert sponsored by a youth group. At first I wasn’t overly impressed or energetic (mainly since I had just finished marching in a parade and wasn’t sure what to expect at the concert), but then they played “Moments Like These,” which truly took my breath away (pun intended). “Bring Me Back” was their next song and really brought everyone into a worshipful mood. After finishing with “Crashing,” the band went off the stage to great applause. I got to meet the band afterwards and got their EP.
A year later, the band came back for the same concert as the headliner. Their energy was even better, and their personalities shown through. One thing that must be mentioned is the enthusiasm of their lead singer, Nikita. He interacts with the crowd very well and creates a great show.
As I mentioned in my Lifelight review, their performance there was unbelievable. The best part of it was when they did their encore and did three worship songs, including “Take It All” and “How He Loves.” The presence of the Holy Spirit was known by all during that performance and was truly memorable.
Overall, Everfound is awesome, and you should definitely look into buying some of their music and supporting them. To tide you over, here’s a free download of “Bring Me Back” by the band (link also found in the Lifelight review). Now, the song is contained in a sampler with 50+ other songs, but if you have the Free Download Manager (see previous post), it will be much easier (though you definitely can’t go wrong with the other 50+ songs!). Enjoy!
http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2009/03/11/fighting-from-the-ground-up-vol-2/
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tech Tools! Free Download Manager
So, as you have seen, there will be a lot of free music downloads on this blog. So what do I use in order to download music (legally of course)? Well, to start off, I use dial-up, but I wouldn’t recommend it . . .
A tool however that I have found that helps me to download more efficiently is the Free Download Manager. This software has several nifty features that help greatly.
- For one, FDM, on most downloads, allows you to start and stop, resuming from the same place. This is helpful if you need to get off the computer quickly where you can stop the download, turn the computer off, and resume the download from the same place later.
- There is also an option to schedule downloads (for example, start one download right after another one finishes).
- FDM downloads things quicker than regular browser downloading since it breaks down files into sections so you will be done faster.
- FDM allows you to preview music files right from the main window.
- What may be the best feature of them all is zip file previewing. Say you have a huge 50+ song sampler, but you only want one song from it. FDM will allow you to preview the zip file and check which files you want to download, thus saving a lot of space and time.
The Free Download Manager is a freeware download, and I’ve had very few problems with it. Enjoy!
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/
A tool however that I have found that helps me to download more efficiently is the Free Download Manager. This software has several nifty features that help greatly.
- For one, FDM, on most downloads, allows you to start and stop, resuming from the same place. This is helpful if you need to get off the computer quickly where you can stop the download, turn the computer off, and resume the download from the same place later.
- There is also an option to schedule downloads (for example, start one download right after another one finishes).
- FDM downloads things quicker than regular browser downloading since it breaks down files into sections so you will be done faster.
- FDM allows you to preview music files right from the main window.
- What may be the best feature of them all is zip file previewing. Say you have a huge 50+ song sampler, but you only want one song from it. FDM will allow you to preview the zip file and check which files you want to download, thus saving a lot of space and time.
The Free Download Manager is a freeware download, and I’ve had very few problems with it. Enjoy!
http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/
Friday, September 24, 2010
Lifelight Music Festival 2010 Review
Hola! On September 5, I had the opportunity to attend the final day of the Lifelight Music Festival, the largest free Christian music festival in the nation. It was definitely an awesome day and was a great chance to see some awesome bands. Let’s get started, shall we?
The festival is held in Worthing, South Dakota, and is a three-day festival. I went up with a group of about fifty people from my town for the final day on Sunday. It was a beautiful day weather-wise (except for it sprinkling a few minutes in the early evening). There were probably at least 100,000 people there, and it was awesome to be gathered with this many people on farmland that’s been turned into an area with six music stages and a bunch of cool stuff.
We arrived at the festival grounds at about 1:20 p.m., and I went off to the Souled Out Stage (the harder music stage) to see Listener. Listener was a band I had only heard a few things about beforehand, and I hadn’t heard any of their songs. They consist of two people, both of which play guitar along to a drum track, and one person speaks/sings along with plays the trumpet at some parts. The lyrics were mainly poems that the band had written, and though it was hard to understand the words at many times, it was definitely intriguing and something that I’ve looked more into. A song of theirs that I got off of iTunes is “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” and is pretty sweet lyrically and musically. Hopefully I can be exposed to them more as time goes on.
A pretty sweet highlight took place during this performance. I looked over to the left of the stage where there was VIP viewing, and I saw T.D. and Veronica Benton from White Collar Sideshow with the top hat, mask, and everything. They had performed at the festival Friday, and though I didn’t see them play, I can now say that I “saw” them. (White Collar Sideshow will definitely be featured on this blog soon).
I walked around a bit and then got back to the Souled Out Stage to see Family Force 5 play acoustic. For those who are unfamiliar with FF5, they’re a band that plays crunk and electronic rock, so to see them play acoustic was interesting. It was sweet though to see that they still basically sounded the same and had great energy. One could understand the lyrics clearly, and the banter between the band members in between songs was hilarious. Song highlights included “Kountry Gentlemen,” “Supersonic,” “Fever,” and “Love Addict.”
At the main stage around 3:10, Downhere, a rock band from Canada, played. Their music is pretty unique as they have two lead singers. They started the set with “Wide-Eyed and Mystified,” and then the guitarist did a cool trumpet solo. The band then played my favorite track from them, “My Last Amen,” which the band calls their ‘happy song about death.’ I urge you to check this song out since it’s extremely unique and has great meaning. The band then played several other songs inlcuding “Who Am I?,” “Here I Am,” and “How Many Kings.” The most emotional part of the set came when Jason Germain of the band talked about his recent struggles with panic attacks and how he overcame them. Downhere was definitely a great band, and I know a lot of my friends enjoyed them.
Up next came the full Family Force 5 set at the Main Stage. It was sweet to see them play with their huge drum machine, wild antics, and great music. They played a bunch of songs with some highlights being “Dance Or Die,” “Kountry Gentlemen,” “Fever,” “Love Addict,” and “Get Your Back Off The Wall.” The crowd was really into it; however I wasn’t able to fully participate since I literally had my back up against a wall (pretty ironic, isn’t it?). For an encore, the band came out with huge balloons with their faces on them strapped to their backs, which I heard that they used at all their encores at festivals this summer (apparently they glow in the dark too). Seeing the two extremes of acoustic and full sets gave me a great picture of Family Force 5, and I’ll definitely follow them in the future.
After Family Force 5's set finished, I had time to go over to the Souled Out Stage to see a bit of Manafest’s set. Manafest is a white rapper, and though I had only heard a few songs of his and wasn’t originally planning to see him, I was excited to have the opportunity to watch. After I walked up, he did a song that I knew, “No Plan B.” After this, he said that he was going to slow it down a bit and sang “Every Time You Run.” I hadn’t heard this song, but it was awesome, and you could see the emotion that Manafest poured into the performance. The lyrics are great too and describe a hopeless life that turns into a life filled with God, “Every time you run, every time you hide, every time it hurts, every time you cry, every time you run away, every time you hide your face, and it feels so far away, I’m right here with you.” It was an unexpected highlight of the day, and I’m glad I saw it. Manafest finished his set with “Fire In The Kitchen,” which was a really energetic song.
Up next on my schedule was Everfound at the G2 (gospel) stage. Everfound had come to my town twice before (including once two weeks before Lifelight), so I was hoping that they’d deliver a solid performance. When I arrived at the stage at 6:00, the time that they were scheduled to begin, a gospel group was still playing, and the band was backstage. I walked across the grounds to fill up my water bottle and check out the 360 Stage a bit, but when I came back the band was still setting up. They didn’t start until 6:40, but what happened was truly amazing. I don’t think anyone left the area during the long waiting period, and this enthusiasm from the crowd showed during the set. I won’t take too much time to describe their songs or style here since I’m planning to write a spotlight on them soon, but they truly shined during that performance. Afterward, almost everyone rushed to their merch table outside of the tent to buy things or get the band’s autograph. I got their latest album and had it autographed. Everfound’s performance was my biggest highlight, and I know that this band is going to become big very soon.
After Everfound’s set, I went over to the Souled Out Stage for a good night of music. First up was Seabird, a piano pop rock band. I was somewhat disappointed because I had heard that they take a full-sized piano on tour, but they just had a keyboard for the performance. However, the music was great. Some of their highlights were “Rescue,” “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” (a song that you should check out), and “Cottonmouth.” It was definitely a good performance to keep me satisfied.
Next up was Children 18:3, a punk rock band made up of three siblings from Minnesota. A unique thing about them is that they have two main vocalists, one male and one female (David and Lee Marie), and the trade-off between them was sweet to see (though I thought Lee Marie’s microphone could have been a bit louder). They played a bunch of their best songs, including “All My Balloons,” “Oh Bravo,” “Oh Honestly,” “Lost So Long,” “Cover Your Eyes,” and “Homemade Valentine.” The best part about the set for me, however, was seeing their drummer Seth. I had heard that he was a great drummer, but what I saw completely stunned me. Every so often, he would do another stick flip or flourish and had a lot of energy. The band also had great energy, even encouraging the crowd to form a mosh pit (which a few people did). The band said they were going to play one final song, which as “LCM,” but then Seth launched into a HUGE drum solo. Awesome fills, awesome stick tricks, awesome EVERYTHING. I am a drummer myself and was largely inspired by his performance to add more flourishes when playing. After his solo, the band came out to play “Even Sleeping” to end their set. I went over to the autograph tent, but after massive confusion about which line to be in and waiting a while, I decided to leave and see House of Heroes, who had started to play.
House of Heroes, in the opinion of many Christian rock fans out there, is possibly one of the top bands in Christian rock (if not THE top one.) They had released a new album about a month prior, “Suburba,” which is an awesome album and one that you should check out. Their vocalist, Tim Skipper, is extremely impressive with a large range, and the rest of the band does awesome harmonies that are sweet to see in person. Highlights were “Code Name: Raven,” “God Save The Foolish Kings,” “Serial Sleepers,” “So Far Away” (which might be my favorite song of the summer), “Lose Control,” and “If.” I wanted to stay for their closer “In The Valley Of The Dying Sun,” but I received a text from one of my friends that MercyMe had started playing, so I decided to leave for the Main Stage.
When I got there, MercyMe was playing their third songand rocking the crowd. MercyMe is one of the best known bands in Christian bands, especially with their hit “I Can Only Imagine.” The stage was set up well with lighting, two TV monitors on stage that were used for lyrics and visuals, and a large backdrop with the album cover for their latest album, “The Generous Mr. Lovewell.” I had downloaded a live album (which had their largest hits) that the band had offered for free last December, so I was excited to hear them truly live. Two things really amazed me during the set: 1. how worshipful and awesome the environment was - I was with probably about 100,000 others during that set! 2. how common the band was, especially the lead singer Bart Millard – they are just normal guys who were called to do awesome things for God. There were a bunch of highlights during the set, but here’s just a few. The most worshipful song was “Word of God” speak with was easily over ten minutes long and had a great speech by Bart. A song that I particularly enjoyed was “This Life” as it is a great rock song and has an awesome message. And, of course, “I Can Only Imagine” was truly awesome and left me speechless. The band came out for a two song encore which included “All of Creation,” one of their latest singles. When I woke up about a week ago and turned on the radio, this song was on, which brought back great memories with its catchy chorus.
The night ended with a short fireworks display, and my experience with Lifelight was complete. And so is this review. For those of you who made it this far, I congratulate you, and here’s a gift. I made this list of free songs of artists who performed at the Lifelight festival for the group I went up with, and here it is for you. Thanks!
Family Force 5 - “Get Your Back Off The Wall (3oh!3 Remix)” http://www.purevolume.com/familyforce5
Everfound - “Bring Me Back” (in a sampler with 50+ other bands)
http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2009/03/11/fighting-from-the-ground-up-vol-2/
NEEDTOBREATHE - “You Are Here,” “More Time,” “Washed By The Water” (all live) http://www.relevantmagazine.com/media.php
Seabird - “Let Me Go On” http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat155400050004&type=category
“Rescue” http://www.purevolume.com/seabird
"Don't You Know You're Beautiful" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-Free-Christian-Music-Blog/20726432803
Children 18:3 and The Almost - “Cover Your Eyes” and “Hands”
(With 18 other bands) http://www.freetoothandnail.com
Children 18:3 - “All My Balloons” http://www.toothandnail.com/free/ (With 12 other bands)
“LCM” http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=5139
The Almost - “I Mostly Copy Other People,” “Say This Sooner (No One Will Ever See Things The Way I Do,” “Free Fallin” http://www.spin.com/artists/almost
House of Heroes - “Independence Day For a Petty Thief” (requires Twitter) http://freehoh.com/
“The End Is Not The End EP” (3 songs, might require Amazon account) http://www.amazon.com/End-Not-EP/dp/B001U7WVW2
The festival is held in Worthing, South Dakota, and is a three-day festival. I went up with a group of about fifty people from my town for the final day on Sunday. It was a beautiful day weather-wise (except for it sprinkling a few minutes in the early evening). There were probably at least 100,000 people there, and it was awesome to be gathered with this many people on farmland that’s been turned into an area with six music stages and a bunch of cool stuff.
We arrived at the festival grounds at about 1:20 p.m., and I went off to the Souled Out Stage (the harder music stage) to see Listener. Listener was a band I had only heard a few things about beforehand, and I hadn’t heard any of their songs. They consist of two people, both of which play guitar along to a drum track, and one person speaks/sings along with plays the trumpet at some parts. The lyrics were mainly poems that the band had written, and though it was hard to understand the words at many times, it was definitely intriguing and something that I’ve looked more into. A song of theirs that I got off of iTunes is “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” and is pretty sweet lyrically and musically. Hopefully I can be exposed to them more as time goes on.
A pretty sweet highlight took place during this performance. I looked over to the left of the stage where there was VIP viewing, and I saw T.D. and Veronica Benton from White Collar Sideshow with the top hat, mask, and everything. They had performed at the festival Friday, and though I didn’t see them play, I can now say that I “saw” them. (White Collar Sideshow will definitely be featured on this blog soon).
I walked around a bit and then got back to the Souled Out Stage to see Family Force 5 play acoustic. For those who are unfamiliar with FF5, they’re a band that plays crunk and electronic rock, so to see them play acoustic was interesting. It was sweet though to see that they still basically sounded the same and had great energy. One could understand the lyrics clearly, and the banter between the band members in between songs was hilarious. Song highlights included “Kountry Gentlemen,” “Supersonic,” “Fever,” and “Love Addict.”
At the main stage around 3:10, Downhere, a rock band from Canada, played. Their music is pretty unique as they have two lead singers. They started the set with “Wide-Eyed and Mystified,” and then the guitarist did a cool trumpet solo. The band then played my favorite track from them, “My Last Amen,” which the band calls their ‘happy song about death.’ I urge you to check this song out since it’s extremely unique and has great meaning. The band then played several other songs inlcuding “Who Am I?,” “Here I Am,” and “How Many Kings.” The most emotional part of the set came when Jason Germain of the band talked about his recent struggles with panic attacks and how he overcame them. Downhere was definitely a great band, and I know a lot of my friends enjoyed them.
Up next came the full Family Force 5 set at the Main Stage. It was sweet to see them play with their huge drum machine, wild antics, and great music. They played a bunch of songs with some highlights being “Dance Or Die,” “Kountry Gentlemen,” “Fever,” “Love Addict,” and “Get Your Back Off The Wall.” The crowd was really into it; however I wasn’t able to fully participate since I literally had my back up against a wall (pretty ironic, isn’t it?). For an encore, the band came out with huge balloons with their faces on them strapped to their backs, which I heard that they used at all their encores at festivals this summer (apparently they glow in the dark too). Seeing the two extremes of acoustic and full sets gave me a great picture of Family Force 5, and I’ll definitely follow them in the future.
After Family Force 5's set finished, I had time to go over to the Souled Out Stage to see a bit of Manafest’s set. Manafest is a white rapper, and though I had only heard a few songs of his and wasn’t originally planning to see him, I was excited to have the opportunity to watch. After I walked up, he did a song that I knew, “No Plan B.” After this, he said that he was going to slow it down a bit and sang “Every Time You Run.” I hadn’t heard this song, but it was awesome, and you could see the emotion that Manafest poured into the performance. The lyrics are great too and describe a hopeless life that turns into a life filled with God, “Every time you run, every time you hide, every time it hurts, every time you cry, every time you run away, every time you hide your face, and it feels so far away, I’m right here with you.” It was an unexpected highlight of the day, and I’m glad I saw it. Manafest finished his set with “Fire In The Kitchen,” which was a really energetic song.
Up next on my schedule was Everfound at the G2 (gospel) stage. Everfound had come to my town twice before (including once two weeks before Lifelight), so I was hoping that they’d deliver a solid performance. When I arrived at the stage at 6:00, the time that they were scheduled to begin, a gospel group was still playing, and the band was backstage. I walked across the grounds to fill up my water bottle and check out the 360 Stage a bit, but when I came back the band was still setting up. They didn’t start until 6:40, but what happened was truly amazing. I don’t think anyone left the area during the long waiting period, and this enthusiasm from the crowd showed during the set. I won’t take too much time to describe their songs or style here since I’m planning to write a spotlight on them soon, but they truly shined during that performance. Afterward, almost everyone rushed to their merch table outside of the tent to buy things or get the band’s autograph. I got their latest album and had it autographed. Everfound’s performance was my biggest highlight, and I know that this band is going to become big very soon.
After Everfound’s set, I went over to the Souled Out Stage for a good night of music. First up was Seabird, a piano pop rock band. I was somewhat disappointed because I had heard that they take a full-sized piano on tour, but they just had a keyboard for the performance. However, the music was great. Some of their highlights were “Rescue,” “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” (a song that you should check out), and “Cottonmouth.” It was definitely a good performance to keep me satisfied.
Next up was Children 18:3, a punk rock band made up of three siblings from Minnesota. A unique thing about them is that they have two main vocalists, one male and one female (David and Lee Marie), and the trade-off between them was sweet to see (though I thought Lee Marie’s microphone could have been a bit louder). They played a bunch of their best songs, including “All My Balloons,” “Oh Bravo,” “Oh Honestly,” “Lost So Long,” “Cover Your Eyes,” and “Homemade Valentine.” The best part about the set for me, however, was seeing their drummer Seth. I had heard that he was a great drummer, but what I saw completely stunned me. Every so often, he would do another stick flip or flourish and had a lot of energy. The band also had great energy, even encouraging the crowd to form a mosh pit (which a few people did). The band said they were going to play one final song, which as “LCM,” but then Seth launched into a HUGE drum solo. Awesome fills, awesome stick tricks, awesome EVERYTHING. I am a drummer myself and was largely inspired by his performance to add more flourishes when playing. After his solo, the band came out to play “Even Sleeping” to end their set. I went over to the autograph tent, but after massive confusion about which line to be in and waiting a while, I decided to leave and see House of Heroes, who had started to play.
House of Heroes, in the opinion of many Christian rock fans out there, is possibly one of the top bands in Christian rock (if not THE top one.) They had released a new album about a month prior, “Suburba,” which is an awesome album and one that you should check out. Their vocalist, Tim Skipper, is extremely impressive with a large range, and the rest of the band does awesome harmonies that are sweet to see in person. Highlights were “Code Name: Raven,” “God Save The Foolish Kings,” “Serial Sleepers,” “So Far Away” (which might be my favorite song of the summer), “Lose Control,” and “If.” I wanted to stay for their closer “In The Valley Of The Dying Sun,” but I received a text from one of my friends that MercyMe had started playing, so I decided to leave for the Main Stage.
When I got there, MercyMe was playing their third songand rocking the crowd. MercyMe is one of the best known bands in Christian bands, especially with their hit “I Can Only Imagine.” The stage was set up well with lighting, two TV monitors on stage that were used for lyrics and visuals, and a large backdrop with the album cover for their latest album, “The Generous Mr. Lovewell.” I had downloaded a live album (which had their largest hits) that the band had offered for free last December, so I was excited to hear them truly live. Two things really amazed me during the set: 1. how worshipful and awesome the environment was - I was with probably about 100,000 others during that set! 2. how common the band was, especially the lead singer Bart Millard – they are just normal guys who were called to do awesome things for God. There were a bunch of highlights during the set, but here’s just a few. The most worshipful song was “Word of God” speak with was easily over ten minutes long and had a great speech by Bart. A song that I particularly enjoyed was “This Life” as it is a great rock song and has an awesome message. And, of course, “I Can Only Imagine” was truly awesome and left me speechless. The band came out for a two song encore which included “All of Creation,” one of their latest singles. When I woke up about a week ago and turned on the radio, this song was on, which brought back great memories with its catchy chorus.
The night ended with a short fireworks display, and my experience with Lifelight was complete. And so is this review. For those of you who made it this far, I congratulate you, and here’s a gift. I made this list of free songs of artists who performed at the Lifelight festival for the group I went up with, and here it is for you. Thanks!
Family Force 5 - “Get Your Back Off The Wall (3oh!3 Remix)” http://www.purevolume.com/familyforce5
Everfound - “Bring Me Back” (in a sampler with 50+ other bands)
http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2009/03/11/fighting-from-the-ground-up-vol-2/
NEEDTOBREATHE - “You Are Here,” “More Time,” “Washed By The Water” (all live) http://www.relevantmagazine.com/media.php
Seabird - “Let Me Go On” http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat155400050004&type=category
“Rescue” http://www.purevolume.com/seabird
"Don't You Know You're Beautiful" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-Free-Christian-Music-Blog/20726432803
Children 18:3 and The Almost - “Cover Your Eyes” and “Hands”
(With 18 other bands) http://www.freetoothandnail.com
Children 18:3 - “All My Balloons” http://www.toothandnail.com/free/ (With 12 other bands)
“LCM” http://www.absolutepunk.net/artists/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=5139
The Almost - “I Mostly Copy Other People,” “Say This Sooner (No One Will Ever See Things The Way I Do,” “Free Fallin” http://www.spin.com/artists/almost
House of Heroes - “Independence Day For a Petty Thief” (requires Twitter) http://freehoh.com/
“The End Is Not The End EP” (3 songs, might require Amazon account) http://www.amazon.com/End-Not-EP/dp/B001U7WVW2
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Artist Spotlight: This Beautiful Republic
One way I want to share new music on this blog is through artist spotlights, where I take an artist, talk about their music and how it’s impacted me, and possibly throw in some free downloads. It’s only fair to do the first spotlight on the band that got me into Christian music in the first place.
I got my first iPod and iTunes for Christmas in 8th grade and was always excited for the free downloads that iTunes gave. One week, the download happened to be “Casting Off” by This Beautiful Republic. The genre said “Christian & Gospel,” and the description said that they were a Christian rock band out of Toledo, Ohio. I downloaded it and really loved it since it had a great message with great rock music. I got their first album off of iTunes from Confirmation money, and the rest is history.
This Beautiful Republic is straight-up alternative rock with powerful Christian lyrics. They released two albums, “Even Heroes Need A Parachute” and “Perceptions.” Their first album was a great album and was the first Christian rock album I bought. It has some awesome tunes including “Casting Off,” “Going Under,” “Fears And Failures,” and “Cloud Cover.” On this album there are several slower paced songs that have a lot of meaning and are good to listen to. The lyrics are a high point on both albums, such as on “Casting Off.” “I saw you wonder the stars, and I caught you wanting it all. Desire can change you, you are so much better off when nothing weighs you down . . . You’re better off casting off.”
Their second album, “Perceptions,” is, in my mind, their best work. It’s harder rock but still has great themes within the music. Some of the harder songs are “Pain,” “Surrender Saved My Life,” “My God” (featuring Aaron Gillipsie from The Almost), and “Stay With You Tonight.” However, the peak of the album comes with the songs “Change the World” and “A Point Between Extremes.” These two songs are slower (especially with “Change the World” featuring only piano, violins, and vocals), but they are full of emotion and are easily relatable.
Sadly, their lead singer, Ben Olin, left the band last winter, and neither he nor the band have done too much since. I hope they do come back though, since they were a great group.
Now for a free download to prove that my rabble actually means something to you. ;) Here’s a link for a download of “Surrender Saved My Life” from the band’s Purevolume page. Enjoy!
www.purevolume.com/thisbeautifulrepublic
I got my first iPod and iTunes for Christmas in 8th grade and was always excited for the free downloads that iTunes gave. One week, the download happened to be “Casting Off” by This Beautiful Republic. The genre said “Christian & Gospel,” and the description said that they were a Christian rock band out of Toledo, Ohio. I downloaded it and really loved it since it had a great message with great rock music. I got their first album off of iTunes from Confirmation money, and the rest is history.
This Beautiful Republic is straight-up alternative rock with powerful Christian lyrics. They released two albums, “Even Heroes Need A Parachute” and “Perceptions.” Their first album was a great album and was the first Christian rock album I bought. It has some awesome tunes including “Casting Off,” “Going Under,” “Fears And Failures,” and “Cloud Cover.” On this album there are several slower paced songs that have a lot of meaning and are good to listen to. The lyrics are a high point on both albums, such as on “Casting Off.” “I saw you wonder the stars, and I caught you wanting it all. Desire can change you, you are so much better off when nothing weighs you down . . . You’re better off casting off.”
Their second album, “Perceptions,” is, in my mind, their best work. It’s harder rock but still has great themes within the music. Some of the harder songs are “Pain,” “Surrender Saved My Life,” “My God” (featuring Aaron Gillipsie from The Almost), and “Stay With You Tonight.” However, the peak of the album comes with the songs “Change the World” and “A Point Between Extremes.” These two songs are slower (especially with “Change the World” featuring only piano, violins, and vocals), but they are full of emotion and are easily relatable.
Sadly, their lead singer, Ben Olin, left the band last winter, and neither he nor the band have done too much since. I hope they do come back though, since they were a great group.
Now for a free download to prove that my rabble actually means something to you. ;) Here’s a link for a download of “Surrender Saved My Life” from the band’s Purevolume page. Enjoy!
www.purevolume.com/thisbeautifulrepublic
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Come&Live
Today I’m going to scratch the surface of something I’ll probably come back to time and time again here on the blog . . .
Come&Live is a Christian record label. However there’s something a bit different about this than most other labels. C&L is a non-profit organization, and it gives away all of its artists’ music for free on its website. Awesome, don’t you think?
This isn’t just the kind of mediocre music you would expect for free. This is great stuff. Daniel Bashta, Ian McIntosh, Preson Phillips, The Ember Days, I Am Alpha And Omega, White Collar Sideshow, and fifteen-plus other bands. And let me tell you (since I doubt you've heard of them before), they’re AWESOME!
There are also a bunch of different genres on the website, with rock, pop, acoustic, hardcore, percussion, etc., but all of them have to do with one thing: worship.
To begin with, go to www.comeandlive.com/downloads. There you’ll find all the albums, but to get a good taste of the bands, check out the I Am Living Vol. 1 sampler. It has 16 different bands on it with some awesome songs from some of the bands mentioned above and much more. Check it out, and have fun digging . . .
Come&Live is a Christian record label. However there’s something a bit different about this than most other labels. C&L is a non-profit organization, and it gives away all of its artists’ music for free on its website. Awesome, don’t you think?
This isn’t just the kind of mediocre music you would expect for free. This is great stuff. Daniel Bashta, Ian McIntosh, Preson Phillips, The Ember Days, I Am Alpha And Omega, White Collar Sideshow, and fifteen-plus other bands. And let me tell you (since I doubt you've heard of them before), they’re AWESOME!
There are also a bunch of different genres on the website, with rock, pop, acoustic, hardcore, percussion, etc., but all of them have to do with one thing: worship.
To begin with, go to www.comeandlive.com/downloads. There you’ll find all the albums, but to get a good taste of the bands, check out the I Am Living Vol. 1 sampler. It has 16 different bands on it with some awesome songs from some of the bands mentioned above and much more. Check it out, and have fun digging . . .
The Free Christian Music Blog
What got me into finding free Christian music? Well, the Free Christian Music Blog of course!
This is truly a valuable resource to find some great music. A lot of the things I’ll be referencing on this blog come from TFCMB. However, there’s a difference as TFCMB mainly focuses on the latest free music, I’ll mostly be referencing older downloads when they deal with an artist or an website, and I’ll also focus on other points of Christian music as well. Also on TFCMB there’s the CCM singles archive which is a great way to find some downloads of favorite artists.
I can’t really say too much more because the Free Christian Music Blog speaks for itself. Go there, search around, and have fun!
The Free Christian Music Blog <-- link
This is truly a valuable resource to find some great music. A lot of the things I’ll be referencing on this blog come from TFCMB. However, there’s a difference as TFCMB mainly focuses on the latest free music, I’ll mostly be referencing older downloads when they deal with an artist or an website, and I’ll also focus on other points of Christian music as well. Also on TFCMB there’s the CCM singles archive which is a great way to find some downloads of favorite artists.
I can’t really say too much more because the Free Christian Music Blog speaks for itself. Go there, search around, and have fun!
The Free Christian Music Blog <-- link
Monday, September 13, 2010
Christian Rock Radio!
If you want to be exposed to some great music, one of the best ways I know is www.christianrock.net I first found this a few years ago, and it was great to hear songs from different bands. It is a free internet radio station focused on Christian rock music (hence the name). You’ll find a lot of large name artists and some independent bands that are playing.
This radio station has a lot of pros that make it my favorite to listen to. First off, it has a low speed connection for those who have dial-up (like me). Second, it has five different ways to listen to it. The custom player is my favorite since it gives song information and lyrics, but for some reason lately it makes Internet Explorer non-responsive, so I just use Windows Media Player and click “What’s Playing” on the side to get the song info and lyrics. Thirdly, there are charts, latest news, and much more.
Also, there are three other Christian stations provided by the same company that can be accessed by the top of the website: hard rock, hip-hop, and power praise. These are also good listens if you are interested.
If you want something in the background as you do homework or have fun, try this out, and you’ll definitely like it!
Christianrock.net
This radio station has a lot of pros that make it my favorite to listen to. First off, it has a low speed connection for those who have dial-up (like me). Second, it has five different ways to listen to it. The custom player is my favorite since it gives song information and lyrics, but for some reason lately it makes Internet Explorer non-responsive, so I just use Windows Media Player and click “What’s Playing” on the side to get the song info and lyrics. Thirdly, there are charts, latest news, and much more.
Also, there are three other Christian stations provided by the same company that can be accessed by the top of the website: hard rock, hip-hop, and power praise. These are also good listens if you are interested.
If you want something in the background as you do homework or have fun, try this out, and you’ll definitely like it!
Christianrock.net
Friday, September 10, 2010
Best of Indie Vision Music!
First up, I've created a Facebook page for the Discover Christian Music Blog. If you are following this blog, consider becoming a fan of the page and suggesting the page to friends. It's a great way to stay connected with everyone!
DCM Facebook Page
(For some reason, I'm having problems with some links showing up against the background. So, whenever I say there's a link, put your mouse over the empty space and you'll be able to click it. For example, the link is in the space above. If anyone knows how to solve this, let me know.)
On my last post, I mentioned that there were several HUGE samplers on Indie Vision Music; here's one for you now! It’s the Best of IVM Volume 1 compilation! This features 40 songs from all sorts of genres of music from previous IVM samplers. It’d be too long to give the tracklist, but here’s some of my favorites:
“The Message Is You” - Amen. The Animal
“Losing Ground” - Blood And Water
“Can’t Breathe” - Cathy Crescendo
“A Cause, A Plan, An Execution” - Dogwood
“Suffer” - The Echoing Green
“Save This Heart” - Ever Stays Red
“Sleeping For So Long” - Fairgreen
“Walking With Angels” - Finchley
“Speak To Me” - Hands
“Closer” - Kings To You
“The Darkest Nights Of The Soul” - Makeshift3
“Skies Vs. Urchins” - One Hot Minute
“Melt With The Snow” - Orion Walsh
“The Kane Mutiny” - Project 86
“This Is So Cliche That It Will Rot Your Teeth” - Send Out Scuds
“Atlantic City” - Tumbledown
“Sway Your Head” - We Shot The Moon
Like I said earlier, IVM focused more on independent music, so this will give you a great look at some bands who aren’t (but should be) well known. Enjoy!
Best Of Indie Vision Music Vol. 1
(For some reason, I'm having problems with some links showing up against the background. So, whenever I say there's a link, put your mouse over the empty space and you'll be able to click it. For example, the link is in the space above. If anyone knows how to solve this, let me know.)
On my last post, I mentioned that there were several HUGE samplers on Indie Vision Music; here's one for you now! It’s the Best of IVM Volume 1 compilation! This features 40 songs from all sorts of genres of music from previous IVM samplers. It’d be too long to give the tracklist, but here’s some of my favorites:
“The Message Is You” - Amen. The Animal
“Losing Ground” - Blood And Water
“Can’t Breathe” - Cathy Crescendo
“A Cause, A Plan, An Execution” - Dogwood
“Suffer” - The Echoing Green
“Save This Heart” - Ever Stays Red
“Sleeping For So Long” - Fairgreen
“Walking With Angels” - Finchley
“Speak To Me” - Hands
“Closer” - Kings To You
“The Darkest Nights Of The Soul” - Makeshift3
“Skies Vs. Urchins” - One Hot Minute
“Melt With The Snow” - Orion Walsh
“The Kane Mutiny” - Project 86
“This Is So Cliche That It Will Rot Your Teeth” - Send Out Scuds
“Atlantic City” - Tumbledown
“Sway Your Head” - We Shot The Moon
Like I said earlier, IVM focused more on independent music, so this will give you a great look at some bands who aren’t (but should be) well known. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Christian Music News
What’s the best way to get exposed to new bands? Check out the Christian music news sites! There are two that I constantly rely on to find new stuff.
The first is Jesus Freak Hideout. There’s a bunch of things on here such as album reviews, news, interviews, blogs, articles, and free music. If you go to the features tab, you’ll find such writings as “The 15 Greatest Christian CDs of All-Time,” “Top Ten CDs of (insert year here),” “Highlights (upcoming album releases),” and more. You can also check out the downloads section for some great free songs. The “We Recommend” blogs also are great to read. Check this all out at Jesus Freak Hideout
The second site I love reading is Indie Vision Music. This is a bit more focused on the independent and heavier side of Christian music, though it does have a great overview of the entire scene. This has a lot of the same things that JFH has but with more emphasis on news postings and open conversation between readers via comments on articles. They also have several HUGE samplers that I probably will be featuring later on. Check this out at Indie Vision Music
I’ll most likely come back to these sites later on (hint: very soon), so look at them and see what you can find!
The first is Jesus Freak Hideout. There’s a bunch of things on here such as album reviews, news, interviews, blogs, articles, and free music. If you go to the features tab, you’ll find such writings as “The 15 Greatest Christian CDs of All-Time,” “Top Ten CDs of (insert year here),” “Highlights (upcoming album releases),” and more. You can also check out the downloads section for some great free songs. The “We Recommend” blogs also are great to read. Check this all out at Jesus Freak Hideout
The second site I love reading is Indie Vision Music. This is a bit more focused on the independent and heavier side of Christian music, though it does have a great overview of the entire scene. This has a lot of the same things that JFH has but with more emphasis on news postings and open conversation between readers via comments on articles. They also have several HUGE samplers that I probably will be featuring later on. Check this out at Indie Vision Music
I’ll most likely come back to these sites later on (hint: very soon), so look at them and see what you can find!
Friday, September 3, 2010
What is Christian music anyway?
In order to have a Christian music blog, we first need to look at an essential question: what is Christian music?
If you stay around the industry for any period of time, you’ll find that there’s a lot of varied opinions of what this music is and what it entails and doesn’t entail. However, here’s my opinion, and maybe it will help you.
Christian music, essentially, is music from a Christian perspective. An important part of it is that bands should be comprised mostly of Christian members and live that out in their lives.
Now, for an important question, does their music have to explicitly mention their Christian faith all of the time? The answer in my mind is no, but there’s a fine line so follow along. First off, every song they write does not have to be praising God or directed to Him or necessarily mention Him. Some bands may think it great to mention the name of Jesus in every song, and I definitely wouldn’t stop that. However, what is more important is music from a Christian perspective. Is there a hope to lean onto in hard times? Should relationships be “hook-ups” or should they involve something more based on respect and a true, self-giving love? How can we get through hard times? Should we spend our time on pleasures of the world that only fade away? The list goes on and on. Most importantly, do the songs reflect the truth? All good things point to God, and Christian music has this goal; though it does not need to say the name of God every five seconds, it is based in Him and shows true joy.
Next we move onto what Christian music should be musically. When many people picture Christian music, they either picture gospel choirs or church music or large CCM groups. However, there’s Christian rock, hip-hop, metal, alternative, pop, country, techno, hardcore, screamo, and much more!
However, as I said in the beginning, there’s no one way to define Christian music because there are so many differing opinions in the world. If you have comments, PLEASE post them under the comments section (this applies to any post I put up on here, whether it's compliments, questions, criticism, etc.), since I’ll definitely write more on the topic later on. Until then, have a great time!
If you stay around the industry for any period of time, you’ll find that there’s a lot of varied opinions of what this music is and what it entails and doesn’t entail. However, here’s my opinion, and maybe it will help you.
Christian music, essentially, is music from a Christian perspective. An important part of it is that bands should be comprised mostly of Christian members and live that out in their lives.
Now, for an important question, does their music have to explicitly mention their Christian faith all of the time? The answer in my mind is no, but there’s a fine line so follow along. First off, every song they write does not have to be praising God or directed to Him or necessarily mention Him. Some bands may think it great to mention the name of Jesus in every song, and I definitely wouldn’t stop that. However, what is more important is music from a Christian perspective. Is there a hope to lean onto in hard times? Should relationships be “hook-ups” or should they involve something more based on respect and a true, self-giving love? How can we get through hard times? Should we spend our time on pleasures of the world that only fade away? The list goes on and on. Most importantly, do the songs reflect the truth? All good things point to God, and Christian music has this goal; though it does not need to say the name of God every five seconds, it is based in Him and shows true joy.
Next we move onto what Christian music should be musically. When many people picture Christian music, they either picture gospel choirs or church music or large CCM groups. However, there’s Christian rock, hip-hop, metal, alternative, pop, country, techno, hardcore, screamo, and much more!
However, as I said in the beginning, there’s no one way to define Christian music because there are so many differing opinions in the world. If you have comments, PLEASE post them under the comments section (this applies to any post I put up on here, whether it's compliments, questions, criticism, etc.), since I’ll definitely write more on the topic later on. Until then, have a great time!
TWO Tooth And Nail Samplers
Let’s get this party started with some free music! Tooth and Nail is a record label that has mostly Christian music from all sorts of genres, from pop to hardcore. Right now they have two free samplers where, though there’s a few repeats, you can get nearly 35 free songs!
The first one is the Tooth and Nail Summer Soundtrack. Here’s the tracklist:
1. The O.C. Supertones - “Hallelujah”
2. Poema - “2 A.M.”
3. Rapture Ruckus - “All Things New”
4. Children 18:3 - “Cover Your Eyes”
5. Fair - “Disappearing World”
6. Write This Down - “Handgrenades”
7. The Almost - “Hands”
8. The Letter Black - “Hanging On By A Thread”
9. Queen’s Club - “Less Talk”
10. Since October - “Life, Scars, Apologies”
11. The Museum - “Never Look Away”
12. Sent By Ravens - “New Fire”
13. Manafest - “No Plan B”
14. The Classic Crime - “Solar Powered Life”
15. Oh Sleeper - “Son of the Morning”
15. MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE - “Terra Firma”
16. The Glorious Unseen - “The Hope That Lies In You”
17. FM Static - “The Shindig (Off to College)”
18. Jaymes Reunion - “Trouble”
19. To Speak Of Wolves - “Trust But Verify”
20. Secret & Whisper - “Warrior (Southern Arrowwood)”
This sampler has some awesome songs mostly in the rock and alternative genres and is definitely a great way to discover some new bands in Christian music. Check it out, and I hope you like it! Go to www.freetoothandnail.com and you’ll need to put in your email address (very few emails from them). I’m not sure how much longer it will be up, so get it as soon as you can!
The second sampler is in conjunction with Fuel Magazine and has 26 songs.
1. Haste the Day - “Travesty”
*2. MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE - “Terra Firma”
*3. Ivoryline - “Instincts”
*4. The Classic Crime - “Solar Powered Life”
*5. Poema - “2 A.M.”
*6. Queens Club - “Less Talk”
*7. Children 18:3 - “Cover Your Eyes”
*8. The Almost - “Hands”
*9. Secret & Whisper - “Warrior (Southern Arrowwood)”
10. Emery - “Edge of the World”
11. Mae - “In Pieces”
*12. Sent By Ravens - “New Fire”
13. Write This Down - “Renegade”
*14. Fair - “Disappearing World”
15. Number One Gun - “Forest”
16. Since October - “The Way You Move”
*17. The Letter Black - “Hanging On By A Thread”
18. To Speak of Wolves - “Darkness Often Yields The Brightest Light”
*19. Oh Sleeper - “Son Of The Morning”
20. Living Sacrifice - “Rules of Engagement”
21. Advent - “Pack of Fools”
22. Inhale Exhale - “Did You Ever Have a Touch to Lose?”
23. Gwen Stacy - “The First Words”
24. Demon Hunter - “Collapsing”
25. The Showdown - “Blood In The Gears”
26. Surrogate - “Exercise Machines”
(* = repeats)
This sampler is a bit more heavy on the hardcore music, so if you like this type of music, you’re in luck. Even if you aren’t sure if you like screaming, try it out and see if it wears off on you (it sure wore off on me!). There are two ways to download: 1. Go to Tooth and Nail's Facebook Page “like” the page, and go to the “Free Sampler” box. 2. Go to Tooth And Nail's website and enter your email address (you won’t receive many emails). This will be available until September 17, so get it while you can!
So, it’s a great start, don’t you think? ;)
The first one is the Tooth and Nail Summer Soundtrack. Here’s the tracklist:
1. The O.C. Supertones - “Hallelujah”
2. Poema - “2 A.M.”
3. Rapture Ruckus - “All Things New”
4. Children 18:3 - “Cover Your Eyes”
5. Fair - “Disappearing World”
6. Write This Down - “Handgrenades”
7. The Almost - “Hands”
8. The Letter Black - “Hanging On By A Thread”
9. Queen’s Club - “Less Talk”
10. Since October - “Life, Scars, Apologies”
11. The Museum - “Never Look Away”
12. Sent By Ravens - “New Fire”
13. Manafest - “No Plan B”
14. The Classic Crime - “Solar Powered Life”
15. Oh Sleeper - “Son of the Morning”
15. MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE - “Terra Firma”
16. The Glorious Unseen - “The Hope That Lies In You”
17. FM Static - “The Shindig (Off to College)”
18. Jaymes Reunion - “Trouble”
19. To Speak Of Wolves - “Trust But Verify”
20. Secret & Whisper - “Warrior (Southern Arrowwood)”
This sampler has some awesome songs mostly in the rock and alternative genres and is definitely a great way to discover some new bands in Christian music. Check it out, and I hope you like it! Go to www.freetoothandnail.com and you’ll need to put in your email address (very few emails from them). I’m not sure how much longer it will be up, so get it as soon as you can!
The second sampler is in conjunction with Fuel Magazine and has 26 songs.
1. Haste the Day - “Travesty”
*2. MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE - “Terra Firma”
*3. Ivoryline - “Instincts”
*4. The Classic Crime - “Solar Powered Life”
*5. Poema - “2 A.M.”
*6. Queens Club - “Less Talk”
*7. Children 18:3 - “Cover Your Eyes”
*8. The Almost - “Hands”
*9. Secret & Whisper - “Warrior (Southern Arrowwood)”
10. Emery - “Edge of the World”
11. Mae - “In Pieces”
*12. Sent By Ravens - “New Fire”
13. Write This Down - “Renegade”
*14. Fair - “Disappearing World”
15. Number One Gun - “Forest”
16. Since October - “The Way You Move”
*17. The Letter Black - “Hanging On By A Thread”
18. To Speak of Wolves - “Darkness Often Yields The Brightest Light”
*19. Oh Sleeper - “Son Of The Morning”
20. Living Sacrifice - “Rules of Engagement”
21. Advent - “Pack of Fools”
22. Inhale Exhale - “Did You Ever Have a Touch to Lose?”
23. Gwen Stacy - “The First Words”
24. Demon Hunter - “Collapsing”
25. The Showdown - “Blood In The Gears”
26. Surrogate - “Exercise Machines”
(* = repeats)
This sampler is a bit more heavy on the hardcore music, so if you like this type of music, you’re in luck. Even if you aren’t sure if you like screaming, try it out and see if it wears off on you (it sure wore off on me!). There are two ways to download: 1. Go to Tooth and Nail's Facebook Page “like” the page, and go to the “Free Sampler” box. 2. Go to Tooth And Nail's website and enter your email address (you won’t receive many emails). This will be available until September 17, so get it while you can!
So, it’s a great start, don’t you think? ;)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Introduction
Welcome to the Discover Christian Music blog! In this blog, I’ll have website spotlights, album reviews, artist information, editorials, and, best of all, FREE (and legal) MUSIC!
My name is Bill, and I am the author of this blog. I’ve enjoyed Christian music for several years now after discovering it through a few free downloads off of iTunes and then finding more and more about it. I hope to help you in a small way through pinpointing great artists and websites to check out.
This website is a way for you to find some new music to listen to that glorifies Christ and helps you to live a Christian life. Even if you aren’t a Christian, it’s still great to have music with a positive connotation and deeper meaning than most mainstream music.
Bookmark this site since I hope to be updating it every few days, and I hope we have a good time! If you need to contact me for any reason, send me an email at bcwjc2@gmail.com
My name is Bill, and I am the author of this blog. I’ve enjoyed Christian music for several years now after discovering it through a few free downloads off of iTunes and then finding more and more about it. I hope to help you in a small way through pinpointing great artists and websites to check out.
This website is a way for you to find some new music to listen to that glorifies Christ and helps you to live a Christian life. Even if you aren’t a Christian, it’s still great to have music with a positive connotation and deeper meaning than most mainstream music.
Bookmark this site since I hope to be updating it every few days, and I hope we have a good time! If you need to contact me for any reason, send me an email at bcwjc2@gmail.com
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