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Rivenside, I Thirst For You EP (2008)
/ MySpace
Rivenside is a worship band from the musical hotbed located in the greater Houston area. Anchored by co-writers
Jordan Dunn and Brandon Rich, the band has released this EP in 2008 to give people a taste of what Rivenside has to
offer before returning to the studio to put together a full record. These four songs are a start, but there will need to
be great strides made before I get excited about the next release. Worship records are a tricky business... based on
what we hear so far, this doesn't appear to be a band that is bound for a deal with SixSteps or Integrity.
Rivenside instead is more a band that could be leading meaningful worship services at their church, bringing people in their community
closer to God with original worship instead of leaning on the Tomlin/Baloche/Hillsong songlist that most other churches
are using. That is not bad thing to aspire to, though, is it?
- Rob Tyson, 1/2/09
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Praise & Worship |
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Stars Go Dim, Stars Go Dim EP (2008)
/ MySpace
Stars Go Dim's self-titled EP focuses mainly on easy listening pop, occasionally borrowing a bit of jazz and R&B.
The music itself is pleasant, as are the vocals, but it's far from original. Listening to the EP, I can't help
drawing parallels to many of the groups one might hear on various mainstream radio stations; quite simply, they fit
inside a genre that's been done and overdone many times before. Nevertheless, they don't do too badly with it,
and the possibility for musical growth and individuality is there for later releases. Overall though, I found
the Stars Go Dim EP to be rather bland and uninteresting, and in a way, repetitive. Not especially unique.
- Adam Dawson, 11/13/08
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Pop / Rock / Soul |
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Flight Metaphor, Trapdoors & Ladders (2008)
/ MySpace
Flight Metaphor is a four member band hailing from Omaha, Nebraska. I struggled with this record from the start,
as the production here is decidedly low-budget. On the Indie side of things, that can be overlooked if you have
everything else in place. No such luck here. The record is loaded with many of the usual cliches (can we retire the
line "All I want to do is live this life for you" please?). The band's musical influences must be a who's
who of mid-90's Alt-Pop, as the entire record has a feeling of being a decade too late. Then out of nowhere...
track 12, entitled "I-29" grabs my attention. It sounds like something out of a Wes Anderson film: upbeat,
retro-indie-hip, a departure from the rest of the record. That alone gives me hope for their next effort.
- Rob Tyson, 10/6/08
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Indie Rock |
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Paul and Noreen Coca, Street Songs (2007)
/ PaulCoca.com
Paul and Noreen Coca have spent over 25 years in music ministry, often playing open concerts on the streets of
Berkeley and San Francisco (not exactly the Bible Belt). This record is a collection of their work. Lyrically,
these are pretty simple songs, direct, to the point, easy to sing along with. There is simplicity in the music as well,
but don't be fooled: simple is not a bad thing. In this case, it is a compliment. In essence, this is early Jesus
music recorded for a new century. Add in guitar work from Phil Keaggy as well as production by Chuck Girard and you
have a record worthy of a listen.
- Rob Tyson, 10/6/08
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Gospel / Folk |
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Digital Aura, Digital Aura (2007)
/ Digital-Aura.ca
Digital Aura is Greg Primmer, a composer/producer from Petrolia, Ontario. With his debut release, Primmer has created
beautiful art that deserves to be heard. Whether it be ambient, chill, or trance, Digital Aura takes listeners on a
seamless electronic journey for more than an hour. Like a lot of Electronic Dance Music, "Digital Aura" is light on
vocals, allowing the listener to interpret the music as spiritual theater. The disc closes with a remix of the Echoing
Green tune "Suffer," a great finish to the record. In all, this is an artist you should be checking out, especially if
you are a fan of Andy Hunter, The Echoing Green or Integrity's Chill Series.
- Rob Tyson, 9/8/08
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Electronic |
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The Sonflowerz, All Around The World (2008)
/ Sonflowerz.com
The Sonflowerz are a duo out of the musically fertile Colorado Springs area. Sisters Elissa and Becca Leander come with
quite a list of achievements, including being judged Best Over-All vocal group at the 33rd GMA Music in the Rockies event in
2007. Their latest effort, All Over the World is a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, upon first listen
it sounds like a label-backed project. That may be the problem, however, as it sounds like another in a long line of bland,
color-by-numbers efforts that Nashville pumps out regularly. It is a largely over-produced project that does not allow the
organic qualities of the sisters Leander to shine. One counterpoint is the captivating single, "My Adoration," which is the
highlight of the record. This is a good choice for fans of Point of Grace or Natalie Grant.
- Rob Tyson, 8/25/08
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Acoustic / Pop |
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G3 Band, I Am Here (2008)
/ G3Band.com
The G3 Band hails from Lorain, Ohio just off of Lake Erie. Comprised of brothers John, Anthony and
Nathanael Gilkes, the band is hoping to be another musical success story from the state that has given us Relient K, John Reuben,
Sanctus Real, House of Heroes and many more over the last decade. Their brand of piano-pop is solid, though not particularly
original. The music is decent, and vocals are pretty good, with lyrics that would be considered "typical" within CCM circles.
If there is a standout song, it would be the track "Save Me," which rises slightly above the rest of the record.
Overall, this is offering gets a "good enough" as we look forward to growth from these three young guys.
For fans of Big Daddy Weave or Rush of Fools.
- Rob Tyson, 8/8/08
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Piano Pop |
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Shawn P. Derritt, Someone Like Me (2008)
/ ChristIHM.com
Is there any upside to being referred to as "Elevator Music"? This is Smooth Jazz at its core: Take a little bass, add plenty
of sax and sprinkle in some like R&B vocals, and you've got Someone Like Me. A worship leader and author from
Kansas City, Shawn P. Derritt has put together a decent, though uneven collection of songs. The end of the record strays
from smooth jazz and into more of a straight-up worship record, making it the best part of the disc. Hopefully on his next
release, Derritt will explore more of his strengths and continue to stay in the worship arena.
- Rob Tyson, 6/30/08
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Jazz/Worship |
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Unknown Souldier, Unknown Souldier (2007)
/ UnknownSouldier.com
Unknown Souldier, a.k.a. Brother Terry, is a rock/blues band out of North Jersey. The most noticable feature of the songs
is Terry's strong voice, with vocals that may remind listeners of Todd Agnew or even Hank Williams Jr, depending on the song.
The record features six songs, packaged in an eight track disc. There are two bonus cuts of the song "Waiting for You"
included. One is the fairly typical acoustic (in this case, "organic") track, but the other is a surprising (and very cool)
take on the song featuring the vocals in French. The other element that sets this release apart is the comic book packaging
that is included, with a full story arc around the song "Waiting for You." This is a good choice for fans of classic and
blues influenced rock, and for fans of Glenn Kaiser, Rez Band, or Larry Howard.
- Rob Tyson, 6/18/08
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Blues/Rock |
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Jeremy Simon, Progress (2007)
/ JeremySimon.com
Jeremy Simon is a talented singer/songwriter from Southeastern Pennsylvania. My biggest disappointment here is that this
is only a seven song EP. Simon shows a lot of promise as a songwriter, especially with "Old Man & His Sea" and the
confessional "Make My Heart." Musically, I would have preferred a little more variety... maybe on a full length record
would be provided some different sounds. Production is good, though it has a decidely indie feel. If you are a fan of
Justin McRoberts, or Shawn McDonald give Jeremy Simon a listen. - Rob Tyson, 4/14/08
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Acoustic |
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Greg Capozzi, Show Me The Way (2006)
/ GregCapozzi.com
Capozzi is a Pittsburgh-area songwriter who creates piano-pop in the vein of Elton John, Billy Joel and Mark Schultz.
The musicianship is good, and the production is strong. As a writer, Capozzi does a decent job but slips a little when he
piles on the sentiment on tracks like "Yesterday's Tomorrow" and "Jada Gunn." One other issue: Capozzi's voice. On the CD,
he falls somewhere between the vocal stylings of worship artist Jason Upton and the aforementioned Sir Elton. The problem
is that his vocals seem very forced, making the listening experience feel a bit like work at times. Overall, Show Me The
Way is hit-or-miss, but Capozzi shows glimpes of promise as both artist and producer. This is an artist that I would
like to experience at a live show. - Rob Tyson, 4/12/08
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Piano Pop |
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Your Name Here, Album Title (2008)
/ Your Website
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to learn how you can get your album reviewed here - and considered for our full-length featured "Indie Spotlight Reviews"
(click here for an example). Your review will be fair and honest - and a great way to garner crictical feedback while
getting your name published on a reliable media source!
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Your Music Genre |
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