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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Inspection Review

D.J. Ramsay

D.J. Ramsay
The RLE Years

Artist Info: Discography
Street Date: December 18, 2017
Style: Rock / Alternative
Official Site: Official Website
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: AmazonMP3



The RLE Years is the musical product of long time singer/songwriter/musician, Darren Ramsay. As a fan of super heroes and comic books, Ramsay says the album's previous moniker (during its 2018 release), Ramsayman, is the superhero moniker he would use if he ever were a superhero -- drawing inference from Larry Boy, who used his own namesake in his superhero persona's name. Even the EP cover shows Darren's love of comics with his homage to Action Comics #1. (In 2020, Ramsay rebranded the album - and himself - under the name D.J. Ramsay.) Ramsay has been in several, and varied, musical ventures over the years. His project The RLE Years contains six songs from his late 90s band, Red Letter Edition (aka: For Deaf Ears, aka: Soap Box Incorporated). While The RLE Years is a lower budget project (even using some of the original tracks in places), it's still adequately mastered and fairly easy to listen to in its production. The EP definitely sounds like an alternative/hard rock album from the late 90s, but that's far from a bad thing if you're a music fan like me. The sounds are reminiscent of bands like Fuel who walked the line between alt/rock and hard rock -- and the melodies are quite good! "Jesus Doll" and "Yellow" bring a much heavier rock tone to the album, "When it Rains" and "Just Remember" has more of an alternative Dishwalla type feel, "You and Your Mandolin" is the quintessential ballad, and "Circle Round" is punk inspired rock and roll in the vein of Unwritten Law, or perhaps even Eve 6. While the music on the EP certainly brings to mind a sense of nostalgia, nothing can prepare you (90s kids) for the nostalgia to be found on the bonus track. Those who watched Ren & Stimpy will undoubtedly recognize the song from the in-show commercial for "Log." D.J. Ramsay gives a barbershop quartet type of treatment to the song, which turns out to be a completely unexpected, but super fun, blast from the past. While the production isn't always top-notch, and some of the tracks sound a little muddy, D.J. Ramsay's The RLE Years is a really fun listen from front to back. The favorites are easily "Jesus Doll," "Yellow," and "Circle Around." Fans of 90s rock should definitely give Darren Ramsay's project a spin. I know I certainly found myself enjoying the listen.

- Review date: 4/12/18, written by Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



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