Style: Urban praise and worship; compare to John P. Kee, Donnie McClurkin, and Israel & New Breed
Top tracks: “Awesome God,” “Take My Hand,” “I Know What He’s Done”
In a nutshell: Beginning his gospel music career as bassist for The Winans and furthering his enduring his journey as a founding member of Commissioned, Fred Hammond needs [...]
Archive for September, 2009
Fred Hammond “Love Unstoppable”
Posted in Christianity Today, tagged andrew greer, Christianity Today, Fred Hammond, Gospel Music on September 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Avalon
Posted in CCM Magazine, tagged andrew greer, Avalon, Christian Music, Christian Music Planet on September 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Born Again
Avalon has been through the wringer over the past couple of years. After watching album sales and concert crowds shrink, releasing a handful of specialty records to mixed reviews and suffering the resignation of longtime member Jody McBrayer, the vocal outfit’s future looked a bit grim.
But taking into account millions of records sold, [...]
Pillar
Posted in CCM Magazine, tagged andrew greer, CCM Magazine, Christian Music, Pillar on September 28, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Road Confessional
Tearing up Christian music with enterprising rock records and an explosive stage show, Pillar has entranced fans for years with full-force, red-blooded rock. But the aggressive collective has more than rabid guitars and zealous screams up their sleeves. Intensifying its Grammy-nominated discography with super melodic hooks and symphonic backdrops, the rock-hard quartet probed the [...]
David Crowder*Band “Church Music”
Posted in CCM Magazine, tagged andrew greer, CCM Magazine, Christian Music, David Crowder Band on September 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Expanding The Church’s Musical Horizon
The title of David Crowder*Band’s fifth studio recording is not some tongue-in-cheek assertion by one of Christian music’s least traditional artists about the Church’s oft-traditional musical output. Rather, it’s an honoring of the body of Christ’s infinite musical possibilities by an incredibly diverse musical collective. Considered a “worship band” because [...]
Avalon “Reborn”
Posted in Christianity Today, tagged andrew greer, Avalon, Christian Music, Christianity Today on September 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Sounds like … the vertical worship of Tenth Avenue North, vocal prowess of Natalie Grant and aggressive pop/rock dispositions of Kelly Clarkson and Paramore
At a glance … the popular vocal group restructures and refocuses to press forward with a smokin’ hot collection that’s equally rock and pop
Good morning, class. Today’s Avalon 101 Review will be [...]
Derek Webb
Posted in CCM Magazine, tagged andrew greer, CCM Magazine, Christian Music, Derek Webb on September 22, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Part One: To Kill A Mockingbird
Derek Webb is arguably the most controversial and complex artist influencing Christian music today. And due to a recent single song squabble, the opinionated singer/songwriter will be releasing his fifth studio recording both independently (of sorts) and through his longtime label, INO. In part one of a two-part CCM exclusive, [...]
Derek Webb
Posted in CCM Magazine, tagged andrew greer, CCM Magazine, Christian Music, Derek Webb on September 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Part Two: Experiments In Truth-Telling
Sending fans on a national scavenger hunt to find, and then assemble online, hundreds of strategically hidden USB drives containing small clips of his new record’s forbidden track, “What Matters More,” Derek Webb drummed up a ton of unsolicited hype, making Stockholm Syndrome his most anticipated release to date.
In part two [...]
Diamond Rio “The Reason”
Posted in Christianity Today, tagged andrew greer, Christian Music, Christianity Today, Country Music, Diamond Rio on September 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Style: Signature country, unmistakable harmonies; compare to Brooks & Dunn, The Eagles, Kenny Chesney
Top tracks: “The Reason,” “God is There,” “Just Love”
In a nutshell: Having sold over 10 million records as country music’s premier vocal-heavy band, Diamond Rio makes their official Christian music debut with The Reason, a natural progression considering the band is comprised [...]
KJ-52 “Five-Two Television”
Posted in CCM Magazine, tagged Christian Music, CCM Magazine, andrew greer, KJ-52 on September 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Hip-Hop Favorite Probes Culture Media Craze
In today’s trying economy, KJ-52 is offering his own stimulus package, to the tune of 20 tracks and more than an hour of jams on Five-Two Television. Packed with blazing beats, hooky rhymes and contagious choruses, he compiles his first concept record with a compelling comment on culture’s media [...]
Jared Anderson “Live from My Church”
Posted in Christianity Today, tagged andrew greer, Christianity Today, Jared Anderson, Worship Music on September 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Style: Quiet, contemplative rock
Top tracks: “Fill Me Up,” “How He Loves,” “Glory of God”
In a nutshell: Having penned a handful of the modern church’s most sung worship tunes, Desperation Band founding member Jared Anderson tempers his artist persona with his associate pastor duties at Colorado Springs’ New Life Church. Corralling his home church folk for [...]
