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Drum Dynasty, Drum Dynasty (2009)
/ DrumDynasty.com
Drum Dynasty is a fourpiece group of musicians who specialize in percussion and world music. The musical backdrop
ranges from Egyptian to Middle Eastern to African, with Kevin Christensen at the helm. The rest is a mixture of
percussion and electronic drum pads. Now, given the name Drum Dynasty, one would probably expect the drums to be the
main focal point of all of the tracks. However, the musical score actually seems to play a bigger role all throughout.
And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, the score sounds like any other... Read the Full Review
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Instrumental |
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Submission Red, Submission Red EP (2008)
/ SubmissionRed.com
Submission Red is a rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida offering something different, yet entirely the
same. I want to like this release, because it seems to have all of the right components, yet it leaves me wanting. Produced
by Ben Kasica of Skillet, the record sounds great, but almost too great. The production is so slick it has removed most of the
human element, outside of Yvonne Winfrey's vocals. Submission Red is strong, female fronted hard rock in the vein of Fireflight,
Paramore, and Flyleaf. It is so much like them, however, that it ends up sounding formulaic. Simply put, this is a
record that is fun to listen to (with the possible exception of the Superchick soundalike "Drive On") and I bet that this is a
fun band to watch live. I just would love to see something a little more original and all-their-own next time.
- Rob Tyson, 9/12/09
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Rock |
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Jason Watson, Step Into The Light EP (2009)
/ MySpace
Jason Watson, of Lee's Summit, Missouri fits the mold of the current Christian Radio hitmaker.
Writing soaring pop/rock that sounds much like Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, or a younger version of Steven Curtis Chapman,
Watson hits all the right notes, without being a carbon copy of any other artist. Produced by the folks at Zodlounge,
this EP is a great, though small, taste of what radio programmers are looking for in the Christian market. The song "He
Chose Me" is my personal favorite, a power pop anthem with a hook that would be great to sing along to in the car.
I am really looking forward to hearing more from Jason Watson, though I need more than three songs on a record to put this in
the Indie Spotlight.
- Rob Tyson, 9/12/09
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Pop Rock / Worship |
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Shawn P. Derritt, Thank You (2009)
/ CDBaby.com
Upon release of his last record, I strongly suggested that Shawn P. Derritt needed to get away from the punchless,
smooth jazz that made up the first half of the release, and stick to the Gospel Worship that closed out the record with
a flourish. While I am not here to take credit for the change, I am here to say that his latest album, Thank You,
is a much better project. This time around, Derritt used every musical instrument that he could find, added plenty of
background vocals, and created a record that sounds strong and full of energy and hope. If given the opportunity to
nitpick, I would ask for stronger lyrical focus as we move forward. Overall, I am happy with the steps forward that
Shawn P. Derritt has taken with his latest release, and I am already looking forward to the next project!
- Rob Tyson, 8/10/09
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Contemporary / Worship |
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Freewind, Life Is A Highway (2006)
/ MySpace
Freewind, an acoustic duo from South Jersey, is bringing it old school! Life is a Highway
is a collection of songs from the pen of Rick Sawyer, who also performs the vocals on the record. These songs sound like they
are twenty-five years old... because they are. With many of the songs written and recorded originally in the 1980's, these
songs deserve to be considered within that context. This is a record that holds appeal for fans of Michael Card or Bob
Bennett, as it fits the same acoustic folk mold, with blatantly evangelical and worshipful lyrics. As a stand alone piece,
the record is just "passable," but I am sure that after seeing Freewind at one of their live coffeehouse shows, the songs would
come to life a bit more.
- Rob Tyson, 7/14/09
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Folk / Acoustic |
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My Flesh Heart, Where I'm Going (2009)
/ MySpace
My Flesh Heart (a great name, check Ezekiel 11:19 for more info) is the brainchild of singer/songwriter Ben Cardenas.
His four song Where I'm Going EP is a thoughtful, low-key meditation on love and sacrifice. The songwriting is
good, the vocals are adequate, but at times they suffer from the apparent lack of a recording/production budget. This
raw recording shows some promise, and I look forward to hearing more from Mr. Cardenas.
- Rob Tyson, 6/18/09
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Folk / Acoustic |
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Keith Elgin, 360:God (2009)
/ KeithElgin.com
Keith Elgin is a Modern Worship artist from Fairfax Station, VA. Following up his 2005 debut, Seize the Day,
Elgin offers a solid collection of songs that work both in the CD player and on Sunday morning. Production work by Jason
Hoard and Bob Dawson on the record is crisp, though not particularly different or inventive. My only disappointment here
is not with the artist so much as with the current trends in Worship as a whole. Elgin follows the "Worship Record Formula"
closely, including plenty of Worship Buzzwords and phrases and generic titles ("You Alone," "Worship the King," "With You,"
etc.) and even finishes the record off with a hymn (very trendy). The high point of the release? The simple yet profound
"Only You" is great on the record, and sounds like an ideal song for a live worship set. This is recommended for fans
of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and Charlie Hall.
- Rob Tyson, 6/18/09
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Modern Worship |
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Michael McClead, Michael McClead (2008)
/ MichaelMcClead.com
Michael McClead is a singer/songwriter from Yorkville, Illinois. There are many varied sounds on the record, from hip hop
loops to simple acoustic guitar to string accompaniments. The one constant is the vocally distinct, gravel toned voice of
Mr. McClead. Sometimes it works (like the opening track "Angel of Mine") and sometimes it does not ("No Reasons Why").
The production work is good, but not as good as McClead, wearing the producer's hat, might think. By leaning on some
production twists and trickery, it sounds at times like he lacks confidence in the songs that he has written. There is more
good than bad to be found here, however, and the debut record from Michael McClead is worth checking out.
- Rob Tyson, 6/4/09
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Alternative |
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Dan Macaulay, The Listening EP (2009)
/ DanMacaulay.com
Dan Macaulay's four-song The Listening EP sounds as good as anything we've heard here at the
JFH Indie Office, and it should. Macaulay is a two time Shai Award winner (The Canadian version of the Doves) including the
2007 Male Soloist of the Year award. The tracks were produced by Nathan Nockels (Passion, Tim Hughes, Matt Redman) and
sound like most of the better Modern Worship that is coming out of Nashville today. Though I am disappointed by the brevity
of the release, it is clear that Dan Macaulay is a name to look for in the near future.
- Rob Tyson, 5/19/09
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Pop / Worship |
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David Santistevan, Near (2008)
/ DavidSantistevan.com
David Santistevan is a singer/songwriter and modern worship artist from the Pittsburgh area.
The very first impression of the record was that it sounded like something coming out of Nashville. That's a good thing.
Sound and production quality can lessen to impact of an otherwise strong record, but that is not the case here. The opener,
"Glory of Your Name," gets things off to a great start, and the closing track, "Forever Near," brings the record to a great
close. I only wish that the middle was a little more consistent. There are some good tracks, but it is largely forgettable.
There weren't any bad songs here, just not a lot of stand out tracks. Overall, a good effort.
- Rob Tyson, 4/17/09
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Praise & Worship |
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Corrin Campbell, Exhibit A (2008)
/ CorrinCampbell.net
Who is Corrin Campbell? After listening to this record, I have no idea. I can tell you that she's Baltimore based,
and that she writes her own songs, but that's as far as I can go. The tracks on this record are all over the place, but I would
say that she falls somewhere between Fireflight and Stephanie Smith. Her vocals are drowned out by the music on much of the
release. The production itself is lacking, and the record as a whole lacks direction. The two acoustic tracks at the end keep
this from straying into "trainwreck" territory. It sounds like Corrin has some talent and tools to make a better record
than this. I'll be glad to give her another shot in the future.
- Rob Tyson, 4/17/09
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Rock / Pop |
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David James Stewart, Things That Make Us (2009)
/ DavidJamesStewart.com
David James Stewart is a singer/songwriter from Minneapolis, the music hotbed of the Upper Midwest.
After one listen, I was all over this record. The production, which Stewart handled himself, is almost perfect. The record
sounds great, so Stewart the producer/engineer gets a thumbs up. After listening a few more times, I found a couple of things
that kept me from giving the record a full endorsement. Vocally, Stewart is cut from the same cloth as Matt Kearney.
This would be fine except for one problem: Stewart's songwriting isn't a strong point. He leans hard on worn out cliches
and imagery, making otherwise strong tracks seem a bit weaker than they should be. Again, this is a wonderful record to
have playing as background music and makes a great first impression, but additional listening may disappoint.
- Rob Tyson, 4/11/09
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Contemporary / Pop |
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Jay Tholen, His Shadow Is Light (2008)
/ JayTholen.net
Jay Tholen offers up a very interesting musical journey with His Shadow Is Light. The heavily electronic,
experimental EP is a far cry from anything you are likely to hear on Christian radio. Boasting Psychedelic and World Music
influences, Tholen weaves together a patchwork that is likely to attract fans of Danielson, Soul Junk, and mewithoutYou.
The most compelling track is the epic, seven minute "A Lesson in Trust." This is a terrific record, though disappointing in
that it is just five tracks and 22 minutes long.
- Rob Tyson, 4/3/09
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Electronic |
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HarvestBloom, HarvestBloom EP (2009)
/ HarvestBloom.net
Artists are asked to send us a promo pack with band info along with the music that we review here at JFH Indies.
The HarvestBloom promo photo shows four very friendly people, sitting around a kitchen table in a nice middle class
kitchen, doing their Bible study and drinking warm beverages from sizable mugs. I am prepared for some nice happy
folk-pop a la Caedmon's Call or Sara Groves. Not even close. HarvestBloom is a rock band out of Silver Spring,
Maryland that brings to mind the likes of Brooke Barretsmith or even Fireflight. This six-track EP is loaded with
strong musicianship, as well as good vocals from Anji Cornette and decent songwriting. In all, a good first effort.
- Rob Tyson, 2/28/09
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Rock |
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The Emberlight, Don't You Love It EP (2007)
/ TheEmberlight.com
The Emberlight, a four-man-band lead by Andy Rosko, is something to be impressed with. These guys have the
production and sound more than taken care of, despite being independent, and are now in need of fans. Swinging in-between
the genres of electronica rock and power-pop, sounding like a Christian version of Cobra Starship. Stemming from their
energetic and fun sound, this four song EP has a lot to offer. Anyone jamming to Don't You Love It will more than
likely find themselves dancing, especially to "Headset Radio." Approaching the lyrics with a "rebel without a cause"
attitude, they seem a bit simplified at times. Other times, however, the words have a larger appeal. Case in point,
"Hypocritical" is a haunting, yet electrified, song which speaks about the fallacies of being two-faced - with the trite
phrase "Do as I say, not as I do" echoing long after the song ends. Depth aside, I still could not help wishing for
a full-length album instead. Overall, The Emberlight is a noteworthy indie and look forward to another release.
- Zachary Anderson, 2/18/09
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Pop Rock |
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