Shawn McDonald knows how to keep ‘em coming. Since launching his recording career in 2004, he’s not only released two studio albums proper—the sleeper hit Simply Nothing and the more progressive Ripen—but he’s also become something of a live album machine. Besides 2005’s Live in Seattle, he’s made exclusive live sets for iTunes and Sony’s Connect store. Without missing a beat, he’s now offering Scattered Pieces: Live, his second full-length disc recorded in a concert setting. […read more]

Christian music fans were first introduced to newcomer Jeremy Riddle last year with the Top 10 adult contemporary radio hit “Sweetly Broken.” Now signed to Varietal Records (Vineyard’s new artist-driven imprint) for the release of Full Attention, the worship leader and junior high pastor offers 11 more songs to the masses—and they’re terrific. […read more]

I caught Jackson Waters at a showcase in 2006 and they truly rocked the house. But when asked to explain what they were like, I struggled to find the words: “Um … rock band … they had guitars!” Interestingly, the press materials also had trouble describing Come Undone, suggesting that it’s incomparable and unclassifiable. The band itself—hailing from John Brown University in Arkansas—can’t elaborate either, describing their music as “life rock,” because it’s “music that is there for you, no matter what you’re going through.” […read more]

With many artists emulating Steven Curtis Chapman and MercyMe and relying on covers of familiar worship songs, it’s unfortunate that Christian adult contemporary has grown so stale in recent years. You wouldn’t think then that the former lead singer of a fledgling rock band from the late ’90s (now defunct) would offer much to change that. But ours is a God of second chances, and in an unlikely comeback, John Waller has already been named by Billboard as one of the ten “Faces to Watch” in 2007—the only Christian music artist on the list. He could well be the shot in the arm that Christian AC needs. […read more]

Glory Revealed: The Word of God in Worship is an interesting combination of both concepts. Part of the inspiration comes from Glory Revealed, a new book by Bible teacher David Nasser that explores the visible manifestations of an invisible God. However, the album itself is also a 10-song set that draws on several passages from different corners of Scripture to expound on the premise of the book. The “worship” part of the title is more of a marketing hook than an indication of the album’s corporate value. […read more]

Success has come easily to Relient K. Three of their first four albums have gone Gold, and the band has gained mainstream exposure with late-night TV appearances and high-profile tours. Yet frontman Matt Thiessen almost seems pessimistic in the way he regularly notes that the band won’t last forever.

Forever is a long time, fair enough. And the band’s days would certainly be numbered if they were content to rest on their laurels. But judging by their fifth album Five Score and Seven Years Ago, Relient K isn’t leaving us any time soon, growing stronger with age while showing potential to break bigger. [ …read more]

Like so many of us, Adam Cunningham admits that he’s often relied on his own strength when his life was going well. But when his son Brock was born with an unexpected, life-threatening medical condition, Cunningham found himself with a situation he couldn’t fix himself, and promptly turned to God for help. When his son was eventually healed, he vowed to rededicate his life in service of the Lord. That led him to switch careers from financial manager at a car dealership to worship leader, which in turn led to a deal with Trackstar Recordworks to record Cunningham’s self-titled debut, which was largely written during that tumultuous time. […read more]

With such an expansive legacy, you just can’t do Tramaine Hawkins justice with a paragraph of biography. She participated in the recording session of the gospel standard (and mainstream hit) “Oh Happy Day,” traveled the world with the newly-christened Edwin Hawkins Singers (married to Walter Hawkins, Edwin’s brother), and even sang for secular celebrities. Such crossover appeal rubbed off onto her solo years as one of the first gospel artists signed to Columbia Records—a period marked by criticism from her gospel peers who refused to accept that dance beats and gospel music could work hand-in-hand. […read more]

Don’t worry if you experience a little bit of déjà vu with this release. Some may recognize newcomer Jason Gray as Jason Gay, the acclaimed indie artist from Minnesota who recently changed his name to improve his marketing. And if the track listing for his national debut All the Lovely Losers looks familiar, it’s because this is a reworked re-release of his independent album The Better Part of Me from 2005. Now that he’s finally found a label home with Centricity, it’s as great an introduction as any for Gay/Gray’s artistry. […read more]

Too soon, or not too soon? That is the question when it comes to best-of albums, especially lately with so many summarizing only a few years work. Four albums seems like its on the borderline of early, though it has been nearly ten years since Nichole Nordeman made her debut—and she’s amassed nine Dove awards in that time, including wins for Female Vocalist and Songwriter of the Year.

It’s easy to think that one more album’s worth of hits would have made Recollection: The Best of Nichole Nordeman perfect, but this is actually a well-rounded compilation—and generous at 74 minutes of music. With tracks hand-picked by Nordeman, all four albums are fairly represented. And there’s nothing that feels out of place here, demonstrating consistency in her excellence. […read more]

Once again, a new album from Brian Doerksen is upon us, yet only the devout worship music aficionados seem to know about it or care. What’s going on? Where’s the love?

Doerksen has certainly paid his dues. As a pioneer and founding father of what we today call modern worship, he’s been at the production helm of 25 live recordings, including essential albums like Hungry and Come Now Is the Time to Worship. Both projects—along with key albums from Delirious, Matt Redman, and Sonicflood—ushered in a new season of worship, one where rawness and passion supplanted the more corporate and routine sounding praise choruses of the day. […read more]

It’s almost subconscious, the way Joanne Cash can’t talk about something without talking about her big brother, the late great Johnny Cash. Whether it’s sibling pride or something else, the youngest of seven Cashes has been singing for as long as she can remember. But like her enormously popular brother, her song began to fade as demons plagued her life—fears spurred by the death of her brother Jack, a failed marriage, and bouts with drugs and alcohol. Now married to a preacher, drug-free, and more in love with Jesus than ever, Cash released her first nationally distributed album, Gospel (ACME/Infinity), a collection of songs dear to her heart that also features her brother. In this conversation, Joanne reminisces about her life with the Man in Black, relates her conversion experience, and has a word or two for those who think she’s just taking advantage of her brother’s fame. […read more]

Not to be confused with the Gospel Music Channel’s Gospel Dream competition, Gifted is the second CCM-based talent search fashioned after pop-culture phenomenon American Idol. The program was hosted by Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell and masterminded by Johnny Wright (manager for Littrell, as well as N’SYNC and Britney Spears). Despite its marquee value, the show wasn’t a hit, though it did spawn one winner, seven additional finalists, and this CD/DVD compilation, Gifted: Season One. [ …read more]

Cash: Ultimate Gospel collects 24 of The Man in Black’s most inspirational tracks from albums between 1957-1981, though naturally most of them come from the ’70s after his rededication to Christ. Among them are covers of familiar spirituals (”Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Were You There”), hymns (”Amazing Grace”), and gospel classics (”Peace in the Valley,” “In the Sweet By and By”). […read more]

It’s not unreasonable to approach Gospel with some reservations. The album comes from Joanne Cash, the little sister of the late great Johnny Cash. Yet biographical information about her career is scarce. Despite a catalog of 27 “historic recordings” according to her current record label, the All-Music Guide has little to no information about her, and Internet searches aren’t too helpful either. Then there’s the big “CASH” emblazoned across her shirt on the album cover. What’s that all about? […read more]

When it came time for The Showdown to record their sophomore album, the Tennessee rockers were determined to “take the sensitive guy out and bring the bad boy back.” To punctuate the sentiment, frontman David Bunton wasn’t shy about his disdain for all the sensitive rockers these days: “Just watch MTV or Fuse and they are littered with music videos of dudes who look like they are scared to be in their own band.” […read more]

My respect for Credential Recordings (a subsidiary of EMI) grows with each release, as they consistently introduce us to new bands that have distinct sounds, rooted in alternative pop/rock styles current with today’s mainstream music scene. The same holds true for Lost Ocean, a young quartet from Bakersfield, California that has been described as Supertramp meets Mew. They’re actually closer to a band like Mae, combining the pop sensibilities of Keane with creative soundscapes reminiscent of Radiohead and Coldplay. […read more]

Shaun Groves, how we miss thee. The once-popular singer/songwriter made his grand debut during the peak of Rocketown Records’ golden era, around the time that Chris Rice, Ginny Owens, and Watermark were soaring. His 2001 debut Invitation to Eavesdrop was a smash, spawning a string of Top 10 singles and tours alongside Jars of Clay, Jennifer Knapp, Bebo Norman, and other collegiate favorites. […read more]

Michael O’Brien fit in so perfectly with NewSong, it’s easy to forget that he was only with the group for three albums. Or that he started as a solo artist before that with three other albums in the mid-late ’90s. Now that he’s left NewSong, O’Brien returns to that solo career with his first original album since 1998’s Godspeed. And he does so with a heart for couples’ ministry, while sharing his love for his wife of 18 years. […read more]

Some accept “inspired by” soundtracks at face value as cinematic tie-ins. Others regard them as marketing ploys. Having seen Amazing Grace twice, I can whole-heartedly recommend it as an excellent film about the efforts of Christian abolitionist William Wilberforce to end slavery in Britain. I can also say that this album of Music Inspired by the Motion Picture Amazing Grace has precious little in common with the movie beyond the title track and the cover photo. […read more]