Red Umbrella – featuring lead singer/guitarist Jeremy Michaelis, keyboardist/guitarist Dennis Michaelis, drummer Jason Rosewell and bassist Kevin Swartwood – is from the small town of Parry Sound in Ontario, Canada.

Simply put, they are one of the best young bands I have ever seen. They are creative, funny and very talented and have the undercurrent of God’s love permeating through their music. Red Umbrella’s new record, “Wishing For Boardwalk” is a wonderful collection of songs and sounds. […read more]

Monsters. Funerals. Suffering. Unresolved rants. Critiques and confessions. Sound like the feel-good album of the year?

And yet, with “Good Monsters,” Jars of Clay has crafted one of the most emotionally uplifting and emancipating albums in recent memory. The fact that its 12 songs so deftly explore intimately personal issues, that any finger-pointing involves a mirror and that the songs are so well constructed, performed and just plain catchy make this a record that bears repeated listening. […read more]

On a warm evening in early summer, not unlike that September night in 1978 when she played her first paid performance, Amy Grant returned to Ft. Worth, Texas, to record her first live CD/DVD project in 25 years, “Time Again … Amy Grant Live” (Word/Curb/WB). Little did she know 28 years prior, as a green 17-year-old singer/songwriter, just what an impact her music would have on the world. …

Amy Grant’s got that certain something. You know – that rare, seemingly magical ability to make you feel like you’re the only one in the room when she’s singing or speaking. Sure, there are thousands of other people around … but she’s talking to you! […read more]

After relocating from Nashville to the Chapel Hill, N.C., area recently, singer/songwriter Mark Schultz thought his new surroundings would provide him virtual anonymity.

Not that he minded being recognized for penning well-known songs such as “Remember Me” or “Back in His Arms Again.” He wasn’t even bothered when people thanked him countless times for recording tear-inducing hits “He’s My Son” and “Letters from War.” […read more]

For Chris Tomlin, 2006 has been the kind of year most artists dream about:  he watched his “Arriving” (sixsteps) CD go gold, selling more than 500,000 copies (a rarity for a worship record) and won an armful of Dove Awards, topped by “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year.” Not bad for a guy who, weaned on country music, learned to play guitar by listening to Willie Nelson records.

“I know that it’s nothing I’ve done,” says the native of Grand Saline, Texas (located about 60 miles east of Dallas). “This wasn’t in the plan; I didn’t strive to make it happen. I don’t call churches and ask if they play my songs.” […read more]

Breathing for the average human:  it’s continual, sustaining, natural; and many of us do it about 21,000 times per day. Worship for the average Christian:  it’s sporadic, a temporary high, a conscious effort; and many of us do it about once per week.

With Big Daddy Weave’s new album, “Every Time I Breathe,” the five-member band challenges us to transform our worship into a life-giving necessity. […read more]

Some bands come out of the gate strong with a great album or a big hit never to match it again, always trying to live up to that initial standard or success.

Other bands build slowly and mature and grow with time, getting better and better with each release. Starflyer 59 definitely falls into the latter category with each album topping the previous with better songwriting and a better overall sound. “My Island” continues that trend. […read more]

Just moments into an early afternoon interview, Kutless’ Jon Micah Sumrall seems weary. His voice gravelly and sluggish, the 25-year-old lead singer is in the midst of a tour stop in Toledo, Ohio. As his band nears the end of a successful, yet grueling, road stint, a nasty cough has bedeviled Sumrall all week. His 18-month-old son, Caleb, plays nearby and, based on the considerable hubbub, seems to be enjoying himself. “He’s a maniac,” Sumrall says softly with a barely audible laugh.

Despite all these vicissitudes, Sumrall manages to forge ahead with the conversation in a cordial and cogent fashion – just another ordinary day in the music business. […read more]

Imagine sitting next to Steven Segal at the 2005 GRAMMY Awards dressed in a $20,000 Jennifer Nicholson dress flowing in hues of pink, green and orange. Then, as if being there wasn’t enough, imagine being nominated for “Best Rock Gospel Album.”

This dream became a reality for Sarah Kelly with the success of her debut project, “Take Me Away” (Gotee). Kelly reflects on that night with so much excitement that you barely catch all the words, “I was like a Disney princess for a day … I mean I can’t even explain to you what a day that was! It was like a big dream for me.” […read more]

They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And it’s pretty interesting to see that exchange. When someone to takes an item that they no longer have any use for and gives it to someone else for their use, it gives new life to that item. Whether it’s some clothes that you’ve grown out of, a toaster you don’t have the time or know-how to fix, or a bicycle you never ride anymore, it’s funny how, in the right hands, these useless items can serve a very distinct purpose. […read more]

With their sixth album in just seven years, Salvador offers a musical exploration of this and other questions on  “Dismiss the Mystery.” Opening with “Now That I Have You,” the album kicks things off with a clear focus on how God can and should change our lives when we allow Him. The album continues down that path, discussing the need to grow more Christlike and by the title track, listeners are encouraged to take their focus off of trying to be right in regards to minor issues and instead make sure we have taken the time to show love to those around us. Throughout the album, this theme of renewal is centered around the understanding that all of this growth and change is only possible with God’s help. […read more]

LaMar Boschman sees far too many Christians praise the guitar hanging around the neck of their worship leader. The mood of the music has become the master. The trend alarms Boschman, who almost 30 years ago helped usher in the current style of contemporary Christian music. In the decades since, however, Boschman has watched worship lose much of its meaning as the worshiper works himself into a fabricated frenzy. […read more]

New singer-songwriter Ayiesha Woods debuts on Gotee Records with a positive vibe and a message for listeners to begin to see things from God’s perspective. “Introducing Ayiesha Woods” offers a number of songs that speak to this effect from a few different angles. “Big Enough” addresses the mental misstep of assuming that God isn’t in control of the circumstances around us, reminding us that He has been “doing big things since the world began.” “Beauty” explores the differences between the world’s definition of “beauty” and God’s while “Happy” offers a straightforward comparison of various sources of happiness, asserting that only God provides true happiness. Elsewhere, the album discusses the enslavement of a life spent worrying (”The Remedy”), allowing God to direct your life (”The Greatest Artist”), seeking God (”Get to You”), as well as making a plea for listeners to worship. [ …read more]

He’s in the car. He’s on a plane. He’s in the studio. He’s in the backyard. And on Sunday mornings, you’ll almost always find him on stage at church, with a guitar in hand. But wherever he’s at, Paul Baloche is a man who simply lives to serve. This Lindale, Texas-based worship pastor’s schedule is full, but his heart is always open to sharing how God is at work through worship. We caught up with Paul, just a few days before the April 4 release of his new project, A Greater Song, to get the details on what the critics are already hailing as one of the finest worship records this year. But in the end, we got even more than expected …10 questions and – as is custom for this teacher/mentor – one more to grow on. [ …read more]

I have a confession to make. I’m an AC/pop junkie. There, I said it. What does it mean? I have always harbored a secret fondness for boy bands, girl bands and pretty much everything in between. That being said, I’ll proudly admit that I own several Backstreet Boys CDs. (And I’ll also go on record as saying that I always thought Backstreet was much cuter than ‘N Sync.)

And, apparently, I’m not the only 30-something fan of Brian Littrell and his Backstreet Boys cohorts. Following on the heels of his No. 1 Christian radio hit “In Christ Alone,” the remake of the classic song which was included on last year’s WoW #1s collection, Brian Littrell once again found himself surrounded by fans of all ages – many looking to be my age or older, even – in what some may regard as an unlikely arena … the annual GMA (Gospel Music Association) Week festivities in Nashville, Tenn. [ …read more]

If you’ve seen the movie “Gladiator,” you’re probably familiar with the following quote:  “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” That quote eventually became the movie’s tagline largely due to the catchiness of it but it also holds some profound truth. The actions we take in this life certainly affect our eternal standing, but we don’t necessarily have to wait until then to realize that our actions shape our lives. Even what seem like the smallest of choices we make now can affect change on the rest of our days. [ …read more]

It’s trendy and cool to like Underoath these days, but the band seems willing to test that “easy” devotion with a decidedly heavy album. Yes, there are bright and catchy guitars, big sing-along choruses and ear-pleasing keyboard sounds aplenty; but the rough and rowdy screaming vocals tend to dominate the emotive ones. No, Underoath has not really changed its sound; it’s just that the band hasn’t bent its ear towards the successful Matchbook Romances and Taking Back Sundays of the world and followed suit with a sonic mix that weighs in more with melody than distortion and riffage. [ …read more]

The Longing is an authentic worship band led by well-known singer/songwriter Jason Ingram, whose songs have been recorded by artists including Rebecca St. James, Building 429, Joy Williams and Point Of Grace. Joining Ingram are band members David May (guitar), Jono Brymer (bass) and Matt King (drums). I can honestly say that this record has touched my soul deeply. Ingram is a master songwriter and a fabulous singer; but even more than that, The Longing is a wonderfully genuine expression of sincere worship.

If ever you could judge an album by its cover, this would be the time. Let me paint you the picture (or just look above this review). An old, one-room, white-washed country church photographed in sienna-tinged hues of brown, black and white standing in a clearing. Simple. Graceful. Elegant … and poignant. Such is Alan Jackson’s “Precious Memories.” […read more]