It’s been three years since the Grammy nominated debut from Robert Randolph & The Family Band first hit the shelves. Within this whirlwind of a timeframe for the group, they have had some incredible opportunities starting with their out-of-nowhere success which has included countless media appearances (mostly on television) and playing shows with artists such as the Dave Matthews Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Ozzy Osborne, and Eric Clapton. Clapton in particular was so impressed by the band that he has now become a friend and mentor to the steel guitar playing Randolph. […read more]

It feels like decades since the 2003 debut of Wind Up Records’ Evanescence hit store shelves. Titled Fallen, the CD went on to sell over seven million units and sparked many wannabe bands who were trying to nail a carbon copy of the band’s successful goth-rock tendencies. Aside from the copycats, the past three years also brought forth significant changes and struggles for the group, including the departure of guitarist Ben Moody who first met vocalist Amy Lee at a Christian summer camp years ago. Then when you add in the initial “are they or aren’t they a Christian band?” fiasco that was broadcasted in virtually every news outlet, more internal bickering, and a live CD/DVD that even fans forget about, one could only wonder how well Evanescence’s sophomore album would do. With essentially a new band now behind her, would Amy Lee and company pick up where the debut left off? […read more]

Not many bands can boast a nineteen year lifespan. Either they fade out, break up, or simply only planned on sticking around for a few years in the first place. But Australia based Newsboys are one of the few that can claim longevity. Albeit, only one member has been there since the very beginning, but the majority of the current lineup has been in place since 1993 or 1995.

Over the band’s life, the Newsboys have gone through a variety of changes musically as well. Most recently, the band had embarked on a trip down Worship Lane, releasing two back to back worship albums and a worship best-of. It was different, it was less innovative, and many missed the Newsboys we had all come to know and love. […read more]

Michael W. Smith has achieved a considerable amount of notable achievements in his twenty-three year career. He’s taken home an American Music award, three Grammys, a whopping forty Dove awards, sixteen Gold and five Platinum certifications, and he’s been appointed by President George W. Bush as vice chair of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation among many other things.

But Smith doesn’t want to focus on his résumé. Instead of looking at a list of accomplishments and honors, he wants to shift our attention to something of more importance that goes beyond this life. Recently he’s felt the need for people, including himself, to stand up for what they believe and proclaim it in both words and actions. It’s not about how many awards you may or may not have; it’s about the difference you can make in the world today. And this is the focus of his upcoming album – his nineteenth in his career. […read more]

UK based rock band Delirious? have accomplished many things throughout their career. While I could list off their awards, high volume of sales, or the fact they have toured with acts like Bon Jovi, I’m not going to. Most of you should be familiar with this five-man act, so they really need no introduction.

Despite already releasing live projects in the past, Delirious? has decided to tackle yet another one. Sure, CD/DVD combinations are almost cliché in this industry now, but it’s only common sense for a band that is known for a great live show. Released only a couple of weeks ago, the band offers fans Now Is The Time: Live At Willow Creek, Chicago, USA. […read more]

Though he has seen some success and become a favorite within the Christian music industry, Jeremy Camp has continued to struggle with the press since he first hit the scene. Drowned in his own songs that sound incredibly similar to each other, Camp has continually received the criticism of not being original enough or trying to mature as an artist. So with his fourth album in four years recently hitting store shelves, many were skeptical about the final result. The lead single (Tonight) showed some promise, but is the full length disc truly a departure from his past material? […read more]

If you are a teenager or a child that is hurting, I hope you listen carefully to why John Cooper from the rock band Skillet wrote the song “Those Nights” from the group’s new album Comatose.

“While I was growing up my mom died when I was fourteen. I got into this terrible home life situation with my dad and (for a period) of four years it was either me yelling at him or him yelling at me,” says Cooper. He allows that a lot of the tension was due to working through the natural cycle of grief. He continues, “My dad got remarried two months after my mother died and my step mother’s husband had died about two months before my mom so both of them were dealing with very recent deaths of their spouses. They had three kids and we had three kids. It was a bad situation. I hated living there and I hated life.” […read more]

How would you like to write a song for your wife, record it, leave it in a conspicuous place for her to find and then get a reaction that is totally contrary to what you expected? Well that is exactly what happened when pop star Mark Schultz wrote the tune “1,000 Miles” for his wife Kate. “My wife makes it so easy for me being married because she is so giving and good to me. I think a lot of people say that their first year was so hard and for me it hasn’t been. What I am trying to do is model the unselfishness that she models. It works so well,” he says. […read more]