David Bazan is agnostic. That is not news to many, but to scores of Pedro The Lion’s and David Bazan’s Christian fans it is news we are trying to deny. But we cannot deny the words out of David Bazan’s mouth. This not interpretation of his new set of songs in Curse Your Branches. In an interview with the Chicago Reader, David Bazan clearly states he is agnostic.

Why do I bring this up now?  We at One21music grabbed Curse Your Branches on its release date.  We were immediately enthralled with the beauty of David Bazan’s music and the painful honesty of his lyrics.  Like many Christians who are fans… Continue reading | 4 Comments

Brooke Fraser
Genre: Pop
Styles: Pop Rock, Jangle Pop, Folk Rock
Location: Sydney, Australia
Label: Sony BMG
Website: http://www.brookefraser.com/
Myspace:http://www.myspace.com/brookefraser
Christian Label: No
Category: The Spiritual  whats this?

Would you be interested in an artist whose first CD debuted Number 1 in her homeland of New Zealand and went 7 times platinum?  Would you be interested in an artist whose sophomore effort surpassed the artistry of her first, debuted Number One in New Zealand, went double platinum within a month of release, has been a New Zealand Top 20 album every week since its release and was named an iTunes Editors Choice for 2008.

Would you be interested if you knew that Brooke… Continue reading | 4 Comments

Sleeping Giant
Genre: Hardcore
Styles: Metalcore, Tuff Guy, Mosh
Location: Redlands, CA
Label: Facedown Records
Myspace:www.myspace.com/sleepingxgiant
Christian Label: Yes
Category: The Message whats this?

In the 1990s, a term began to circulate through the hardcore community.  The term was in contrast to everything the world of heavy music had tried to put forth before it. It was a new movement, by a special group of bands who saw the music they loved as a means to express the faith that lived inside their hearts. The term was “spirit-filled hardcore”, and for most of the late 90s, the movement ruled the world of heavy underground music.   The bands talked about hard spiritual matters, witnessed to the crowds

Bill Mallonee & Vigilantes of Love
Genre: Rock
Styles: Americana, Alternative, Rock n’ Roll, Brit-pop, Folk rock
Location: Athens, Ga.
Label: Independent
Website: http://www.billmallonee.net/
Myspace: www.myspace.com/billmallonee
Christian Label: No
Category: The Message whats this?

It is virtually impossible to separate Vigilantes of Love from Bill Mallonee. Not to diminish the contribution of any of member of VOL over the years, but the music and lyrics of Bill Mallonee, sung with the urgent, pleading vocals of Bill Mallonee defines the greatness that is  Vigilantes of Love.  Whether the music is labeled Vigilantes of Love or Bill Mallonee, musical genius prevails.

Bill Mallonee’s music has traveled a wide swath of musical styles over the

Project 86
Genre: Rock
Styles: Nu-Metal, Hard Rock, Progressive
Location: Orange County, CA
Label: Tooth And Nail
Website: www.project86.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/project86
Christian Label: Yes
Category: The Message whats this?

Lets get something straight from the beginning, Project 86 isn’t just a band. Project 86 is a force. From frontman Andrew Schwab’s menacing and powerful vocals to guitarist Randy Torres’s brutal and emotional musical landscapes, Project 86 have always been a band that redefined the box they were placed in. With every new chapter of the band, the listener never gets a new album, but a soundtrack to a new and frightening story from Andrew’s head space.  Making the heavy beautiful and the artistic

Paramore
Genre: Rock
Styles: Post-hardcore, Power Pop, Punk
Location: Nashville, TN
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Website: www.paramore.net/
Christian Label: No
Category: The Light whats this?

It has been almost five years since the pint-sized powerhouse known as Paramore bust onto the scene. Combining post-hardcore with pop-punk and rock, this female fronted phenomenon has taken over the rock scene they grew up loving. They have a talent for not only writing good progressive rock songs, but then partnering them with frontwoman Hayley Williams soulful lyrics, making their music stand out in a rock scene over run with empty words and recycled melodies.

The 2007 MTV Music Video awards were the usual parade of plastic pop and badly done hip-hop. Around the middle of… Continue reading | 4 Comments

MuteMath
Genre: Rock
Styles:  Art Rock, Indie Rock, Progressive Rock
Location: New Orleans, LA
Label: Teleprompt Records
Website: http://www.mutemath.com/
Christian label: no
Category: The Light whats this?

The fairytale story of MuteMath began in 2001 when Paul Meany, of popular Christian rock group Earthsuit, began receiving instrumental song demos from Darren King.  Those demos started a long distance writing partnership that resulted in King moving to New Orleans in 2003 to work more intensely with Meany.  By 2004, the duo had recruited the rest of the band, formed Teleprompt Records, signed a distribution deal with Warner and released their debut Reset EP.

Even though they only have released one EP, a CD and a live recording, MuteMath… Continue reading

Jeremy Enigk

Genre: Rock

Styles: Atmospheric Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Emo

Location: Seattle, Washington

Label: Lewis Hollow Recordings

Myspace:: http://www.myspace.com/jeremyenigk

Christian label: yes

Category: The Light whats this?

Christian music artist Jeremy Enigk is the most influential rock musician of the last 20 years. His influence is more evident in today’s music than even Kurt Cobain.

In 1992, Jeremy Enigk filled in for the lead singer of a Seattle hardcore band called One Day I Stopped Breathing and rock music took another diversion. Jeremy Enigk’s anguished falsetto soared high above the guitar wash and his tortured, sometimes unintelligible lyrics became the blueprint for emo music. The band changed their name to Sunny Day Real Estate and for three years… Continue reading | 2 Comments

Bradley Hathaway
Genre: Folk
Styles: Indie Folk, Spoken Word, Singer/Songwriter
Location: Fort Smith, AK
Label: None
Myspace: myspace.com/bradleyhathaway
Christian label: N/A
Category: The Message whats this?

In 2004, my brother and a few of his friends met me in Dallas, TX to see a show at one of the local venues. The bill had mewithoutYou and Blindside as the headliners, and there was the usual array of local openers and bands I had never heard of before either of them were to hit the stage later in the evening.  During one of the band changes, a skinny, small little man walked up onto stage and picked up the mic. He was easily the same weight as my gymnast girlfriend (now wife)… Continue reading | 2 Comments

Eisley
Genre: Rock
Styles: Atmospheric Rock, Progressive, Pop
Location: Tyler, TX
Label: Reprise/Warner Bros. Records
Website: eisley.com
Christian label: No
Category: The Light whats this?

It will be a long time before you hear about a band like Eisley. Comprised of the three Dupree sisters, their brother, and cousin, the band arose from humble beginnings in Tyler, TX to meet an overwhelming response from fans and critics alike. They began in coffee houses as a musical experiment for the sisters, and soon after traveling to Cornerstone festival in 2002, Eisley (known for a while as Moss Eisley) embarked on their very first tour opening up for none other than  Coldplay. At the time the oldest person in the band… Continue reading | 1 Comment