Top 10 Favorite Christian 90's Alternative Records

Alternative Rock was my gateway drug into punk and hardcore. The christian rock scene in the mid-90's was actually full of great bands. Forefront Records put out their best stuff 96-99. Christian rock was more then just DC Talk.

10. Common Children – Skywire

Common Children was consistent in being inconsistent sound wise. Musically they always went back and forth between balls to the wall rock and roll and really pretty ballad type songs. Their debut, Skywire, is their most rocking album. Probably one of the more underrated Christian rock bands, Common Children’s first two LP’s were perfect, post grunge, alternative records. It was mid-90’s rock. Hate was a song I instantly loved. Marc Byrd screaming, “I Hate Myself” still gets me amped.



9. Plankeye – The Spark

The Spark was Plankeye’s official Tooth and Nail debut and it was miles better then Spill. Where Spill was a weird alt-punk album, The Spark was just straight ahead rock. Open House is such a killer song and my favorite song from Plankeye. Wings to Fly is a great bluesy rock song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxmyscbQnAo

8. The Prayer Chain – Mercury

Mercury has become an underground Christian alternative classic. And it’s deserved. While more experimental then Shawl and the album that broke The Prayer Chain up, Mercury is near perfect. Every song is good. The epic, 9-minute, Sky High and the equally as epic, 8 minute Sun Stoned, plus, Waterdogs, Bendy Line, Creole… Mercury is an amazing old school Christian rock record.



7. Starflyer 59 – Silver

One of the laziest comparisons in all of Christian music was saying Starflyer 59 sounded like My Bloody Valentine. While Jason Martin had the hushed, whispered vocal down, Silver was so much heavier then anything My Bloody Valentine ever did. Yes, Silver has more indie undertones then your radio alternative records but tracks like Sled, Happy Days Are Here Again, and The Dungeon all have guitar riffs and tones that would fit on any Soundgarden record. Plus the record has Hazel Would, the best Starflyer song ever written.



6. All Star United – All Star United

All Star United’s debut is the poppiest album on this list. All 10 tracks on the bands debut are catchy pop rock songs. While the band released a bunch of great records, their debut stands out as their most solid and memorable.



5. Driver Eight – Watermelon

Driver Eight is one of those Tooth and Nail bands that is not widely known but they should be. It’s a gem in T&N back catalog and just a really good rock record. Watermelon is chock full of catchy rock songs and has a real laid back feel (minus Carrousel, which is a song that will kick you in the balls).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i41g1kw3oA

4. Audio Adrenaline – Bloom

Without Bloom… Well I probably would’ve eventually found rock but Bloom was the catalyst. Bloom was a huge step up from Don’t Censor Me, and while it didn’t bring the band the notoriety that Some Kind of Zombie and later albums would, it is in my opinion, their most complete album and their most rocking. Secret, I’m Not the King, See Through are three killer songs, and the bands cover of Free Ride is great. Not just a CCM record.



3. Skillet – Skillet

So Skillet have been on mainstream rock radio for at least 5 years now. The bands last 3 (4ish) albums have all been hard rock records. But 1996, the bands debut recorded sounded like something out of Seattle. They did one alternative rock record, their first album, and it was great. Minus John Cooper, none of the members from that first record are in Skillet today and the sound on the bands debut was never repeated again. While not the heaviest record of their career, the songs on their self-titled debut are far more aggressive then anything they’ve put out since. Great record.



2. Bleach – Space

The first time I heard Child of Sod I was a huge fan. Bleach had won me over. Space is another example of classic 90’s rock. Top to bottom a solid record.



1. Grammatrain – Flying

Flying would probably rank as one of my top 20 favorite records of all time. Grammatrain was a band I loved and when they broke up, it sucked. Flying is still an amazing record to listen to. Pete Stewart’s guttural half screamed vocals, great bass riffs, solid drumming, catchy rock songs; there’s nothing to hate about Flying. Jonah, Less of Me, Pain, Spiderweb, Fuse, Rocketship…. The whole album is phenomenal.

Kylesa - Spiral Shadow

There's something really nice about Kylesa's Spiral Shadow that wasn't there on Static Tensions. It's more melodic, toned down. While Static Tensions was an enjoyable listen, it just wasn't very memorable. Spiral Shadows isn't catchy memorable, but musically it's more appealing sonically. Each song has something different going for it, and the album moves so nicely and so beautifully, that it's just a great listen.

Tired Climb is the most straight forward sludge metal track of the album. A good kick off to the album and nice track that won't throw fans of the band for a loop. Cheating Synergy is my favorite track on the album. An upbeat track with a killer guitar/synth riff in the middle of the song. Drop Out is a cross between Isis and Mastodon, very heavy with intricate, beautiful guitar lines. From Don't Look Back to the end of the album, the tone changes. The songs aren't as heavy. All the tracks have a melodic undertone. Don't Look Back has a Foo Fighters style intro riff. Back and Forth is a super poppy song, the plays more like the latest indie rock craze then anything metal.

The Spiral Shadow isn't the best record of the year and as far as metal records go, it isn't the heaviest record you'll hear. But the songs have their moments, and it's just such an enjoyable listen that I do recommend picking this album up.

Tumbledown - Empty Bottle

Tumbledown's self-titled debut was a solid throwback country album. It made my Top 20 albums of 2009 list. Tumbledown's follow-up, Empty Bottle, while retains a lot of that classic country sound from the bands debut, Mike's punk roots aren't invisible on this record.

As the name suggest, Empty Bottle is a record about drinking. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The record starts with Arrested in El Paso Blues, which starts like something that would've been on MxPx's Secret Weapon. It's that rockabilly sound that Tumbledown had on the Atlantic City EP. It's a great kickoff to an album and really unexpected. Bad News continues the more upbeat, rock version of Tumbledown. It's MxPx with a slide guitar.

And then we get into the country heart of the record. Dead Man Walking, Drink to Forget, Empty Bottle, and Great Big World are all in that old school country music vibe that made Tumbledown's first record so good.

Meet the Devil might be one of the best songs Mike Herrera has ever written. It has no hint of being a country song whatsoever. It's just a good old rock and roll drinking song. You'd imagine being in a bar with a bunch of your friends singing this song at the top of your lungs.

No Hung Over has a real nice classic Johnny Cash feel, while Places in This Town would've fit in on the bands debut. St Peter is a face paced rockabilly track. The closing track, A Thousand Times More is a country ballad and another nice track.

While the albums theme is about drinking and the word bitch is used on the album, a lot of MxPx's christian fans might be offended if they pick this record up. While it's not as strong a country album as Tumbledown's debut, and maybe even not as solid an album as their debut, with each listen I do enjoy the songs more and more and there are a handful of just really awesome songs. If you have to listen to a country record, Empty Bottle is a good option.

Brian McBride - The Effective Disconnect

For those who don't know, Brian McBride is one half of the ambient duo Stars of the Lid. The Effective Disconnect is his second solo record and The Effective Disconnect is a thing of beauty. Brian McBride has really outdone himself on this record. I liked When The Detail Lost It's Freedom but it doesn't come close to being nearly as good The Effective Disconnect.

The Effective Disconnect is more orchestral then When The Detail Lost It's Freedom. It flows better and is an all around enjoyable experience. It sounds like something you'd expect from Brian Eno if he worked with strings more. It is such an easy and enjoyable listen. Fans of Brian Eno's Discreet Music or Echo Broke Alone's Heart Condition will absolutely love The Effective Disconnect. It's an amazing ambient album. My two minor qualms are that the record is short and it doesn't have a strong ending.

It's only 43 minutes long, which isn't terribly short but it's such a nice album you really wish it was longer. The last 2 tracks are ok but not great. I Know That You Don't Like the Future Like I Do is a little thin and sparse compared to everything up to that point, which would be ok if it wasn't the second to last track. It does have a nice piano ending. Chamber Minuet is just too short a piece to end the record. It's a beautiful string arrangement that I just wish had more.

If you're looking for an ambient record and you already own Hammock's Chasing After Shadows, Living With the Ghosts go pick up The Effective DIsconnect. It's a beautiful album and one of the best instrumental records I've heard this year.

Top 10 Favorite Punk Records

I discovered punk in junior high. Punk and skateboarding always went together for me. I used to sit around and watched skate and snowboarding videos set to a punk soundtrack and then go out and skate to my own punk soundtrack.

10. MxPx – Life in General

While Teenage Politics turned me onto MxPx, it wasn’t until Life in General that I really got into the band. The songs are catchy on Life in General. Its pop punk at it’s finest. Mike’s has always been a fantastic songwriter and Life in General holds as some of his best work. Middle Name, Do Your Feet Hurt, Doing Time, Freaking Chick Magnet! The lyrics are smart and catchy, and it’s a great record.



9. Face to Face – Face to Face

Face to Face’s self-titled third record has something different to it that stands out in their discography, and really is different from their first two records. I wouldn’t say it’s darker, but it has a darker tone. Face to Face’s sound is a sound I find a lot of the early 2000’s Tooth and Nail bands copying (Off the Record, Shorthanded, All Wound Up). I won’t Lie Down is such an amazing song and my favorite from Face to Face. A solid punk record.



8. Fugazi – Repeater + 3 Songs

Fugazi is as DC as the White House and the Redskins and being a part of the punk scene in DC not knowing about and listening to Fugazi is wrong. It was hard for me to pick a Fugazi record. I’m a big fan of their entire discography but Repeater is the one I find myself grabbing to listen to more then the others. Not that Fugazi’s later albums were polished by any means but Repeater has a different rawness and fury to it.



7. Dogwood – Through Thick and Thin

Dogwood might have been the first punk band I really loved. Maybe because they were connected to P.O.D. and NIV. I remember watching G-Rock and seeing the video for Preschool Days for the first time. While all of Dogwood’s records are solid, Through Thick and Thin is as catchy or polished as the albums they put out on Tooth and Nail. It’s just straightforward, play the songs fast, punk rock. Plus it has the great hardcore song at the end, Joy Through Movement.



6. Slick Shoes – Burn Out

While Slick Shoes hasn’t been a band I’ve been a huge fan of, Burn Out is an album I love. It teeters on being a catchy album but never crosses the line. The songs are solid pop punk songs and Burn Out is such an enjoyable listen that it’s a shame the songs never find a way to stick in your head.



5. Ghoti Hook – Banana Man

Is Banana Man universally everyone’s favorite Ghoti Hook record? I love Two Years to never but Banana Man can’t be beat. My Bike, The Box, Cowboy, Love By Numbers, At the Zoo… The whole record is amazing.



4. The Huntingtons – High School Rock

While the Huntingtons will always be called a Ramones rip-off band, and it might be a fair assessment, I’ve always loved the Huntingtons. I originally owned High School Rock on cassette and wore that tape out. The Huntingtons had the ability to write short, catchy punk songs. Often I will find myself singing their songs without know it. High School Rock is 16 songs, each one just as catchy and good as the last.



3. The Clash – London Calling

While it seems extremely cliché to have London Calling on this list and so high, that doesn’t make it less deserving. I didn’t even hear London Calling till much later in life, after most of my heavy punk listening days. Train in Vain and Brand New Cadillac are two of my favorite Clash songs. A classic.



2. Squad Five – O – Bombs Over Broadway

I was already a huge Squad Five-O fan when Bomb’s Over Broadway came out. While Bombs Over Broadway as an album are the best songs of SFO’s career, this album had to be experienced live and I saw them perform this album live 4 or 5 times. The speed and intensity on every song was jacked up and really made the songs so good. The album itself is almost a throwback to more glam rock then punk but the attitude is punk. Great songs, amazing album.



1.MxPx – Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo

I know a lot of people see Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo as the beginning of MxPx’s decline; I always viewed it as the beginning of their maturity. While Life in General was catchy and full of great songs, it’s also the last of the “teenage” MxPx records. The songs are Slowly Going the Way are more mature lyrically and the music compliments that nicely. The production on SGTWOTB was the best of their discography to that point and might be the best sounding record of their career to this day. While they’ve put out some great records since Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo, I don’t think MxPx has come close to putting together a complete record as good as Slowly Going the Way was.

The Meltdown 1.12

New Music from Sent by Ravens, As I Lay Dying, Haste the Day, and Anberlin.

Fix: mewithoutYou's Goodbye, I is actually from It's All Crazy, It's All False, It's All a Dream, It's Alright and not from Brother Sister. My bad

Top 10 Favorite Jazz Records

So it was requested that I do a Top 10 Blue Note Records list and I was more then willing to oblige. But going through my massive collection I found that I don’t have a lot of Blue Note albums. Sorry. So instead I’m going with a Top 10 favorite jazz records. I love listening to jazz. It can be both soothing and chaotic. This list will seem a tad repetitive because while I love and can listen to jazz all day, I really have only ever bought record from a handful of artist whom I absolutely love. So here we go.

10. Cab Calloway & His Orchestra – Volume 2 1935-1940

I got this box set for Christmas one year. And it took me a while to really dig into it. 4 cds featuring 107 songs I s a lot to digest. I don’t know if it’s the greatest introduction to Cab Calloway but it’s a fantastic collection of songs.



9. Dizzy Gillespie – For Musicians Only

For Musicians Only is jazz played at a break neck pace. 5 songs of frantic jazz. It’s not out of control or chaotic, just played fast.



8. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington – Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington

Listening to Duke Ellington play is a great way to unwind. His trumpeting is so smooth and relaxing. Combine that with the vocal stylings of Louis Armstrong and you have a great combo. This is their first recording together and it’s such a nice and laid back listen. Very chill, very good.



7. John Coltrane – Blue Train

As far as Coltrane records go Blue Train might be one of the more subdued albums. It’s not as frenetic as some of his later recordings.




6. Thelonious Monk – Underground

While Underground is a very chill record, there’s something off about it musically. It’s off kilter just slightly. The musicians never seem to be in the same room. The piano and drummer are almost always playing in different time signatures and the bass player just takes his bass for a walk that doesn’t always seem to fit. But each piece compliments each so nicely and fills your stereo with a nice array of sound that unless you’re giving a critical listen, you’ll just hear a beautiful album.



5. Miles Davis – Birth of The Cool

Birth of the Cool is one of those classic must own jazz records. With minor exceptions it’s not a fast tempoed, get on the floor and dance album. The songs all come in under three and half minutes giving each song it’s own space. It’s nothing long-winded or repetitive, just a quality jazz album.



4. John Coltrane – A Love Supreme

A Love Supreme is a variation on a theme. It plays like something you might hear from Phillip Glass or Steve Reich if they were jazz musicians. This is the frenetic Coltrane I was talking about. A Love Supreme has fantastic movement and flow. It’s intricate and interesting. And the album’s closer, Psalm, is so sexy. Coltrane’s finest.



3. Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come

Whenever I asked for recommendations of jazz records to check out, The Shape of Jazz to Come was always a record I needed to have. So I got it. It’s completely out of control. Ornette Coleman slays on the saxophone. Eventually is just pure chaos. The albums moves from beautiful jazz standards to complete destruction of anything resembling jazz.



2. Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas

While I might take some flak for having this record on this list and this high, it still ranks as one of my favorites. It’s a simple record full of joy. A Charlie Brown Christmas is the greatest Christmas special of all time and it’s soundtrack still holds as a standard for Christmas music. Linus and Lucy has to rank as one of the most iconic pieces of music ever written.



1. Miles Davis – Bitches Brew

Bitches Brew is the Dillinger Escape Plan of jazz music. While it might be one of the hardest jazz records to listen to, I think it’s also one of the most rewarding. The songs are all long, with wanky guitar parts and crazy blasts from horns coming out of nowhere. It’s a trippy album and it pushes jazz to the limit and completely rewrites the book on what jazz has to be. People hate it, I love it.