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Reviews - S
Tarra Scotton &
Strong Tower - I Wanna Thank You
Mike Shaw - New Songs & Hymn Reconstruction
See Spot Rock DVD
Side Walk Slam - Give Back
Skillet - Alien Youth
Mindy Smith - One Moment More
subseven - Free to Conquer
Superchic[k] - Beauty From Pain
The smooth, powerful
music of Strong Tower backs Tarra Scotton's flowing vocals beautifully,
bringing I Wanna Thank You together to form an enjoyable R &
B/Gospel record. The lyrics are moving also, and the lead lyricist, Eric
Greene Jr., writes about every day life with a positive message
influenced through Christ. The members of Strong Tower are a very inspiring group
to young people, considering they are all under the age of 18.
Each plays his instrument excellently and exhibits a real feeling of
striving to make their mark on the music world through a positive
alternative to the usually negative secular music young people around
them listen to.
Tarra Scotton's vocals move right along with the music,
creating a warm atmosphere of songs you can sing along and dance to
easily. She brings character and uniqueness to the tracks, singing
of every day life and strife with God. Overall, I Wanna Thank You is an excellent work
of R & B/Gospel by Tarra Scotton & Strong Tower. The two
work together to bring a record to life that inspires a feeling of
positivity around the listener. Their faith is apparent and is
shown through their devotion to make great music.
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Official Zopro Records Site
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Mike Shaw
- New Songs & Hymn Reconstruction
By Chelsea 2004
 Mike Shaw's release is true to its descriptive title, it has some original
songs as well as some hymns. The new songs flow with the familiar hymns
very smoothly, and Shaw's clear, strong voice strikes the listener as
unique and easy to listen to. The first track, These Hands, is an
original work by Shaw, and is a simple melody that aids the sing-along
quality of the song. His rendition of Come Thou Fount is beautiful
and passionate. It is slower paced than I've heard it, but it stands out
as my favorite track on the album.
The liner notes of the CD are very
personal and offer encouragement to believers in this world: "This
world is a hall of mirrors offering much illusions. When the fog
dissipates, God's word is the only thing that remains solid and
real." The pictures and drawings on the liner notes give the
release a very distinctive look and as superficial as the liner notes are,
they are simple, and yet very original in the layout. Based on a glance at
these outer things, putting the CD into my player for the first time, I
was under the impression I was in for a new music encounter. Mike
Shaw keeps the music easy to listen to, easy to sing along with and
offers a unique, upbeat worship experience.
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Official Mike Shaw
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Side Walk Slam - Give
Back
By Chelsea 2002
The opening track of Side Walk
Slam’s Give Back, really sets the tone for the entire album.
The whole CD is full of fast paced, aggressive, yet catchy songs that
are held up by excellent guitar work and pounding drums interlaced
with great vocals. The songs are short, but really well done for a
three-piece band. The guys of Side Walk Slam have put forth a great
sophomore release, after their debut record Past Remains, also
on Tooth & Nail. The
highlights of the album include tracks 1 (Another Tragedy), 4 (Spare
Me), 8 (All I Have) & 10 (Moving Out).
This album really shows the range and talent these guys have,
with each song being its own unique piece, not melding into each other
to create one long song. Side Walk Slam and Give Back is a
great pick for fans of early MxPx and general upbeat punk. These guys
have talent and drive enough to let listeners expect great things in
the future.
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Official
SWS Site
Buy
Give Back |
Alien Youth
has to be one of the most powerful records that Skillet has released
to date. Hit songs 'Alien Youth' and 'You Are My Hope' are two
very different songs yet both capture the listener in their own way.
The title track has lyrics that talk about the youth today
"taking over" the world and leading people to Christ. the
chorus starts out:
"We're taking over the world,
we're the alien youth,
we're coming for your souls....."
Skillet seems to be peeling off new layers with
every record, and musically they are expanding and growing.
Newcomer Ben Kasica,17, drives the record with the electric guitar
that Skillet is famous for. Korey Cooper (keys & BGV's) joins in
with her husband John Cooper in a few songs with vocals, but the
record could have really used more of her clear voice. The record is
balanced out from the loud electronic rock sound with a couple of
quiet, beautiful praise songs. They're backed nicely with the drumming
of Lori Peters, one of Christian music's few female drummers. A
high five to Skillet for a over all great record!
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Official
Skillet Site
Buy
Alien Youth |
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Mindy Smith - One Moment More
By Chelsea 2004
The sepia
toned photograph of Mindy Smith on the cover of her release, One
Moment More, gives a fitting mellow mood to the 11 tracks on the
album. Soft acoustics, smooth vocals and hearty melodies are a few
qualities present in each song. She is currently signed to Vanguard
Records, and has experienced great responses to her debut. Her first
released single, "Come to Jesus," has a video
that is in heavy rotation on CMT and is a folksy, emotionally charged
song. Comforting lyrics from the track include:
Worry not
my daughters
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth living
Come to Jesus
And let Him hold you in His arms
Songs melt
into each other, and the entire CD has a calming aura about it. Smith's
powerful voice is used to its entire range, from passionate and rough to
subdued purrs. No matter what her style, the songs are full of
thoughtful, personal lyrics and a wonderfully orchestrated blend of her
acoustic guitar and other musicians' mandolins, electric guitars, pianos
and an array of other instruments. The music is superb, and the lyrics
are deep. The CD is not so heavy as to require special occasion listens,
but is a perfect pick for any situation. Each situation can lend itself
to a different musical experience, from listening while driving, cooking
dinner, enjoying a rainy day or enjoying Smith's music at any other
point in the day. Recommended for those who love acoustic melodies and
artists like Jennifer Knapp. |
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Official
Mindy Smith Site |
subseven
-
Free to Conquer
by Michelle Calderon 2005
 This
was a very distracting review. After going online to research the band,
I found out that Subseven is the name, not only of this band, but a
famous hacking tool, namely a Trojan, and after reading about
that.....well, I was left with a burning desire to find some anti-trojan
software, and my band research was temporarily suspended. Are the two
connected? Nope, check out their
PureVolume
page for an explanation of their name.
Anyway...Subseven is a five man
screamo/rock band from Oklahoma which has improved greatly on this
release from their 2004 self-titled EP. Their sound is heavy, with
engaging guitar work and vocals that are not lost in production, like
most of the genre. Their lyrics, however, leave you longing for a bit
more.
At a mere ten songs, the entire CD
seems to end after a few breathless moments. Although a bit lightweight
lyrically, all the songs work nicely around the album's theme of freedom
from sin, and it's consequences. These boys are happy to be free, and
they're not afraid to talk about it. They remind me a bit of Dead
Poetic; though they compare themselves to Hopesfall.
They're on tour with Project 86 and
Spoken this summer-now that would be a great show. |
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Official
subseven Site
Buy Free to Conquer |
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Superchic[k] -Beauty
From Pain
By Heidi 2005
 Superchic[k]’s
third release is titled
Beauty From Pain, and it is another shining
accomplishment for the group and one more thing to add to the list that
they already have going. Superchic[k] has been involved with many
things, from having tracks on hit shows such as Alias and the new
Disney movie The Ice Princess, to appearing on CNN, MTV, and even
the ESPN Winter X Games.
Superchic[k] has a varied
sound that includes pop, rap, rock and roll, and even jazz all wrapped
up in a Christian mix. They have interesting, ear-catching lyrics like
those that are used in the track “Bowling Ball.” The music in this CD
has a very positive appeal in almost every track. In “Anthem” the lyrics
are great for every child, teen, and adult alike who has ever been
through a tough time and has felt like someone is putting them down. The
songs will give anyone an extremely positive message.
The only two girls in the
group, Tricia and Melissa Brock, definitely don’t have to worry about
being too out of place, since they both fit in with the other four
guys just as well as anyone there. They are two sisters that can “Brock
on” and keep the group on top. One thing that is really good about this
group is that they come from varied ethnic backgrounds, so you know they
are trying to reach out to everyone around them, no matter their looks.
I definitely recommend Beauty From Pain for everyone who likes
music. You’re sure to find at least a few tracks that you can play over
and over again. Whether your favorite music is rap or soft rock, there
is something for you in this release. Plus you can listen to it any
time, any place, from working around the house or getting a party
started
Since this CD is easy to
listen to and extremely danceable you can’t go wrong with this purchase.
I think this is an all around great CD and can’t find a bad track on
here but my favorite tracks would have to be “Anthem” and the title
track “Beauty From Pain.” I think this CD deserves 5 stars because it is
something that you can listen to for years to come. |
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Official Superchic[k]
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Buy Beauty From Pain |
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med
by the band members themselves and also includes interviews with each
band; questions range from “If the tour held a street fight with all the
bands…who would win?” to “who is the absolute worst band on the tour?”
Special features include music videos from Relient K, OC Supertones,
Sanctus Real, and John Reuben. See Spot Rock is the ultimate video for
anyone with a heart for great Christian music and fun!!