1. Have We Lost - Flyleaf
2. Swept Away - Flyleaf
3. Your Love Is A Song - Switchfoot
4. The Fear Of God - Showbread
5. The Part That Hurts The Most - Thousand Foot Krutch
6. Destroyer - Project 86
7. The Way I Come To You - Bethany Dillon
8. Valley Of Tomorrow - Needtobreathe
9. Reveries Of Flight - Oh Sleeper
10. Dance On Our Graves - Paper Route
11. Heaven & Earth - Phil Wickham
12. Beautiful Ending - BarlowGirl
13. If You Believe Me - Relient K
14. Turn It Off - Paramore
15. Stay (In My Arms) - Nevertheless
16. Believe - Skillet
17. Lose It All - Pillar
18. Never Be Ready - Mat Kearney
19. Scarecrow - Between The Trees
20. Wake Her Up - We Shot The Moon
21. Excuses - Deas Vail
22. Beautiful History - Plumb
23. The Lost Get Found - Britt Nicole
24. Cutthroat Collapse - Emery
25. Everyone I Know Has Fangs - He Is Legend
26. Meddler - August Burns Red
27. Surface Of The Sun - All Star United
28. Mystery Of You - Red
29. Shadows - David Crowder* Band
30. Chorus Of The Saints - Revive
Well, it's almost the end of 2009, which means it's time to rank album releases. My ratings here are based on my playback value. I've listened to probably over 50 albums this year, but I've only included ones that I've listened to thoroughly. Also, I should probably mention that while most of these releases come from what are considered "Christian" artists, a few listed are not. Last note- this list excludes EPs, live albums, and Christmas albums.
1. The Fear Of God - Showbread (5/5)
2. Hello Hurricane - Switchfoot (5/5)
3. Memento Mori - Flyleaf (4.5/5)
4. Son Of The Morning - Oh Sleeper (4.5/5)
5. The End Is Not The End - House Of Heroes (4.5/5)*
6. Brand New Eyes - Paramore (4.5/5)
7. Welcome To The Masquerade - Thousand Foot Krutch (4.5/5)
8. The Outsiders - Needtobreathe (4.5/5)
9. It Hates You - He Is Legend (4/5)
10. Picket Fence Cartel - Project 86 (4/5)
11. Forget And Not Slow Down - Relient K (4/5)
12. Church Music - David Crowder* Band (4/5)
13. Love And War - BarlowGirl (4/5)
14. Absence - Paper Route (4/5)
15. Heaven And Earth - Phil Wickham (4/5)
16. City Of Black And White - Mat Kearney (4/5)
17. Birds And Cages - Deas Vail (4/5)
18. Stop And Listen - Bethany Dillon (3.5/5)
19. The Good Album - All Star United (3.5/5)
20. In Shallow Seas We Sail - Emery (3.5/5)
21. Innocence And Instinct - Red (3.5/5)
22. The Lost Get Found - Britt Nicole (3.5/5)
23. Spain - Between The Trees (3.5/5)
24. Comedown - Dreampilots (3.5/5)
25. Blue - Manic Drive (3.5/5)
26. Beauty Will Rise - Steven Curtis Chapman (3.5/5)
27. Fireflies And Songs - Sara Groves (3.5/5)
28. The Now And The Not Yet - Jeremy Riddle (3.5/5)
29. Dear Future, Come Get Me - The Fold (3.5/5)
30. It Is Well - Kutless (3/5)
Others (not in any particular order): VOTA - VOTA (3/5)* Awake - Skillet (3/5), Live Life Loud - Hawk Nelson (3/5), Confessions - Pillar (3/5), Fangs! - Falling Up (3/5), Tear Down The Walls - Hillsong United (3/5), In The Hands Of God - Newsboys (3/5), Love Is On The Move - Leeland (3/5), Stand For You - Jonny Diaz (3/5), Best Night Of Our Lives - Everyday Sunday (3/5), Crash - Decyfer Down (3/5), The Fray - The Fray (3/5), Back And Forth - Lanae Hale (3/5), Until The Whole World Hears - Casting Crowns (3/5), Who Speaks For Planet Earth - And Then There Were None (3/5), God Of This City - Bluetree (3/5), Hope Rising - Fee (3/5)
Still have to check out: III - Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster, Constellations - August Burns Red, Monster Monster - The Almost, Rocks Into Rivers - Seabird
Disappointments: Skillet, Newsboys, Falling Up
Could Have Done Better: Emery, Bethany Dillon, Flyleaf, Paramore (I enjoyed all of these releases; I just had really high expectations since these are some of my favorite bands.)
Surprises: Showbread, House Of Heroes, Thousand Foot Krutch, Switchfoot
Looking Forward To In 2010: After Edmund, Children 18:3, Sanctus Real, Disciple, Fireflight, The Wedding, Wavorly, Vicky Beeching, Rebecca St. James, RunKidRun, Demon Hunter
*House Of Heroes' album released digitally in 2008, but the hard copy (which I have) was not available until 2009. Same goes for VOTA, the digital album released at the end of 2008 and the hard copy in 2009.
Late '90s and early '00s, those were the years of the "boy bands." In secular music, you had the Backstreet Boys, 98 degrees, LFO, and my personal favorite at the time N*SYNC. In Christian music it was True Vibe, Phat Chance, and Plus One. You'd think this was a thing of the past, but in music (and just about anything else), trends have a way of resurfacing. We are experiencing that now with dance/techno/pop music (The Secret Handshake, Family Force 5, And Then There Were None, etc.). Though not true to its original form, the dance/techno/pop of today does bear resemblance to that of the 80's. So, could boy bands make a comeback?
Evidence #1 - The other day I was walking across my university's campus, as I passed by the women's soccer team practice I heard a familiar song. I had to rack my brain a bit (since it's almost been a decade), but I realized it was The Backstreet Boys. Surprised? A little, but then again that is the stuff my peer group grew up on.
Evidence #2 - When I hear about a new band, I usually check them out, just to keep current on the industry. One of those bands happened to be Yellow Cavalier. Their myspace classifies them as Christian pop/rock. But they are not just a pop/rock band, they are a boy band in disguise. It's true. From the harmonies to the way the band members look, they have boy band written all over. Now all they need are the coordinated dance moves.
Evidence #3 - The Jonas Brothers. Okay, technically not a boy band, I just enjoy picking on them :P
So maybe this isn't sufficient evidence to say that boy bands are making a comeback. I'm not even completely persuaded myself. But I do think it is possible that boy bands will return. Maybe they'll come back in the form of dance/pop instead of sugar pop/R&B. Or, maybe we'll just have to wait another decade or two. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer...
Creation NE Festival 2009 Category:Music Views:
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Seventy-five thousand people, Christian music’s most popular recording artists, cheesecake on a stick, and sumo wrestling can all be found at one place: Creation Northeast Festival. If you are unfamiliar with Creation NE, it’s a four-day Christian music festival, taking place in the green hills and farmland of central Pennsylvania, which is described by some as the middle of nowhere. The festival features The Main Stage, The Fringe Stage, The Worship Tent/Late Night Café, The Children’s Tent, X-games (that’s where sumo wrestling comes in), and more. The event begins on a Wednesday evening and concludes Saturday night.
WEDNESDAY
Remedy Drive was the chosen act to kick off Creation ’09. The four brothers from Nebraska certainly know how to put on a show. What they lacked in musical talent, they made up for with intense energy (which the lead singer channeled into spastic jumping). Even though Remedy Drive is still pretty new to the Christian music scene, they had the audience engaged from the beginning and most sang along on their radio hit “Daylight.”
Bluetree led worship that night. The Irish quintet penned the hit “God of This City” (made popular by Chris Tomlin). They sound strikingly similar to Tree63, but with an Irish accent of course. One song that struck me was “Each Day.” Lead singer, Aaron Boyd, explained that he wrote the song after his daughter was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.
After the speaker for that night concluded, the much anticipated Skillet melted some faces with hard rock and almost literally with pyrotechnics. Skillet’s stage show has really evolved since the first time I saw them back in 2004. I was somewhat disappointed with their set, as they performed songs mostly from Comatose. I prefer their older stuff, but the crowd loved it.
Skillet would be a tough act to follow, but Relient K came out and proved that you don’t need fireworks and rising platforms to put on a good show. These guys rely on pure musical talent. They performed songs from just about every album in their repertoire, as well as two from their upcoming album, Forget and Not Slow Down.
THURSDAY
Indie rock band, Esterlyn was the first act I got up early enough to see on Thursday. For those who didn’t know the title of Esterlyn’s debut album, they were probably a little confused when the band started setting up lamps all over the stage. Lead vocalist, Luke Caldwell, later explained that the title of their album, Lamps, came out of Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
I only caught the beginning of worship band Fee’s set because I had several interviews (Disciple, BarlowGirl, & Esterlyn) to attend. Their set included songs off of their debut album and their current single, “Glory To God Forever,” from the upcoming album, Hope Rising.
While I was in the press tent, I learned that Stellar Kart had lost all of their gear on a flight to get to Creation. The lead singer joked that somewhere a TSA guy was playing his guitar. They ended up borrowing equipment from BarlowGirl and Esterlyn. Stellar Kart went on to perform their typical fun and entertaining set: “Automatic,” “Student Driver,” “Innocent,” “Me & Jesus,” etc.
I had two more interviews that were scheduled during Disciple’s time slot, which was slightly upsetting. Both interviews (Fee & Worth Dying For) ended up being cut short due to time constraints, so I was able to catch a few songs including: “Rise Up,” “321,” “Scars Remain,” “Romance Me,” and “Southern Hospitality.”
After Disciple’s performance on the Fringe Stage, I had to rush over to the Main Stage for BarlowGirl because their sets were back to back. This was the third time I’d seen BarlowGirl in the past year and a half, and while their set hadn’t changed that much, they did fit in a new song “Beautiful Ending.” The song, from their upcoming album, is set to be released to Christian AC radio toward the end of July. “[Beautiful Ending] is based off of the fear that in the midst of the life that we’re living, are we going to lose God in the process?” contemplates front-woman Alyssa Barlow. “Not that we’ll lose Him, but lose our relationship with Him. It’s really just a question of saying ‘Are we going to have a beautiful ending?’ because that’s what I want. I want to have a beautiful ending.”
Worth Dying For was the slotted worship act that evening. The band’s music is aimed toward the youth-aged listener and therefore their music tends to be edgier than the typical worship band. Although according to Micah, one of their guitarists, they do draw fans of all ages and they strive “to minister to whoever [they] possibly can.”
Looking at the acts following (Hawk Nelson & Chris Tomlin), I decided to call it a night and check out the hotel pool instead.
FRIDAY
The highlight performance at Creation, for me, was House of Heroes. Capital Lights was originally slated to perform but pulled out a couple of months prior. No offense to Capital Lights, but I’m very glad they did. I’ve been a fan of House of Heroes since their debut, but this was my first time experiencing their live performance. All four of the band members sing, and they had some pretty impeccable harmonies going on. It was one of the best vocal performances I heard that week at Creation. They performed early on Friday so the crowd wasn’t very large, but the pop/rock group was full of energy and had the crowd singing along. The band performed songs mostly from their latest album, The End Is Not The End. They also covered the Beatle’s “Can’t Buy Me Love,” which certainly sparked the attention of some older folks in the crowd. House of Heroes released “Can’t Buy Me Love” and two other Beatle’s covers exclusively to iTunes back in June.
After my interview with Relevant Worship, I headed over to the Fringe Stage to catch the tail end performance of Canadian soul act, Newworldson. I made it just in time for one of the greatest drum solos I have ever witnessed (video of the drum solo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7mv-A0Rw4Y ). The drummer began his solo, like a typical drum solo, on his drum kit. From there he moved to beating on the mic stand, to a music stand, to a guitar. While the drummer made his way back to the drums, the lead singer started beat-boxing into their last song, a cover of “Soul Power.” I’m not really a fan of soul but I can appreciate talent when I hear it. These guys were probably some of the most talented musicians to grace the Fringe Stage that week.
Pillar was scheduled to perform after Group 1 Crew on the Main Stage. Unfortunately, they were running late and were rescheduled to play at the Fringe that evening. Their new performance time happened to coincide with Thousand Foot Krutch. This became the dilemma of the day: To see Pillar or Thousand Foot Krutch? It was a tough decision, but in the end Thousand Foot Krutch won.
Tooth & Nail band, Spoken had a wild and crazy performance on the Fringe Stage. I’m not too familiar with the band so most of their stuff was new to me. The one song I did recognize though was a cover of the 1980’s hit “Time After Time.” It was rather strange hearing a post-hardcore act perform it, but they pulled it off better than I would have imagined.
As I was heading over to the Main Stage to watch Thousand Foot Krutch, the sky grew dark, and it looked like it might storm. Thankfully, the rain held out for their performance and the clouds were actually a relief from the heat of the sun. After a few songs, front-man Trevor McNevan asked the crowd “How are you feeling Creation West?” He didn’t get much of a response, except for mumblings of “Did he just say Creation West?” No one really seemed to mind though. Thousand Foot Krutch went on to perform “Fire It Up,” from their upcoming record. “Fire It Up” reminded me of “Rawkfist” in that it was a perfect song for a live setting, a song that really pumps up the crowd.
While the rain held out for Thousand Foot Krutch, it didn’t hold out for acclaimed guitarist and worship leader, Lincoln Brewster. During “Everlasting God,” the heavens opened up and it poured. But rain never seems to deter crowds at Creation; everyone continued worshipping the Lord through the rain.
This was my second opportunity to see David Crowder* Band live and I was anticipating hearing their latest single, “How He Loves.” The song was written by singer/songwriter John Mark McMillian. John says it wasn’t originally intended to be a worship song (see the story behind the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chx6s3qXKt4 ), but ever since David Crowder* Band covered it, “How He Loves” has been gaining the attention of worship leaders across the nation. David Crowder* Band performed other worship favorites such as “Here Is Our King,” “Everything Glorious,” Undignified,” etc. But what makes a David Crowder* Band show unique from the typical show are two things: a hoedown and a rigged Guitar Hero controller that Crowder rocks out on during “…neverending….”
I had a hard time enjoying headliner Third Day’s performance because my feet ached so bad from walking all day. I ended up sitting on the gravel, which wasn’t that much more comfortable. Anyway, Third Day brought the Southern rock to Creation, opening with a popular track off of Wire, “I’ve Got A Feeling.” A few songs in the guys of Third Day took us back to their debut album with “Thief.” I was a little surprised that they chose to perform my favorite track from Revelation, “Run To You.” Obviously, Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf) wasn’t there to sing her part, but there was a woman standing next to me who sang (more like screamed) Lacey’s harmonies. She pretty much ruined the song for everyone standing within a ten-foot radius of her. I left before the encore but as I was heading out I heard bits and pieces of the popular worship song “God Of Wonders.”
SATURDAY
I figured I’d catch Children 18:3’s performance at Purple Door, so I only stuck around at the Fringe Stage long enough to see that lead vocalist, David Hostetter, is still wearing excessive amounts of guyliner. Then I made my way over to the Main Stage to see Needtobreathe.
Neetobreathe’s third album releases in August, so I was looking forward to hearing them perform some new music. Since last seeing the band in 2007, they have embraced their southern roots a bit more and their line-up has changed slightly. The addition of a keyboardist enhanced the band’s dynamic, giving them a fuller, richer sound. Needtobreathe performed several of their hits including “Signature of Divine” and “More Time,” as well as two new songs “Lay ‘Em Down” and “Girl In Tennessee.”
The next act was quite a drastic change from Needtobreathe’s laid-back presence. Grammy-nominated band, Red, drew a massive crowd for an afternoon performance. After being yelled at by a security worker for not sandwiching myself in the crowd, I moved to the other side of the stage to watch Red’s show, where the security personnel wasn’t intent on shoving everyone forward. The nu-metal act performed favorites such as “Breathe Into Me,” “Let Go,” and “Death Of Me.” They also showed a bit of their softer side with the power ballad “Never Be The Same.”
I don’t think I’ll ever forget seeing The Showdown. Not because their music blew me away or because they had an amazing performance. No, it’s because out of all the concerts and festivals I’ve attended over the years, I have never seen security pull as many people out of a crowd as when The Showdown performed. Maybe it’s because I don’t see metalcore acts all that often, I don’t know, but it seemed like every minute of their 40-minute set someone was removed for moshing. Halfway through The Showdown’s set, security began to lose control of the crowd and the medics ended up pulling someone out who had gotten the brunt of the moshing. The kid had blood gushing down the side of his face. I understand why Creation does not allow moshing (the kid with the bloody face was the perfect example). But, if you’re going to bring in acts like The Showdown, what do you expect?
After The Showdown, I was ready for something a little less intense and a little more melodic. Thankfully, The Classic Crime was up next. Nothing special stood out in their performance, but I did enjoy their music. After hearing some of my favorites (“Who Needs Air,” “The Coldest Heart,” & “Abracadavers”), I was off to the Main Stage to get crunk with Family Force 5.
For those who have never experienced Family Force 5 live, I will attempt to briefly describe their performance. But know that some aspects of their show are truly indescribable, and I would encourage you to check them out for yourself. Prior to the show, Xanadu (hypeman, dancer, guitar tech, etc.) began setting up the stage dressed as a referee. I didn’t think much of it (after all it is Xanadu) until the band walked on stage dressed in gold football padding complete with eye black and matching gold shoes. During their performance, keyboardist Nadaddy banged away on the Family Force 5000. Front-man, Soul Glow Activatur, describes the Family Force 5000 as "the only fully-functional giant drum machine in the universe. It's a six-and-a-half-foot tall, 760-pound juggernaut of pads, knobs, and switches that inhales electricity and exhales lightning." Halfway through their set, they performed my personal favorite “Supersonic,” which Soul Glow dedicated to Michael Jackson. Family Force 5 maintained a good balance between the crunk songs of Business Upfront, Party In The Back and the dance/party songs of Dance Or Die, during their set. They ended with the crowd favorite “Earthquake,” during which Xanadu assisted Crouton with his handstand on the drum kit. Even though this was my third time seeing Family Force 5, their show never gets old.
The only worship act I missed was Relevant Worship, which happened to be a group that I really wanted to see. The band is based out of Buffalo, New York and is relatively unknown to most. I was fortunate enough to interview the members of Relevant Worship and they are some of the most humble people I have ever met.
Kutless pre-headlined that evening. The five guys of Portland, OR ripped open with the heavy-hitting title-track off their latest effort, To Know That You’re Alive. Kutless performed other fist-pumping songs such as “The Feeling” and “Hearts of the Innocent.” But with Kutless it’s not just a rock show, they led worship too, with songs like “Word of God Speak” and “Strong Tower.” During which lead singer, Jon Micah Sumrall, announced that they would soon be releasing another worship record titled "It Is Well."
Casting Crowns had the honor of closing out Creation NE 2009. I’ve seen Casting Crowns live once, and honestly, once was enough for me. Besides that, I wanted to avoid the mass exodus. I’ve always left Creation before the last act, so I didn’t know exactly how many would leave that night and how many would leave Sunday. But I certainly didn’t want to find out.
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