If you wish to see your local Christian musicians from the NW, the best place to do that is at X-Fest. XFEST is a Christian rock festival which takes place annually on labor day weekend in Stevenson Washington, just :45 minutes from Portland Oregon. XFEST is essentially, like Creation Fest, a 3 day music fest of camping, community, bands and artists. Xfest proposes that art, music and written verse convey the artists, the musicians, the writers sense and view of the world as they know it to be.
For a full list of musictians and schedule, visit XFEST band page. Here is a short list of local artists:
That's right, Portland based band Falling Up is back with a 5th album following a quiet split-up after their hit-and-miss album "Fangs!". Thankfully, it was not the end. Falling Up came back together on their new independent album "Your Sparkling Death Cometh".
Frontman Jessy Ribordy takes the wandering synth soundscapes of "Fangs!" and combines them with more traditional rock elements from earlier albums. Together, we have an epic progressive rock album that is wonderfully mastered. The lyrics are beautiful and Jessy's voice is so pure in this album. The song "Diamonds" is a great example of this.
For a full review of the album, check out Jesusfreakhideout.com. They rate this album 4.5-5 stars out of 5 stars!
Release date: Your Sparkling Death Cometh, June 28th, 2011.
The New Divide is a Rock and Worship band from hometown Vancouver, Washington. Formed in 2006, the band consists of band mates: Andy Ziesemer,Doug Ziesemer, and Cyrus Kohl. Currently in Florida touring, the band has a new record coming sometime this spring of 2011.
The band currently does not have music up on their Facebook, but be sure to stay tuned as their new CD is coming out soon. This summer will be full of worship and rock shows as well as summer camps along the West Coast. Keep both eyes out to see if they come near you here: Facebook/TourDates.
You can also check out The New Divide at their WEBSITE at www.thenewdivide.com. Make sure you check out the video below of their travels to Florida recently.
Warning: This band review will melt your face off with metal music!
Indie bands Adonijah, Fallstar and City of God are contending for spots on the Warped Tour. They need your votes today, but you first need to know who they are. I have recently posted about hardcore band Fallstar. Today, I will introduce you to another Hardcore/Metal band, City of God.
The Portland, OR based band is loud, exciting, and in love with Jesus! The members are: James (Vocals), Steve (Guitar/Vocals), Zack (Guitar), Mike (Drums), and Andrew (Bass). Their influences include Advent, Underoath, and Sleeping Giant. Here is what the bands Myspace profile says:
The Bible describes the city as a place that is secure and the personification of Gods strength, inspiring terror in her enemies and keeping safe those who seek refuge within her walls. We long to dwell in such a place. We look to the coming of the city of God as a day in which the old pains and the old struggles will melt away. We are ordinary men who love Jesus, and we all have stories to tell about His goodness. Our desire is to tell the world about this Savior, and will continue to do so until the end of our days.
Like their profile says, they are ordinary men... with huge gages, tattoos, growling vocals, and extremely talented musicians who aren't affraid to express their faith. That's my kind of people! Their music? If you enjoy head-banging to drums with double bass pounding, fast-fingered bass guitar work, and pure sounding vocal growls... they will not dissapoint.
But why explain their music when you can see them first hand with their music video "Song I" from their EP. Also, check out this interview from HurdCore.com.
Hailing from the city where Christian band Falling Up made it's debut, and worship leader at my church, Valley Christian Center, in Albany, Oregon is contemporary/worship singer Brian Coons.
I first recognized Brian's talent in my years as a radio dj for Oregon State University's campus radio station KBVR 88.7FM. It was during this time that Brian became more than just a worship singer at my church. During VCC's Timberline Park outdoor worship/concert event was Brian Coons rocking out on his violin in amazing fashion with band Jordan's Promise. My jaw dropped.
So, in amateur fashion, because I didn't know what the heck I was doing as a freshman radio dj who just loved Christian music, I asked Jordan's Promise to play live at the radio station on campus in Corvallis, OR. Talk about a blast! The guys played song after song, we joked over the air, shared some laughs, and they finished with my favorite song where Brian rocks out on his violin in an Eagle's remix/worship song.
That was my first interview and experience with talented musicians and I am able to listen to Brian's new solo music and worship songs at our church nearly every Sunday morning. What a blessing.
Check out Brian Coon's music at his Facebook page. Here is his pages bio:
"Brian Coons grew up singing A Cappella gospel in local churches. From those roots and with passion for violin that started in the 4th grade and after learning to play the guitar in college, He began writing his own faith-influenced tunes.
Brian started the band Jordan’s Promise with four friends in 2001 and began performing his original tunes at county fairs and festivals, local churches, charity events and local coffee houses. After writing and performing with the band for six years, the group went their separate ways and locally released a “farewell” CD containing 11 of Brian’s original tunes plus two new arrangements of previously recorded tunes by other artists.
In 2008 Brian began working on new material to add to his set list of songs for contemporary worship and locally released the CD “Mercy Surrounding” this year containing 10 new originals. Brian continues to lead worship at Valley Christian Center in Albany, Oregon with a passion for relationship with the Lord and His people. Brian’s focus is to communicate God’s goodness and answers for all things through the music he writes."
To put it simply, Living Witness is a rapper. Hailing from Vancouver, WA, he is here to testify to what he has seen, and to challenge people; to rebuild and to ignite. His name? Shaun Elligott, rapper with Blast Master Miraculous on the beats and bassist for metal band Adonijah.
But who is Living Witness? Revival and restoration are his banner, "May the lamb who was slain inherit the reward of his sufferings" is his battle cry. His weapon of choice? A microphone. Accompanied by an arsenal of multi-syllabic, metaphor dense; punch-line packed song lyrics as well as a determination to escape the crippling confines of a 16 bar AA/BB frame of mind, Living Witness aims to revitalize and restore Hip-Hop by showcasing true respect for the art & science behind the Hip-Hop Emcee. "He who has an ear; let him hear.”
The song above, “Over 9,000!” is a lot of fun as well as passionate. You can watch his second music video here: An Elegy Called Nostalgia.
Being a “Christian band” is defined differently by different people. Traditionally, audience and music labels enjoy clumping musicians in a well defined group. They tend to define a Christian band by how spiritual their lyrics are. Bands, however, tend to label themselves as “Christians who play music” as to not be clumped solely on the Christian fan base. It makes sense because a band is able to spread their message to everyone.This Patch of Sky is no exception and they don’t need to worry about lyrics defining who they are. Why? Because This Patch of Sky shares their faith and passion solely through their instruments.
This Patch of Sky is an instrumental, post-rock quartet from Eugene, OR. The band formed out of a love to mold melodies and explore new musical depths without the need of adding a vocalist. The members include Kit Day, Andrew Sandahl, Joel Erickson, and Nate Trowbridge.
This Patch of Sky have been described by their audience as “Proof that a band doesn’t need vocals” and “Thoughtful, powerful, and purely motivational. I put on The Immortal, The Invisible when I am driving in my car to simply relax and enjoy my surroundings”. Although still a newer band, their fan base continues to grow on a daily basis.
This Patch of Sky released their first EP, The Immortal, The Invisible, in February of 2011 and have quickly gained popularity in the underground scene of the NW. Their sound has been compared to bands like This Will Destroy You and Explosions in the Sky, although they have a very distinct style that separates them from these bands.
Here is what the band has to say about themselves:
“As musicians, we strive to take our talents to the next level. We hope to never find ourselves comfortable with our musical talents and creativity but rather to explore everything music has to offer and touch territories we never dreamed. As a group, we exist to inspire and breed hope and love to all. We also hope to partner with other organizations to share a common vision: to help passionate people follow their dreams in the best way that they can and to reach out to the joyous and the dejected.
We believe that music has the power to change a person’s attitude, or in some cases, a person’s life. We know God has given us musical talents. In return, we have chosen to simply give these talents back to God in a way that glorifies Him. This is how we worship. We also believe that music has the power to bring healing, joy, and love to a person’s life.
Paul Wright’s music has always been fun. He first came on the scene back in 2003 when he signed his record contract with Gotee Records, releasing his debut Fly Away. After a sophomore release and a few EP’s, a third release and independent releases we see him back in pop/rock/reggae band Rootdown.
Rootdown came together in 2007 and has had a fun ride with their music influenced by bands like Spearhead, Switchfoot, tobyMAC, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Maroon 5. One way to describe their music is to “Think Beastie Boys meets Beach Boys.”
Released in July 2009, ROOTDOWN’s new album, “Summer of Love” features tracks such as “Taking Over Me”, “Sweet Love” and the ode to their favorite Oregon Mexican restaurant, “Burrito Boy”. Since its release, according to their website, it has reached as high as #6 on the Itunes Top 10 Reggae Albums and has been featured on several national radio stations along with many regional stations.
Now we can look forward for a new album as they released their new single “Good Day”. You can download their new single on iTunes.
You can check them out live at their upcoming shows:
Many of the Psalms by King David were meant to be paired with music. Imagine if someone were to combine folk-infused acoustic rock and a soulfully pure voice to those words. That music would sound like Medford, OR based folk/rock artist Jeremy Oliveria. In the Summer of 2010, Jeremy was signed by National Christian Recording Artist Michael Robert, onto MR Music Group. Teaming up with esteemed Producer Ron Davis (engineer of "Shout to the Lord"), he recorded a powerful manifestation of spiritual truths through the expression of simple folk-infused acoustic psalms entitled "Prodigal Psalms".
And Jeremy Oliveria is a prodigal son. Here is a glimpse into his story:
"Even though I grew up in a Christian home, I struggled to embrace Christianity, after high school I spent many years searching for God in all the wrong places."
"After I had a few near death experiences, the foundational beliefs of my youth came roaring back, and by God's mercy he delivered me from the depths of evil, and set my feet upon the rock."
Jeremy has a great message for all believers, "Each one of us is a prodigal in our own way," Jeremy states, "each one of us has times we walk away from God, from what we know he is calling us to do. The Christian life is about learning to surrender all and rest in His perfect plan for our lives."
Kye Kye, out of Camas, Washington, was just in Portland on April 9th to do a concert at Faith Community Church. So sorry I missed it. If anyone went to the concert, please share your thoughts here.
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