REVIEW : TobyMac – Portable Sounds

TobyMac – Portable Sounds  Artist:  TobyMac| Format: Audio CD 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews  Label: Portable sounds CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM. I was standing in a auditorium a couple months ago when TobyMac burst onto the stage during a stop on his Winter Slam Tour.  The crowd erupted, as every age in the room started going crazy with spirit-lead energy.  It turned out to be an excellent concert and made his latest release Portable Sounds (2-20-2007) all the more exciting for those fans. Portable Sounds is Toby’s third major solo release behindMomentum (2001) and Welcome to Diverse City (2004).  All three were released by Forefront Records. Toby told CMSpin’s Nappy in a recent interview his thoughts on Portable Sounds.  “I think Portable Sounds is in the same state as the first two records but maybe not the same city.  It’s more organic.  It has more real instruments.  I have a lot horns on the record a lot of strings on the record.  When I looked to make beats I relied on a live drummer. “ Portable Sounds is the real deal and although there isn’t anything similar to Extreme Day’s(Momentum, 2001), Toby isn’t looking to recreate that.  See the TobyMac Interview.  That being said, Made To Love is no-less as infectious as is Boomin.  Portable Sounds is a fun mix just like Toby’s previous albums.  Keepin’ the grove in the family, Toby’s son truDog even makes another appearance.   Tracks: 1. One World (Featuring Joanna Valencia) 2. Made To Love  (10/10) 3. Boomin 4. Im For You 5. Face Of The Earth 6. No Ordinary Love (Featuring Nirva) 7. Ignition 8. Hype Man (truDog 97) 9. Suddenly 10. All in/Mr. Talkbox Interlude 11. Feelin So Fly 12. No Signal 13. Lose My Soul (Featuring Kirk Franklin and Mandisa/Time Warp) (10/10) 14. Whatever Final Recommendation : TobyMac continues to drive Christian hip-hop into the mainstream with what I would expect a minimum of four radio hits from Portable Sounds.  This album is fun from start to finish and will appeal to most anyone.  It is a welcome return for Toby and will no doubt be humming thru the airwaves for a long time.  Don’t miss this gem and as I said earlier, Toby’s concerts are simply awesome!  Check out his concert schedule at his web site below. TobyMac Information:TobyMac Interview at CMSpin Web Site: http://www.tobymac.com

     

REVIEW : SKILLET - "AWAKE" - 2009

SKILLET - "AWAKE"  Artist:  Skillet | Format: Audio CD 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews  Label: Atlantic, Ardent, INO Records  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM. Comments: My memoires not as good as it once was, but I'm pretty sure that the first time I heard about the band Skillet was while watching one of the original Christian videos shows, Lightmusic. The show was hosted by Tom Green, no not the zany comedian/actor, but a dedicated servant for the Lord. Unfortunately shortly after leaving the show and moving to New  Zealand at age 55 Green died after having heart surgery in 2003. Getting back to my review for Awake, the 7th studio project from Skillet. I don't think that any currently active Christian band has a bigger or more loyal following then Skillet fans that are affectionately known as, 'Panheads.' The band has also been able do what few others have making the crossover into the mainstream secular market while not watering down their Christian message. They've also managed to have success getting their songs into the, television, film, and video game markets. Over their many years of performing Skillet has managed to change their style of music without alienating their following. While the band's music has always had a solid foundation of rock on top of it over the years they've layered it with, lighter electronic elements, while at other times pushing it in a harder direction to a dark industrial rock style. What you'll find on Awake is a mixture of both edgy rock songs along with several melodic ballads. The songs found on Awake can be broken up into three distinctive categories. Songs like, "Hero", "Monster", "Awake" and Alive", "Believe", "Never Surrender" and "Sometimes" are heavy hitters that will get your rawk fists pumping. Then you have songs like, "It's Not Me It's You", "Should've When You Could've", and "Forgiven" that take the musical middle ground. Lastly, "Don't Wake Me", "One Day Too Late", and "Lucy" go for the ballad/power ballad route. "Hero" and "Monster" get the release off to a rocking star with their hard edged thick guitar and heavy drum beats. "Hero" deals with all the crazy things that are going on in the world and that Christ is the one who gives us a reason to live and is the true 'Hero,' who fights against the injustices and oppression that are happening in the world today. "Monster," has a similar sound to that found on "Hero," with lyrics that deals with the monster of sin, that how we as Christians have to everyday deal with the nature of sin pulling against our Christian faith. I also enjoyed the almost symphonic rock sound found on "Forgiven", largely thanks to its keyboard parts. The song deals with forgiveness and being able to work through the feelings that you have when you've either let yourself or someone else down. The last song that I would like to talk about is, "Lucy." This song was written purposely with an open ended meaning so that the listener could interpret it to mean what they wanted it to. The song is about loss, mistakes, and second chances. Many people after listening to it though have come away with the thought that the story of the song revolves around an abortion and regret. Skillet's music has a, 'Midas-like gold touch', and Awake is no exception, the music found on it is very good and the song lyrics will really reach out and touch a lot of people. Style: Rock Songs: 1.  Hero 2. Monster 3. Don't Wake Me 4. Awake and Alive 5. One Day Too Late 6. It's Not Me It's You 7. Should've When You Could've 8. Believe 9. Forgiven 10. Sometimes 11. Never Surrender 12. Lucy Favorite Songs: Hero, Monster, Forgiven, Lucy Website: http://www.skillet.com/ Overall:  9 out of 10

   

Review : BarlowGirl – "Our Journey…So Far"

Our Journey... So Far

BarlowGirl (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews 

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Released September 14 2010 

Reviewed By Tyler Hess                                   

  Listen to samples 

Sometimes these things sneak up on us.  Has BarlowGirl, the contemporary pop rock consisting of Alyssa, Becca and Lauren 

Barlow, really been putting out albums since 2004 and have they really come out with five albums (if we include a Christmas album, which we do, because Christmas is awesome) and garnered enough attention to have a “best of” album?  Apparently so.

Our Journey…So Far proceeds as a gradual progression through the band’s career, with a few songs off of each album, so that we can see how they have changed over the years without missing out on the tunes that hit the radio over the past half dozen years.

The first four tracks feature songs from the self titled album, including the odd intro piano (keyboard) ballad “Never Alone”, the country-esque storyline of the pop song “She Walked Away”, the Snow White inspired opening line to “Mirror” that features vocals that sound like Dawn Michelle of Fireflight with a slight twang and minus the arena rock tones and finishes up with a stringed ballad in “Surrender”.

Things get a bit spunkier with a trio of songs from Another Journal Entry.  Beginning with the song title that no Christian band or artist has ever, ever, ever, ever come up with in “Let Go”, followed by our need to keep our hearts close to God in “I Need You To Love” and the apparently British “Grey” inspiring an end to compromise in our lives.

Moving onto BarlowGirl’s Junior album, we are introduced to a bit of maturity coming into the band’s lives with possibly their most beautiful ballad (among a surprisingly plethora number of ballads) on How Can We Be Silent’s “Here’s My Life”, the enchanting “One More Round” detailing life being more like a boxing match and finishing up with the messy group vocal sessions of “Million Voices”.

In the middle of all of this is a Christmas song that probably fits better on a B-sides album than a greatest hits, but for what it’s worth it starts out with some sweet xylophone action and a very Christmas Eve church service feel to “Hallelujah (Light Has Come)” about Jesus’ birth.

At this point, I feel like I’ve already been listening to a longer career than I expected, but they still had another come out more recently in Love & War.  The final section starts off with the hopeful “Stay With Me” and the playfully whimsical “Our Worlds Collide”, trailed by the worshipful “Beautiful Ending” and the synthesized pop song “Come Alive” that sounds like something Britt Nicole would cook up.

Before waving the checkered flag, the best of BarlowGirl gives us an eerie remix of “I Need You To Love”, I supposed just because they can.  No big deal.

For long time fans there is really nothing to see here, this is simply a great way to introduce neophytes to the sisterly rock band and it does well by including a long tracklist that covers the entire span of their career so far with equal representation.  Musically, you’re not going to see anything very far “out there” with a band like BarlowGirl, but if you’re looking for some nice pop rock (mostly targeted at younger females) then this is a pretty nice collection of songs that doesn’t feel too disjointed.

Grade: B

1. Never Alone                                                
2. She Walked Away
3. Mirror
4. Surrender
5. Let Go
6. I Need You To Love
7. Grey
8. Here’s My Life
9. One More Round
10. Million Voices
11. Hallelujah (Light Has Come)
12. Stay With Me
13. Our Worlds Collide
14. Beautiful Ending
15. Come Alive
16. I Need You To Love (FredTown Manila Remix)

Review source taken from : http://christianmusiczine.com

  

WOW Hits 2011 - Review .

WOW HITS - 2011

mixed (Artist) | Format: video DVD

5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews 

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM.

Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, Tenth Avenue North, Brandon Heath, Barlow Girl, Jars of Clay - they're all on WOW Hits 2011, out October 5.

With 11 No 1s, six top 5s, and nine top 10 Christian radio songs, WOW Hits 2011 marks the 16th two-disc release and the first Deluxe Edition release of the platinum-selling series that compiles the best songs from Christian radio at an incredible value for the consumer.

The entire WOW branded series (Worship, Gospel, Hits, and specialty releases) now tops 26 million units in sales.

Featuring 30 songs on two CDs, the WOW Hits 2011 compilation provides Christian music fans hit songs from today’s top Christian artists including Casting Crowns’ “Until The Whole World Hears,” TobyMac’s “Get Back Up,” Francesca Battistelli’s “Beautiful Beautiful,” Third Day’s® “Born Again,” Natalie Grant’s “The Greatness Of Our God,” Passion’s (Featuring Chris Tomlin) “Our God,” Tenth Avenue North’s “Healing Begins,” NEEDTOBREATHE’S “Lay ‘Em Down,” Brandon Heath’s “Love Never Fails,” Sidewalk Prophets’ “The Words I Would Say,” and Matthew West& rsquo;s brand new single “My Own Little World” from his October 5th release, The Story Of Your Life.

The WOW Hits 2011 Deluxe Edition includes 6 never-heard-before remixes from BarlowGirl, Group1Crew, Jars Of Clay, Hawk Nelson, Sanctus Real and Third Day®. The new remixes feature songs old and new. Including Third Day’s® “Tunnel,” Sanctus Real’s “I’m Not Alright,” and Group1Crew’s “Walking On The Stars.”

Also releasing October 5 is the WOW Hits 2011: The Videos DVD, featuring 22 selections from the year’s top Christian artists and music video hits including TobyMac’s “Tonight,” Casting Crowns’ “Until The Whole World Hears,” Natalie Grant’s “In Better Hands,” Newsboys’ “Born Again,” Fireflight’s “For Those Who Wait,” and Francesca Battistelli’s “Beautiful Beautiful.” Both the CDs and DVD are major traffic drivers for retail during the crucial Christmas shopping season.

Marketing efforts include prime retail positioning throughout the holiday season at all Christian, mainstream and digital retail outlets, radio spots & contests, a continued partnership with Hearitfirst.com providing content for all WOW artists, and a newly-created on-line commercial campaign.

The EMI Christian Music Group distributed release is part of the multi-platinum WOW brand series. Created through the partnership between the three largest Christian music/entertainment companies in the industry, including EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Music Group, and Word Entertainment, the marketing and distribution of WOW projects are shared among the companies, with EMI Christian Music Group leading efforts for WOW Hits 2011.

WOW Hits 2011 Track Listing

DISC ONE
1. Until The Whole World Hears Casting Crowns
2. Our God (Radio Version) Passion (Featuring Chris Tomlin)
3. What Faith Can Do Kutless
4. The Greatness Of Our God Natalie Grant
5. Healing Hand Of God Jeremy Camp
6. Hold Us Together Matt Maher
7. Love Never Fails Brandon Heath
8. My Own Little World Matthew West
9. The Words I Would Say Sidewalk Prophets
10. Heaven Is The Face Steven Curtis Chapman
11. Better Than A Hallelujah Amy Grant
12. Before The Morning Josh Wilson
13. Love Has Come Mark Schultz
14. You Found Me Big Daddy Weave

BONUS
1. My Help Comes From The Lord The Museum

REMIXES (Deluxe Edition Only)

1. Tunnel (Savage Headlight Mix) Third Day®
2. Like A Child (Savage Rejuvenation Mix) Jars Of Clay
3. I Need You To Love Me (FredTown Manila Remix) BarlowGirl

DISC TWO

1. Get Back Up TobyMac
2. Beautiful Beautiful Francesca Battistelli
3. Born Again Third Day®
4. Lay ‘Em Down NEEDTOBREATHE
5. Healing Begins Tenth Avenue North
6. Born Again Newsboys
7. Hero Skillet
8. Walk On The Water Britt Nicole
9. Let The Waters Rise MIKESCHAIR
10. Forgiven Sanctus Real
11. Your Love Is A Song Switchfoot
12. Follow You Leeland (with special guest Brandon Heath)
13. More Beautiful You Jonny Diaz

BONUS

1. Starry Night Chris August
2. No Matter What Kerrie Roberts

REMIXES (Deluxe Edition Only)

1. I’m Not Alright (Broken-World Remix) Sanctus Real
2. Walking On The Stars (Garcia Glam Mix) Group1Crew
3. Live Life Loud (The Uprok Remix) Hawk Nelson
  

KUTLESS : " THIS IS CHRISTMAS "

Name:                 KUTLESS
Album:               O COM ALL YE FAITHFUL.

Description:   A new Album by "KUTLESS" this CHRISTMAS SEASON.

                              Well composed with great music music, will take u to 

                              spiritual realm, giving u good insight and 

                             understanding about WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT.

Website:             http://www.kutless.com