October '03 Update

I've got this thing about not wanting to review a band after hearing only one song, because it's not fair to the band, nor to the readers. I have err'd after hearing an artist in concert, AND after having heard an album. That's coming up later. We'll also be finding out about lots of other Christian artists, and even a band about which probably very few of you, if any, have heard. Let's begin with those I've borrowed to hear.

Borrowed

• Miss Angie should go in the "From the Collection" section, because I ran out and bought one as soon as I heard her. She's got a great mix of light industrial/synthesizer pop. Imagine toned-down Skillet with female vocals (Skillet compares to Marilyn Manson, for those who don't know Skillet). It's laid back but energizing at the same time. "Children of the Sun," Debbie Harry, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, Sarah Masen and Christine Glass all came to mind on listening to Miss Angie. I even heard some powerful Iron-Butterflyesque electric organ in some songs. And her message is obviously Christian! Hint: $.99 at Christian Book Distributer ($.29 on cassette), and the 100 Thousand Eyeballs album is on cassette for a mere $.49! [5]
• Kutless: Hard Alternative on the same line as G.S.Megaphone and Grammatrain. Nice sound but a bit slurred on the vocals. I'd add it to my collection, but not at full price. I've got lots of examples of similar sounds. [4]
• 12 Stones: Like Kutless, but tended to get into the rapcore/hardcore areas. Great heavy stuff, but almost too much yelled/growled vocals for my picky, elderly ears --note, I said "almost." [4]
• Mix This: Extreme Music (compilation CD): "Extreme" is a bit extreme to have in the title. The mix is rock and rap -- some, like Shawn Groves, Mercy Me, and Ben Glover are far from "extreme," but I did hear some good new candidates in apt.core and Paige. Otherwise, most of the selections were old stuff for me. [4]
• Caedmon's Call: I tried another CD of theirs, and decided to give them another chance. Their music still doesn't do anything for me. It's stereotypically soft CCM easy-listening, with a few singable hits scattered between. [2]
• Rebecca St. James: "Hey, wait a minute! You already reviewed her!" Yeah, but I err'd. I heard her in concert, and was quite impressed, and surprised that her live sound was so much harder than what I hear on the radio. I ran out and borrowed a CD from the library, and heard the soft and mushy stuff of the radio. That's what I reviewed earlier. I decided to give her another chance. Why, I don't know, but I checked out her God album, and it really rocked! Despite a faint squeek/pout in her voice from time to time, she's got a strong [4] -- at least on some of her stuff.
  The copyright of the article October '03 Update in Christian Rock is owned by Paul Landkamer. Permission to republish October '03 Update in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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