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March '03 Update

© Paul Landkamer

After this Update, I think I'll only give you reports on stuff I really like. Other samplings will still be listed in the artists listing.

Library Samples

• Randy Stonehill: I picked out Randy Stonehill because I'd read good stuff about him. He got his start through Larry Norman, and even performed with him a bit. I checked out Return to Paradise and The Lazarus Heart. At hardest, some tracks might be called pop, but it's soft MOR for the most part. I'm glad I heard him before finding his music at a buyable price. A redeeming factor is that the lyrics are good and strong. I really only liked one song from each CD: "Starlings" from Paradise and "Under the Rug" from Lazarus.

• Margaret Becker: I'd heard good reports about her in the Encyclopedia, so I thought I'd check her out. I'm glad I checked her out, and didn't buy her. She's got a great voice, but the style is too soft. She fits perfectly into the SCCM/AC genre.

• Dana Key: He's about what I expected: very '80s flavored pop. As always, however, the lyrics show strong Christianity.

• Undecided: All I want to say about Undecided is that they're punk. I didn't even like 'em enough to give the lyrics a chance.

• The Dingees: Can I call a band "Skunk" for Ska and Punk? They've got potential.

• Five Iron Frenzy: Ska with understandable lyrics. Lots of tongue-in-cheek humor. Attacks some church weaknesses like bigotry, isolationism and erosion of traditional values. They're fun, and most of their songs wouldn't be threateningly preachy to a near-convert.

• Luti-Kriss: Great instrumentals. It's death metal, and Christian, but the growled/yelled vocals are hokey enough I won't recommend them to anyone but a death metal fan. (A-HA! I just figured out the death metal vocals. They're trying to sound demonic, but it's only a Hollywood style for demonic vocals. A real demon would be far more subtle --angelic, even.)

• Mortal: Here's a heavy band with potential. Synth-death metal? It's got a strong enough beat to dance, or stomp to, but it's not pop. The vocals are death metal, but more like a scratchy whispered yell, like trying to duplicate the roar of a crowd with one voice. The vocals are nearly understandable while only listening, and obvious with the printed lyrics. I'll call 'em a 4.

• Fine China: Techno/light-alternative. This is a spacy-sounding group. Lots of synthesizer and keyboard stuff, with a male vocalist who has a deceptively high voice. I guess I'd give 'em a 4.

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