July 2011
2 posts
Beyond Our Ken →
It’s rare that people pay a first visit to our old farmhouse without asking if we have ghosts.
I can hardly blame them; I wondered the same thing the first time I came here. It’s certainly haunted…
The new summery atmosphere of Fredrik's latest is... →
Words like “gorgeous” or “hypnotic” are the commonly heard words when describing Fredrik. At least that’s what outlets like NPR and Pitchfork us to describe the Swedish ambient trio who recently…
June 2011
8 posts
More Like Falling In Love Part 4: Who Does What? →
(On the eve of the release of the first new song from my upcoming record, I thought I’d get this last blog reposted from a series I wrote about last year’s single, “More Like Falling In Love”. Here…
Artistic Taste – Priscilla Ahn →
Priscilla Ahn‘s career trajectory is ever rising, so it’s a joy to have her as our latest feature on Artistic Taste. The classy songstress has toured with Ray LaMontagne, Josh Radin and several…
The global soundscapes of Dengue Fever come... →
If you’re interested in watching a band come together before your eyes (or ears, as the case may be), then take a listen through the last few Dengue Fever releases. Their latest, Cannibal Courtship,…
A Sign of the Times: The Revelation App →
The Rabbit Room has always been about stories. More than that, it’s about what’s behind the stories. That great and loving Mystery moves behind the veil and speaks every once in a while through…
Kingdom Poets: Sir John Betjeman →
[For a while now I’ve been following a blog called Kingdom Poets, written by a Canadian poet named D.S. Martin, whose writings have appeared in a number of publications including Ruminate, Books…
The beautifully honest work of Mary Gauthier is... →
Mary Gauthier is ready to move on from her own story. Of course, she’s not even sure the muses will allow her, but she’s bound to try anyway and hope for a lighter collection than her last…
Daniel Lanois and company pay homage to their... →
Daniel Lanois the performer takes second place to Daniel Lanois the producer. That’s generally how it goes in terms of mainstream attention and understanding of who Lanois is and what he’s famous…
Artistic Taste: The Qualia’s Lars Casteen →
The influences behind the infectious synth pop of The Qualia will surprise you at some turns, since images of New Order dance in your head — or at least through your feet — when spinning their…
March 2011
10 posts
Black Joe Lewis will have you know he's not a... →
The sheer abundance of music necessitates the application of labels and categories to differentiate one genre or band from another. It’s not that Joe Lewis doesn’t realize this. It just makes the…
Matisyahu moves from music into movies to spread... →
Matisyahu is making a horror film. And if you’re like me, that’s about the last place you’d expect to find the Hasidic Jewish reggae artist. Then again, Matis is quite known for his fusion of sounds…
The Pauses brand of rock is angular and quirky,... →
It wasn’t the first Kickstarter campaign but the second. It wasn’t their first try at a band but this latest. For the members of The Pauses, achieving their musical goals has been a stop and start…
Brenton Brown →
Chances are you’re already familiar with the songs of South African born worship leader Brenton Brown. Tunes like “Your Love Is Amazing” and “Everlasting God” are popular for a reason, with Brown’s…
Dan Layus says the alt-rock band is tired of... →
Dan Layus is tired of playing it safe. Those outside of Augustana, the alt-rock band fronted by Layus that also includes Jared Palomar, Chris, Sachtleben and Justin South, might not recognize such…
Jamie Grace →
Some elements of Jamie Grace’s initial foray into the music scene are somewhat predictable. For the most part, however, the latest Gotee Records signing is unconventional and surprising in the most…
Walt Martin reveals The Walkmen's musical... →
I’m going to assume the liaison for my interview with Walt Martin from The Walkmen was a real human being. Of course, anyone who requested something from The Walkmen on their last album, You & Me,…
Francesca Battistelli →
From the “Hey Soul Sister” like opening that begins Francesca Battistelli’s latest album, it’s clear the talented songstress is aiming for the masses once again. Good thing for her that her songs…
Altars Among The Mundane →
It’s often the story between the lines that’s most striking — and most surprising. As I’ve prepared for a five-month long teaching journey through the life of Abraham in our church, I…
Baje One & J. Howells Werthman →
After a 20 year friendship, Jesse and Mike — a.k.a. J. Howells Werthman and Baje One (from Junk Science) — finally made their first record together with 2010′s late release, What’s It Gonna Be?…
February 2011
5 posts
Ben Taylor →
When your parents are famous musicians and you end up following in their footsteps, usually one of two paths are charted. Either the offspring follows closely in the familial shadow or stays as far…
Luke Parker →
As one of the songwriters for the New Zealand worship outfit Parachute Band, Luke Parker’s lyrics are always vertically oriented. With two songs on Love Without Measure, the new disc from Parachute…
Anais Mitchell →
For those who listened, Hadestown scored nearly perfect across the board. Critics and fans who took in Anais Mitchell’s compelling folk opera chronicling the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice placed it…
Echoing Angels →
I’ll say this much: Echoing Angels is a moving album. From the sheer amount of fun and gospel power of the opening tune “Say What You Believe” to the tender refrain of “I Will Give You Peace,” the…
Luminate →
One of the strongest rock debuts in Christian music came when Luminate released their self-titled EP, a too-short sample of arena-ready tracks from the Tyler, Texas band. Now, Sparrow Records…
December 2010
4 posts
Pepper Rabbit – Beauregard →
Rachael Lampa →
It’s been several years since the young pop songstress Rachael Lampa commanded your attention in the Christian market — and that’s because she left on her own terms. After taking a few years to move…
Darlingside – EP1 →
Very few releases from new bands enthrall me. Usually it is painfully obvious that the band is still learning their trade, the singer is a singer only by necessity rather than because of innate…
Katie Todd →
Katie Todd is working on a new album. If the opportunities presented are anything like those that stemmed from her last album, Mumbled Speech, she’s in for quite a ride.
The beauty of the Chicago…
November 2010
4 posts
Pigeon John →
Dragon Slayer presents itself as rather dramatic a title for Pigeon John’s latest LP. Yet you consider his own surprise at being able to last this long without a recent release — aside from the Root…
Coffey Anderson →
Coffey Anderson’s self-titled debut is a difficult one to classify. One minute, it’s a singer/songwriter affair with coffeehouse acoustic treatment. The next, it’s a worshipful chorus intended for…
Josh White →
Josh White wished he’d started on his own. Still it’s never too late for the Telecast founder and vocalist and songwriter to make the switch now that he’s abandoned the British rock template he…
JJ Heller →
You might not know her name but I dare say that if we played a bit of her recent breakout hit, “Your Hands,” you’d know who we’re talking about. After a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance?…
October 2010
6 posts
Kristian Stanfill →
Few labels are in the enviable position that sixstepsrecords found itself in rather quickly. After all, the artists on the label were all already involved with each other and with the label founder,…
Third Day →
Two years ago, Third Day headed down modern rock’s mainstream highway and enlisted the help of super producer Howard Benson (Kelly Clarkson) and guests like Lacey Mosley from Flyleaf and Chris…
Aaron Crider →
It’s the substantive part of a story that God usually uses to speak to one another. The trials a person has walked through become the very platform they minister from. The tragic experiences become…
Aaron Keyes →
The worst possible move I could make to start reviewing Aaron Keyes’ debut disc, Not Guilty Anymore, is to do any research whatsoever. Of course, that’s contrary to reviewing a disc, but it’s…
33Miles →
It’s a summer release in a crowded fall season. It’s also spritely and seasoned enough to stand out anyway. 33Miles’ latest release, Today, features crisp, straightforward production from Ian…
Rabbit Room Interview: Jill Phillips →
If you’re a Rabbit Room regular, then Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn should be common names that display on your iPod or iTunes. Both songwriters continue to release albums year…
September 2010
6 posts
Jamie McDonald →
Jamie McDonald is starting over at nearly a decade into his music career. His former band, the Brit-rock trio known as South, toured the world and created four celebrated albums. Now, he’s conjuring…
The Mynabirds →
You might take Laura Burhenn’s latest to be a religious record. You wouldn’t be the first, what with the seemingly churchy cover and title of What We Lose In The Fire, We Gain In The Flood. But The…
Setting Sun →
Running your own record label while charting your own musical course is now made possible by the advances in technology and connectivity of the world today. That still doesn’t make things any easier….
Menomena – Mines →
With their fourth and latest album, Mines, Menomena are withholding their kookier tendencies. Well, “withholding” might be a bit misleading. More accurately, Menomena are prolonging the amount of…
Various Artists →
Last year’s Bethlehem Skyline album and tour was apparently received fairly well. The reason? Volume Two is slated for release in late September, giving fans of the Centricity label something to…
Quitzow →
The Quitzow you know presently might not be the Quitzow of the future. That might come off a bit more dramatically than intended, but the point is that Erica Quitzow and her musical identity are…
August 2010
12 posts
Richard Thompson – Dream Attic →
Richard Thompson albums come in two basic varieties. On the one hand, you’ve got your albums that show, in one way or another, a kind of conceptual backbone — be it a narrative one (like his…
Elf Power →
Andrew Rieger had no idea it would turn into this. Neither, for that matter, did Jeff Mangum, Robert Schneider, Bill Doss or Will Cullen Hart — the original friends behind the famed Elephant 6…
Holy Fiction →
The slow, labored pop songs of Holy Fiction unfold in a much different way than your standard pop fare. Yet the tracks on Hours From It are undeniable in their original pop constructs. The organic…
Right The Stars →
It’s emotional pop music. That’s the easiest way to describe Rich Jacques’ outlet known as Right The Stars. He’s spun several musical plates in his past, whether touring with Chantal Kreviazuk,…
On Homework →
The power of story. The beauty of community. Those, I would say, encapsulate the dominant themes and conversations from the initial Hutchmoot gathering. Both are sexy. Both require work.
The…