And a Few More-This Beautiful Republic, Monday Morning, Cool Hand Luke

This Beautiful Republic Andy Smith, Adam Smith, Ben Olin, Jeremy Kunkle, Brandon Paxton, Cameron Toews

Though This Beautiful Republic is no longer a band, they still made some pretty good music while they were together.  Most of the band went to high school together, so they're friends as well as band-mates--something that I think shows through in a band's music.  Really, the best person to describe how the band sounds would be someone from the band and Ben Olin's words were "Take Silverchair and put in some Jimmy Eat World and you get sweaty, honest rock that has great melody, driving guitars, and other cool guitar stuff."  The band has had some pretty large successes with several of their tracks and has played some large events, including Creation.  Their songs have a fairly mainstream sound instrumentally; just good, smooth rock.  The vocals behind This Beautiful Republic are very melodic, on the softer side, and are definitely oriented around singing sincerely about God and about faith.


My God

Right Now

Surrender Saved My Life

Monday Morning Derek Stipe-lead vocals, Justin Blythe-guitar, Kevin Stipe-bass, Kent Rector-drums

There hasn't been much heard from this band recently, but the few tracks that they have out are worth going back for.  They could be best described as a Christian alternative rock band, for that's definitely the kind of sound that they have.  CHR had one of their songs as a Top Ten hit one year, which is quite impressive when you consider that a sizable portion of their music has been independently released.  Their music moves at a medium-to-fast pace and has good guitar-work, but I think it is the vocals and the lyrics that drive their songs.  Depending on the track to which you're listening, they can have catchy, upbeat lyrics with a quick tempo or (like on their track Vanity) slow, moody, and almost whiny (though not in a negative way) vocals.

Wonder of it All

Sunshine

Cool Hand Luke Mark Nicks-vocals/piano, Casey McBride-bass, Philip Smith-drums, Joey Holman-guitar

Cool Hand Luke is a unique and very interesting band.  The band's last album "Of Man" was actually the effort of just Mark Nicks, with collaboration from 30 friends for various aspects of the album.  When they were a band, they were known for playing their live shows with their backs to the crowds.  I'm not sure why. Their music falls loosely into the categories of indie (which is a stretch for this blog, I know) or alternative rock.  The band's vocal style is very much in line with the indie genre, while instrumentally, they can vary.  Mark Nicks plays the piano on many tracks, giving the band a different kind of sound, but the guitar-work can steer the tracks towards more of an alternative sound.  A good number of their songs are rather melancholy, or at least slow, if you're looking for some mood-type music.

Heroes Will Be Heroes

Wonder Tour

Rest for the Weary

Female Fronters-Ilia and Fireflight

This is a post that focuses on Christian rock bands with female vocalists and frontwomen(?).  Frankly, the rock and roll world is dominated by men and the Christian rock scene isn't any different in this respect.  To be honest, I myself prefer male vocals over female vocalists, simply because I like the sound better.  However, that is not to say that there aren't any good female-fronted bands out there.  There are, and here are a couple that I've run across and liked.

Fireflight Dawn Michele-lead vocals, Justin Cox-guitar/keyboard, Wendy Drennan-bass guitar, Glenn Drennan-guitar, Adam McMillion-drums

Fireflight was one of the first Christian rock bands that I heard with a female vocalist and my attention was immediately grabbed.  Looking back, they are not so different from other bands like Flyleaf, but they definitely have some unique things going for them, including a heavier sound, which I appreciate (the C.S. Lewis references earn a spot in my good books as well).  Fireflight has thick, chugging guitars, countered by very melodic vocals on Dawn Michele's part.  There are some deeper backup vocals from Justin Cox that sometimes come in, especially for songs that include screaming.  Fireflight has been quite popular on the road and has had several tracks climbing high up on various charts.

You Decide

For Those Who Can't Wait

Ilia Melissa Newman-guitar, Jessica Frizzell-drums, Britanny Mosher-guitar/vocals

Ilia is not just fronted by a woman, but is a band entirely made up of ladies.  Yet they have a vocally harder sound than Fireflight, Flyleaf, The Letter Black, or just about any other Christian rock band with a female lead.  Ilia's vocal style has varied somewhat over the years of the band's existence, but it started out with a low, edgy sound that was reminiscent of bands from a decade or two ago.  Since then, the band has shifted its sound to be lighter, closer to alternative than the hard rock that it used to be.  Still, Ilia has retained the sound of a talented, skilled band.

Wake the Dead

We Were Shipwrecks

Last Night