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Album Of The Day: Deep Magic by John Mark McMillan

Album Artwork of John Mark McMillan's Deep Magic - A picture of four white and purple flowers and some buds on a branch is on a blushin-purple background. Circling around the flower is the album title, 'Deep Magic', in a pinkish color.

John Mark McMillan is another favorite soft rock artist. Though his earlier albums were a bit more guitar-focused, his new albums are more keyboard or electronic/drum focused, but still just as good of a vibe. "Roaring Thunder", "Deliver Me" and "Re-Enchanted World" are the most energetic songs on this album, but other songs such as "Has It Been You" and "Prove My Love" are good groves as well. It's helpful to hear John ruminate on his spirituality and the struggles of life through music and I would love to see him play live again one of these years, but I understand why he rarely makes it to Minnesota, especially with a full band. This is his latest album and it was just released a year ago this week.

Release Year: 2023
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Album Of The Day: John Davis by John Davis

A black and white drawing or photo of looking up at some power lines. On the left, you can see the top of a pole holding up the lines. But across are about 10 power lines, 7 of which are very equally spaced apart. Small birds are sitting approximately equally spaced on the lines, such that they almost look like music notes. The artist's name is printed above the center line on the left side.

John Davis is probably best known as the lead singer of alternative rock band Superdrag. But he's been in a few other bands and released a number of solo albums. This album, his first solo album, is a gospel rock album. Many of the songs are about redemption and a relationship with God, but there's also some more personal, introspective songs and love songs as well. This has some great rock grooves and it's a fun one to listen to again. I've heard John Davis has put out more solo albums and has reunited with his Superdrag bandmates, and I should check those out because I liked this album so much, but I haven't done so yet.

Release Year: 2005
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Album Of The Day: Cold Hard Want by House of Heroes

 four young in jeans, jackets and with sunglasses on. Painted as an overlay or filter is the album title in a black paint in very large letters.

As you've probably noticed if you've been reading my regular "Album of the Day" posts, I have lots of music I like. And I like this music a lot, and I can keep posting these for a few more years and not repeat albums. But one artist I haven't featured yet is House of Heroes, who in my opinion is one of the most underrated rock bands of the last 20 years. They have created some great songs and epic concept albums. This album is full of anthems, from "Out My Way" to "Touch This Light" and the closer "I Am A Symbol". Tim Skipper's vocals range from a floating falsetto to a beautiful baritone and the others bring tight harmonies throughout, even while making a huge sonic landscape to go with the lyrics. I wish I got to seem them play more and it's sad that they are no longer recording albums, as far as I'm aware.

Release Year: 2012
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Album Of The Day: The First Decade: 1983-1993 by Michael W. Smith

Album Art of Michael W. Smith's The First Decade album - A green-hued photo of a smiling white man with brown hair in a collared shirt from the shoulders up. Most of the background behind him is very dark. At the top in a serif font in a lighter color is the artist's name, and the album title at the bottom.

The cassette tape of this album is some of my earliest memories of listening to modern pop music. My parents were too busy raising five kids to listen to much music, so I think I had heard of this Michael W. Smith guy and asked them to buy the tape for me, if I remember correctly. In the previous decade, Michael W. Smith had been busy, putting out 6 studio pop albums, a live album and a Christmas album. This compilation takes the best of the 6 albums, such as "Go West Young Man", "Secret Ambition", "Place In This World" and his ever-popular "Friends", plus two new songs stuck at the start to make sure the fans have a reason to buy it. It's Christian pop at its best and worst: lots of Christian culture clichés like stories about Jesus, talk of abstinence and an end times reference, but also some personal love songs, edgy power pop considered "not Christian enough" by some, and a choral hymn at the end. This was released 31 years ago today, so take a trip back in time if you want the best of '80s Christian pop from a talented musician and songwriter.

Release Year: 1993
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Album Of The Day: When Silence Falls by Tim Hughes

Album Art of Tim Hughes's When Silence Falls album - A very blue and simple photo. On the bottom quarter is blue water, and just above that an landscape of small bushes or trees on a hillside approaching the water. (It's hard to tell scale.) Above this, is a dark blue sky just about the same color as the water. The artist's name and the album title are printed on top of the water with a reflective effect making it look like it's sitting on top of the water.

Tim Hughes has been leading worship in UK churches for many years. This is my favorite album of his and it's a love letter to God. "Beautiful One" is one of his best-known songs, but songs like "Whole World In His Hands", "Name Above All Names", and "Holy, Holy" are also beautiful anthems of praise. The song which the album title comes from, "When The Tears Fall", speaks to the hardships of life, but also goes back to praise to the Father, even in those times. The production by Nathan Nockels is top-notch and ties the songs together into a cohesive album. Thanks, Mr. Hughes, for writing and recording these songs for the worldwide church to praise God with.

Release Year: 2004
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Album Of The Day: Reset by Mutemath

 on a light brown backgroundthe outline of a cityscape on the right in a clay red, the sun in the top left in a yellow with lines of light emanating from it, and clouds in white above the sun an cityscape. At the bottom, in a dark blue, is waves. It has the EP name and tracklist at the bottom. And at the top, the artist name in big, blocky letters.

20 years ago today, this EP was released and it declared the start of one of my favorite bands for the next 13 years. Mutemath started out as a few friends doing remixing, producing, etc. and turned into one of the best live bands I've ever seen. And this Reset EP started it all. The title track is a 5½ minute instrumental jam with amazing drum work and a beautiful mix of guitars, bass and keyboards as well as production tricks. "Progress" and "OK" showed they could write vulnerable ballads that the masses could connect to. And "Control", "Plan B" and "Peculiar People" were such energetic songs, they should have been the next big thing in electronic pop/rock, in my opinion. Sadly, despite a good amount of success, they never became a well-known name in popular music before breaking up in 2017. This EP started it all and it's still some of their best songs, though sadly it's never been available on streaming services to this date.

Release Year: 2004

Album Of The Day: Welcome (Reframed) by The Arcadian Wild

Album Art of The Arcadian Wild's Welcome (Reframed) album - In the middle, a beautiful photo of a large dining room with a large table with a tablecloth, candles, flowers and food in the middle as well as food on plates. About 15 people are sitting on chairs on the side of the table. Around the table lots of people are standing around as well. Above the table is a large chandelier. Beyond the table is a large mantle with a mirror above it and large windows on both sides. The picture is framed by an ornate frame of bronze and wood, and printed on the frame is the band name at the top and the album title 'Welcome' at the bottom with 'Reframed' on a gold plaque affixed to the frame.

Bluegrass is not really the type of music I usually listen to, but some friends highly recommended this band, so I saw The Arcadian Wild play in Minneapolis this spring and I enjoyed the show a lot. All three members play instruments and sing, and the mix of fiddle, mandolin and guitar goes really well with the vocals of Isaac, Lincoln and Bailey. Even though they don't play with a drummer, there's so much energy and rhythm to how they play and they had the crowd hanging on and singing along with every note. Welcome (Reframed) is an expanded version of their 2023 album, Welcome, with 4 new songs and a new song order. New songs like "Welcome" and "Common Courtesy" fit so well with the rest of the album, the original version already feels like the incomplete album. This isn't you traditional bluegrass; it might be more bluegrass with a bit more of a rock edge or something.

Release Year: 2024
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Album Of The Day: 5PRINT Mixtape by Deepspace5

Album Art of Deepspace5's 5PRINT Mixtape album - In the background, a black and white graphic of a lot of drum, bass, mixing and other recording equipment piled on top of each other. In the foreground is a Deepspace5 logo, which is three red lines with a few cutouts for the holes of a cassette tape. Plus a number 5 in the top right.

Released 15 years ago yesterday, this is maybe not an album either; it's a mixtape. In some places called the The Blueprint 3 Outtakes (Deepspace5 Version), this is now sold on Bandcamp as the 5PRINT Mixtape. Deepspace5 is a underground rap super-group, so here you'll find cool beats and beds and fast-paced raps over the top of the music. This type of underground stuff from labels like Uprok Records about 25 years ago was some of my first exposures to rap/hip-hop music, and I still enjoy this type of underground hip-hop from time to time. I only picked up this release on Bandcamp recently, and I need to listen a few more times to catch half of what was said and break it down, but I love the fast-paced, clever wordplay and the fun beats.

Release Year: 2009
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Album Of The Day: Fall by Jon Foreman

Album Art of Jon Foreman's Fall EP - On what looks like a brown paper bag given a slightly golden and auburn hue is a black sketch of a bare tree with a shadow of it on the ground to the left.

I'm cheating a bit today—it's not an album. This is the first EP released by Jon Foreman, entitled Fall. This 6-song release definitely feels like fall to me. Maybe it's the acoustic guitar and the harmonica and the idea of a southbound train. At least a few songs on this album take lyrics from lamentations or psalms from scripture and are set to simple, acoustic music by Jon and his musician friends. It's so much fun to hear this lighter (musically) side of Jon Foreman, who is also the primary songwriter and singer for rock band Switchfoot. This is good music for a quiet, contemplative fall evening, and since fall just started a few days ago, it's been on my mind.

Release Year: 2007
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Album Of The Day: Fernando Ortega by Fernando Ortega

Album Art of Fernando Ortega's self-titled album - A black-and-white photo of a middle-aged man sitting at a table at a cafe or restaurant looking off into the distance with a coffee cup in front of him. Behind him are more empty tables and chairs. Over the background and to the right of his face is his name in white, lowercase letters with a shadow.

I'd never really listened to the music of Fernando Ortega much. I think I knew that he was most well-known for his versions of hymns. But then in 2004 I came across this album, his self-titled release, and I found that yes, there were a few hymns on the album and they are beautiful, but there's also a lot more. Fernando Ortega's smooth vocals are mixed with country, folk rock, and other styles on this release. Some of the songs lyrically talk about nature ("Dragonfly" and "When The Coyote Comes"), some about daily life ("California Town" and "Mildred Madalyn Johnson"), and some about the days where we struggle ("Shame" and "Noonday Devil"). It's a beautiful album and one I come back to on occasion. I really do need to check out Mr. Ortega's other albums one of these days! (I even have a few other of his albums I recently bought used on CD and I haven't listened to them yet.)

Release Year: 2004
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