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Album Of The Day: The Imposter by Kevin Max
Released 20 years ago last week, this is the second album from Kevin Max, the man who had all the best vocal parts in dc Talk. While his first solo album was a very experimental pop/rock/world music sound, this album is definitely more straightforward rock. "Jumpstart Your Electric Heart!" is a fun song that gets the listener jammin' and there are definitely a bunch of slower rock ballads as well that benefit from Max's great voice and soaring falsetto. One of my favorites is his cover of Bob Dylan's "When He Returns", which has excellent vocals from Kevin Max and great piano from Producer Andrew Prickett. Lyrically, the original poetry is thick with with language of love and religion, but it's hard to tell if it's about God or a lover and it definitely is not your standard Christian rock lyrics. This is one of Kevin's better overall albums of his solo career, but if you like the obscure and somewhat odd music, keep digging into his later albums.
Release Year: 2005
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Album Of The Day: Armistice Live by Mutemath
"We all break the same." In the fall of 2009, Mutemath released their second album and went on this huge tour. I remember that show at First Avenue as it was an excellent night of music and energy. Thankfully, the band had cameras recording when they performed the show at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA. Released 15 years ago yesterday, this live audio was released digitally, and it was also released on CD/DVD combo. The concert film captures the frenetic energy of the band, with lead singer and keyboardist Paul Meany jumping off his Rhodes piano, drummer Darren King constantly pounding on drums faster than you would think any man could, and multiple times where the whole band is banging on various drums in a percussion jam session. Watching the video, you get the idea that these musicians are so talented, they could all just switch places and it would sound just as good. The band Mutemath sounds so great on their albums, it's hard to believe they can recreate that all live, but they show it here on this video. These days, the video quality looks a bit dated thanks to HD video quality, but it's pretty darn good for that era and it was so much fun to watch again. Even if you don't have the DVD, enjoy the live audio of this. Or I think you can find most of the songs from the concert film sliced up on YouTube.
Release Year: 2010
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Album Of The Day: Museum by Citizens
Released two days ago, this is the seventh album from Citizens, a Christian alternative rock band from Seattle. The album title Museum is often styled as "m us eum", I think to highlight the "us" inside the word, but I might be wrong. Lyrically, the band mixes songs of praise and worship to God with some stories of life experience thrown in as well. Their music definitely has a good amount of keyboards and other programming and lots of energy. Unlike some of their older albums, there's no re-imagining of classic hymns as rock songs, but the same style is here. I really only started following this band earlier this year after seeing them live, but they seem like one I have to listen to more, and this new album seems like a good addition to their catalog of songs.
Release Year: 2025
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Album Of The Day: Ace by Madison Cunningham
Released yesterday, this is the fourth solo album by Madison Cunningham, a Southern California-based singer/songwriter. Her energetic songs have lush instrumentation and a jazz-y indie pop vibe. Ms. Cunningham has very beautiful lyrics with lots of honesty and poetry to them, this album involving love and relationships, especially breakups and other tumultuous life events. Unlike her last few albums, the electric guitar is a bit less of the focus after her vocals, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The piano and the beautiful full-band, jazz arrangements fill the role that the guitar was occupying nicely. Madison Cunningham's music is a bit different from what I normally listen to, but I like her style and it's very interesting, raw production to listen to.
Release Year: 2025
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Album Of The Day: Long Line Of Leavers by Caedmon's Call
Released on this day 25 years ago, this is the fourth studio album from Caedmon's Call and one of their best albums. This folk-rock band was gaining popularity in the mid-to-late '90s. By the time this album was released, they were one of the biggest bands in Christian music and also had some cred in the college rock scene too. As was their formula, the seven-member band mixed songwriters, lead vocals, and more between songs to keep each song sounding fresh. Everyone pitched in on music and percussion, giving each song a full band sound even live. "Prepare Ye The Way" brought an old '70s song from John Michael Talbot to a new generation. Other favorites are "Dance", "Love Is Different", "The Only One" and "Piece Of Glass". Finally "Ballad Of San Francisco" is a fun, rollickin' closer to a quality album from a band in their prime.
Release Year: 2000
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Album Of The Day: The Painter by John Michael Talbot & Terry Talbot
Some of my earliest memories of recorded music, besides the radio, was listening to this album on cassette in the car as a young kid. Released sometime in 1980 (45 years ago), The Painter is 10 songs of acoustic folk from brothers John Michael Talbot and Terry Talbot with The London Chamber Orchestra. It's mostly just acoustic guitars, strings and beautiful harmonies. The lyrics celebrate God as the artist who brings color and meaning to the world. Like many Christian albums from this era, it's very in-your-face celebration and preaching of God's word, and I think the vocals and the instrument work is top-notch. It's less than 30 minutes long, so give it a listen sometime.
Release Year: 1980
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Album Of The Day: Catch For Us The Foxes by meWithoutYou
Released 21 years ago this past Sunday, this is the second studio album from meWithoutYou, a very unique indie rock band. Aaron Weiss's vocals are spoken word, then screaming, and sometimes even more traditional singing. Sometimes the music is beautiful instrumentals, other times a raging cacophony of guitars, drums and other instruments. And the lyrics are very interesting poetry, by which I mean that most of the time I don't know what they're talking about, but I still like it. Depending on the type of music you like, it might take a few listens to really appreciate this, but I really do like this band for the avant garde art they make. Seriously give this album a listen at least once and you might find you like it more than you first expected.
Release Year: 2004
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Album Of The Day: Live At The Bitter End by Burlap To Cashmere
I spent too much time on other things today, so I've only got time for an EP for today. This is a classic live EP from a very talented band out of New York City. Burlap To Cashmere had yet to record a studio album, but they recorded these five songs at the the legendary Manhattan rock club. Lead singer and songwriter Steven Delopoulos is one of my favorite songwriters ever and the band is clearly very talented. Some of their best songs from their first studio album are captured live here, including "Eileen's Song", one of my favorite songs ever and "Anybody Out There?". "Basic Instructions" closes out this recording with this barn burner of a song and some great drum solos and other instrumentals. This EP is a great introduction to this band or a great listen for long-time fans who have only listened to the studio album. Included here is both the original 1997 and the 1999 re-release version artwork.
Release Year: 1997
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Album Of The Day: Freedom by Darrell Evans
This is one of my favorite modern worship albums ever, and now that it was released 27 years ago, it's a classic, I guess. Darrell Evans wrote 10 great rock/pop songs of worship and praise to God, sort of like hymns with more contemporary music styles. Many of the songs on this album have extended instrumental jams or spontaneous singing of praise. The guitar from a young Lincoln Brewster is some of the best work of his career. Songs like "Trading My Sorrows", "So Good To Me", and "Freedom" start out the album with tons of energy and exude the joy a life in God provides. And deeper into the album, Evans waxes poetic about God's love, God's care for us, and God's personal relationship with us. There's not many studio albums that capture the spontaneity and energy of live worship music as well as this recording does, and I still love playing this album regularly.
Release Year: 1998
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Album Of The Day: Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place by Anberlin
Released 15 years ago last month, this is the fifth studio album from alternative rock band Anberlin. While some of their other albums were a bit more epic, sprawling affairs comprised of rock anthems and slower love songs, this album is a tighter 10-song album. "We Owe This To Ourselves", "Impossible" and "Closer" let the guitars rage and singer Stephen Christian scream a bit, the slower songs like "You Belong Here", "The Art Of War" and "Take Me (As You Found Me)" give Christian's vocals and lyricism opportunities to shine as well. Lyrically, most of the songs are sung to a lover, I think, if not being about the song's author themselves. This is one of Anberlin's albums I have listened to less often than some of their other albums, but it is a good set of songs even if not their most memorable album. If it's been a while since you listened, you might like it more than you remember.
Release Year: 2010
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