Best New Artists of 2011

I hope everyone has had a great week of holidays! 2011 is coming to a fast close, and we have seen several new artists this year. From the bad (Rocky Loves Emily, anyone?) to the good, no one can disagree that some great bands hit the scene this year. Let's see who made my list.

#10. Shine Bright Baby
Shine Bright Baby hit the scene in 2009 with their debut, and now it seems they have signed to Tooth & Nail Records. Although there is no mention of them on Tooth & Nail's site, SBB announced on their Facebook page they are recording their first full length album on the label. SBB played Creation NE 2011, and have won me over with their catchy pop rock sound. Shine Bright Baby is a band to watch in 2012 for sure. Grab a free download of their song "Dare To Dream" as well as the acoustic version of "Deadbolt" (my personal favorite) by visiting their Pure Volume page.

#9. Nine Lashes
Boy, Tooth & Nail signed a ton of artists this year, with Nine Lashes being one of the more recent. All they've put out in 2011 is the single "Anthem Of The Lonely", and their full length debut will hit Valentine's Day 2012. With Trevor McNevan credited as the man who discovered the band, I think it's safe to say we can expect some great music from them. "Anthem Of The Lonely" sounds great, and this is one band I'll definitely keep my eye on.


#8. Jamie Grace
After being a teen star on the popular TBN kid's show iShine, Jamie Grace was discovered by Toby Mac, who couldn't wait to sign her to Gotee Records. After releasing an EP in Spring of 2011, she followed up with "One Song At A Time" in the fall. Her song, "Hold Me" became a hit single, and now she's been nominated for a GRAMMY! As a long time fan, I feel she has surpassed anything we expected and deserves that Grammy.





#7. Royal Tailor

Their debut album won them the attention of many, with fun pop beats and clever lyrics. ("Control" has some stand against lyrical references to Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Ke$ha in it.) Vocalist Tauren Wells has an OUTSTANDING voice, and like Jamie Grace, have been nominated for a Grammy. Keep your eye on them.



#6 Anthem Lights
Anthem Lights, formerly known as Yellow Cavalier, released their debut on Reunion Records this year and just took off. Easily one of the most popular Christian pop bands, Anthem Lights has brought the pop rock sound Christian music once had and is lacking. I love their music, and right now they have nowhere to go but up. They are releasing a new acoustic EP soon, and I'm sure 2012 is full of great things for them. Check out the interview I did with them earlier this spring by clicking here.

#5. Hyland
Another one of Tooth & Nail's new artists, Hyland released their debut, "Weights & Measures" to great response. With comparisons to Anberlin and Switchfoot, Hyland was definitely one of 2011's best new artists. Keep following these guys, as they will no doubt become one of Christian Rock's top bands.



#4. Attalus
Yet another one of my favorite independent bands, Attalus was introduced to me on New Release Tuesday when a band member posted about them in the forums. I was pleasantly surprised with their EP, "The Greater Tide" which is one of my favorite EPs of 2011. Although there have been a few member changes since then, the band has kept it's signature rock sound, and hopefully these guys catch a label's attention soon. Great stuff.





#3. Dara MacLean

With a soulful voice and great lyrics, Dara MacLean's single "Suitcases" received tons of airplay this year. Although I haven't heard all her songs, she's definitely "got my attention" (was that a cheesy pun or what?) and I can't wait to see what happens with her in 2011.

#2. Skyhawk Drive

Now, was this REALLY a surprise to you? I've been a fan for a while now, posting about them on the blog, tweeting about them, all that other stuff. But I don't do that unless I really believe in the band and their heart to minister. Skyhawk Drive caught the attention of Ben Kasica. They have some of the best music and lyrics I've heard all year. So why haven't they been signed to a larger label? Tooth & Nail is signing everyone under the sun, but if there's anyone that deserves to be signed, it is Skyhawk Drive. Their EP that came out this November had them sounding great with more of a mature sound. Definitely a top pick for 2011.

And now we have it....the best new band of 2011.....

....are you ready?
....for real?

#1. Icon For Hire

When I added them to the list of "New Bands You Should Know" earlier in the year, I had no idea they would be this popular this soon. Easily the best band signed to Tooth & Nail this year, their debut album, "Scripted" did very well and got great reviews. They stand for a message and put out some pretty awesome music. 2012 is sure to bring even greater things from them, and hopefully we'll see an acoustic or B-side album with "Conversation With A Rockstar" on it. 

Do you agree with my picks? Let me know what you think! 

Help Skyhawk Drive!

After many years of being a band, Skyhawk Drive is in need of a new van and trailer. They are raising money on the popular band site Kickstarter, and there are plenty of awesome rewards, such as signed EPs, t shirts, even up to a Skype concert! Skyhawk Drive has a heart to minister, their music is powerful, but most of all these guys have a heart to serve God. Watch the video below and donate to Skyhawk Drive by clicking HERE. I know I will be!

My favorite Christmas songs!

With Christmas just around the corner, I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite Christmas songs! There's no way I could post all of them but here's a couple. They're in no particular order, I love these songs equally. Enjoy!

"Christmas Shoes" by FM Static

"Merry Christmas McAllister" by Skyhawk Drive

(This song was removed from PureVolume, and isn't on YouTube, so here you go!)

"Happy Christmas" by Sent by Ravens

"His Favorite Christmas Story" by Capital Lights

"Do You Hear What I Hear" by Flyleaf

"I'm Gettin' Nuttin' For Christmas" by Relient K

Music Review: Skyhawk Drive's self-titled second album!

Well this is a review that is LONG overdue. If you have ever read my blog, you probably know I am a huge fan of Skyhawk Drive. I've followed their journey for a while now, and it just keeps getting better! Let's get to the music!

 One thing you'll notice different than the band's first EP is that gone are the days of the happy punk pop for Skyhawk Drive. Their new sound is more mature, and tackles deeper issues. I really like it! Starting us off is a haunting intro that leaves you full of expectation for the first track, "Whisper", with just a tease of the chorus in a piano background. Beautiful! "Whisper" is one of my FAVORITE songs of 2011. The feeling in the music, the passion in Ronnie's voice all speak to the listener. "Whisper" is a strong song with powerful lyrics that plead for God to direct our lives. This is a must listen to track. The edgier sound of Skyhawk Drive is amazing!

 "Brothers In Arms" is my tie favorite with "Whisper" on this album. Opening with a soft piano and epic drums, the band begins to sing the chorus as one, then all of a sudden Ronnie lets loose, and the song begins. Is this really the band that sang "Their Dance, Your Chance" back in 2009? They were good then, but they're awesome now! I love the chorus, that says "Wake me before the dawn, brothers in arms, stand till the fight is won, together as one." The music behind this song brings the rock edge, and the lyrics bring a strong story of unity. 

 

 Halfway through the album, we come to "Something More", a Switchfoot-esque song that speaks of following God, taking a leap of faith and giving into "Something More" - God. "I'm moving forward, I'll die another day" and other lines in this song challenge us as Christians to trust in God and do radical things. "A Simple Song" is a beautiful, acoustic love song that speaks of struggling to share one's feelings with someone, but nevertheless finding the courage to share them. This is such a pretty song, both in the lyrics and music.

"The Getaway" is a fun song that is an anthem of a generation. Don't tell us we're not good enough, that we'll never be able to achieve our dreams! There's a fun rock beat, fun lyrics that not only make for a good song, but a life anthem as well.

WHY ARE THESE GUYS NOT SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL? Seriously.....This EP, produced by Ben Kasica, has the band sounding better than ever, with some of the best music I've heard this year. Skyhawk Drive has come a long way since "Center Stage Shout Out", and I believe they will only get better. "Skyhawk Drive" is a must have album. I've (unfortunately) never had the chance to meet these guys or see the band live, but I've been able to tune into a few Livestream sessions they did, as well as watch them live on YouTube, and their passion for music is amazing. Be sure to recommend Skyhawk Drive to your friends, ask your church to have them come play, "Like" them on facebook, follow them on Twitter....buy their music on Amazon MP3 or iTunes. But whatever you do, be sure to keep your eye on them!

New Music from Skyhawk Drive

Today is a great day. Skyhawk Drive has released their new single and music video called, "Whisper". "Whisper" was produced by Ben Kasica, and I'm loving the harder sound of Skyhawk Drive. The passionate lyrics are amazing, and the music video is one of the best I've seen all year. Congratulations Guys! You can buy the single off iTunes or Amazon today.

Skyhawk Drive's new music video!

Yesterday Skyhawk Drive released a trailer for their new music video, "Whisper", coming out October 4th! I'm extremely excited for this, as Skyhawk Drive is such an amazing band! I'll post the music video first thing, but for right now, check out this epic trailer:

Free Music!

Ronnie from Skyhawk Drive has a side project called "Safe And Sound". He recently released an EP through NoiseTrade absolutely free! I haven't been able to listen to it yet, but I'm sure it's good! Be sure to check it out here!

Keep It Clean Productions

You guys remember Skyhawk Drive? Well Ronnie and Ridge Bingaman created Keep It Clean Productions, where they make funny videos and they've even produced music videos for Ronnie's side project, as well as another band.  They're definitely worth checking out, especially if you like Julian Smith.

Interview: Skyhawk Drive!

I recently had the privilege of conducting an interview with Ronnie Bingaman, lead singer of Skyhawk Drive. Skyhawk Drive is an up and coming band from Greencastle, PA, and has released an EP, "Center Stage Shout Out" in 2009. Currently Skyhawk Drive is in the studio at Skies Fall, recording a new album! I'm super stoked for it! It was a great privilege to interview Ronnie, and make sure and check out The Extreme Tour site to see when Skyhawk Drive will visit your area! (I believe they're touring from the middle of June through mid-July on the Extreme Tour.)  My questions are in black, and Skyhawk Drive's answers are in red. Enjoy!

Can you please tell us a bit about how Skyhawk Drive was formed and the story behind the band name?
The band was started back in high school for an English project. We had to read a book and then present it in front of the class in a creative way. We made  the band, wrote a song about the book, and made a little music video for it. "Skyhawk Drive" came from a street name in a town not to far from ours=) 


Your first album, “Center Stage Shout Out” was released in 2009, and “Their Dance, Your Chance” became a hit in Japan, China and the Philippines. What was it like seeing your song doing so well in other countries?
We are all really happy with how "big" its gotten. For us 30 some thousand views on Youtube is big. Haha it might not seem like anything compared to other bigger music videos but to us we were stoked with the response.


“Finest Mistake” is an amazing song with a Pro-Life message. Can you explain what inspired you to write the song?
The song was written about a close friend of the bands. She went through this situation and we saw her go through those hard times. She is now married and is the mother of a beautiful baby girl. It took a lot of faith and and courage to do what she did in that situation and it was really inspiring to us.


Currently you guys are at Skies Fall Studios recording your second album. What can we expect lyrically and musically from this record?
You guys can expect a ton from this new record. It really has shown how we have grown as Christians, people, and musicians. The songs are a little edgier but still keep that pop catchy feel. We grew up and so has our music. We're tired of the super happy pop sound so we've  changed it up a bit. The Ep shows off our more "popish" songs out of all our new music. We hope to soon after, record  full length with everything we've written in the past few months.

Of course, who can ask about recording at Skies Fall without asking what it’s like to work with Ben Kasica and Nick Radovanovic? =)
Ben and Nick are really great guys! It was intimidating at first because we're all Skillet fans. We learned how awesome Nick's old band, Acceptance, was after getting into the studio. They are both extremely talented musicians. Working with them has been really incredible for us and I count it as a huge blessing to able to work with such a great team on this!


Who has influenced Skyhawk Drive the most as a band?
We really take so many influences from so many places. Too many to even list. Theres a huge list of bands that influence us, movies even influence us, God and His word, situations influence us, and people and life in general is all an influence.  

I’m sure some hilarious stuff happens while touring. Can you share with us one of those “moments”?
One time after a show we packed up all our gear and pulled out of the venue and drove about 15 minutes and realized we left our drummer at the venue. All of our phones were either dead or on silent so we didnt get his calls=)

I bet touring can be hectic and stressful at times. How do you guys keep up your relationship with God while touring?
Our keyboardist is actually just now graduating from high school this spring. Because of that we really haven't been able to tour much at all. We pretty much have been limited to weekend shows. Our first official tour will be this summer across the east coast and some in the mid west. The band, thankfully, hasnt taken a big toll on any relationships thus far. If anything its strengthened our walk with Christ. We've definitely had some stressful times that we needed to rely on Gods strength and guidance to get us through it=)

If you could tour anywhere in the world with any band, where and who would it be?
I would love to do a European tour and I really wanna play a Flevo fest in Holland haha. We would love to tour with 30 seconds to mars, Paramore, Relient K, SKillet, or Switchfoot. Any of those bands would be incredible to tour with!

Could you please share with us the members of Skyhawk Drive’s favorite Scripture?
As a band we all like the verse Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." That verse has gotten me personally through battles and hardships. Its engraved on my necklace that I wear all the time so its an easy reminder to all of us that God has everything under control even when we can see it.

In what ways have you seen your music affect your fans?
A lot of people have come up to us after shows in the past years and told us their stories and how our songs have given them hope and helped them in their time of need. Its the coolest thing ever to hear stories like that because you know God has used you in some way. Its probably the most rewarding part about being in a band.


Now, since Skyhawk Drive is from right here in Pennsylvania, I have to ask….Steelers or Eagles? =P
What or what? Eagles are pretty cool birds. I hope they don't go extinct. Steeling isn't good so I'm not about that. (we're not into sports haha)


Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer these questions. Would you like to share any closing thoughts?
Thanks for asking us these questions=) 

"Center Stage Shout Out" by Skyhawk Drive Review!

I'm really excited to review this project! I recently heard about Skyhawk Drive, and their EP, "Center Stage Shout Out" which was released in November of 2009.

Starting off the EP is a fun intro track that sets the pace for "Center Stage Shout Out": a fun, electro-pop/rock album with light hearted lyrics that bring a positive message as well. "Their Dance, Your Chance brings a fun pop track infused with elements of rock. This song is so fun, but brings a message of being who we are without caring what others think with lyrics such as, "Shout HEY! World it's me, I don't care what you think!"



Coming in at track number three, "Us Against The Clock" is one of the most fun tracks off the EP. Now, I want to clarify something. When I first heard this song, I thought there was a swear word in the opening lyrics. THERE IS NOT! Ronnie from Skyhawk Drive told me they do not use swear words in their music, which I think is pretty awesome of them. The music is fun, and I bet this is even more awesome live.

"Hey Candi" is a lighthearted, sweet song about a girl that equates how he feels about her with the effects of candy. It's a funny song, but doesn't fall into that "oh brother" category. "Finest Mistake" has got to be one of the BEST Pro-Life songs ever written. This song tells the story of a young girl who makes the choice to have her child; her finest mistake. "Finest Mistake" is a powerful and beautiful song, and I encourage you to listen to it as soon as you can.

 "Silence Says" is next and carries more of a punk feel, with lyrics that deal with the confusion of trying take the advice of others, trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life. Great track with a strong punk feel.

"The Breakaway" closes out the EP, and is probably my personal favorite off the album. As teenagers, we go through a lot of terrible things, but through this song Skyhawk Drive encourages us to "give it all to grace" and promises "You're worth more than what they say, don't you forget for another day, that you're loved and you mean everything ". This acoustic track is beautiful, conveys God's love for us, and is the perfect closer for the album.

"Center Stage Shout Out" gave us just a taste of what Skyhawk Drive is capable of. Two years later, Skyhawk Drive is still going strong, and is currently in Skies Fall Studios creating a new project! I recently had the opportunity to interview Ronnie Bingaman, the lead singer of Skyhawk Drive! The interview will be up within the week, and I'm really excited for you guys to get to know this awesome band from right here in Pennsylvania!