First off: This thread is NOT a pro-religion/anti-religion/neutral-religion thread.

Anywho...What do you guys think of Christian artists?

You think they rock, you think they suck, or are ya impartial?

Post your thoughts, questions, etc.

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I think the majority of them have no talent and are signed to Christian labels just because they are decent enough to bob your head to. Christian labels pick up artists to be good role models, not because their music is any good. I think it should be music first, role model later.

Christians as a group tend to like to attach themselves to mainstream artists that are Christians in an order to point out that Christians who dedicate their art form to God make it big. This happened with U2 in the early 80s. However, when U2's music became more jaded and controversial the Christian majority labeled them as defilers of their religion and attacked them in the media and the press. This is not cool.

I have yet to hear a band signed by a Christian label that I appreciate for their music, which at the same time can be independent from evangelizing. Christian music is just so... lyrically confined.

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free mp3 ~Jump - Young America

new album Between the Dim and the Dark available now

I think they're poop.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

Soulfly are a christian band, who often sing about God... I like em.

Creed - Bullets was a good song.

As far as christian record labels go, i don't know any, or any christian bands on them. Apart from that, I don't care what a band believe in or what they sing about, as long as the musics good.

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Drugs & Stupidity, Tons of it.

I haven't liked any christian artist this far.

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<landfish> FastGamerr > Satan

Blindide are considered a Christian band, check em out. I like them.

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"Honey, you got real ugly."

Five Iron Frenzy, Cliffs of Insanity, and Farewell My Enemy are really good Christian bands.

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Space Colony Inc. Phoenix Suburban City Dereliction

[This message has been edited by Whelly (edited May 20, 2004).]

ehh... soulfly are christian.... they swear fairly excessively.
Not saying that doesn't make them a christian... but are you sure? (as i'm a christian yet i dont see a problem with swearing)

Blindside are pretty good imo

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/fluffle

It seems like most Christian artist do pop, which I hate. My favorite band is Third Day. They've do probably every major style of music (except pop and rap). My favorite song by them is definitely Consuming Fire.

I'm also becoming more fond of Kutless. They have a bit more of a rock sound than Third Day does. There's a "launch audio player" button on their site to get a quick clip of their style.

It's unfortunate that Christian pop is the most popular style among Christians, because bands like the ones above don't become well known outside of the Christian 'community.' Thus, we get Christian music labelled as "crap" because most of them sing pop.

Did I mention I can't stand pop?

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Genesis 22:2-5 - And God said unto Abraham "You must kill your son, Isaac." And Abraham said "What? I can't hear you! You'll have to speak into the microphone." And God said "Check, check, check, check. Jerry, can you pull the high end out. I'm getting some hiss up here."
"I'm not quiet: I just like to quote mute people."
^ My life story
Valuable Life Lesson: Frog + Potato Gun = Blindness
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[This message has been edited by DogSRoOL (edited May 20, 2004).]

I don't consider "Christian" a genre. I think it's a dumb way to classify music.

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"I'd rather be hated for who I am rather than loved for who I pretend to be." -Janis Joplin

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There are Christian record labels, Christian radio stations who play exclusively Christian music, and organisers of Christian events will usually get Christian bands to play at said events. Therefore it's pretty easy to classify Christian music.

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The Massassi-Map
There is no spoon.

So what does Christian music sound like?
If I give you instrumental songs, can you point out which ones are Christian?
I rest my case.

"Christian" is a theme, not a style.

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Genesis 22:2-5 - And God said unto Abraham "You must kill your son, Isaac." And Abraham said "What? I can't hear you! You'll have to speak into the microphone." And God said "Check, check, check, check. Jerry, can you pull the high end out. I'm getting some hiss up here."
"I'm not quiet: I just like to quote mute people."
^ My life story
Valuable Life Lesson: Frog + Potato Gun = Blindness
Catalog of Electronic Components - Complete IC data sheets
National Electrical Code® (NEC®) Online - Legal requirements for wiring projects.

[This message has been edited by DogSRoOL (edited May 20, 2004).]

It's a genre, not a sound.

Like indie, or pop. Technically any musician that isnt signed is indie, or any music that's popular is pop. They're just words.

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The Massassi-Map
There is no spoon.

I would say Christian music icons for me would be Third Day (my brother loved them and they're from my neck of the woods), Five Iron Frenzy, Michael W. Smith, and the plethora of Christian pop singers that I cant think of their names but one of them just recently made a statement about how Britney Spears is a bad influence on people because she's a slut.

I cannot stand Five Iron Frenzy. That stupid Canada song and the Mullet song... ya, if I wanted stupid songs I'd listen to Brak... maybe I'm just bitter that they're famous and I'm not.

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free mp3 ~Jump - Young America

new album Between the Dim and the Dark available now

Andy Hunter wins.

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Map-Review | My Portfolio | The Matrix: Unplugged

Five Iron Frenzy is famous?

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Space Colony Inc. Phoenix Suburban City Dereliction

I like POD. They aren't signed by a christian label(I think), but they still have religion oriented music. Their Satellite CD was a lot better than their new own. Ugh.

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Is Wayne Brady going to have to choke a *****?

I'd agree that most recent christian bands suck. I kind of like Jars of Clay though.
You can generally trust stuff on the Tooth and Nail record label.

Oooh, I forgot Switchfoot. I dig them. I'm also fond of Five Iron Frenzy. I also like the fact that unlike most christian bands they criticize the church and the government.

Oh! I also forgot Burlap to Cashmere. I highly highly recommend them. They were so awesome.

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All you need is love.

www.tourniquet.net

Some favorite songs samples.

http://www.tourniquet.net/audio/05__Vanishing_Lessons.mp3
http://www.tourniquet.net/audio/02__Vanishing_Lessons.mp3
http://www.tourniquet.net/audio/01__Where_Moth_And_Rust_Destroy.mp3
http://www.tourniquet.net/audio/01__Where_Moth_And_Rust_Destroy.mp3


Tourniquet rocks. It's like Metallica style Christian music. They really should be more popular then they are. Great great band. Go to discography to hear all of their songs.


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OSC Empire | A.H.N.U.L.D.
[Jim7 PING reply]: 666secs

[This message has been edited by SAJN_Master (edited May 22, 2004).]

I like Relient K and Switchfoot. Both are awesome bands to me. I also listen to like Third Day and stuff too.

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"The quality of the levels you make is determined by the skill of the person not by the editor in which they use!"
-Michael Kyle

Willing to be more people have heard of them than you think.



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free mp3 ~Jump - Young America

new album Between the Dim and the Dark available now

They're pretty unheard of over here, I didn't know about them until a massassian mentioned them.

Anybody listen to Extol before? extreme christian metal. good stuff.

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Drugs & Stupidity, Tons of it.

I have one of their cds. I don't like it, but that's mostly because I don't like metal, I guess.


One of their songs is on a Solid State (a sublabel of Tooth and Nail). I thought it was interesting.
I recommend people who like hard music to get one of those samplers. It has a ton of songs and was only $5.


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All you need is love.

i just got back from a christian concert..
Bands included Soul Deep, Skillet, and Pillar.
Souldeep was pretty good. Sounded good.
Skillet gets NO respect from me. They were walking onstage, when the music started.. then stopped, and started again once they had their instrements/mikes.
Pillar was alright, hard rock isnt my favorite music though.
EDIT:
Oh, and Lifehouse is an awesome band with christian influences, though they have a mainstream label.
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"It's OK for us to randomly attack people!"
-BV

[This message has been edited by greenboy_009 (edited May 23, 2004).]

We just had Grace Fest here, like 2 to 3 weeks ago. There were some pretty awesome artists there.

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"The quality of the levels you make is determined by the skill of the person not by the editor in which they use!"
-Michael Kyle

[This message has been edited by MysteriousSith (edited May 23, 2004).]

Bullets is an awesome song, but it has nothing to do with Christianity. Bullets represent the insults critics throw at the band behind their back.

I think they shoot 'cause they want it - signifies jealousy that critics have for the band's success

I hear voices all around me, come on raise your head - Scott inviting the critics and insult him to his face instead of behind his back - At least look at me when you shoot a bullet through my head...

Scott and the other members of Creed have also denied being a Christian band.

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When guitars are outlawed, only outlaws will have guitars.

[This message has been edited by MaD CoW (edited May 23, 2004).]

I've seen tons of criticism about Creed. Infact, if you listen to David Cross' new CD, you'll see that Scott Stapp is actually very aware of the [very deserving] extreme criticism which he gets.

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To myself I surrender to the one I'll never please.
But I still try to run on.
You know I still try to run on. But it's all or none.

Eddie Vedder

Michael Card.