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Artist Bio
Monarch is back with new music and a new line-up. More information coming soon.
Discography
Lowly
10/2007
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The Grandeur that was Rome
01/2004
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Artist Bio
Quiet Company, led by Taylor Glen Muse, is one man’s vision brought to life with a little help from his friends. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Taylor Muse already has years of experience under his young belt, having fronted and played in many bands, including an early version of Eisley. After the break-up of his last band, Taylor hoped to complete an album of collected contributions from his extensive cast of musician friends. Instead, he played nearly everything himself, and ended up with a very personal and visionary endeavor entitled “Shine Honesty.” According to Taylor, “while most people would assume it is a reference to Pink Floyd it has more to do with Simon and Garfunkel. I thought about naming it “Let Your Honesty Shine” which is a line from ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’, but somehow I put “Shine Honesty” together and to me, it sounded more like an album title.” Nevertheless, Quiet Company explores the spirit of both artists; the pop sensibility of Simon and Garfunkel and the sonic adventurous arrangements of Pink Floyd. Abandoning, his primary instrument of guitar, Taylor Muse wrote most of “Shine Honesty” on the piano. Finding a new texture and voice, his range of influences stretched out to include acts like the Beach Boys, and the Smashing Pumpkins. Small beginnings, big endings, pop orchestration, and raucous rock and roll all characterize the sound of Quiet Company, while the lyrics reveal the nature of a soul which has wandered, wondered, and ultimately found love. The album title is not to be taken lightly, as the sting of lyrical revelation along the lines of Connor Oberst and Lee Bozeman pours out over choruses of weeping piano and speaker-shredding guitar. By the end of it all, you may be uncomfortably aware of exactly who he loves, who he hates, and how he feels about them all. There are two lines, however, that shed light upon the true nature of Quiet Company’s reason for being. The first, “I would trade my skin to be young again,” is the indication of lessons learned the hard way, scars and all, and mourning of a lost innocence that can never be regained. The second, “keep the spring under your step and keep the sunlight on your face," represents the underlying hope, the turn towards the future, and willingness to still smile that propels Taylor head-on into the unknown. After all he has learned, he puts it simply, “I make music because it gives me joy. I write songs to make my fiancé smile. I make music because it is my religion to do so.” As Taylor takes the Quiet Company show on the road, with Thomas Blank (guitar/keyboard) and Tim Robbins (drums), it will become apparent that these honest sentiments scream loudly in the face of the pains of the past, and proclaim the beauty of love and music to all who will give ear to his voice. Is there a band called Quiet Company? “Yes, I am he.”
Discography
Shine Honesty
03/2006
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Artist Bio
Founded by Jamey Bozeman (Luxury & Canary), They Sang as They Slew is back with The Resistance.
Discography
The Resistance
05/2008
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Get Well
07/2004
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Artist Bio
Taking their name from the Old Testament battlegrounds from which they have gained inspiration, Wilderness of Tekoa is a band made up of four musicians from West Palm Beach, Florida with very different musical tastes who have come together to make their stand on the world stage. Nic DiPace (vocals and guitar), and Ryan Antolino (guitar) formed Wilderness of Tekoa in 2004, with Philip Pattison (bass) and Philip Turner (drums) later joining the band to complete the current lineup. After just over a year of writing, recording, and playing live, Tekoa had put together an independent EP and a live show that was beginning to attract attention. In that time, they won The Hard Rock Café sponsored, Battle of the Bands in Ft. Lauderdale, they were chosen to play 103.1 The Buzz FM’s Bake Sale with Staind and My Chemical Romance, and played 88.1 Way FM’s Boonaducious Festival with Toby Mac and Audio Adrenaline. These high-profile events led to discussions with both independent and major labels impressed by their mature songwriting and passionate vocal delivery reminiscent of U2 and Coldplay.
In the spring of 2006, Wilderness of Tekoa signed with Northern Records and began intense work on their debut, The Skies Pale in Comparison, and prepared to embark on their first national tour that will take them from coast to coast and back again over a period of two and a half months.
The Skies Pale in Comparison was recorded by the band in Florida and mixed by Andrew D. Prickett (Kevin Max,The Violet Burning, and The Lassie Foundation) at Northern Records. The band cites a wide range of influences that have contributed to the sound of this record. Ryan has a strictly indie diet, Nic loves Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie, and Philip loves the Foo Fighters. These varied influences lead to performances that can effortlessly move from tenderness to aggression without it feeling contrived. One of the most emotionally stirring tracks on the record, the song Your Place in the Ground, goes straight to the heart of infidelity in the home and the impact it has on a child dealing with the emotional fallout. In the song Asleep, the line“Will we all find sleep if we loose it all for nothing?” describes the need for faith in a way that hits close to home for the members of the band. “We are giving up every material possession in our lives and what we all know, for something that may or may not give us any rewards that we can see or touch.” The defining theme emerges in the track called Sunbeam. The lines “Oh who am I, this breath of fading mist? Where do I stand on this speck of heaven's dust? . . . The cosmic deaf into the listening” speak of how we are so small in relation to the known universe and the awe that is felt when considering the magnitude of the Creator of it all. According to the band, “It is a simple song about our awe of Him.”
Explaining the title of the record, the band says, “We recently found the Hubble website with all the images they've captured, some of which just blew our minds. And even still, we just think that The Skies Pale in Comparison to who He is, and who we are in Him.”
Discography
The Skies Pale In Comparison
06/2006
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Artist Bio
“All my life I have been looking for light I cannot find in me.” This is not only a lyric from Drop-Dead, the latest record from The Violet Burning, it is a theme that has connected with thousands of loyal fans who call this groundbreaking artist one of the great and influential Christian rock groups of all time. With ten years of touring the United States and Europe, The Violets have established themselves as a great band that can deliver a moving experience live, as well as in the studio. Drop-Dead continues this legacy; a connection with the listener by putting ones heart on display. Drop-Dead is a return to the aggressive sound of their early releases and the themes that have made The Violet Burning stand out among traditional modern rock acts. Produced by Michael J. Pritzl, singer and songwriter of The Violet Burning, and co-produced by Gabriel Wilson and Chris Greely (a.k.a. The Glitter Twins) of The Listening (formerly known as The Rock n Roll Worship Circus), Drop-Dead is reminiscent of The Violet Burning Self-Titled and Demonstrates Plastic and Elastic while integrating the pop elements of Michael’s side project, The Gravity Show. Integrating his iconic guitar tones, with his new found love of electronics, Michael and the Violets have created a unique sound all their own. Part William Reid, part Gillian Gilbert, and what the Southern California press calls the “new New-Wave.” Drop-Dead, Michael states “is deeper, darker than any Violet record to date. Sonically, it is more like Radiohead’s Kid A or Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.” Thematically, Michael cites romance and tragedy, but ultimately it is a record of love. “Love hoped for, love found, love questioned, love left, love longed for, love sacrificed for, love never told, love lost, love searched for…” Although influenced by Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Drop-Dead ultimately brings long-time fans back to the guitar-driven rock that has always been at the heart of The Violet Burning. The title of Drop-Dead pans the obvious as it juxtaposes the positive, literal meaning (sensationally striking or attractive) with the negative (when the two words are not hyphenated). This apparent double meaning is used to illustrate that both attraction and heartbreak together serve as our reminder of our need for love; a deeper, spiritual love. Despite the struggle, Michael has found his sanctuary as is evident as he sings the lyrical resolve… “Yeah, you’re my heart, you’re my home”.
Discography
Drop-Dead
02/2006
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This Is The Moment
06/2003
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Demonstrates Plastic and Elastic
04/2001
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Artist Bio
Ending a six year hiatus, The Greatest Christian Rock N Roll Band of all time… Luxury started to work on songs for an EP that eventually evolved and expanded into a full-length, Health and Sport. On Health and Sport, Luxury’s influences are as obtuse as they are profound: from Blonde Redhead, The Notwist, and Low, to Led Zeppelin, Fugazi, and Queen. On Health and Sport, original members Lee Bozeman (Vocals, Guitar, and Keyboards), Glenn Black (Drums), Chris Foley (Bass), Jamey Bozeman (Guitar, Keyboards, and Vocals), and newest member Matt Hinton (Guitars, Banjo, and Mandolin), juxtapose the title with the actual theme of the record: realization and resignation. According to Lee Bozeman, it was “a giving up of sorts; a kind of early mid-life realization that things end and that we have to come to terms with our failings.” In 1999, Luxury went their separate ways to pursue the next stages of their lives. 2005 found them back in Toccoa, GA making a new record. Finding their voice amidst family and work, they realized that their chemistry remained and that “The Greatest Christian Rock N Roll Band” still had some songs to sing. It is called Health and Sport.
Discography
Health and Sport
10/2005
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Artist Bio
Kevin Max, best known as the enigmatic member of the band dcTalk (EMI CMG), has found the courage and freedom to take another step outside the box to create an album for the world stage that is innovative, provocative, and entertaining. In the fall of 2005, Kevin Max will release the highly anticipated album titled The Imposter on Northern Records. Produced by Andrew D. Prickett (The Violet Burning, Holly Nelson, and The Lassie Foundation) and Kevin Max, The Imposter contains a sound that recalls the passion of early U2, the soul of Jeff Buckley, and the ambiguity of Blur. It sonically rivals the larger-than-life persona of Kevin Max himself while it reveals his most humble and transparent songwriting to date, lyrically exploring the influences of Brennan Manning and Bob Dylan. There are songs of love and faith and doubt and fear in a variety of authentic musical expressions. They range from pop to fusion, but the album maintains a consistent rock influence throughout. The lyrical theme is imperfection and often touches on the disparity between what we want others to see and who we really are inside. After relocating to Los Angeles from Nashville, Kevin Max signed with Northern Records and CAA in Beverly Hills and since has been in sessions with an impressive list of writers and producers. Although the writing for this record was more personal in nature and Kevin ultimately collaborated largely with producer and co-writer Andrew D. Prickett on the new record, part of the perspective gained in the preparation for this record included work with Mark Hudson (Aerosmith), Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson), Dominic Miller (Sting), Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons & Duran Duran), and Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran). As one-third of dcTalk, Kevin Max has sold over 8 million records worldwide, won four Grammy Awards, and had a Top 40 pop hit with “Just Between You and Me” (Virgin), which also received significant airplay on VH1 and MTV. The Imposter, the long-awaited follow-up to his first solo album, Stereotype Be (Forefront/EMI CMG), comes on the heels of an EP that was recently made available independently called “Between the Fence and the Universe” which marks the path from Stereotype Be to The Imposter. In addition, Kevin Max has also published two books of poetry as well as a poetry album that includes accompaniment by Adrian Belew (King Crimson). Kevin has been actively performing live, including shows with the Psychedelic Furs, The Young Dubliners, The Church, and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, as well as a recent tour of Europe and shows in South America and New Zealand.
Discography
Holy Night
11/2005
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The Imposter
10/2005
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Between the Fence and the Universe
01/2000
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Artist Bio
After a decade of making music and performing as a stalwart of the Southern California rock scene, The Lassie Foundation is planning to call it quits. On their final release, the 2-disc set Through and Through, The Foundation is re-releasing their first two out-of-print albums, The California EP and Pacifico, and featuring three new songs, “Down on the Docks”, “Tomorrow Says Come On (Going Underground)”, and “Inside Out” (a Mighty Lemon Drops songs, produced and recorded by Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist/songwriter David Newton). The double-album will also include previously unreleased tracks: the original version of "Kisses as Bounties"(from Pacifico), the Face Your Fun-era demo "Galaxy Girl", the unreleased hits "Three Cheers for Waterloo" and "We're the Number Ones", and a ripping live version of "She's the Coming Sun" that nobody knows where or when it was recorded. Plus, the band will include some live tracks recorded at a house party that they threw for some friends last year in the City of Orange. The performance was filmed at the home of friend/director Steve Lewis (who’s made videos for Ride, Trashcan Sinatras, Face To Face, Switchfoot, and Driver 8, among others), and he’s directed a video for “Saturday Night”, which also appears on the double-album. Longtime Lassie fans and newcomers alike will enjoy the many gems on Through and Through.
Discography
Through and Through
04/2006
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Face Your Fun
01/2005
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All Things Bright and Beautiful
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Artist Bio
After a decade of fronting Luxury, one of the worlds greatest Rock n Roll bands, Lee Bozeman has left the fold to explore his own vision. Free of the many voices that are the band politic, and tired of the one word vulgar names that permeate rock music today, All Things Bright and Beautiful embraces the uncomfortable in-equality between music and message.
Discography
Love and Affection
02/2004
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Artist Bio
2001 was the debut of The Billions first national release “Never Felt This Way Before.” After a year of touring the states the band went on hiatus. During the hiatus the band saw the release of a solo record, the birth of a child, the return of one member of the group, another leaving, and the celebration of a new marriage. 2004 marked the end of the hiatus and a new beginning for The Billions –they called it “Trash and Treasure.” “Trash and Treasure” began somewhat ominously with some false starts and delays. It wasn’t until the band: brothers Sam and Dan Billen, Ken Komiya, and Simon Bates, decided to record at their farmhouse in Kansas where they found their stride. It began with The Billions producing, arranging, and recording their own songs. The result was that they were able to find their collective voice; a voice that tries to sum up life here on earth and the beyond. When asked for influences, The Billions cited what one can call The Billions very own “Trash and Treasure:” The Postal Service, Pinback, instruction manuals for electronics, Starflyer 59, Flaming Lips, Japan, the Bible, The Pernice Bros., The Shins, and books on Philosophy. Out of this potpourri you will find that this record goes beyond the bumper sticker, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” It asks, will either last forever?
Discography
Trash & Treasure
08/2005
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Never Felt This Way Before
01/2003
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Artist Bio
Hushed, honest vocals carried with haunting melody. Ominous, commanding guitars, intricately layered with beautiful harmonies. Tightly-locked bass and drums carry the listener along through the elaborate soundscape. This is Hundred Year Storm. Formed in Austin, TX during the scorching summer of 2003, singer/guitarist Bill McCharen began this musical journey to fully express himself in a unique and powerful way. To Bill, music is a deeply spiritual and emotional experience that is intended to make the listener dance and move while other moments to be still and ponder life. Through its music, HYS can fully express passion for life, love, pain and spiritual longings in a way that words alone could not. This is evident in Hundred Year Storm’s first studio release, a debut, self-titled EP. Released in early November 2004, this release has already sold over 2,000 units. The record also very quickly garnered critical praise from many well-known national indie rock websites, magazines, and radio stations and will now be re-released along with 4 new tracks on California based Northern Records (www.northernrecords.com) in April/May of 2006. In 2005, HYS clocked in over 150 shows from the East to West Coast. HYS will be out on the road most of 2006 supporting their Northern release as well as another full-length release including the “Golden Record Session” recordings you have heard on myspace/purevolume since August. This release will be announced later this year.
Discography
Only When It Is Dark Enough Can You See The Stars
05/2006
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Artist Bio
“Miracles” is the solo recording debut of singer/songwriter Sam Billen of Northern recording artist The Billions. Featuring a range of influences from Neil Young to Hall and Oates, “Miracles” is a very eclectic, intimate, pop record.
Discography
Miracles
01/2004
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Artist Bio
He’s played over 1,000 shows and released numerous records. Now one of the most influential Christian rock artists, Michael Pritzl, shows another side of himself: a stripped-down sound of a guitar and a vocal, with arrangements covering songs by The Violet Burning and The Gravity Show, as well as Bob Dylan.
Discography
Hollow Songs
05/2004
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Artist Bio
“I was driving around listening to Wrecking Ball by Emmylou Harris. That was it. That was my moment of clarity. It was a pretty tough time for me and I can’t say I felt like I had much to offer, but that was when I decided what I was gonna do with my life.” Not two years from that day, Holly Nelson was named Best Female Performer at the 2003 Orange County Music Awards, where her song Masterpiece was also nominated for Best Song…six months before her debut record was set to be released. Holly grew up in California, Florida, and Texas where her musical tastes were shaped by the likes of Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, The Starland Vocal Band, Neil Young, Tom Petty, and the Beach Boys. She has sung all of her life, even on a few records and for a few bands, but always in the background and never her own songs. In the past that was fine, but one day it just clicked. Holly kept her songs to herself until a month later when she ran into producer Frank Lenz (Starflyer59, Crystal Lewis) at a show that she almost didn't attend. “I had known Frank from before, but out of nowhere he asked if I would consider putting together some demos. The timing was amazing. If I was a believer in chance before that, I am now reformed.” The appeal of the demos that followed was undeniable and soon after being signed to Northern Records the recording process began with Andrew D. Prickett (The Violet Burning, The Prayer Chain) and Frank Lenz. The result, Leaving The Yard, will challenge the boundaries of genre as it rewards the introspective listener with honest, personal expression through insightful lyrics, a beautiful voice, and the impressive musicianship of Andrew Prickett on guitar, Elijah Thomson (The Lassie Foundation, Richard Swift, Crystal Lewis) on bass, Richard Swift (Richard Swift, Starflyer59, Crystal Lewis) on keys, and Frank Lenz on drums. Despite the high production quality, this record will be a pleasant surprise to those who expect only polished, pop gems from a pretty girl with little in the way of substance. As a writer, Holly prefers to let listeners draw their own meaning from a song. “I love that we're all so different and that my intention when writing a song will be filtered through the listener's life experiences and the song will end up meaning something just a little different to each person. There's always that little twist that makes it personal. And I love the little twist.” The search for peace despite your circumstances and confidence despite your own abilities emerge as themes on the record. Holly even takes on a cover of the Tom Petty classic I Won't Back Down. A line in the song Rhyme and Reason (“we didn't know it would be so hard to find the broken board and leave the yard”) provides the album's title. Holly explains, “I think that some of us think we've got life figured out and can handle anything. Then we get hit with something we think is too big to handle and come to realize that we've never even left our figurative backyard. That's when we have to make the decision to leave and grow or stay stuck in our little world. I think I'm finally leaving the yard…realizing things aren't always easily explained, and all we can ever really count on is God's grace.”
Discography
Leaving the Yard
10/2003
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Artist Bio
Leaving the drums behind to write and perform his own songs, Wayne Everett presents us with his solo debut “KingsQueens.” After a fifteen-year career that has seen him in some of the most important Southern California bands of their genres (The Lassie Foundation, Starflyer 59, The Prayer Chain), Wayne has put his art on his sleeve and created something unique and magical.
Discography
KingsQueens
04/2003
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Artist Bio
The Gravity Show, written and produced by Michael Pritzl, introduces "gravitizing"--the magical point where electronics and the organic create a whole new sound. Citing lyrical as well as musical references in tribute to its vast musical font, artists like Echo and the Bunnymen, The Jesus and the Mary Chain, The Cure, Nick Cave, and Joy Division, are represented, amongst others.
Discography
Fabulous Like You
07/2002
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Artist Bio
Kelly Ruppe, Northern Records' newest artist, has released her debut recording, “Sweet Love”. Kelly finds her own voice amongst influences like Nicole Nordeman, U2, and Sarah Macintosh on “Sweet Love”, while a mixture of stripped-down Americana and epic song arrangements define her sound. Kelly grew up in a musical family, and at a very early age would sit with her voice recorder to write vocal melodies. When she was fifteen she taught herself to play the guitar and at sixteen she began writing her own songs. With the release of "Sweet Love" at age nineteen, Kelly has focused her craft on the themes of faith, hope, and love, with soulful insight and an earnest heart.
Discography
Sweet Love
08/2005
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Artist Bio
Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric has been one of the most respected Christian artists of the last decade, breaking ground with his monosynth pop. But he put away the familiar sounds of his influential keyboards to become Shepherd. Wanting to explore outside of the precise Joy Electric sound and arrangement, Shepherd became more of an organic, spontaneous type of performance. With a live drummer and a Fender Strat, Ronnie has created something beautifully intuitive, and melodically rich.
Discography
Committing to Tape
07/2003
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Artist Bio
"I want people to believe in rock and roll, pop, soul, R&B, and jazz - all good music written and performed with purpose and expression." According to Lenz, there is no other social agenda or political message in his music. "Time may change that, but for now - I just want people to jam."
Discography
The Hot Stuff
10/2001
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Artist Bio
One of America's most prolific songwriters, Michael Knott has delivered his most introspective record to date. Originally written and demoed in hotels and motels across the United States while touring with Ticklepenny Corner, Hearts of Care is a stripped-down recording of acoustic guitar, strings, Michael Knott’s voice, and the disturbing lyrics of a broken heart.
Discography
Hearts of Care
07/2002
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