http://www.xtrlive.com The latest music reviews from xtrlive.com en-us http://xtrlive.com/review.php t and #39;s been just 15 months since Jon McLaughlin made his national debut with Indiana, but a lot has happened in that time. Strong reviews and various movie soundtrack appearances had already made him a rising star, but then his music sales spiked the day after the 25-year-old singer/songwriter performed and quot;So Close and quot; from Enchanted on the 2008 Academy Awards. From there, he and #39;s only gained exposure by touring with Sara Bareilles, Duffy, Kelly Clarkson, and other prominent names. It and #39;s a good thing he was able to strike while the iron was hot by quickly recording a follow-up and hellip; or is it? Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php After more than 10 years with a record label, GRITS are finally free agents. The best-selling rap duo never really fell victim to corporate oversight or pandered to the demands of family-friendly CCM, but once they hit it big with 2002 and #39;s groundbreaking The Art of Translation, it seemed as if they were stuck on autopilot. They were so good at what they did, they replicated the formula and hoped fans would continue to roll deep with them. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Don and #39;t be fooled by the cover of Emery and #39;s new EP, showing a sinking man with his arms flailing above water. In a sink or swim industry, Emery is certainly swimming. Their fourth major release, While Broken Hearts Prevail, combines the rawness of their earlier work with the maturity of their latest feats to make their best effort yet. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Leaps and bounds: that and #39;s the simplest way I can describe the evolution of House of Heroes in their relatively brief history. I barely recognize the trio from Columbus, Ohio that started out playing punk and power pop, or even the alt-rock band that graced our 2005 Best Albums list with their national debut and mdash;and that and #39;s not just because they and #39;ve expanded to a four-piece band now either. Having played shows with a wide range of bands both mainstream (Silverchair, Phantom Planet) and Christian (Relient K, Family Force 5) has clearly sparked House of Heroes and #39; imagination, while giving them the experience to build their skills considerably. Much like their Buckeye brethren in Relient K, this band seems destined to grow with every release, discontent with reaching the status quo. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php and quot;It and #39;s the strangest way I and #39;ve discovered a new band, and quot; according to Nashville Artist Relations director Chris York about new rock group Abandon. He and his wife were enjoying dinner at a Mexican restaurant while the band played in a Nashville venue next door. York couldn and #39;t ignore the hook-filled rock songs coming through the walls, and knew he had to pursue them. Before long, Abandon was signed Forefront Records, digitally releasing a self-titled 5-song EP. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php You and #39;d think Lincoln Brewster would be better known than he currently is. As a singer, songwriter, worship leader, and guitarist extraordinaire, he and #39;s got the skills and mdash;part Chris Tomlin, part Phil Keaggy (at least the rock side of Keaggy) and mdash;as well as the connections, playing with such big names as Steve Perry (Journey) and Michael W. Smith, writing with the likes of Paul Baloche and Hillsong. The guy and #39;s also certainly had his share of radio hits, most recently his No. 1 cover of Brenton Brown and #39;s and quot;Everlasting God. and quot; Yet he and #39;s still not quite a household name in Christian music, or as widely recognized a worship leader as his contemporaries. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php Lots of people regularly complain how they and #39;ve grown disenchanted with Christian music in recent years, and to some extent, I can understand why. I also miss those special artists who clearly express their faith without being too obtuse or obvious, and bands with an accessible pop/rock sound that isn and #39;t overly derivative or formulaic. Artists like Charlie Peacock, Steve Taylor, and the late great Rich Mullins are just some examples of classic Christian artists who deftly balanced their artistry with their ministry, rather than stray too far one way or the other. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php When Nevertheless released their debut in 2006, they were correctly pegged as a rocking power pop band through hit singles like and quot;The Real and quot; and and quot;Live Like We and #39;re Alive. and quot; During their performances, however, they noted how audiences became quieter and seemed to connect more deeply with their lyrics during slower introspective songs like and quot;Lover and quot; and and quot;O Child. and quot; So in an effort to make their music more poignant and purposeful, Nevertheless has softened their sound considerably for In the Making and hellip; , relying more heavily on piano and acoustic guitar. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php It and #39;s becoming more and more uncommon to call a new band unique or distinct, and that and #39;s exactly why Jonezetta created a stir with their 2006 national debut Popularity. Touring with popular acts like Anberlin and MuteMath, they attracted audiences with a sort of neo-new-wave approach to dance rock that wasn and #39;t too post-punk (like The Killers) or too campy (like Family Force 5). Their sound was all about fun, finding the musical hook for a three-minute rock song that kept listeners coming back. Read More. http://xtrlive.com/review.php http://xtrlive.com/review.php With just one album, Group 1 Crew filled a big void in Christian music, and it didn and #39;t take long for people to that impressive self-titled debut. The trio scored radio recognition, a Dove award in the hip-hop album category, and a rapport with pop lovers who wanted something similar to tobyMac, but with more emphasis on the hip-hop than the rock. Read more. http://xtrlive.com/review.php