FAVORITE SONGS - 2024

Hello Luna at Kingdom Come Festival

 This is the third song list I have, and like last year I'm making it a top 20. A lot of good songs. Once again, I'm putting them in alphabetic order.

Before I start, I will comment that I've discovered a lot of good bands and singers I was unaware of until 2024 - ten of them, to be exact. A couple were introduced to me on Glenn Remsen's Lithoscry broadcast, and several more via my connections with Always 1 Ministries which puts on Kingdom Come Festival. However, there's also one "old-timer" who made it on the list. I'll let you figure out who that iconic band that's joining more recent groups on this list.

Allow me to mention some highlights with the performances. I had the honor of seeing two of my favorite drummers to watch on Saturday morning: Mark McKowen of Divine Martyr and Christian Dunkel of Undefeated. These two bands and I Am The Pendragon, Reclaim the Day, and True Revival put on a great show as usual. There were great times of worship led by With Lifted Veils and BRVVE, But the show that blew me away was Hello Luna.

So here's the list of songs that blessed me this year. I'll put asterisks by the artists I've just been introduced to this year. I'll also include a link to my list on Spotify.

• "Above All Names" by Mr. Weaverface.*
• "Absolution" by Divine Martyr
• "Buried On The Inside" by Hello Luna*
• "Come To Forever" by Counter*
• "Cost Me Nothing" by Steph Andrews*
• "Enter The Light" by Counter
• "Fight, Fight, Fight" by Worhol
• "Help Us See Jesus" by Sovereign Grace Music
• "Life Inauthentic" by Worshipwired*
• "Lighthouse" by Crystoria
• "My Path To Walk" by David Pataconi. This one is my favorite of the year. The more I hear it, the more I'm moved, especially knowing the challenges Pataconi is facing. By the way, while this is the first time you've seen Pataconi's name on the list, I'm not including an asterisk because he's part of a band that made last year's list, and coincidentally (I promise) that band is the next entry on the list.
• "Overthrow" by TheoTerran
• "Paper Kingdoms" by Steph Andrews
• "Rise" by Undefeated
• "Rumble" by Tierra Vacia;* They also have an unplugged version; I'm including both on the playlist link.
• "The Declaration" by End of I,* featuring Deshiel Lynn*
• "Time To Go" by McKenna*
• "When We Were Kings" by Stryper
• "You Raise Me Up" - AL-TIRAH*
• "You Won't Ever Abandon Me" by Allie Crummy*

As said, here is the link to the playlist if you want to be blessed... I mean, if you want to hear the songs on my list.. Also, I'm waiting to see which songs I listened to the most this past year, and will be sharing that early next year.

INTERVIEW WITH SLUGGO FRANKLIN OF AL-TIRAH

 

AL-TIRAH, left to right: Jerry Davis (Lead & Rhythm Guitars), Sluggo Franklin (Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Keyboards), Carrie Shrum (Lead & Background Vocals), Jeff Frederick (Bass) and Paul Franklin (Drums & Percussion).

Would you believe it's almost been a year since my last interview? I'm excited about this group. 

JR: How did the band get started and what’s the origin of the name?

SF: The guys in AL-TIRAH all used to play in a secular rock band Paragon in the 1990s and most of us played together.  We had lost touch after we broke up, just after the year 2000 started. My brother Paul (drums) and I (guitar, vocals, keyboards) decided to get together after I had written a few songs to record and maybe play a few places. Jeff Frederick (bass) had recently gotten saved and was getting in touch with us because he was now a Christian after being an Agnostic.  Jerry Davis (guitars) was also talking to Paul and I about God and the good old Days: Jerry was looking and God was knocking and Jerry, finally answered the door. He joined us and came up with the name of the band: it means Fear Not in Hebrew.

We started putting the songs together and had a some singers work with us. One night we saw Mrs. Carrie Shrum after she came in and sang a few songs at church. We were immediately impressed by the power in her voice, not to mention she sounded great! We asked her to come try out and she joined us right away. So really God put us together he had a plan way back when and everything just fell in place we became what we are today AL TIRAH/FEAR NOT.

JR: Would you like to tell me about your latest project? (I’ve never had anyone say no to that question.)

SF: The new recording, “AL-TIRAH - God Is With Us,” has 9 songs: 

• “Passion.” I wrote it years ago and tried doing it so many times it just never worked out for one reason or another a song all about the things Jesus said on the Cross and the forgiveness that comes with it. It is played exactly how I had written it from the very beginning.
• “You Raise Me Up” really just came to me in a dream and I woke up and wrote it down. A feel good praise song!
• “Back Slider” was a song I had written and tried to have a more new wave feel to it but Jerry had written music and it just fit the song is about running away from God and the feeling of being lost all over again.
• “Pray for Reign” is basically about how we need Jesus to come heal the land and take away all the Sin we are facing today and people and their selfish ways, pretending to be Christians.
• “Mold Me Like Clay” is written with Jerry Davis in mind and how he just gave everything to Jesus and turned his life completely around. What a testimony he has.
• “Luke 23” is written by Jerry Davis; most is of it is taken straight from the Bible and basically the message that it is.
• “Psalms 3.” That song was a cover actually straight out of the bible a few bands to my knowledge have recorded it so basically written by King David.
• “There Aint No Grave. The words are from Molly Skaggs version, and we just made it our version musically.
• "Everything." I wrote it years ago when I was just thinking about how God was in every little detail in my life and how much I loved God and everything he has given us especially his only begotten Son just so we may have ever lasting life. What a wonderful God we serve. That song wrote itself. That why I wrote the part this song I sing.

JR: What do you think is the greatest need in the world, and how do you think God is using AL-TIRAH to meet that need?

SF: the greatest need in the world is obviously, Jesus the truth that comes with Him and the life. I think God brought us together to help others from all ages to find Him: we all come from different backgrounds but music is our common denominator. We have been through the fire and being able to talk to people and help them in testimony and music and one on one to listen with an open heart - not judging is a necessity.

JR: Here’s a double header. Can you tell me one of the greatest blessings your band has had? Also, what are one of the greatest challenges facing the band that God brought you through?

SF: The greatest blessing to me is seeing old band mates find Christ and come use our talents for Him.

As far as challenges go, getting older not being those young guys jamming for the youth but now having to deal with age and its issues for me personally but the others I would say being able to make time to practice and record as well as play gigs. But the more we get noticed the better it will be for all of us. Its in God’s hands and we put our faith in him period.

JR: Thank you for your time. What is ahead for the band? Do you have a web page or social media where we can keep up with you?

SF: Our web page, http://www.altirahband.com, is new and still being updated. We have a Face book page - it’s AL TIRAH, all capitals - and Youtube music Free LP. 

ALBUM REVIEW - GOD IS WITH US BY AL-TIRAH

 I had the honor of getting to listen to AL-TIRAH's debut album. It starts out with the soulful "Ain't No Grave" and concludes with the driving guitars of "You Raise Me Up," with wonderful songs like "Everything," "Mold Me Like Clay." and "Psalm 3" in between. Interestingly, in fact, the 9 songs are in alphabetic order (at least, it's that way on Spotify). Besides the versatile sounds of the music, the lyrics are inspiring and uplifting.

When I write a review of an album, I point out what my favorite songs are. So what are my favorite tunes on this song album? Well, there's the songs I mentioned in the above paragraph, and there's also "Back Slider," "Luke 23," "Passion," and "Pray For Reign." And if you're counting, you'll realize I mentioned every song on the project. 

I'm looking forward to hearing what they come out with next.