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.

MY REPORT ON THE 2024 KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL! (AND RELATED THOUGHTS AS WELL)

Meredith Dunkel of Undefeated prepares to sing Star Spangled Banner to start Saturday's program, with host and performer Matt Moore on stage with her to the right.

When Kingdom Come Festival (afterward referred to as KCF) started in 2010, Becky and I had already been Indianapolis residents for almost 15 years. It was another 11 years before we heard about the festival. In '21, I learned about it too late, so I passed. In '22, I debated between that festival and Get To The Point festival, which was smaller and closer. Last year, I went and spent Saturday there, hearing 7 bands (all on the Redemption stage). This year, I mentioned to Becky that I could go again on Saturday and not have to take time off work. She told me: "You enjoy it. Take the day off and go both days!" So I did. (Note - technically, it starts Thursday nights, before being all day on two stages Friday and Saturday.)

And let me point out a fact - yes, I go there for the music, but I also look for an opportunity to volunteer. It didn't work out in '23's KCF, but I had the honor of being part of the welcome team at the Pit Fest last October and both Friday and Saturday this year.

Let me run down the groups I got to hear, and if there's something that really stands out (besides "Great concert!"), I'll point it out. Then, I'll mention other high points, as well as an answer to the question "Is KCF a 'get away from it all' blessing, or is it something that's affecting your life? Also, there is the main stage and the Subculture Stage - I'll put an asterisk if it's the latter. So here's my itinerary:

With Lifted Veils

FRIDAY 11:50 am - WITH LIFTED VEILS.* (Note - if you're volunteering, and during that time a group you want to hear is performing, they let you go, and this was the case here.)

Autumn Eve

FRIDAY  1:30 pm - AUTUMN EVE. (Another concert I wanted to hear during my volunteer time.) Two notes - it's the first time I've seen a guitarist or bass player (the latter in this case) use a bow. Also, I was amused at looking at the main schedule and seeing that four performers in a row on the main stage were Autumn Eve, Mourning Eve, Reclaim the Day, and Samuel Day. My friend Chris Bousum told me that was a pure accident.

Reclaim The Day, Zahna

FRIDAY 3:00 pm - RECLAIM THE DAY. I love this band - second time I heard them live. I was eating lunch and not where I could see their first song (wish I could have paid attention to it). Another artist, Zahna, who was a guest artist on RTD's song "Chokehold" got on stage and joined RTD's Becca Sugg on that song. I was as surprised as I was when I saw the sun set in the west.

Samuel Day

FRIDAY 3:45 pm - SAMUEL DAY. I'm at the age where I don't like driving in the dark, and I live an hour away from the venue, so last year I left where I missed getting to see two performers I really wanted to see. Samuel Day was one of the two. Fortunately for me at least, he performed earlier in '24 than in '23. (The other artist I missed, TheoTerran? Not so fortunate - they were the headliner - final act - on Friday at the SubCulture stage, definitely after dark!)

Hello Luna

FRIDAY 4:20 pm - HELLO LUNA.* There are few concerts that have me leave going "Wow!" Hello Luna's set was one of the few that hit the unforgettable level.

True Revival

SATURDAY 10:00 am - TRUE REVIVAL. They had a bump - their regular drummer broke his arm two days before the performance! They had a back-up drummer, but it meant I have to wait to hear their new songs!

BRVVE

SATURDAY 10:35 am - BRVVE.* Actually, the difference between BRVVE and With Lifted Veils was who the lead singer was and whether they had an electric guitar in the band, as well as if one member was playing drums or conga. But two things stood out in this set. First, on the second song, I heard what sounded like cooing, looked up, and saw a couple of birds fly to the ceiling and enjoy the concert from the rafters. Second, Dale Vaughn of SubCulture Outreach Community got up before they finished, preached, and led a short revival. 

Divine Martyr - yes, the lead vocalist also plays cello.

SATURDAY 11:30 am - DIVINE MARTYR. With two stages, how often do I have two bands I really want to see perform at the same time? Believe it or not, not often. This was an exception. However, let me confess that my favorite rock genre is symphonic metal, which is what Divine Martyr is. Also, I found out Glenn Hatmaker, a friend that I used to work with, was coming up particularly to hear DM. If he hadn't, I would have listened to a song by I Am The Pendragon before going to hear Divine Martyr. By the way, my favorite drummer to watch is Mark McKowen.

I Am The Pendragon

 SATURDAY 11:20ish am - I AM THE PENDRAGON.* Remember me mention that there was a mini-revival during BRVVE's set? Would you be surprised to know it messed the Sub Culture Stage's schedule? Though I'm not sure I'd call it messed up. Instead of starting and finishing  ten minutes before Divine Martyr started on the main stage, they were approximately ten minutes behind! Thus, I got to bring Glenn to hear their last two songs, for him to be impressed by the voice of lead singer Jerrod Cunningham, and to see Kevin "Moose" Busch get off the platform and wander through the crowd while playing his bass.

Undefeated

SATURDAY 1:00 pm - UNDEFEATED.   Remember me mentioning that Divine Martyr's Mark McKowen is my favorite drummer to watch? Well, he has competition in Christian Dunkel of Undefeated - his constant smile is contagious.

 

Me with Jermaine Lajuane Nixon

Tricord

I managed to catch a few songs by other artists as well, such as Nate Parrish and Brandon Michael (recommended by my photographer friend Chad Fenner (who worked on the SubCulture Stage. But the one song I heard by Tricord, "Into The Storm, "was one that touched me. 

Me with Jermaine Lajaune Nixon of Tricord

So what can compete with all the great music? Actually, it's not close. Both days, I felt I was among family. Always 1 Ministry's Chris Bousum, the brothers in True Revival, the guys of Divine Martyr, Jerrod Cunningham and Kevin "Moose" Busch of I Am The Pendragon, New Day Rising's Jammin Shue, and Nicole Drennan (aka BRVVE) all made me feel I belonged there. Add to that getting to meet Jermaine Lajaune Nixon of Tricord, and it was the closest thing to a reunion. (Since I don't have any kids, I thought of adopting a band or two, except musicians have a penchant for expensive toys.)

One neat thing - they were collecting get well cards for my buddy David Paconi of TheoTerran, who has been dealing with a ruptured appendix and chemo-therapy.

Me with Jammin Shue

However, something hit me late Saturday afternoon. A blog from last year mentioned me thinking of a music chaplaincy (Becky's suggestion, based on me wanting to encourage Christian musicians). I have already made a regular prayer list for musicians I pray for each week. 

Me, John Harin, Reece Maopolski of Brotality

So guess what I did? I went back to the merchandise tent and the booths in the SubCulture stage, and asked several musicians how I could pray for them. This allowed me to meet Reece Maopolski and John Haring of Brotality, rapper Damac, and Josiah Brand (aka Fyrebrand).

Me, Josiah Brand (Fyrebrand)

MY TOP SONGS, 2023, ACCORDING TO SPOTIFY

Me with David Pataconi of TheoTerran

First Blog of 2024! Excited? And what better way than to look at what Spotify considered my Top Songs for last year!

I first discovered that Spotify formed a playlist of my Top songs based on airplay two years ago. I did notice, though, that there were some songs that I wasn't familiar with. So I had several "Ballot Stuffing" playlists, to see if I could get a "Top Songs" that reflected what I was actively listening to. 

Result? Mission Accomplished! I did have a few songs that I didn't think belonged, but not the way it was the previous years. Next year, though, I'll try to rotate through all my playlists and see what that looks like.

But I'm sure all my musician friends are holding their breath to see how they fared. I'll try to minimize the duration of the suspense. (Hey, doesn't Duration of Suspense sound like a good band name?)

I'm going to include a link to the list at the end, but I'll go through statistics. I figured out that there were 62 different artists on the list. 20 of those appeared more than once. Pardon me, therefore, if I don't list the 42 single entry artists (you can find them on the list mentioned above).

Nine had a pair of entries. One of those was Sovereign Grace Music, which made me smile - one entry was the studio version of "Behold Our God," while the other was the live rendition. Joining them were, in alphabetic order: Margaret Becker, Forsaken Hero, I Am The Pendragon, Rich Mullins, Rusty Shipp, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Soundless Whisper, and Yanni.

How about those who had three entries? I'm glad you asked! These six, again in alphabetic order, feature Franz Berwald (classical composer), Jodie Essex, Felix Mendelssohn, Reclaim The Day, TheoTerran, and Zahna. 

Math time. The number of songs in these three levels, adding 42, 18, and 18, equaling 78, with 22 remaining, Likewise, the artists in each level - 42, 9, and 6 - comes to 57, which when subtracted from 62 leaves 5. So who are those top 5 artists based on entries? Drum roll please. 

In  second place, we have a four way tie between Battled, Divine Martyr, Raviner, and True Revival, with four songs each. And on the top with six songs - Eyes Aflame!

But let me change angles. I mentioned the link will have the list of the 100 in order, but I'll be nice and give you the top 10 songs, recorded by 8 different artists. Ready?

Number 10 - "Remnant"  by Ignescent

Number  9 - "Frontline" by Idle Cure (an old timer on a fairly modern list).

Number 8 - "Sentenced To Life" by Reclaim The Day.

Number 7 - "Not The End" by Eyes Aflame.

Number 6 - "You Chose Me" by Toni LaShaun.

Number 4 - "Underneath" by Zahna.

I hear you all! You're asking about #5. I have a reason. You remember I mentioned there are 8 different artists doing the top ten, and I've listed 6. Are any of the 6 in the remaining 4 slots? Nope. Have the final two artists split those four? Nope. Divine Martyr has filled up three of the top five slots with "Mystique" (#5), "Truth" (#3), and "Fear" (#2).

So who is #1? Come on, you should have it figured out! What band is represented by the gentleman next to me in the picture at the top of this blog? The number one song belongs to "Battle Cry" by TheoTerran!

As promised, below is the full list. Are any of your favorites on it? 

Jeff's Top Songs 2023, per Spotify

 

JEFF'S FAVORITE SONG LIST FOR 2023

The Concert by Gerard van Honthorst

I'm going to start my favorites with the longest list - my favorite songs of '23. I use that term loosely - some of the songs might be technically '22 or maybe even '21, but I'm including songs from the most recent project of groups that I didn't know about till this year. I'll also include links to reviews of the album featuring the song. I'll also include a link to a Spotify Playlist that includes these and favorites of the last two years. So you ready? 

Here is my list of my 20 favorite songs from '23, and yes, as usual, I'll be putting them in alphabetic order. 

1. "Behold Our God" by Sovereign Grace Music. Excellent worship song - one that we sing at Northside Baptist, and when we do, it takes a while to get that one out of my head.
2. "Eden" by Amy Shreve. Her newest song, and it's among my favorites by her. I've had the honor of hearing her and her husband Gary Wixtrom several times in the past.
3. "Falling Stars" by I Am The Pendragon. It's been a pleasure getting to know guitarist/lead vocalist Jerrod Cunningham this year, and enjoyed hearing them at Kingdom Come Festival. Album Review Link
4. "Forever" by Divine Martyr. A cover of the Kari Jobe song, and I like this version better. I had the privilege of hearing them this year at Kingdom Come Festival, though I don't think they did this during their set.
5. "From The Silence" (Acoustic Version) by Battled. Artist Interview Link (I'm including the  interview link because I didn't do an album review, but also they're one of the few musicians I've interviewed this year).
6. "Heartbreak Embrace" by Eyes Aflame. Excellent rock song. They opened their set at Kingdom Come Festival, and Sarah Shue's singing on this song completely blew me away. Album Review Link
7. "I Know The One Who Knows" by The Chigger Hill Boys and Terri. Yes, a Southern Gospel song (or more technically Christian Bluegrass) made it into the list! 
8. "I Stand" by Crimson Overtone. This is probably older than their Assimilate EP; definitely a song I listen to when I need encouragement. I hear a little of them at The Pit Fest. 
9. "Not The End" by Eyes Aflame. Another song that takes a day or two to get out of my mind. See album review on entry 7.
10. "Orchestrate" by TheoTerran. I don't believe this is a single from their self-titled album, but it's my favorite from that project. They performed at Kingdom Come Festival, but I didn't get to hear them because I left early. :'( Hope to hear them next year. See album review on entry 1.
11. "Red" by Raviner. Great song! I don't think they did this during their Kingdom Come Festival set (I could be wrong), but it's an excellent song. Album Review Link
12. "Relief" by Taken Under. I first heard it live last year at the Get To The Point Festival, when the band was calling themselves "Tempus Unum."
13. "Rise And Reclaim" by I Am The Pendragon. Probably the hardest song on this year's list. Link to their album review on entry 4: Isn't "The Castle Of Lost Hope" a great title and concept? See album review 
14. "Say Goodbye" by Reclaim The Day. It was on the '22 EP "Psalms," but was released as a single this year. Great song, and a cool video as well. Album Review Link
15. "Show Me How To Live" by Rusty Shipp. Great song and excellent lyrics. I heard them at Kingdom Come Festival this year, though I don't think they did this or my other favorite song. This song isn't on their most recent release. 
16. "The Sword" by True Revival. On my lists, I avoid telling my rankings, but on this list, I'll mention that this was my favorite song this year. Of course, since it's about the Word of God... Album Review Link
17. "True Revival" by True Revival. Hmm... both the song name and the band sound familiar. Could it be because they're also the above song? I had the honor of hearing them twice this year, including the Pit Fest. By the way, if you want to see their album review link...
18. "Us And Them" by Rusty Shipp. Yes, I mentioned them a couple of entries before. This song is from their most recent album. Album Review Link
19. "WarCry" by TheoTerran. First song I heard by them, and it's one that often sticks in my head. Album Review Link 
20. "Your Love" by BRVVE. I got to hear her do this live at Kingdom Come Festival.

If you want to listen to them, they are on this playlist, starting at #33: Favorites '21-'25 

And speaking of playlists, next week I'll have a blog on what Spotify decided were my top 100 songs for 2023! 

2023 KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL - A VERY BLESSED DAY!!!

Welcome to Kingdom Come Festival.

 

Note: I will identify the below photos at the bottom of this blog, all of which were either taken by or include yours truly (I have yet to master the selfie yet). 

You may remember my interviews with Always One Ministries co-founder Angie Leyda in '21 and photographer Jeanette Yoder last year dealing with Kingdom Come Festival (and if you don't I'm sure you noticed their names in blue, indicating a link to said interviews). Those were among my favorite interviews, but still those two years had me desiring to attend but not making the trip.

Well, I finally made it!

For those unaware, the past couple of years the festival was at Howard County Vietnam Veteran's Healing Fields in Greentown, IN (a little east of Kokomo, an hour's drive from Indianapolis). It starts on one stage on Thursday night, and continues on two stages both Friday and Saturday. 

Maybe when I retire, I might buy or borrow a camper and spend the whole weekend there. But since I am not yet retired and not committed enough to take more than one two-hour round trips per festival, I only went on Saturday this year. Praise the Lord, I was interested in hearing 9 of 10 groups scheduled to perform at the Redemption Stage. (Before I attended, I didn't know what to expect, and wondered if I had a half mile walk between the two stages. I know better now.) 

Allow me to give some observations about the day (July 17th, 2023). 

1. One thing I hoped for was to get to meet or get to re-meet several of my favorite musicians. Big check mark there. I had the honor of meeting Always One Ministries co-founders Chris Bousum and Angie Leyda (had a nice conversation with Chris), and photographer Jeanette Yoder (I spent the day in Redemption Stage with Concert Foto's Chad Fenner, and didn't have the manners to introduce myself! 😭)
   
   I wanted to meet Undefeated for over a year, and missed hearing them perform (they took the stage Friday while I worked), but got to meet them in the Merchandise. I had the honor of meeting Jerrod Cunningham (I Am The Pendragon), Nicolle Drennan (BRVVE), Sarah Shue (Eye's AFlame), Kamber Kigin (Raviner), Russ T. Shipp (Rusty Shipp), and an Upstanding Gent. I also got reacquainted with Scott Shireman (Hush Harbor), Miranda Brown, and 3/4 of Divine Martyr and 3/4 of Reclaim The Day (I don't believe I had the honor of meeting either DM vocalist Olivia Guetle or RTD bassist Logan Morehouse yet). 
   
2. One singer I wanted to hear was Zahna. She had an acoustic set on Friday evening (I was working) and a midnight set Saturday night (past my bedtime), plus an appearance with Reclaim The Day on Friday (again, was working). But Saturday morning started with her singing the National Anthem. Still want to hear her live. By the way, I didn't stay to hear Samuel Day or TheoTerran, though I wanted to hear both -
   
   I happened to be both teaching Sunday School and working in the video booth the next morning). I did get to hear a couple of songs by Jesus Music legend Nancy Honeytree, which I didn't expect to, since she was scheduled the same time as Divine Martyr, but the singer before her didn't come, so she performed when I took a lunch break.
   
   
   
3. I was thankful I still have my hearing. The Redemption Stage was a metal barn. The first act, BRVVE, wasn't a problem, but they consisted of two ladies taking turns playing an acoustic guitar and a conga player. The rest of the bands: I couldn't understand any female vocalists and struggled with the male singers.
   
   
   
4. Did the above mean I didn't enjoy it? NO WAY! I got to hear many of the songs that have become recent favorites: "Truth" and "Fear" by Divine Martyr; "Heartbreak Embrace," "Fight," and "Not The End" by Eye's Aflame; "Your Love" by BRVVE; "Boots On The Ground," "Copper Miner's Son," and "World Gone Mad"
   
   by Upstanding Gents, "What's Kraken?" by Rusty Shipp, and "Drown" by Raviner.  I also got introduced to a song that will rapidly become a favorite: "Atonement" by I Am The Pendragon.

Of course, there are things I didn't get to hear. I missed hearing Hush Harbor, Undefeated, Zahna, and Reclaim The Day, because of my work schecule. Other favorite artists - Jodi Essex,

Worhol, and True Revival - weren't there (though, after Honeytree, I might get to hear older groups I haven't heard in concert after decades, such as Steve Camp, Malcolm Wild [with either Alwyn or the Mirrors], Daniel Band, Idle Cure, and Selah). But the day was a big blessing.

Photos (from top): 

• Me and Jerrod Cunningham of I Am The Pendragon
• Me and Always One Co-founder Chris Bousum
• Me with Undefeated
• Zahna singing national anthem
• Concert Fotos' Chad Fenner photographing Jammin Shue of Eye's Aflame
• Me with Samuel Day
• BRVVE
• I Am The Pendragon
• Me with Rusty Shipp
• Upstanding Gents
• Divine Martyr
  
• Me with Tristan Harris and Marcus Sugg of Reclaim The Day
• Eye's Aflame
• Raviner
• Me with part of TheoTerran (don't know his name. 😢)
  

  

  
  
  
  
  

TIS THE SEASON FOR FESTIVAL ANXIETIES AND DILEMNAS!

 

Divine Martyr, Get To The Point Festival. (Thought you might rather see them performing than the often used photo of yours truly with the band.)

Okay, who do I go listen to this year? Divine Martyr for the second time? True Revival for the first time? The Daniel Band for the first time in person, 42 years after the first time I heard them perform on a radio program?

And where's "Get To The Point" festival when you need it?!

Two years ago, I learned of Always One Ministry and their concerts: the two day, two stage summer Kingdom Come Festival (which expanded to 2 1/2 days last year) and the Pit in the fall. Unable to make it to either of those festivals.

And the same was true last year as well! However, I had an alternative. Did you ever hear of "Get To The Point" festival? Oh yeah, I did mention that a couple of paragraphs earlier.

This year? I might finally make it to KCF this year! It's only an hour away, after all. Though it had some competition. I have to choose between which two of my favorite bands I should support! Do I go hear True Revival at a bikers rally? Or do I go hear Divine Martyr and others in Kokomo?

Hush Harbor at Get To The Point

One thing I'd love to do is get better photos of artists. I had a photo of another of my favorite groups, Reclaim The Day, but it's blurred. (They'll be at KCF, but unfortunately on Friday, while I'm working.😢) I also took one of Scott Shireman, drummer of Hush Harbor, but it's also blurred! (Hush Harbor will be at KCF, but unfortunately they'll be at the Thursday night kick-off while I'm getting ready to sleep so I can work Friday.😥.) I did get a good one of me with Divine Martyr. Fortunately, I didn't take that ... I mean, it wasn't blurred.

Last year's Saturday line-up was fantastic, but it would have had me going from one stage to the other a couple of times. This year, Saturday has a good line-up, but this time, the artists I want to see are all on one stage, starting out with BRVVE (who I heard at "Get To The Point", performing as Brave WRSHP). 

Reclaim The Day, with BRVVE on left

Of course, there are bands I'd like to hear that I won't be able to. Undefeated will be there Friday. Zahna has a Friday acoustic set (I'd love to hear that) and closes the festival at midnight on Saturday (definitely past my bed-time). Theody, Forsaken Hero, and True Revival were there last year but not this year. And Worhol and Daniel Band have yet to be there!

Speaking of Daniel Band, they're going to be in concert on Labor Day weekend! But two things against hearing my favorite metal band. 1) They're further away (in Ohio). 2) Unlike KCF, it costs!

Back to KCF. I'm thinking of volunteering, so please pray about that. Should I spend my first time at the festival just enjoying it, or should I serve my brothers and sisters in Christ? Also, I want to be an encouragement to the fellow musicians, so pray about this. 

And keep KCF and other Christian festivals this summer up in prayer (including True Revival's Biker Rally this Saturday). Allow me to post the schedule so you'll be able to pray for the artists.

 

LOOKING BACK AT '22 - FAVORITE SONGS (PART 2 OF 6)

 

Reclaim The Day, from Get To The Point Festival. Left to right - WVIU bassist of the year Logan Morehouse, drummer Tristan Harris, lead vocalist Becca Sugg, and WVIU lead guitarist of the year Marcus Sugg. Did this band have any songs on my 15 favorite songs of '22? If so, how many?

Those of you familiar with my blogs and posts know I give lists on both fiction and non-fiction books. But how about music? 

To be honest, our budget for new books and records is usually zero, so I make use of the library for my reading. I regularly get CDs from there as well, but most of the time it's classical with some music like Yanni, and for the purpose of relaxing at night (which is why I don't check out Stryper). It's recently I started listening to more recent music on Spotify (and I also plan on listening some next year to WVIU and Silent Witness Radio (click here if you missed my interview with Gothdad of SWR).

So this year, I'll list my 15 favorite songs from this past year. With my books, I don't claim my favorites were all written that year, but rather were read that year (which allows Agatha Christie and Allistair MacLean to compete against Kerry Nietz, Nancy Mehl, and Donna Fletcher Crow). The music, I'm trying to deal with '22 songs, though a '21 song might sneak in there. (For example, one of my favorite songs came out last year as a single, but was on a EP and won the WVIU award for best rock song this year, so it qualifies).

Part of the reason of these lists is to encourage the artists included, but I want to be a good dad and not show favortism, so I pick a number (often, 10 is too limited so I make sure I expand it to include all my strong favorites), and then list the entries alphabetically by title. After all, I don't want an author or musician to think, "Oh, I'm #10 on a list of 10? I just barely missed it."

Before I start, I'll state that all of these songs can be found on Spotify. There are some artists who are yet to be on Spotify that I really enjoy (e.g. True Revival Band) or have a single out this year that didn't get on Spotify yet (e.g. Worhol) that I'd love to have on the list, or a song I heard live that's not recorded yet (speaking specifically of "Relief" by Tempus Unum). Hope to see them next year!

I'll admit I haven't seen the lyrics for most of these songs, so some of those comments will be more about style. But I really enjoy each song on the list. So are you ready? (And again, the numbers don't relate to ranking.)

1. "Captain Rescue Me" by Hubbards Marsh. Hubbards Marsh consists of my good friends Gary Wixtrom and his wife Amy Shreve. Amy has several excellent albums out as well. (By the way, I'd love to interview Gary and/or Amy for the blog.) This is probably one of the mellower songs on this list.
   
2. "Fear" by Divine Martyr. I absolutely love this song, which deservedly got nominated for best rock song in the WVIU awards.
   
3. "Framing My Perception" by Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh (aka GFM Band). Some of this band's songs are a little too hardcore for me, but I especially enjoy this song. GFM consist of three sisters, for those who haven't read my interview with them.
   
4. "Future" by Undefeated. A good rock song by another family group (two sisters and a brother; definitely want to get to hear them!).
   
5. "Give Me Faith" by Becca Sugg. Becca is lead vocalist and guitarist for Reclaim The Day (pictured above), which also has other entries on this list. I think this is a song that technically is a '21 song, but I'm counting it because I just discovered it a week or two ago.
6. "God of Revival" by Forsaken Hero. I love the title of the song, and I absolutely loved the song. When I interviewed Casey Price, I learned this was a cover of a Bethel music song, but I like this version better than the original. This also got a nomination for the WVIU awards (Another band I want to hear live.)
   
7. "Mystique" by Divine Martyr. This is a unique entry on the list because it's the only instrumental. 
8. "Remnant" by Ignescent. The title definitely got my attention, because I think the American Church too often forgets God usually works through the remnant. This hard rock song is as good as the title.
9. "Send Down The Fire" by Beth Hall. This is one of two songs by Beth on Spotify, the other being a Christmas song. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more from her.
10. "Sentenced To Life" by Reclaim The Day. I fell in love with this song when I first heard it. This song was the winner for Best Rock Song in the WVIU awards.
11. "Testimony" by Hush Harbor. This song blew me away first time I heard it, and I had the privilege of hearing them do this song at the Get To The Point Festival.
12. "Truth" by Divine Martyr. Yes, the third and most recent Divine Martyr song on this list. And would you mind if I mentioned it's my favorite by them? One night last week, as I was lying half asleep, this song was going through my brain (with Bruckner's 6th symphony, 1st movement alternating with it).
13. "World Gone Mad" by Upstanding Gents. This band's music reminds me of Lifesavors and Altar Boys from the '80's. 
14. "You Chose Me" by Toni LaShaun. The most uplifting song I heard this year. Thus, I wasn't surprised when it won the award for "Songs that remind us of our purpose."
    
15. "Yours Alone" by Reclaim the Day. If you count Becca's solo song, Reclaim the Day tied Divine Martyr with most entries for this year's inaugural list.

But what will be on my list this coming year? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

LOOKING BACK AT '22 (PART 1 OF 6)

Remember this photo? Remember who this band is? And can you guess who is not part of the band?

 

Another year over with! (Almost!) So let me end the year with 8 consecutive blogs, starting yesterday.

Today's blog will have three parts:

1. I will look at my next to the last blog of last year and compare my goals with reality.
2. I will give hopefully brief opinions (anybody really expect that?) on this past year.
3. I'll give you an outline for the week of blogs.

A year ago, I told you my reading goals (a duplicate of my goal for '21): Reading one non-fiction and two fiction books a month (respectively 12 and 24) during the year. The goals were met and exceeded: 19 non-fiction and 27 fiction (not counting 3 graphic superhero novels).

On the non-fiction end, I planned on reading four more 9-Marks books: Done! I mentioned the New Studies In Biblical Theology series: I read four of those. I did reread three books: Graham Benyon's bio on Isaac Watts, Todd Nettleton's 40-day devotional When Faith is Forbidden and Todd Miles fun apologetics book Superheroes Can't Save You. 

As far as fiction, I mentioned reading more Love Inspired Supspense each year, reading 9, 11, and 18 the previous three years. Last year, I'm down for 17, one less than last year. As expected, I read books by Donna Fletcher Crow (3), Nancy Mehl (2), Kerry Nietz (2), and Janet Sketchley.

I had a goal to attend either the Kingdom Come Festival or the Pitt Fest this year, and get to hear Reclaim The Day. No, I didn't make it to either of those festivals, but I did get to Get To The Point Festival and got to hear Reclaim The Day there, as well as Inarticulate Bones which was also on my list. That concert also made me a confirmed Divine Martyr fan. I didn't make it to a NCFCA tourney last year, partly to signing up for a contest I thought was on-line and found out it was in person and had to cancel. 😭

How about the ministry opportunities Becky and I were talking about? Still talking about them. Any steps on publication? Only reading a book titled When God Calls A Writer. I also wrote the series I had planned to for the blog.

Speaking of this blog, I had great interviews again. I'm debating about mentioning any because they all were good. Four really stand out though: Libertarians Kerry Baldwin and Russell Brooksbank, author Carol Berubee, and singer/producer Jim Worthing (I really enjoy the interviews that get into theology). But I also invite you to look at the archives on the right to find any you've missed.

My thoughts of this year? It's been a sad year for several reasons. Several friends went home to be with the Lord. In a six week period, I was off work almost two weeks due to illness (one week with COVID, and most of another with flu/bronchitis). Missing some of my typical events like judging NCFCA contests or the live nativity scene at a nearby church. The political situation. But Becky and I are headed to our 40th Anniversary! I'm blessed at Northside Baptist, including a Bible study and a bi-monthly men's prayer breakfast.

How was that for brief?

What? This week's blogs? It started with part 25 of my hymn series yesterday, and will end Sunday (New Year's Day) with part 26. Today, I looked back at '22. Tuesday through Thursday will be respectively my favorite songs, fiction, and non-fiction books. Friday, I'll look ahead to '23, and I have a blog on my heart for New Year's Eve. 

P.S. In case you didn't remember, the band is Divine Martyr. Pictured right to left is drummer Mark McKowen, vocalist/celloist Olivia Guelle, guitarist Jason Hyde, bassist Woody Hughes, and non-band-member/DM fan/blog writer Jeff Reynolds.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2022 WVIU MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES AND WINNERS

WVIU Music Awards

  As I was going through the list of nominees for the '22 WVIU Music Awards, I found the list for female fronted bands. Included were Divine Martyr, Reclaim The Day, Saving Jackie, and Undefeated. Do those names sound familiar? And why is each one underlined and in blue? That means they're links to interviews I've done with these four bands. So which one do I vote for? Not an easy decision. Same thing with Rock Song for the year where two of the nominees were my two favorite songs from the past year - "Fear" by Divine Martyr and "Sentenced To Life" by Reclaim The Day. 

I smiled when I saw these four bands and Samuel Day on the list of nominees. I also saw several artists I was unfamiliar with. Some of them I have since interviewed (Brave Worship, Crystoria, Toni Lashaun, and Yung Priest Da Preacher), and others I have contacted and hope to have their interviews soon.

So allow me to start with congratulating the past and hopefully future interviewees.

SONGWRITER ON THE RISE: CRYSTORIA!  I had the honor of interviewing her last month.

VOTING MEMBER'S CHOICE - WORSHIP PROJECT OF THE YEAR: BRAVE WRSHIP (NICOLE DRENNAN). Her interview was just a couple of weeks ago, plus I had the opportunity to hear her at Get To The Point Festival with Reclaim The Day, Divine Martyr, Tempus Unum, Hush Harbor, and Inarticulate Bones.

LISTENER'S CHOICE - SONGS THAT REMIND US OF OUR PURPOSE: "YOU CHOSE ME" BY TONI LASHAUN. Well deserved! That song has been a blessing to me.

 

FEMALE FRONTED BAND: UNDEFEATED! 

 

BASSIST OF THE YEAR: LOGAN MOREHOUSE OF RECLAIM THE DAY!

LEAD GUITARIST OF THE YEAR: MARCUS SUGG OF RECLAIM THE DAY!

ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR: "SENTENCED TO LIFE" BY RECLAIM THE DAY! (I don't sound excited, do I?)

Left to right: Logan Morehouse, Becca Sugg, Marcus Sugg.

Congratulations to both all the above and those listed below, as well as to the well deserved nominees.

• Gospel Singer of the Year- Carrie Davis
• Contemporary Artist on the Rise- Appointed
• Worship Song of the Year- "REFINER" by Jesseca Toovey
• Industrious Women in Music- Tiffany Coleman aka: MIZ TIFFANY
• Best New Artist- TORI TELLEM
• Inspirational Song of the Year- "HOPE FOR THE WORLD" by Daniel Evans
• Favorite Christian Rap Duo- Bro. Glenn & C.O.G. (WayyMakker)
• Gospel Singer on the Rise- Lisa Johnson
• Drummer of the Year- MASON BEARD
• Inspirational Artist on the Rise- MATTHEW ELIAS MCQUEEN
• Pop Artist on the Rise- KATELYN DOYLE
• Solo Acoustic Artist of the Year- BRIAN HOFFPAUER
• Poetic Lyricist of the Year- "QUESTIONS" by B/CHRISS
• Americana Artist of the Year- GREG ALLSUP aka: FryKatz
• Male Rap/Hip Hop Artist on the Rise- JOSHUA SCALES
• Contemporary Song of the Year- "CALL OUT HIS NAME" by Brooklynn Nicole
• Male Rock Vocalist of the Year- JARON COX
• Country Artist of the Year- MELISSA LEIGH
• Favorite Female Rap/Hip Hop Artist- MS. LAVISH
• Listeners Choice~ Christian Rap Song of the Year- "BRIGHTER" by SKY feat. 1kPhew
• Song of the Year- "THERE SHE GO" by Tori Tellem
• Favorite Male Rap/Hip-Hop Artist- SKY
• Album of the Year- "HEART ON MY SLEEVE" by Tom Taylor
• Favorite Christian Pop Song- "CHILD OF GOD" by Katelyn Doyle
• Songwriter of the Year- MATTHEW ELIAS MCQUEEN
• Worship Vocalist on the Rise- ANGEL VEGA
• Songs on Repeat- "SIDE STEP THE DEVIL" by Bro. Glenn & C.O.G.
• The Future Generation of Music- GULLY MARK