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! 

ALBUM REVIEW - RAVINER BY RAVINER

 

 You may remember me telling you how much I enjoyed Kingdom Come Festival, where I heard seven great artists. The group I ended my day watching was Raviner, who are based in Nashville, TN (as are another group I reviewed music of, Rusty Shipp). 

Today, I'll be reviewing Raviner's self titled EP. I'll go against traditional reviewing and my typical personality and start with what I didn't like about this project, which is one thing: The songs are so good, five tracks are just an appetizer! I want to hear more!

There is not a single bad song... no, let me start over. There is not a single not-great song on this EP. I loved every single song on it, from the opening of "Red" to the conclusion "Black Hole," with a pair of singles in between ("Drown" and "Animal.") 

Kamber Kigin's vocals are top notch, and Matt Richards' guitar is just as good. I'm definitely a Raviner fan. My favorite tracks - well, technically, all five of them, but "Red" (which would have also made a good single), "Drown," and "Thin Ice" were the ones I enjoyed the most.

I'm looking forward to both hearing them live again and at least as much to what they have next. (I just finished listening to their latest single, "Mania," which came out after the EP.)

ALBUM REVIEW - THEOTERRAN BY THEOTERRAN

 

One thing I enjoy - albums that are best enjoyed listening to it in its entirity from beginning to end. Some of these are concept albums, some are not. I've listened to two great projects in the past few weeks that fit this category: "Dark Side Of The Ocean" by Rusty Shipp and Theoterran's self-titled debut project. I reviewed the former recently, and have the honor of focusing on the other now.

This project has a great opening in "Gates Of TheoTerra."  and continues to the end ten songs later with "Undefeated." Before listening to this, I was acquainted with their first two singles "WarCry" and "Empty" (both are on this album). The former is a song that has been repeating in my mind the past few days, and I was excited to hear its opening when I got to that point. Their newest single, "Static," is also a solid song, as is "Reanimate."

However, I definitely have a favorite. "Orchestrate" caught my attention from the beginning of the song.

I highly recommend this project. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube, as well as their homepage and their FaceBook page.

ALBUM REVIEW - "THE DARK SIDE OF THE OCEAN" BY RUSTY SHIPP

Some albums are a great collection of songs. In the '70's, those albums would be just as good on vinyl or on an 8-track where the songs are in a completely different order. Other albums are meant to be listened to from beginning to end in a particular order, some of which are concept albums and some aren't. Included in the latter list is "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band" by the Beatles, "No Compromise" by Keith Green, "The Misfit" by Erick Nelson and Michele Pillar, "The Roar Of Love" (a musical retelling of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) by 2nd Chapter of Acts, and the newest on this list, "The Dark Side of the Ocean" by Rusty Shipp.

As you can see, this project has a very creative cover, and the songs are just as creative. There are seventeen cuts to this project, with seven of those being interludes of ninety seconds or less (five being less than a minute), including the opening title track. The songs flow from one to another.

While there's no weak songs in this collection, allow me to mention my favorites: "Us And Them," "Livin' Water," "Bottom of the Barrell,", "Tanninim," and "What's Kraken?".

I highly recommend this project. You can learn more about Rusty Shipp on their website, or their Facebook Page; you can also check them out on Spotify.

 

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. 😢)