NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

In 2011, Blindside released their first album in six years, With Shivering Hearts We Wait . The album followed the band’s experimental 2007 Black Rose EP, which contained new songs and live tracks from the band’s 2005 record The Great Depression . The band’s 2005 record was a sonic departure from the band’s refined sound on their Elektra Records-released and Howard-Benson -produced Silence and About a Burning Fire . The sparse production and instrumentation and the gloomy lyrics of The Great Depression deterred fans, but Black Rose brought some back. By the time the band released their sixth record, With Shivering Hearts We Wait, anticipation couldn’t be higher for fans who hadn’t forgotten about the band.   THE BREATH OF RAIN IN MY LUNGS. With the return of Howard Benson, With Shivering Hearts We Wait is a natural follow-up to About a Burning Fire . While Fire is a heavier album than Hearts, the guitars sound fuller with Benson behind the boards compared to their fifth a...

Ray Boltz is a retired singer-songwriter. He is best known for his Contemporary Christian inspirational songs that graced Christian radio in the early ‘90s. His breakthrough hit, “ Thank You ,” was the sleeper hit that propelled the singer to become one of the biggest names in the genre. The song won Song of the Year at the 1990 Dove Awards , the Gospel Music Association ’s annual award ceremony. The singer had a prosperous career in the industry throughout the ‘90s. In the early ‘00s, he began to embrace a new image, incorporating rock music into his concerts--a stark contrast to the light church music for which he had come to fame. He even founded a rock label, Spindust Records , signing the band GS Megaphone . Boltz appeared in one of the band’s music videos, riding a motorcycle. This rock ‘n’ roll image was much less shocking to fans than what Boltz revealed in 2008.  I AM SO GLAD YOU GAVE. Ray Boltz recalls his conversion experience when he was 19 at a Christian concert in a ...

" Free Fallin' " is certainly synonymous with Tom Petty , but t oday, we'll look at a few versions of the song, but due to the Christian Rock theme of the last few days, ultimately I chose  The Almost 's  version  to be the official version for my blog. As pointed out in an excellent video by  12Tone  (see below), there is a lot of meaning packed in the musical theory of the song, ultimately illustrating that there are pros and cons to being  free.  ALL THE VAMPIRES  WALKIN' DOWN THE VALLEY MOVE WEST DOWN VENTURA BOULEVARD.   Tom Petty  released his first solo record  Full Moon Fever   in 1989. The first song recorded for the record and first track on the record is "Free Fallin'." The song is one of Petty's biggest and most recognizable tracks. It was also his last top 10 hit on the  Billboard Hot 100 . The simple ballad is partly a breakup song and partly a love song for his then home of Los Angelos. The Gainesv...

" Brightside " is the last song on Turn Off the Stars ' only album . It's simple guitar and vocal track about something better happening that transcends the gloomy reality. It's a kind of pep talk in a song. Today, I wanted to collect a few songs about optimism. With the dark months ahead, seasonal depression is real for so many people. The holiday season also can be a dark time when dealing with family or remembering those we lost. "Brightside" reminds us that sadness is just a passing state. The colder seasons are coming, but spring will come again with the sunshine.   

In 1996, David Josiah Curtis and friends formed a punk band called Side Walk Slam . The Southern Illinois-based band released an independent record, Rock Anthems from the Midwest , in 1999 before signing to a small label, Boot to Head Records , and releasing Two Steps Forward, Five Steps Back the next year. Then in 2001, the band signed with Tooth & Nail Records and released three records between 2001 and 2003. Little by little, the bare-bones punk rock band started incorporating more and more production on their records. By their 2003 record, And We Drive , the band even included a piano. After releasing And We Drive, the band decided that Side Walk Slam had strayed from their Punk Rock sound so much that they decided to change their name, rebranding with a new sound and retiring the expectations that the band would sound a particular way.  YOU’LL HAVE YOUR UPS AND DOWNS. Run Kid Run released their debut record This Is Who We Are three years after Side Walk Slam released ...