Michael Koby

Christian music is becoming more popular by the day. As each year goes by more and more Christian artists are getting national spotlight time and winning people over to their cause. However, as with anything, the ones getting the spotlight are not always the best of the bunch. In the music industry especially it’s proven fact that it is the bands/singers that are the most marketable that get the attention while those that are good but not so marketable are left behind. There are a lot of good Christian artists out there and while you can go into your local Christian bookstore and pick up several of them, I would like to dedicate this list to the less heard artists. Most of these can be special ordered and found on eBay while some can still be found via Amazon and other online retailers.

5) Room Full of Walters – When it comes to the simplicity of melody and just good songs that you can sing along to, Room Full of Walters take the cake. Their songs are simple enough that you don’t have to think to hard but they’re fun enough to not bore you. Their (unfortunate) last release, El Grande, was a great follow-up to their first major label release Sleepy-Head and I was hoping there was more to follow. The cool thing I always liked about this band was it’s story. The band was originally a bar band in their Kansas town and the lead singer went through a rough patch and found Jesus. Once he found Jesus he got the rest of the guys to follow Jesus and they started singing about God in bars all over Kansas, even having things thrown at them for doing it. Recommended listening: Sleepy-Head

4) Michael Knott (LSU, Lifesavers Underground) – Michael Knott is often referred to the father of “Alternative Christian Rock” one of the first to sing about life being not so pretty even if you are a Christian but at the same time offering glimmers of hope in that same darkness. Michael Knott’s prolific output can be compared to the likes of Dylan or Springsteen, not because it is “as good” as those comparisons but rather in sheer output. This man has been around the Christian Music scene since the late eighties and has yet to stop releasing songs and pack shows. Recommended listening:Definitive Collection & Fluid

3) Mortal (Fold Zandura, Juggarnautz, Immersion – Imagine a band that does industrial, techno, and alternative rock over the course of six albums, this is what you get when you listen to Mortal. Mortal was doing the Christian Industrial thing around the same time Mr. Reznor was working on his Nine Inch Nails stuff and became a comparison point for Christian music snobs as the beginning of the Christian industrial movement (along with Deitiphobia and Circle of Dust). Mortal’s musical progression can be heard over the course of their albums. Starting out as staight early nineties industrial to trance/techno finally ending up with a mix of techno and alternative rock so no matter what you like to hear Mortal’s probably done it and has done it well. Members of Mortal went on to form a new band called Fold Zandura where the mixture between techno sounds and alternative rock continued with tremendous success. After Fold Zandura members went on to form Immersion and also join Christian band Switchfoot. Recommended listing: Fathom by Mortal & Ultraforever by Fold Zandura

2) Stavesacre – Stavesacre is another band that was around during the mid-nineties alternative Christian rock revolution, that time when alternative Christian rock was starting to find a more mainstream audience. Early Stavesacre is highly recommended to Tool lovers since Mark Salomon (lead singer) is definitely letting some of that influence come through. Newer Stavesacre has become what is best described as “emo” but it is not what one would call “bad” emo either. While in my opinion older Stavesacre is better than newer Stavesacre, the band has never stopped being good at what they do and what they do is rock. Recommended listening: Absolutes & Stavesacre

1) Poor Old Lu (Aaron Sprinkle, World Inside, Jesse Sprinkle, Fair) – Poor Old Lu was my first introduction to good alternative Christian music. These guys, who reign from Seattle, definitely managed to capture the sound that was coming out of their area at the time. Good riffs and excellent lyrics make this band a winner on all fronts. Plus the goods are still coming today. Aaron Sprinkle, the guitarist, is a prominent producer for many of Christian rock’s biggest bands. Not to mention his current project Fair. This is one of those bands I think everyone should hear. Recommended listening: Sin by Poor Old Lu, Picture of the Eighth Wonder by Poor Old Lu, Lackluster by Aaron Sprinkle

Honorable Mentions Include: Dryve, Aleixa, Rocketboy, Plankeye, and Way Sect Bloom.

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