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<title>Top Christian Rock Artists on Rhapsody Online</title>
<dateCreated>Fri Nov 27 21:26:41 PST 2009</dateCreated>
<dateModified>Fri Nov 27 21:26:41 PST 2009</dateModified>
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<outline type="include" text="Lifehouse" description="Lifehouse began in 1996 as Blyss, a teenage garage trio haunting their high school's Friday night jam sessions. Seattle transplant Jason Wade, his new L.A. neighbor Sergio Andrade, and latecomer drummer Rick Woolstenhulme honed their post-grunge sound for two years before garnering a deal with DreamWorks and changing their name to Lifehouse. Though the stringed &quot;Breathe&quot; won them that deal and resulted in debut LP &lt;I&gt;No Name Face&lt;/I&gt;, &quot;Hanging by a Moment&quot; had more impact, hitting number one on &lt;I&gt;Billboard&lt;/I&gt;'s Modern Rock charts. The debut went double-platinum, and the obscure Southern California group was suddenly touring internationally with Pearl Jam, Everclear and Matchbox 20. They polished their sound and become more radio-friendly on their sophomore release, &lt;I&gt;Stanley Climbfall&lt;/I&gt;, and in 2005 brought Canadian bassist Bryce Soderberg into the fold for their third (self-titled) LP. By album three, the band had solidified their trademark sound, bringing Wade's earnest grunge vocals and songwriting chops to the fore.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Contemporary Hard Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/lifehouse/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Creed" description="Floridian superstars Creed play punchy, Grunge-inflected rock. Big, open acoustic chords, rock-solid drums with sophisticated accents and singer Scott Stapps' powerful, earnest voice drive epic verses with introspective lyrics. Also watch for thunderous, sometimes beautifully melodic choruses." category="Contemporary Hard Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/creed/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Skillet" description="Apropos to their name, husband and wife hard rockers John and Korey Cooper, joined by Ben Kasica on guitar and Lori Peters on drums, have spent their first five albums throwing all things rock into a pan and seeing what cooks up the best. Techno, thrash metal, grunge, even an excursion into acoustic alternative went into the mix, but the constants have been their strong spiritual lyrics, challenging themes, musical boldness and their worshipful willingness to experiment. It's been that sense of fearless unpredictability that keeps the charts and the &quot;Panheads&quot; -- as their fans dub themselves -- satisfied.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/skillet/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Third Day" description="Third Day have been blazing trails ever since their first album came out on
Gray Dot in 1996. (They were the label's first band.) The Atlanta rockers
hooked a loyal following with their signature Southern rock and a soulful
song style led by Mac Powell's gritty and gratifying vocals. Once they'd
leveled off as legends, they dappled in a series of worship sets like every
other Christian band at the time, returning to their roots by their sixth
album. They've gathered their share of Grammys, Doves, golds, platinums,
American Music Awards, and more, all while spending an inordinate amount of
time &quot;giving back&quot; through community service organizations around the world.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/third-day/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Newsboys" description="Originally known as the News, Newsboys started out in 1987 as &quot;danceable&quot; Christian band from Mooloolaba, Australia. For a handful of Christian rockers from a place that's hard to pronounce without smiling, they seemed unlikely candidates to become some of the most influential performers, producers and ministries ever to hit Nashville's contemporary Christian music scene. During the nearly 20 years that followed, Newsboys' releases defined the direction of Christian contemporary music as the new millennium approached, beginning with 1994's &lt;I&gt;Going Public&lt;/I&gt;, which exploded with the hit &quot;Shine,&quot; and continuing on with 1998's &lt;I&gt;Step! Up to the Microphone&lt;/I&gt;, which marked their first release for Virgin Records. Despite having just placed six No. 1 singles on the charts, the band went through a stylistic makeover which found them embracing the secular alternative music scene. More recently, they added their hefty alt rock influence to the modern praise and worship movement, contributing some of Christian radio's most recognizable anthems such as &quot;He Reigns&quot; and &quot;You Are My King.&quot; With no signs of slowing down, having released a &quot;best of&quot; in late 2005, it's to be expected that they will remain a musical and spiritual influence in the coming years.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/newsboys/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Jeremy Camp" description="Camp's journey has been one of courage rewarded. After losing his young wife to cancer just months after their marriage, he held nothing from that experience back, breaking open his heart and faith on his debut album &lt;I&gt;Stay&lt;/I&gt;. The intimate details of his life, combined with his elevated vocals, won over everyone within earshot. He didn't tarry long between being the new Christian alternative &quot;it&quot; guy, via a 2003 Gospel Music Association (GMA) New Artist of the Year Dove Award, and cementing his influence, with two successive Male Artist of the Year Doves in 2004 and 2005. His favorite achievement, however, is his marriage to wife Adrienne Liesching, former The Benjamin Gate frontwoman, which led to daughters Isabella Rose and Arianne Mae. By 2007, Camp had ten No. 1 hits under his belt and hit the road for a national House of Blues tour with family in tow -- and occasionally on stage, as he shares the mic with Adrienne.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/jeremy-camp/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="David Crowder Band" description="David Crowder and band launched in college when Crowder and a friend realized that more than half of the Baylor student body weren't going to church (Baylor's a Baptist University). In response, Crowder became a kind of Christian pied piper, playing trailblazing worship sets and deeply personal rock that draws you in through a million unique points. Listening to Crowder is like a reunion with something you didn't know was missing: his voice is solid, raspy at the right moments and replete with personality. He loves to throw in playful &quot;la las&quot; and &quot;yeah yeahs&quot;, but makes them musically substantial and even rooted. His songwriting is refreshing and needed; he's introduced several new praise and worship tunes while giving existing P&amp;W songs like &quot;Heaven Came Down&quot; entirely new interpretations. While rhythmically he marches to a different drummer, the beats are never obscure or hard to relate to. The band is comparable to Dave Matthews' with strong instrumental influences, including strings and live acoustics. Still, it's hard to say whether or not he's most celebrated (or at least most noticed) for his awesome, shocked-out hairdo.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/david-crowder-band/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Hillsong United" description="For more than a decade, Australia's Hillsong Church has been impacting the music sung in congregations around the globe, so it's only natural that the church's youth-oriented worship team would have a similar effect. Hillsong United deliver the same spiritual messages heard in the worship act's parent group, Hillsong, but this energetic offshoot is distinctive for its modern rock sound and youth focus. It may be hard to believe, but the Dove Award-nominated group was never meant to become a touring band or release any recordings. The CDs grew out of a desire to chronicle what was happening with the vibrant youth ministry at the Sydney-based mega-church that regularly reaches 3,000 young people." category="Praise and Worship" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/hillsong-united/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="RED" description="RED are one of those all-too-rare bands for whom success came fast and hard. Founded in 2004 by ace guitarist/composer Jasen Rauch and drummer Andrew Hendrix (who would eventually leave the group), the Nashville-based quartet was quickly signed to Essential Records, Sony BMG's hugely successful Christian music imprint. RED's debut, &lt;i&gt;End of Silence&lt;/i&gt;, produced by the in-demand Rob Graves, made the group an instant force not only in the world of Christian metal but in all of modern rock as well. With its crunchy yet melodic mix of post-grunge angst and snarling metalcore, the group's first single, &quot;Breathe Into Me,&quot; cracked the Top 20 on &lt;i&gt;Billboard&lt;/i&gt;'s U.S. Mainstream Rock chart. RED's second full-length, the even heavier &lt;i&gt;Innocence &amp; Instinct&lt;/i&gt;, generated more crossover appeal, debuting on the U.S. &lt;i&gt;Billboard&lt;/i&gt; 200 chart at a whopping No. 15. In November 2007, the group's tour van was in a serious highway accident near Nashville. But despite injuries to drummer Hayden Lamb, who sat out the rest of the tour and subsequently left the band, RED soldiered on, tirelessly delivering its brand of brooding Christian hard rock to an insatiable and ever-growing fan base.
- Justin Farrar" category="Christian Metal" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/red-2/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Relient K" description="The pride of Canton, Ohio, Relient K's Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes and Dave Douglas are becoming the punk-pop surprise of the century. In perfect tribute to their style and sense of humor, their name comes from guitarist Hoopes' beat-up old Plymouth Relient K Car -- incidentally the official squad car of the NYPD in 1982. That sense of humor, camp and mischief has become their musical cornerstone. After their self-titled debut in 2002 (produced by dc Talk guitarist Mark Townsend), they took a mere two-and-a-half years to release four hit albums and hit the one million sold mark. Their third LP, &lt;I&gt;Two Lefts Don't Make a RightÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂBut Three Do&lt;/I&gt;, debuted at No. 38 on Billboard's Top 200 and went gold, paving the way for the mainstream euphoria of &lt;I&gt;MMHMM&lt;/I&gt;. The band front-pages their Christian foundation in their lives and in the media, but blend the Gospel only gently into their happy tunes. They're uber-peppy without being preppy and hysterically tongue-in-cheek without being sardonic; a feat mastered mostly by frontman and primary songwriter Thiessen (who co-produced &lt;I&gt;MMHMM&lt;/I&gt;). In the battle for the best asset, the lyrics are rubber and the melodies are glue; their clever wordplay ricochets like a SuperBall lodging permanently in the head via the stickiest hooks.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Alt Christian Punk" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/relient-k/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Jars of Clay" description="Along with Creed and Sixpence None the Richer, Jars of Clay attend of the new school of CCM that has gained a foothold in the secular world of alternative rock. With punchy acoustic arrangements that range from dark, rocked-up numbers to the more introspective music usually associated with Christian bands, Jars of Clay express their faith through song without falling into traditional evangelistic traps.
- Mike McGuirk" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/jars-of-clay/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Toby Mac" description="Toby Mac, one third of the influential DC Talk and the last band member to branch out, has proven to be a solid -- and diverse -- solo force. His music ranges from melodic beats with Latin flair (&quot;Irene&quot;), to hardcore house/hip-hop (&quot;Get this Party Started&quot;), to hilariously brilliant skits (&quot;Triple Skinny,&quot; &quot;Tru Dog&quot;). Mac knows engineering like Yo-Yo Ma knows the cello, and his immaculately studio-refined music reflects that passion for production. In just the blink of an album, this mastermind behind DC Talk has established himself as a unique independent performer and producer.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rap/Hip-Hop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/toby-mac/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Needtobreathe" description="Guitar-playing brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart formed Needtobreathe in their hometown of Seneca, South Carolina, in 2002 as a musical outlet for their Christian beliefs. The four-piece, rounded out by bassist Seth Bolt and drummer Joe Stillwell, has had songs appear in film soundtracks and on TV, released a pair of records (&lt;i&gt;Daylight&lt;/i&gt; in 2006 and &lt;i&gt;The Heat&lt;/i&gt; in 2008) and garnered two Dove Award nominations, both in 2008, for Rock Song of the Year and Album of the Year. While the bulk of their material toes the line of straight-up alternative rock (think a lighter version of Pearl Jam), they occasionally drop cues suggesting an interest in classic rock Americana a la the Band.
- Mike McGuirk" category="Adult Alternative" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/needtobreathe/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Thousand Foot Krutch" description="Canadian import Thousand Foot Krutch is in it for the rock and the Rock of Ages, keeping faith the backbone of their sound, while hitting mainstream charts. Like many before them, TFK started singing together while in high school, claiming to have played everywhere from corn-feeds to post-prom parties. Since their start in 1997, they have effectively evolved, not only keeping stride with the HR climate, but with their own maturing musicality. Their broad-base success speaks to their ability to meet variant rock/metal/hip-hop/rapcore needs, producing highly melodic and still sufficiently edgy content.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Alt Christian Punk" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/thousand-foot-krutch/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Kutless" description="Hailing from Portland, Ore., Kutless bears many of the features of neighboring Seattle bands, but with a distinguishing birthmark of faith. Their highly melodic modern rock conjures up the sounds of Nickleback and Puddle of Mudd, filling a need in the Christian industry for less-hard hard rock. Without losing any intensity, they stop shy of rapcore or metal, cutting out the screaming (or keeping it to a minimum). Delivering the good stuff -- emotional vocals, ambitious guitars -- on a more temperate platform makes their CD more palatable and has landed them on a wider variety of radio playlists as well as a bigger range of fans.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/kutless/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Stryper" description="Orange County, Calif., rabble-rousers originally called Roxx Regime, Stryper banded together in 1983 to dive into hair metal for Jesus. Clad in what became their trademark black and yellow, they released the mini-debut &lt;I&gt;Yellow and Black Attack&lt;/I&gt; to complete their image. Conquering the melodic metal of Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Van Halen, Def Leppard and other contemporaries, Stryper passed on biting the heads off of bats in favor of the more redemptive (and hygienic) act of tossing Bibles into the audience. Only two years after &lt;I&gt;To Hell With the Devil&lt;/I&gt; was released to platinum reception, Stryper disbanded, leaving a void in a genre with few true greats (at the time). Stryper entered phase two of their legacy in 2003 with a seven-week U.S. tour, followed by the tour album and, later, their first full-length studio release in 15 years. Now more than 20 years since inception, it's hard to find anyone who remembers the origin of the name, but to keep you in the &quot;in&quot; crowd, it stands for &quot;Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement and Righteousness.&quot; Rock 'n' roll.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/stryper/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Hawk Nelson" description="This young Canadian foursome was plucked from obscurity by fellow Petersborough, Ontario, native Trevor McNevan of the band Thousand Foot Krutch. McNevan introduced them to his band's label, Seattle-based Tooth &amp; Nail, then teamed with Aaron Sprinkle to co-produce Hawk Nelson's 2004 debut, &lt;I&gt;Letters to the President&lt;/I&gt;. Their pop-punk sound caught on with Christian audiences and beyond (imagine a friendlier, happier Green Day), and soon the boys were on their way. In 2005, the band appeared on the big screen in &lt;I&gt;Yours, Mine and Ours&lt;/I&gt;. Promotions with NFL Sunday Night Football, Tom's Shoes and McDonald's followed. Longtime drummer Aaron Tosti left the band in 2007, but the current lineup (frontman Jason Dunn, Jonathan Steingard, Daniel Biro and newcomer Justin Benner) has carried on nicely, continuing to win friends and fans wherever they go." category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/hawk-nelson/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="This Providence" description="" category="Indie/Alternative" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/this-providence/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Lincoln Brewster" description="" category="Praise and Worship" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/lincoln-brewster/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Delirious?" description="The British equivalent of Creed or Jars of Clay, Delirious? are an openly religious group whose song craft is good enough to appeal to a much wider audience than their Christian core of fans. A flair for catchy, peppy hooks and memorable choruses earned them a wild card spot in the British Top-20 with &quot;Deeper&quot; -- a spirited Punk-Pop single from their debut album. Subsequent releases have attempted to duplicate that recording's formula for success, alternating blatantly sacred material with radio-friendly secular pop tunes. As the once rigid divisions between Christian and popular music continue to crumble, Delirious? are leading the charge from amen corner to center stage.
- Chad Driscoll" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/delirious/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Barlow Girl" description="Sisters Rebecca, Alyssa and Lauren Barlow got their start as a backup band for their father, as he performed at youth events around the country. Home base for the family was in a Chicago suburb at Willow Creek Community Church, a mega-congregation that is one of the country's largest. Soon the girls began penning tunes and snagged a label deal of their own in 2003, but not before another Christian band, Superchick, immortalized them in song via the track &quot;Barlow Girls.&quot; They couldn't have asked for better pre-release publicity. BarlowGirl made their label debut in February 2004 and became the best-selling new Christian artist that year. Their youth-friendly rock has plenty of pop hooks wrapped around messages of self-esteem, purity and, of course, faith." category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/barlow-girl/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Emery" description="What happens when you're raised in South Carolina, the home of campy beach music and Hootie and the Blowfish, but you love both hardcore and emo? Emery happens. This band simultaneously counterbalance such disparate elements as shoegazing emo and shriek rock and make it work. These six southerners moved to Seattle on September 11, 2001, to pursue their hard rock dreams and were picked up almost immediately by Tooth &amp; Nail (though surprisingly not relegated to their harder imprint, Solid State). Whi! le their musically schizophrenic undertakings may alienate them from mass appeal, a faction of fans of both styles were intrigued enough to make their first two albums successful.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/emery/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Audio Adrenaline" description="Audio Adrenaline have a strong feel for classic AOR and modern Alt Rock. The resulting Christian Rock won't win any awards for originality, but the band offers up a respectable, arena-ready mix of Cheap Trick, INXS, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Nick Dedina" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/audio-adrenaline/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Seventh Day Slumber" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/seventh-day-slumber/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Haste The Day" description="" category="Christian Metal" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/haste-the-day/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Addison Road" description="The roots of Dallas' Christian rockers Addison Road go back to Baylor University in 2001, when then-students, now husband-wife team of Jenny and Ryan Simmons were asked to play a $500 gig at a youth-oriented Christian gathering called Disciple Now. The money was too good to refuse, so they put together a band with Ryan Gregg, Jeff Sutton and Travis Lawrence, and the quintet has stayed together ever since. Jenny Simmons' full-throated lead vocals helped Addison Road get noticed by a number of known Christian bands, and they toured extensively without a release. INO signed them, and Addison Road released a self-titled debut LP in 2008.
- Nate Cavalieri" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/addison-road/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Falling Up" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/falling-up/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Todd Agnew" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/todd-agnew/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Building 429" description="Building 429 catapulted from newbie band in 2004 to Christian rock royalty
in a single year. When their debut, &lt;I&gt;Space In Between Us,&lt;/I&gt; hit the
airwaves, their success seemed written in stone. Not even counting the
album's equally popular title track and the ballad &quot;No One Else Knows,&quot; the
super single &quot;Glory Defined&quot; hit No. 1 on eight different charts and became
BMI's 2005 Song of the Year for Christian music. That same year B429
received four Dove Award nominations and was named the Gospel Music
Association's 2005 New Artist of the Year. Their fresh, melodic, rock
composition and clear, candid lyrics combine with a fervent personal
commitment to what they see as their responsibility offstage to their fans
and their ministry. This commitment is clear even in the root of their name:
Building 429 derives from Ephesians 4:29 which, paraphrased, encourages
doing &quot;only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen.&quot;
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/building-429/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="mewithoutYou" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/mewithoutyou/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Misty Edwards" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/misty-edwards/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Starfield" description="Brothers Tim and Jon Neufeld formed Starfield in 2001 in Winnipeg, where they have been based most of their career. Though they issued a Canadian-only release in 2003, Christian powerhouse label Sparrow Records released their proper self-titled debut in 2004. The follow-up, &lt;i&gt;Beauty in the Broken&lt;/i&gt;, was the band's breakthrough, earning a nomination for a Juno Award and topping Canadian Christian music charts. The band's third album, &lt;i&gt;I Will Go&lt;/i&gt;, was also released by Sparrow.
- Nate Cavalieri" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/starfield/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Sonicflood" description="This booming radio rock is as at home on a Godless alternative station as it would be opening up the Youth for Christ Conference '99 in Nashville, which it did. Talented post-Nirvana evangelists incorporate buzzing Smashing Pumpkins guitars and soaring anthems in the chorus for studio-perfect Christian Rock.
- Mike McGuirk" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/sonicflood/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Stellar Kart" description="" category="Alt Christian Punk" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/stellar-kart/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Salvador" description="One of the few really strong Latin acts in CCM, part of their strength is knowing how to rock across genres: undeniably Latin-soaked contemporary pop so unlike all the rest that it becomes a cool celebration of new music. Salvador has a heap of ties to Los Lonely Boys, including their similar music styles, career trajectory and specifically the single &quot;Heaven,&quot; but they also share Texan family-band roots as well. Salvador hails from a small Hispanic church in Austin with about 30 people in the congregation. Best enjoyed live, they play all their own instruments, which sound like normal band behavior, but with Salvador, you have to start counting the trumpets, jazz guitars and cowbells. Whether quiet praise and worship or crazy live jam Latin explosion, Salvador succeed because of their expert musicianship. Not many Christian rockers can get an all-Spanish-language song to top CCM charts.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/salvador/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="33 Miles" description="With a band name referencing the number of years Jesus walked the earth,
33 Miles wears their Christian influence proudly. After growing up in
different southern states, deeply immersed in the church, Jason Barton
(lead vocals), Chris Lockwood (guitar and vocals) and Collin Stoddard
(piano and vocals) were first brought together in Nashville, Tennessee, as
performers and believers in Christ. With a sound that blends the
country-rock harmonies of Rascal Flatts with a modern pop twist, they
released their first single, &quot;What Could Be Better,&quot; in early 2007." category="Christian Pop" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/33-miles/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="The Afters" description="These former Starbucks baristas from Dallas spent seven years as &quot;Blisse&quot; before becoming the first band signed to Simple Records ÃÂ the INO imprint started by MercyMe frontman Bart Millard. Out of the gate they grabbed &quot;up and comer&quot; attention, ending up on MTV's Dean's List, MTV's Advance Warning and Real Guide's own Ones To Watch. Their mixed style ranges from the brit rock of Delirious or Coldplay to the alt pop appeal of Smashing Pumpkins. On the more intimate ballads, frontman Josh Havens' ballads are a great deal of the reason behind the Afters' lasting impression.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/the-afters/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Petra" description="Since 1974, Petra have been the unchallenged look-to source for classic Christian rock 'n' roll. After selling seven million records (in English &lt;I&gt;and&lt;/I&gt; Spanish), garnering four Grammys, 10 Doves, and being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Petra remain consistent and unadulterated in their &quot;reason for rocking&quot;: they've never written a single song that doesn't engender the Gospel message with Christ-centered and Christ-seeking lyrics. They've carried the mantle and the music well, reigning as the genre's leading pioneers for 30 years, beloved and instantly recognizable on any hook in any of their songs. With the sliding, belted minor notes from vocalist John Schlitt, their wailing, merciless guitars, and the explosive drums loudly snared and intensely soloed, Petra love the rock wail -- they've mastered the art of inspirational anthem, and their ballads are steadily heartrending. A perfect example of this anthemic-to-heartrending balance is their most celebrated LP, &lt;I&gt;Beyond Belief&lt;/I&gt;, where almost every track plays like the concert climax. They're awesome to shake the walls with, especially on an old aluminum church bus headed to Mexico with a hard-rocking youth group of diehard Jesus freaks.
- Amy Bartlett" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/petra/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Downhere" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/downhere-2/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Phil Joel" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/phil-joel/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Robbie Seay Band" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/robbie-seay-band/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Further Seems Forever" description="Further Seems Forever are rather fundamental in presenting who they are, and who they want to be once their roster settles down. They cycled through three lead singers in twice as many years, their sound changing slightly with each one. Launched in Pomona Beach, Florida, with singer Chris Carraba (who moved on to Dashboard Confessional fame), they picked up a little more edge and intensity with Jason Gleason, and settled somewhere in-between with melodic, beleaguered rawness when Jon Bunch came on board. They seem to have found their collective voice now, with guitars driving forward in steady 4/4, 8/8 rock rhythm and an inspirational message that echoes throughout." category="Alt Christian Punk" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/further-seems-forever/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Desperation Band" description="" category="Praise and Worship" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/desperation-band/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Tree 63" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/tree-63/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Everyday Sunday" description="" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/everyday-sunday/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Living Sacrifice" description="Champions of the &quot;white metal&quot; movement (music inspired by Black Metal with the opposite intent), Living Sacrifice have been keeping Christian headbangers happy since 1993. Though tours with Cradle of Filth and Morbid Angel (!) certainly confuse things, the band's blistering riffs, throaty growls and pummeling beats aren't evil.
- Doug Russell" category="Christian Metal" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/living-sacrifice/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Kessler" description="" category="Alt/Punk" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/kessler/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="The Call" description="The Call write melodic and richly textured rock songs imbued with new agey Christian mysticism, centered around the soothing, sonorous voice of Michael Been. The band was briefly buffeted aloft as New Wave crested in the 1980s; since then, Been has remained relatively active both with the Call and as a soloist. Recent releases maintain the same quality of earlier works, but tend to be more contemplative than their rousing hit, &quot;The Walls Came Down.&quot;
- Chad Driscoll" category="New Wave" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/the-call/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="By The Tree" description="" category="Alternative Christian Contemporary" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/by-the-tree/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
<outline type="include" text="Five Iron Frenzy" description="This Denver-based Punk band joined the ranks of Ska-lovin' skater kids back in 1997 with a smiley hybrid of horny rhythms, nerd-punk vocals and the occasional buzzing guitar. Their harmless brand of danceable party punk falls somewhere between Sublime's tattooed, tough-guy poses and No Doubt's declawed, radio-friendly bounce.
- Mike McGuirk" category="Christian Rock" url="http://feeds.rhapsody.com/five-iron-frenzy/data.opml?rws=%2Fchristian-gospel%2Fchristian-rock%2Fartist-chart.opml" />
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