Christian Music

4string4life · #1 08-04-2006, 11:40 AM

I play for my church and am quite often depressed about the quality of Christian music. Most are pretty much hacks but a few bands are really good and have really good bassists. Charles Rumahlewang of All Together Separate and Roy Mitchell of Earthsuit are both really creative guys. Even if you have no interest in Christian music you should check these guys out.

elros · #2 08-04-2006, 02:37 PM

You might also check out Neal Morse.

quiey · #3 08-04-2006, 02:49 PM

IMHO, I have found percentage wise there are as many good christian acts as there are non Christian acts. Yeah a lot of crap ones get airplay, but there's a whole lot more crap in Non Christian music too. Smaller pond you see a bigger percentage of the fish.
Dale

jokerjkny · #4 08-04-2006, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4string4life

(...) Roy Mitchell of Earthsuit (...)

wow, earthsuit? arent they mutemath now?

but you dont listen to any gospel? holy crap, they're literally pushing the forefront of r&b and hiphop.

but on the rock side, yea, i'm a little bummed. still, the hillsongs australia guys are pretty fun, and the bassline in "salvation is here" is pretty fun to play as well.

Rattman · #5 08-04-2006, 04:26 PM

"...but on the rock side, yea, i'm a little bummed. still, the hillsongs australia guys are pretty
fun, and the bassline in "salvation is here" is pretty fun to play as well..."

These Aussie players sure have my vote. Been listening to their releases several years now. I
really like their arrangements, the basslines are tasteful.

XavidmanX · #6 08-04-2006, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jokerjkny

wow, earthsuit? arent they mutemath now?

but you dont listen to any gospel? holy crap, they're literally pushing the forefront of r&b and hiphop.

but on the rock side, yea, i'm a little bummed. still, the hillsongs australia guys are pretty fun, and the bassline in "salvation is here" is pretty fun to play as well.

+1
Israel and New Breed have some good stuff. I have to agree that the Rock stuff is pretty boring. Abe Laboriel is a Christian and plays all over the worship scene, with Integrity especially.

phillys · #7 08-04-2006, 07:44 PM

Planetshakers are pretty rock-ish too.

I play Planetshakers and Hillsong Australia's songs all the time for my youth group and Church. So... yeah.

srxplayer · #8 08-04-2006, 07:51 PM

Christian music has a lot of talent these days. You couldn't say that 15 years ago.

As far as bass player go in contempoary christian rock, the guy from Ten Sheckle Shirt is pretty good.

If you want to hear good christian music bass players check out the gospel guys. Thats some good stuff.

Lowner · #9 08-04-2006, 09:21 PM

Whoever the bass player in Hillsong United is is in my opnion a really great bass player. His bass lines really cut through the mix and just drive the songs from start to finish. Really great praise and worship because of this guy. If the bass lines were lame Hillsong United qwould not be as good.

scuba steve · #10 08-04-2006, 09:28 PM

check out the bass players for tommy walker(whole band is awesome), lincoln brewster, david crowder, chris tomlin, the list goes on and on.

oh, did earthsuit really become mute math?

JcHc · #11 08-04-2006, 09:38 PM

You should check out Solidstate records, Tooth and Nail records, Facedown records, Flicker records, and Blood and Ink records. They are all great record companies, and what makes them even better(to me) is that they are Christian. They relate more to teenagers into indie, hardcore, punk, emo, metal and screamo music. Supertones also had a great ska bassist

malicous · #12 08-04-2006, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4string4life

Charles Rumahlewang of All Together Separate and Roy Mitchell of Earthsuit are both really creative guys. Even if you have no interest in Christian music you should check these guys out.

+1 Yeah, I know Charles. I opened for his band once, and he brought his band to a benefit concert I organized after the Asian tsunami. Really nice guy.
In the area of rock type stuff, the only unusual band, other than the old favorites (like Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Todd Agnew, Delerious) that I can recommend is Robert Randolph and The Family band. They are very tallented musicians. If you are into jazz there is always John Patitucci, Dominique DiPiazza, and Norm Stockton. As far as what someone else on here said about gospel, I would say most of them are good/great bassists, including my favorite Abe Laborial (the senior) who can usually be heard on Ron Kenoly's CD's. Salvador is a pretty good Christian band too, specially their bassist. Johnny Lang is really good, and he is a professing Christian, but his music isn’t necessarily gospel music.

malicous · #13 08-04-2006, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lowner

Whoever the bass player in Hillsong United is is in my opnion a really great bass player. His bass lines really cut through the mix and just drive the songs from start to finish. Really great praise and worship because of this guy. If the bass lines were lame Hillsong United qwould not be as good.

It isn't one specific guy. Usually they give different musicians from their many youth worship bands a chance to play for the annual "United" event.

markjazzbassist · #14 08-05-2006, 09:43 AM

check out some old school jams too.

phil keaggy
andrae crouch and the disciples
glass harp (keaggy's band)

4string4life · #15 08-05-2006, 07:53 PM

Yeah there is a lot of great gospel and R n B stuff coming out but I kinda meant rock type stuff. In my opinion Crowder and Tomlin and Passion and all of that sutff that gets 99% of radio time is recycled stuff that has very little originality or musicianship.

Disco_Gee · #16 08-07-2006, 02:35 AM

Try and get a hold of a CD by a band called "The Jive Express". There are two albums worth looking at, "Cutting Deeper", and "Covered". Both are awesome. True funk.

ImaStupidBaby · #17 08-08-2006, 12:51 AM

sometimes i think in christian music, the message comes before the song writing....so sometimes christian music can come off as hokey, pretentious, cheesey or just plain lame.

then again, there are some really excellent musicains who just happen to be christians.

TL5 · #18 08-08-2006, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srxplayer

Christian music a lot of talent these days. You couldn't say that 15 years ago.

I will respectfully disagree with that portion of your post.

15/20 years ago Nathan East was playing on Russ Taff records. Abe Laborial was doing session work. Tommy Simms was a member of WhiteHeart, playing sessions (Amy Grant for example), and producing side projects. Mike Brignardello is a solid, rock style player of the era. Jimmie Lee Sloas is a scary good bassist. Tony Levin played on Micheal W. Smith's the Big Picture..

Quote:

I have found percentage wise there are as many good christian acts as there are non Christian acts.

Spot on quiey, it's a niche' genre but there are some quality performers.

Libertad · #19 08-08-2006, 03:45 PM

+1 Supertones
Mortal
Clergy
Savior Machine
Prayer Chain
Crucified

All great bands from the eighties and nineties.

WarriorJoe7 · #20 08-08-2006, 03:49 PM

Robert Randolph is the Marcus Miller you've never heard of...

kinda like Phil Keaggy is the Eric Clapton you've never heard of (though his lyrics suck... Phil's not Eric's)...

There is a quote somewhere where Eric Clapton says Phil Keaggy is the best guitarist he has ever heard (eric was early in his career at the time... with cream I think.)

I think Robert Randolph is a killer bassist... seen his band live once.

Joe