TylerU

Healing

2010-10-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Don't be discouraged

Joy comes in the Morning

Know that God is right

Stand still and look up

God is going to show up

He is standing by

There is healing for your sorrow

Healing for your pain

Healing for your spirit

There's shelter from the rain

Lord send the healing

For this we know

There is balm in your word

For there is balm in your word

There is balm in your word

To heal the soul

I used to wish that i could rewrite history

I used to dream that each mistake could be erased

Then i could just pretend

I never knew me back then

I used to pray that you would take this shame away

Hide all the evidence of who i've been

But it's the memory of the place you brought me from

That keeps me on my knees and even though i'm free

Heal the wound but leave the scar

A reminder of how merciful you are

I am broken, torn apart, take the pieces of this heart

And heal the wound but leave the scar

I have not lived a life that boasts of anything

I don't take pride in what i bring

But i'll build an altar with the rubble that you've found me in

And every stone will sing of what you can redeem

Don't let me forget

Everything you've done for me

Don't let me forget

The beauty in the suffering

You Are Loved

2010-09-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

*This is a new song i wrote about Jesus's love for everyone. Jesus will NEVER EVER stop loving you no matter how many mistakes you make in life. His love is unconditional. Every one of us is sinners. Before we were even born He knew that we would ALL be sinners.... that didn't make him love us any less. His love is unchanging.*

Don't give up

It's just the weight of the world

When your heart's heavy

I will lift it for you

Don't give up

Because you want to be heard

If silence keeps you

I will break it for you

Everyone wants to be understood

(Chorus)

I love you

More than anything

Don't give up

Because you are loved

Well, i can hear you

Everybody wants to be loved

Don't give up

because you are loved

Don't give up

It's just the hurt that you hide

When you're lost inside

I'll be there to find you

Don't give up

Because you want to burn bright

If darkness blinds you

I will shine to guide you

Everyone wants to be understood

(Chorus)

I love you

More than anything

Don't give up

Because you are loved

Hold On To Jesus

2010-09-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

As i step to the edge

Beyond the shadow of a doubt

With my conscience beating

Like the pulse of a drum

That hammers on and on

Until i reach the break of day

As the sun beats down

It has my conscience beating

The sound in my ear

The will to persevere

As i reach the break of day

(Chorus)

When you lost all hope and excuses

All the cheapskates and the abusers

Nothing's left to cling onto

You've got to hold on to Jesus

A cry of hope

A plea for peace

And my conscience beating

It's not want i want for

It's all that i need

To reach the break of day

So i run to the edge

Beyond the shadow of a doubt

With my conscience bleeding

Here lies the truth

The lost treasures of my youth

As i hold on to the break of day

(Chorus)

When you lost all hope and excuses

All the cheapskates and the abusers

Nothing's left to cling onto

You've got to hold on to Jesus

I've got scattered pictures

Lying on my bedroom floor

Reminds me of the times we shared

Makes me wish that you were here

Now it seems i've forgotten my purpose in life

Guess i've learned from my mistakes

Open that past and present

And the future too

It's all i've got and i'm giving it up to you

Loose ends tied in knots

Leaving a lump down in my throat

Gagging on a souvenir

Lodged to fill another year

(Chorus)

When you lost all hope and excuses

All the cheapskates and the abusers

Nothing's left to cling onto

You've got to hold on to Jesus

Drag it on and on

Until my skin is ripped to shreds

Leaving myself open wide

Living out a sacrifice

(Chorus)

When you lost all hope and excuses

All the cheapskates and the abusers

Nothing's left to cling onto

You've got to hold on to Jesus

It's a God thing.

2010-06-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

As many of my friends know, i have been involved in the music scene since i was about 8 years old. It all started in my third grade music class when our teacher ordered us recorders. Back then i didn't really care about music. All i really cared about back then was video games and baseball. Anyway, the first time i blew a note into my recorder i was like "Wow! this is really cool! i may actually be pretty good at this!" I practiced my little recorder day and night, sitting in my room figuring out different tunes by ear and figuring out how the notes fit together to create different scales. Over time i started using these scales to create my own tunes and i also started to help the other students in my music class learn how to play. I absolutely loved my little plastic recorder, and carried it with me everywhere and played it all throughout elementary school. (I still have it)

When middle school came around i discovered the magical world of woodwinds and brass instruments. My older brothers friend (Jeff) was a tenor saxophone player in the highschool marching band and i always thought that was the coolest thing ever! My mom asked me if i would like to play an instrument in the concert band for my school and she asked me what instrument i wanted to play. I told her tenor saxophone without any hesitation. I somehow knew that it was the perfect instrument. So my mom and dad went out and bought me an inexpensive Yamaha Tenor saxophone and it clicked just like that. It was like me and the saxophone were one. I remember getting first chair in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. In eighth grade i took part in a competition called Solo And Ensemble where i had to play a VERY intricate song all by myself. I ended up getting a superior rating (the highest you can get) and a medal! (which i still have and am very proud of) I thought of myself as the next Kenny G.

Then highschool came. I was so nervous because the beginning of highschool meant the beginning of marching band (marching around a football field every day in 90+ degree heat, rain or shine. I remember having a practice where we kept marching even though there was a tornado warning!) Anyway, being the freshman that i was, i was so intimidated by all the junior and senior saxophone players that had been playing for MANY years. They were beasts! They were great at playing sheet music, BUT they didn't know their scales. This is what put me into first chair my freshman year (above all the seniors!) Every week we would play at a football game or we would have a marching band competition to play at. The most fun place i have ever played a competition at would have to be the GeorgiaDome. (Yes... i have marched on that field in front of a packed house for Nationals) I was so proud to be first chair tenor saxophone for Summerville Highschool. One of the best marching bands in the country!

When i was 16 i decided to call it quits with saxophone simply because i was bored with it. (i still have it though) I remember my mom getting a coupon for a free guitar lesson at Creative Spark across the street from Seacoast. She asked me if i would like to give it a try and i agreed to try it ONCE because i thought that guitar wasn't really a good instrument for me. I went to my first lesson with an old classical guitar that we had laying around. My instructor (Josh) sat down with me and showed me the basic chords and showed me how to strum. "This isn't all that bad." i thought. "If i can learn saxophone i can surely learn guitar." So i left my first lesson and went home and practiced everything he tought me. I decided to come back a week later and continue with the lessons. He would ask me what song i wanted to learn and he would show me how to play the lead parts for that song (thus my extended mental library of classic rock and punk rock riffs).

I remember after a while that i was unhappy just playing parts from different "secular" song. I was sitting at church one day watching Martin Chalk and Keith Bruce play guitar durring the service and i thought to myself... "This music is so boring... yet they look so happy playing it. Why are they so happy?" So i asked Martin for some of his sheet music so i could learn how to play it. I practiced and practiced and practiced until i had all the guitar parts down then auditioned for the church's middleschool service called Nitro and made it! I would be onstage every weekend just rocking out having a good time.

A few years later i remember being onstage just shredding and soloing and showing off. i thought i was the coolest dude around! I was unstoppable! Well, i remember being onstage playing durring one of our slower songs and looking out into the audience and seeing every hand raised in the air and everyone singing the song and really getting into it. Some people were even crying! This sent the biggest shiver up my spine. I had no idea what was happening! Either every person in the room was loony or there was some sort of presence in the room, something that i couldn't see... something much bigger than me. All of a sudden i felt a flood of emotion and comfort come over me. Was this the kind of happiness that Martin and Keith were experiencing? It was all so new to me.

Now i am 22 and a guitarist for the James Island Campus, Dream Center, Longpoint campus and a few other churches on the side. Just recently i was promoted to the role of Worship Coordinator/Leader for the Dream Center's Celebrate Recovery service. Over the years i have learned that it was not ever about me or the music. It was not about being the best guitarist or the coolest.It's all about HIM. It's about using my talents that God gave me so i can return the favor the best i can. i am not perfect or the best musician but God doesn't care. "Make a joyful noise". I give all the glory to Him and none to myself. After all, He is the one that created me and decided to put music in my blood. I find this to be the greatest gift of all... i can use my gift to lead other people to know God. I have seen God work through me and my music many times and each time it brings a huge smile to my face just knowing that of all people, he chose ME to be his instrument. God created ME to be a worship leader! i couldn't ask for anything more. I absolutely love what i do. It brings me such great joy, i would not trade it for ANYTHING in the whole world.

A lot of the people i work with or see outside of church ask me why i do what i do with worship and all. I tell them "It makes me happy". They would always ask me "Why?" and i'd tell them: "IT'S A GOD THING."

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to him on the

ten stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does."

Psalm 33:1-4

Artist Review: Mutemath

2010-05-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Mutemath is a Grammy Award nominated American rock band from New Orleans that formed in 2003. Their music consists of many elements and has been described as everything from electro-alternative-rock to psychedelic-gospel to experimental-pop which give their music a futuristic flair. The group consists of Paul Meany on keyboards & vocals; Darren King on drums, samples, and programming; Greg Hill on guitar; and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas on bass, but they often perform on any mixture or variation of these instruments.

]History

Formation

Mutemath started in 2001 as a long distance collaboration between Paul Meany in New Orleans, Louisiana and Darren King in Springfield, Missouri. The two had known each other from their work together in Meany's previous band Earthsuit. Occasionally Paul would receive instrumental demo CDs from Darren. Fairly impressed with his efforts, Paul contacted Darren and asked if he could mess with the demos a bit, adding some ideas of his own. Darren obliged and the two would set in motion a sort of songwriting ping-pong match that would carry on for several months until Darren was asked to fill in as drummer for Earthsuit as the experimental Christian-rock band began to quickly dissolve. After Earthsuit finally disbanded, King moved to New Orleans and began to talk of a possible collaboration with Meany. The two worked on demos and played a handful of shows under the moniker "MATH".

With the recruiting of guitarist Greg Hill, the trio worked in their New Orleans home studio writing and recording a whole new collection of songs. Paul immediately played the demos for longtime friend and producer Tedd T, who fell in love at first listen. The trio continued to work on demos with Tedd T for a possible EP while playing shows with another Earthsuit member in Adam LaClave's art-rock group Macrosick.

Reset EP, released September 2004.

]Reset EP

After months of considering different options for their new venture, the group decided to do things on their own and officially changed their name to "Mutemath" after discovering that "Math" was already being used by another group. Meany recruited Tedd T and lawyer and former Earthsuit manager Kevin Kookogey to form Teleprompt Records as a way to independently control Mutemath releases. Teleprompt entered into a developmental-deal agreement with Warner Music Group in 2004, releasing Mutemath's debut Reset EP that fall. The band left Macrosick, recruited bass player Roy Mitchell-Cardenas and began touring to promote the release, using popular social networking sites like MySpace to spread word of the group. As their fan base grew, it began to see an increasing number of shows sell out by the Spring of 2005. By the fall of that year, they joined The Music is Much Too Loud Tour opening for Mae and Circa Survive where they chronicled their shows and updated their video blogs on a nightly basis gradually attracting more and more people to the Mutemath ground-swell. The band sold over 30,000 copies of Reset EP before the album went out of print in 2006.

Mutemath, released September 2006. The first run of the album also included a bonus live EP, Live at the El Rey.

]Mutemath

“	For us, we just try to keep it simple. We're obviously a band; that's really all we ever wanted to be from the very beginning without catering to any particular genre or political or religious agenda. We just want to make music with no barriers.	”
—Paul Meany - Boise Weekly - April 11, 2007

In January 2006, the band set out on a tour in support of their self-titled debut album. It was independently released in response to Warner Music Group's indecision on what to do with Mutemath resulting in a marketing stalemate and the threat of the whole project getting shelved. So by late 2005, Teleprompt filed suit against Warner Music requesting Mutemath to be released from their contract while Teleprompt would proceed to promote and sell Mutemath’s self-titled debut on its own.

Cover of the live DVDFlesh and Bones Electric Fun, released March 2007.

The special edition of the album was only available as a "tour-only" release until it hit the Internet on Teleprompt's online store, selling more than 10,000 copies in its first month. Mutemath landed on the covers of Billboard and Pollstar being featured in Alternative Press, Paste, and Spin as well as on the MTV News program 'You Hear It First'. The group continued to tour vigorously, playing shows to crowds of thousands at festivals such asBonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Van's Warped Tour, V Festival, CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, and Voodoo Music Experience in their hometown of New Orleans.

After months of legal wrangling with parent label Warner Bros. Records, Teleprompt settled litigation out of court in August 2006 with a re-negotiated contract with Warner.

WBR re-released the band's debut album Mutemath on September 26, 2006. The fully remastered album features reworked tracks from their Reset EP and a bonus limited-edition live EP. The album debuted at #17 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.

The band returned to the road in early 2007 with opening dates for The Fray and Wolfmother in various cities and a brief headlining tour in Europe. Flesh And Bones Electric Fun, an exclusive live DVD was released on March 20, 2007 with an accompanying 43-city North American tour that ran through the first of May.

The band also received some unexpected publicity on American Idol when contestant Chris Sligh sang "Typical" on the show's Top 24 episode.

]"Typical"

Mutemath's first music video, for "Typical", premiered on YouTube on March 21, 2007. The video was directed by Israel Anthem and features the band performing the song backwards. The video made it on the New York Post Hot List and registered more than 100,000 views in less than four days. It took three weeks for Mutemath to learn their parts backwards. When asked whether singing backwards or drumming backwards was more difficult, Paul Meany answered, "Darren had it the hardest."

"Typical" was also released as Mutemath's first radio single on April 10, 2007. As of late June, the single started receiving major airplay in Modern Rock quickly rising up the Mediabase Alternative chart jumping from #115 to #65 and was also the second most added song on Alternative stations the week of June 13, 2007. The single then jumped to #36 the first week of August 2007, a position it held for six weeks before it moved to a peak position to #35.

"Typical" was featured on a television commercial for the Discovery Channel, featuring clips from shows like "Man vs. Wild," "Deadliest Catch," and "Dirty Jobs.

The group made limited appearances at various summer festivals in mid-2007 in order to work on writing and recording material for their forthcoming sophomore record. The band's debut performance at the BonnarooMusic Festival coincided with their second appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

The group appeared on Transformers: The Album, released on July 3, 2007, performing the "Transformers Theme" in conjunction with the live-action film directed by Michael Bay (although the song did not appear in the film) and made a television appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on July 17. The group was in the running for MTV2 and Virgin Mobile's Book The Band vote to open for the US Virgin Festival inBaltimore, Maryland in August (Aiden won the Book The Band contest).

Mutemath's debut album reappeared on Billboard's Top Heatseekers Chart on August 4, 2007 at #28, while the single "Typical" debuted at #39 on Billboard's US Modern Rock Chart the same week.

The band hit the road in support of the single in September 2007 with support from Eisley, which included two television appearances. The first was September 19, their second appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The show aired a taped performance of the band recreating the video the single "Typical" that was taped in front of the studio audience and then played back in reverse for the broadcast. Their second television appearance was their debut on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien performing "Break the Same" for the first time on television on October 17.

On November 12, 2007 Atlantic Records announced that the band would join Alanis Morissette on Matchbox Twenty's Exile In America Tour which kicked off in Hollywood, FL on January 25, 2008 and ran through mid-March. On December 6, 2007, the group was nominated for a Grammy Award for their short form music video for "Typical". "Control", the second and final radio single from Mutemath was released January 15, 2008. The music video for the single was filmed in Nashville in January, but its distribution was halted due to copyright issues in regards to a previously released clip from a European group. The band also released the companion album to their 2007 live dvd, Flesh And Bones Electric Fun: Mutemath Live, via iTunes on January 29, 2008. "Typical" was added as a downloadable song for the Rock Band series in early 2009.

The album cover for the single "Spotlight" released in 2009.

]Spotlight EP

In November 2008 the group released "Spotlight" on the Twilight film soundtrack album, to favorable reviews. The song was the first single from Armistice and was released digitally February 10, 2009 on Spotlight EP which included B side tracks and a remix of the song by Son Lux. The single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Singles chart the week of February 28, 2008 and kept the spot for two consecutive weeks. The single dipped to #10 before making its last appearance on the chart at #3 the week of April 11, 2009. The group performed "Spotlight" for the first time on The Tonight Show on January 15, 2009, featuring guest appearances from LaClave and Allen from Club of the Sons and Jeremy Larson, all of whom have worked on the upcoming album. The EP was also released on limited edition vinyl on March 24, 2009.

The album cover for the album Armistice released in 2009.

]Armistice

“	Our goal is to embarrass the first record, that's what we're trying to do here, and I think we're on point to pull it off.	”
—Paul Meany - OC Register - March 13, 2008

The group went to work writing and recording their second full length record in their home studio in New Orleans. The album, entitled Armistice, was released in the United States on Teleprompt Records/Warner Bros. Records on August 18, 2009.

During the recording of the album, short videos have been posted to the band's Youtube profile. These videos document the work going on in the studio, including street interviews where New Orleans locals are shown samples of the album (which cannot be heard in the video), recording their reactions. Any clips of actual music from the new album is presented in such a way that it only hints at what the album will eventually sound like.

On April 4, 2008, Goodwin Films announced they were working on a documentary film about the making of Mutemath's new record. No further details have been announced regarding the release of the film.

According to the biography, the group had almost called it quits during the writing of the album. The band had written about 16 songs in the 3 years spent on the road touring and had expected to cut the list to 10 after settling down to record in their New Orleans home studio. Weeks of working with old ideas and bickering between the band mates led the group to begin searching for an outside producer to help focus the group and stabilize the tension. During this search, the group met producer Dennis Herring and after hearing his input, decided to scrap all the previously written material and start from scratch, bringing Herring on board as producer of the album. The band worked over the next three months writing almost 20 new songs that would shape Armistice. The band then spent time at Herring's studio in Oxford, Mississippi recording the final touches of the album.

On January 14, 2009, King said in an interview that after a break for the holidays, they would "get back to recording in hopes of having everything done in March so that the album can come out in August. It has taken way longer than we would have ever imagined but we’re just not done with it yet." Additionally, he mentioned that the album was Mutemath's first album which involved collaboration among all four members of the band.

The title for the sophomore record was confirmed as Armistice on May 27, 2009 in an interview on InsideBayArea.com and then confirmed on the same day on the Mutemath forums Teleprompt Records and Warner Bros. Records made a joint press release on June 9, 2009 announcing the details of the album release including the name Armistice, album cover, and track listing, as well as the official US release date of August 18.

Armistice debuted at no. 18 on the Billboard 200, with over 18,000 units sold in the first week. The album also charted at no. 4 on Billboard Rock charts and no. 3 on the Billboard Digital Albums and Billboard Alternative Albums charts the same week.

]

Artist Review: Senses Fail

2010-04-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Senses Fail is an American post-hardcore band from Ridgewood, New Jersey, formed in 2001.

]History

Formation and From the Depths of Dreams EP (2001 - 2003)

Senses Fail began in 2001 after Buddy Nielsen posted an advertisement on the Internet to recruit members for the band, but the band line-up was not complete till the following year. The advertisement attracted attention from Dan Trapp, only 15 at the time, who after reading the article contacted friends Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki. The line-up was later completed by Tokyo Rose ex-drummer Mike Glita who filled the role of bassist in the band.

The band took their musical influences of punk and hardcore and mixed them with poetry, emotion, literature, religion, eastern philosophy and spirituality to create their own sound and image. The name "Senses Fail" is derived from the Buddhist belief in Nirvana. Lead singer Nielsen explains, "In Buddhism, they believe that being alive is hell, and the only way to reach Nirvana is to ultimately have no attachments to anything. So, people go out and live in the middle of the woods and they don't eat and don't drink. They just meditate because they've reached such a high level where they're not attached to love, relationships or anything. And if you want to reach the highest level of being and see God, you have to have all your senses fail."

Building a local fan base by playing any gig they could find from skate parks and clubs to churches, they soon entered the studio and started to record. Their first release, From the Depths of Dreams, was a six-track EP that was originally released on ECA Records on August 16, 2002. It originally started as two three-song demo CDs, but was later joined together to make one release by producer John Naclerio. The independent release did very well and caught the attention of some record labels. They signed to Drive-Thru Records, and reissued their EP April 29, 2003 with two extra tracks, better mixing and new cover art. This release saw much success, and sold enough copies to peak at #144 on the Billboard chart. In support of the EP, Senses Fail toured with such bands as Finch, The Used, Millencolin, and The Starting Line.

]Let It Enfold You (2004 - 2005)

Senses Fail started working on their debut album, Let It Enfold You in early 2004. During this time, lead singer and song writer Buddy Nielsen was 20. They worked with producer Steve Evetts (Saves the Day, A Static Lullaby, Every Time I Die) on their new label Vagrant Records. The lyrics are derived from a wide variety of sources. The title of the album was taken from a poem written by Charles Bukowski, the song "Irony of Dying on Your Birthday" is about the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell, and parts of the song "Slow Dance" include lines of the Dao De Jing. Nielsen stated that, "We just love making music and writing good songs. I feel like I've got a lot more to say and we've got a lot more to contribute. But even if things ended tomorrow, we've gotten 10 times further than we ever expected to get and that makes us feel like we've succeeded regardless of what happens from here on." Let It Enfold You was released on September 7, 2004 on Vagrant and Drive Thru Records. The album has sold over 300,000 copies.

Let It Enfold You saw the release of two singles: "Buried a Lie" and "Rum Is for Drinking, Not for Burning." The music video for "Buried a Lie" was filmed on the set of a soap opera called "Guiding Light." Nielsen's mother shot the video and was also the link between Senses Fail and the soap as she used to act in the show. The release of the video started attracting mainstream success for the band. During this time period Senses Fail could be found in magazines such as Kerrang!, Rolling Stone, Spin and were even featured on the cover of Alternative Press.

The band toured extensively in support of the release. They were added to Warped Tour in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and 2009, and played on the main stage for the latter two editions of the tour. They were also included on the first Taste of Chaos tour in 2005 with such notable acts as The Used, My Chemical Romance, and Killswitch Engage. They also headlined a few tours of their own during this time with The Early November from Drive Thru and Emanuel from Vagrant.

The album was reissued in November 2005 with bonus tracks and new album art. In addition to the original track listing, it featured acoustic versions of songs from the album, an unreleased track, and a cover ofSuicidal Tendencies' Institutionalized.

In 2005, the band's web site announced the departure, by mutual agreement, of guitarist Dave Miller. He was replaced by Heath Saraceno, previously the guitarist and vocalist of the band Midtown. Subsequent interviews with band members made it clear that Miller did not leave voluntarily. Miller started his own record label called DMI (Dave Miller Industries) in September 2006.

]Still Searching (2006 - 2007)

After taking a break from touring, and acquiring a new lineup, Senses Fail began to write their second studio album. The new album, titled Still Searching was produced by Brian McTernan (Thrice, Cave In) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge. This album eased up on the aggression on previous albums and showed more emotion. On the subject of the new songs, Nielson explained, "I like my lyrics to be open to interpretation, but I didn’t want to paint pictures of things no one was going to understand; I want our fans to be able to relate. At some point, we all start examining our lives. If you don’t, there’s something wrong with you."

In support of the new album, the band toured on the Taste of Chaos again. In 2006 they toured with the Taste of Chaos International, and in 2007 Senses Fail returned to North America for the 2007 Taste of Chaos tour. In the summer of 2007 they also participated in a few dates of the Zumiez Couch Tour alongside From Autumn to Ashes. They headlined in late 2006 with Saosin and Bleeding Through as supporters. On October 5, 2007, Senses Fail began a 33-city co-headlining tour with New Found Glory which started in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also in the tour was Set Your Goals. The tour ended on November 24, 2007 in San Diego,California.

On November 13, 2007, Senses Fail released a deluxe version of Still Searching, which featured new art, behind-the-scenes DVD featuring footage from the band's headlining tour last fall, two additional previously digital-only songs, three new songs, and a cover of The Cranberries's song 'Salvation'.

On December 8, 2007, Senses Fail's bassist Mike Glita left the band to pursue his side project Knights in Paris. He has announced, on Myspace, that he will join the band Vampire for Hire, now known as Love Automatic, and continue to pursue the side project.

The song Can't Be Saved, from this album, is featured in the game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

[edit]Life Is Not a Waiting Room (2008 - present)

The band has finished their follow-up album to Still Searching. They played one show on January 24, 2008 in New York at the Knitting Factory. Jason Black of Hot Water Music played bass as a replacement for Mike Glita. Senses Fail played the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 4.

Their song "The Past Is Proof" was featured on the Punisher War Zone soundtrack, and the song "Wolves at the Door" was featured on the video game Madden NFL 09.

The new album, Life Is Not a Waiting Room was released on October 7, 2008 through Vagrant.

The band announced through Myspace that it would begin a nationwide tour on October 8, 2008 in Richmond, Virginia. The tour also featured Dance Gavin Dance, Sky Eats Airplane and Foxy Shazam.

On November 21, Senses Fail did an online interview with Ultimate Guitar based on the album's success.

They co-headlined The Saints & Sinners Festival from February 24 through April 15 with Hollywood Undead. They were also added to the lineups for Bamboozle Left and Warped Tour.

Part of the album is featured in the iPhone OS game Tap Tap Revenge.

On June 30, it was announced that guitarist Heath Saraceno will be leaving the band after the 2009 Warped Tour, stating: "I've shared many great times with these guys over the past four years or so. We've made two records I'm very proud of, toured the world and the States countless times, and I've made friends with people I would not have met otherwise. These guys from Jersey (and Atlanta by way of Florida) have turned into some of my closest friends, and I will miss seeing them as often as I've been able to."

[edit]Future

On May 10 via their Twitter and guitarist Garrett Zablocki's blog, the band have revealed that they're about to begin writing again for a new album.

They released a new track for Vagrant Records' Guitar Hero pack called "The Martyr" on July 23.

On July 1, 2009, it was announced that Heath Saraceno had finally left the band. On September 4, 2009, it was announced via Garrett Zablocki's blog that Etay Pisano would be his temporary touring replacement.

Senses Fail headlined a North American tour in fall 2009 with A Skylit Drive, Fact, and Closure in Moscow as support. During the tours stop at the Starland Ballroom on October 31, 2009 in Sayreville, New Jersey the band recorded their set for a future live album release.

Senses Fail began work on their next record in January, 2010, as indicated on the band's new myspace banner. They recently announced they hope to be in the studio by April and have the album released in early fall.

They announced a series of shows in Japan in February 2010, marking the first time the band has played there since 2006.

In January 2010, the band posted Zack Roach as their new guitarist in their myspace bio section.

On January 28th 2010, the band posted a blog titled "Japan:Sorry" which stated that they could not get the proper documents to play there in February. Complete Statement - "Unfortunately, we were unable to get the proper documents to play in Japan in February. Sorry! We'll make our way back there soon."

Artist Review: Sanctus Real

2010-04-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ok guys and gals... This is it... my favorite band of all time!!! There's many things that make Sanctus Real different from any other band out there. The number one thing would have to be their overall sound and style. Listen to the intro to "I'm Not Alright"... it would take a freakin' genious to think up a guitar part that is that catchy. What am i saying??? ALL of the band members are geniuses! Just take a listen to "Everything about You" On the Fight the Tide album... PHENOMINAL!!! If you're listening to Sanctus Real for the first time and you don't immediately get hooked there is something wrong... SERIOUSLY wrong.

Sanctus Real is an American Christian rock band formed in Toledo, Ohio, in 1996. The group is composed of Matt Hammitt (lead vocalist, guitar), Chris Rohman (lead guitar), Dan Gartley (bass), Pete Prevost (guitar), and Mark Graalman (drums). The band is best known for their number 1 singles "Beautiful Day" (a U2 cover), "Everything About You", "The Fight Song", "I'm Not Alright", "Don't Give Up", "We Need Each Other" and "Forgiven". Since 2002, they have released five albums through the Sparrowrecord label.

Sanctus Real formed in 1996, and the band released three independent albums over five years. After signing with Sparrow Records in 2002, the group released their major label debut, Say It Loud, at the end of the year. In June 2004 it was followed by Fight the Tide, which garnered a GMA Dove Award win in 2005, and two singles that charted at number 1 on Christian radio, according to R&R magazine. The band's third album, The Face of Love, was released in April 2006. The single "I'm Not Alright" received a GMA Dove Award nomination in 2007.

Their fourth album, We Need Each Other (2008), was recorded in late 2007 and released in February. It received a Grammy Award nomination and spawned the single "We Need Each Other". Sanctus Real released their fifth studio album in March 2010, titled Pieces of a Real Heart. The band's music incorporates a modern alternative rockstyle, and has evolved from power pop to a more melodic and guitar-driven sound.

In 1996, lead singer and guitarist Matt Hammitt met guitarist Chris Rohman while they were tenth graders attending Toledo Christian School in Ohio. They led youth worship at their school and church, and began writing their own music that year. Drummer Mark Graalman and bassist Matt Kollar soon joined, forming the band's original line-up. The group performed their first concert for several friends in the back of a warehouse in December 1996. They released a six-track demo tape in August 1997, and a five-track EP titled All This Talk of Aliens in January 1998.

History

Sanctus Real's full-length studio album Message for the Masses was released on June 18, 1999, and shortly afterward, bassist Matt Kollar was replaced by Steve Goodrum. Following Message for the Masses, which was recorded in a garage, the band made plans to record tracks at a major studio. To earn money for the endeavor, Hammitt and Goodrum took telemarketing jobs for a few months, which were difficult and described by Hammitt as "the most dreadful [jobs] ever". They recorded three songs with producer Skidd Mills in Memphis, Tennessee, and after winning a local radio contest, decided to record an entire independent album with Mills. It was completed in 2000 under the title Nothing to Lose, and the band attended 2001's Gospel Music Week in Nashville to distribute copies of the project.

From 1996 to 2001, Sanctus Real toured areas of the United States, and also sent demos to several Christian and mainstream record labels. After they received multiple recording contract offers in 2001, the band decided to sign with Sparrow Records. Matt Hammitt said, "At that point, we really had to do some soul searching and figure out where it was we were supposed to be ... Ultimately, we knew we could relate to kids in the church. We are passionate about our faith ... [and] from our personal experience, we felt this was the place we were supposed to be."

Say It Loud

Toward the end of 2002, before releasing their first non-independent album, Sanctus Real performed as an opening act on the Festival Con Dios tour. The band also guested on Bleach's first headlining tour, the We Are Tomorrow tour, in December 2002. Sanctus Real's major label debut, Say It Loud, was then released in December 2002, through Sparrow Records. The album was produced by former Grammatrain lead vocalist Pete Stewart. Sanctus Real began touring again in February 2003 as a guest band on the See Spot Rock Tour, with Relient K, the O.C. Supertones, Pillar and John Reuben.

Fight the Tide

Lead vocalist Matt Hammitt performing atTaylor University in April 2004

The band recorded a cover of U2's song "Beautiful Day" for the compilation album In the Name of Love: Artists United for Africa, which was released at the beginning of 2004. The track reached number 1 on R&R magazine's Christian rock chart in 2004, becoming their first chart-topping single. "Beautiful Day" also received a GMA Dove Award nomination for Modern Rock Song of the Year in 2004.

In February 2004, the band went back in studio to record their second album; almost all of the tracks were written in the previous month. It was recorded in six weeks with producer Tedd T, and soon released under the title Fight the Tide in June 2004. The lead single "Everything About You" was released in mid-2004, and by September it had stayed at number 1 on R&R's Christian rock chart for six consecutive weeks. The song was later featured on the X 2006 compilation album in 2005. In September 2004, Sanctus Real launched their first headlining tour, the Fight the Tide Tour. The tour featured guest bands Hawk Nelson, Seven Places and Ever Stays Red, and traveled through more than 25 cities.

After being nominated in late 2004, Fight the Tide won the GMA Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in early 2005. Released near the beginning of the year, "The Fight Song" was Sanctus Real's next single, and in May 2005 it reached the top of R&R's Christian rock chart, becoming the band's third number 1 song. In April 2005, bass player Steve Goodrum left the band and was replaced by Dan Gartley, a previous touring member of Relient K. Gartley played his first concert with Sanctus Real at the Agape Festival in May 2005.

The Face of Love

Bassist Dan Gartley in June 2006

Sanctus Real's third main studio album, The Face of Love, was released in April 2006. The album's first single was "I'm Not Alright" which became a number 1 song on Christian contemporary hit radio (CHR), as reported by R&R magazine. It was also the third most played song of 2006 on Christian radio formats. In early 2007, the band received two GMA Dove Award nominations: "Rock Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year" for "I'm Not Alright" and "Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year" for The Face of Love. Following the album's release, Pete Prevost became the fifth member of Sanctus Real as an additional guitarist.

The album's second single, "Don't Give Up", was released in the beginning of 2007, and by May it became the band's fifth number 1 track by placing at the top of R&R's Christian CHR chart. At the end of 2006 they were named the most-played artist of the year on R&R's Christian CHR chart. The title track "The Face of Love" was also a radio single. Sanctus Real launched another headlining tour in April 2007, The Face of Love tour, featuring Needtobreathe and This Beautiful Republic.

We Need Each Other

In August 2007, Sanctus Real returned to the studio to record a fourth album, which was finished by the end of the year. In November 2007, the album was originally slated for release under the title Turn On the Lights, the name of a track on the album. It was later changed to We Need Each Other, and was released in February 2008, through the Sparrow Records label. The title track "We Need Each Other" was released earlier as the album's lead single in November 2007. The song stayed at number 1 on R&R's Christian CHR chart for five consecutive weeks by February 2008, and it was 2008's eighth most-played song of the year in the same format.

During early to mid 2008, Sanctus Real guested on Third Day's headlining tour, and that year they also appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Two more singles from We Need Each Other were released: "Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)" in early 2008, and "Turn On the Lights" in August 2008. Later in the year, the band launched their own two-month We Need Each Other Tour in the United States, passing through 16 states and over 30 cities; the tour featured guest appearances from VOTA, Tenth Avenue North and speaker Sammy Adebiyi. In 2009, We Need Each Other received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album.^[39]

Pieces of a Real Heart

In mid November 2009, Matt Hammitt announced on Twitter that Sanctus Real finished recording their fifth album. The first radio single was titled "Forgiven", and peaked at #6 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. On December 2, 2009, the band announced on Twitter and Facebook that they narrowed the final album name down to two options: A Million Hearts and Pieces of a Real Heart, and held a public vote for one hour. Shortly after, it was confirmed that the title Pieces of a Real Heart would be chosen. The album was released on March 9, 2010 via Sparrow Records.

Touring

In April and May of 2010, Sanctus Real will be debuting the complete new album Pieces of a Real Heart while headlining the UNITED Spring 2010 Tour. Joining them on this 25-city nationwide tour will be visionary and speaker David Nasser along with fellow artists Jonny Diaz and MIKESCHAIR.

Musical style

Sanctus Real's main genre is typically labeled as Christian rock and alternative CCM. Their first three independent albums were described by Allmusic as power pop. Say It Loud was characterized by increased guitars and a powerful modern rock style. Their second release, Fight the Tide, was described as "melodic power rock" with similarities to Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot, U2, and PFR. The band's music on The Face of Love blended the styles from their previous two albums, evolving into less of a heavier rock sound. With We Need Each Other, lead singer Matt Hammitt noted that he "just pushed the limits of what I can do vocally" during some songs, "whether it be on a soft, kind of rustic sounding vocal or whether it be this overdriven, rock high-range kind of vocal."