Our good friends from New Zealand, The Ember Days, have just launched a Kickstarter to raise $35,000 to record their new album this September with Paul Moak (House of Heroes, Third Day, Seabird) and Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, David Crowder). More information is available at the widget below or right here. The band is on tour this summer, and will be playing the final Cornerstone Festival this week, as well as SoulFest in August, and all the dates can be seen at the band's website. The Ember Days' latest full length album Emergency is also currently available as a free gift through Come&Live!, along with the rest of their discography.

Check out Ryan Shelley, an indie/folk worship artist from Florida, who has shared the stage with such artists as Aaron Gillespie, The Ember Days and Ascend The Hill. Ryan has recently released a new full-length album, Sights & Sounds, on iTunes, and you can preview some new songs at his website or Facebook page, which also contains tour dates and more info on Ryan's music.

Our friends over at Indie Vision Music have just released a new compilation, which is a bit different than their usual free downloads. It is titled Passionate Hope Vol. 1:  Songs of Worship and features some great worship music from artists such as Cool Hand Luke, Esterlyn, My Epic, and The Ember Days, in addition to new music from upcoming bands such as Oceans & Vessels, Standing Small, and Sinai Vessel to name a few. Passionate Hope is available now as a completely free download right here. Give it a listen, and let us and IVM know what you think.

The Ember Days' new album, Emergency, has at last been released. The album can be downloaded as a free gift from Come&Live!, as well as from iTunes and AmazonMP3. If you want to support the band by buying a hard copy of Emergency (which includes a bonus DVD with an extended version of the Come&Live! New Zealand documentary) or a shirt, they can be purchased right here. The band will be playing iMatter Festival all three days this weekend, and will be going on tour with Kye Kye in October.

Artist: The Ember Days
Album: Emergency
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Label: Come&Live!

Over the past year, it's not an understatement to say that The Ember Days have been a favorite band of mine. The funny part is that it didn't start that way. On first listen to their Finger Painting EP that released nearly a year ago to the day (which I still listen to often), I was let down, expecting more music like their previous self-titled EP, but heard only two songs with vocals, and three, somewhat lengthy and ambient, instrumentals, and I decided that it wasn't my thing. I was wrong. After further listen however, I had a much different perspective of the instrumental music. Each song had plenty of texture and depth, and soon after a disappointing first opinion of the music, I realized that my early judgment was holding me back from the point of the music, which has a purpose to lead the listener into the presence of God. And that is what The Ember Days are all about, not just making music because it sounds good on the ears, but for those listening to just truly worship God.

After all that previously said, The Ember Days are now bringing us a brand new, full length album (their first since Your Eyes Light Up), entitled Emergency. To those approaching this new album as a continuation of the ambience and atmosphere of Finger Painting, that is an incorrect assumption. Emergency takes a bit of a new direction for the band, with a darker, rockier feel at times, and at others, there are more subtle moments of intimate worship, that inspire you to just get alone into a quiet place, and experience God's never ending, loving presence.

The first half of Emergency is a bit more aggressive and rock-driven, especially "Unite Your Bride," on which guitarist Jason Belcher does lead vocals for, along with the reworking of "Yeshua" as well. Janell Belcher still takes the lead vocal position for the majority of the album, and her vocals go from hitting powerful sections on "Make Us One," to a softer side on "How Great You Are" and "Adore." The album also has a new, redone version of their older song, "Run To You," which has a bit more of a full sound, as a result of the added electric guitars.

There is in fact an instrumental on Emergency, which is the album's title track, but really does not sound anything like the instrumentals on Finger Painting. The song is mainly made up of piano strokes, which at one point reaches a crescendo, where it adds in guitars, strings, and percussion, before dying back down into where "Emergency" started. One of the album's highest points follows soon after. "High Above" is highlighted with Janell's vocals, and light, sweet piano parts, and its chorus of adoration for Christ is a joyous thing to hear.

Overall: The Ember Days have a sole purpose, and that is to worship. Emergency only furthers their mission and ministry as a band, and in all the prayers and adoration of God in these 10 songs, the listener is encouraged to get very intimate and personal with our Creator, and pour out our hearts to Him. To me, that is an amazing thing, and I encourage you to check out this album, as a free gift from the band and Come&Live!, and truly enter into the presence of God with worship.

Reviewed by Brooks Ginnan

Tracklisting:

1. Unite Your Bride
2. Make Us One
3. All Honor
4. Run To You
5. Yeshua
6. How Great You Are
7. Emergency
8. High Above
9. Adore
10. Sound Of You

(Free Download)

The Ember Days are releasing their long awaited full length album, Emergency, on August 30th, through Come&Live!. We had the opportunity to talk with the band on the mountain top at SoulFest this year, and to catch a few of their sets. Emergency will be available as a free gift from Come&Live!, and can also be purchased from the band, or on iTunes and AmazonMP3.

 The Ember Days 2011 (Pt. 1) by Christian Rock Rocks

 The Ember Days 2011 (Pt. 2) by Christian Rock Rocks

 The Ember Days 2011 (Pt. 3) by Christian Rock Rocks

Emergency Album Artwork:

Come&Live! have some brand new music available now, from a few new artists that have recently joined the C&L! community. The first band is Honor The Emperor, whose new EP The Prayers is full of indie worship vibes, and the second is The Rock Music, who also have a new EP out, titled Alive My Soul. Both of those EPs are now available to listen to and download, right here. The Ember Days also have a new single available as well, "Make Us One," which is off their upcoming, full-length album, Emergency, available August 30th from Come&Live!. Be sure to check out C&L! if you haven't already, download the music from over 20 artists (all completely and legally free), and even consider supporting them. For more info, check out the Come&Live! website.

The Ember Days just released a brand new song titled "Make Us One," off their long awaited full length album, Emergency, releasing August 30th on Come&Live!. Be sure to listen to and download the new song from C&L!, and catch The Ember Days live this summer on Come&Live!'s Arrows Are Deadly tour with Showbread and Ascend The Hill.

The annual Elmira, NY music festival, iMatter, has announced their lineup for this year. The festival will take place on Labor Day weekend, September 2nd-4th, and will feature a great lineup of 12 bands, who are listed below. For more information on iMatter 2011, check out the festival's Facebook page.

iMatter Festival 2011 Lineup:

August Burns Red
Emery
The Ember Days
Impending Doom
Texas In July
A Plea For Purging
Life In Your Way
Hundredth
I, The Breather
The Great Commission
My Heart To Fear
Gideon
To Speak of Wolves

COME&LIVE! RELEASES NEW ZEALAND {OUR STORY} DOCUMENTARY

Artist: The Ember Days
Album: Finger Painting EP
Release Date: 8/31/10
Label: Come&Live!

I'll lay it out on the table right now, worship music is the biggest hit or miss genre with me. Despite always full of praise to God, there are just some bands that lack in creativity and some that just do it in a very accessible way that is very enjoyable to anyone. The Ember Days are a hit. The presence of God that fills the five tracks on their newest EP, Finger Painting, will no doubt make you want to uplift your praise to Jesus Christ on the spot. This five track effort is filled with three instrumentals and two tracks with vocals, provided by Janell Belcher, adding the the beautiful ambient atmosphere, that is perfect for a worship setting.

Setting the atmospheric sense right off is "Hope," the first of the instrumentals. The ambient feel provided captures you from the simple strumming of a guitar to the pounding, triumphant drums that go on through the song. "It Is Well" has a softer feel to it, with Janell's soaring vocals resonating to the sounds of an orchestrated section and an acoustic guitar. The last two instrumentals follow, "Rest" and "Finger Painting." The latter clocks at, yes, nearly 11 minutes long but has the surprising ability to take hold of the listener and not let go, with a nice drum buildup that binds the song together. The closer, "Simple Song," starts off slow and piano driven, but breaks into a chorus of guitars and choir that proclaims "Hallelujah, we praise You" to close out Finger Painting on a high note.

Rating: 8/10 Out of New Zealand come one of the best bands in the worship circuit today, The Ember Days. The atmospheric, ambient songs contained on Finger Painting provide an intimate feeling of worship and praising Jesus Christ. This is no doubt some of the best worship music this year has had to offer.

Tracklisting:

1. Hope
2. It Is Well
3. Rest
4. Finger Painting
5. Simple Song

(Download Here)