Album Cover

For those who don't know, Scarecrow and Tinman (S&T) was a Christian band. Their members were made up of protestants and God converted them to the Catholic faith. The lead vocalist, Chris Padgett, has put (S&T) on the back burner while he is doing ministry speaking and writing. The remaining guys started up a new band call Cheer Up Charlie. This is not some left over, S & T wannabe band either. These guys can stand on there own. These guys are pushing Catholic music to the edge with heavy guitars and their fast pace rhythmic-style vocals. Their sound is alternative rock.

    Remember when diet soda was new. The key marking strategy was to convince you that it was just as good as regular soda. In fact, diet Coke took it one step further. They used the slogan, “just for the taste of it.” In other words, they wanted people to get the idea that people drank it for the taste and not because it had less sugar. This is true with anything that's low-fat, low-carb, or low sugar. They always try to get you to believe that the diet version is just as good as as the regular version, only it's better for you. I find that something similar happens in Christian music.

 
Southern California’s Rise showcase a pleasing slice of classic rock on their newest release, Stand the Line.  It’s been a long and arduous road since their debut album appeared in 2002, with two original members moving on, and lead singer Steve Rogers being diagnosed with cancer.  After a full recovery, he prayed with remaining members Jorge Ramirez (bass) and Mike Beloud (electric guitar) for God’s guidance in continuing their musical ministry.  The search for a replacement ended with Mike Partain, a Protestant who had been playing drums with a Catholic choir for several years.

Seven Sorrows goes against the grain in several ways. First, they are Catholic. Second, they aren't afraid to do hardcore. As if this wasn't enough to make everyone think they were from another planet, they also give their music away for free. That's right, you can download all their songs from www.SevenSorrows.com and if you want a CD all you have to do is send them a couple of bucks to cover shipping. I sent Mike an email and asked him a few questions about his band.