Since many members of Burlap to Cashmere have gone their separate
ways, people have been looking for something to fill the void.
Welll, we've found some of their indie solo projects, and we
reccomend that you check them out! Also, we got a trio of quality
albums that released this week.

GOT COMMENTS?? - We want your input on cMusicWeb.com! Send it to
webmaster@... or find me on ICQ or AOL IM.

UNSUBSCRIBE?? - Logon to http://groups.yahoo.com to do so, or drop us
an e-mail telling us why you're annoyed by hearing from us.

REVOLUTION - JOHN DEGRAZIO (2001)
by Josh M. Shepherd
With a title like Revolution, one expects John DeGrazio to borrow
from the rap beats of Kirk Franklin or the intense foreign flair of
DeGrazio's former group, Burlap to Cashmere. Yet rather than flashy,
militant ideas, this Nashville insider testifies to a different kind
of "mutiny," a gradual growth toward God and away from the world.
Like most who strike out to be independent, his artistry tend to be
rough, stripped-down acoustic, as if fulfilling some universal
revenge against slick-sounding radio pop. John's worldview gets a
grand unveiling in the opener "Seems So Wrong," subversive of the
finger-pointing, predictable mainstream (both Christian and
otherwise). Examining the call of Christ with unimagined clarity, "A
Deeper Sense" uses tricky vocal mixing to glorify spiritual evolution
and man's need for God. DeGrazio's ASCAP Award-winning (2001)
songwriting brings uniqueness to the praise chorus "I'll Be Yours,"
including the lines, "This spell You cast is still upon me... how can
I live forever if You're not here with me?" While every Revolution
track has a certain drama, track four makes a breathless, bold move
by spotlighting piano after only mixing in acoustic guitar for the
record's first 11 minutes (lyrically, it speaks to a departed friend
as DeGrazio's "Wish I Could Have You"). Left defenseless by the
world's self-focused drive, the singer voices truths about
relationships and pressures, saying he'll never be "Somebody Other
than Me." "Everywhere You Go," a driven progression of sound and
thought, observes that we are surrounded by negativity; the next
track "Destroy" answers the previous rant with themes of remaining
beauty and "the love before our eyes." Getting backup help from B2C
guitarist John Philippidis, John DeGrazio (who also wears the hat of
producer on Revolution) builds a convincing soundscape in "Turning
Around," a collection of ideas concerning surrender and renewal.
Strikingly complex for a first radio single, "Until You Answer,"
finds that believers regret their seclusion from the world, though
not the hopelessness all around them--a paradox solved only by
communion with Christ. The John DeGrazio style of chatty lyrics and
hard guitar strumming wanders onto a "Desert Road" plenty with
drought and cynicism. An eleventh and final cut, "Sooner or Later"
realizes that truth needs to be embraced daily because of our
thoughtless, broken condition. Ever admitting the scars and
shortcomings, Revolution is a few levels above most contemporary
Christian fare--a pleasing acoustic mix directing a revolt of spirit
over flesh.

Find out more about John DeGrazio at his official website:
http://www.johndegrazio.com/


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, JULY 3 (at cMusicWeb.com or at your local store)

CREATED TO WORSHIP - RITA SPRINGER
This artist has been a mainstay in worship for a while, and she
continues to bring more and more worship to the table.

Below is all three PICKS OF THE WEEK, just because I couldn't pick
the best one:

DISAPPEAR - PFR
Those guys from my home state of Minnesota are back! We're so happy
for them, because their soothing pop/rock style used to rule the
airwaves back in the 90s, and they've created a new disc that
stretches their craft both musically and lyrically.

EMPTY - TAIT
If you've heard louder rock, you probably don't have much hearing
left. These guys rock out like no other with a simple style and
lyrics that speak volumes. Plus, of course, Michael Tait from dc
Talk sings and writes along with Pete Stewart (formerly of
Grammatrain) rockin' out on the guitar.

INVADE MY SOUL - BY THE TREE
As our previous coverage of the indie band shows, this is a band with
a passion for worship, and they fuse that with great pop/rock hooks.
We're so excited about what By the Tree is going to do nationally,
and we're going to keep and eye on them for sure!


THE LATEST NEWS HEADLINES
• Midnight, and the Buzzing Won't Stop
• Gameboy in the Grand Canyon
• And much more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on cMusicWeb.com)

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Invitation to Eavesdrop - Shaun Groves [7/17]
Let's Fly - Cheri Keaggy [7/17]

WORSHIP: http://cMusicWeb.com/worship
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever 2 - Various [7/31]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next
week with even more great content. If you have any comments or
questions, please reply to this e-mail or send them to
webmaster@... We'd love to hear from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb