In my family, the Christmas season does not start after Halloween. It doesn't even start after Thanksgiving.  We usually put the Christmas tree up 3-5 days before Christmas.  In our family and at my church, the period after Thanksgiving until Christmas is called "Advent."  This time is a period of planning and preparing for the birth of Christ Jesus.  It's a time to remember the great wonder that God the Father sent his son, Jesus, to earth.

Their first album in nearly three years, Switchfoot have said Hello Hurricane has been the hardest record they have ever made. The band tracked over 80 songs out of 150 written, the end result being 12 remarkably cohesive tracks. Between the aggressive rock numbers and powerful ballads, Hello Hurricane is a solid release embodying tales of struggle and loss intertwined with the overlying theme of hope and love. Their seventh studio release, Switchfoot prove their music is as important now than ever.

Much of America these days is, as it always has been, defined by the coasts.  The East Coast is the birthplace of America and the original states as well as the worldwide leaders in fashion and commerce. The west coast brought new avenues of trade, the gold rush, and now the worldwide leaders in technology and entertainment.

Although this is the image of America that many around the world hold, there are the unsung heroes of these United States.  These more simple folks work hard just to keep food on the table for their families.  They don't go down to the club on a Saturday night; they just stop by the bar for a drink with a few friends or sit on the front porch.

Thankfully, the honoring of these unsung heroes has continued through the decades of pop music, from Woody Guthrie to Credence Clearwater Revival on through John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty.  One band continuing this rich tradition is Seymour, Indiana's The Elms and their latest album, The Great American Midrange.

A few years back, I remember standing in the massive crowd at Creation Festival waiting for a band by the name of BarlowGirl to take the stage. There were a group of guys standing right behind me. I remember these guys making comments about having to stand through a "chick band" so that they wouldn't lose their spot for a later set they were waiting for.

BarlowGirl's set began, and it was great as always. I couldn't help but over hear those same guys from before the show, only now the comments changed to ones such as "Dude, they were so good!" Believers they now are.

Every week at the end of performance night during 'Idol' season, I take to my cell phone and dial the voting number (which I can recite in my sleep) for my favorite contestant, along with millions of other loyal viewers. Every season I seem to have a favorite that stands above the rest, and season 6 was no different. A contestant by the name of Phil Stacey earned my loyal vote (okay, okay... VOTES) each week.  There was something very genuine and personable about him, not to mention his voice... Wow!  You know those artists you can point out within seconds of hearing a song, even if you have never heard it before?  One of those artists for me, as well as many others, is Phil Stacey.

I was sad to see him go, but he did make it into the top five out of thousands of contestants.  What an accomplishment!  As he sang his farewell song "Blaze of Glory," I knew this was definitely not the last his fans were going to see of him.

Ask most bands whether having an iconic lead singer is a good or bad thing and they'll likely tell you that it's a little bit of both. On the one hand, having a strong, readily-identified presence behind the microphone can often be just the ticket to propel a given musical collective to the very heights of commercial triumph. On the other side of the coin, though, many of those same groups have stood by and watched helplessly as fan interest fell through the floor in the wake of their vocalist's departure. Deny it as they may, the members of the Newsboys have almost surely been pondering such matters since early March, when word of lead vocalist Peter Furler's retirement from touring and recording duties (he will continue on in a songwriting and producing capacity) – and subsequent replacement by former dc Talk singer Michael Tait – was first made public.

After hit single and title track from 2006's album, Nothing Left to Lose, took off Mat Kearney found himself on the road continuously. Supporting acts like John Mayer, Sheryl Crow and The Fray as well as his own headline stints, Kearney has been making a name for himself ever since.

Three years and many traveled miles later, Kearney is back with City of Black & White. Of his release, Kearney has said it is a record about community. "There's definitely the theme of this traveling/sojourner/vagabond kind of guy landing in the midst of people that he loves, and who love him."

A high-profile single is often a two-edged sword. On the positive side, it can offer a struggling artist the exposure they need to bring their music to a much wider audience. On the other hand, it can often paint the performer in question into a stylistic corner as they churn out a series of like-sounding copies in an attempt (usually, an unsuccessful one) to replicate its success.

The world of music boasts no shortage of artists who cut their teeth within the friendly confines of the duo or full-band setting before venturing out to try their hand in the solo arena (think Justin Timberlake, Eric Clapton and Dolly Parton). Conversely, any number of performers have chosen the opposite route and traded in their lives as solo stars for a taste of the group-based life (think Michael English’s tenure with the Gaither Vocal Band or David Bowie’s stint in the relatively short-lived Tin Machine).

Music lovers and critics alike have often contended that the most praiseworthy trait any artist can possess is a willingness to try something new. Perhaps this is true because such intrepidity also carries along with it the risk of alienating the performer in question from the better portion of their existing fan base. The axiom certainly applies to the members of KISS, who traded in their characteristic hard rock inclinations for pseudo-progressive rock on 1981’s Music from the Elder and post-grunge for 1997’s Carnival of Souls, and were rewarded with the only two non-RIAA certified studio albums of their 35-year career.