Music: BarlowGirl

Christian? Yes

Genre: Christian and Gospel

Review:

BarlowGirl is a Christ-loving band, that's for sure. A trio of rocker gals, they're very bold with their faith and they write pure, encouraging lyrics.

BarlowGirl has a very rock-y sound, but their songs mostly sound the same. The lead singer has a very smooth and beautiful voice with an amazing range.

Most of their songs are great, but to me they are kind of repetitive. I mean, maybe it's because I don't listen to BarlowGirl that much, but from what I have heard, their songs sound a lot alike. Now, I'm not saying that the songs are bad. I think they're all really well written and sound great. The lyrics are also quite powerful. Example: "I don't regret choosing you... I'm not ashamed that it's you who holds my heart."

BarlowGirl is very popular on Christian radio with hits like "Never Alone," "I Need You to Love Me," and "Let Go."

I'm listening to BarlowGirl's "Never Alone (Acoustic Version)" right now, and I'm very impressed with their talent for making songs really come together. The harmony is obviously very thought over, and the rhythm is also catchy.

BarlowGirl is a very talented band, and they definitely deserve your time and money on iTunes. They have many albums to choose from, including some that are Christmas themed. I'm not sure exactly how many they have, but they sure do have a lot! :)

Best Songs: "One More Round," "I Don't Regret," "Porcelain Heart," "Grey," "Million Voices," and a bunch of others that I can't remember what their names are. You're going to have to look them up yourself. :)

Review written by: Teapot Sue

My Top Ten Movies/Songs/Books

Hello, all! I am Madeline- a new member to the Media Reviews "team". Oh, by the way, thanks for inviting me TeaSue! Well, since this is a Media Reviews site, I thought might start by helping you get to know me by sharing my top 10 movies, then songs, then books. Here it goes:

Top Ten Movies

1. Enchanted 2. Pride and Prejudice (BBC) 3. Emma (with Gwyneth Paltrow) 4. Facing the Giants 5. Fireproof 6. Nacho Libre 7. Little Women (Winona Ryder) 8. Anne of Green Gables 9. Napoleon Dynamite 10. Bedtime Stories

As you can see, I really enjoy classics...I am a big fan of some of the books that go along with these movies too. Check it out:

Top Ten Books:

1. Little Women 2. Anne of Green Gables 3. Pollyanna 4. Pride and Prejudice 5. The Scarlett Pimpernel 6. Stepping Heavenward 7. Old Fashioned Girl 8. The Bible (Well, that's a good one...shoulda thought of that earlier...) 9. Do Hard Things 10. Emily of the New Moon

Here are some familiar and some not-so-familiar titles. Just in case you were wondering, Old Fashioned Girl is by Louisa May Alcott (who wrote Little Women). Emily of the New Moon is by L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables). Also, if you've never heard of The Scarlett Pimpernel or Stepping Heavenward, if you are a fan of classics, or, in the case of Stepping Heavenward are a Christian girl searching for some encouragement, those are a couple more really good ones. I'm not a big music person, so my top songs are kind of limited. I only listen to Christian music, so if you've never heard of these songs, I wouldn't be surprised. But they are great songs, anyway so you should give them a try:

1. I'm Letting Go by Francesca Battisteli 2. Boomin' by TobyMac 3. Average Girl (hence my Blogger nickname) by Barlow Girl 4. Lone Ranger by Nate Sally 5. Empty Me by Chris Sligh 6. The Beauty of Grace by Krystal Meyers 7. Stand in the Rain by SuperChic(k) 8. Million Voices by Barlow Girl 9. My Paper Heart by Francesca Battisteli 10. Clothes by Barlow Girl

Music: Relient K

Christian? Yes

Genre: Alternative

Review:

Relient K is a fun loving band, to put it simply. They have been in the business for quite a while, giving them lots of experience and knowledge of what their fans like. Relient K has more than 5 albums (I don't have them all so I don't know).

Relient K has fun lyrics ("Give me side A give me side B it doesn't make any difference to me/I tried to burn it like all the CDs that I get/But what the heck is all this melted plastic mess") for their mainly young audience. But unlike the Jo Bros, they also appeal to the older folk.

Relient K also has a more serious side, shown with their last album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago. There is still some silly stuff (Like the 12 second song Crayons Can Melt on Us for All I Care), but the song Forgiven has some really good Christian lyrics, and a wonderful tune.

Talented band members make for a talented band, especially in Relient K. Fast guitars, fast drumming, fast lyrics all join to make Relient K. Of course they have been slowing down more as their music careers progress, but the old Relient K feel will still be there, however hidden.

Best songs: "Be My Escape," "Sadie Hawkins Dance," "Failure to Excommunicate," "High of 75," "Nancy Drew," "Forgiven," and "Fallen Man." There are many more awesome songs by them, but these are the elite. :)

Review Written By: Teapot Sue

Music: U2

Christian? There are no bad lyrics, and tons of their songs are about the Kingdom of God.

Genre: Rock

Review:

U2 could be the most famous band in America right now. They've got more than 13 albums, and they're on their way to adding another one to that list.

U2 is a rock band. They don't have a scream-y rock feel, but they've got more of a smooth feel. The lead singer, "Bono", has a great voice for the type of music that they play, and the guitarist, "The Edge", is an incredible guitar player. He is also the keyboardist, and the background singer. The drummer and the bassist are both great, too.

U2 has some songs that are very obviously about the Kingdom of God. Songs like, "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "City of Blinding Lights" are prime examples. They both have soaring guitars, and they sound incredible.

Other Christian songs by U2 are: "Yahweh", "Walk On", and "Pride (In the Name of Love)". All of these are so wonderfully written that it's incredible.

One of their songs, "The Fly", has a great guitar solo. So great, in fact, as to be worthy of the song's own paragraph because of it. The first half of the solo sounds like a voice, crying, screaming, out to God for help. It's incredibly desperate, and it's in a minor key. Then, it's as if a response comes from that, and it's God's. Then, the solo really starts to soar, almost as if to say, "Wait, look. Don't worry, I have things planned for you." I am listening to the solo right now, and it is one of the hardest things that I have ever tried to describe in my life. That song definitely deserves it's own paragraph, and your time.

It's quite hard to really describe U2's sound. Their genre is rock, but it's as if they invented their own. No one else sounds like them. I can confidently say that they are one of the best bands in history.

Best songs: "The Fly", "City of Blinding Lights", "Love and Peace or Else", "Vertigo", "Elevation", "Beautiful Day", and a BUNCH of other songs that deserve to be put in the "best songs" section of this post, but there's not enough room.

Review written by: Teapot Sue

Music: Carrie Underwood

Christian? Only sometimes.

Genre: Country, Pop

Review:

Carrie Underwood was a normal, ordinary person until she went on American Idol. Through all her hard work and dedication, she sung herself to victory and earned a title which is coveted by many: American Idol. She's got a smooth voice which is perfect for singing the rollicking country songs that she's got on her new album, Carnival Ride. Carnival Ride is her second CD, and she's getting better every time.

Carrie Underwood has a few songs on her album describing her relationships with boys like "Last Name" and "The More Boys I Meet". In Last Name, Carrie's got a more sassy attitude as she describes a (made up) story about her getting drunk at a bar, then marrying a man that she didn't know. The song is called Last Name because she didn't "even know his last name." Personally, I love this songs beat, tune, and vocals, but I wish it had different lyrics. That's the same with a lot of her songs.

Carrie hits a sadder note with the song "Just a Dream". A bit depressing, Just a Dream describes a soon-to-be army wife's feelings when she arrives at a wedding and realizes that instead of the happy occasion and atmosphere she was expecting at the church, was actually a funeral for her fiance who had died in combat. There's nothing terribly wrong lyrically about this song, so I'd say it would be a good buy on iTunes.

Really, all I'm trying to say is that if you want a clean, country Carrie Underwood, shop carefully. She's got some better and some worse lyrics out there.

Best songs: "Jesus Take the Wheel", "All-American Girl", "So Small", "Last Name", "The More Boys I Meet", "Wasted", "Before He Cheats", and "I Ain't in Checota Anymore".

Review written by: Teapot Sue

Music: Thousand Foot Krutch

Christian? yes

Genre: Rock, Christian and Gospel

Review:

Thousand Foot Krutch (called TFK by their smiling, happy fans) is a band full of rockin' guitars, to put it simply. They sound a bit like the band Pillar with their lyrics. There is lots of screaming in their music, but they don't sing the terrible, put-down words that some rock and rap artists have. Speaking of rap, the lead singer Trevor raps quite often and it sounds great. This music would probably suit the ages of 10 to around 30, based on what I have seen.

Thousand Foot Krutch has played some great cover songs like "Unbelievable" and "Jingle Bell Rock." Believe me, Jingle Bell Rock is more like Jingle Bell Rock. Unbelievable is a great happy sounding tune to listen to while you clean the house or something like that. I know it makes me want to dance!

Thousand Foot Krutch also hits some less rocking notes with the song, "Breathe You In". That song is played on Christian radio stations across the USA. If you are interested in the lyrics of TFK, but don't like the really rock-y feel, then Breathe You In is a great song.

Best songs: "Falls Apart", "Breathe You In", "Hit the Floor", "Move", "Unbelievable", "Rawkfist", and "Absolute".

Review written by: Teapot Sue

Welcome to Media Reviews

Thank you for visiting Media Reviews! This blog has just been started, so it will take a bit for it to grow in popularity and in posts. More editors will be added, and they too will start writing reviews for this site.

Hopefully, Media Reviews will gain more visitors, and be the default place to preview Christian and non-Christian media for many, many people.

Thank you again for visiting Media Reviews.