After Edmund at GMA weekIn Part 1 of our new artist feature this year, we hung out with Article One just before their sophomore release. In Part 2, we got to know an even newer band fresh off their national debut release.

After Edmund hails from LaGrange, Georgia and the members are all musically trained. In fact, they all met while studying music in college. Playing together regionally since 2001, these five guys just released their debut national record Hello on Slanted Records in February. When we sat down with them, we met five goofy guys who also know how to be serious when necessary. Come join us as we get to know this band a bit better.

Third Day at the Music Builds launch partyWhile in Nashville for Gospel Music Week in April, Third Day spoke at interviews and performed at showcases in anticipation of their July release. You might be surprised at one of the media outlets that spoke with the band that week.

Revelation has already proved to be replete with newness. New musical guests. New artist management. New producer. And now there is a new cover on Billboard magazine. Apparently the June 7th edition reached a new height - first time a Christian band made it onto the front cover.

The cover reads, "Third Day Christian Crossover? Daughtry's producer. Dave Matthews' management. An inside look at longtime rockers on the verge," The issue can be purchased at larger magazine outlets, or you can read the article here. It is full with interesting discussions about the past, present, and more importantly the future of this long-time band with new beginnings.

A must read about the potential outlook of Christian music, even if you are not a Third Day fan.

For everyone who wondered if they had seen the beginning of the end for Third Day, the band answers back with its best CD to date. From the opening track they proclaim "This is Who I Am."

"I’m the son of a good man, I’m the child of an angel," read the lyrics. "I’m the brother of a wild one, and I’m looking for direction, I’m the lover a beauty, I’m father of blessings, I’m the singer of a love song, but is that all I’m good for? This is who I am!"

Plot the trajectory of Ethan Luck's career on a graph, and the image would be odd. Unconventional, to say the least, and not because it would convey an unusual number of peaks and valleys. If anything, first glance leaves the impression Luck has travelled from one peak to another, to another. From one popular rock band to another popular rock band, to a third.

Perhaps this is deceiving, because nobody finds success without hardship, but it is the idea that a first glance will leave. Include the names of his bands on your graph, add a sound clip or two, and then the weirdness becomes apparent. Success is certainly not foreign to Ethan Luck, and neither is diversity.

KOCH Records’ Seattle-based alternative rock band and winner of the 2007 “MTV2 Dew Circuit Breakout,” The Myriad, is scheduled to release their highly anticipated sophomore project With Arrows, With Poise on May 13, 2008. In anticipation of the release, we asked the guys some questions about the album, MTV, and touring. Step inside to read more.

Steven Tracy: guitars, keys, programming

inR: We last sat down together at the Purple Door festival in August of 2005. Give me a short summary of some things that have happened with The Myriad since then.

Steven: Well, that's a big window of time, and it’s certainly been busy! With the exception of recording the album, we've been on the road. So nothing's really new there. Lots of miles, lots of interstate, and lots of clubs. Last year however was pretty special for us. We had a bit of a lineup change in who worked on the business stuff with us, so we felt this intense drive to write and record something really special. It was the first time in a while where it was really on our shoulders. We essentially locked ourselves up in the studio and just went out to make the record of our lives.

Here at inReview (and previously at cMusicWeb) we have been expressing our own blend of the typical annual "Best of" albums for several years. To fit our motto, "A Different Approach to Music," the best albums have transformed to most spun rather than the best new records. The choices expand to any music in any genre from any time. After all, do our staff and readers only listen only to new releases? I hope not!

About an hour before Switchfoot hit the stage in Ocean City, New Jersey on May 1st, they first heard the news that "This is Home" is going to be performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 13th. While announcing the song during their set, Jon Foreman told the crowd this "hot off the press" news.

"This is Home" was written for the upcoming Disney movie Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. A video for "This is Home" premiered on May 2nd on the Disney website. Jon Foreman shared the following on Switchfoot's website:

Submitted by Dan Ficker - inReview.net webmaster

1. Mute Math Mute Math
There's no doubt - much like 2006, Mute Math's full-length album was my most spun of 2007. Actually, most of 2006's list was also tops of 2007. But, hey, I can't feature the exact same list every year, so we're just gonna skip The Elms and Mat Kearney. These are all great, but there's no doubt that Mute Math is still #1 in my book.

Submitted by Annie Reuter - inReview.net staff

1. John Mayer Continuum

This is one of those albums that I never get tired of. It’s been a constant companion since its release in September of 2006, whether it’s on my hour-long commute to internships in NYC or just lounging at home, there’s not one song from this album I dislike. Continuum has a mix of it all – pop, blues, soul and even some folk music among the usual collection of Mayer’s slower ballads and intricate guitar playing. From his first single, “Waiting on the World to Change” to the folk sounds of “The Heart of Life,” his album has a little bit of everything. One of the better songs includes his rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.”

Submitted by Jonathan Stephens of eleventyseven (Current album: Galactic Conquest, Flicker Records)

1. Third Eye Blind Self-titled Debut

This album was amazing for so many reasons. First off...the song writing is incredible. He's a lyrical genius. It's one of the few records out there where the music and lyrics go hand in hand. Neither one outshines the other. 3eb was one of the first rock bands to embrace pop and create a smooth compromise that addicted tons of fans from both genres. It's definitely one of those albums where you don't skip a single song.