You’re gonna either love or hate this one… ;)

My friend Simon Gugala wrote this recently with his cousin Chris, and they needed some hardcore vocals for the song. Hardcore vocals they got, probably more than they expected. I pushed my voice harder than ever. Believe it or not, I think it sounds pretty amazing. I’d love to know what you think.

The song is credited to Simon Gugala with guitars by Chris Gugala.

Download “Welcome to the BeatDown” or stream it live:

Lyrics are after the jump.

I felt like writing last night, so I wrote this and then just immediately recorded it live. It’s probably the darkest song I’ve ever recorded (though I’ve written darker songs…). The meaning should be fairly easy to interpret, but this is one song I’d like to leave up for interpretation (don’t worry, I won’t do that very often).

Enjoy and let me know how you like it. Download or play it below.

Download “Solace (Live)” or stream it:

Lyrics are after the jump.

It’s a new song day! I haven’t eaten since breakfast this morning, and it’s because I was working on this song. It’s called “Just Like Me”, and it’s basically my confession to the world that I don’t always do everything for the right reasons. Too many people look up to me because they think that everything I do for others is done out of pure sacrifice, when most often it’s done for some form of fulfillment. Not only is this song that confession, but it’s a testament to the fact that Christ does everything for the right reasons, unlike us.

Download or play it below, and as always, leave a comment! :)

Download “Just Like Me” or stream it live:

Lyrics are after the jump.

It’s not quite done, but I’m posting it anyway! I can’t wait any longer! ;)

Here is Least of These, as some of you heard at the 30 Hour Famine concert. I’m planning on adding some harmonies to it yet, as well as some bass. But it sounds great already! Let me know what you think! :)

Download “Least of These” or stream it live:

Lyrics are after the jump.

I thought I’d post this one up; this is a song I wrote back in 2003 as a response to President Bush’s actions regarding 9/11. My friend David Alberth recorded it for me and contributed some on the guitar parts; the drums are by another friend named Kyle Baker.

We never really got to polish it, unfortunately, which is kind of a shame because it’s a pretty neat little tune. It’s a good listen, regardless. Enjoy. :)

Download “Nevermind the Aftermath”

As always, the lyrics are after the break.

This should be the final version of No Other Hope. I beefed up the guitars a bit, and my friend Larry Williams added some wicked bass to it. I’m super excited because Larry’s an excellent bassist and he’s on track to record bass for some upcoming songs as well. It only gets better from here. :)

There are also two noticeable changes to the song (in addition to bass and beefed-up guitars). Can anyone spot them?

Download “No Other Hope” or stream it live:

Lyrics are available here.

It’s a little late, but it’s finally here! Those of you who attended First Church of the Nazarene in Sterling a couple weeks ago have already heard it live. This is the fourth recording for the upcoming album; give it a listen and tell me about it! :)

Download “No Other Hope” or stream it live:

Lyrics are after the jump.

I recorded a new song this weekend; it’s definitely the fastest full mix I think I’ve ever put together. Things just seemed to work, which is rare. Anyway, I’m proud of it. I like the melodies. I left out the drums on purpose, because I wanted it to feel a bit more “raw” than usual. Feel free to download it and let me know what you think!

Download “Reason to Grow” or stream it live:

Lyrics are after the jump.

I wrote this song for my Dad and sang it live during a celebration of his ministry back in 2004. It took quite a bit of practice to get the whole picking and singing thing down at the same time. It brings my Dad to tears, which is mighty hard to do. ;) It’s also one of my favorites.

UPDATE: This recording is an outdated version. A new, full-band recording of this song is available here.

Download “Tribute” (old)

Lyrics are after the jump.