The importance of hymns in our lives often gets lost in modern day churches and among young people. Yet there is a steady stream of artists that come back to them with full appreciation of their honesty, theology, and power to move hearts. I had the honor to not only sponsor a hymns tour with Andrew Greer, but also to sit down and talk about why hymns are so close to his heart.   DT: What kind of role have hymns played in your life? AG: Well, if it hadn’t been for hymns I don’t know that I would have ever been introduced to God in the way I was. I grew up …

This is the CD release day of Eric Peter’s 9th project, Birds of Relocation, which was released in digital-only format 5 weeks ago.  We don’t write a lot of album reviews, but this one is so special, it would almost seem wrong to not highlight it. I met Eric’s music and Eric the person in 2009.  I have come to deeply appreciate his art, but I even more so admire the man – an honest, vulnerable person who allows the Gospel to meet him in his brokenness.  I met him when he was in a valley.  2009 was a very dark year for him, and Chrome appropriately spoke on some …

This last Sunday (4/22/12), UTR hosted our biggest event to date, as over 820 people from 16 different states and 1 Canadian province gathered at Parkview Christian Church in a Chicago suburb for a night of music that was called "legendary."  Josh Garrels headlined the night, and the uber-talented duo Waterdeep set the table.  It was a thrill for us to be a part of such a meaningful night of ministry, and we had a wonderful opportunity to introduce what we do at UTR to lots of new friends.  It's hard for us to wrap our own words around it - so we invited some attendees to give us their …

In the midst of its national release, we are excited to give support to the new film Blue Like Jazz, one of this year's most important media projects.  Just like the book, the film breaks so many molds: it doesn't star Kirk Cameron, a huge chunk of the production was funded by thousands of patrons, it's a story that's accessible to people at all different points on their spiritual journey, and the closing credits won't be selling you small group booklets.  I had the privilege of interviewing Steve Taylor, the film's director, to talk about how how this project came to be and the hurdles his team had to overcome …

We are thrilled to announce the largest UTR event we've ever put together.  And it involves the #1 most requested artist on UTR over the last year.  And if that weren't enough, we're also featuring one of the most respected and talented folk duos of all time.  This one's not just for Chicagoans... this one is worth driving to if you live anywhere in the midwest!   Under The Radar presents Josh Garrels and Waterdeep in Concert Sunday, April 22, 2012 Parkview Christian Church 183rd & Wolf Rd, Orland Park, IL Doors open 6:15pm Concert starts 7:00pm This is our first time partnering for a public event with Parkview, and we'll …

Have you ever noticed how driving toward a vacation destination doesn't seem to be as long as the return trip home?  I take at least 1 really long family road trip each year.  The travel toward our destination is filled with the hopeful expectations of fun, relaxation, food, and a portfolio of memories.  What am I looking forward to on the return trip?  Work that's piled up, a lawn to mow, kids to prep for school, a pile of unopened bills, and my vacation day account down to zero.  It's no wonder why time seems to slow down on the arduous journey home. As believers in Christ, we are called …

This last Saturday night, at a jam-packed Riviera Theater in Chicago, NEEDTOBREATHE cemented themselves as one of the best live bands in music today of any genre.  After this weekend, I have now seen the band play live six times in six different venues.  This Saturday’s show tops the list as my favorite of them all. The show opened with a mostly silhouetted performance of the opening track from The Reckoning, “Oohs And Ahhs,” followed by Americana-rocker “Devil's Been Talkin'.”  The already amped crowed went to another level with three fan favorites, 2009’s “Let Us Love,” 2009’s “The Outsiders,” and 2007’s “Washed By The Water.” The first sign that I …

Under The Radar is privileged to share the official online preview of Jenny & Tyler's 5th album Open Your Doors, officially releasing on 4/3/12.  Hear the final album cuts, plus J&T share the story and inspiration behind the songs.  Also, read below to see how you can win some exclusive Jenny & Tyler prizes!  Enjoy the music...   1. Little Balloon   2. Abide   3. Skyline Hill   4. When Darkness Falls   5. Fear Thou Not   6. Lament   7. O That the Light   8. You Keep Loving Me   9. Psalm 86   10. See the Conqueror   11. Kingdom of Heaven   12. Selah …

UTR had the privilege of organizing and sponsoring the Chicago-area leg of the recent Angel Band Hymns Tour, featuring critically acclaimed singer-songwriters Andrew Greer and Julie Lee.  We organized 12 concerts over a 10-day span in mid-March 2012.  Yes, it was exhausting, but also very rewarding.  Here are my top 6 highlights from the tour (in no particular order): 1.  The timeless message of the hymns.  Regardless of genre, style, or instrumentation - hymns often carry weighty truth, a faithful hope, trustworthy theology, and a memorable melody.  As Andrew shared from the stage, while much of our modern worship music likes to draw feel-good conclusions, like, "Tomorrow will be a …

Here's a news story that will soon be running on a few different websites, and we thought we'd share it here as well:  UTR REACHES OUT TO AN OLDER GENERATION [Palos Heights, IL] - Dave Trout greeted dozens of seniors exiting the special performance. "Was the hymns concert meaningful to you?" Pat, a resident of Holland Home in South Holland, IL replied, "Like Julie said on stage, music will stay with you. And their music was wonderful.” Trout is the host/producer of ReFrame Media's music program Under the Radar (UTR), a ministry that features well-crafted songs by under-appreciated Christian artists.  When UTR recently helped organize "The Angel Band Hymns Tour" …

I'm so happy to see quality songwriters getting some much-deserved attention.  Jason Gray is no doubt one of my favorite songwriters, and he's been blessed with a few songs in recent years getting lots of radio airplay -- which is a very good thing on many levels.  I sat down with Jason last month to go a bit more in-depth about radio success and the songwriting process.   DT: How has recent radio success changed your career? Jason: Well, I did a show last night and around 400 people came as opposed to like, 20 people - in that way it’s changed. I’ve been doing this on my own, in …

Under the Radar is proud to partner with Andrew Greer and Julie Lee on the Angel Band Hymns Tour coming to Chicagoland to perform 12 shows in 10 days.  If you live within a stones throw of the Windy City, we'd love meet you and together celebrate some artistic hymns both old and new. Here's full schedule: Friday, March 9 @ 8:00 pm - Pilsen Community Church of Chicago (1325 W. 18th Street, Chicago, IL) ADMISSION: $10 @ the door  Saturday, March 10 @ 7:00 pm - Hope Christian Reformed Church (5825 151st Street, Oak Forest, IL) ADMISSION: Food Donation for local Food Pantry Sunday, March 11 @ 10:30 am - …

Worship music comes in all shapes and sizes.  For the last decade, some of the most recognizable and commercially successful songs around the globe have come from the hands of worship pastors like Matt Redman, Darlene Zschech, and Chris Tomlin.  There's also another wave of worship music on the rise which is appealing to those who enjoy a more stripped-down, raw, and intimate worship experience.  A great new duo in this indie worship wave is All Sons & Daughters, comprised of Leslie Jordan and David Leonard.  Last year, UTR had the privilege of being their first ever radio interview, and here's some of our conversation. DT:  When did you guys …

As we celebrate Valentine's Day, we asked several indie artists this question:  What is one of the most meaningful love songs in your marriage?  Here are the terrific responses:   Randall Goodgame - "Every Time You Say Goodbye" by Allison Krauss & Union Station This song evokes the most memories for me and Amy - not because of the words, though it's a well crafted song. I kept that CD in my car through 4 years of college, and we used to belt out the harmonies together driving down the road.  There are some complex changes (compared to most bluegrass) and one of us would usually mess up or accidentally …

I have a confession to make:  I am a Steven Curtis Chapman fan.  It’s not an easy thing for the producer of a podcast of under-appreciated music to admit.  After all, this is Mr. Dove Awards, Mr. 46-Number-1-Hits, Mr. Saddle-Up-Your-Horses.  However, I completely bought in to who he was as a performer and songwriter the first time I saw him in concert 20 years ago when he was supporting For The Sake of the Call (his 4th of 17 studio albums).  I have seen him live at least 6 other times, and he has never put on a bad show – always could hold the audience in the palm of …

Last month, I learned about the upcoming documentary project called Bleed Into One, which will chronicle the unique history of Christian Rock.  UTR signed up to be a supporter at Kickstarter.com, but unfortunately it looks like the project will not get funded that way (if a Kickstarter project does not raise the funding by a set goal, the project doesn’t get any of the pledged money).  Even though this is an uphill battle, this film deserves some support and attention, so I interviewed Tim Hudson, the heart and soul behind the documentary. DT:  What is the purpose behind Bleed Into One? Tim:  I think that documentary is the language of …

We are so happy to have Andrew Peterson as our special guest on Episode #167.  He has been a great encouragement and support to what UTR is doing.  He’s one of my personal favorite singer-songwriters, and an always intriguing person to interview.  Here’s a peek at some of our most recent conversation: DT:  Do you feel like your most recent CD (Counting Stars) is a bit peek at your more mellow side? Andrew:  Yeah, I guess it’s different. I always think of my music as being pretty laid back.  There’s no big orchestra on this record, some of my albums do that thing.  It’s funny because people have mentioned more …

This last Friday night, Griffin House performed a concert at S.P.A.C.E. in Evanston, Illinois – and UTR was on hand for the fun.  UTR host Dave Trout along with his friend, Griffin House enthusiast, and UTR listener Gail Hafar (and their spouses) not only enjoyed a terrific night of music, but they compared notes and reactions to the event.  Here’s their overall review of the concert:   What were your feelings and expectations before the concert began? Gail:  This was the first chance I had to see him sing since becoming a big fan of his music.  While in line for will-call, I commented about how I haven’t been this …

We think hymns are really important, and their messages should be carried on for generations.  That's one reason why we produce episodes a couple times per year featuring updated renderings of classic hymns.  We're taking it up a notch by sponsoring The Angel Band Tour - a celebration of hymns both old and new. Nashville indie artist Andrew Greer will be releasing his sophomore CD on 1/31/12 called Angel Band: The Hymn Sessions.  We talked last summer about sponsoring a hymn-themed tour which would include his friend (and another gourmet indie artist) Julie Lee.  A 3rd backing musician will tag along too -- so it'll be a multi-instrument musical smorgasbord! …

We've had a record-breaking response and great interaction about last week's release of UTR's Top 11 Gourmet Albums of 2011.  We also asked our panel of critics to choose their individual Top 6 Gourmet Songs of 2011.  These are purely subjective choices on what was the most artistic, meaningful, & poignant tracks from last year -- even if not the most "popular."  Since individual choices vary wider, we are listing all the choices instead of one collaborative list.  Without further ado, here are the Top Gourmet Songs of 2011.  [Song qualifies for consideration if from a Christian songwriter/artist and was released between 11/30/10-11/30/11.]   DAVE TROUT "Farther Along" - Josh …