TFK Continues Its Climb Up Rock Charts

TFK continues its rise into mainstream arenas with sales as an independent artist that the major labels aspire to ascertain. With well over one-million albums sold, more than one-million likes on Facebook, featured performances on major rock festivals internationally, numerous sports programming placements and hundreds of millions of streams online (300,000+ weekly at Spotify alone), Thousand Foot Krutch has also scored two back-to-back Billboard Hard Rock No. 1 albums (OXYGEN:INHALE,The End Is Where We Begin), and nine Active Rock radio hits.

The most recent hit single from OXYGEN:INHALE, "Untraveled Road," has not only topped SiriusXM Octane's Big Uns Countdown for two non-consecutive weeks, but for the first time in seven years, launches TFK this week into the Top 20 at both BDS Mainstream Rock (at No. 20) and Mediabase Active Rock (at No. 19) charts as the song continues to climb. "Untraveled Road" follows the album's No. 1 hit "Born This Way."

Having already hit No. 2 on the iTunes Rock Song sales chart and racking up more than 1.2 million views and 10,800 likes on YouTube, "Untraveled Road" has further been embraced by the sports entertainment world to fire-up faithful fans. Adopted by the NHL's Ottawa Senators as their 2014-15 anthem and used as the "pump-up" video for the Montreal Canadiens' 2014-15 season, the song was also played for the crowd April 13 at PNC Park after the Pittsburgh Pirates' Corey Hart hit a home run, helping lead his team to a home opener win against the Detroit Tigers.

"'Untraveled Road' is about not being afraid to take the first step, or be the first voice," says McNevan. "It's about having the courage to be unashamed, and the faith you need to take a step before you can see the ground. The 'untraveled road' is symbolism for being at a crossroads, and having to decide which path you're going to take. Sometimes it takes everything."

Christian Music Overheard in MLB Telecasts

We've written in the past about Christian music being used promotionally by Major League Baseball, as 'at bat' songs in the Playoffs and World Series, and stars promoting Christian music, but it's still refreshing to hear during the season.  It was noted last night that Milwaukee Brewers' players Jonathan Lucroy (Red's "Let Go"), Travis Ishikawa (TobyMac's "Ignition") and Jeff Bianchi (Jeremy Camp's "Tonight") had Christian songs as their 'at bat'/'walk up' songs.  According to the Brewers' site, Corey Hart has Newsboys' "Born Again" and Mark Rogers' pitching entrance music is P.O.D.' "Lights Out."

Josh Hamilton's Showstopper Music

Josh Hamilton, outfielders for the Texas Rangers and 2010 ALCS MVP and 2010 AL MVP, has rotated between "This Life" (Mercy Me)," I Used To Do It" (LeCrae), "Sing A Song" (Third Day) and "Showstopper" (Toby Mac) for his at bat music. This can often be heard on-air during the Playoffs.

Hamilton says he likes for his songs "to have a little message in them about faith." He admits to not being very tech-savvy, so his wife helps him pick the best 10-second clip and send it to the team.

"If I can get just Jesus' name in there," Hamilton said, "that's the important thing."

Early last year he used a Casting Crowns song called "Until the Whole World Hears" and picked these lyrics from the chorus:
Ready yourselves
Ready yourselves
Let us shine the light of Jesus in the darkest night
Oh, Ready yourselves
Oh, ready yourselves

At other times he used Toby Mac's "Showstopper" with its line of
It's automatic
Don't mind the static
Jesus fanatic

And Toby Mac's "Get Back Up."

In 2009, he used "Saved the Day" by Phillips, Craig & Dean sharing that "The part I (have asked to be) played says, 'You saved the day/ the day you rolled the stone away/ the empty grave was there to say you reign.' I got on our PA announcer a little bit because he'd cut in and say my name right in the middle of it. I told him that I'm not one of these guys that are playing the song for myself. I'm playing it so everybody else can hear it. I said, 'I'm not telling you how to do your job, but if you could, just announce my name, and then play it.' That's just the way I feel about the whole situation."

When Corey Hart's Milwaukee Brewers were still in the Play-offs that was at least 3 opportunities to hear Christian music (albeit short and soft) during the Playoffs.

Casting Crowns Heard Throughout MLB Playoffs

Viewers of the National League Playoffs may have recognized the at bat song for Milwaukee Brewers' Corey Hart.  Hart has chosen Casting Crowns' "Until the Whole World Hears."