Burlap to Cashmere

Originally a seven-piece band, these guys burst onto the Christian music scene in 1998 boasting a New York swagger and a big sound that turned the genre on its ear. The lyrics on their debut disc, Anybody Out There?, were overtly evangelical, but BTC was always a bit of an odd fit in the Christian market. Maybe it had to do with cutting their musical teeth on the New York club scene. Fans loved them, but the constant touring caused Burlap to burn bright and then burn out. Nearly a decade later, three of the original members reconvened to command a tighter, toned-down five-piece. In summer 2011, they delivered a self-titled disc with a folk-rock sound that pays tribute both to their Greek roots and the '70s singer-songwriters who inspired them.