38th Parallel (band)
Encyclopedia
38th Parallel was a Christian rock
/rapcore
band formed in Ames, Iowa
. Before being signed they received extensive airplay in Iowa markets alongside other CCM
Artists. Unknown to them, they were entered into a talent search contest for Christian music giant Word Records
. They rejected a contract offer in order to reach a more mainstream market, instead signing with Squint Entertainment
.
Their name is a play on the 38th parallel north
, which divides North Korea
from South Korea
. Their first album, Turn the Tides
, was released in 2002, following the band's nationwide tour with artists Skillet
and The Benjamin Gate
. The album received a Dove Award nomination in 2003 for Rock Album of the Year.
Following the disbandment of 38th Parallel, vocalist Mark Jennings, guitarist Jason Munday, and drummer Aaron Nordyke formed the Harry Potter
-themed electronica
band Ministry of Magic
.
In 2005, 38th Parallel made available the demo tracks for their second album that were never finished or released.
On August 2, 2006, band member Mark Jennings announced, via the band's MySpace
blog, that it is unlikely that 38th Parallel will release another album. The decision was influenced by shifting priorities in the personal lives of the members such as marriage.
On June 16, 2007, 4 out of the 5 members of 38th Parallel played 5 songs at Bash on the Farm in Garner, IA.
Currently, Mark Jennings, Jason Munday, and Aaron Nordyke are all still involved with the wizard rock band called Ministry of Magic, along with Luke Conard, Ryan Seiler, and Jeremy Jennings. They currently have four albums (The Tri Wizard LP, Goodbye Privet Drive, Onward and Upward, and Magic is Might) and perform when possible.
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
/rapcore
Rapcore
Rapcore is a subgenre of rap rock fusing vocal and sometimes instrumental elements of hip hop with punk rock .-History:...
band formed in Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. Before being signed they received extensive airplay in Iowa markets alongside other CCM
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
Artists. Unknown to them, they were entered into a talent search contest for Christian music giant Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
. They rejected a contract offer in order to reach a more mainstream market, instead signing with Squint Entertainment
Squint Entertainment
Squint Entertainment was a record label owned by Word Entertainment, started in 1997 and run by musician and songwriter Steve Taylor. Squint pushed Sixpence None the Richer to mainstream success with their single "Kiss Me"....
.
Their name is a play on the 38th parallel north
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
, which divides North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
from South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Their first album, Turn the Tides
Turn The Tides
-Track listing:# "Hear My Cry" - 2:58# "Turn the Tides" - 2:49# "Higher Ground" - 3:44# "Clouded" - 2:55# "Who Am I?" - 3:31# "Horizon" - 3:53# "State of Mind" - 3:53# "You Are My God" - 3:49# "Wither" - 3:39# "3 Times Denied" - 3:00...
, was released in 2002, following the band's nationwide tour with artists Skillet
Skillet (band)
Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John and Korey Cooper , along with Jen Ledger and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. The band has released eight albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: Collide and Comatose...
and The Benjamin Gate
The Benjamin Gate
The Benjamin Gate was a South African Christian band formed in 1998 following the motor vehicle accident and subsequent death of a mutual friend and fellow musician, Benjamin Herbert...
. The album received a Dove Award nomination in 2003 for Rock Album of the Year.
Following the disbandment of 38th Parallel, vocalist Mark Jennings, guitarist Jason Munday, and drummer Aaron Nordyke formed the Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
-themed electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
band Ministry of Magic
Ministry of Magic
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the fictional Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. First mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the Ministry makes its first proper appearance in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...
.
In 2005, 38th Parallel made available the demo tracks for their second album that were never finished or released.
On August 2, 2006, band member Mark Jennings announced, via the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
blog, that it is unlikely that 38th Parallel will release another album. The decision was influenced by shifting priorities in the personal lives of the members such as marriage.
On June 16, 2007, 4 out of the 5 members of 38th Parallel played 5 songs at Bash on the Farm in Garner, IA.
Currently, Mark Jennings, Jason Munday, and Aaron Nordyke are all still involved with the wizard rock band called Ministry of Magic, along with Luke Conard, Ryan Seiler, and Jeremy Jennings. They currently have four albums (The Tri Wizard LP, Goodbye Privet Drive, Onward and Upward, and Magic is Might) and perform when possible.
Former members
- Mark Jennings — Vocals
- Nate Rippke — Vocals
- Shane Moe — Guitars 2001-2003
- Jason Munday — GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s since 2003 - Jeff Barton — Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Aaron Nordyke — DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s
External links
- Live interview
- Biography
- Interview - circa 2002