Alternative CCM outfit Desperation Band grew out of a 2001 Christian student ministry conference held by the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Taking an alt-rock, U2-like stadium approach to praise & worship themes, the band was originally centered around three praise & worship songwriters, Jon Egan, Jared Anderson, and Glenn Pakiam, all of whom already had successful musical careers going and were well established in the CCM community. While sticking to praise & worship themes, Desperation Band developed a fresh, modern sound for the genre, mixing Brit-pop and Peter Gabriel-like soundscapes with grunge-inflected hard rock. A debut album, Desperation, appeared in 2003, followed by From the Rooftops in 2004, Who Are You in 2006, and Everyone Overcome in 2007, each of which was recorded at live praise & worship gatherings. Released in 2009, Light Up the World was Desperation Band's first studio recording, but they returned to the live setting for 2011's Update: Live, 2012's Center of It All, and 2014's Banner. ~ Steve Leggett
