The Groundhog Blues: Winter 2013 Releases - Alternative

We continue with our announcement of the second quarter releases in the eligibility pool of the 4th Platinum Vinyl Awards. Within a few weeks we will be having our Third Awards, so you know these are a year off. We are announcing the Alternative genre this time, and ten releases made the cut this quarter.

Alternative Rock

• Audio Adrenaline - Kings & Queens
• Daniel Bashta - The Invisible 
• Roger Brainard - Whales on the Radar
• Fiction Family - Fiction Family Reunion
• Green River Ordinance - Under Fire
• Hearts of Saints - For All of Us 
• Jars of Clay - Under the Weather EP (Live in Sellersville, PA)
• Plumb - Need You Now
• Salvador - Make Some Noise
• Starflyer 59 - IAMACEO
• Terra, Terra, Terra - The Space We Create
• Vota - Love Found Me
• Wavorly - Something Like Fiction: The Lost Albums

As only seven albums make the final cut, we have enough entrants here alone if we wanted to. Two of these will be assured a spot in the finals. Both Terra x 3 and Audio A scored a perfect 5. The rest will have to wait.

One other thing. Some may wonder why Dance Queen Plumb is here. Simple, need you now sure didn't feel like a dance album. This one hearkened back to the alternative beginnings, with a bit of pop thrown in. Three more to go. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

How is your Color Theory?

Sometimes even Twitter surprises me. I was checking my email the other day. Yes I know its not cool anymore, but I find it useful. I get an email notice when I get a new follower. This one said Brian Hazard is now following you. I checked it out and Brian Hazard IS Color Theory. In the electronic world everyone can be a one man band. I found out about Color Theory through the Electropop Sampler. That was back in 1998. In light of all the "retirements" from Christian Music these days, its good to see some still hang tough, especially the fringe, where fans are loyal but few. The music is always happy, and even has a few moments of snark, as in the Song Named After a Girl (Sweet Caroline, anyone?)



Color Theory is offering some free songs for a song (or at least an email). Four songs for free. I have embedded the widget so you can take care of it right from here. Right now there are plenty of reasons for some happy tunes. Check it out.

The Groundhog Blues: Winter 2013 Releases - Dance

We move on now to our single genre postings. Though there is no cut and dried number, I think if a genre can come up with over 5 qualified entries then it deserves to shine on its own. Since Hip Hop had only five it was teamed with rock.

Dance had seven. Now the final breakdown hasn't been made, so I don't know which of the two subgroups these are in now (in this years Platinum Vinyl Awards Dance has been split into Dance-Synthpop and Electronic-Industrial). Anyway, here is the list.

Dance Music

• 287 - It's a Pity You Couldn't Stay
• Arrows & Sound - Arrows and Sound
• Capital Kings - Capital Kings [+digital booklet]
• Byron "Mr. Talkbox" Chambers - Show Me the Way
• Andy Hunter - Glowing Collision 
• DJ Magellan - New Frontiers (feat Lara Landon)
• Britt Nicole - Gold EP
• Matthew Parker - Meet Your Maker
• Twenty One Pilots - Vessel
• V.Rose - The Electro-Pop Deluxe

Britt Nicole has two entries in two different categories. Though both are named Gold, this one is a remix EP while the other is a full length album. These were all great releases, though you always got to think that Andy Hunter is among the big contenders. We still have Alternative, Hard Rock, Modern Worship and Adult Contemporary to go. And they are big. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Groundhog Blues: Winter 2013 Releases - Rapping Rock

We continue with the announcement of those releases that made the cut for the eligibility pool of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. This is the last multiple genre post. This time we will combine Rap and Rock. Not really an unheard of mix, as hip hop and rap are getting more rock influenced by the day. Not that I mind.

Rock was a very surprising entrant this time. Maybe having alternative siphons off too many, but having only two entrants for the pool from here in three months was a little surprising. 

Rock Music

• Apologetix - Hot Potato Soup
• Colton Dixon - A Messenger
• I am Empire - Anchors 
• The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Et Tu Brute?

Colton Dixon is one of many American Idol castoffs (Hello Mandisa) to grace Christian Music. Personally, my fave so far is Brooke Barretsmith.

Hip Hop/Rap

• Flynn Adam - Do or Die
• Alert 312 - Of Vice & Virtue
• Sho Baraka - Talented 10th 
• Benjah - Vanity Faire
• Byron "Mr. Talkbox" Chambers - Show Me the Way
• Flame - The 6th: Man on Fire
• Je'kob - Faith Hope Love (The Eutopian Mixes)
• Canton Jones - CJ Talks 
• DA T.R.U.T.H. - Love, Hope, War
• XRoss - OMG 

Rock and Hip Hop are done. Considering that there were no children's music entries this time around, out of 10 genres, we are done with 5 in two posts. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Groundhog Blues: Winter 2013 Releases - Pops Folk Gospel

Welcome to the release announcement of the eligibility pool for the Platinum Vinyl Awards from the Winter of 2013 (That's January-March folks). Due to the random distribution of entries, some categories may be missed or have very few entries in each quarter. This quarter was no exception, as there were no Children's Music Entries and very few for Folk, Gospel, Pop and Rock. As is my custom here, I will attempt to combine posts as best I can to make things satisfying.

Today we will reveal the eligible releases for Folk Music, Gospel, and Pop Music.

Folk/Folk Rock

• Steven Curtis Chapman - Deep Roots
• JJ Heller - Loved (Deluxe Version)

Heller is almost perpetual in this category, though she has strayed into pop territory from time to time. Deep roots may surprise some SCC  fans, as he is a AC staple. Deep roots is Folk with a few Country forays. Not enough to get my gag reflex going, though.

Gospel/R&B

• Kurt Carr - Bless This House
• Canton Jones - CJ Talks
• William Murphy - God Chaser 
• The Wardlaw Brothers - God's Been There

CJ Talks, despite the title, is not spoken word. It is a live album from the Dominionaire tour. Finally, we come to Pop Music. This genre is usually well represented, but it was a little light this time around.

Pop Music

• Carman - Anthems of a Champion 
• Jason Castro - Only A Mountain
• Mags - Mismatched
• Marc Martel - The Prelude
• Britt Nicole - Gold
• Plumb - Need You Now 
• Julia Sharpe - Rescued
• Tal and Acacia - Black and White  

Two things of note here. This Britt Nicole release is not the same as the Gold EP. That release is a dance remix (several of them) of the song Gold. Plum is a little hard to classify this time around. She went more pop than dance, and is a bit more alternative, like at the start. She is a multiple qualifier.

Children's Music Box

• Yancy - Jesus Music Box

That concludes these genres. More will be coming. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Night Beat Spring Preview

The Temperature is Rising, and so is the pace of the new releases. Winter ended with a bang, not just in the real world, where the biggest snows hit after Punxatawney Phil predicted an early Spring (we know where you live, buddy), but also in the music world. Three perfect albums were released in March. Andy Hunter's Glowing Collision, Audio Adrenaline's Kings and Queens, and JJ Heller's Loved.

April brings promise. The month begins with another reboot, though not as extensive as Audio Adrenaline. Hawk Nelson returns with Made, the first studio release since Crazy Love, and, more importantly, the first release since the departure of Jason Dunn, who was a founding member of the band. Most members of a band are replaceable, but it's always the toughest with the vocalist position. My early opinions of Made are very good.

Two Platinum winners also make their return. Kerrie Roberts says that it's Time for the show, the follow up to her self titled debut, for which she won the inaugural PVA's Best New Artist Award. In between she did an EP called Once Upon A Time for the ABC show of the same name. This should be worth the wait. Silverline was the unofficial winner of Rock Song of the Year that year with "Voices in the Night" (we didn't have a song category until the second year. The song was a great homage to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The rest of the album gave me mixed feelings, so I will be testing this one. 

April also brings a new "Thread" to The Letter Black. Rebuild comes out the day after my birthday, and it marks the first release of this band without "hanging on" in the title. Previews of songs on youtube are promising.

May brings the return of Texas alternative act Eisley. Their foray into Deep Space wasn't award winning, but it was intriguing enough to make the pool. I expect no less from this release.

Finally, Spring gets closed out and the summer begins on a loud note. Skillet finally returns with Rise. Let's see, Collide, Comatose, Awake, Rise. We seem to be in a day in the life with titles. I guess a rose by any other name.

It will be enough to keep me busy, and the Platinum Vinyl Awards as well. To rip off Kerrie Roberts, Time for the Show. I am Awaiting Your Reply.