Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Modern Worship

We have come to the end. Modern Worship had a whopping lucky thirteen entries this quarter. King of The Quarter. Since we try to narrow the final results down to seven, if this pace keeps up there will be a whole lot of hair splitting, and tearing hair out, among the judges.

The second quarter is upon us, let's waste no time finishing this.

• I Bow Down , Sean G. Park
• Burning Lights (Deluxe Edition) [+video] , Chris Tomlin
• Burning Lights (Deluxe Edition) [+video] , Acquire The Fire
• God's Great Dance Floor, Step 02 , Martin Smith
• Hope Will Rise , WARR Acres
• Kingdom Come , Soul Survivor and Momentum
• No Other Love , Jeremy Horn
• The Rock Won't Move , Vertical Church Band
• Stand Up , Luke Hellebronth
• The Water & the Blood , Dustin Kensrue
• We Are Young & Free (Live) [+video] , Hillsong Young and Free
• Women Of Faith Presents Gateway Worship A Collection , Gateway Worship
• Worship God - Everlasting , Maranatha Music 

That concludes the announcing of the pool eligible entries for the first quarter of 2014. The Second Quarter is already in Full Swing. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Rock

Well here we are, the penultimate (that means next to last, folks) 1rst Quarter Rollout Post of 2014. Rock Music had the second largest pool of entries, and would be even larger if we hadn't split off Alternative and Metal, and possibly Industrial as well.

The Grammy Awards took place Sunday, and, since they have always short shrifted the CCM groups, I really won't make too much hay of it until I check out the results. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of snark if I feel that it is warranted. On to the Rock and Roll.

• Baptized , Daughtry
• Behold , My Epic
• Engine of a Million Plots , Five Iron Frenzy
• Headswell , Sainthood Reps
• Icon for Hire , Icon For Hire
• Love & History: The Best Of Downhere , Downhere
• Made In Canada: The 1998 - 2010 Collection, Thousand Foot Krutch
• Proof Of Life [+digital booklet] , Scott Stapp
• Recollection , Superchick
• Rebuild , The Letter Black

There are three best of collections amidst the entries, and they will most likely be weeded out at the end, since we don't have a best of category. They are still among must haves in any collection. Personally, among the rest, I would say that The Letter Black is the early leader, followed by Icon for Hire.

Only Modern Worship is left, and that will be next. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Everything In Slow Motion

Welcome back to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. We are moving out of the Modern Worship Zone this week into a bit of the more Dance-Alternative arena. Two of the three videos are from Jonathan Thulin, and have been shown before, but because The White Room is being re-released, the videos are also pushed for a second bite. 

We Begin with the video that got me hooked, Bombs Away.
Our non Thulin video, this is Everything in Slow Motion and Speak
Our next Movie is another from Jonathan Thulin. This is Dead Come To Life.
We come to life next week as we move into a Dance mood. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Relply

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Heavy Metal

Things continue to heat up here as we continue to announce the pool eligible entries for the 1rst Quarter of 2014. Good thing the music is heating up, cause the temperatures are downright frigid.

The heaviest of the genres, Heavy Metal, is up next. At eight entrants, it would have an entire genre represented. There will be judging here.

• Back to School , Wolves at The Gate
• Death Will Reign , Impending Doom
• Descendants - Redux , +Fit For A King 
• The Fire Inside , +Righteous Vendetta 
• Ghost Thief , Living Sacrifice
• Incorruptible , Bride
• No More Hell to Pay , Stryper
• Rescue & Restore , August Burns Red

Even if I through out August Burns Red (I won't, but releasing all these special editions just to keep entering the pool. It's borderline Cheating, Guys.

Two more to go. Rock has 10 entrants, and Modern Worship was the big one, with 13. Since everybody in the pool has a shot, it's not an unlucky number. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

No Fading Away

Surf Rock is back.  For those not familiar with Surfing, a switchfoot is a surfing move where the surfer switches foot position on the board during surfing. Or something like that.

Familiarity with the band at Night Beat HQ has been almost been from the beginning. I was working for Sparrow Records at the Inside Out Soul Festival in 2001 during the Learning To Breathe tour. (Or New Way to Be Human. Not really sure about Wikipedia's accuracy.) Anyway. amongst the swag I received was a pre-release copy of Learning To Breathe. That was 2001.

Fast Forward 12 years and 6 albums later. Fading West, the bands latest release, is, in my opinion, their best yet. Vice Verses was good, but this is better. (Don't get me going about Vice Re Verses. Remixes don't automatically improve things.) Love is worth the fight kicks off this short but sweet release (Amazon says it's 43 minutes. I think they have corporate dyslexia and it should be 34. It goes by really quick.) More alternative rock than rock, the album thrives with mostly soft ballads. Love is worth the fight, The World You Want and Slipping Away are among my favorites.

The album is a cross between an album and a Film Soundtrack, as the band released a tour film documentary of the same name, only released digitally at the moment. I have not yet seen the movie, but if it has these songs as its soundtrack, who cares about the film.

I don't really like handing out 5's like candy, and I'm opening the store for this one. 5 Emeralds for Fading West. having had this on auto repeat I have no doubt it will be among the final 7 Alternative Albums in the 5th Platinum Vinyl Awards. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Hope Will Rise

Welcome Back to Music Video Monday. We Never Rest. Well, we actually do, but not on faux holidays like today. Face it folks, it's right up there with Bunker Hill Day as a hack holiday. If no stores have sales commemorating the holiday, it's not real. Sorry, them is the facts of life.

We are continuing with Modern Worship in the new year. We begin with another video from Hillsong Young and Free. This is Alive.
After one wakes, depending upon how things are at the moment, you may have to convince yourself that Hope Will Rise. This is WARR Acres.
You're up and about and ready to face the world. Time to join Keith Elgin and Dance, Dance, Dance.
You're really feeling good round about now. Time to let out a big ROAR with WARR Acres and Katy Perry.
On to some Alternative Music next time. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.  

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Rap

Two genres had eight eligible entries this quarter, and if we ceased the eligibility year right now, the 5th Awards would be filled. Of course the awards would suck, because even better entries might be coming. Like I said, this is the first hurdle.

Hip Hop/Rap is the first of these two. It was a very good quarter, and a few Perfect 5's graced the genre. Let's get to the contenders.

• Can't Stop , Benjiman
• Church Clothes Vol. 2 , Lecrae
• Haze & Reflections (Vanity Fare Remixed), Benjah
• Heads Up , Jahaziel
• Instruments Of Mercy ,  Beautiful Eulogy
• Mad Haven , Canon
• I Need You , Seth and Nirva
• Royal Flush , Flame

Now Seth and Nirva made 3 genres in their debut: Dance, Gospel and Rap. We shall see how it all pans out for the Diverse City duo. Heavy Metal is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Dance

Dance/Synthpop is the fast-beat type of the two electronic genres. Somewhat surprisingly, it didn't get many entries this time around. Of course, neither did its more moodier sibling Electronic/Industrial, which had to be combined with some other genres.

• #Lito , Press Play
• God's Great Dance Floor, Step 02 , Martin Smith
• I Need You , Seth and Nirva
• Reanimated , Family Force 5
• Royal Tailor , Royal Tailor

Personally, I think #LITO is the current favorite, but we shall see. Hip Hop is next. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Alternative

We continue with the announcement of the Pool Eligible entries for the 1rst Quarter of 2014. This is the first hurdle that an album must face. We are building up to the big genres.

A big genre that is off to a slow start is Alternative. Only 5 releases made the cut, and one of those is a double dipper. Well, two double dippers are present, but for entirely different reasons. All The Bright Lights is in two genres, and Anberlin is in for the second year in a row with Vital because of its Devotion Special Edition. In total, these are the Alternative entries for the quarter.

• Devotion : Vital Special Edition, Anberlin
• Phoenix , Everything In Slow Motion
• Water & Guns , Aaron Sprinkle
• The White Room (Deluxe Edition) , Jonathan Thulin
• The Wind & the Waves , All The Bright Lights

Next time we will do the last of the small posts, Dance/Synthpop. After that all of the genres had a full awards show worth of entrants or more, which means judging, and that makes me happy. Also Pop and Folk had no entrants this quarter, but that will change. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.