Night Beat Rewind: May 2014

We are finally caught up, and it is the last day of May. The nerve of the industry to release a ton of new material just at the time we are busy with #PlatVnyl4 nominations. We could say a conspiracy is afoot, but the truth is that we operate so far under the radar they probably don't even know we exist. But just maybe, if we make enough noise, like the who's of whoville, the industry Horton will know, "we are here".

We begin with "singles" this month, which is a new listing, and may help with song of the year nominees in the future.

Singles 

• For King and Country - Fix My Eyes 4.75 Emeralds
• Anthony Garland - Talk Dirty Reply to Jason Derulo 3 Emeralds
• Jars of Clay - Reckless Forgiver 4.50 Emeralds
• Jesus Loves Electro - Burning Love, The Remixes 4.75 Emeralds
• Salt of The Sound - It Must Be Hope 5 Emeralds
• David Thulin - Light In Me (feat Nicole Croteau), The Remixes 4.75 Emeralds

Looking at that list you'll note that they all just missed except that glaring 3 that I gave to Anthony Garland. All it contained was a hip hop beat with the words Satan Dirty to Me repeated at various intervals. If that is anything like the original it didn't need a reply. You don't need a response to horrible music. Only two albums missed the mark. The first, while I'm a little disappointed, I'm not especially surprised. That release belonged to CCM Veteran Carman, and his new release No Plan B got a just missed 3.75 Emeralds. It was a pretty good album, but no Champion, and was rewarded honestly. The other album that missed was a gospel album, Rachel Armstrong and Passion got 3.75 Emeralds as well.

Seven albums, however, rose to the occasion and beyond. They are those which are regarded as the most precious of all.

Pure Platinum

• My Epic - Behold (Instrumental) 5 Emeralds
• Wess Morgan - Livin' 5 Emeralds
• Relentless Flood - The Time Is Now 5 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - Champion 5 Emeralds
• Seventh Day Slumber - We Are The Broken 5 Emeralds
• Tedashii - Below Paradise 5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - The Action Bible Remixed 5 Emeralds

I judge each genre separately, but each release exhibits those categories which I deem perfect in that genres makeup. 

Most albums aren't perfect, however. This month is no exception. These releases still qualify for the Platinum Vinyl 5 Pool, but they are

Semi-Precious Metal

• All Sons and Daughters - All Sons 4.50 Emeralds
• Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir - You Alone 4.50 Emeralds
• Artifex Dereo - Time In Place 4.50 Emeralds
• Audrey Assad - Death Be Not Proud 4.75 Emeralds
• Being As An Ocean - How We Both Wondrously Perish 4.50 Emeralds
• Chris and Gileah - Chris and Gileah 4.75 Emeralds
• Cor Captis - Hello Someday 4.75 Emeralds
• Crowder - Neon Steeple 4.75 Emeralds
• D-Tropp - Away From Home 4.50 Emeralds
• The Ember Days - The Ember Days Live EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Fellowship Creative - Running to Follow 4.75 Emeralds
• Fight The Fade - Second Horizon 4.75 Emeralds
• Mike Lee - Awakening Hearts 4.50 Emeralds 
• Shai Linne - Lyrical Theology Part 2: Doxology 4.75 Emeralds
• Shai Linne - Lyrical Theology Part 2: Doxology Instrumentals 4.50 Emeralds
• The Museum - What We Stand For 4.50 Emeralds
• V. Rose - Forever After 4.75 Emeralds
• Robbie Seay Band - Psalms, Volume 2 4.50 Emeralds
• Serge - Off Season 4.50 Emeralds
• Michael W. Smith - Sovereign 4.75 Emeralds
• Summit Worship - Our God is Unstoppable 4.50 Emeralds
• Michael Sweet - I'm Not Your Suicide 4.75 Emeralds
• Thi'sl - Fallen King 4.50 Emeralds
• Vineyard UK - Rooftops: The Sound of Vineyard Youth 4.75 Emeralds

That concludes this edition of Night Beat Rewind. It is such a good feeling to be caught up and on time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Special Edition: Decoration Day

We are taking Decoration Day off here at Night Beat HQ. This is a repeat of Last Years Post. Enjoy

Welcome to a special edition of Music Video Monday. Today is Memorial Day. I know a bunch of blogs will be celebrating the UFDOS (That's Unofficial First Day of Summer to the acronymically challenged) but not here. I will be firing up the Night Beat Time Machine, metaphorically speaking, as we celebrate Decoration Day, which, though it has many firsts, can reasonably be estimated to be started May 30, 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War.



I will let the trio of videos stand on their own, just as I want Memorial Day to revert to a day to honor the dead that fell in the Civil War alone. While Veterans Day can stand for "All Wars", if the Civil War wasn't won by the Union, we wouldn't be "One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice For All." There wouldn't have been any other memorials, since we would no longer exist in the present form we now have. Until next time, when I will return with the best CCM Videos out there, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: April 2014

Yes, that's not a typo. It is almost June and I am just posting the April releases. #PlatVnyl4 has wreaked havoc on the day to day operations here. Let's get right to it and not waste any more time. We begin, as always, with those albums which will not get a nomination to #PlatVny5. These are

Missing The Mark

• ALC Worship - We are Calling 3.75 Emeralds
• Paul Baloche - Live 3.50 Emeralds
• Close Your Eyes - Prepackaged Hope 3.75 Emeralds
• Difference United - New Day 3.75 Emeralds
• Erica Lane - Take your Burdens Down 3.75 Emeralds
• Mercy Me - Welcome To The New - 3.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Take It All 3.75 Emeralds
• Reformers - Abolish 3.50 Emeralds
• Doug Shae - Kingdom Bridges 3.25 Emeralds

Of the above listed releases, while all pretty much just missed the nomination pool, I would have to say I am most disappointed in two releases. First of all, Passion Conference. They still have an awesome mix of artists, but this time the energy is gone. They just mailed it in. At least Close Your Eyes admits it. Hope isn't all that was prepackaged. There isn't a Carry You in this mix.

From the flawed to the perfect. There were three albums which soared above the rest. These are they which are

Pure Platinum Perfection

• The Choir - Shadow Weaver 5 Emeralds
• Anthony Evans - Real Life, Real Worship 5 Emeralds
• The Remission Flow - Rhythms of Grace 5 Emeralds

The Choir just keeps chugging along and creating great work. I hope they never retire. Now, we finish with those in the middle, as it were, the

Semi-Precious Metal

• Jessa Anderson - Whole 4.75 Emeralds
• August Burns Red - Thrill Seekers Vinyl 4.50 Emeralds
• Francesca Battistelli - If We're Honest 4.75 Emeralds
• Bethel Music - You Make Me Brave (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Jonny Diaz - Let It Fly 4.50 Emeralds
• Difference United - New Day Remixes 4.50 Emeralds
• Andrew Ehrenzeller - Children of Promise 4.75 Emeralds
• Elevation Worship - Raised to Life 4.50 Emeralds
• Kristen Giles - Parker's Mercy Brigade 4.75 Emeralds
• Headz Up FM - Christian Hip Hop 2014 4.50 Emeralds
• JJ Heller - I Dream of You 4.75 Emeralds
• His Kidz United - His Kidz Volume 1 4.50 Emeralds
• Jonah 33 - Dead Man Walking 4.75 Emeralds
• Chad Jones - Keep Up 4.50 Emeralds
• Stellar Kart - Frozen 4.25 Emeralds
• Shawn McDonald - Brave 4.75 Emeralds
• Mikeschair - All or Nothing 4.50 Emeralds
• Sherri Jones-Moffett - Power and Authority (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Needtobreathe - Rivers In The Wasteland 4.75 Emeralds
• New Empire - In A Breath 4.50 Emeralds
• Onething Live - Sing Your Praises 4.75 Emeralds 
• Page CXVI - Good Friday to Easter 4.75 Emeralds
• Propaganda - Crimson Cord 4.75 Emeralds
• Cindy Cruse Ratcliff - Heaven Raining Down 4.50 Emeralds
• Red - Release The Panic Recalibrated Edition 4.50 Emeralds
• Social Club - Misfits 2 4.50 Emeralds
• Sons of Life - We Will Fly 4.75 Emeralds
• Da T.R.U.T.H. - Heart Beat 4.50 Emeralds
• Unspoken - Unspoken 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Songs 4 Worship: Worship Classics 4.50 Emeralds
• Paul Wilbur - Ultimate Collection 4.50 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - The Ascension (Deluxe) 4.50 Emeralds

Singles

• Brad and Rebekah - The Heart of The Father 4.75 Emeralds
• Citizens - You Brought Me Back To Life 4.75 Emeralds
• Guardian - Paranoia Kills 4.75 Emeralds
• George Hilman - Sing To The Lord 3.75 Emeralds
• Kaleidoscope - Every Tomorrow 4.50 Emeralds
• Owl City - Beautiful Times 4.50 Emeralds
• Frank Palangi - Hope 3.75 Emeralds
• Kerrie Roberts - Come Back To Life 4.50 Emeralds

Yeah!! Finally done with April. The struggles of a one man operation. Hopefully I can get May in before June. That would be sweet. Until Next Time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: I Dream of You

Welcome back to our regular scheduled edition of Music Video Monday. We're still scrounging for new stuff. How long can it take to list a video on youtube?

We begin with a Lyric Video from +Jonny Diaz off his new release Let It Fly. This is Thank God I Got Her.
Next up we have +mercymevideo . They've got the entire Mainstream "Religious" World ready to pick up their stones. That's always a sign you're on the right track. They call it Hyper-Grace, we call it Bible. Get up an Shake.
And finally, we conclude our journey with a Night Beat favorite, +JJHellermusic . She just put out a Children's Album. Major Cuteness Alert. Clap along with JJ and I Dream Of You.
That concludes our Video journey. We will have something for Memorial Day, I just don't know what. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Heart of Gold

Welcome Back to another all new edition of Music Video Monday. We've got some good stuff for you this week. We begin with Michael Sweet, frontman for Stryper. He released another solo work this month, entitled I'm Not Your Suicide. We start off with a cover video of Neil Young's Heart of Gold feat Electra Mustaine.

Next up we have Royal Tailor, and a video in which they perform alongside Capital Kings. This is Ready, Set, Go.
Finally we return to some Sweet music. Once again we go back to Michael Sweet, and the title video I'm Not Your Suicide.
I wanted to share some other videos this week, but they were listed as unlisted by Youtube. We shall see if the restrictions are off next week. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Music Video Monday: Hope In The Bounce House

Welcome back to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. The Nomination Process of the Platinum Vinyl Award (#PlatVnyl4 Officially) is underway. Plus there is the NHL Playoffs, and this is Bruins Territory (of course Youppi of the Law firm Youppi, Snoopy and Cow is a BIG Habs Fan, so things are a bit tense in the office). Still, we manage to get things done. 

We have three videos for you today. We begin with a video from +Holly Spears , with a little help from the movie Virtuous. This is Where'd You Go.
Next up is a favorite "band" of mine. +Salt Of The Sound is the best thing to come out of Sweden since Jerusalem and Leviticus (what, did you think I was going to say ABBA?). This is the Lyric and Music video for It must be hope.
We finish things off with +Heath McNease . He recently made a video called Bounce House. The video has gone viral and been noticed by the likes of Time Magazine. Let's keep it going here.
Well that wraps things up for this edition of Music Video Monday. We will return with an all new edition next week. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.