Venus and Mars are Alright: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Rock

Rock finishes are three way tie to start the single genre posts here as we wrap the 3rd Quarter Pool Entries for #PlatVnyl8. After this there are actually only two more genres to go. Let's get to it.

Rock Music

• At The Wayside - The Breakdown and The Fall
• Decyfer Down - Acoustic EP
• Jordan Feliz - The River (Deluxe)
• We Are Leo - The Rush and The Roar
• 68 - Two Parts Viper

Not much to say here. A lot of good choices. Decyfer Down is the latest of bands that have figured out how to Rock Acoustic. It is a good trend. Acoustic doesn't have to be tame. Dance is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Venus and Mars are Alright: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Rap

The 3rd Quarter Wrap Continues. Our three way tie goes to the middle genre with Rap. We won't spend any time on small talk and get right to it.

Rap/Hip Hop

• GRITS - Saints and Sinners
• Mali Music - The Transition of Mali
• Propaganda - Crooked
• RAWSRVNT - Shut It Down
• Renaissance Movement Music - Safe House

A few words. It is good to see music from GRITS. They were one of the first Hip Hop artists not named DC Talk that I first heard back in the late 90'. Renaissance Movement Music is a collaborative act that is using all proceeds to establish Safe Houses against Human Trafficking.A much better thing than Safe Zones for Snowflakes. Rock Music is next. Until then, click the links, buy from Amazon and support The Night Beat. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Venus and Mars are Alright: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Award 3rd Qtr - Live Recorded Album

The Multi-Genre Posts are behind us. From now on in it is all single genre posts. In ascending order of quarterly success. We begin with a three way tie. Live Recorded Album, Rap, and Rock all met the minimum threshold of 5 entrants.

Live Recorded Album

• The City Harmonic - Benediction (Live)
• North Central University Worship Live - Always Remain (Live)
• North Point Inside Out - Nothing Ordinary, Part One (Live)
• Sandi Patty - Forever Grateful (Live From The Farewell Tour)
• Jeremi and Amy Richardson - Winds and Waters (Live From Redding, California)

Some people who have been with me for a while may be wondering "A Sandi Patty album?". No, I haven't gone soft. I grew up when Sandi Patty was cool and contemporary, and while my musical tastes have gotten somewhat louder (Demon Hunter for instance), I still recognize vocal talent. Rap is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Venus and Mars are Alright: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Alternative Metal

The final of our multi genre posts is here From now on it is all single genre. This post combines Alternative Rock and Hard Rock/Heavy Metal. Let's get on with it.

Alternative Rock

• The Classic Crime - How To Be Human
• Foldinglights - Exiles
• Least of These - Wolves

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

• Dream Collage - Ripple Effect
• Gideon - Cold

That does it for the multi-genre postings. We start next in ascending order with single genre posts. And the first up is Live Recorded Album. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Sticks and Stones

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled edition of Music Video Monday. We have been able to keep up a fairly regular schedule, which is pretty amazing these days. Sometimes we have to stretch things with lyric videos, but hey, a video is a video. We are stretching things this week. We begin with a lyric video by To Speak of Wolves. From their just released album, this is Enemies to Everyone.
Next up we go rap with Beacon Light. This is Lit.
And finally we go rap and rock with Manafest.  Again we go for a lyric video. This is the title cut from the just released Stones.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until Next time I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Venus and Mars are Alright: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Quarter - Pop Gospel

Sometimes I like tweaking my fellow Christians just a bit. It's so easy to get a rise out of them. Last quarter I did it by combining Alternative Rock and Gospel Music as "Alternative Gospel". Since Gospel is once again among the lower represented genres I will combine it with Pop Music this time to make Pop Gospel. I can just here it now "I will not accept a watered down Pop Gospel". Like I said, It is so easy.

Pop Music

• Lauren Alexandria - Victorious In Love
• Mandisa - Out of the Dark
• Mass Anthem - Through People Like Me
• Willow Stephens - Willow Stephens 

Gospel/R&B

• James Fortune and FIYA - Dear Future Me

Yes these are short, but that's the way it goes. Our final multi genre post is next, and then things start to pick up. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Venus and Mars Are Alright: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr: Instrumental Folk Compilation

Welcome to the 3rd Quarter wrap. This covers the music releases for the months of April, May, June of 2017. And we begin with those genres which failed to meet a minimum threshold which we have determined to be 5 entrants. We combine those genres into a series of multi-genre posts. There will be three this quarter. Two genres were not present at all this quarter, those were Children's Music and Remix. Our first multi-genre post will consist of Instrumental Music, Folk/Folk Rock, and Compilation. Let's get to it,

Instrumental Music

• Lowercase Noises - The Swiss Illness

Folk/Folk Rock

• John Ellis - Tells
• Southern Raised - Another World

Compilation Album

• Various Artists - Christian Dance Music Volume 1 (Remixed by FreeG and Emasound)
• Various Artists - Top 25 Praise Songs 

We are underway. Our second multi genre post is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
 

Music Video Monday: Picture Perfect

Welcome Back to Music Video Monday, where we share the best in CCM Music Videos. We have three new Videos this week, as well as one video from a band that has been quiet for a while, and we're glad to see them back. We begin with a new band, entitled simply Life of Carter. This is All We Need. 

Next up we have another new to us band, with another simple name, 68. The video is The Workers are Few.

And finally, the return of 12 Stones. I came to know this band at the same time as another band of some fame by the name of Evanescence. Paul McCoy and Amy Lee collaborated on Bring Me To Life in the movie Elektra. I was hooked. They now return with Picture Perfect. From the album, this is Picture Perfect.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Night Beat Rewind: June 2017

It seems like only a few days ago (it was about 1 month, but that is only 30 days) that I was announcing the 2nd Quarter of 2017, and here it is the end of the 3rd quarter. This year is really going by fast. We begin our roundup with the songs of the month.

The Singles Scene

• Jeremy Camp - Word of Life 3.75 Emeralds
• Capital Kings - Love Is On Our Side 4.75 Emeralds
• Cody Carnes  - Till The End of Time (feat Kari Jobe) 5 Emeralds
• Deraj - Watching 4.75 Emeralds
• Manic Drive - Easier 4.75 Emeralds
• Emily Irene Fertig - Whole 4.50 Emeralds
• Illijam - Summer Vibin 4.50 Emeralds  
• Carmen Justice - Red and Yellow Black and White 5 Emeralds
• Lecrae - Hammer Time 4.75 Emeralds
• Lecrae - I'll Find You (feat Tori Kelly) 4.75 Emeralds
• Lights - Giants 5 Emeralds
• John Mark McMillan - Enemy, Love 4.50 Emeralds
• Sareem Poems and Terem - Breathe 4.50 Emeralds  
• Jay Sanon - Five Fifty Seven 4.25 Emeralds
• Spheria - Aestia (ft Narrow Skies) 5 Emeralds
• Swoope - All The Time 4.25 Emeralds
• Wavorly - Pressure 5 Emeralds
• Wavorly - Strangers In Love 5 Emeralds

18 Singles in a Month. That's a heavy dating scene. On to the albums. We begin with those albums that don't make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• Apologetix - Zebraic 3.75 Emeralds
• Ty Brasel - Young T 3.75 Emeralds
• Aha Gazelle - Trilliam 2 3.75 Emeralds
• Gordon Gregory - Mosaic EP 3.75 Emeralds
• Steve Ladd - No Excuses, No Regrets 3.75 Emeralds
• Young Noah - Christian Rap for Dummies (Re-Release) 3.50 Emeralds
• Selah The Corner - Memories of a Perfect World 3.75 Emeralds
• Vagabonds - I Don't Know What To Do Now 3.50 Emeralds

Eight Missing The Mark for a month. It's a good sign. Now to the best of the best.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Landry Cantrell - Projections 5 Emeralds
• The City Harmonic - Benediction (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - Wonder 5 Emeralds

8-3 in favor of MTM is a very good sign. Now those that fall in the middle.

Semi-Precious Metals

• Mass Anthem - Through People Like Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Brandon Bee - Songs From The Sky 4.75 Emeralds
• Dream College - Ripple Effect 4.50 Emeralds
• Decyfer Down - Acoustic EP 4.50 Emeralds   
• Out of The Dust - Out of The Dust (Deluxe) 4.25 Emeralds
• Jordan Feliz - The River (Deluxe) 4.75 Emeralds
• James Fortune and FIYA - Dear Future Me 4.75 Emeralds
• GRITS - Saints and Sinners EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Red Letter Hymnal - Coastal Kids 4.75 Emeralds
• Jokia - Not Forgotten EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Mali Music - The Transition of Mali 4.75 Emeralds
• Northpoint Inside Out - Nothing Ordinary Live, Part One 4.75 Emeralds
• Sandi Patty - Forever Grateful (Live From The Farewell Tour) 4.75 Emeralds
• People of The Earth - In All Things 4.50 Emeralds
• Propaganda - Crooked 4.75 Emeralds
• Renaissance Movement Music - Safe House 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy Rosado - Rewind EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Run 51 - This Moment EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Allan Scott - Run To You 4.75 Emeralds
• 68 - Two Parts Viper 4.50 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - Kyrie Eleison: Anchour Studio Sessions 4.75 Emeralds
• Tauren Wells - Hills and Valleys 4.75 Emeralds
• Worship Central - Mercy Road 4.75 Emeralds

That does it for this edition of Rewind. It's only July 13. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.