Night Beat Rewind: July 2017

Three....two...one...Done. We are down to the final quarter for #PlatVnyl8 nominations. And I am still working on getting the final nominees for #PlatVnyl7. Things are starting to look like a car wreck. We have one month down and two to go. Unlike the weather here, things are really heating up. We begin with the singles released for the month.

The Singles Scene

• Beacon Light - I'm In It 4.75 Emeralds
• Bonray - Turn My Eyes 4.75 Emeralds
• Brinson - White Gold ft Marz Ferrer 4.75 Emeralds
• Cody Carnes - What Freedom Feels Like 4.75 Emeralds
• E.P.I.C. The Band - Proclaim 4.75 Emeralds
• Emily Irene Fertig - Devotion 4.75 Emeralds
• Christon Gray - No Hesitation 4.75 Emeralds
• J-Heir - Days of Heaven 5 Emeralds
• Derek Minor - Astronaut 3.75 Emeralds
• Needtobreathe - Count On Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Needtobreathe - Waiting 4.75 Emeralds
• Phil J - Too Much Sauce 3.75 Emeralds
• Corey Paul - Pipe Dreams 3.75 Emeralds
• Reconcile - Ain't No Way 4.50 Emeralds
• Under 5ive - So Dangerous 5 Emeralds
• Corey Voss - God Who Moves Mountains 4.50 Emeralds
• The Walls Group - My Life 5 Emeralds

17 Singles in a Month. Now on to the albums. We begin with those which did not make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• The Rock Worship - God Will Reign (Live)(Re-Release) 3.75 Emeralds
• To Speak of Wolves - Dead In The Shadow 3.75 Emeralds
• Zauntee - All Things Mixtape 3.50 Emeralds

From the flawed to the flawless.

Pure-Platinum Perfection

• Brian and Jenn Johnson - After All These Years Instrumental 5 Emeralds
• Nichole Nordeman - Every Mile Mattered 5 Emeralds
• Seventh Day Slumber - Found 5 Emeralds

Semi-Precious Metals

• Sho Baraka - The Narrative Vol 2: Pianos and Politics 4.50 Emeralds
• Bright City - Hello Maker 4.75 Emeralds
• Anthony Brown and Group Therapy - A Long Way From Sunday 4.75 Emeralds   
• Life of Carter - Life of Carter 4.50 Emeralds
• Stephen Christian - Wildfires 4.75 Emeralds
• Joel Hanson - Let Me Tell You Everything 4.25 Emeralds
• Le'Andria Johnson - Bigger Than Me 4.50 Emeralds
• Shai Linne - Still Jesus 4.75 Emeralds
• Manafest - Stones 4.75 Emeralds
• Kevin Max - Serve Somebody 4.75 Emeralds
• Natasha Owens - We Will Rise 4.75 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Legacy Part Two: Passion (Live In Melbourne) 4.75 Emeralds
• Byron Popin - I Got Out 4.75 Emeralds
• Benjamin Rae - Let Me Talk 4.50 Emeralds
• Chris Sayburn - Saved By Grace 4.50 Emeralds
• 12 Stones - Picture Perfect 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - Vineyard Soul: We Are Ready 4.50 Emeralds
• Corey Voss - Songs of Heaven and Earth, Volume 1 4.50 Emeralds
• Anita Wilson - Sunday Song 4.75 Emeralds

July is in the Bag. I think that deserves some sort of celebration. Until next time, 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. 

Sonic Awakening: 3rd Qtr Nominees - Alternative

Continuing once again with our rollout of the PVA eligible releases for the 3rd Quarter. We move from Gospel to Alternative. This was also pretty well represented.

Alternative

• 12 Stones - Beneath The Scars
• Bellarive - The Heartbeat
• Canopy Red - Wake Up
• The Choir - The Loudest Sound Ever Heard
• Lovelite - In Three Persons
• Mewithoutyou - Ten Stories
• Newworldson - Rebel Transmission

12 Stones is a solid group, now going independent. They welcomed Evanescence into the Wind-Up fold and became the 1-2 Christian Band duo at Wind Up. Though Evanescence is more mainstream, both have deep spiritual themes.

We are almost through with the rollout, only four more remain. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Infected

Welcome once again to the latest edition of Music Video Monday, where we share the best music videos in CCM.


We have come now to the Alternative genre, which is well represented both in albums and videos.


We will begin with Newworldson, a group which defies pigeonholing. This is Learning To Be The Light from Rebel Transmission.

From the new to the established. The Choir, one of the pioneers of Christian Alternative, has been on a tear recently, with three albums in three years. This is a live performance of Cross That River from their latest release The Loudest Sound Ever Heard.

The next two videos represent the true meaning of "Alternative". Technically both of them would be considered Modern Worship, but listen to them and tell me if you think that they sound like any MW band you know of. First up is Lovelite and Brother Sister from In three persons.

For our second MW/Alt crossover, we have Bellarive and Taste of Eternity from The Heartbeat.

We close with a lyric video from 12 Stones. This is Infected from Beneath The Scars.

This was a little longer than the usual MVM post, but no less enjoyable. Until the next edition of Music Video Monday, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: May 2012

We're almost caught up. This is great, I managed to get the Platinum Vinyl Awards out this weekend (well, Thursday to Sunday) and I may get May wrapped up within the first week in June. WOO HOO!!!

For those new on The Night Beat, each month I put out a "quick hits" post wrapping up the releases of the past month and assigning an Emerald Rating to each. Let's get to it for May.

Missing The Mark

• Karen Davis - Songs In The Dark 3.75 Emeralds
• Jennie Lee Riddle - People and Songs, Opus 1 Collective 3.75 Emeralds
• Switchfoot - Vice Re-Verses 3.75 Emeralds

If you've read my rewind posts, you know I don't hold back on the attitude. Sometimes it gains me a little notoriety. Sometimes even the artists themselves comment. With the case of Karen Davis, I think the phrase "Hillsong in Hebrew" should suffice. Even though the majority of the songs were in Hebrew, the sound reeked of Hillsong, which is good for itself, but not in all situations. For someone whose experience in Messianic Music is Lamb and the Liberated Wailing Wall, I expected better.  For Riddle, I was unimpressed with the Opus. Sometimes it was too country, sometimes good. I thought it was uneven. I will save my biggest criticism for Switchfoot. WHY?? I loved Vice Verses, I gave it a perfect rating, but this. I usually love remixes because it makes it Techno, and I love techno. No to the remix in this case. Stick with the original.

Pure Platinum

• Lara Landon - Overcome 5 Emeralds

One Perfect album this month. What a voice. I still have my fantasy concert lineup of Lara Landon backed by Denver and The Mile High Orchestra in a speakeasy. I mean, the girls got pipes, and a voice that melts ice. Look up Torch singer and you'll find her picture. Buy Overcome or Beloved on Amazon by clicking on the links.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Bluetree - Kingdom 4.5 Emeralds
• Ben Cantelon - Everything In 4.25 Emeralds
• The Choir - The Loudest Sound Ever Heard 4.75 Emeralds
• Coopertheband - Kings 4.25 Emeralds
• Patrick Dopson - Open The Heavens 4.5 Emeralds
• Family Force Five - III.V 4.5 Emeralds
• For Today - Immortal 4.25 Emeralds
• Deitrick Haddon - A Beautiful Soul 4.75 Emeralds
• Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes (The Acoustic Sessions) 4.5 Emeralds
• Mat Kearney - Young Love (Deluxe Edition) 4.5 Emeralds
• The Letter Black - Hanging On By A Remix 4.75 Emeralds
• Martha's Trouble - A Little Heart Like You 4.5 Emeralds
• Mary Mary - Go Get It 4.5 Emeralds
• Jon McLaughlin - Promising Promises 4.5 Emeralds
• Mewithoutyou - Ten Stories 4.5 Emeralds
• Mercy Me - The Hurt and The Healer 4.75 Emeralds
• Owl City - Shooting Star EP 4.5 Emeralds
• Phillips, Craig and Dean - Here I am to Worship 4.25 Emeralds
• Point of Grace - A Thousand Little Things 4.5 Emeralds
• John Schlitt - The Greater Cause 4.5 Emeralds
• To Speak of Wolves - Find Your Worth, Come Home 4.5 Emeralds
• Rita Springer - The Playlist 4.5 Emeralds
• Stuart Townend - Ultimate Collection 4.5 Emeralds
• 12 Stones - Beneath The Scars 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Mighty To Save 4.5 Emeralds
• The Washington Projects - Space Time Continuum: The Remixes 4.75 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - Singalong 2 4.5 Emeralds

That's it, I am officially caught up. The June releases await. Until next time I am Awaiting Your Reply.