Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Rock

We have come to the end. The Final Category in the 4th Quarter Platinum Vinyl Award Pool is that of Rock, by far the glory genre. It was kind of a quiet quarter for rock, with only six entries. This category has a lot of work to it, so 6 is pretty atypical. Still, there was plenty of heat this time around.

Rock Music

• Decyfer Down - Scarecrow
• Everfound - Everfound
• These Hearts - Yours to Take
• Petra - 40th Anniversary
• 7eventh Time Down - Just Say Jesus
• Stellar Kart - ALL IN

It's kind of fitting that we wrap things up in October. Decyfer Down rocked down the house with Scarecrow (kind of fitting for the Halloween season) and even took on one of the scariest things out there the Westboro Baptist Church. Everfound is a new band which expands the Commonwealth of CCM to Russia. And though it left you wanting more, how many groups around today will ever be able to boast 40 years of success.

That finishes the 4th Quarter of 2013. The pool is now closed. The 5th Platinum Vinyl Awards Year begins. Until next time I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Hard Rock

We are down to the final two genres as we wrap up the fourth quarter. This is where the Heat Advisory really takes off.  We begin with the Heat Turned Up to High. Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Let's get to the music.

Hard Rock/Metal

• The Burial - In the Taking of Flesh
• The Devil Wears Prada - 8:18
• Love and Death - Between Here & Lost
• Love and Death - Between Here & Lost - Expanded Edition
• My Heart to Fear - Algorithm
• Norma Jean - Wrongdoers [+video]
• Phinehas - The Last Word Is Yours to Speak
• Oh Sleeper - The Titan EP
• We Came as Romans - Tracing Back Roots

One point of mention. Yes, there are two editions of Love and Death. Only one will most likely make it to the finals. No point in giving anyone an unfair advantage.

There's only one more to go, and that's Rock. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Rap

The rollout of the 4th Quarter Pool Eligible Entries is just about over. There are only three more to go. We begin with Rap, and its sibling Hip-Hop. A respectable, if not large, showing was put up in this genre. 6 entries to be precise.

Hip-Hop and Rap

• The Ambassador - The Ambassador Presents Hors D'oeuvres
• T. Haddy - Motivation 2.0
• King Kulture - Stop The Traffic
• No Malice - Hear Ye Him
• Derek Minor - Minorville
• Dre Murray - Gold Rush: Maybe One Day

One special comment. King Kulture is a Themed Album. A Variety of Christian Hip-Hop Artists gather together to help stop the sex-trade industry. I'm giving it an extra link because proceeds from the album go to support the fight. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Pop

Down to the Final Four. Sometimes it does seem like March Madness around here. Of Course, our final four is where the heat is, so to speak. We begin today with Pop, and the other three are Hip Hop, Hard Rock and Rock. Pop music had a very good quarter. 11 entries and a mix of new sounds and old.

Pop Music

• Love and The Outcome - Love & The Outcome
• Dara Maclean - Wanted
• Mandisa - Overcomer
• Newsboys - Restart
• 1 Girl Nation - 1 Girl Nation
• Shine Bright Baby - Dreamers
• The Sonflowerz - Love Walked In
• Ryan Stevenson - Holding Nothing Back
• Tammy Trent - Sunny Days
• Tricia - Radiate
• Christa Wells - Feed Your Soul

A few comments are in order. I've had somewhat of a hot-cold relationship with Newsboys lately. Luckily things are swinging back to hot.  I really liked Michael Tait's debut (Born Again), but was less than impressed with the Follow Up (God's Not Dead). However, like Gungor, while the studio album failed to impress, the Live Concert Album was a winner. Restart has gone dance pop and I think it suits the new lineup to a T.

 

The Same with Tammy Trent. I was thinking her music had passed me by. Kind of Like How I grew out of my Amy Grant Phase. However, I think it was just the latest albums that failed to impress. The Dance-Pop style of Sunny Days really suits her voice.

 

Three to go. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Gospel

We continue our 4th Quarter Pool Eligible Releases with Gospel, which includes the more mainstream friendly R & B. Usually that goes without mention, but this quarter one of the 7 entries is R & B.

Gospel/R&B

• Billy Buchanan - Fact, Fiction & Other Contradictions
• Andrae Crouch - Live in Los Angeles
• Deitrick Haddon - R.E.D. (Restoring Everything Damaged)
• Donald Lawrence - Best For Last
• Ernest Pugh - The W.I.N. (Worship in Nassau) Experience
• Tye Tribbett - Greater Than
• Trin-I-Tee 5:7 - Trin-i-tee 5:7 Hits

Only four more genres to go. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Alternative

Alternative Rock is next. This genre is tied with Pop this quarter for second place with 11 entries. Modern Worship took the title with 16.

There was one perfect album in the mix this time around. Cloverton was just about the definition of what Alternative should be. All that was lacking was a photo and a dictionary. Coincidentally, of course, they are first on the list.

Alternative Music

• Cloverton - Patterns
• Crave - Crave
• The Digital Age - Evening Morning
• Falling Up - Hours
• Falling Up - Midnight on Earthship
• Gungor - I am Mountain
• Jars of Clay - Inland
• Nations - Nations
• Seabird - Troubled Days 
• Search The City - Flight
• Derek Webb - I was wrong, I'm Sorry, and I Love You.

I loved Gungor this time. Not perfect, mind you, but really loved. I say that because a lot of reviews criticize it for being too "new age" and "Not a Worship Album". Of course, for someone who loves New Age Music (yoo-hoo Mannheim Steamroller), I said, "you say it like it's a bad thing."

A few more to go. To all the entrants of the Great WENC Night Beat 3rd Birthday Giveaway, thank you. If you were a winner, your prize was shipped. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Modern Worship

This was "The Big One" this quarter, with 16 entries. Because of that I don't usually put up links because the formatting puts a lot of white squares which look ugly when it posts. Without further ado:

Modern Worship

• Audrey Assad - Fortunate Fall
• Bethel Music - Tides
• Bridgecity - Bridgecity
• Seth Condrey - Keeps on Changing
• Cornerstone Sanctuary Choir - Glorify
• Keith and Kristyn Getty - Live at the Gospel Coalition
• Matt Gilman - Awaken Love
• Hillsong Live - Glorious Ruins
• Jimmy Needham - The Hymn Sessions, Volume 1
• The Neverclaim - The Neverclaim
• New Life Worship - Strong God
• One: A Worship Collective - We Believe: Live
• Dustin Smith - Rushing Waters
• Skyler & Kim Walker Smith - Home
• Kathy Troccoli - Worshipsongs: Tis So Sweet
• Phil Wickham - The Ascension 

Yes, Audrey Assad was just listed as Adult Contemporary/Inspirational. It's a toss up if the album is AC or Modern Worship, so I gave it to both pools. I'm generous that way.

One further item of note. Sometimes between multiple labels or digital and hard copy, certain releases get listed twice. Rest assired it will only have one listing if it gets to the finals. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Adult Contemporary

Continuing our announcement of  the pool eligible entries for the Fourth Quarter of 2013. We begin with our single genre posts, and we begin our musical journey with Adult Contemporary, or easy listening, if you prefer. This is the stuff that finds its way into most of the radio stations piped into public establishments. We had one perfect 5 in this grouping, that of Audrey Assad, usually more of a pop mainstay.

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational

• Audrey Assad - Fortunate Fall
• The City Harmonic - Heart
• David Huntsinger - Autumn Daydreams
• Matt Papa - Look & Live
• Aaron Shust - Morning Rises
• Matthew West - Into The Light: Life Stories & Live Songs (Deluxe Edition) [+video] [+digital booklet]

Sometimes I feel guilty with these double dip allowances for deluxe editions and the like. Matthew West had Into the Light released last year. This is the same album with a live DVD packaged with it. 

Sometimes I think that all the good album titles are already taken. Case in point. The Title of The City Harmonics latest release is the same as the second release by Audrey Assad.

Four genre's down already. Things are heating up. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heat Advisory: The 2013 Fourth Quarter - Dancing Folk

The Fourth Quarter of 2013 is complete, at least as far as The Platinum Vinyl Awards are concerned. The beginning of October closes one year and begins another, and the turning of the leaves also turns a page for those wishing to nab an Elpy. Wait til next years awards.

We begin our recap with at least one genre which didn't have enough entries to make a single post. This quarter is no exception. While one genre, Children's Music, didn't have any entries this quarter, and only two entries all year, making it either a candidate for extinction this year or the subject of the first ever PVA coin flip, Dance and Folk Music had only a handful of entries.

We begin with Folk and Folk Rock, which has, among its 3 entries this month, two Perfect 5's. The list:

Folk/Folk Rock

• The Civil Wars - The Civil Wars [+digital booklet]
• Wayne Haun - Old Soul
• Skyler & Kim Walker Smith - Home

The Civil Wars is definitely the front runner, Haun could surprise, because Jazz in CCM is rare, and got classified as folk. Who knows. 

As you know by now, Dance got split into two last year, and this year may get split into three, due to the abundance of remix albums.

Dance/Synthpop

• Andy Hunter - Glowing Collision, V2
• Thousand Foot Krutch - Metamorphosiz: The End Remixes, Vol. 2

Electronic/Industrial

• The Digital Age - Evening & Morning
• Hardie Avenue - Party At The End Of The World

The Digital Age is made of members of the former David Crowder Band and is doing worship with an electronic trance twist. Hardie Avenue has a few releases under its belt already, but is among the bands new to The Night Beat.

We're off and running as we wrap up the Fourth Quarter. Stick with me. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.