Wolves Unleashed: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Qtr - Alternative

Alternative had six entries this quarter. A very good showing, and nearly enough for its own finals if we had not other judging process.

Alternative Rock

• Josh Garrels - Chrysaline
• The Rocket Summer - Sweet Shivers
• Strangeher - A Marginal Sea
• Tenth Avenue North - No Shame
• John Van Deusen - (I Am) Origami pt 3: A Catacomb Hymn
• Wilder Woods - Wilder Woods

A pretty much veteran lineup (Wilder Woods is a side-project of Needtobreathe's Bear Rinehart). Next up is Adult Contemporary with 8 entries. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Chaotic Symphonies: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Alternative

The ties are over and we move on to Alternative Rock, which had a complete final quota of 7 entries this quarter. From this point on all the remaining genres smash through the finals in one quarter.

Alternative Rock

• Craig's Brother - Devils In The Details
• Empty Isles - For When You Need Me
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Zeal
• Leem of The Earth - Chapter Three EP
• Elle Limebear - Elle Limebear EP
• Starflyer 59 - Young In My Head
• Switchfoot - Live From The Native Tongue Tour EP

Rock Music is the next up. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Reckoning: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr - Alternative Instrumental Pop

We begin our Wrap of The 2nd Quarter Entries for PVX (or Platinum Vinyl 10 for those new to abbreviations). We begin, as always, with at least one megapost for those genres which fail to attain the minimum bar of 5 entries to get their own blog post. We will have three such posts this quarter. We begin with Alternative Rock, Instrumental Music, and Pop Music.

Alternative Rock

• Switchfoot - Native Tongue

Instrumental Music

• The Creak Music - Still, Volume 3
• Brady Novotny - Passions Collide

Pop Music

• Matt Hammit - Living Room Sessions
• David Leonard - The Wait
• Natasha Owens - Warrior
• Dave Pittman - Different Kind of Love

The Wrap Has Begun. Our next megapost awaits. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Backmasking Number Nine: The 2018 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Qtr - Alternative Folk Metal Remix

The final quarter of #PlatVnyl9 is completed, and by some miracle I have managed to quickly compile the wrap. Hopefully that is a sign that we are climbing into normalcy. The first of two megaposts are here. The four genres in this post are responsible for nine entries total. Let's get to it.

Alternative Rock

• Eisley - I'm Only Dreaming of Days Long Past
• Narrow Skies - Seasons: Acoustic Sessions

Folk Music/Folk Rock

• Matthew Thiessen and The Earthquakes - Wind Up Bird
• Vocal Few - Grand Pre EP

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

• Earth Groans - Rahab 
• Fit For A King - Dark Skies

Remix

• Celldweller - Wish Upon A Blackstar Remix Contest Compilation
• Lexi - Just Listen: The Remixes
• Narrow Skies - Seasons: Remixed

The first of our megaposts is in the bag. The 4th Quarter reveal is underway. Our final megapost is later today. Missed the deadline yesterday, so two today. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Don't Stop Believing: The 2018 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Alternative, Folk, Instrumental

We have come upon the end of the 3rd Quarter of 2018, at least here at Night Beat HQ. Our Platinum Vinyl Eligibility Year goes from October 1- September 30. In honor of our Summer Time Travel we have given the quarter the title "Don't Stop Believing" in honor of the 1981 Song by Journey of The Same name. Just listening to the song on the internet I thought "This Will Preach", which is funny considering one of the authors, Jonathan Cain, is a Christian and married to Paula White, evangelist.

We start with the genres that didn't get enough eligible entries to merit their own post. We will make two of these mega-posts this quarter, seven genres being combined. First up is Alternative Rock, Folk/Folk Rock, and Instrumental Music.

Folk/Folk Rock

• Christafari - Original Love
• Christa Wells - Velveteen

Folk tends to be a dumping ground for "ethnic" sounds. I really don't know where to put Reggae, Jazz and other unique sounds. There are never enough of them to justify a separate category. Christa Wells is more of the standard "girl with guitar" folk artist. 

Alternative Rock

• The Choir - Bloodshot
• Kevin Max - AWOL
• Kevin Max - AWOL Deluxe Demo Sampler EP

Not much to say here. Two veterans (actually, one pioneer). Both deserve to win, one may.

Instrumental Music

• Amman/Josh -- Pieces
• Salt of The Sound - Meditations, Volume 3
• Scandroid - Dreams In Monochrome
• Somniscape - Calm, Volume 1

A little explanation here. Amman/Josh is a new group signed by Hammock, consisting of Amman Abbasi and Josh Varnedore. They are a sort of trance instrumental. Somniscape is a instrumental side project of Eric Ooyoung aka Future of Forestry, to showcase his instrumental side. The vocals side will stay Future of Forestry. Next up is our final megapost with Adult Contemporary, Children's Music, Heavy Metal and The Remix. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Musical Industrial Complex: The 2018 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr (Jan - Mar 2018) - Alternative Instrumental Rock

The final of our multi - genre posts combines Instrumental Music, Rock, and Alternative. From now on all the represented genres meet the minimum bar of 5 entries in a quarter. Let's get it going.

Instrumental Music

• Bright City - Still, Volume 2
• Future of Forestry - Union
• Charlie Peacock - When Light Flashes, Help Is On The Way

Alternative Rock

•  My Epic - Ultraviolet EP 
• Samuel Lane - The Difference
• Off Road Minivan - Spiral Gaze
• Cameron Moore - Alpenglow

Rock Music

• All Above Me - Return to the Battlefield
• Pastor Brad - Highway To Heaven
• Pax 217 - Live 6/3/17
• Mark Lee Townsend - 1919: The Ballad of Rexford 

It's time to Dance. That's the first single genre post. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

 

Diamond Rain: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Award 4th Qtr - Electronic Alternative

The final multi-genre post for the final quarter of 2017 is here. After this we still have 7 more posts, but it is all single genre all the time. First though, we have Electronic/Industrial and Alternative to get through. Let's do it.

Electronic/Alternative

• Nathanael Bryce - Time Will Come
• Cool Hand Luke - Cora
• Narrow Skies - Seasons: The Fade

Alternative

• Cool Hand Luke - Cora
• Emerald Hymns - Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
• Kings Kaleidoscope - The Beauty Between
• Pyramid Park - Vulnerability

That does it for the multi-genre posts. We go fewest to greatest for single genre posts from now on, beginning with Pop, which has nine entries this quarter. Yes, it's been that kind of quarter. 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.

Copernicus Rocks: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr: Instrumental Alternative Gospel

I can see some heads exploding with this title. Sometimes I like to tweak my audience (He Left Jesus, He's in favor of an Alternative Gospel. It really is too easy to egg on the easily offended). This multi genre post is comprised of Instrumental Music, Alternative Rock, and Gospel and R&B. (Urban Gospel - You should worry if it was Southern Gospel). Anyway, let us get on with it.

Instrumental Music

• Rivers and Robots - Still, Volume 1

Gospel/R&B

• Anthony Evans - Back To Life
• Ce Ce Winans - Let Them Fall In Love

Alternative Rock

• Acceptance - Colliding By Design
• Hearts Like Lions - If I Never Speak Again
• Devin Shelton - Sensation
• Young Fox - Sky Beats Gold       

Our third and final multi-genre post is next. 4 this time. Children's, Electronic, Metal, and Remix. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Siberian Siren: The 2017 Platinum Vinyl Awards 1st Qtr - The Megapost

We have come to the end of the first quarter for #PlatVnyl8. Things are really moving fast. It was a pretty lightweight quarter this year, which was propped up by a heavy number of Christmas Releases. As is our custom here at The Night Beat, we begin by grouping the genres that had less than 5 entrants in a quarter into a single or multiple posts. There were 7 such groupings and we will put them into two megaposts. Let us begin.

Folk/Folk Rock

• Rend Collective - Campfire II: Simplicity

Gospel/R&B

• VaShawn Mitchell - Secret Place: Live In South Africa

Alternative

• Tenth Avenue North - Followers 

Live Recorded Album

• Hillsong -Let There Be Light (Live)
• VaShawn Mitchell - Secret Place: Live In South Africa
• Toby Mac - Hits Deep Live

And so it begins. Only one comment here in introduction to this quarter's "cutesy" title. I don't mean siren as in police, but in female singers who lured mariners to their destruction with their enchanting voices. So this quarter is dedicated to Natalya Rose Piette, Georgia Napolitano, Lisa LaVie, Autumn Guzzardi, and Kayla Reeves. They are the lovely "sirens" of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. What voices. But no, I don't expect they are leading anyone down to perdition. One more thing. Since VaShawn Mitchell appears twice in this post alone, I have put the regular album link on Gospel and the Deluxe one on Live. One more megapost to go. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

A Perfect Scale: The 2016 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter: Alternative

The single genre posts are upon us. Of course, due to ties it may seem like multi-genre postings. We had three three way ties this quarter, with 5's 6's (my number is six-six-six) and sevens. And no we are not at sixes and sevens with ourselves. The first five posting was for alternative rock. Let us get to it.

Alternative Rock

• Artifex Pereo - Passengers
• Citizens and Saints - A Mirror Dimly
• Paper Route - Real Emotion
• Switchfoot - Where The Light Shines Through
• Ian Yates - Awaken To Love

Next up is Electronic-Industrial. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Seven Soundtrack: The 2016 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Quarter - Alternative

Our third quarter rollout of #PlatVnyl7 eligible entries now moves into its Single Genre Posting phase, and builds in intensity from the least to the greatest, at least as far as number of entrants is concerned. This time the fewest entrants went to Alternative Rock, which met the minimum bar of five. Let's get to it.

Alternative Rock

• Doxa Theo - Future Glory
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Beyond Control
• We Are Messengers - We Are Messengers
• Sherwood - Some Things Never Leave You
• Starflyer 59 - Slow

A comment is in order. Kings Kaleidoscope has created a bit of a kerfuffle about them this time around, and it's not about the music. Personally I find it was a bit of a distraction from an otherwise good album, though not on the level of Live In Color or Becoming Who We Are. The controversy comes from a line in the song called "A Prayer", where lead singer Chad Gardner uses the phrase "F***ing Violence" in the "explicit version" of the album. Now when I was a youngster the F-bomb was a Euphemism for Sex, so the words would mean sex violence. Now, well the word is merely bad English, and can mean just about anything (as in "I went down to the f*** store and got myself some f***** donuts when this F**** car pulled in." I hear some variation of this every day). In the clean version it is Vicious Violence. Strong, frequent, whatever. Oh for the lack of a thesaurus. The word use is completely unnecessary. We are linking the clean version.

Next up is the first of a three way tie. We will begin with Gospel. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The 2016 2nd Quarter- Alternative

We are back to the "real" genres. Alternative Rock served up a half dozen nominees, which would almost fill a final if they were all taken. What it does mean is there will be a good deal of judging to fill the final 7 in this category. Let's get to it.

Alternative

• Anchor and Braille - Songs for the Late Night Drive Home
• John Ball - By Declaration and The Death
• Colours - Ivory
• Gungor - One Wild Life: Spirit
• The Rocket Summer - Zoetic
• Steve Taylor and The Danielson Foil - Wow To The Deadness

All I have to say here is that Anchor and Braille has stepped in to fill the void left by the departure of Anberlin from the scene. They were rewarded with a Perfect Album. This is going to be a good year.

One final note. While going about the making of this post we found out about the untimely death of Prince Rogers Nelson (aka Prince) at the very young age of 57. Since it is my birthday tomorrow and I will be 50, I say very young. The Music World, including the Night Beat, has lost a legend too soon. I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Mistletunes: The 2016 1st Quarter - Alternative

We are back at the offices after our long weekend. Actually you received a post on Monday through the miracle of scheduled posts, but we were off Having Fun Doing Research. Up next is Alternative Rock, which had seven entries into the pool this quarter. Let's get it on.

Alternative Rock

• The Ember Days - Valitus
• Falling Up - Falling Up  
• Jon Foreman - The Wonderlands: Dawn
• Low and Behold - Uppers
• John Mark McMillan - Live At The Knight
• Mutemath - Vitals
• Wilkes - Shells - EP  

There are a few comments. The Ember Days and Falling Up both scored a perfect 5 this quarter, which didn't really surprise. The shock was thaf Falling Up is Falling Down (they are disbanding for the moment). Low and Behold has Ryan Clark (of Demon Hunter and NYVES) on lead vocals. The man is a machine. Pop Music is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

#PlatVnyl6 v. #WLCMA4 - The Album Awards, Part Three

We're Back with the Nominee Breakdowns. I had thought of abandoning this post and moving on to the general field since I had not narrowed down my Perfect 5's from which the Album of The Year would be awarded. I have since gotten things down to a reasonable number to extract a sampling. Not to say that these will be THE NOMINEES. Not yet anyway. 

Due to the differences in how we perceive genre, 2 genres and Album of The Year make 5 genres and Album of The Year at the Platinum Vinyl Awards.

The BPM Awards (Electronic/Dance Album of The Year) correspond to Dance/Synthpop Album of The Year and Electronic-Industrial Album of The Year. Their nominees:

• Capital Kings - II 5 Emeralds (#PlatVnyl7)
• Fireflight - Innova 4.75 Emeralds
• Levi Whalen - Timelines 4.50 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Invader 5 Emeralds
• Transform DJ's - Never Alone   4.75 Emeralds (#PlatVnyl7)

Capital Kings and Transform DJ's are in the #PlatVnyl7 Pool and Fireflight was in the Rock Pool, though I may give them a nod here since entries in these genres were low this year. Same with Levi Whalen, whose album I just learned about recently. As far as Automatic Qualifiers go, for Dance-Synthpop, we have just one, the compilation WoW Hits Party Mix, and Electronic-Industrial had two

• NYVES - Anxiety 5 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Invader Deluxe 5 Emeralds

The AMP Award (Rock/Alternative Album of The Year) actually corresponds to three categories here at the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Alternative Album of The Year, Rock Album of The Year, and Hard Rock/Metal Album of The Year. Their nominees:

• P.O.D. - The Awakening 5 Emeralds
• Red - Of Beauty and Rage 5 Emeralds
• Seventh Day Slumber - Redline EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Tree 63 - Land 4.75 Emeralds
• XXI - Inside Out 4.75 Emeralds

This is a fluid area for #PlatVnyl6 even now, as Auto Qualifiers for alternative number 10, Rock 7 and Hard Rock 3. All are very good choices and I have no other comments except that P.O.D. is Hard Rock and Seventh Day Slumber is in #PlatVnyl7. As to our automatic qualifiers: 

Alternative Album of The Year

• Anberlin - Cities: Live In New York
• Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal: Live In New York
• Foreverlin - Still After
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Becoming Who We Are
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Becoming Who We Are (Instrumental)
• Lifehouse - Out of The Wasteland
• Kevin Max - Broken Temples: Deluxe
• Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil - Goliath
• Tenth Avenue North - Cathedrals
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction

Rock Album of The Year

• Altar Boys - Gut Level Music (Re-Release)
• Children 18:3 - Come In
• Pillar - One Love Revolution
• Red - Of Beauty and Rage
• Sidewalk Prophets - Something Different
• Sumerlin - Runaways Deluxe
• Toby Mac - This Is Not A Test

Hard Rock/Metal Album of The Year

• P.O.D. - The Awakening
• Project 86 - Knives to the Future
• Saint - Broad Is The Gate

I made a pronouncement that no Perfect 5 would be left out of the Finals. I intend to still keep that promise, even though it appears quite difficult this year. Not every release may get into a genre category. I may have to do some "creative shuffling" and there will be many who will feel snubbed.

Album of The Year is the Big Prize everyone wants, which is surprising since the Dove Awards no longer wants to award it. The five nominees for the WLCMA's, for the most part don't really seem to fill the expectations for such a prestigious award. Their Nominees:

• Amanda Cook - Brave New World
• Hawk Nelson - Diamond
• Hillsong United - Empire
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction
• Lauren Daigle - How Can It Be

The first requirement for an album of the year according to the rules of the Platinum Vinyl Awards is that the album in question MUST come from the Perfect 5 Pool. By that standard only Science Fiction by Jonathan Thulin makes the cut.  Hillsong United wouldn't even make the initial pool at 3.75 Emeralds.

For this comparison I will keep to my best of 2015 list. The nominees for #PlatVnyl6 will most likely include some albums from October to December of 2014, and nothing after September 30, 2015. Calendar Year 2015 had 49 Perfect 5's. This was whittled to 18 for a best of list. A random selection from that list is as follows. 

• The City Harmonic - We Are
• Toby Mac - This Is Not A Test
• Plumb - Exhale
• Red - Of Beauty and Rage
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction

All Perfect 5's from The Night Beat. A formidable judging job if you ask me. That does it for the album awards. I will skip the song awards because I am not ready in the least. We will go to the General field, which I can hobble together. Until Next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.