MVM Special Edition: #PlatVnyl4 - Pop Video of The Year

Our third category in the #PlatVnyl4 Video Awards is that of Pop Video of The Year. The five nominated videos came from a wide swath of the Pop Genre. In fact, some might make a case that a few of the videos might not qualify as pop. You can catch our first two categories, which were Adult Contemporary and Alternative Video by clicking on the highlighted links.

The nominees, which you can watch at the nomination post, are: Beautiful Love by +ShineBrightBaby ; Love Walked In by +The Sonflowerz ; Loved by +JJHellermusic ; Still Into You by +Paramore ; and Wanted by +Dara Maclean .

Like Alternative, this category actually went into a second round of voting. The judging panel decided to go with the spirit of Pop Music, which is all about having fun. So the second round was between Shine Bright Baby and Paramore, and when it came down to the final vote it was all about which band had the most fun.

And the winner of Pop Video of The Year for #PlatVnyl4 is Still Into You by Paramore.

Three categories have been awarded, and there are 5 more to go. (There are actually a few more then that, but they will be pushed into the regular award show). Up next is the award for the first of the Electronic Categories, that of Dance/Synthpop Video of The Year. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Special Edition: Video By A Female Artist

Next up is Video by A Female Artist. Once again we have five nominated videos, which distinguishes this category from the album and song awards, where we try to have seven nominees per category. The reason for this is the blog. Seven videos is a long scrolling experience. Five is pushing it, but under that seems like a waste. The nominees are:

Battery, V.Rose

Gold, +Britt NicoleGOLD 

I Don't Deserve You, Paul Van Dyk feat Plumb

Loved, +JJHellermusic 

Wanted, +daramaclean 

Those are the nominees. Watch, enjoy, and vote in the comments. I encourage your votes to help me pick the winners.  Next up is Video by A New Artist. The young Turks get to shine. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Special Edition: Pop Video Nominees

We continue with our announcement of the nominees for this years Video Awards, part of the 4th Annual Platinum Vinyl Awards. We have already announced the nominees for Adult Contemporary and Alternative Video of The Year. Today we move on to Pop Video of The Year. Watch the Videos, enjoy, and then cast your vote for the best one in the comments. All votes will help pick the winner. Once again, all votes are tallied and certified by the law firm of Youppi, Snoopy and Cow, PC. We only hire the best at Night Beat HQ. And the nominees for Pop Video of the Year are:

Beautiful Love, +ShineBrightBaby 
Love Walked In, +The Sonflowerz 
Loved, JJ Heller
Still Into You, +Paramore 
Wanted, +Dara Maclean 
What a list. This category is really showing promise. I really need the help because they are all good. Next up is Dance-Synthpop. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply (and comments). 

Music Video Monday: Wanted

Welcome Back to Music Video Monday, and Happy Veterans Day everyone. On This Day in 1918 the Armistice which led the groundwork for World War II was signed (sorry, Ended World War I, but we know the truth). End of history lesson, on to the videos.

We are closing out pop music on this Monday. Friday we move on to the Electronic Genres. We begin our video tour with another video by Love and The Outcome. This is City of God.
Next Up we have a wonderful British-American Sister Duo known as The Sonflowerz. This is the video for the title cut, Love Walked In.
No Sophomore Slump for our next artist. I knew it when I heard her debut, but it seems the industry is a little behind, as usual. Simply put, Dara Maclean is Wanted.
We end our pop tour with Ryan Stevenson, who says that he is Holding Nothing Back.
That finishes off pop. Friday we begin Dance and Electronica. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: September 2013

The End is Here. The end of the 4th Platinum Vinyl Awards Eligibility Year. For those new to The Night Beat, the Platinum Vinyl Awards Eligibility Year runs from October 1 to September 30 inclusive. With the end of September the Pool is Closed. Well, sort of. A new pool opens October 1 and new entrants start to fill it.

First, though, we must say goodbye to the old before we say hello to the new. One little extra to take care of for the next few months. Christmas Music. Not to be too much of a scrooge, but Christmas in July is just a marketing campaign. It's not to be taken seriously. With the first Christmas releases happening in SEPTEMBER, it is time to put our foot down. No releases until November 1. Is that too much to ask.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• David Ian - Vintage Christmas Wonderland 4.75 Emeralds
• Sidewalk Prophets - Merry Christmas To You 5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Christmas 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Gospel Christmas 4.25 Emeralds

The highest rated Christmas releases had one thing in common. Jazz. These releases went the Jazz Christmas route, with Denver and The Mile High Orchestra sound. That's always a winner in my book. The problem with Gospel Christmas, not enough Gospel in it. Was kind of Modern Worship flat sounding.

I guess that provides a good segue to our first official grouping, those entries which

Missed The Mark

• Bread of Stone - The Real Life 3.75 Emeralds
• Darrell Evans - Awesome God is He 3.75 Emeralds
• For King and Country - Hope is What We Crave: Live 3.75 Emeralds
• David Glenn - Relentless 3.75 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - The Collection 3.75 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - Oceans EP 3.75 Emeralds
• KIDD - Murder My Flesh 3.75 Emeralds
• Jonny Lang - Fight For My Soul 3.75 Emeralds
• Leaders - Indomitable 3.75 Emeralds
• Patrick Levis - Extravagant God 3.75 Emeralds
• New Hope Oahu - Hope is Alive 3.75 Emeralds
• Switchfoot - Fading West EP 3.75 Emeralds
• UM Worship - Our God is Faithful: Live Worship from the University of Mobile 3.75 Emeralds

All these entries are very good, just not award worthy. One does stand out for special notice, however. It is a rare talent to make an album set in Hawaii that sounds like it was recorded in Kansas City. Or Sydney, Australia. I'm not asking for Don Ho, but a little local flavor would be appreciated.

Pure Platinum

• Cloverton - Patterns 5 Emeralds

  Semi-Precious Metal   

   
• Bethel Music - Tides 4.75 Emeralds
• The City Harmonic - Heart 4.50 Emeralds
• Andrae Crouch - Live in Los Angeles 4.50 Emeralds
• The Devil Wears Prada - 8:18 4.75 Emeralds
• Keith and Kristyn Getty - Live at the Gospel Coalition 4.75 Emeralds
• Gungor - I Am Mountain4.75 Emeralds
• Deitrick Haddon - RED (Restoring Everything Damaged) 4.75 Emeralds
• Hardie Avenue - Party at the End of the World 4.50 Emeralds
• David Huntsinger - Autumn Daydreams 4.75 Emeralds
• Donald Lawrence - Best For Last 4.50 Emeralds
• Love and Death - Between Here and Lost Expanded Edition 4.75 Emeralds
• Dara Maclean - Wanted 4.75 Emeralds
• Derek Minor - Minorville 4.75 Emeralds
• Jimmy Needham - The Hymn Sessions, Volume 1 4.50 Emeralds
• The Neverclaim - The Neverclaim 4.75 Emeralds 
• Newsboys - Restart 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Papa - Look and Live 4.50 Emeralds
• Ernest Pugh - The W.I.N. (Worship In Nassau) Experience 4.50 Emeralds
• Matt Redman - Your Grace Finds Me: Live 4.50 Emeralds
• Search The City - Flight 4.50 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - Just Say Jesus 4.50 Emeralds
• Dustin Smith - Rushing Waters 4.50 Emeralds
• The Sonflowerz - Love Walked In 4.75 Emeralds
• Ryan Stevenson - Holding nothing Back EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - WoW 2014 4.50 Emeralds
• Derek Webb - I Was Wrong, I'm Sorry, and I Love You 4.50 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - The Ascension 4.50 Emeralds

That concludes the 2013 Night Beat Rewind. October starts a whole new year of eligibility. Things are already proceeding at a quick pace. If you would like to join up with The Night Beat on a trial basis as a judge in next years Platinum Vinyl Awards, look for a post in the near future which will spell out the need. In the meantime, keep it tuned here and, as always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: A Smarter Choice

Welcome to another edition of Music Video Monday. We have been moving through the genres in order from last year, though this year the order has been rearranged.


Inspirational, like Gospel, was a bust. We move on to Pop, and, just like the Song and Album, Video is pretty well represented as well.

PVA Nominee for Female Vocalist of The Year Dara Maclean kicks things off with a Live performance of her hit single "suitcases". With a voice like hers the only "Baggage" she should have to deal with accompany a heavy touring schedule.

Crossover artist Blessid Union of Souls from the City of Brotherly Love are next with The Only Song that you will ever love.

Angie Turner (aka Miss Angie), a recent comeback to CCM with Time and Space, collaborates here with Rappers The Identity Crisis for the Title Track.

And finally, Texas Alternative-Pop Rockers Eisley are the "Smarter Choice" with Smarter, off of The Valley.

That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. It is just about time to roll-out the nominees for the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Stay with me. As always, until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Doves In The Field

Now Before I get started, I want you to click on the highlighted link and purchase NOW, the latest release by Fireflight. It's a bit softer than For Those Who Wait, but it's written around Dawn's voice, and that's a very good thing. I think I've got some of the Amazon Associates stuff down, since I have to do this manually, but If you click the link, It has my associates ID in it and The Night Beat will thank you. Right now the other options don't wrap around the text and the blog looks ugly with them. This is the most unobtrusive.

Now, on to the other music. With the new releases, preparations for the second Platinum Vinyl Awards and other stuff, my Dove Coverage has taken a bit of a hit. We're finally going to continue with The General Field Awards, those that all genres compete in, such as Group of the Year. The Doves only have five of these awards, and they only have five entrants each, so I'm going to hit them all.

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Chris August
• Chris Tomlin
• Jason Crabb
• Kirk Franklin
• Steven Curtis Chapman

Chris August and SCC didn't even have albums out this time around. (August had the obligatory Deluxe edition and SCC had a best of work. Sorry, that's cheating) Tomlin and Franklin did have new albums, and I was more impressed with Tomlin's. Crabb is SG and I don't pay attention to SG.

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Francesca Battistelli
• Kari Jobe
• Laura Story
• Mandisa
• Natalie Grant

What, no Beckah Shae!? Mandisa is a good choice and Natalie Grant okay if its from MIBTS, but Love Revolution, no. Story's album is a good choice. The only one I really think maybe is a tossup is Battistelli. I see another trend coming on. Same with August for the men.

Group of the Year

• Casting Crowns
• David Crowder Band
• Gaither Vocal Band
• Needtobreathe
• The Isaacs

Headscratchers for GVB and the Isaacs. Of course, since this is the (Southern) Gospel Music Association, they feel they have to honor them. Casting Crowns had a solid album as did Needtobreathe (the album that frustrates spellcheck everywhere). Even though the album was AWESOME, was there any doubt that the GMA would give a farewell honor to DCB. Personally, though I'm trying to stay away from predictions right now, I think they are the shoo-in. I think the City Harmonic should be here as well.

New Artist of the Year

• Beyond the Ashes
• Dara Maclean
• Jamie Grace
• Royal Tailor
• The City Harmonic

Never heard of Beyond The Ashes. Of the others, sorry, its a no brainer for The City Harmonic, though the other three in the list all had strong entries. It's just that The City Harmonic is so good and out of the ordinary on sound.

Artist of the Year

• Casting Crowns
• Jason Crabb
• Laura Story
• Lecrae
• The Isaacs

Personally I would pick someone else in this grouping. At least four of the five. Forced among the choices I would go with Lecrae here.

That finally gets me two thirds of the way through the Dove Nominations. Just song of the Year to Go. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.