Music Video Monday: Tanks for The Memories

Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun. Welcome to an all new edition of Music Video Monday, where we share the greatest Music Videos in CCM and the GRAC Fringe. We have a full slate and the mix is on. We begin in the Rap and Hip Hop Genre. Derek Minor has been pretty prolific these days, and I guess practice makes perfect. Empire was Pure Platinum in 2015, and Reflection fell just short at 4.75 Emeralds. From Reflection, this is Until I'm Gone ft BJ the Chicago Kid.
From Rap to Hard Rock. Hard Southern Rock as in Disciple. Personally a dream tour for me would be Disciple-Third Day. Anyway, from the Perfect 5 Rated album Long Live The Rebels, this is the Lyric Video (with some images) of Erase.
Finally we move on to Rock or Electronic-Industrial or Dance-Synthpop. I'm really not sure which one at this point. What I am sure about is that these guys love playing with their kids toys. The video for the title cut of their latest album, Tanks, this is Satellites and Sirens.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. We may be doubling or tripling up in the next few days as we try to clear a backlog of work. Just warning you. Until our next post, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

#PlatVnyl6 The Nominations Begin: Rap Video of The Year

We are down to the final three genre based Video of The Year Nominees. Of course we have a bunch of General Field based nominees including Video Of The Year.  They Will be announced in time. First up, though, is Hip-Hop/Rap Video of The Year. The Nominees are: Come On In by +WHOSOEVER SOUTH ; Letting Go feat Josh Lane by +Jekob Washington ; Party People feat Social Club by +Derek Minor ; Space Boots by LA Symphony; and  We Gon' Reign by Flame.

The nominated videos packaged up in a nice neat playlist.

Hard Rock and Metal are next. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The 10 Best Albums of 2015

This is a very special Christmas Season here at Night Beat HQ. Not because we love Christmas, but because, for the first time in a while we have actually managed to put out a Top 10 List at the end of the year. That's what happens when you hand out roughly 50 perfect albums per year. It gets a bit crowded. (Full Disclosure: 2015 had 49). Looking for the "WOW" that struck me the first time got me down to 18. I gave it one more listen and came up with some sort of ranking. I ranked 1-10. 11-18 will be in an honorable mention with no emphasis on rank.

• #10 - Falling Up, Falling Up - I grew up in the 80's, which happens to be the Best Decade of Music Ever, for both the Mainstream and Christian Music Scenes. A Band which I say is "my band" is The Choir, with its Chiming Guitars. Everything has an "ethereal sound". Falling up has always reminded me of them. Unfortunately, one of their best ever is also their last. I guess I will have to stay with The Choir.
• #9 - One Love Revolution, Pillar - Personally tied for "Best Pillar Album Ever" with Fireproof. Yes the recording was sub par on that one, but the in your face rap core was refreshing. It is telling that the original lineup, which was on Fireproof, was on this album.
• #8 - Come In, Children 18:3 - Another swan song. No you don't get a free pass when you break up. There were rumors that On The Run was going to be the final album, and while it was okay, it was bordering Pop, and that isn't what we look to this band for. This is one of the loudest album ever by the band.
• #7 - Valitus, The Ember Days - I have been a fan since they were still doing Finger Painting. They have always been an Alternative Band which swerves into Modern Worship from time to time. It's Better than the other way around. The name means "A Wailing" , though It didn't seem depressed. It was my last perfect album of the year and one of the most satisfying.
• #6 - II, Capital Kings - Our first representative from The Dance/Synthpop arena, or is it Electronic/Industrial. It is really hard to figure this time around. Once one of the pack of Synthpop bands, they moved into the front through both their remix album, and this their second album, which moved into a harder edged sound
• #5 - This Is Not A Test, Toby Mac - Toby Mac is Back. His music has never been bad, it's just that for a while now he has simply fulfilled expectations. This is not a test Smashes them, with a little help from Capital Kings, I might Throw in.
• #4 - Empire, Derek Minor - The Only Rap Album to Make the list, but only because I did my best to get down to ten. 4 Rap Albums made a Perfect 5 (6 if you include TobyMac and Rapture Ruckus). All hail the king and the Title cut get things on to an explosive start
• #3 - Invader (Deluxe), Rapture Ruckus - This is one of those cases where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I was not exactly impressed by the two invader EP's, but when he put it all together into an album, it was an entirely different matter.
• #2 - Science Fiction, Jonathan Thulin - The Too Lean Brothers (that's the pronunciation) continue to mine Platinum). While EDM brother David takes to the Reconstruction of Radio, Jonathan has taken the Alternative Path, though he does simply Press Play and dance from time to time. Enough of the name drops. We Start out as a Time Traveler, dance with Jekyll and Hyde, and even go dark with Cry Wolf. The Picture is complete.
• #1 - Of Beauty and Rage, RED - EPIC. Red has always been the master of the Symphonic. The Darkest Part is definitely Song of The Year Material. They say repentance is a sincere Change of Mind. They have definitely repented for Release The Panic, which only threw their fans into a Panic. If you love EPIC, soaring orchestration, ballads, and hard driving rock and can only afford to get one album, this is it.

That's the Top 10 of The Year 2015.  You can see that this was a great year. Here are the Albums that failed to make the top 10. But They Were Still Perfect. 

• We Are, The City Harmonic
• Floodplain, Sara Groves
• Broken Temples (Deluxe), Kevin Max
• Anxiety, NYVES
• Exhale, Plumb
• Renegades Never Die, Skrip
• Echoes of Wonder, Salt of The Sound
• Fallen, Stryper

I think you would agree that this would make an excellent list on its own. My List is up, now it is time for you all to take your shots. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. Merry Christmas to All. 

Polar Vortex Polka Redux: The 2015 2nd Quarter - Rap

Welcome back to our announcement of the 2nd Quarter 2015 Pool entries. We move on to the final three. First up is Rap and Hip-Hop, with ten entries this quarter. Mind you, we try to narrow things down to 7 entries for the finals. Let's get to it.

Rap/Hip-Hop

• 21:03 - Outsiders
• Eshon Burgundy - The Fear of God
• Chris Cobbins - August Season, Take 1
• Dee-1 - 3Up EP
• JSon - No Filter
• Derek Minor - Empire
• NF - Mansion
• Sareem Poems and Ess Be - Beautiful Noise
• Skrip - Renegades Never Die 
• Social Club - Us

This quarter we had Three perfect albums in Rap, and they were Eshon Burgundy, Derek Minor and Skrip. That's half the finals in already. Next up is Gospel.

Night Beat Rewind: January 2015

2015, or as we like to call it here at +The WENC Night Beat #PlatVnyl6, is fully underway. The Christmas Releases are over and we are getting new material in every Tuesday. We got off to a brisk pace this January, and I'm not talking about the weather. All that did was wreak havoc with the blogging schedule. Looking for Spring.

We continue our tradition of leading off with Single releases, with, hopefully, an album or EP to follow. Tongue in Cheek, we refer to it, in a Valentines appropriate way, as

The Singles Scene

• Toby Mac - Beyond Me 4.50 Emeralds

Now normally we would go on to the releases which missed the mark. We looked and looked but couldn't find any. So there are none, barring any lost releases turning up. We almost thought that there were no Perfect Albums this month. Poor bookkeeping made it look like that, but one finally turned up hiding under the rubble.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Derek Minor - Empire 5 Emeralds

This is a month for the semi-precious metals, and truly that is the case most months. Usually we have a few more entrants in the other categories as well. But 19 releases here make this a very good month.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Bethel Music - We Will Not Be Shaken (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Blanca - Who I Am EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Sarah Brusco - The Woven Whisper 4.75 Emeralds
• Calling Glory - Life & Spirit 4.50 Emeralds
• The Gray Havens - Fire and Stone 4.50 Emeralds
• Armar'rae Hill and True Foundation - We Are Royalty 4.75 Emeralds
• Hillsong Young and Free - This Is Living 4.75 Emeralds
• Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors - Medicine 4.75 Emeralds
• I Am They - I Am They 4.50 Emeralds
• Love and The Outcome - Ocean Way Sessions Live 4.75 Emeralds
• Jason Nelson - Jesus Revealed (Digital Version With Booklet) [+digital booklet] 4.75 Emeralds
• North Point Music - North Point Music: Beginnings 4.50 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Invader Volume II EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Robbie Seay Band - Psalms LP 4.75 Emeralds
• Sixteen Cities - The Depth of Your Love 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Billboard #1 Gospel Hits 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - iWorship Now / Next 2015 4.50 Emeralds
• Vertical Church Band - Church Songs 4.75 Emeralds
• Brian Courtney Wilson - Worth Fighting For (Live) 4.50 Emeralds

Well that wraps up January. Love must be in the air. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Weekend Edition: Hey Pharaoh

Welcome back to our Special Weekend Edition of Music Video Monday. Today we finally wrap up rap and hip hop.

We begin with Dre Murray from his new album Gold Rush. This is Pharaoh.
Maybe in keeping with the same having it all motif, this is Derek Minor, who in minorville has everyone saying Gimme.
And finally, because we are doing the final two rap videos,and we should have at least three videos a post, this is debut artist 1 Girl nation and Rockin Around The Christmas Tree .
Monday is Metal Monday. We begin Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Until then, 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.