Lost Love Songs: A Coupleary Celebration

Well it is that time of year again. Coupleary. It is the 13th Month of The Year and spans from (Officially) January 15-February 14, but unofficially it lasts from December 26 (I checked, the stores had everything out on the shelves) until February 17. As a single guy, I usually do my best to ignore all the mushy ads. Valentines Day is one of the "holidays" that I opt-out of. I figure I save at least $500 every year. 

One of those things I try to avoid is love songs, at least the typical "I'd never trade a thing, you are so wonderful to me" songs. Written by someone who has the girl. Those of us who look at the situation and decide to try our luck at Foxwoods tend to like the other kind of "love song". The song where the girl says no or otherwise leaves. I call this playlist lost love songs, after "tis better to have loved and lost..." It is a work in progress and I will keep adding to it as I find them. For now, this is the list.

• Emery, The Ponytail Parades: "It scares me to think that you could find takers other than me, better than me." "Don't say that we can still be friends." With two cuts here, they are the king of the break up song.
• Emery, Can't Stop The Killer: One of the most disturbing songs in Christian Music. The chronicle of a Broken Marriage ending in Murder. You have to hear it to believe it.
• Color Theory, I Should Have Kissed You: "I told myself when you leaned in closer, this is my big chance but now it is over, and now I miss you. I should have kissed you." Honesty like this gets you the co-regency.
• Color Theory, A Safe Distance: "I will always love you, From a safe distance" Enough Said.
• Skillet, Say Goodbye: "Don't say anything tonight, if you're gonna say goodbye"
• NF, I Just Wanna Know: "I just wanna know, when did you get so cold, what happened to your soul."
• Sumerlin, Breaking Out: "It's my fault I gave my heart away with the key, I thought that she would be the one to stay here."
• The Ember Days, Darling: On first spin I felt it was about a spouse dying, I later discovered that it was about the death of a child. It works either way. "What shall be my hope without without my love without my love. Will I find heaven to be my only relief." I can not hear this song without tearing up. A short vocal song with a long instrumental end.
• The Quiet Science, The Things That Cannot Be: "If Only Every Word You Said Could be Removed From Me so that I didn't know you at all. If Only Every Line of your face didn't burn so deep into my memory the things that cannot be."

Despite the list I am not depressed, only realistic. The sayings end "than not to have loved at all" is true. You can't break up if you weren't together at one point. Get your tissues and give it a listen. Meanwhile I'll be practicing my poker skills. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
 

The Seven Soundtrack: The 2016 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Quarter - Live Instrumental Dance

This is the second of three multi-genre posts as we wrap the 3rd Quarter of 2016 in #PlatVnyl7. Things are going to get very interesting by the time this eligibility year is in the tank, you can be sure of that. 

Instrumental Music

• Hammock - Everything and Nothing
• Adam Young - Omaha Beach
• Adam Young - The Spirit of St. Louis

 Live Recorded Album

• Emery - Acoustic: Live In Houston
• Onething Live - Love Makes Us Strong
• Travis Ryan - Heartbeat
• Travis Ryan - Until My Voice Is Gone

Dance-Synthpop

• 1GN - Unite
• The Fifth Service - Proven
• DJ Kirk - Awakening
• Joel Vaughn - Kinetic

Next up is our final multi-genre post. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Spring Tunes Up: The 2015 3rd Quarter - Rock

I really have to be more careful with my math. I announce things and then I find out I've miss-added. Counting to 10 stuff. So rock actually had ten entries, as did alternative and pop. That is this trio, and I've finally got it. Since I have teased Rock twice I think I will begin with it. You've got to put out eventually.

Rock Music

• Attalus - Into The Sea
• Children 18:3 - Come In
• Emery - You Were Never Alone
• Fireflight - Innova
• Dustin Kensrue - Carry The Fire
• Kutless - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kutless
• Needtobreathe - Live From The Woods
• People of The Earth - We Are People of The Earth
• Pioneer - Passive Aggression Part  1
• See The Rise - Exposures

Fireflight has embraced a new sound for Innova and I like it, though from the buzz on the internet I am in the minority. Children 18:3 saved the best for last, though a lot of us hope that they reconsider their breakup. If it's the children part of the name, why not go the Shinebright route and go with a namechange. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: May 2015

We seem to be back on Schedule. April is up and linked and now May has been finished with a few days to go. If the release schedule has its Summer Slowdown I may even have the breathing room needed to make a proper #PlatVnyl5 awards ceremony. We did have some individual songs released during May

The Singles Scene

• Salt of The Sound - Dwell Among Us 4.75 Emeralds

Although like the 45 there are two sides to these singles they only usually pick one to announce. So, this month it really is a single single scene. We move on to the albums that did not get included in the pool.

Missing The Mark

• Audio Adrenaline - Sound of The Saints 3.75 Emeralds
• Faith Child - Airborne 3.75 Emeralds
• Jerry Fee - We Are The Voices 3.75 Emeralds
• Gemstones - Blind Elephant 3.75 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - Empires 3.75 Emeralds
• Unspoken - Unplugged 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Tyscot Loud Platinum Mixtape 3.50 Emeralds

What can I say? I know I don't like Audio Adrenaline 3.0. They have made great strides in becoming a band that people will swear they've heard before, and that is the problem. They used to have a fairly unique sound. And with the exception of EDM outreach Hillsong Young and Free everything out of Sydney these days sounds pretty much mailed in. As opposed to our next grouping.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal Live In New York City 5 Emeralds
• Foreverlin - Still After 5 Emeralds
• Plumb - Exhale 5 Emeralds

Really not much to say here. Anberin (should I say the late Anberlin?) and Plumb are consistently excellent. Foreverlin is a new discovery, yet I like them. Now for those in between the extremes.

Semi-Precious Metals

• 21 Pilots - Blurryface 4.75 Emeralds
• Abandon Kansas - Alligator 4.75 Emeralds
• Blanca - Blanca 4.75 Emeralds
• Cornell Burton, Jr - The Singles EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Elim Sound - Elim 100 4.50 Emeralds
• Emery - You Were Never Alone 4.75 Emeralds
• CJ Emulous - Light It Up 4.50 Emeralds
• Chad Evans - Before and After 4.75 Emeralds
• Fedel - Flaw 4.50 Emeralds
• Mia Feldes - Ashes 4.50 Emeralds
• Fireflight - INNOVA 4.75 Emeralds
• Jon Foreman - The Wonderland: Sunlight EP 4.75 Emeralds
• J Han - Tower Ivory 4.75 Emeralds
• Haste The Day - Coward 4.50 Emeralds
• Lonnie Hunter and Structure - #GETITDONE 4.50 Emeralds
• Illuminate - Charismata 4.25 Emeralds
• Kingdom - Acoustic Sessions 4.75 Emeralds
• Morgan Harper Nichols - Morgan Harper Nichols 4.50 Emeralds
• Jimmy Needham - Vice and Virtue 4.50 Emeralds
• Northwest Collective - Rejoice: Live From Seattle 4.50 Emeralds
• Pioneer - Passive Agression, Volume 1 4.50 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Outback Worship Sessions 4.75 Emeralds
• Freddy Rodrigues - Amazed 4.75 Emeralds
• SPEC - Vacancy 4.50 Emeralds
• Gracie Schram - I Am Me 4.50 Emeralds
• Jonathan Singh - City Love Music 4.75 Emeralds
• Wolves at The Gate - Reprise EP 4.75 Emeralds

I am going to do the same thing this month. I will get this posted now and link it up Monday. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Matt and Toby Edition

We'll, we have a special Music Video Monday. What could be considered the single edition. Nobody has been making videos lately, so I have run out. I found ONE. This is Matt and Toby, the new side project from Emery Members Toby Morrell and Matt Carter. Their Self Titled debut came out last week, and it's a little pop, a little alternative, a little worship. It's a fairly unique album in that respect. This is the Music Video for Life of The Party.

Hopefully next week I can get back into the rhythm, or else I shall move to Christmas Music. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: What You Want

Welcome to the Latest Edition of Music Video Monday. Last Monday I mentioned that I had hoped to make a combined post of Hard Rock and Rock. Alas, just when I thought that there weren't enough Videos for a Hard Rock post, I find them. Not to Leave Rock Undone, It got moved back a week, as well as the beginning of the 2nd Quarter Videos.

The Big Names for this weeks videos are Chevelle and Evanescence. We begin with the former. From the album by the same name, this is Hats off to The Bull.

Seventh Day Slumber has always been good for some driving rock with an upbeat and hopeful message. And now they have a Chick bassist too. Talia Haughn. This is Wasted Life.

I think I will create an EvEm Sandwich. An Emery Video between two Amy Lee/Evanescence Gems. I will depart from my pattern of using a Title Teaser to introduce the last video. This is What You Want, the first music video off of Evanescence self titled album.

Now we have Emery looking into The Cheval Glass

And finally we come back to Evanescence and My Heart is Broken. One thing with Amy Lee, she does express sorrow and heartbreak very, very well. You really feel the hurt. It's a good thing Amy only has two videos out from the new album. I could make a post just of her stuff alone. Yes, I'm a big fan.

That concludes this weeks edition of Music Video Monday. Until next week, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Lie to Me

Welcome to the latest edition of Music Video Monday, where since we began we have been sharing the Best Video's among the albums picked for this years Platinum Vinyl Awards. Rock is quite abundant, so we shall split this up among two weeks, and even then these will be packed posts. We will go loud and hard this monday. We will turn down the volume next week for our ears to recover.

We begin with a trip into The Cheval Glass by Emery from their latest album We Do What We Want.

We continue with Underoath and Illuminator

I don't know why, but I thought of my friends Rhiannon Paille when I picked this one. This is Magnetic Sky by Becoming the Archetype.

Next up is The Devil Wears Prada and Born to Lose.

And closing it out is Red and Lie To Me form Until we have faces.

That's a lot for one day, and we are still only halfway through the list. Sorry about the bleeding ears, but that's the price for the Rock. Next week we will have videos from Third Day, Eowyn, Worth Dying For, Icon For Hire and Switchfoot. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Siberian Summer: 2012 PVA 1st Qtr - Rock

The Final Six. The Rock Genre is always last, and this time, it is also among the elite, as three Perfect 5's are among those six entries.

First up is Thousand Foot Krutch. Welcome to The Masquerade, in addition to being TFK's best album to date, is probably one of the best marketed franchises in Rock. The "Masquerade" Franchise contains three CD's, The Original Welcome to the Masquerade, the Live CD/DVD combo Live at The Masquerade, and their Deluxe CD which is entitled the Fan Edition.

Trevor and company seem to put out consistently superior product. While any fan edition is essentially a best of product, sometimes a bands idea of best of and a fans are polar opposites. In this case, I don't think anyone can disagree that TFK has put their best amplifier forward. The 16 Songs are a 5 Star Rocking Ride. I can hardly wait for The End is Where We Begin, scheduled to drop in March.

Moving on to our Second Perfect Album. Chevelle has come a long way since its debut on Steve Taylor's Squint Entertainment Label back in 1999. It's hard to imagine they've put out Eight albums. This alt-rock bunch has improved. I have the Debut CD, and it's good, though slightly uneven. Like Switchfoot, though, these crossover artists have consistently put out quality work. Ruse is the song that hearkens back to Point #1, but they rock out the hardest on the title track. Hats off to Chevelle, they managed to sneak in a Perfect Album among the rush of Christmas Releases. Sometimes stealth is the best marketing technique of all. (A heads up. The link goes to a non-music post. Scroll to the bottom of the post for my comments on Hats of to The Bull.)

Last, but certainly not least of all is Amy Lee and Company and their eponymous release Evanescence. Their return this fall from a long self-imposed exile showed nary a trace of rust. The band rocks out with a few wry comments on their absence ("Hello, Hello, Remember me" from What You Want) and Amy's Haunting Voice is at its best on Lost in Paradise. Spawning a host of Imitators in their absence (Eowyn among them. Check out Beautiful Ashes and compare), Amy and company prove that there is no replacing an original. We even have a hit in the rare lighthearted pop song Swimming Home. Evanescence on easy listening radio, now there's something to get your mind around. Click the link to be taken to my original review of the album back in October.

Now on to the second tier. At least those that have fallen short of the glory of a perfect 5. We'll announce these in simple list format.

• Emery - Ten Years 4.5 Emeralds
• Seventh Day Slumber - The Anthem of Angels 4.5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Christian Workout Playlist, Fast Paced 4.25 Emeralds

Maybe it is a cop-out to put a workout CD on the list, but the selection of songs on this CD worked. The Slow and medium paced not so much (Plus they sounded like the same pace). That finishes the fall rollout. Until Next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

P.S. - The Poll results are in and the '60's are the Decade you like best. It's hard to argue with the decade that gave us The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Votes were also cast for the '70's, 80's and 90's. New bands take note, there were no votes for favorites after 1999.

Spring has Sprung, The Releases Begin

The snow has finally melted, and the music world is taking its cue and is beginning to ramp up in earnest. The road to the 2011 begins in earnest this week with a full dozen entries. It still remains to be seen how many of these will make the cut, but the volume is impressive, if intimidating for a small scale operation. First out of the gate (at least Alphabetically) is South African (by heritage, he's now in California) worship leader Brenton Brown with his latest Our God is Near. Those of us in the Northeast are quite familiar with the concept of double-dipping, especially in regard to Government Pensions. Joining the CCM Double Dipper Club is Houston, TX Folk Rock outfit Caedmon's Call. Their latest release, entitled Raising Up The Dead, came out as a digital download on September 14, 2010 just making the cut for the 2010 Platinum Vinyl Awards, where it was nominated for Best Folk/Folk Rock Album. March 22 marks the CD releases, and a wider audience. Since the album is the same, unless the Folk genre gets overcrowded this year, I see no reason that they will not be nominated for a second year.

CCM Legend Michael Card (he recorded his first album on Vinyl in 1981) releases his 24th Album on the 22nd with An invitation to Awe.  Though I didn't play his music (The Night Beat played harder stuff), I remember seeing Scandalon (1985) on the shelves of the station. Tooth and Nail FFR Hard Rock Band The Letter Black continues its rise with Hanging on by a Thread Sessions, Vol. 1, the first of 3 limited edition EP's containing new material, B-Sides, and exclusive tracks. Volumes 2 and 3 will only be available at live shows, as digital downloads through Amazon and iTunes, and at the Tooth & Nail Store.

A Bunch of EP's were released today, the most anticipated being Awake & Remixed by Skillet, but also including  DecembeRadio and Eleventyseven. Rounding out the releases on March 22 are:

• Echoing Angels - (Self Titled)
• Josh Lopez - Broken, Restored, Loved: CBC Live
• Shawn McDonald - Closer
• Ryan Stevenson - Yesterday, Today, Forever
• Vineyard UK Worship - Creator: New Worship from Northern Ireland

Next week we will close out March with releases by Kirk Frankin, Emery, Mary Mary and Becoming the Archetype. Later this week I hope to have posted full reviews of Echoing Angels and (pre-release) Mary Mary. Until next time, readers.