Night Beat Rewind: November 2014

November is over. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day. Though the industry has given me a few week break on the release schedule. That doesn't mean there is nothing to do, however. 

The end of November means a new edition of Night Beat Rewind, our second for #PlatVnyl6. It is the Christmas Music Season, so a lot of the releases are ineligible this time of year (15 entries this month), but I still give them a rating. Wouldn't want any of my friends to get stuck with an album full of grandma got run over by a reindeer.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• 7eventh Time Down - A Christmas Wish List 4.75 Emeralds
• Cloverton - We Sing Joy 4.75 Emeralds
• Everfound - Resolution: Christmas EP 4.25 Emeralds
• Shaun Groves - Christmas, Vol 1 4.50 Emeralds
• House of Heroes - Hark! The House of Heroes Sing 4.75 Emeralds
• The Modern Post - Lowborn King 4.75 Emeralds
• Rend Collective Experiment - Campfire Christmas, Vol 1 5 Emeralds
• Solid State Records Christmas - Midnight Clear 4.75 Emeralds
• Smalltown Poets - Christmas Time Again 5 Emeralds
• Temple Veil - One Star 3.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Christmas Goes Gospel: Tis The Season 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - This is Christmas 4.50 Emeralds
• Visible Music College Presents - A Visible Christmas, Vol 3  4.75 Emeralds
• Kim Walker-Smith - When Christmas Comes 4.50

From the Christmas Music to Singles (songs that is), I am still working out how the song ratings will work, but there are enough releases to merit this section, so here goes.

The Singles Scene

• Jason Bare - Christmas All The Time 4.50 Emeralds
• Capital Kings - In The Wild 4.75 Emeralds
• Mr. Del - When Men Worship on Dat 4.50 Emeralds
• Family Force 5 - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 4.50 Emeralds
• Ellie Holcomb - Hope Is Alive (Christmas) 4.50 Emeralds
• Mat Kearney - Heartbeat 4.50 Emeralds
• Aaron Ray - Beautiful ft Z.G. 4.75 Emeralds
• Matthew West - A Christmas To Believe In 5 Emeralds

Now we go on to our regularly scheduled edition of rewind. We begin our album coverage with those albums that didn't make the cut for the awards. Maybe it is the season but there was only one, so I am going to mention it here instead of in List Format. Phillips, Craig and Dean did not impress with Above It All, and I gave it the maximum rating of 3.75 Emeralds. It just seemed like they mailed it in.



The next group surely didn't mail it in. This is the cream of the crop.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• The Katina's - Sunday Set 5 Emeralds
• Project 86 - Knives to the Future (Special Edition) 5 Emeralds
• Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil - Goliath 5 Emeralds
• Tenth Avenue North - Cathedrals 5 Emeralds
• Tenth Avenue North - Cathedrals (Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds
• Thousand Foot Krutch - The Ultimate Collection 5 Emeralds

I don't usually give Best of collections perfect ratings, but this one from TFK was simply awesome. Ultimate is an understatement. Most of them are in the middle, however.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Abandon - Love Prevails 4.75 Emeralds
• Christ For The Nations Worship - Kingdom (Deluxe Edition) 4.50 Emeralds
• Citizens and Saints - Join the Triumph 4.75 Emeralds
• Copeland - Ixora 4.75 Emeralds
• Day One Worship - From The Dust (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• The Digital Age - Rehearsals Vol. 2 4.50 Emeralds
• Elevation Worship - Wake Up The Wonder [+video] 4.75 Emeralds
• Brooke Fraser - Wake Up The Wonder [+video] 4.75 Emeralds
• Ta Randa Green - Stronger 4.50 Emeralds
• Group 1 Crew - #Stronger 4.50 Emeralds
• Fred Hammond - I Will Trust 4.50 Emeralds
• Hardie Avenue - Hardie Avenue 4.50 Emeralds
• Japhia Life - The Profit 4.75 Emeralds
• Jericho - Road 2 Redemption 4.50 Emeralds
• Kutless - The Ultimate Collection 4.75 Emeralds
• Toby Mac - Eye'M All Mixed Up 4.75 Emeralds
• Andrea McCaffrey - The Push and Pull EP 4.75 Emeralds
• VaShawn Mitchell - Unstoppable (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• J Moss - Grown Folks Gospel - 4.75 Emeralds
• Newsboys - Hallelujah For The Cross 4.75 Emeralds
• Reschad Oliver - Pharaoh 4.50 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - I Know A Secret 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - The Essential Collection (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• P.O.D. - The So Cal Sessions 4.75 Emeralds
• Jackie Hill Perry - The Art of Joy 4.75 Emeralds
• Andrew Peterson - After All These Years 4.50 Emeralds
• Jessica Reedy - Transparent 4.75 Emeralds
• Shuree - Be The Change EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Silent Planet - The Night God Slept 4.50 Emeralds
• Nathan Tasker - Man on a Wire 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Come Alive: Live From The Centric Worship Retreat 4.50 Emeralds

That does it for November. You all know the drill. I am forgoing links for the moment to get out the post. I am so behind it is not even funny. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Go BZRK

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled edition of Music Video Monday. We search high and low (well, at least Youtube) to bring you the best Christian Music Videos out there and put them in one easy to read place.

We begin with a Music Video for an album I panned. Now this particular song is great, and the Music Video, well, let's just say that I hope this was all staged. Go BZRK with Family Force Five.

Once you've gone Berserk, you might find yourself doing strange things, like eating worms Survivor Style. Have no fear, War of Ages is here to serve you From Ashes.

And finally, we go to CAJO, or Canton Jones. He likes to go Crazy in God City USA.

We promise a return to relative sanity next week. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Great Expectations

Can an album suffer from Schizophrenia? You would think not, since the album is not in itself a living thing. But since it is recorded by living breathing people you have to wonder.

I bring that up because, if there is such a thing as a schizophrenic album, then Time Stands Still by Family Force Five is one of them. (The link is for a pre-order, since the album doesn't come out until August 5. Amazon is letting you stream it for free, so check it out and make a decision for Yourself.)

Why do you say that, you say? Mostly because of Expectations. My experience with FF5 started with Business Up Front/Party In The Back. The style of Music was described as Krunk, and it was definitely not your average rock and roll. It took off. This album is definitely not Krunk. It's half krunk. That half, which I really like, actually starts off the album. 

• 1- Sweep The Leg
• 2- BZRK
• 6- Glow In The Dark
• 7- Raised By Wolves
• 8- Jet Pack Kicks
• 11 - Everybody Lose Your Mind
• 12 - Dance Like Nobody's Watching

Most of these songs are classic FF5 and some have even a TFK feel. But then something happened. Maybe it has something to do with Solomon Olds leaving the band. But somewhere in the studio they said "Hey, Let's try to sound like a boy band". And that is the second album on the album

• 3- Show Love
• 4. Time Stands Still
• 5- Walk on Water
• 9- XRAY
• 10. Let it Be Love
• 13. When Everything Changes
• 14. Never Say Never
• 15.This Is My Year

What we have here is an Anthem Lights Album, and that wouldn't be so bad except the label says Family Force 5. XRAY should be particularly cringe-worthy for a lot of FF5 fans. That being said, it's not a particularly bad album. It's just "meh". So I am giving it an appropriate rating of 3.5 Emeralds. No it won't be in the pool. Not even close.

Here's hoping the next FF5 album returns to form. Great Expectations, it can bite you every time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Dance

Dance/Synthpop is the fast-beat type of the two electronic genres. Somewhat surprisingly, it didn't get many entries this time around. Of course, neither did its more moodier sibling Electronic/Industrial, which had to be combined with some other genres.

• #Lito , Press Play
• God's Great Dance Floor, Step 02 , Martin Smith
• I Need You , Seth and Nirva
• Reanimated , Family Force 5
• Royal Tailor , Royal Tailor

Personally, I think #LITO is the current favorite, but we shall see. Hip Hop is next. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Spring Songs: The 2013 Third Quarter - Dance

Dance is next as we roll out the pool eligible entries for the 4th Platinum Vinyl Awards. I am making one post here, although in the finals they will be split into two categories, Dance/Synthpop and Electronic/Industrial. Since I have already categorized this quarters entries I will be making two lists in this post. First up:

Dance/Synthpop

• Allistair - Feed The White Dog Love
• Family Force 5 - Reanimated
• Har Megiddo - Har Megiddo Remixed
• David Thulin - Reconstruction

Three of the four releases here are remixes, but they would qualify if they weren't. Har Megiddo and David Thulin (pronounced Too lean) got perfect 5's for their efforts. 

Next up is Electronic Music that isn't necessarily just for the dance floor, although you probably can dance to it.

Electronic/Industrial

• All The Bright Lights - The Wind and The Waves
• Steve Hare - A Heart Like Your Own
• The Jellyrox - Embellish
• Pilgrim - Pilgrim

For those not in the know, +The Jellyrox Street Team ST is the side project of Matt Langston of eleventyseven. All The Bright Lights has its entry pretty much by faith, as except for a few clips, I can't find anything on availability. It seems like vaporware, so, even though I gave it 5 Emeralds, it may not be guaranteed.

Three more to go, and I still have room in September. Yeah. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Nominations Begin: Dance/Synthpop Video of The Year

Nominations for the Electronic/Dance category this year were so large, and the field not just in Dance, that it necessitated splitting the category in two. We begin with Dance/Synthpop. Of course we are in the Video Awards at present here on the blog.

The Nominations for Dance/Synthpop Video of the Year are:

He Said by Group 1 Crew

Let it Go by Satellites and Sirens

Time (Spiral Galaxy Mix) by The Washington Projects

Toes by Lights

Zombie by Family Force Five

That concludes part one of the new electronic music genres. Next up is Electronic/Industrial. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Zombie Time

Welcome to the latest edition of Music Video Monday. We are racing through the third quarter videos and will soon be caught up. I might actually get to do the 4th Quarter in the 4th Quarter. Now THAT would be an accomplishment.

Due to the number of available videos in each category we are combining the Pop and Dance genres this time around. In honor of a few of my Triberr friends, namely Shannon Mayer and Frederick Lee Brooke, I have decided to begin with the Music Video for Family Force Five entitled Zombie.

We will sandwich the Dance videos with a pair of pop videos. First up we have the relationship misadventures of Rocky Loves Emily with Secrets Don't Make Friends, which seems to confirm my friend Shannon when she says "Women are Crazy". (Her words, not mine).

Staying with a relationship theme, we will go to the Gorgeous Holly Spears (just because I favor Brunettes doesn't mean I don't notice a good looking Blonde. I'm still a guy). Holly wants someone to Watch Over Me. (Personally I think she should have plenty of applicants).

We close with The Washington Projects. Normally found in the Hip Hop and Rap circles, they recently made a Remix album entitled Space Time Continuum, and remixes are pretty much all about Dance. Here they exhort us to redeem the Time.

That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. Next week we will be moving on to Hip Hop. Until next we meet, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Sonic Awakening: 3rd Qtr Nominees - Dance

We are continuing with our announcing of Third Quarter releases which crossed the initial bar of admission to the pool of Platinum Vinyl Award contenders. This time we move onto the Dance genre. Five releases mad the initial cut this quarter.

• Family Force Five - III.V
• The Letter Black - Hanging on By a Remix
• Owl City - Shooting Star (EP)
• Page CXVI - Re:Hymns
• The Washington Projects - Space Time Continuum: The Remixes

Both The Washington Projects and The Letter Black normally wouldn't be found in this genre. Their usual home is Hip Hop and Rock, respectively. However the remix is particular to Techno, and if one is done correctly, will turn anything into a dance album. (There is one exception - Switchfoot - Vice Re-Verses - why?)

Hard Rock and Rock are the only two genres remaining. Then we can get on with the new stuff. Click on the links to go to Amazon and buy from them. You will get some great music and support The Night Beat at the same time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

I'll Pick Even...And Odd

Never Odd Or Even, the the palindromic titled fifth release by Hip Hop/Rap/R&B artist Shonlock (aka Deshon Bullock) is a CD which would be just as comfortable to be heard in the home, car or the Dance Floor.

While some will criticize the ever present use of auto-tune, which is common for those bands or artists in the Dance/Techno genre, the songs on the CD swing between rock, R&B, Pop, and Dance. Having this many genres share space on a single disc, especially one that is not a multiple artist compilation, can usually come of as lacking direction (for an example of such an album, I would point out Israel Houghton Love God. Love People. I know, it won a Grammy. It was still terribly uneven in my opinion). I always welcome comments to the contrary, or, maybe you agree.

After repeated listenings, I am starting to like the ultra-smooth R&B ballads You Act Like and Cheers as well as the Title Cut . Fans of Family Force Five will love Bet Ya House. He barely restrains the rock in Scarred. Shonlock expertly moves back and forth between the various styles, creating the feel of a unified theme. It is a mark of a mature artist.

My final rating on Never Odd Or Even? I give it 4.5 Emeralds. This should stand up in the Dance Category and probably in the Gospel/R&B category as well. This CD will be among your favorites this year as well, whether played forward or backward.