Night Beat Rewind: September 2019

The Final Rewind of #PVX is here. Ten Years. And we go out with a bang and not a whimper.

The Singles Scene

• Apollo LTD - DNA (Acoustic) 5 Emeralds
• Arilya - Save You 5 Emeralds
• As I Lay Dying - Blinded 5 Emeralds
• Brandon Bee - Breathe on Me, O Jesus 4.25 Emeralds
• Tina Boonstra - Head, Teeth, Hands 4.75 Emeralds
• Dan Bremnes - Up Again (The Remixes) 4.75 Emeralds
• Canyon Hills Worship - Never Gonna Stop 4.75 Emeralds
• Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm (New York Sessions) 4.75 Emeralds
• Alvin Cedric - Rescue (Lauren Daigle Cover) 4.50 Emeralds
• Dillon Chase - Paradise 4.75 Emeralds
• The Choir - Mystical World 5 Emeralds
• Cochren and Co - Heart and Soul (The Sienna Sessions) 4.75 Emeralds
• Cochren and Co - One Day 4.75 Emeralds
• Color Theory - Phobiac 5 Emeralds
• Amanda Lindsey Cook - Evergreen (Re-Imagined) 5 Emeralds
• Cortes - For The Best 4.25 Emeralds
• Embassy - Undignified 5 Emeralds
• Connor Flanagan - Dangerous (ft Russ Parish) 5 Emeralds
• Hammock - Circular As Our Way 5 Emeralds
• John Hanni - Start To Care 4.75 Emeralds
• Impact - Hope Song 5 Emeralds
• Spencer Kane - If I Can't Have You ft Levi Mitchell (Shawn Mendes Cover) 4.75 Emeralds
• KB - Lincoln 4.75 Emeralds
• KJ-52 - Summertime ft AJ Jenkins 4.75 Emeralds
• Rachael Lampa - He's Good 5 Emeralds
• LEAH - Redemption 5 Emeralds
• Mark Lee - How To Feel Alive 4.75 Emeralds
• Toby Mac - Edge of My Seat (Radio Version) ft Cochren and Co 5 Emeralds
• Manafest - Plan for Me ft Melanie Greenwood 5 Emeralds
• Chris McClarney - Valley (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Brea Miles - God Culture (Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
• Leigh Nash - My Love, My Drug 4.75 Emeralds
• Neon Feather - Safe (ft Chris Chron) 5 Emeralds
• Northlander - Occulus 4.75 Emeralds
• Planetboom - Saints 5 Emeralds
• The Porter's Gate - The Earth Shall Know ft Casey J, Leslie Jordan and Urban Doxology 5 Emeralds
• Sidewalk Prophets - Smile 5 Emeralds
• Seth and Nirva Ready - Turning Over Tables ft Michael Tait 5 Emeralds
• RED - The Evening Hate (Alternative Version) 5 Emeralds
• Righteous Vendetta - Kill The Lights 4.75 Emeralds
• Apollo Rojas - Popular Mechanix 3.50 Emeralds
• Angie Rose - Fight Like A Man 4.75 Emeralds
• Roy3ls - Souls 4.75 Emeralds
• Scandroid - New York City Nights (Tommy '86 Remix) 5 Emeralds
• Scandroid - New York City Nights (Tommy '86 Remix Instrumentals) 5 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - Trust (CMC Remix) 4.50 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - So Will I (100 Billion X) 4.75 Emeralds
• Stillman - Draw Near 4.75 Emeralds
• Laura Story - You Cannot Be Stopped 4.75 Emeralds
• Michael Sweet - Son of Man ft Todd La Torre (Queensryche) and Andy James 5 Emeralds
• John Tibbs - Wild Things 4.75 Emeralds
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Remember 4.75 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Ghost ft Wes Writer and Beacon Light 5 Emeralds
• JSteph - Fake Me Out ft Moflo Music 4.75 Emeralds
• Verses - Letting Go (Re-Imagined) 5 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - Jesus Beautiful 5 Emeralds
• Kim Walker-Smith - Insatiable 5 Emeralds
• We The Kingdom - Holy Water 4.75 Emeralds
• Tauren Wells - Miracle 5 Emeralds
• Matthew West - What If 4.75 Emeralds
• Josh Wilson - OK 5 Emeralds
• Zauntee - Fanatic 4.75 Emeralds

The Song Judging is going to be really difficult for #PVX. On to the final group of albums which will not make the finals.

Missing The Mark

• The Belonging Co. - Awe + Wonder (Live) 4.25 Emeralds
• Social Club Misfits - Doom EP 4.25 Emeralds

These releases are at the High End of the cutoff, so it's not that these are bad albums. They are just not award worthy here at Night Beat HQ. Maybe at the Doves, where the standards are more lenient. On to the final standards of perfection for #PVX.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• As I Lay Dying - Shaped by Fire 5 Emeralds
• Jeremy Camp - The Story's Not Over 5 Emeralds
• Circle of Dust - Circle of Dust (Remixes and Rarities)(Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds
• David's Tent - Raise Every Voice: David's Tent (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Disciple - Love Letter Kill Shot 5 Emeralds
• Hillsong Young and Free - III (Re-Imagined) 5 Emeralds
• Hannah Kerr - Listen More EP 5 Emeralds
• Life Church Worship - God So Good (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Keyondra Lockett - The Heal Reloaded: The Journey Continues 5 Emeralds
• William McDowell - The Cry: A Live Worship Experience From Chattanooga 5 Emeralds
• Out of The Dust - Now More Than Ever 5 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Rain 5 Emeralds
• RED - Innocence and Instinct (10 Year Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds
• RNW Music - When It Comes To You 5 Emeralds
• Aaron Shusht - Nothing to Fear 5 Emeralds
• Lindsey Stirling - Artemis 5 Emeralds
• War of Ages - Void 5 Emeralds

Semi-Precious Metals

• Attaboy - Wild 4.50 Emeralds
• The Birdsongs - The Journey: Act II - The War 4.75 Emeralds
• Sean Curran - All Of Us (All Praise) (Live) EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Hayden Everett - Hayden Everett EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Danny Gokey - Wanted EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Hollyn - Bye, Sad Girl EP 4.75 Emeralds
• John P. Kee - I Made It Out 4.75 Emeralds
• Jamie Kimmett - Prize Worth Fighting For EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Leeland - Better Word (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Life Center Worship - Acoustic Sessions EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Here Be Lions - I Speak Jesus EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Maher - Alive and Breathing EP, Volume 1 4.75 Emeralds
• North Point Inside Out - Wide Open EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• S.O. - Augustine's Legacy 4.75 Emeralds
• Transform - Jericho (ft Sean Be) EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Convoy of Hope: Hope Has A Name 4.75 Emeralds
• Big Daddy Weave - When The Light Comes 4.50 Emeralds

#PVX is in the Bag. Year 11 Begins Now.

Night Beat Rewind: February 2015

We are up and running in 2015. There were open 30 releases this month. Of course, not all of them will be covered here. Two wound up being spoken word and one was classical. Of course, they weren't exactly the judges cup of tea, so they were unceremoniously dropped.

We begin with a few songs, or as we like to call it

The Singles Scene

• Audio Adrenaline - Love Was Stronger 3.50 Emeralds
• Family Force 5 - Hold Your Hand 4.50 Emeralds
• Fireflight - We Are Alive 4.50 Emeralds
• David Glenn - Church Triumphant - Single 4.50 Emeralds

Hearing the first single from AA 3.0 as it has been dubbed has cemented my opinion that they should hang it up. Fireflight shows promise. I mean, it is still Dawn, but it's a bit poppy. Not everything can be For Those Who Wait, but I think when they finally release an album it will be more than enough rock. The following can not be said about our first grouping.

Missing The Mark

• Christ Fellowship - Like No Other 3.75 Emeralds
• Roy Fields - Stand Up 3.75 Emeralds
• Darlene Zschech - In Jesus' Name: A Legacy of Worship & Faith 3.50 Emeralds

I like to think that I am the toughest on the Modern Worship genre. There are so many "Zschechies" out there, some which literally go all "Single White Female" in copying Darlene's dress, hairstyle and everything. It's downright spooky. Unfortunately all of them, including Hillsong, have pretty much rested on their laurels and mail it in, expecting everyone to applaud anyway. Maybe I overcompensate, but I look for bands that break out of the Hillsong Mold.

No mold grows on our next grouping, however.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Red - of Beauty and Rage [+digital booklet] 5 Emeralds
• Skrip - Renegades Never Die 5 Emeralds
• Sumerlin - Runaways (Deluxe) 5 Emeralds
• The Vespers - Sisters and Brothers 5 Emeralds
• Virtue - Testimony Reloaded 5 Emeralds
• Yancy - Little Praise Party: Taste and See 5 Emeralds

This was a loaded month, and I couldn't be more pleased. On the flip side, however, I can announce that the Night Beat Candy Store is now officially open. Six perfect fives in February equals a lot of editing again to come up with a best of in December.

Of course most releases fall somewhere in the middle, or what we like to call

Semi-Precious Metal

• Crystal Aikin - All I Need 4.75 Emeralds
• Dave Barnes - Hymns for Her 4.50 Emeralds
• Bridgecity - Christ Be Glorified 4.75 Emeralds
• The Brilliance - Brother 4.75 Emeralds
• Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - Pray 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy Camp - I Will Follow 4.75 Emeralds
• Davis The Band - Only Your Love 4.50 Emeralds
• Dee-1 - 3's Up - EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Benita Farmer - Mender Of Me 4.50 Emeralds
• Aaron Gillespie - Grace Through the Wandering 4.50 Emeralds
• Brandon Heath - No Turning Back 4.75 Emeralds
• Inspire Music - Inspire 4.50 Emeralds
• Mat Kearney - Just Kids 4.75 Emeralds
• Jon-Micah Sumrall - Faith & Family 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Risen Powerful Gospel Resurrection Songs 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - WOW Gospel 2015 4.75 Emeralds

That concludes this edition of Night Beat Rewind. For the first time I believe I have even linked the Missing The Mark entries. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Special Edition: Video By A Male Artist

The nominees are all in for this years Platinum Vinyl Awards. If You want to go to the head of the line, you are free to jump over to the nomination page and check out the list. We will be announcing here the general field based video nominees, and the first one is Video by a Male Artist. The five nominees are:

Bombs Away, +Jonathan Thulin 
Love Does, +Brandon Heath 
Pharaoh feat Tragic Hero, +Dre Murray 
Reckless, +JeremyCampVEVO 
Sing of Your Glory, +BeboNormanVEVO 
Watch the videos, and right now, I encourage you to vote your choice in the comments. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Music Video Monday: Reckless Promises

Welcome back to Music Video Monday. We are continuing our journey through Adult Contemporary and Inspirational Music.

We begin with the king of Adult Contemporary. He may fashion himself a rocker, but he as always seemed the most tame of the Creed Clones of a bunch of years back. I'm talking about Jeremy Camp. His latest album is entitled Reckless, and this is the video for the Title cut.

A couple of crown princes are next. First up is Newsong, probably the veterans of the grouping. From the album of the same name, this is Swallow The Ocean.

Finally, we end with something real. Sanctus Real, that is. This is Promises.

Next Monday we close out September, The Adult Contemporary Category, and the Great WENC Night Beat Third Birthday Giveaway all on the same day. Something like that is worth More Than Rubies. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Flashback Friday: Through The Benjamin Gate

Welcome Back to the Commonwealth of CCM, that part of Flashback Friday in which our focus has been bands within the British Commonwealth of Nations. We Have done Great Britain and Australia, and we have moved on to The Republic of South Africa.

As a side note, I have also begun watching, from Season One Episode One, the entire series of Stargate SG-1. Now this is only relevant because our band is The Benjamin Gate, and their major label debut, called 'untitled' (2001), featured a stargate motif.

The voice behind The Benjamin Gate was Adrienne Liesching (now Adie Camp, wife of Jeremy Camp, CCM Mega Star). Adie has since re-emerged as a solo artist in the bland AC style. The albums are good, but not standouts. One of the problems is that all hints of South African heritage are gone, and that, along with her ever changing hair, was one of the things we loved about her.

Untitled had a number of memorable songs, and a truly unforgettable sound. Probably the biggest hit was All Over Me.

Continuing with the Sci-Fi motif, Contact (2002), which was a bit more refined, but still very good. This is Lift Me Up.

To fans of The Benjamin Gate, Jeremy Camp will always be the guy who broke up TBG.  We forgive you, Jeremy. The question remains, though. If Adie can be a wife, mother and Bland AC Solo artist, why not wife, mother, and Alt Rock Frontwoman of a band with a sound that would make everyone forget about Jeremy Camp. Sorry, answered my own question.

That concludes this edition of Flashback Friday. I am going to have to retool this once again, because each of the subjects didn't have equal numbers, and some are proving difficult to research, as they are really "where are they now fodder." Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Greatest Story Ever Sung

"Music Inspired by..." When I see a CD with this intro I know two things immediately.

1. It isn't the official soundtrack
2. It's probably not worth buying

So you can imagine my reaction when the homepage of New Release Tuesday sported a listening party for Music Inspired by The Story. Actually my first reaction was "What's The Story?" Come to find out it's not a movie, but a Bible. Yes a Bible. The Bible as a continuous story.

The Instrumental Overture kicks things off, and I kind of hope it was a movie, because the orchestral arrangement is definitely soundtrack worthy.

I have one big complaint. NRT should have broken the stream into two parts. Using my libraries account, I get 55 minutes, and that is just about the length of the first disc. However, there is no way to fast forward, so you have to start again at the beginning. So there is no way to just get to disc two. A shame.

This is a two disc CD, and like the Bible itself, Disc one is the Old Testament and Disc Two the new. One minor Biblical nitpick. Like I said, the concept is that the Bible is arranged as a continuous narrative story, but there is a chronological error. The Old Testament is as follows: Creation, Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Ruth & Naomi, David, Daniel, Esther, Job. The error is the last song. Despite its position in the Bible, only Genesis-Esther is arranged in rough chronological order. Most Bible Scholars place Job somewhere between Abraham and Moses in time.

The Big Guns came out for this, and I think they will be having a Christmas Tour to support the album. That should be something to catch. Leigh Nash, Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Peter Furler, Mandisa, and Mac Powell among others. Actually, the only minor miscast here may be Mandisa. While I loved her Album, her casting as "Esther" was mistaken IMHO, considering the orchestration of the album. Overture and the filling orchestration sounds so much like Are You Ready? from Beckah Shae's album Destiny, that I think she should have been on it. Just Saying.

This is a majestic concept album, and it delivers. I'm a sucker for strings, and there are strings in spades here. I'm going to go out and give this album a full 5 Emeralds, and then figure out where I'm going to put it. Any thoughts, readers? I am Awaiting Your Reply.