The Drive To Five: The Class of 2011

Maybe I just am getting better at picking winners and losers, but the Class of 2011 turned out a whole lot better than 2010. It was a very big class, 11 members strong, so not all of them could fit in New Artist of The Year. The nominees for that award were Jessa Anderson, Katelynne Cox, The City Harmonic, Dakota Green, Hyland, Icon For Hire. Also scattered among the awards were Jai, Worth Dying For, Swimming With Dolphins and Committed. Only Dakota Green has officially left the CCM industry, but it remains to be seen if he can be included in future awards. Jai and Katelynne Cox are the only CCM artists that have gone silent for now. So that's 8 of 11, or a 73% success rate. 2010 was 64% so it looks like I am getting better.

But of the 8 which remain, who can complain. The City Harmonic followed up their debut with I Have A Dream and then Heart, Dara found out she was still wanted, and Icon For Hire found out their name was pure platinum. A very strong year. Comebacks and Goodbyes are next.

Rising Beats: The 2014 Third Quarter - Pop

Continuing with our announcement of the Pool Eligible entries for #PlatVnyl5 in the Platinum Vinyl Awards. (Can you believe we are soon going to be around for 5 years, and growing every year. God is good). We move on to to pop, and not a syrupy one among them. It's all natural sugar here.

Pop Music

• Jessa Anderson - Whole
• Anthem Lights - Covers Part III
• Francesca Battistelli - If We're Honest
• Jonny Diaz - Let It Fly
• Stellar Kart - Frozen EP
• Shawn McDonald - Brave
• Mikeschair - All Or Nothing
• V.Rose - Forever After
• Unspoken - Unspoken

I was pleased with Francesca Battistelli's return to pure pop this quarter (she had gone a bit too far in the country direction lately. An unfortunate side effect when the labels are in Nashville). I was also surprised with the placement of V. Rose here. Based on her debut I was expecting another dance album, but no, she went with traditional pop this time. We move on. Rock is next. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: April 2014

Yes, that's not a typo. It is almost June and I am just posting the April releases. #PlatVnyl4 has wreaked havoc on the day to day operations here. Let's get right to it and not waste any more time. We begin, as always, with those albums which will not get a nomination to #PlatVny5. These are

Missing The Mark

• ALC Worship - We are Calling 3.75 Emeralds
• Paul Baloche - Live 3.50 Emeralds
• Close Your Eyes - Prepackaged Hope 3.75 Emeralds
• Difference United - New Day 3.75 Emeralds
• Erica Lane - Take your Burdens Down 3.75 Emeralds
• Mercy Me - Welcome To The New - 3.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Take It All 3.75 Emeralds
• Reformers - Abolish 3.50 Emeralds
• Doug Shae - Kingdom Bridges 3.25 Emeralds

Of the above listed releases, while all pretty much just missed the nomination pool, I would have to say I am most disappointed in two releases. First of all, Passion Conference. They still have an awesome mix of artists, but this time the energy is gone. They just mailed it in. At least Close Your Eyes admits it. Hope isn't all that was prepackaged. There isn't a Carry You in this mix.

From the flawed to the perfect. There were three albums which soared above the rest. These are they which are

Pure Platinum Perfection

• The Choir - Shadow Weaver 5 Emeralds
• Anthony Evans - Real Life, Real Worship 5 Emeralds
• The Remission Flow - Rhythms of Grace 5 Emeralds

The Choir just keeps chugging along and creating great work. I hope they never retire. Now, we finish with those in the middle, as it were, the

Semi-Precious Metal

• Jessa Anderson - Whole 4.75 Emeralds
• August Burns Red - Thrill Seekers Vinyl 4.50 Emeralds
• Francesca Battistelli - If We're Honest 4.75 Emeralds
• Bethel Music - You Make Me Brave (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Jonny Diaz - Let It Fly 4.50 Emeralds
• Difference United - New Day Remixes 4.50 Emeralds
• Andrew Ehrenzeller - Children of Promise 4.75 Emeralds
• Elevation Worship - Raised to Life 4.50 Emeralds
• Kristen Giles - Parker's Mercy Brigade 4.75 Emeralds
• Headz Up FM - Christian Hip Hop 2014 4.50 Emeralds
• JJ Heller - I Dream of You 4.75 Emeralds
• His Kidz United - His Kidz Volume 1 4.50 Emeralds
• Jonah 33 - Dead Man Walking 4.75 Emeralds
• Chad Jones - Keep Up 4.50 Emeralds
• Stellar Kart - Frozen 4.25 Emeralds
• Shawn McDonald - Brave 4.75 Emeralds
• Mikeschair - All or Nothing 4.50 Emeralds
• Sherri Jones-Moffett - Power and Authority (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Needtobreathe - Rivers In The Wasteland 4.75 Emeralds
• New Empire - In A Breath 4.50 Emeralds
• Onething Live - Sing Your Praises 4.75 Emeralds 
• Page CXVI - Good Friday to Easter 4.75 Emeralds
• Propaganda - Crimson Cord 4.75 Emeralds
• Cindy Cruse Ratcliff - Heaven Raining Down 4.50 Emeralds
• Red - Release The Panic Recalibrated Edition 4.50 Emeralds
• Social Club - Misfits 2 4.50 Emeralds
• Sons of Life - We Will Fly 4.75 Emeralds
• Da T.R.U.T.H. - Heart Beat 4.50 Emeralds
• Unspoken - Unspoken 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Songs 4 Worship: Worship Classics 4.50 Emeralds
• Paul Wilbur - Ultimate Collection 4.50 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - The Ascension (Deluxe) 4.50 Emeralds

Singles

• Brad and Rebekah - The Heart of The Father 4.75 Emeralds
• Citizens - You Brought Me Back To Life 4.75 Emeralds
• Guardian - Paranoia Kills 4.75 Emeralds
• George Hilman - Sing To The Lord 3.75 Emeralds
• Kaleidoscope - Every Tomorrow 4.50 Emeralds
• Owl City - Beautiful Times 4.50 Emeralds
• Frank Palangi - Hope 3.75 Emeralds
• Kerrie Roberts - Come Back To Life 4.50 Emeralds

Yeah!! Finally done with April. The struggles of a one man operation. Hopefully I can get May in before June. That would be sweet. Until Next Time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Heating It Up: Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees- Pop

We come to Pop Music. Now this is an overloaded category if there ever was one. Just about everything, if it is not obviously Rock & Roll, could be categorized as Pop Music. If you use a true definition, as popular music, then just about anything people like fit here. For sanity's sake, of course, I use the more restrictive, non rock definition.

Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees

So Basically, the definition is, if it's not Rock (loud), but still bouncy, it's Pop. But if it's too bouncy, it's dance, and if there are heavy use of Synthesizers, it's not only dance but Techno. You Can see how this can get confusing.

Pop Music

• Jessa Anderson - Not Myself Anymore
• Big Daddy Weave - The Ultimate Collection
• Steven Curtis Chapman - Re: Creation
• Jason Gray - A Way to See In the Dark
• Shaun Groves - Third World Symphony
• Matt Hammitt - Every Falling Tear
• Mat Kearney - Young Love
• Dara Maclean - You Got My Attention
• Matt Maher - The Love In Between
• Jon McLaughlin - Forever If Ever
• Manic Drive - Epic
• Geoff Moore - Saying Grace
• Ginny Owens - Get In I'm Driving
• Andrew Peterson - Above These City Lights (Live)
• Robert Pierre - I'm All In
• V.Rose - V.Rose
• Selah - Hope For the Broken World

Eight down and only three to go. Whew. Stay with me as I complete the fourth quarter roll out of the initial nomination pool of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. As always. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

This Weeks Listening Parties

Just a quick post to keep everybody up on the availability of Some Full CD Listening Parties. New Release Tuesday has Jason Gray: A Way to See in The Dark (Out 9/13). This week Hearitfirst.com has Two Listening parties at their site Darlene Zschech:You Are Loved (Out Today) and a debut release Jessa Anderson: Not Myself Anymore (Out 9/13). Nothing on JesusFreakHideout.com or AOL Music.

One Other Note: Tonight is the Album Release Party for Ginny Owens, at least as far as Hearitfirst.com is concerned. It is still scheduled for Tonight at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. If you haven't registered at live.hearitfirst.com for a previous Live Event, you'll have to do it before you can watch, so come a few minutes early. It's quick.

That's it for today. I promised a live post, and I delivered. Oh, One More Thing. The listening party for Jessa Anderson seems to be missing a song. Fireflies (Track #2) is there but is mislabeled as Everybody Has those Days. All the songs are one off (except for Track #1), so The Return appears to be the one missing (Track #10 at hearitfirst, actually Track #11). You've been warned. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.