The 2019 Top 10 Albums: The Soft List

The Time has come for our Best of (and we try to be Top 10) List. This Year an abundance of Perfect 5 Emerald Rated Albums and EP's has led to creating multiple lists. The Albums will be split into two lists. SOFT and HARD (Based on Volume, not Theological Content), and then we will have a post for the EP's on their own. We begin with the Soft List, which is basically Adult Contemporary, Pop, Soft Rock, and Synthpop. Let's get to the list.

1. Phil Keaggy and Rex Paul - Illuminations: Multiple Listens prove the location for this album. Maybe it's my musical roots, which go all the way back to the Jesus Music Era (I Officially became aware of Christian Music in the Mid 70's). He was
   
   touring with the 2nd Chapter of Acts at the time. The Greatest Of All Time. His version of Time is worth the price of purchase.
2. Lindsey Stirling - Artemis: I am unabashedly a fan of strings, and I am not to proud to admit I just recently heard of Ms. Stirling. And for that I thank Amy Lee of Evanescence for "dueting" with her on Hi-Lo and Lindsey returned the favor on this album with Love Goes on and on. This is what heaven sounds like. It's 2, but it's really 1B.
3. Wilder Woods - Wilder Woods: The Neetobreathe side project is a mix of just about everything and is a joy to listen to.
4. BeBe Winans - Need You: BeBe and CeCe Winans were the modern generation of Gospel Family the Winans for my generation. Now at 57 Benjamin (BeBe) shows no sign of slowing down. This is a rousing Gospel/R&B/Big Band Sounding Gem.
5. Whosoever South - Back Roads and Small Towns: I was skeptical when I heard a band was going to mix Country and Rap. I hate the first and am somewhat lukewarm on the second. But they forgot to tell me the country was actually Bluegrass. This third album is the best of the bunch. The Bottom 5 without comment.
6. Zach Williams - Rescue Story
7. Out of The Dust - Now More Than Ever 
8. Hillsong Worship - Awake
9. William McDowell - The Cry: A Live Worship Experience from Chattanooga 
10. Keyondra Lockett - The Heal Reloaded: The Journey Continues

Next up: The Hard List. You Rockers will love this. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: The Parade Continues

The Christmas Parade Continues here on Music Video Monday. We are taking a break from our regularly scheduled Videos to go all Christmas Music. And I hope to keep it up until twelfth night. We begin with a new Christmas Video by Lindsey Stirling entitled We Three Gentlemen, which appears to be a medley of We Three Kings, Carol of The Bells, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Love the Middle East Arabian Nights feel to it. It is highly appropriate.

We are going to stay with Strings. The Annie Moses Band is a Night Beat Favorite, and this is their take on Carol of The Bells. They May not move as much as Lindsey, but there are more of them on stage.
Finally, we stay with the string motif, but we mix in some lovely electronics as well. Christmas isn't Christmas if you don't have Mannheim Steamroller. This is Joy To The World.

The Parade Continues next week. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply

Music Video Monday: The Christmas Parade Begins

Welcome to the Annual Christmas Parade of Music Video Monday. We switch on the Ho-Ho-Ho's at Night Beat HQ once Thanksgiving Day is over. I just decided to do this when I noticed a new Christmas Video on my timeline. We begin the Parade with Caitie Hurst "When Christmas Comes Around"
Next up, there is no better way to start a Christmas Parade than with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and nothing surpasses Christmas Eve/Sarajevo. Christmas Rock Indeed.

And finally, a little something new, at least to me. I will let Lindsey Stirling close things off with the Carol of The Bells. Love Violin Excellence.

The Parade has begun, and will last until epiphany. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Stirling Silver Edition

Welcome to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. We hunt out all the best Music Videos and share them with you. This week is no exception. 

We Begin our musical journey with Wolves at The Gate. This is the video for A Voice In The Violence, which is on the recently released album Elcipse.

We Continue our journey with Switchfoot. It seems the Beamers have taken to criticizing the band lately, and they have decided to turn the tables. Good for them. This is Voices, which they did with the extremely beautiful and talented Rock Violinist Lindsey Stirling, who it appears also has to deal with a lot of Beamers.

And we finish our journey with a video by Lindsey Stirling herself. She has recently released an album entitled Artemis, and that brings us full circle this Music Video Monday. How is that. Well, wolves howl at the Full Moon, and Artemis was the Greek Goddess of The Moon among other things. Actually, if Artemis were around today she would be a Conservative Republican. Huntress, Wild Nature (not the Protected fake Environmentalism), Chaste, Guardian of Young Girls and Protectress of Women in Childbirth. The Goddess Liberals would Love To Hate. This is Underground.

That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. You can check out the Night Beat rewind of Artemis by simply clicking on the highlighted title. Until next time, I am Awaitng Your Reply. 

Hunted by the Huntress

Artemis: Daughter of Zeus and Sister of Apollo. The Greek Goddess of Hunting, Wild Nature, The Moon, and Chastity. Patron of Girls and Young Women and Protector of Women in Childbirth. Sounds like a really cool girl.

What's Greek Mythology got to do with a Christian Music blog? Glad you asked. We here at The Night Beat are always in search of what we call Pure Platinum Perfection. Suffice it to say it is the best music to be found. And while we are primarily are a Christian Music Blog, our search doesn't end there. We pull our nominees from "The Fringe", where Christian Artists go beyond "Jesus Jesus Wo Wo Wo" and produce music that truly takes the Cross Over into the mainstream. The Choir, The 77's, Switchfoot, and others. And then there is the GRAC (Generally Regarded as Christian). Groups. Like Creed, U2, and Evanescence belong here. And then there are bands that I call clean secular. They may not be Christian, but you won't sin by listening to them.

Which brings us back to the Goddess of The Hunt, aka Artemis. Lindsey Stirling is an American Rock Violinist with a bit of EDM flair. She is also a dancer. Combining the two has created a bit of a kerfuffle in the stodgy Classical Circles that Violinists usually are in. I first heard about Miss Sterling as she Toured with Evanescence in the Synthesis Tour. Needless to say I was quite impressed. More on Evanescence later.

Artemis is a mostly instrumental work. Of the 12 songs on the album, only 3 have any vocals, unless you count sampled vocals such as "take my breath away" (from Artemis). Let's start with the vocal songs. The weakest is number 3, the Upside with Ellie King. It's a pretty good EDM number, but nothing special. Tied for Favorite is Foreverglow by Lindsey, and Love Goes On And On (ft Vocals by Amy Lee). Foreverglow is ostensibly about a Star, but listening to it got me thinking "Would You Know You're Made of Light If You Were Not Born Into The Dark". We are Born Again into a Dark World from Above and are exhorted to "Shine Among Them Like Stars In The Sky" (Philippians 2:15 NIV). 

Immediately following Lindsey's Heavenly vocals on this song we move straight to a duel. What more can be said about Amy Lee of Evanescence. Her vocals can melt your heart and send chills up your spine and all she is singing is "Oh". The duel is really can Lindsey hit a note high enough on her violin that Amy Can't reach on her voice. The answer is simple: NO.

It doesn't matter that the subject is Love after Death, the result is stunning: "There is darkness ever waiting, I can feel it in the air. So I call upon my angels, are you still there".

On to the instrumentals. I think I shall highlight the bookends. The Album opens with Underground, which begins very melancholy and then kicks it up into high gear. You really can't stop dancing to it until the other end 



It ends with Aurora again, the Northern Lights. Light in the Darkness is a theme. It is well received by this Christian. It is full of hope, and closes a Perfect album quite perfecly.

Atemis is a godsend (sorry, couldn't resist) to the EDM/Instrumental/Rock world. I have been listening on repeat to this since I discovered it. I really do have to get to other music. It is addictive though. Needless to say she helps close out #PVX with a 5 Emerald Rating. On to other music. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

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.

Music Video Monday: The Breakup Song

Welcome to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. Happy Summer everyone. The weather is heating up, and so is the music. The bands are ready for the action. This is Seventh Day Slumber saying Bring it on.

Next up we have one of my all-time favorite bands, Evanescence. From the orchestra accompanied Synthesis tour, this is Hi-Lo featuring Lindsay Stirling. Emeralds always look better in a setting of Stirling Silver.

I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair. Sorry, musical flashback. Well the South Pacific song is about a relationship breakup. Our final video is from Francesca Battistelli, and a different kind of Breakup Song.

That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next time, I am awaiting your reply.