The Home of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Reviews of New CD releases, mostly CCM but also mainstream releases that may interest the Christian Music listener. Music News and Commentary, especially when there's a CCM connection.
August is here. There are only two months remaining in #PVX. What a year it has been so far, and the year always seems to go out with a bang. We already know it will be a Victorious August. Let's get to the wrap.
The Singles Scene
Avalon - Keeper of My Heart 5 Emeralds
Josh Baldwin - Let The Redeemed 5 Emeralds
Blindside - Gravedigger 5 Emeralds
Cody Carnes - Run To The Father 5 Emeralds
The Choir - In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins Cover) 5 Emeralds
Color Theory - Unsigned 4.75 Emeralds
Color Theory - Welcome But Unexpected (Marco Dassi Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
Disciple - Cuff The Criminal 5 Emeralds
Elim Sound - Send Revival ft Ian Yates 4.50 Emeralds
Jordan Feliz - Faith (Radio Version) 5 Emeralds
JJ Heller - You Want More From Me 5 Emeralds
Hillsong Worship - King of Kings 5 Emeralds
HOUSE (Bethel Church Worship) - Depth of Your Love 5 Emeralds
Caitie Hurst - How Could I Be Silent (Rogue Sails Remix) 5 Emeralds
Prafit Josiah - Come Back ft R-Swift 4.25 Emeralds
KB - Hold Me Back (Latin) (ft Gabriel Rodriguez EMC, Eliud L'Voices, Niko Eme, Tommy Royale) 5 Emeralds
Hannah Kerr - Split The Sea (David Hamilton Arrangement) 5 Emeralds
Jamie Kimmett - Love Your Neightbor 4.75 Emeralds
Land of Color - Morning Song (Acoustic) 4.75 Emeralds
Legin - On 4.50 Emeralds
The Lowly Heirs - Center of It All 5 Emeralds
Steven Malcolm - Summertime ft Jay- Way 4.75 Emeralds
Christian Contemporary Music owes a lot to Scott Stapp. Not only was Creed and its Spiritual lyrics instrumental in forging a new Alternative Music like U2 before them. Though not having as prolific offspring as contemporaries Evanescence, Kutless and Jeremy Camp owe their existence to the "Creed Sound". Creed has been gone for a while now, but frontman Scott Stapp has forged a solo career that like his former band has found a welcome home among the CCM faithful. The Space Between The Shadows is his third Solo outing and the second covered by this iteration of The Night Beat. The Space Between The Shadows is Stapp's "Hardest" album to date in this reviewers opinion. There really is no letup on this album. The Album begins with the near metal World I Used To Know, and except for a few breathers, (Heaven In Me, Wake Up Call, Gone Too Soon and Mary's Crying) doesn't let up. Heaven in Me has a definite Third Day/Mac Powell vibe going on. He does Southern well. It's hard to pick a favorite on this one. Part of Me wants Purpose For Pain with it's screaming guitar solo, and part want's Gone Too Soon which deals with premature death. "Gone Too Soon My Friend, I know that you're dancing with angels on the wind. It's not the end. Until I reach forever, and we're together, you will always be Gone Too Soon." Hearing this song I remember my college friend Ben Rieder, who was hit by an auto at the Grand Canyon. At the time, it hit all of us at ENC hard, but I really got to heal when I heard For Whom Does The Bell Toll by Messiah Prophet. This got to me the same way. I am giving The Space Between The Shadows a Perfect 5 Emerald rating. Even this Word of Faith Protestant can overlook Mary's Crying. The World I Used To Know Rocked and I thing The World I Know Now is on the right track. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome Back to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. Last Week Was Convention Week, so there was no way we were getting in a post last week. We are back, however. And we have a first this week. This is the first edition of Music Video Monday to be branded with a Content Advisory. (Not for that, however. Get your mind out of the gutter). Let's get this out of the way. Not a parental advisory, but let's call this a disturbing content advisory. Mike Mains and The Branches has decided to produce a music video that pushes the boundaries of good Christian Decency. I mean, adults in spandex doing exercise. My eyes, My Eyes. Live Forever, after seeing this? You have been warned. You can't unsee this. Now that that's behind us, we can get back to normality. You know, when I saw that first video I thought "Run, Forrest, Run". You know who else thought that? Scott Stapp. The former Creed frontman just released a new solo album entitled The Space Between The Shadows. This is the Purpose For Pain. We quiet it down just a bit for our final video. JJ Heller has always been a favorite of The Night Beat. This is the video for The Best Thing. It includes footage from the movie Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable. See, there is always a purpose for the titles. That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Let's start a new streak. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome Back to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. We will be moving all around the genres from now on. We have four Music Videos this week. First up is a bit of Metal. Heavy Metal in the form of Righteous Vendetta. This is The Fire Inside. Slowing it down just a tad. This is Five Iron Frenzy, one of the SKA bands. This is Zen and The Art of Xenophobia. Moving on to Alt-Rock. This is Scott Stapp, former lead singer of Creed. This is Slow Suicide. Finally we move on to Hip Hop. This is a rising new duo from Diverse City Seth and Nirva. This is Whole World. Next Monday we will have three videos, with not an Irish Tune among them. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome to the last official edition of Night Beat Rewind for 2013. I say that because December is a very slow month. We usually don't have enough entries to make a decent rewind post, so I mention things in other ways. It looks like this is going to be a typical year in that regard. We begin with the ineligible entries. This year that includes the Christmas Music, regardless of it Emerald Rating. We don't have a Christmas Music Category at the PVA's, unlike the Dove Awards.
One of the good things about this listing is it is perfectly honest. Since there is no award to qualify for, there is no fudging to make a certain bar. We move onto the list of non eligible music that there was fudging going on in debates. The non Christmas Music list which was
Missed The Mark
Casey Darnell - Casey Darnell 3.75 Emeralds
Alex Faith - ATLast 3.75 Emeralds
The Gospel Gangstaz -Defenders of The Faith 3.75 Emeralds
As is usual, the entries on this list just missed. Maybe I'm feeling generous this time of year, but I thin that three entries is the fewest we've ever had here. I once thought none had missed the mark, but then I discovered "the missing entries."
We had a good supply of perfect albums for the final list of 2013. Unofficially there were 8, but I don't really count Christmas Albums, so in this grouping there will be 5. Besides, since I already did the Christmas albums, why list an album twice.
Two surprises in this list. The Biggest surprise was Living Sacrifice. While I consider myself a metal head, a headbanger, etc. Living Sacrifices "thrash metal" style isn't my particular cup of tea. I'm more of a melodic metal fan. That being said, Ghost Thief really tripped the WOW meter. I was more pleasantly surprised with Stryper. Though I have loved all their music, To Hell With The Devil was way back in 1986. To think that they could put it all together on that level almost thirty years later. It busted the WOW Meter. It's not an easy part to fix. Thankfully for all of us here at Night Beat HQ, most releases fall between the ruts. These releases, of which there were plenty, are what we deem
Semi-Precious Metal
Benjah - Haze & Reflections (Vanity Fare Remixed) 4.50 Emeralds
Daughtry - Baptized 4.50 Emeralds
Fit For A King - Descendants Redux 4.75 Emeralds
Five Iron Frenzy - Engine of a Million Plots 4.75 Emeralds
Gloria Gaynor - We Will Survive 4.75 Emeralds
Luke Hellebronth - Stand Up 4.50 Emeralds
Jeremy Horn - No Other Love 4.75 Emeralds
Impending Doom - Death Will Reign 4.50 Emeralds
Jahaziel - Heads Up 4.75 Emeralds
The Letter Black - Rebuild 4.75 Emeralds
Maranatha Music - Worship God: Everlasting 4.75 Emeralds
William McDowell - Withholding Nothing 4.50 Emeralds
Sean G. Park - I Bow Down 4.75 Emeralds
Salt of the Sound - Journeys 4.75 Emeralds
Soul Survivor & Momentum - Kingdom Come (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
A few notes here. I really liked Scott Stapp. Sure, it isn't Creed, but it was close to Creed Lite. I can live with that. Though Creed was responsible for a whole slew of copycats, proving there's nothing original in the Music Industry, they were the mold. Sort of a guilty pleasure is Gloria Gaynor. I will Survive has turned 35, and, though I am sure the Disco era was a huge mistake, still, this song isn't that bad. There are much worse. And the rest of the album is Gospel. As to The Letter Black, click on the name to read my full review. I have only included Amazon links for the Pure Platinum and Christmas Music, to get things out quickly. Click and Purchase from the post, and you will support The Night Beat at the same time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
4.50 Emeralds
EP 3.75 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
EP 4.50 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
3 Emeralds
4.50 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
5 Emeralds
5 Emeralds