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.

Flashback Friday: Simply Delirious?

"Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?" "Do You Wanna Go Deeper?", The Happy Song, "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" "Shout to The North". Amazing that all these songs came out of one band, one youth group.

The Cutting Edge band, the official worship band for the Arun Community Church in Littlehampton, England was our band. From the beginning the group was able to catch fire among the English Youth, and the band was soon playing before thousands at a time. It only serves to remind me that I went to the wrong church as a kid. I just had Mr. Jehle, An accordion and about a dozen or so kids. Between groups like Delirious? and Worth Dying For, which also started as a YGWP (Youth Group Worship Band), the youth of Today are so lucky.

Once the band outgrew its youth group origins, the name was changed from the Cutting Edge Band to Delirious? and they officially became a Rock band, albeit with a Worship Focus.
Beginning with King of Fools (1997), the band released 7 studio albums in an approximately ten year career.

• King of Fools (1997)
• Mezzamorphis (1999)
• Glo (2000)
• Audio Lessonover? (2001)
• World Service (2003)
• The Mission Bell (2005)
• Kingdom of Comfort (2005)

I was blessed to see Delirious? twice live in concert. Once in a small (too small, actually) setting. The EM Loews Palladium in Worcester. The second time was at The Inside Out Soulfest, which was a more appropriate venue. After all, this is a band which played for 45,000 at Wembley Stadium.

My Only regret is that the youth group world didn't get hijacked by Delirious? like the "adult Church" got by Hillsong. It would have been quite an improvement over typical youth group fare.

There are certain songs by Delirious that have become Iconic, and the best way to explain them is to show them. This is History Maker, a ballad and rallying cry for the Christian Youth of today, and all Christians Everywhere, to change the world they are in for the better. There has been no better example than Delirious?

I could sing of your love forever is another Iconic song. This one is an acoustic with Martin Smith and the audience.

And Lastly, Did You Feel the Mountains tremble. Another music site recently asked if there was any band you wish would reunite. I have a long list. Most people do. Among the biggest would be Delirious? and The Benjamin Gate. Both bands stood out from the crowd of sameness that seems to afflict CCM most of the time. I will deal with The Benjamin Gate at a later time, but I think it can be agreed the world would be a lot better if we could get a little more Delirious? I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Stay Close

Indecision wreaks havok with the schedule. Astute readers of The Night Beat will have already wondered "What happened to Flashback Friday?" All last week I was torn between two different Flashback Friday posts, and before you know it, Friday was Saturday.

Here is the amended schedule. We shall have Music Video Monday as usual. Tomorrow will be the post that should have happened Friday, and then we will have a special Independence Day Post Scheduled for Wednesday. After that we shall see.

Welcome to Music Video Monday. As promised last week, we finish with our 2nd Quarter 2012 Videos in the Rock Category. We begin on a soft note, with Kutless, and the Lyric Video for Carry Me To The Cross, from Believer.

Now we Crank it Up with new Tooth and Nail band Nine Lashes. This is the Anthem of The Lonely  from The World We View.

Next up is Sent By Ravens, who tells us to Mean What You Say. That can be hard to take when they say that We're All Liars.

Last year Worship Rockers Worth Dying For were out to Destroy. This year they know, what was destroyed, they must now Rebuild, from Live Riot.

And Finally we close with one of our favorite bands, Fireflight. Dawn and company urge us to Stay Close.

That brings this edition of Music Video Monday. Next monday we will start with the 3rd Quarter releases, and we will have a special MVM Style post Wednesday in honor of Independence Day. Fireworks (video style) will be provided for those whose communities have cancelled them. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Rebuild The Kingdom

Welcome once again to our ongoing Monday segment here at the WENC Night Beat entitled Music Video Monday, where we share the best in Music Videos. (Didn't see that one coming. No one ever said there was originality in entertainment). We have moved into the second quarter 2012 Videos that ended in March. We will begin with an extremely difficult musical composition artistically performed by two pianists. A Sort of Official Music Video from Kari Jobe is next. This is We Are from Where I Found You We have shared this one earlier, but it gets a second chance. This is second chance by the Rend Collective It's no secret that I find Worth Dying For one of the best new Rock and Worship bands out there today. To think this started as Youth Group Music. Lucky kids today. And finally we conclude with the Canadian Band Starfield. They released an album entitled The Kingdom, this is the title cut.

That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. Next week we will have a special Memorial Day Edition. We will return with the regular Music Videos in two weeks. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Frozen Chosen: Modern Worship

This has got to be the most oxymoronic title I have ever put on a post, since Modern Worship is supposed to be the answer to the Church Malady known as being "stiff" (aka Frozen Chosen) but I couldn't resist.

Modern Worship had a very good showing this quarter, with almost two dozen possible entries. Of course such a large pool means a lot of work next spring, but I would rather that than have to count the number of entrants on one hand (Do You Hear Me Children's Music?). Just as an aside, I am typing this post while listening to TFK's The End is the Beginning. I can see a very good recommendation coming for this release. It drops next Tuesday. Let's get on to the list.

Modern Worship

• All Sons and Daughters - Season One
• Jon Bauer - Forevermore
• Bethel Music - The Loft Sessions
• Andy Cherry - Nothing Left To Fear
• Cornerstone Church Worship - The Heart Revolution
• Gateway Next - Look Up
• Aaron Gillespie - Echo Your Song (Live)
• Kari Jobe - Where I Found You
• One Sonic Society - Forever Reign
• Parachute Band - Matins : Vespers
• Passion 2012 - White Flag
• Rend Collective Experiment - Homemade Worship by Handmade People
• Sanctuary - Reveal
• Michael W. Smith - Decades of Worship
• Starfield - The Kingdom
• Various Artists - Awaken My Soul: Songs of Redemption
• Various Artists - Maranatha Music: How Great is our God
• Various Artists - Mission Worship: Come People of the Risen King
• Various Artists - Worship Together: 25 Favorite Worship Songs
• Vineyard Music - I Love Your Presence: Live From Phoenix
• Worship Central - Spirit Break Out
• Worth Dying For - Live Riot

Whew! That was a lot. Like I said previously, too many is better than none. I will continue to dribble these out throughout the week. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Beautiful Ashes

Welcome to Music Video Monday, where we share the best Christian Music Videos on the web. Since we started this segment we have mainly centered on music which made the nominations of this years edition of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. That is slowly coming to an end, but we still have a few more posts to go.

Todays edition is a continuation of last weeks. Rock was a very big category this year and we split off the Hard Rock and Metal, but we still have a full slate for this week.

We're going to start off with a bit of Southern Rock. A little bit of Rock, A little bit spiritual, and all Third Day. It's hard to get more southern than Georgia. This is Lift up Your Voice from Move.

New Artist nominee Icon For Hire exhorts us all to get up and Make A Move. This Ariel is not your typical Disney Princess, not by a long shot.

We move on to the Ammunition Ministry and its band Worth Dying For and their post-apocalyptic concept video for Destroy from Love Riot. Personally, I consider this opening song and the next, entitled Savior, to be a single unit, thematically speaking.

We move on to Switchfoot, one of the hottest acts out there today, with a video from their latest release Vice Verses. This is Dark Horses.

And finally, if a good Christian rocker doesn't listen to Evanescence, at least they aren't forbidden from hearing her nearest imitation. This is the band named after its lead singer, Rebecca Denee Krueger. Doesn't ring a bell? I left out one part of her name. Lord of The Rings readers know it. Eowyn. This is Beautiful Ashes.

Wow, what a way to go out. I still have one more PVA related post, that of Song of The Year, and we shall see how things go with that. Until next time, as always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Dance Edition

This is a short one. Even though I had plenty of Dance Music represented, not so in the Video World. Beckah Shae was actually the only one to do anything. So I am sharing the official music video for #putyourloveglasseson.


I really don't want to have such a short video post, so I am going to combine this with Rock/Worship/Techno group Worth Dying for. There are two videos, but I see them as one song. Destroy and Savior. "We Stand,We Rise, We Give Our Lives" is the theme for both, so they are united.


I chose this video someone did mixing the Transformers with Savior by WDF. Considering that the Bible says we are to be Transformed by the renewing of our minds, it really fits. Plus, It is beyond cool.

That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. Enjoy the Rest of President's Day (or Wahington's Birthday). Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

February New Release Preview

Due to the miracle of scheduling, i.e. that music releases happen on a Tuesday, February gives everyone a free week, since the first Tuesday of the month is the 7th. That being said I am going to take the opportunity to give a mention to releases that will be occuring this month that I am anticipating will make a mark in the PVA judging.

While most of the industry will be looking at Diamonds by Jaci Velasquez on the 7th, I will be following Horace Greeley's advice to "Go West Young Man" and casting the night beats attention to California. Modesto, California to be precise, where Worth Dying For, the youth group worship band of Ammunition Ministry. Love Riot, which came out last February. This is the "live version" of that album, and based on my initial listen, is just as good as the studio version.

Kiros, a Canadian Rock-Alternative Act, at least in my opinion, follows up its debut EP with Lay Your Weapons Down. I was impressed by these guys when they came to Massachusetts as part of the Music With a Mission tour. AOL Music says they sound like Chevelle. Since I gave Chevelle's latest Five Emeralds, I am anticipating listening to this.

A runner up in The Inaugural Platinum Vinyl Awards for Best New Artist, Audrey Assad returns with Heart on Valentine's Day, which this year falls on a Tuesday. If her sophomore release is as good as her debut, then we may be looking at the Winner in Pop in 2012.

The month closes with a bang, provided by Portland, Oregon rockers Kutless. Jon Micah Sumrall and company return with Believer, the band's first release in three years (2009 Worship Project It is Well) and the first non-worship project since To Know that You're Alive in 2008. Though delays can be announced at any time prior to the official release, for the time being this is a great way to end a month.

There are a lot more releases this month, I've just picked a few highlights. Rest assured your intrepid blogger will be tracking them all. Until next time I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Spring Beats: 2011 PVA 2nd Qtr Nominees - Modern Worship

It's crazy time here at The Night Beat. Between scheduling the posting for the Inaugural Platinum Vinyl Awards, keeping up with the nominees for 2011, and keeping up with general news, things can get pretty intense. That when combined with the stress of the Minnesota Twins slow start (They won today, but are still 6-10 currently last in AL Central) and the Bruins Playoff Slump (Beat the Habs 4-2 Today, but still are down 2-1 in the best of Seven Series). There's only so much time in the day. Once the PVA's are announced things should calm down. That's this Thursday starting at 7pm ET.

And the Modern Worship Album of the Year Nominees for the Second Quarter of 2011 are:

• Brenton Brown - Our God is Near
• Chris Clayton - Hope of Glory
• Brian Doerkson - Level Ground
• Aaron Gillespie - Anthem Song
• Illuminate - Come Home
• Parachute Band - Love Without Measure
• Kristian Stanfill - Mountains Move
• Vineyard UK Worship - Creator: New Worship from Northern Ireland
• Worth Dying For - Love Riot 

Worth Dying for and Parachute Band both are multi-category nominees both here and in Rock, so things are sure to get interesting next year.

Speaking of things getting interesting, earlier today while scheduling PVA posts something misfired and the Pop post accidentally published ahead of time. I caught it in a few minutes and it is scheduled to be posted at the appropriate time on Thursday Night. I deleted the post on twitter, but if early word got out, please keep it under wraps until the official announcement. Thank You. 

Start a Love Riot

"We Stand, We Rise, We Give Our Lives"...Thus saith the synthesizer as Love Riot, the latest Release by Modern Worship band Worth Dying For opens. The band is the Praise and Worship Band for Calvary Temple Worship Center of Modesto California, Specifically for its Youth Ministry The Stadium. Don't let that scare you off, it's not like any Youth Group music you've ever known.

I must confess, there are very few times in my life that I wish I was a teenager again. Not that it was such a stressful time in my life, it wasn't. It's just that I enjoy adulthood. Back when I was in youth group our Youth Leader, Paul Jehle, led the singing on his accordion. Yes, you heard that right, accordion. You know we've come a long way since then when you realize that Delirious? was a Youth Group band. The Kids these days are so blessed and don't even know it.

The aforementioned synthesized voice begins a Spoken Word piece set to music entitled Destroy. Spoken word songs can be hit or miss and take a lot of effort to pull off. This one hits it out of the park. For example of a whiff, I refer you to Five Smooth Stones, whose entire album (almost) is done that way. Only the most kind would call any of it singing. Only one song on that, I believe 18 track CD/mp3, entitled four, is actually sung, and it is the best song on the album. It also sounds like it was done by a completely different band. But I digress. Destroy merges seamlessly into the first "song", Savior, which is a homage (Christians don't steal) to The Letter Black song Moving On, with vocalist Christy Johnson doing her best Sarah Anthony imitation.

Speaking of other bands, there are two guest appearances on the album. Trevor McNevan of TFK (that's Thousand Foot Krutch to the uninformed) appears on Through Your Eyes and Henry Seeley of Melbourne Australia's Planetshakers appears on Closer.

Love Riot moves seamlessly from Modern Worship to Rock to Techno so much that it is hard to classify. They finish with a cover of Delirious hit My Glorious, with Johnson assuming the part of Martin Smith. There is even an instrumental piece called (reprise) which follows Power of Your Love and is followed by the hard rock Never Look Back. It is quite an enjoyable ride. So much so that you'll never notice the run time of just over an hour.

My only regret about this CD is, because they are not a "Known Quantity" to me yet, I ignored the preview from NRT until today, the last day. Now I wish I had started Last Tuesday (the 15th). After my marathon listening session I am giving Love Riot by Worth Dying For 4.75 Emeralds (sorry, but Christy Johnson is no Martin Smith). It will make the 2011 PVA entries in Modern Worship, Rock, and Dance, and Provisionally an entry as Best New Artist. If I haven't heard from them until now, maybe a lot haven't. Worth Dying For is Worth Buying For Yourself or the music lover in your life.