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.
Music Video Monday now turns to Hip Hop. Though the song category was full, the Official Music Video area is kind of light. Still, I prefer to look at the glass as half-full.
First up is the title cut from the latest release by Da T.R.U.T.H. The Whole Truth A definite smooth R&B feel to that one. I think it's really nice. It's definitely something that can be appreciated even by people not necessarily into rap. We move on next to Shonlock. This is Hello, from his release Never Odd Or Even
We are halfway through this edition of Music Video Monday. We move on to one of the hottest rappers in CCM today, Lecrae. This is Just Like You, from Rehab
And finally, the tease is over. This is Surrender feat V. Rose from the album Capturedby Flame.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Next week we move on to Rock. Depending on how things go we may split it up into hard rock and rock for two weeks. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
My final post on the 2011 Platinum Vinyl Award Nominees. Once again I wish to remind all of you to check out the full list of nominees by clicking on the link.
For the sake of brevity we will only cover Song of The Year, Modern Worship Song, Gospel Song, and Alternative Song.
Modern Worship Song of The Year
Adore, Emergency, The Ember Days
As For Me and My House, As For Me and My House, John Waller
Great I Am, You Hold It All, New Life Worship
Higher, Love Riot, Worth Dying For
How Great Thou Art, Emergency, The Ember Days
Saving Power, Saving Power, Generation Unleashed
Yahweh, Yahweh (Live), Hillsong Chapel
Gospel/R&B Song of The Year
Forgiven, Church on The Moon, Deitrick Haddon
Heaven Hear My Heart, Angel & Chanelle, Trinitee 5:7
Jesus, The Awakening of Le'Andria Johnson, Le'Andria Johnson
Sitting With Me, Something Big, Mary Mary
Stronger, What if We Were Real, Mandisa
Window, Dominionaire, Canton Jones
YRM: (Your Righteous Mind), YRM: Your Righteous Mind, Donald Lawrence & Company feat. Dorinda Clark-Cole
Alternative Song of The Year
Ambulance, The Valley, Eisley
Black Cloud, de-plumed, The Choir
Church Bells, Ghosts Upon The Earth, Gungor
Dwell, Dwell, Aaron Keyes
Jumping The Gun, Weights and Measures, Hyland
Offering, The Sounds of Daniel Bashta, Daniel Bashta
The War Inside, Vice Verses, Switchfoot
You're Like A Taxi, Who Can Know It?, Showbread
Song of The Year
Are You Ready?, Destiny, Beckah Shae
As For Me and My House, As For Me and My House, John Waller
Children of God, Move, Third Day
Hymn For The Missing, Until We Have Faces, Red
Manifesto, Introducing The City Harmonic, The City Harmonic
This Love is Free, Weights and Measures, Hyland
Poison and Wine, Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars
Who But You, Music Inspired by The Story, Mark Hall & Megan Garrett
Window, Dominionaire, Canton Jones
Maybe one final note is in order. I picked Song of the Year based on its Epic Anthem sound, or its sheer beauty. These should all be fan favorites to sing.
That does it for my edited announcements of the 2011 Platinum Vinyl Awards Nominees. I encourage all my readers to Check out The Full List of Nominees and to also see the the 2010 Winners. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Sweet Comfort Band that is. Despite the adult beverage sounding name, which was shortened to SCB, they were actually a Jesus Music Era Christian Rock Band with tinges of R&B at the first. That's not to say they didn't play up the name. Again, we refer to the classic skit at the end of Servant's Jungle Music.
S: Steady on. Steady on old boy. What you need is a glass of sweet comfort L: Blast you Stanley, why I drink it all the time. Hold On Tight, you get the glasses and I'll be breakin the Ice.
Never mind two-fers. This was a three-fer. Referenced in this short two lines were the bands first three albums: Sweet Comfort (1977), Breakin The Ice (1979) and Hold On Tight (1980). The band would release three additional albums: Hearts of Fire (1980), Cutting Edge (1981) and Perfect Timing (1982). A note on the last two albums. As I would listen to them I would note that as each album flowed, the songs seemed to be arranged on a theme, and flowed in a linear fashion. Even more so, though the albums were released a year apart, it was obvious that each one fit with the other, like part 1 and 2. For a time I had even toyed with the idea of turning the two albums into a musical. I'm sure prof Rhonda Winderl at ENC would have loved it.
The final lineup was Bryan Duncan on Keyboard and Lead Vocal, Kevin Thomson on Bass Guitar, his brother Rick Thomson on Drums and Vocals, and Randy Thomas on Guitar and Vocals. The band is rumored to be coming out with a new album with a new Bass Guitarist (Kevin Thomson passed away in 2010). After the band broke up Bryan Duncan went on to have a successful solo career and Randy Thomas went on to found the Band Allies.
I will Leave You with The Audio for Prodigal's Regret from Perfect Timing. Until Next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply
We move on from Album of The Year to The General Field (Male Vocalist, Group, etc), mainly because I am not done with going through the song of the year candidates. Go with what's done.
I'm going to leave my exclusive General Field nominations (Comeback Artist, Lifetime Achievement, TNB DJ's Choice and CROSS/over) and go with the big ones. Once again I encourage you to check out the full list of nomineeson my blog
Male Vocalist of The Year
Dominic Balli
Canton Jones
Lecrae
Andrew Peterson
Tedashii
Chris Tomlin
Matthew West
I know, not a Chris August or Brandon Heath in the mix. August's Deluxe edition wasn't all that better and Heath never impressed at all, CJ had an outstanding album (5 Emeralds) and all the others were solid.
Female Vocalist of The Year
Jackie Evancho
JJ Heller
Dara Maclean
Mandisa
Ginny Owens
Beckah Shae
Heather Williams
Four of the seven on this list (Evancho, Mandisa, Shae, Williams) had 5 Emerald releases. Dara Maclean leads the newcomers. The biggest surprise still continues to be Evancho. To be so good at so young an age. This is a loaded field.
Artist of The Year
Burlap to Cashmere
The City Harmonic
The Civil Wars
Canton Jones
Lecrae
Mandisa
Beckah Shae
Folk-Rock Burlap to Cashmere returns after many years without missing a beat, and newcomers The City Harmonic have grabbed the spotlight with a refreshing sound. Not to be outdone is Folk Duo The Civil Wars. Another loaded field that is very close to call.
That concludes my partial look at the General Field Nominees. For the full list of General Field Nominees, including Group of The Year and Best New Artist, plus all the rest, please click on the link. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
The Second Annual Platinum Vinyl Awards now officially begins with the announcing of the Nominees in each category. This year I will only be revealing an abridged list of the nominees in my post. I encourage you to check out the Full List of Nominees by clicking on the link.
We begin with the Best Album/Album of the Year nominees. I am hitting the rewind button on the announcement posts. I am putting up the full list of nominees on my blog, and I encourage you to check out the list there. If the page is down at the time, check later. I am still working on the Song Category, but I will be putting it up live.
Gospel/R&B Album of The Year
Angel & Chanelle - Trinitee 5:7
The Awakening of Le'Andria Johnson - Le'Andria Johnson
Church on The Moon - Deitrick Haddon
Dominionaire - Canton Jones
Something Big - Mary Mary
What if We Were Real- Mandisa
YRM: Your Righteous Mind - Donald Lawrence
Pop Album of The Year
Bryce Avery: His Instruments, Your Voices - The Rocket Summer
Get In, I'm Driving - Ginny Owens
The Mission Field - Blessid Union of Souls
My Brain Says Stop But My Heart Says Go - FM Static
Time and Space - Miss Angie
The Valley - Eisley
You Got My Attention - Dara Maclean
Rock Album of The Year
Beautiful Ashes - Eowyn
Love Riot - Worth Dying For
Move - Third Day
Scripted - Icon For Hire
This Time Around - Heather Williams
Vice Verses - Switchfoot
We Do What We Want - Emery
Album of The Year
Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
Destiny - Beckah Shae
Dream With Me - Jackie Evancho
Music Inspired by The Story - Various Artists
This Time Around - Heather Williams
Until We have Faces - Red
Vice Verses - Switchfoot
What if We Were Real - Mandisa
That concludes the look at the Album of the Year. Again, for the full list of nomineesclick the highlighted link. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome to another edition of Music Video Monday. We have been moving through the genres in order from last year, though this year the order has been rearranged.
Inspirational, like Gospel, was a bust. We move on to Pop, and, just like the Song and Album, Video is pretty well represented as well.
PVA Nominee for Female Vocalist of The Year Dara Maclean kicks things off with a Live performance of her hit single "suitcases". With a voice like hers the only "Baggage" she should have to deal with accompany a heavy touring schedule.
Crossover artist Blessid Union of Souls from the City of Brotherly Love are next with The Only Song that you will ever love.
Angie Turner (aka Miss Angie), a recent comeback to CCM with Time and Space, collaborates here with Rappers The Identity Crisis for the Title Track.
And finally, Texas Alternative-Pop Rockers Eisley are the "Smarter Choice" with Smarter, off of The Valley.
That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. It is just about time to roll-out the nominees for the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Stay with me. As always, until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
The finale of my Dove Posts. I had originally planned for this to be rolled out over the course of one week. "The best laid plans of mice and men" and all that.
Song of the year is where the committee doesn't worry about editing. Two of the categories had TEN nominees. I am taking the safe way out here and doing those categories with Ten Nominees in them. A long post with little effort.
Not surprisingly, the two unedited categories were Rock/Contemporary and Song Of The Year. The Doves refer to these as Recorded Song of The Year instead of Song of The Year as the Grammy's do, but they are essentially the same.
Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of The Year
Dark Horses, Vice Verses, Switchfoot
Faceless, Until We Have Faces, Red
Invisible, Horseshoes and Handgrenades, Disciple
One Day Too Late, Awake, Skillet
Your Love is a Mystery, Crazy Love, Hawk Nelson
Born Again, Born Again (Miracles Edition), Newsboys
Crazy Love, Crazy Love, Hawk Nelson
Drifting, TBA, Plumb w/ Dan Hasseltine
Lucy, Awake, Skillet
Slumber, The Reckoning, Needtobreathe
If the GMA Voters were going to vote on a powerful song, there is none more powerful than Lucy. Personally, I hope that one wins. Here is the official music video for it. Warning: Kleenex is a must.
Song of The Year
Alive, Natalie Grant
Blessings, Laura Story
Celebrate Me Home, Perry's
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me), Casting Crowns
Hold Me, Jamie Grace
I Smile, Kirk Franklin
I've Been Here Before, Ernie Haase
Please Forgive Me, Gaither Vocal Band
Who Am I, Jason Crabb
Your Great Name, Natalie Grant
This one is a bit tougher, because I detest Southern Gospel, and 40% of the list is SG. Actually I guess that makes my picks easier, but that also increases my probability that I will be wrong. Alive is a good pick form me, not because Natalie Grant is such a great singer, though she is great. It's just that Music Inspired by The Message was a very powerful album, and garnered 5 Emeralds. I think the GMA's will go with Haase.
That concludes my Dove Awards nomination coverage. I will return with Music Video Monday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and as always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
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