Music Video Monday: Scientists in Japan are Courageous

Welcome to the latest installment of Music Video Monday, where we share the latest video releases from the best CCM artists out there. (Of course from time to time my definition of a CCM artist may differ widely from the industry.)

Since this is a recent development, I have tried to progress to a different genre each week until I am caught up to the most recent releases. It may take a while. Right now we are on the Fall 2011 Releases in the Pop Genre.

We will begin with Folk/Worship/Pop act Shane & Shane who know The One You Need. This marks the debut Music Video by the two Shanes,

I have shared this before, but it bears another listen. This is I Have A Dream [It Feels Like Home] by The City Harmonic.

Pop/Rock/Worship Supergroup Casting Crowns is next with Courageous, which is the title soundtrack for the movie of the same name.

And finally a rarity of sorts. A Music Video from Sara Groves. Sara takes us to 1950's Sci-Fi Programs in the somewhat unsettling to watch Scientists in Japan from Invisible Empires.

That concludes this weeks edition of Music Video Monday. Next week we will go to Rock (and Hard Rock) and that will conclude the Fall 2011 Releases (or at least those video's which were released by time of this post). Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Frozen Chosen: Rap

We move on to Rap and Hip Hop as we continue our announcement of the best releases for the past Winter, which was the Second Quarter of the 2012 Eligibilty Year for the Platinum Vinyl Awards. As I am writing this post I am listening to a potential 5 Emerald  release in another genre. I'll only say as a teaser "her initials are L.L." On to the releases.

Rap/Hip-Hop

• Young Chozen - Class President
• Flame - The 6th
• Group 1 Crew - Outta Space Love, Bigger Love Edition
• High Society Collective - Circa MXMXI: The Collective
• JSon - Growing Pains
• Rapzilla - King Culture
• RMG - Welcome To The Family
• Scotty G - Real Life
• Toby Mac - Dubbed and Freq'd: A Remix Project.

All were solid releases, and Toby Mac doubled up in the Dance Category as well. Not as big as some of the others, but a solid showing. Until Monday, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Frozen Chosen: Pop

We continue with our announcement of those albums released in The 2nd Quarter of 2012 (Actually January-March 2012 for eligibility purposes). We move on to Pop Music. Considering the size of the genre, it isn't surprising that it is also one of the largest genres this quarter. (Modern Worship wound up the largest this quarter)

Pop Music

• Anthem Lights - The Acoustic Sessions
• Audrey Assad - Heart
• Jon Bauer - Forevermore
• Adam Cappa - The Rescue
• Rachel Chan - Go
• Nicole Croteau - Anchors & Silhouettes
• Kari Jobe - Where I Found You
• Lindsay McCaul - If it Leads Me Back
• Jimmy Needham - Clear the Stage
• Britt Nicole - Gold
• Rubyz - Unchanging
• Sixteen Cities - Love is Making A Way
• Take 6 - One
• Jaci Velasquez - Diamond

Of all of the eligible entrants this quarter I was most impressed with newcomer McCaul. Also I thought Jimmy Needham put out a far superior album than Nightlights. On that one I was impressed with the Radio release, but on hearing the entire album, it fell short of the wow factor. This time he took it up a notch.

The next post in the series is Hip Hop. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Frozen Chosen: Alternative

We move from Gospel to Alternative. This always seems to be a well represented genre, though it also happens to have a lot of double category listings, since it is a subgenre of Rock.

Alternative

• Todd Agnew - How to be Loved
• Anberlin - Dancing Between the Fibers of Time
• Matt Brouwer - Til The Sunrise
• Eisley - Deep Space
• For King and Country - Crave
• The Fray - Scars and Stories
• Jeremy Horn - Sound of the Broken
• Kiros - Lay Your Weapons Down
• Sarah Macintosh - Current
• Kevin Max - The Fiefdom of Angels, Side One
• Pioneer - Pioneer
• Ruth - Payola
• Sidewalk Prophets - Live Like That
• Sons - Keep Quiet

There were a lot of good entries this quarter, and Kevin Max was one that snuck by me until the very last minute. Good thing I didn't have this post out yet. I will have to update the rewind posts though.

Next tin the Frozen Chosen is Pop, another very well represented genre. Until Next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Run Kid Run

Welcome to the latest edition of Music Video Monday. We Have moved into the Videos for albums released in the First Quarter of the 2012 Nomination Year (October - December, 2011). There were no Children's Music Entries, and While Folk had an entry, nothing on the video front so far. Last week we had Lights and Satellites and Sirens in the Electronica genre. Gospel also had nothing yet, so we move on to Alternative.

I know it's only April, but I couldn't help but think. Winter forgot us here in the Northeast (not that I'm complaining), though sometimes I think we're getting winter in the Spring. Will Summer Forget Us. This is Deas Vail and Summer Forgets Me.

John Mark McMillan has improved quite a bit since I considered The Medicine to be unlistenable back in 2010. I liked Economy, his latest release, and it is in the running for the 2012 PVA's. This is Sheet of Night from Economy

Finally we have Run Kid Run and Daylight from their album Patterns.


Next week we will move on to Pop, a very well represented genre in the First Quarter of 2012. Until the next Music Video Monday, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

It's Spelled BIRTHDAY

Today is my Birthday. I won't tell you how old I am but I will say that that Liberal Gaia Worshipping Money Grab day is younger than I. Not that money grabbing is bad, just Gaia Worship.

I will make my annual appeal, since I predate Earth Day, I hereby proclaim Earth Day to Be Birth Day and order all Environmental Organizations to Cease Celebration and Sign all proceeds over to their rightful owner. That would be me (cue crickets). Two can play at this wealth re-distribution game. I will be out grabbing all the free Birthday goodies I can, so posting may be erratic this week, but I will try.

Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Wanting to Upgrade: Thrift Store Jesus by Heath McNeese

Sometimes I guess you do get what you pay for. I have been discovering missed releases recently. It happens when you are a one person operation. One of those was way back in February. Thrift Store Jesus is the title of the latest release by Heath McNease, and it is available for free download through Noisetrade (click the title to go to the download page). I went into it fresh, as I had never heard an entire album of his, so I really didn't know what to expect.

Let me add that free doesn't mean bad. Four artists got into this years Platinum Vinyl Awards doing the free download or pay what you want route (Jehaziel, The Ember Days, Miss Angie, The Rocket Summer). Not this one, however, and it has nothing to do with it not being eligible (It would be eligible for consideration for the 2012 awards, but no on that as well. Read further for why).

I saw the album as disjointed. Some songs were rock, some folk, some rap, who knew what would be next. Now a lot of artists highlight multiple styles on a single album, but at least it all comes off as a cohesive unit. I never got that feeling here.

More disturbing to me was some of the language. There were six instances of the Christian F-bomb being used (Freaking or frigging). You're not fooling anyone. Everyone knows what the substitution is for.

On the too cute by half front, there was a song that added hisses, pops and scratches to make you think it was an old vinyl song. Everything is digital these days, so we know it's a gimmick. Perhaps in the same vein almost all of the songs used a mike trick where the vocals were "fuzzed". It was very distracting. A final criticism, or nitpick, whichever you prefer. Though I am not a musician, it appeared to me that at times the instruments were either out of tune or played in the wrong key. Don't ask me why, it just appeared that way to me.

Perhaps I was a bit harsh. It's not that it was a horrible album. No that was reserved for Andrew Greer. It's obvious that Heath McNease has talent, it is just that it is marred by intentional amateur gimmicks. I was toying with the idea of titling the post Holding Out For Wal-Mart Jesus, but thought that would be too low a blow. I am giving Thrift Store Jesus by Heath McNease 3.25 Emeralds (which is still 1 full Emerald above Angel Band). I was expecting better, but I guess I did get what I paid for. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

P.S.- The Dove Awards were Thursday Night. Due to the volume of the entrants to this years Platinum Vinyl Awards I totally missed making predicitons, so there will be no official scorekeeping this year. I will do a post with some comments in the near future. More time to get it right for the PVA's.