Music Video Monday: Joy

Welcome back to an all new edition of Music Video Monday, where we serve up the best and the latest CCM videos we can find. We are going to begin with another video from Sho Baraka and his new release The Narrative. This is Fathers, 2004.
Next up we continue with Rap, this time with Canon. Sometimes I wonder if this guy ever takes a breath. He should be called machine gun. You do have to stop and reload a canon. This is Eagles from Loose Canon, Vol 3.
And finally we take a break from rap, though this is an all African-American version of Music Video Monday. This is VaShawn Mitchell from Secret Place: Live In South Africa, this is Joy.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. See you next time. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.  

A Perfect Scale: The 2016 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter - Modern Worship

The final post of the 2016 4th Quarter Wrap is here. To no ones surprise the big winner for the quarter is Modern Worship, as it is for most quarters. Nineteen entrants is enough for around three years if they all made the finals. Let's get to it.

Modern Worship

• All Sons and Daughters - Poets and Saints
• Crowder - American Prodigal 
• Dwell Worship - Dwell
• Elevation Worship - Speak Revival
• Joe Frey - Hold Fast
• Fred Hammond - Worship Journal (Live)
• Jonathan David and Melissa Helser - Beautiful Surrender
• Highlands Worship - Here I Surrender
• Hillsong United - Of Dirt and Grace: Live From The Land
• Housefires - Housefires III
• Mosaic MSC - Glory and Wonder
• The Neverclaim - Encounter: A Live Worship Experience 
• New Hope Oahu - Future + Hope
• Planetshakers - Overflow (Live)
• Prestonwood Worship - Songs of The People (Live)
• Todd Smith - There's A Light
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Champion
• Vertical Church Band - Frontiers 
• Vineyard UK - Fearless 

That does it for the 4th Quarter Roundup. The 1rst Quarter of 2017 Begins. #PlatVnyl8 beckons, and it appears to foretell a Monster Year. Stay with me as we enter it. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

A Perfect Scale: The 2016 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter - Rock

The final of our ties is Rock, which provided a full complement of Seven Entries. If you've been keeping track you know who won the quarter, and you also aren't surprised in the least. You'd be surprised if they didn't win. Let's get right to it.

Rock Music

• The Afters - Live On Forever
• Apologetix - Quilt
• Crowder - American Prodigal
• House of Heroes - Colors
• The Incandescent -Undiscovered
• Needtobreathe - HARDLOVE
• Relient K - Air For Free 

That does it for rock. And The Winner for the 4th Quarter of 2016 is (big drum roll): Modern Worship with 19 entrants into the pool. That's a lot for one quarter. Until next time, when we finish, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Dove Wrap: 2016 Edition - The General Field

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for. The final of our Dove Wrap posts. There really isn't much to write about here. Only 3 awards coincide, so this will be short. When last we met we were covering the Song Predictions and their results. At that time we had gone through 10 Awards ( I did not make a pick for every category) and had gotten 4 correct. In baseball terms .400 is Holy Grail territory. Woo-Hoo. Let's see if I can keep it up.

New Artist of The Year is the first one out of the gate. I looked at the available choices (Hollyn, Jordan Feliz, Stars Go Dim, Travis Greene, and We Are Messengers) and listened to all the available products. I went with Hollyn, and the Doves went with Jordan Feliz. We are not off to a good start. (Score 4/11)

Artist of The Year is next, which usually goes to more established artists, which makes Lauren Daigle's inclusion in this list a bit of a head scratcher. But, if you are willing to look only at quality and not age or "paying ones dues", there is no question who rises to the top of this milk bottle. The Doves and I agree on Daigle. A rare meeting of the minds. (Score 5/12).

Finally, we arrive at Song of The Year. While not having a ridiculous number anymore, it has a healthy 10 entrants, which may be what winds up at a Platinum Vinyl Awards, try as we do to get down to 7. I'm not going to list them all here. Suffice it to say that when I looked at the list I felt that the cream of the crop was First by Lauren Daigle. The Dove went with Good, Good, Father by Chris Tomlin. Now I like the song, but thought Zealand Worship did a much better job at it. Final score 5/13 .385 

I'm happy with that. Hey, it's not Ted Williams, but I think it will definitely win me the Batting Title. That does it for the Doves. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

A Perfect Scale: The 2016 Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter - Adult Contemporary/Inspirational

We are back. Our final group of ties. This two way group is with 7 entrants each. Once this is done only the big winner remains. Let's get to it.

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational

• Bread of Stone - Hold The Light
• Casting Crowns - The Very Next Thing
• Hannah Kerr - Overflow
• Katy Kinard - God of Fireflies
• Andrew Marcus - Constant
• Geoff Moore - The Next Thing
• Selah - Gratest Hymns, Volume 2

We are back under way, only two more posts remain. Rock is next. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Ear Candy: 10 Monster Albums for October

Of course by Monster I mean totally Awesome. This is a Christian Music Blog after all. Now that the month has wrapped, I guess it is quite appropriate that I have handed out Perfect 5's like candy. 10 of them were handed out this month. I believe that is a record, though all of them deserved it. I guess that just tells you the quality of the work that is out there. No complaints about the current state of CCM. You are just listening to the wrong stuff.

I'll do the list alphabetically, as I don't want to give any hint as to order.

• Jonathan Cain - What God Wants to Hear - The Journey of A Thousand Miles, sorry. What can you say when the former Journey Frontman gets saved. As a Word of Faith person will I be hearing "Don't Stop Believing" at the SWBC next year? This was a big surprise and I loved it.
• Lauren Daigle - Behold: A Christmas Collection - CCM's latest fave, and deservedly so, gets to showcase her pipes on a Holiday Collection that exudes Sultry Jazz. What's not to love.
• The Digital Age - Galaxies - The former band of David Crowder returns with an electronic worship experience like no other, and mixed with a bit of Armstrong, Neil Armstrong among the songs.
• Disciple - Long Live The Rebels - The Southern Rockers return. Kevin Young and company come out with their loudest yet.
• Nimisilla Park - Welcome to Nimisilla Park - very rarely will I hand out a 5 for an EP. My standard practice is to deduct a quarter of a point for length. An excellent mixture of Rap, Driving Rock, and Gospel Music made me change my mind.
• Ocean Calling - Quiet Magic. The Debut of Sophie Wilkie of Los Angeles, California by Way of Great Britain (hey, I detect the accent) is a blend of Synthpop, Trance, and ethereal vocals. My second favorite Trance artist since Salt of the Sound.
• Rend Collective - Campfire II: Simplicity - Our Northern Ireland worship band goes back to the basics, and mines platinum. The past release seemed normal, and that is a bad thing for this slightly unhinged band that reminds me of Caedmon's Call in that they will attempt to play just about anything (xylophone, trash can lids, etc). Stick to what works, I always say.
• Satellites and Sirens - Tanks - Another excellent release by Geoff Hunker and company, which skews a bit toward pop while maintaining a good synth mix. I personally love Old Souls, but maybe I am just in a nostalgic mood.
• Theocracy - Ghost Ship - Talk about excellent timing for a release. I had never heard of the band until I started doing research on The Emerald List for Heavy Metal. If Stryper ever decides to Retire (I hope not) these guys will pick up the Crown with little backlash. Excellent clean vocals, monster guitar solos, and a solid Christian Message. Who said a Theocracy was a bad thing?
• Jean Watson - More ethereal vocals, though this time going operatic more than trance. Though a lot of these songs would be excellent in a Lord of The Rings movie. 

There you go. 10 Pieces of ear candy. Indulge, as long as often as you want. I promise you will not get sick from over indulging. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Music Video Monday: The Ghost Ship Rises

Happy Halloween everyone from all of us at Night Beat HQ. I know that may be a shock to some of you, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with today. As I have said before, any day centered on candy can't be bad. Take it from a little stinker (that's a Skunk).

It's not only Halloween, it is also Monday. So that means an all new edition of Music Video Monday. Well, we don't really have any Monster Videos, unless by monster you mean extremely awesome. We have that in spades. Let's get to it. Our first video is from a group called About A Mile. The first cut on their new album is a rock number called Taking Back. The Video has been out for a while, but we go by the album release.

Next up is a rap number. Our rapper is Sho Baraka. The new album is called The Narrative, and the concept is a bunch of songs done in style of a certain year or era. It is an enjoyable journey, but my complaint is that we jump back and forth in time, and styles. It is a bit jarring. I guess I am more chronologically oriented. Anyway the song is called Road to Humble, 1979.
Forget what I said about no monster videos. Leave it to my girl Deanna Jakoub of Veridia to come through for today. This is Still Breathing.
And finally, a band which is quickly becoming my favorite Metal Band. Sorry Stryper, but these guys are the new blood. Who said a Theocracy was a bad thing? When you release albums in 2003, 2008, 2011, and 2016, you know they like to take their time to craft an album. All aboard the Ghost Ship.
That does it for this Halloween edition of Music Video Monday. We will return next week with another edition. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.