Justified In Light: The 2020 Platinum Vinyl Awards 1st Quarter - Adult Contemporary

Welcome to the single genre posts of our First Quarter Wrap. Adult Contemporary met the minimum bar of 5 Entries this quarter, as did Instrumental. That begins our first tie.

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational

• Casting Crowns - New York Sessions
• London Gatch - Home EP
• Matt Maher - Allive and Breathing, Volume 2 EP
• Laura Story - I Give Up
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Anticipation EP 

We are off and running. Instrumental is next. I need the extra time to finish up my Best of's for 2019. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Phoenix Rising: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 1st Qtr - Adult Contemporary

We come to our last tie. Four ties in a month (one was folded into a megapost, so we are merciful). This time we tie at 9 and Adult Contemporary and Live Recorded Album both met the bar. Adult Contemporary (and Inspirational) is the first alphabetically.

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational

• Anthem Lights - Worship
• Casting Crowns - Only Jesus
• Michael Farren - Fighting For Us
• High Street Hymns - High Street Hymns
• Selah - You Raise Me Up: Greatest Hits
• Russ Taff - Believe
• Unspoken - Just Give Me Jesus
• Victoria - Victoria EP
• Josh White & Josh Garrels - Josh White & Josh Garrels

I nice mix of new and old (and at least for one, some might say ancient). I was quite pleased to know that Russ Taff still has a bit of rock left in him. Live album is next. Until Then 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.

Night Beat Rewind: September 2016

This is it. The #PlatVnyl7 Eligibility Pool is now closed and the judging process begins. August was light but we made up for it in September. And I was worried about going out with a whimper. No real time to pat ourselves on the back and take a well deserved rest. The #PlatVnyl8 pool has now opened. We begin our final post, as always, with the song releases, or, as we like to call it.

The Singles Scene

• Canon - The Family 4.50 Emeralds
• Eisley - Defeatist 5 Emeralds
• Veridia - Still Breathing 5 Emeralds

Looks like the Song of The Year categories will have some heft to them this year. Now on to the albums. We begin with those left out of the pool.

Missing The Mark

• Remedy Drive - Hopes Not Giving Up 3.75 Emeralds

This was sort of a Remix/Best Of Album, but the sound left me flat. Not this next group.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Crowder - American Prodigal 5 Emeralds
• Fred Hammond - Worship Journal 5 Emeralds
• Jonathan David and Melissa Helser - Beautiful Surrender 5 Emeralds
• Andy Hunter - Presence 5 Emeralds
• Love and The Outcome - These Are The Days 5 Emeralds
• New Hope Oahu - Future + Hope 5 Emeralds
• Paper Route - Real Emotion 5 Emeralds
• Salt of The Sound - Meditations, Volume 2 5 Emeralds

Well it is October, so I guess I really shouldn't be surprised that the candy store is open for business. An 8-1 ratio between Perfect to Missing The Mark certainly seems that way.

Semi-Precious Metals

• The Afters - Live On Forever 4.75 Emeralds
• All Sons and Daughters - Poets and Saints 4.75 Emeralds
• The Ambassador - When Sacred Meets Secular 4.75 Emeralds
• ApologetiX - Quilt 4.50 Emeralds
• Artifex Pereo - Passengers 4.75 Emeralds
• Beacon Light - Lit 4.75 Emeralds
• Casting Crowns - The Very Next Thing 4.75 Emeralds
• Citizens and Saints - A Mirror Dimly 4.75 Emeralds
• Dwell Worship - Dwell 4.75 Emeralds
• Elevation Worship - Speak Revival EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Joe Frey - Hoold Fast  4.50 Emeralds
• GS - Committed 4.75 Emeralds
• GAWVI - Holding Hue 4.75 Emeralds
• Tanya Godsey - Love Lines The Last Horizon 4.75 Emeralds
• The Incandescent - Undiscovered 4.50 Emeralds
• Eddie James - Magnify 4.50 Emeralds
• Hannah Kerr - Overflow 4.50 Emeralds
• Royce Lovett - Love Wins  4.50 Emeralds
• Tamela Mann - One Way 4.50 Emeralds
• Sandra McCracken - God's Highway 4.50 Emeralds
• Geoff Moore - The Next Thing 4.75 Emeralds
• Mosaic MSC - Glory and Wonder 4.75 Emeralds
• The Neverclaim - Encounter: A Live Worship Experience 4.75 Emeralds
• Norma Jean - Polar Similar 4.75 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Overflow (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Prestonwood Worship - Songs of The People 4.50 Emeralds     
• To Speak of Wolves - New Bones 4.75 Emeralds
• Toxic Emotion - Beautiful Randomness 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Soul: Inspired by The Epic Film Ben-Hur 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - The Passion: New Orleans 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - WoW Hits 2017 Deluxe 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Broken Hearts 4.75 Emeralds
• Ian Yates - Awaken to Love 4.75 Emeralds

That does it. #PlatVnyl7 is now in the bag. The releases for our eighth edition are already coming in. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Mistletunes: The 2016 1st Quarter - Modern Worship

We have reached the end of the First Quarter of 2016. We have reached the final post, the genre that had the most eligible entries this quarter. And that genre is Modern Worship. Actually, it usually is. I think there was one quarter when it wasn't. So let us get to it.

Modern Worship

• Casting Crowns - A Live Worship Experience
• Crowder - Crowder's Neon Porch Extravaganza (Live)
• Michael English - Worship
• Adam Layne Fisher - Live at Barnet Park
• Gateway Worship - Walls
• Generation Unleashed - Come Alive (Live)
• Hillsong Worship - Open Heaven / River Wild (Live)
• Joshua Price - Elevate
• Cindy Cruse Ratcliff - Edge Of The Universe (Live At Lakewood Church)
• Ricardo Sanchez - Grand Symphony
• Seeker and Servant - You Alone Forever
• Austin Stone Worship - This Glorious Grace (Live)   
• Vineyard UK - Hear the Sound - Songs from the Vineyard UK
• Vineyard UK - Small Group Worship Vol. 02

That does it for the first quarter. Things are getting pretty heated up here at Night Beat HQ as we are just about finished with the first month of the second quarter. Stay locked here as the Second Quarter gets underway and even as the nominees for #PlatVnyl6 are announced soon. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Mistletunes: The 2016 1st Quarter - Live Recorded Album

We begin our single genre postings with a four way tie. Live Recorded Album, Folk/Folk Rock, Gospel/R&B , and Dance/Synthpop all had five entrants into the pool this quarter. We will start with Live Recorded Album. I know, it is not technically a genre, but it really seems silly to relegate these to the general field. Live vs Studio.

Live Recorded Album

• Casting Crowns - A Live Worship Experience
• Adam Layne Fisher - Live at Barnet Park
• Generation Unleashed - Come Alive (Live)
• John Mark McMillan - Live At The Knight
• Cindy Cruse Ratcliff - Edge Of The Universe (Live At Lakewood Church)  

Next up is Folk and Folk Rock. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Night Beat 2014 Preview

Welcome to 2014 everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful New Year, didn't over indulge in "Adult Beverages", and if you did, I hope the after affect wasn't too embarrassing. Things have been quiet here at Night Beat HQ. The first snowstorm of the year kind of does that.

January is typically a slow month in Christian Music, and for that we are grateful. Other than a deluge of Christmas Music, things start to slow down in November and usually begin to pick up in February. Last Year we had an active start, but the way things appear for now, there is a bit of a breather. 

January has its fair share of releases, but a good deal of these are on the Icon label. These are a series of Sparrow releases designed to introduce new listeners to established artists. Anberlin, Kutless, Rebecca St. James, Underoath and Stryper are released this time around.

Other than the Icon releases, four releases dominate the landscape. Switchfoot releases its soundtrack album for Fading West on the 14th. This has been floating around the release charts for two months, I hope it finally comes out.

The following week we really rock out. Nine Lashes releases its Sophomore release on the 21st. Their self titled release was the 2012 PVA Winner for Rock Album of The Year.

January closes out on the 28th with Casting Crowns Thrive. I've got a love hate relationship with this band. Or maybe I should say hot cold. Some of the albums leave me cold and others I really love. We shall see. It should make the pool.

That finishes up the January Preview. After a month out things really get iffy in the music world. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Groundhog Blues: Winter 2013 Releases - Adult Contemporary

Sometimes housecleaning turns up a few treasures. It did this time. I thought I had things under control. I was up to date with the new releases, the Platinum Vinyl Awards was posted, and I was happy. Then I discovered among my notes some of the Winter Quarter Releases I hadn't posted. For newbies that is Jan-March of this year. The Spring Releases are almost all in. I had neglected Adult Contemporary, Modern Worship, and Heavy Metal.

Adult Contemporary/Inspirational

• The Advice - The Advice
• Meredith Andrews - Worth It All
• Jeremy Camp - Reckless
• Casting Crowns - The Acoustic Sessions: Volume One [+digital booklet]
• Steven Curtis Chapman - # 1's Vol. 2 
• Larnelle Harris - Live in Nashville
• Shawn McDonald - The Analog Sessions
• Newsong - Swallow the Ocean (Deluxe Edition)
• Glenn Packiam - The Mystery Of Faith
• Sanctus Real - Run (Deluxe Edition)
• Jenny Simmons - The Becoming
• Various Artists - Love Never Fails
• JJ Weeks Band - All Over the World

As you can see there were a lot. Over a full years category if they all made it in. Jenny Simmons is starting a shower of former Addison Road Members releasing albums. This month another member, Brandy Allison, also has a release. 

That does it for Adult Contemporary. Two more to go. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: The Abandoning

Welcome back to an all new edition of Music Video Monday. We've got some new videos finally, and just in time. Since I am just about finished picking the final nominees for this years Platinum Vinyl Awards, I need something to keep busy with. We start with a "new" band of sorts. Love and Death is the latest band by former KORN member Brian "Head" Welch. This is The Abandoning.



We continue with another band new to The Night Beat. This is Twenty One Pilots, and they appear to be a two piece synthpop act, with one on synth and the other on drums. This is Holding on to you from their recent release Vessel.


And we conclude with a long awaited sophomore release. It was way back at the beginnings of The WENC Night beat, about the same time I discovered Lara Landon (yeah, right). A group with the odd name of Vota, formerly Casting Pearls (who ticked off the lawyers for Casting Crowns), released a pretty decent "debut" album. Then they kind of slunk off into the background. They're back, though not as poppy this time around. This is the video for God of the Universe from their album Love Found Me.



That concludes this all new edition of Music Video Monday. I hope all of you are dug out (if the Blizzard of 2013 happened). Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

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.

Doves In The Field

Now Before I get started, I want you to click on the highlighted link and purchase NOW, the latest release by Fireflight. It's a bit softer than For Those Who Wait, but it's written around Dawn's voice, and that's a very good thing. I think I've got some of the Amazon Associates stuff down, since I have to do this manually, but If you click the link, It has my associates ID in it and The Night Beat will thank you. Right now the other options don't wrap around the text and the blog looks ugly with them. This is the most unobtrusive.

Now, on to the other music. With the new releases, preparations for the second Platinum Vinyl Awards and other stuff, my Dove Coverage has taken a bit of a hit. We're finally going to continue with The General Field Awards, those that all genres compete in, such as Group of the Year. The Doves only have five of these awards, and they only have five entrants each, so I'm going to hit them all.

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Chris August
• Chris Tomlin
• Jason Crabb
• Kirk Franklin
• Steven Curtis Chapman

Chris August and SCC didn't even have albums out this time around. (August had the obligatory Deluxe edition and SCC had a best of work. Sorry, that's cheating) Tomlin and Franklin did have new albums, and I was more impressed with Tomlin's. Crabb is SG and I don't pay attention to SG.

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Francesca Battistelli
• Kari Jobe
• Laura Story
• Mandisa
• Natalie Grant

What, no Beckah Shae!? Mandisa is a good choice and Natalie Grant okay if its from MIBTS, but Love Revolution, no. Story's album is a good choice. The only one I really think maybe is a tossup is Battistelli. I see another trend coming on. Same with August for the men.

Group of the Year

• Casting Crowns
• David Crowder Band
• Gaither Vocal Band
• Needtobreathe
• The Isaacs

Headscratchers for GVB and the Isaacs. Of course, since this is the (Southern) Gospel Music Association, they feel they have to honor them. Casting Crowns had a solid album as did Needtobreathe (the album that frustrates spellcheck everywhere). Even though the album was AWESOME, was there any doubt that the GMA would give a farewell honor to DCB. Personally, though I'm trying to stay away from predictions right now, I think they are the shoo-in. I think the City Harmonic should be here as well.

New Artist of the Year

• Beyond the Ashes
• Dara Maclean
• Jamie Grace
• Royal Tailor
• The City Harmonic

Never heard of Beyond The Ashes. Of the others, sorry, its a no brainer for The City Harmonic, though the other three in the list all had strong entries. It's just that The City Harmonic is so good and out of the ordinary on sound.

Artist of the Year

• Casting Crowns
• Jason Crabb
• Laura Story
• Lecrae
• The Isaacs

Personally I would pick someone else in this grouping. At least four of the five. Forced among the choices I would go with Lecrae here.

That finally gets me two thirds of the way through the Dove Nominations. Just song of the Year to Go. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Siberian Summer: 2012 PVA 1st Qtr - Pop

This was the mega-genre this quarter. Pop usually requires a lot of work to narrow down after the eligibility year closes and this year is proving no exception. This is only the first Quarter and already we have ELEVEN entries. Well seven if you count that four are double dippers from another category, but that is just because their music can't be pigeonholed that simply.

First up Sara Groves. The favorite of a lot of Top 10 Lists this year, Invisible Empires just missed both a perfect 5, settling for 4.75 Emeralds as well as a spot in this years Platinum Vinyl Awards. As for a Top 10 album, there were too many Perfect 5's this year. Check out my list of the Best Albums of 2011.

Pop/Worship/Unique sensation The City Harmonic released their sophomore release this past October. Entitled I Have A Dream [It feels like home], the release is a fine successor to Introducing the City Harmonic. While Things are looking up for the band musically, on a personal matter we would like to convey the best wishes and prayers of all at The Night Beat to Bass Player Eric Fusilier as he combats leukemia. Praying for a speedy healing. I gave the album a respectable 4.5 Emeralds.

Once Upon A Time marks the return of Kerrie Roberts to the CCM Market. The EP contains a few acoustic versions of songs on her debut, but she really rocks out on the opening track, entitled Rescue Me (How The Story Ends). This song could be on my list of Dance Song of the Year for 2012. Oh, and it is also the Theme Song for the ABC series Once Upon a Time. It's about time that CCM artists get recognition for their superior talent. We shall see how the EP goes, as I was only able to give it 4.25 Emeralds. That puts it in the initial pool, but it is very short and that is one of its main drawbacks. We shall see how the story ends.

Rather than have an extremely long post, I shall put the other eight entrants on a quick hits list. Without further ado, the remaining Pop entrants for the first quarter.

• Casting Crowns - Come to the Well 4.5 Emeralds
• Keith Elgin - Keith Elgin 4.5 Emeralds
• JJ Heller - Deeper 4.75 Emeralds
• Leigh Nash - Hymns and Sacred Songs 4.25 Emeralds
• Relient K - K is for Karaoke, Vol 2 4.5 Emeralds
• Run Kid Run - Patterns 4.5 Emeralds
• Shane & Shane - The One You Need 4.25 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - Response 4.5 Emeralds

Due to my combining of a bunch of non producing genres this quarter I have only two more to go. Stay with me. As always I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: October 2011

The first edition of Night Beat Rewind for the 3rd Platinum Vinyl Awards Eligibility Year is now upon us. My how things fly by. At least it seems like it here. Either that or I just get distracted a lot. Once again I will now split things into three categories.

October 2011: Missing The Mark

• Marc Chopinsky - Israel's Hope 3.5 Emeralds
• Mark Harris - Stronger in the Broken Places 3.75 Emeralds
• Immortal Souls - IV: Requiem for the Art of Death 3.75 Emeralds
• Robin Mark - Fly: Live From Ireland 3.75 Emeralds
• No Other Name - The Other Side 3.75 Emeralds
• The Waiting Kind - The Waiting Kind 3.75 Emeralds

Please, hold the jokes. I used this title last month as well. It just happens we have three "Marks" this time around (one a last name). And no other name, no it's a coincidence as well. It just so happens that all four failed to wow me enough to give them 4 Emeralds or over. Next time, guys. Moving on.

October 2011: Perfect Platinum

• Evanescence - Evanescence 5 Emeralds
• Thousand Foot Krutch - Welcome to the Masquerade Fan Edition 5 Emeralds

No big surprise here. TFK is always solid, and the recent Masquerade version once again rises to the top. An as to "What you want", what could any rocker want more than "The Return of Amy Lee."

October 2011: Imperfect Platinum

• Casting Crowns - Come to the Well 4.5 Emeralds
• The City Harmonic - I Have a Dream 4.5 Emeralds
• Close Your Eyes - Empty Hands and Heavy Hearts 4.25 Emeralds
• Code - Beautiful Time 4.5 Emeralds
• Deas Vail - Deas Vail 4.25 Emeralds
• Keith Elgin - Keith Elgin 4.5 Emeralds
• Emery - 10 Years 4.5 Emeralds
• Family Force 5 - III 4.25 Emeralds
• Future of Forestry - Future of Forestry 4.75 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - Invisible Empires 4.75 Emeralds
• JJ Heller - Deeper 4.75 Emeralds
• Lights - Siberia 4.75 Emeralds
• Pavilion Towers Worship -Crisis Worship 4.25 Emeralds
• Kerrie Roberts - Once Upon a Time 4.25 Emerald

At last. Done With October. Not that it was bad, just that as things have gone recently, I had gotten a bit backed up. I didn't get through September until the middle of October and I thought that October would be Joining November sometime around Christmas. It's good to get back on top of things. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Greatest Story Ever Sung

"Music Inspired by..." When I see a CD with this intro I know two things immediately.

1. It isn't the official soundtrack
2. It's probably not worth buying

So you can imagine my reaction when the homepage of New Release Tuesday sported a listening party for Music Inspired by The Story. Actually my first reaction was "What's The Story?" Come to find out it's not a movie, but a Bible. Yes a Bible. The Bible as a continuous story.

The Instrumental Overture kicks things off, and I kind of hope it was a movie, because the orchestral arrangement is definitely soundtrack worthy.

I have one big complaint. NRT should have broken the stream into two parts. Using my libraries account, I get 55 minutes, and that is just about the length of the first disc. However, there is no way to fast forward, so you have to start again at the beginning. So there is no way to just get to disc two. A shame.

This is a two disc CD, and like the Bible itself, Disc one is the Old Testament and Disc Two the new. One minor Biblical nitpick. Like I said, the concept is that the Bible is arranged as a continuous narrative story, but there is a chronological error. The Old Testament is as follows: Creation, Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Ruth & Naomi, David, Daniel, Esther, Job. The error is the last song. Despite its position in the Bible, only Genesis-Esther is arranged in rough chronological order. Most Bible Scholars place Job somewhere between Abraham and Moses in time.

The Big Guns came out for this, and I think they will be having a Christmas Tour to support the album. That should be something to catch. Leigh Nash, Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Peter Furler, Mandisa, and Mac Powell among others. Actually, the only minor miscast here may be Mandisa. While I loved her Album, her casting as "Esther" was mistaken IMHO, considering the orchestration of the album. Overture and the filling orchestration sounds so much like Are You Ready? from Beckah Shae's album Destiny, that I think she should have been on it. Just Saying.

This is a majestic concept album, and it delivers. I'm a sucker for strings, and there are strings in spades here. I'm going to go out and give this album a full 5 Emeralds, and then figure out where I'm going to put it. Any thoughts, readers? I am Awaiting Your Reply.