Embracing Entropy in DiverseCity

Or is TobyMac trapped in a Circle of Dust. Sorry for the Rocky and Bullwinkle dual titles. I think I am fairly certain that the two will not be doing a single together anytime soon.

I do have a method to my madness. While Industrial Strength hip hop may not be appealing my point is. As I mentioned in my first post on the subject, there are many genres represented in Christian music. Now some of them may not release enough to fill a program director's playlist needs, others could possibly fill multiple years without a single repeat. But why should it have to be that way. The sin is that approximately 90% of Christian Music will never be played on over the air Christian Radio. The internet is a different tune altogether, as genre specific radio stations abound. OTA is an Adult Contemporary wasteland. How about we mix it up. We could have the AC/Worship going from 11pm to 9am and the rest of the time have music for people with a pulse. Just half kidding there. As a lot of Worship music has moved into the EDM zone it has offended the pillars (who are stiff as one), and that is fine with me.

Christian music is as diverse as the mainstream, and we should embrace it in all its glory. Musically definitely, but also theologically. If the musician says they're a Christian that's good enough for me. And I'm not going to throw them out if they sin. Only Jesus was perfect.

And maybe even some ethnic diversity. There is only one race, and that is human. There really isn't a reason why the same station couldn't play Southern and Urban Gospel music. Well maybe I should say a good reason. Why humiliate our Southern Gospel stick in the muds. White boys got no rhythm. I'm of Polish descent. I know of what I speak.

Until now I have stuck to the tunes. Beginning with my next post I will be meddling with Radio Station personnel. Preparing to defend against incoming missiles.  Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: September 2019

The Final Rewind of #PVX is here. Ten Years. And we go out with a bang and not a whimper.

The Singles Scene

• Apollo LTD - DNA (Acoustic) 5 Emeralds
• Arilya - Save You 5 Emeralds
• As I Lay Dying - Blinded 5 Emeralds
• Brandon Bee - Breathe on Me, O Jesus 4.25 Emeralds
• Tina Boonstra - Head, Teeth, Hands 4.75 Emeralds
• Dan Bremnes - Up Again (The Remixes) 4.75 Emeralds
• Canyon Hills Worship - Never Gonna Stop 4.75 Emeralds
• Casting Crowns - Praise You In This Storm (New York Sessions) 4.75 Emeralds
• Alvin Cedric - Rescue (Lauren Daigle Cover) 4.50 Emeralds
• Dillon Chase - Paradise 4.75 Emeralds
• The Choir - Mystical World 5 Emeralds
• Cochren and Co - Heart and Soul (The Sienna Sessions) 4.75 Emeralds
• Cochren and Co - One Day 4.75 Emeralds
• Color Theory - Phobiac 5 Emeralds
• Amanda Lindsey Cook - Evergreen (Re-Imagined) 5 Emeralds
• Cortes - For The Best 4.25 Emeralds
• Embassy - Undignified 5 Emeralds
• Connor Flanagan - Dangerous (ft Russ Parish) 5 Emeralds
• Hammock - Circular As Our Way 5 Emeralds
• John Hanni - Start To Care 4.75 Emeralds
• Impact - Hope Song 5 Emeralds
• Spencer Kane - If I Can't Have You ft Levi Mitchell (Shawn Mendes Cover) 4.75 Emeralds
• KB - Lincoln 4.75 Emeralds
• KJ-52 - Summertime ft AJ Jenkins 4.75 Emeralds
• Rachael Lampa - He's Good 5 Emeralds
• LEAH - Redemption 5 Emeralds
• Mark Lee - How To Feel Alive 4.75 Emeralds
• Toby Mac - Edge of My Seat (Radio Version) ft Cochren and Co 5 Emeralds
• Manafest - Plan for Me ft Melanie Greenwood 5 Emeralds
• Chris McClarney - Valley (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Brea Miles - God Culture (Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
• Leigh Nash - My Love, My Drug 4.75 Emeralds
• Neon Feather - Safe (ft Chris Chron) 5 Emeralds
• Northlander - Occulus 4.75 Emeralds
• Planetboom - Saints 5 Emeralds
• The Porter's Gate - The Earth Shall Know ft Casey J, Leslie Jordan and Urban Doxology 5 Emeralds
• Sidewalk Prophets - Smile 5 Emeralds
• Seth and Nirva Ready - Turning Over Tables ft Michael Tait 5 Emeralds
• RED - The Evening Hate (Alternative Version) 5 Emeralds
• Righteous Vendetta - Kill The Lights 4.75 Emeralds
• Apollo Rojas - Popular Mechanix 3.50 Emeralds
• Angie Rose - Fight Like A Man 4.75 Emeralds
• Roy3ls - Souls 4.75 Emeralds
• Scandroid - New York City Nights (Tommy '86 Remix) 5 Emeralds
• Scandroid - New York City Nights (Tommy '86 Remix Instrumentals) 5 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - Trust (CMC Remix) 4.50 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - So Will I (100 Billion X) 4.75 Emeralds
• Stillman - Draw Near 4.75 Emeralds
• Laura Story - You Cannot Be Stopped 4.75 Emeralds
• Michael Sweet - Son of Man ft Todd La Torre (Queensryche) and Andy James 5 Emeralds
• John Tibbs - Wild Things 4.75 Emeralds
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Remember 4.75 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Ghost ft Wes Writer and Beacon Light 5 Emeralds
• JSteph - Fake Me Out ft Moflo Music 4.75 Emeralds
• Verses - Letting Go (Re-Imagined) 5 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - Jesus Beautiful 5 Emeralds
• Kim Walker-Smith - Insatiable 5 Emeralds
• We The Kingdom - Holy Water 4.75 Emeralds
• Tauren Wells - Miracle 5 Emeralds
• Matthew West - What If 4.75 Emeralds
• Josh Wilson - OK 5 Emeralds
• Zauntee - Fanatic 4.75 Emeralds

The Song Judging is going to be really difficult for #PVX. On to the final group of albums which will not make the finals.

Missing The Mark

• The Belonging Co. - Awe + Wonder (Live) 4.25 Emeralds
• Social Club Misfits - Doom EP 4.25 Emeralds

These releases are at the High End of the cutoff, so it's not that these are bad albums. They are just not award worthy here at Night Beat HQ. Maybe at the Doves, where the standards are more lenient. On to the final standards of perfection for #PVX.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• As I Lay Dying - Shaped by Fire 5 Emeralds
• Jeremy Camp - The Story's Not Over 5 Emeralds
• Circle of Dust - Circle of Dust (Remixes and Rarities)(Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds
• David's Tent - Raise Every Voice: David's Tent (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Disciple - Love Letter Kill Shot 5 Emeralds
• Hillsong Young and Free - III (Re-Imagined) 5 Emeralds
• Hannah Kerr - Listen More EP 5 Emeralds
• Life Church Worship - God So Good (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Keyondra Lockett - The Heal Reloaded: The Journey Continues 5 Emeralds
• William McDowell - The Cry: A Live Worship Experience From Chattanooga 5 Emeralds
• Out of The Dust - Now More Than Ever 5 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Rain 5 Emeralds
• RED - Innocence and Instinct (10 Year Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds
• RNW Music - When It Comes To You 5 Emeralds
• Aaron Shusht - Nothing to Fear 5 Emeralds
• Lindsey Stirling - Artemis 5 Emeralds
• War of Ages - Void 5 Emeralds

Semi-Precious Metals

• Attaboy - Wild 4.50 Emeralds
• The Birdsongs - The Journey: Act II - The War 4.75 Emeralds
• Sean Curran - All Of Us (All Praise) (Live) EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Hayden Everett - Hayden Everett EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Danny Gokey - Wanted EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Hollyn - Bye, Sad Girl EP 4.75 Emeralds
• John P. Kee - I Made It Out 4.75 Emeralds
• Jamie Kimmett - Prize Worth Fighting For EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Leeland - Better Word (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Life Center Worship - Acoustic Sessions EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Here Be Lions - I Speak Jesus EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Maher - Alive and Breathing EP, Volume 1 4.75 Emeralds
• North Point Inside Out - Wide Open EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• S.O. - Augustine's Legacy 4.75 Emeralds
• Transform - Jericho (ft Sean Be) EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Convoy of Hope: Hope Has A Name 4.75 Emeralds
• Big Daddy Weave - When The Light Comes 4.50 Emeralds

#PVX is in the Bag. Year 11 Begins Now.

Don't Stop Believing: The 2018 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Electronic/Industrial

We now return to our regularly scheduled 3rd Quarter wrap. First up for the single genre's is Electronic/Industrial, the harder edge of Dance. They met the bar of 5 entries.

Electronic/Industrial

• Amman/Josh - Pieces
• Circle of Dust - alt_machines 
• Narrow Skies - Seasons
• Salt of The Sound - Meditations, Volume 3
• Somniscape - Calm, Volume 1

We need to make a few comments here. First, we are not trying to pad the results. Narrow Skies is one of two side projects by Salt of The Sound, the other being Antarctic Wastelands. Seasons is the full album combination of the four EP release of the past year. The third edition of Salt of The Sounds Instrumental series Meditations continues in their excellency. Two "new" artists make the list. Truly new is Amman/Josh (Amman Abbasi and Josh Varnedore) which has been discovered by Hammock. Somniscape is the instrumental side project of Eric Ooyoung (aka Future of Forestry). 

We go Live next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Resurrection

That is definitely the feeling here at Night Beat HQ. After all it has been months since we last met. You would feel right if you felt abandoned. But we are still here. We are going to crank things up as the year gets started. We begin with a confession. As a music blogger I occasionally get "Hey, Check me out" notices on social media from bands. As a (mostly) Christian Music Blogger I have to be careful who I endorse (though there is a lot of wiggle room in the fringe). When a band called +Death Requisite contacted me, I admit, I wimped out. I figured with a name like that they can't be Christian. I was wrong. I found this lyric video for Redemptio Per Deicide. Thank God for Lyric Videos with Growl Lyrics. Anyway, the Theology is A+. A band I highly recommend. Revisitation is in the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Pool for #PlatVnyl8 (we are in the judging for #PlatVnyl7. Patience is required).
Part of Resurrection now follows. I have always been somewhat unconventional with my take on the CCM scene. Having started off in the Jesus Music/Coffeehouse Era in the Northeast I have aged into Hard Music. Plus I have always had a soft spot for the music of the 1980's. Personally it produced the Best Music Ever. One of those songs was Shout by Tears for Fears. It came out in 1985, during my tenure as a DJ at WENC. Now it is covered by +Scandroidofficial . Personally, I think it is note perfect to the original.
Scandroid is a synthpop project by Klayton of Celldweller, Argyle Park, and Circle of Dust. The Latter has made a comeback after 20 years, and the new album is called Machines of Our Disgrace. This is the video for the title cut.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday.  Tomorrow we will return with our announcements of the 1rst Quarter of 2017. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: December 2016

A Whole Year is in the bag. Well, really it is only the first quarter of the #PlatVnyl8 eligibility year. It also marks the end of 2016. So there will be a lot to catch up with on the days ahead. We begin with the Christmas Music, but as it is after the Holiday I will not be linking them as the other months.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• New Hope Oahu - Hope of All Hopes 4.25 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - The Greatest Gift 4.50 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - Christmas Is The Time 4.75 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - Let It Snow 4.50 Emeralds
• TobyMac - Bring on The Holidays (Single) 4.50 Emeralds

For the last month of 2016 there were also no single releases, if you don't count TobyMac. We move on to the albums which will not make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• Joyce IM Bartholomew - Songs For The Deep 3.25 Emeralds
• Free Daps - Wild Card EP 3.75 Emeralds
• Jerry Manna - Holy Weapon, Volume 2 3.25 Emeralds
• Midcentury Modern - The Goodness 3.50 Emeralds
• Rob Reed - Greatest of These 3.75 Emeralds
• Tristin Roberts - Reassembled 3.75 Emeralds

6 releases in December that missed the mark give me hope that my critical skills are still as sharp as ever. There were also no Perfect albums this time around, so we move on to 

Semi-Precious Metal

• Circle of Dust - Machines of Our Disgrace 4.75 Emeralds
• In The Verse - Transformer 4.50 Emeralds
• Trip Lee - The Waiting Room 4.75 Emeralds
• The Rock Music - Awakened By Hope 4.75 Emeralds
• Chris Sligh - Mighty Roar/Healing Flood 4.75 Emeralds
• Those Who Fear - State of Mind 4.75 Emeralds
• Carissa Vann - Changing Still 4.50 Emeralds
• Zach Williams - Chainbreaker 4.75 Emeralds
• Zao - The Well Intentioned Virus 4.50 Emeralds

That does it for 2016. As a resident of the fringe, I am psyched with the return of Circle of Dust, despite some purists saying "But he's an apostate". Welcome back Klayton. Coming up quickly is our 1st Quarter Wrap, on which all these will be grouped by genre, and given the appropriate Amazon linking to help support The Night Beat. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.