Music Video Monday: Cover Me

We are going to try something a bit different at the Night Beat. Usually for Music Video Monday we play the best original music videos by artists. We have had an abundance of good cover songs recently, and some of them have made videos. We want to recognize them just like we do the "original" videos. We begin with Caitie Hurst, a rising star in the Christian Music Industry. This is her cover of Hillsong United's So Will I.

Next up we go to "my band" as I like to Call Them. The Choir has been covering a bunch of mainstream music lately, and in a lot of cases making your forget the original. They are that good at making it their own. This time they redo One Republic's 2013 hit Counting Stars.

Finally we go to my favorite lady, Amy Lee and Evanescence. They recently did a remix of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain.  I gave the original a listen, as I do with all covers, and I hated it. Way to country for my taste. Amy is in her Goth glory in this one for this version made for the Video Game Gear 5. Defiant Metal at its finest.

That does it for this version of Music Video Monday. We will be back with the original videos next time. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Chaotic Symphonies - The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Modern Worship

Once Again we close out a quarter with Modern Worship. Twenty-Five entries is 3 years of Finals plus. Let's close this wrap out and move on to the 4th Quarter.

Modern Worship

• Antioch Music - Live at World Mandate
• Awaken Worship - Wont Stay Silent EP
• Canyon Hills Worship - As Long as I Live Volume 2 (Live)
• Christ For The Nations Worship - Taste of Heaven
• Elevation Worship - Paradoxology
• Lou Fellingham - Made For You (Live)
• Free Worship - Already Done
• Hillsong United - People
• Hillsong Young and Free - III (Studio Sessions)
• Kellie and Kristen - In The Name
• Life Church Worship - Death of Death EP
• Life Worship - Collection
• Dawn Michelle - Surrender
• Nashville Life Music - Taylor House Sessions EP
• Open Heavens - Revival Rising
• Brian Ortize - Never Late
• Planetshakers - Rain, Part One EP 
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (Come Alive)
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (No Other Love) Live EP
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (On Earth as it is In Heaven) Live EP
• Shane and Shane - The Worship Initiative, Volume 17
• Thrive Worship - A Thousand More
• 29:11 Worship - Marble and Mortar, Volume 2 (Live)
• Phil Wickham - SIng Along 4 (Live)
• Woodlands Worship - Live Worship

That closes the third quarter of 2019. The Fourth Quarter is already roaring. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Chaotic Symphonies: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 3rd Qtr - Live Recorded Album

Live Recorded Album was responsible for a baker's dozen worth of entries, and is also our penultimate genre for the quarter. Once again, Modern Worship is first, but you knew that if your were genre counting.

Live Recorded Album

• Joshua Aaron - Live At The Tower of David
• Canyon Hills Worship - As Long As I Live Volume 2 (Live) 
• Steven Curtis Chapman - A Great Adventure (Live)
• Lou Fellingham - Made For You (Live)
• Hillsong United - People
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (On Earth As It Is In Heaven) (Live)
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (Come Alive) (Live)
• Red Rocks Worship - Spark (No Other Love) (Live EP)
• Switchfoot - Live From The Native Tongue Tour EP
• 29:11 Worship - Marble and Mortar, Volume 2 (Live)
• Phil Wickham - Sing Along 4 (Live)
• Paul Wilbur - Roar From Zion: Recorded Live In Jerusalem
• Woodlands Worship - Live

Modern Worship Closes it out with 25 Entries. 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.

The art of the Remix

Here at the +The WENC Night Beat we are big fans of remixes. For those not up on music lingo, a remix is when the audio track of a song, and sometimes the lyric track as well, is taken by another artists and put into a blender and worked over until the song bears little or no resemblance to the original. Now take out the word blender and replace it with synthesizer and you have the truth.

Remixes are all the rage these days. I think we average one a month around here. A few years ago we might have had one all year long. Just because they are all the rage doesn't mean you should do one. Take this month for example. We have four remix projects out. +Hillsong United has The White Album (boo hiss on The Beatles Reference). +Jars Of Clay put out Inlandia. +Capital Kings come out with Remixd, and +Jesus Culture puts out Jesus Culture Reconstructed Volume 1. I'll take two to compare.

First, the good. Jars of Clay remixed a few songs from Inland and in the process transformed themselves into The Choir. Not really, but Jars, especially in their early work, really lent itself to an ethereal sound, something that The Choir is know for. Since I love both bands, the result was awesome. Mission Accomplished. The songs were remixed into something completely different.

On the flip-side we have Hillsong United. It isn't a bad album, it's just that, despite the claim, it isn't a remix album. Note my definition above. The songs sound just like a typical Hillsong United album. The tempo hasn't increased, the sound hasn't been distorted, nothing has really changed except for a few beeps and other sounds being added. It's a major fail. 

It looks like the remix category at the PVA's is here to stay, at least for another year. I'll be sure to make sure you know about the best ones. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: February 2013

It always happens this time of year. I know, for a Word of Faith person this sure is a bad confession. Good or bad, it's a fact. When you're a one person operation, trying to keep up with new releases while doing an awards ceremony for the past year is pretty daunting. As long as I don't get two months behind during these months, I'm doing okay.

As always, we begin with those albums which will not make the next nominating pool. Those in effect which are

Missing The Mark

• Christine D'Clario - Deeper 3.75 Emeralds
• Kutless - The Worship Collection 3.75 Emeralds
• Red - Release The Panic 3.75 Emeralds
• Those Who Fear - Unholy Anger 3.75 Emeralds

As always, these are all near misses. Not too many turkeys out there. The industry does a pretty good job keeping the pretenders (not the British Band featuring Chrissie Hynde) out. On the other hand, there are the wow moments, or those releases that are 

Pure Platinum

• V. Rose - The Electro-Pop Deluxe  5 Emeralds

This is the perfect example of a great dance album. Featured appearances by everyone under the sun, including +Beckah Shae. Of course, most albums fall somewhere in the middle, an area we refer to at The Night Beat as:

Semi-Precious Metal

And this month did not disappoint, as we had nineteen releases pop up here, most in the very high range, which is a very good thing.

• Arrows and Sound - Arrows and Sound 4.75 Emeralds
• Daniel Bashta - The Invisible 4.50 Emeralds
• Jeremy Camp - Reckless 4.50 Emeralds
• Steven Curtis Chapman - #1's Volume 2 4.50 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - Zion 4.50 Emeralds
• Je'kob - Faith, Hope, Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Canton Jones - CJ Talks 4.75 Emeralds
• William Murphy - God Chaser 4.75 Emeralds
• Newsong - Swallow The Ocean - 4.50 Emeralds
• Britt Nicole - Gold 4.50 Emeralds
• Plumb - Need You Now 4.75 Emeralds
• Salvador - Make Some Noise 4.75 Emeralds
• Sanctus Real - Run 4.50 Emeralds
• Jenny Simmons - The Becoming 4.75 Emeralds
• Spoken - Illusion 4.50 Emeralds
• Tal and Acacia - Black and White 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Mars Hill Music Worship Sampler 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Love Never Fails 4.50 Emeralds
• Paul Wilbur - Your Great Name 4.50 Emeralds

That concludes this edition of Night Beat Rewind. I'm glad that this is going out before April. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

2012 Wishlist: Modern Worship and Inspirational



Courtesy Amazon

Considering the Genre, I thought it appropriate for a rare Sunday Post. If you've ever wondered why you couldn't have a post on Sunday, your wish is granted. Sometimes Wishes are granted early. 2010's Inaugural Modern Worship Best Album was won by the Irish experimental Modern Worship group Rend Collective Experiment and their Organic Family Hymnal. In my mind, with their refreshingly unique sound, (they even used a Xylophone), their really was no doubt in my mind who was the winner. I was going to start off hoping for a new release from them, and lo and behold, they have. Homemade Worship by Handmade People will come out Next Tuesday January 10. That's one off of my list. Thank You. Based on their debut, I think it is fair to say that the CD will wind up among the PVA 2012 Final Nominees.

Now, Going even less out on a limb, I predict there will be a release by a Hillsong branch sometime in 2012 (Actually Hillsong United- February 14). Check.

There really isn't much that I Wish for from this genre. I kind of let it fly and see what I like.

In 2010 The Inspirational Genre didn't exist. It was created this year to make way for Jackie Evancho. For 2012 My Wish is for enough entries to justify the category.

Only Four Categories to go. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: February 2011

One of the nice things about a short month is that you can wrap up some of your posts with plenty of time to spare. Such is the case this February. Music is traditionally released on a Tuesday, and today is the Last Tuesday of the Month. It is also Washington's Birthday. The Second edition of Night Beat Rewind will be finished before the end of the month. Two Editions in one month. Progress.

As I said in my previous post, I use a best of 5 Emeralds rating system. For an explanation click here. If you don't see a release listed here, I either couldn't find sound files on Amazon or I did a full review of the release. So far this month I have managed to review The Civil Wars, Red, and Worth Dying For. A few more will be coming soon.

The Night Beat Rewind, Second Edition, for February 2011:

• Bethel Live, Be Lifted High, 3.5 Emeralds, (Modern Worship)
• Chris Clayton, Hope of Glory, 4.5 Emeralds, (Modern Worship)
• Brian Doerkson, Level Ground, 4 Emeralds, (Modern Worship)
• After Edmund, Times Have Changed, 4.25 Emeralds, (Pop, Dance, Rock)
• Jamie-Grace Harper, Hold Me, 4 Emeralds, (Pop) (D)
• Hawk Nelson, Crazy Love, 4.5 Emeralds, (Rock)
• Hawk Nelson, The Light Sides, 5 Emeralds (Rock/Acoustic)
• Hillsong United, Aftermath, 3.5 Emeralds, (Modern Worship)
• Canton Jones, Dominionaire, 5 Emeralds, (Hip Hop, Gospel)
• Martha's Trouble, Anchor Tattoo, 4 Emeralds, (Pop, Folk)
• Heath McNease, The House Always Wins, 3.75 Emeralds, (Pop, Folk)
• Overcome, The Great Campaign of Sabotage, 4 Emeralds, (Hard Rock)
• Parachute Band, Love Without Measure, 4.5 Emeralds, (Modern Worship, Rock)
• Propaganda, Art Ambidextrous, 3.5 Emeralds, (Hip Hop) 
• Stryper, The Covering, 5 Emeralds, (Hard Rock)
• Josh Wilson, See You, 4 Emeralds, (Pop) 

That concludes the second edition of Night Beat Rewind. We shall return with Edition Three in early April (March's release days are the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th). Until then, happy listening.