#PlatVnyl6 The Nominations Begin: Video of The Year

We have come to the greatest of all the posts, as least in the video category. VIDEO OF THE YEAR. These are the best videos for the eligibility year, at least as far as the judges here are concerned. In some cases Movie Short may be used instead of Music Video. The nominees are: Darkest Part by RED ; Dreams by +kingskaleidoscope ; Ever Be by Kalley Heiligenthal and +Bethel Music ; For Those Who Can't Speak by +tenthavenuenorthVEVO ; and Volcano ft Jonathan Thulin by +Rapture Ruckus . Three of the 5 nominated videos are over 5 Minutes in length. One breaks 8 minutes.

Here are the nominated videos in a nice playlist.

That does it for the video nominees. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply

#PlatVnyl6 The Nominations Begin: Video by A Male Artist

We had a full plate of Video Entries this Year, and we have a full slate of genres as well, where we had dropped a few last year. We come to the General Field Based Video Awards nominees. There are 4 of them: Video by a Male Artist, Video by a Female Artist, Video by a New Artist, and Video of The Year. We Start with Video by a Male Artist, the Video Companion to Male Vocalist of The Year, though the two are not identical.

The Nominees are: Letting Go ft Josh Lane by +Jekob Washington ; Volcano ft. Jonathan Thulin by +Rapture Ruckus ; Wanna Be Happy by +Kirk Franklin ; The Way That You Love Me by +Jonathan McReynolds ; and We Gon Reign by Flame.

Our playlist of the nominated videos follows: 

Next up is Video by a Female Artist. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

#PlatVnyl6 The Nominations Begin: Electronic-Industrial Video of The Year

No Joke. We are underway with the nominations for #PlatVnyl6. We are in the middle of The Video of The Year Nominees. Electronic-Industrial is up next, the harder sibling of Dance-Sythpop. We are loaded for bear as they say. The nominees are: Can't Live Like This by +Hardie Avenue ; Mr. Roboto by +Rapture Ruckus ; Return by +NYVES ; Stressed Out by +twenty one pilots and Volcano ft Jonathan Thulin by +Rapture Ruckus 

The nominated videos in one convenient playlist.

Hip Hop and Rap Video are next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

#PlatVnyl6 The Nominations Begin: Alternative Video of The Year

We move out of the "Spiritual Arena" into the Rock and Roll area. Now I don't really give much credence to Secular/Sacred boundaries in the CCM Arena, but a lot of people do. Hey, I get some of my best Spirituality from Kicked out of The Kingdom groups like Jennifer Knapp and Evanescence, so there you go.

Alternative Video of The Year for #PlatVnyl6 is gonna be good. The nominees are: Dreams by +Kings Kaleidoscope br ; For Those Who Can't Speak by +Tenth Avenue North ; Hurricane by +Lifehouse ; Moonshot by Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil; and Volcano ft Jonathan Thulin by +Rapture Ruckus

The Playlist of the nominated videos follows:

Next up is Pop Video. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The 10 Best Albums of 2015

This is a very special Christmas Season here at Night Beat HQ. Not because we love Christmas, but because, for the first time in a while we have actually managed to put out a Top 10 List at the end of the year. That's what happens when you hand out roughly 50 perfect albums per year. It gets a bit crowded. (Full Disclosure: 2015 had 49). Looking for the "WOW" that struck me the first time got me down to 18. I gave it one more listen and came up with some sort of ranking. I ranked 1-10. 11-18 will be in an honorable mention with no emphasis on rank.

• #10 - Falling Up, Falling Up - I grew up in the 80's, which happens to be the Best Decade of Music Ever, for both the Mainstream and Christian Music Scenes. A Band which I say is "my band" is The Choir, with its Chiming Guitars. Everything has an "ethereal sound". Falling up has always reminded me of them. Unfortunately, one of their best ever is also their last. I guess I will have to stay with The Choir.
• #9 - One Love Revolution, Pillar - Personally tied for "Best Pillar Album Ever" with Fireproof. Yes the recording was sub par on that one, but the in your face rap core was refreshing. It is telling that the original lineup, which was on Fireproof, was on this album.
• #8 - Come In, Children 18:3 - Another swan song. No you don't get a free pass when you break up. There were rumors that On The Run was going to be the final album, and while it was okay, it was bordering Pop, and that isn't what we look to this band for. This is one of the loudest album ever by the band.
• #7 - Valitus, The Ember Days - I have been a fan since they were still doing Finger Painting. They have always been an Alternative Band which swerves into Modern Worship from time to time. It's Better than the other way around. The name means "A Wailing" , though It didn't seem depressed. It was my last perfect album of the year and one of the most satisfying.
• #6 - II, Capital Kings - Our first representative from The Dance/Synthpop arena, or is it Electronic/Industrial. It is really hard to figure this time around. Once one of the pack of Synthpop bands, they moved into the front through both their remix album, and this their second album, which moved into a harder edged sound
• #5 - This Is Not A Test, Toby Mac - Toby Mac is Back. His music has never been bad, it's just that for a while now he has simply fulfilled expectations. This is not a test Smashes them, with a little help from Capital Kings, I might Throw in.
• #4 - Empire, Derek Minor - The Only Rap Album to Make the list, but only because I did my best to get down to ten. 4 Rap Albums made a Perfect 5 (6 if you include TobyMac and Rapture Ruckus). All hail the king and the Title cut get things on to an explosive start
• #3 - Invader (Deluxe), Rapture Ruckus - This is one of those cases where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I was not exactly impressed by the two invader EP's, but when he put it all together into an album, it was an entirely different matter.
• #2 - Science Fiction, Jonathan Thulin - The Too Lean Brothers (that's the pronunciation) continue to mine Platinum). While EDM brother David takes to the Reconstruction of Radio, Jonathan has taken the Alternative Path, though he does simply Press Play and dance from time to time. Enough of the name drops. We Start out as a Time Traveler, dance with Jekyll and Hyde, and even go dark with Cry Wolf. The Picture is complete.
• #1 - Of Beauty and Rage, RED - EPIC. Red has always been the master of the Symphonic. The Darkest Part is definitely Song of The Year Material. They say repentance is a sincere Change of Mind. They have definitely repented for Release The Panic, which only threw their fans into a Panic. If you love EPIC, soaring orchestration, ballads, and hard driving rock and can only afford to get one album, this is it.

That's the Top 10 of The Year 2015.  You can see that this was a great year. Here are the Albums that failed to make the top 10. But They Were Still Perfect. 

• We Are, The City Harmonic
• Floodplain, Sara Groves
• Broken Temples (Deluxe), Kevin Max
• Anxiety, NYVES
• Exhale, Plumb
• Renegades Never Die, Skrip
• Echoes of Wonder, Salt of The Sound
• Fallen, Stryper

I think you would agree that this would make an excellent list on its own. My List is up, now it is time for you all to take your shots. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. Merry Christmas to All. 

#PlatVnyl6 v. #WLCMA4 - The Album Awards, Part Three

We're Back with the Nominee Breakdowns. I had thought of abandoning this post and moving on to the general field since I had not narrowed down my Perfect 5's from which the Album of The Year would be awarded. I have since gotten things down to a reasonable number to extract a sampling. Not to say that these will be THE NOMINEES. Not yet anyway. 

Due to the differences in how we perceive genre, 2 genres and Album of The Year make 5 genres and Album of The Year at the Platinum Vinyl Awards.

The BPM Awards (Electronic/Dance Album of The Year) correspond to Dance/Synthpop Album of The Year and Electronic-Industrial Album of The Year. Their nominees:

• Capital Kings - II 5 Emeralds (#PlatVnyl7)
• Fireflight - Innova 4.75 Emeralds
• Levi Whalen - Timelines 4.50 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Invader 5 Emeralds
• Transform DJ's - Never Alone   4.75 Emeralds (#PlatVnyl7)

Capital Kings and Transform DJ's are in the #PlatVnyl7 Pool and Fireflight was in the Rock Pool, though I may give them a nod here since entries in these genres were low this year. Same with Levi Whalen, whose album I just learned about recently. As far as Automatic Qualifiers go, for Dance-Synthpop, we have just one, the compilation WoW Hits Party Mix, and Electronic-Industrial had two

• NYVES - Anxiety 5 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Invader Deluxe 5 Emeralds

The AMP Award (Rock/Alternative Album of The Year) actually corresponds to three categories here at the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Alternative Album of The Year, Rock Album of The Year, and Hard Rock/Metal Album of The Year. Their nominees:

• P.O.D. - The Awakening 5 Emeralds
• Red - Of Beauty and Rage 5 Emeralds
• Seventh Day Slumber - Redline EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Tree 63 - Land 4.75 Emeralds
• XXI - Inside Out 4.75 Emeralds

This is a fluid area for #PlatVnyl6 even now, as Auto Qualifiers for alternative number 10, Rock 7 and Hard Rock 3. All are very good choices and I have no other comments except that P.O.D. is Hard Rock and Seventh Day Slumber is in #PlatVnyl7. As to our automatic qualifiers: 

Alternative Album of The Year

• Anberlin - Cities: Live In New York
• Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal: Live In New York
• Foreverlin - Still After
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Becoming Who We Are
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Becoming Who We Are (Instrumental)
• Lifehouse - Out of The Wasteland
• Kevin Max - Broken Temples: Deluxe
• Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil - Goliath
• Tenth Avenue North - Cathedrals
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction

Rock Album of The Year

• Altar Boys - Gut Level Music (Re-Release)
• Children 18:3 - Come In
• Pillar - One Love Revolution
• Red - Of Beauty and Rage
• Sidewalk Prophets - Something Different
• Sumerlin - Runaways Deluxe
• Toby Mac - This Is Not A Test

Hard Rock/Metal Album of The Year

• P.O.D. - The Awakening
• Project 86 - Knives to the Future
• Saint - Broad Is The Gate

I made a pronouncement that no Perfect 5 would be left out of the Finals. I intend to still keep that promise, even though it appears quite difficult this year. Not every release may get into a genre category. I may have to do some "creative shuffling" and there will be many who will feel snubbed.

Album of The Year is the Big Prize everyone wants, which is surprising since the Dove Awards no longer wants to award it. The five nominees for the WLCMA's, for the most part don't really seem to fill the expectations for such a prestigious award. Their Nominees:

• Amanda Cook - Brave New World
• Hawk Nelson - Diamond
• Hillsong United - Empire
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction
• Lauren Daigle - How Can It Be

The first requirement for an album of the year according to the rules of the Platinum Vinyl Awards is that the album in question MUST come from the Perfect 5 Pool. By that standard only Science Fiction by Jonathan Thulin makes the cut.  Hillsong United wouldn't even make the initial pool at 3.75 Emeralds.

For this comparison I will keep to my best of 2015 list. The nominees for #PlatVnyl6 will most likely include some albums from October to December of 2014, and nothing after September 30, 2015. Calendar Year 2015 had 49 Perfect 5's. This was whittled to 18 for a best of list. A random selection from that list is as follows. 

• The City Harmonic - We Are
• Toby Mac - This Is Not A Test
• Plumb - Exhale
• Red - Of Beauty and Rage
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction

All Perfect 5's from The Night Beat. A formidable judging job if you ask me. That does it for the album awards. I will skip the song awards because I am not ready in the least. We will go to the General field, which I can hobble together. Until Next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.  

Night Beat Rewind: April 2015

I'm beginning to think that I might actually do this. The rush to get #PlatVnyl5 under way, plus an abundance of current releases has combined to create a bit of a backlog. Fortunately things don't stay that way for long. The 2nd Quarter releases are in the bag, and we have already put out the March Edition of rewind. Now we are about to do the April edition of rewind and it is still May.

Web begin with a few songs released during the month of April, or as we like to call it:

The Singles Scene

• Big Dismal - Know You 4.50 Emeralds
• Jonathan Thulin - Compass (David Thulin Remix) 5 Emeralds

We move on to the Albums. Of Course we begin with those which did not make the #PlatVnyl6 Pool.

Missing The Mark

• Alex Faith & Dre Murray - Southern Lights: Overexposed 3.75 Emeralds
• Amy Grant - Be Still and Know: Hymns And Faith 3.75 Emeralds
• Steve Green - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection 3.75 Emeralds
• New Hope Christian College - New Hope Christian College 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Little Boy Soundtrack 

Officially, all of these releases are very good, just missing the #PlatVnyl6 pool by a hair. Unofficially, however, very rarely has a nominee gotten in with a 4.50 Emerald score. Usually the minimum bar is 4.75 Emeralds, sometimes it has been all Perfect.

Next is the Perfect ones. Or as we call it here:

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Children 18:3 - Come In 5 Emeralds
• Kings Kaleidoscope - Becoming Who We Are (Instrumental) 5 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Invader (Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds

With only three Perfect Albums this month, I hopefully see the Candy Store as having reduced hours at the very least.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Chris August - The Maker 4.50 Emeralds
• Daniel Bashta - For Every Curse 4.75 Emeralds
• Beacon Light - Open Eyes 4.75 Emeralds
• Dan Bremnes - Where The Light Is EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Canyon Worship - Canyon 4.75 Emeralds
• Lauren Daigle - How Can It Be 4.75 Emeralds
• Lexi Elisha - Drowning in Love  4.75 Emeralds
• Jon Guerra - Little Songs 4.50 Emeralds
• Jesus Culture - This Is Jesus Culture (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Derek Johnson - Real Love 4.50 Emeralds
• KB - Tomorrow We Live 4.50 Emeralds
• Dustin Kensrue - Carry the Fire 4.75 Emeralds
• Kutless - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Kutless 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt McCoy - Alive and Free 4.50 Emeralds
• Sandra McCracken - Psalms 4.75 Emeralds
• Needtobreathe - Live From The Woods 4.75 Emeralds
• Christy Nockels - Let It Be Jesus (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• People of The Earth - We Are People of the Earth 4.75 Emeralds
• Shane and Shane - The Worship Initiative 4.50 Emeralds
• The Showers - The Showers Family Group 4.50 Emeralds
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Kingdom Come 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - New & #1 Radio Hits of 2015 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Top 25 Modern Worship Songs 4.50 Emeralds
• Matthew West - Live Forever 4.75 Emeralds

Caught up. On to the May edition. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Polar Vortex Polka Redux: The 2015 2nd Quarter - Alternative

We are continuing our rollout of the 2nd Quarter 2015 Pool Eligible entries. We had no entries in three genres and covered 6 more in our first two posts, so 9 genres are in the bag. For the remaining single genre postings we go from least to greatest in nominees. Our first post, therefore, belongs to Alternative Music, which had 5 nominees, which is our minimum posting limit.

Alternative

• Aaron Gillespie - Grace Through The Wandering
• Pacific Gold - Sing My Welcome Home
• Kevin Max - Broken Temples
• Sixpence None The Richer - The Ultimate Collection
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction

Purely coincidental, but our last listing is actually a perfect 5. Of course Jonathan Thulin earns it. I can hardly wait for the Music Videos to come out. Until next time, when we shall go to Folk Music, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: March 2105

Though the nominations for #PlatVnyl5 are in, the nominations never stop coming in. The end of March not only brings Spring with it, but it also marks the half-way pole of the race that is the #PlatVnyl6 Eligibility Period. No singles were announced this month, so we move on to those entries which will not be in the pool, those that

Missed The Mark

• Joseph Habedank - Take Time to Be Holy 3.75 Emeralds
• Britt Nicole - The Remixes 3.75 Emeralds
• The McCrary Sisters - Let's Go 3.75 Emeralds
• Mike Real - Mind of Hollis 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Songs 4 Worship: Hymns of the Ages 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Worship Anthems Inspired By A.D. the Bible Continues 3.75 Emeralds
• We Are The City - Violent 3.75 Emeralds

Of this group, while all are good, though not particularly award worthy, I Was disappointed most by Britt Nicole. A regular album is borderline dance music, so a remix should have been a shoe in. The result fell flat however.

Nothing Flat about our next grouping, however.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Altar Boys - Gut Level Music '2015 Edition' by Altar Boys 5 Emeralds
• Eshon Burgundy - The Fear of God 5 Emeralds
• Erica Campbell - Help 2.0 5 Emeralds
• Jonathan Thulin - Science Fiction 5 Emeralds
• Various - MOM: A Son's First Love. A Daughter's Best Friend 5 Emeralds
• Various - WOW Hits Party Mix 5 Emeralds
• Kirk Whalum - The Gospel According to Jazz, Chapter IV 5 Emeralds

7 Perfect 5's in a month means that the Candy Store is officially open once again. Really, it never does seem to close. A few caveats, though. The Altar Boys is a re-release, though I am not sure if a reunion is planned at the same time, so there may be no comeback award nomination. Kirk Whalum's 5 is for the Jazz alone. The between song banter about how Obamacare is so great or guns should be banned kind of bugged me, but I put it aside and listened to the music.

Our next grouping goes between the extremes. These are.

Semi-Precious Metal

• 21:03 - Outsiders 4.75 Emeralds
• Among the Thirsty - Who You Say I Am 4.75 Emeralds
• Jared Anderson - Where I Am Right Now EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Chris Cobbins - August Season (Take One) 4.75 Emeralds
• Trev Conkey - Mighty Ocean Strong 4.50 Emeralds
• Copperlilly - Copperlily 4.75 Emeralds
• Hawk Nelson - Diamonds 4.50 Emeralds
• Danen Kane - Flesh and Soul 4.75 Emeralds
• JSon - No Filter 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Maher - Saints and Sinners 4.75 Emeralds
• Kevin Max - Broken Temples 4.75 Emeralds
• NF - Mansion 4.75 Emeralds
• National Community Church - You Alone 4.50 Emeralds
• New Method - Greater 4.50 Emeralds
• Newport - Paradise 4.50 Emeralds
• Pacific Gold - Sing My Welcome Home 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Passion: Even So Come (Live) 4.75 Emeralds
• Ravenhill - Soul 4.75 Emeralds
• Sixpence None The Richer - The Ultimate Collection 4.75 Emeralds
• Social Club - Us 4.75 Emeralds
• Third Day - Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship 4.50 Emeralds
• Urban Rescue - Re-Imagined 4.75 Emeralds
• Various - A.D. The Bible Continues: Music Inspired By The Epic NBC Television Event 4.50 Emeralds
• Various - Top 25 Songs Of Grace 4.50 Emeralds
• Watoto - Oh What Love 4.50 Emeralds
• Worship Mob - Carry the Fire 4.50 Emeralds

That finishes off the March releases. Thank God it still is only April. Being two months behind would have been to embarrassing. I am done. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.