Night Beat Rewind: May 2017

We are in the middle of June and we are ready to reveal the May edition of Rewind. One sign that things are slowly returning to normal. Slowly, because we are two thirds through the 3rd Quarter of 2017 and we are just now announcing the 2nd Quarter. Plus, we are just announcing the #PlatVnyl7 Nominees. In the good old days (just kidding, It is always better to have a lot of excellent music) we would have finished the awards by now. Such is the price of success. We begin this and every edition of Rewind with the song releases.

The Singles Scene

• Canon - We Been Here 4.50 Emeralds
• Brandon Heath - Whole Heart 4.75 Emeralds
• Nobigdyl - Shakira (ft Marty) 3.50 Emeralds
• Matthew Parker - Young Skywalker (May The Fourth Be With You) 4.50 Emeralds
• Javier Rodriquez - Free 4.50 Emeralds

We move on from the songs to the albums. We begin with the albums of which will not make the 3rd Quarter Pool.

Missing The Mark

• Change - Feels Like Nothing 3.75 Emeralds
• Deathbreaker - Disconnect 3.75 Emeralds
• Earth Groans - Renovate EP 3.50 Emeralds
• Sherwin Gardner - Greater 3.75 Emeralds
• Eric Heron - Dawn EP 3.75 Emeralds
• Gretchen Keskeys - Pure Hope 3.75 Emeralds
• New Wine - Encounter Us Holy Spirit 3.75 Emeralds
• John Reuben - Reubonic 3.75 Emeralds
• Jered Sanders - VERSEatility 3.75 Emeralds

Nine Missing The Mark is a hopeful sign. When you can reject that many in a month and still have more than enough entries, the state of music is doing well. From the Left Out to the Perfect.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Todd Agnew - From Grace to Glory: The Music of Todd Agnew 5 Emeralds
• We Are Leo - The Rush And The Roar 5 Emeralds
• Lowercase Noises - The Swiss Illness 5 Emeralds
• Mandisa - Out of The Dark 5 Emeralds
• Narrow Skies - Seasons: Midnight Horizons 5 Emeralds
• Rend Collective - Build Your Kingdom Here: A Rend Collective Mixtape 5 Emeralds
• At The Wayside - The Breakdown and The Fall 5 Emeralds

7 Perfect Albums in a month. Almost the same as the rejected. I guess that's called a good balance for the month. Finally we go to the music in the middle.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Josh Baldwin - The War Is Over 4.50 Emeralds
• Christ For The Nations Worship - Melody of Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Robin Damron II - Live Forever EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Abigail Duhon - Abigail Duhon EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Folding Lights - Exiles EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Gideon - Cold 4.75 Emeralds
• Iron Bell Music - God That Saves 4.75 Emeralds
• Least of These - Wolves EP 4.50 Emeralds
• The Letter Black - Pain 4.75 Emeralds
• Matthew Parker - Adventure (Deluxe) 4.75 Emeralds
• RAWSRVNT - Shut It Down EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Southern Raised - Another World 4.75 Emeralds
• Willow Stephens - Willow Stephens EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Top 25 Praise Songs 2017 4.50 Emeralds
• Matthew West - Broken Things 4.75 Emeralds
• Helen Yousaf - Custodians of Fire 4.50 Emeralds

And finally 15 Semi-Precious Metals. 31 releases crossed my desk this month, and I don't believe that I got them all. I usually don't. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Forever

Welcome back everybody. We had some personal problems leading to our first missed Music Video Monday. I may have missed one due to a holiday but I do not remember. Either way I will make sure it doesn't happen again.

We begin with an event. Some videos just make you go WOW. This is one of them. Kari Jobe and this is Forever. I'll be here when you finish. It's over twelve minutes long, but well worth it.

We're back. I hope you agree, WOW. Sometimes you just have to spend a while in worship before the throne. Right now everything else seems window dressing but we must go on. We move on to Rap/Rock. First up is KJ-52 (five-two). This is Tonight.
It's about time that we created a ruckus. Rapture Ruckus, that is. They team up with Soul Glow Activatur. It's really freeing when you're not in The In Crowd. 
Goth Girl's got some moves. Know who else does? Sarah Anthony of The Letter Black.  Rise Up From The Ashes.

That concludes this edition of Music Video Monday. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

 

Music Video Monday: Not The Color Green, but The Letter Black

Welcome back to Music Video Monday and Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. This is a green free zone this week as far as I know. Nothing against green, just no Irish Videos. Not even Rend Collective.

We begin with The Letter Black. Depending on what you did to celebrate, you may need a Painkiller.
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Colton Dixon is next. This is the music video for Never Gone.
Turning to Reggae for a while. You see, we do everything here, except for Country and Western. This is Step up feat . D.A. T.R.U.T.H. 
And we move on to Rock again. This is one of my favorites right now. This is Sumerlin and Breaking Out.
We shall have another quartet of videos next week. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Swing Season: The 2014 1rst Quarter - Rock

Well here we are, the penultimate (that means next to last, folks) 1rst Quarter Rollout Post of 2014. Rock Music had the second largest pool of entries, and would be even larger if we hadn't split off Alternative and Metal, and possibly Industrial as well.

The Grammy Awards took place Sunday, and, since they have always short shrifted the CCM groups, I really won't make too much hay of it until I check out the results. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of snark if I feel that it is warranted. On to the Rock and Roll.

• Baptized , Daughtry
• Behold , My Epic
• Engine of a Million Plots , Five Iron Frenzy
• Headswell , Sainthood Reps
• Icon for Hire , Icon For Hire
• Love & History: The Best Of Downhere , Downhere
• Made In Canada: The 1998 - 2010 Collection, Thousand Foot Krutch
• Proof Of Life [+digital booklet] , Scott Stapp
• Recollection , Superchick
• Rebuild , The Letter Black

There are three best of collections amidst the entries, and they will most likely be weeded out at the end, since we don't have a best of category. They are still among must haves in any collection. Personally, among the rest, I would say that The Letter Black is the early leader, followed by Icon for Hire.

Only Modern Worship is left, and that will be next. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: November 2013

Welcome to the last official edition of Night Beat Rewind for 2013. I say that because December is a very slow month. We usually don't have enough entries to make a decent rewind post, so I mention things in other ways. It looks like this is going to be a typical year in that regard.

We begin with the ineligible entries. This year that includes the Christmas Music, regardless of it Emerald Rating. We don't have a Christmas Music Category at the PVA's, unlike the Dove Awards.

Christmas Music(Non-Eligible)

• All Things New - All Things New (Christmas Edition) 4.50 Emeralds
• Anthem Lights - Simple Little Christmas EP 3.75 Emeralds
• CL Carr - Miracle On Christmas 5 Emeralds
• Citizens - Repeat the Sounding Joy EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Future of Forestry - Advent Christmas EP, Vol. 3 5 Emeralds
• Andrew Greer - Angel Band: The Christmas Sessions 3 Emeralds
• Julie Meyer - Christmas 4.50 Emeralds
• John Schlitt - The Christmas Project 5 Emeralds

One of the good things about this listing is it is perfectly honest. Since there is no award to qualify for, there is no fudging to make a certain bar. We move onto the list of non eligible music that there was fudging going on in debates. The non Christmas Music list which was

Missed The Mark

• Casey Darnell - Casey Darnell 3.75 Emeralds
• Alex Faith - ATLast 3.75 Emeralds
• The Gospel Gangstaz -Defenders of The Faith 3.75 Emeralds

As is usual, the entries on this list just missed. Maybe I'm feeling generous this time of year, but I thin that three entries is the fewest we've ever had here. I once thought none had missed the mark, but then I discovered "the missing entries."

We had a good supply of perfect albums for the final list of 2013. Unofficially there were 8, but I don't really count Christmas Albums, so in this grouping there will be 5. Besides, since I already did the Christmas albums, why list an album twice.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• August Burns Red - Rescue & Restore 5 Emeralds
• Lecrae - Church Clothes Vol. 2 5 Emeralds
• Living Sacrifice - Ghost Thief 5 Emeralds
• Stryper - No More Hell to Pay 5 Emeralds
• Jonathan Thulin - The White Room (Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds

Two surprises in this list. The Biggest surprise was Living Sacrifice. While I consider myself a metal head, a headbanger, etc. Living Sacrifices "thrash metal" style isn't my particular cup of tea. I'm more of a melodic metal fan. That being said, Ghost Thief really tripped the WOW meter. I was more pleasantly surprised with Stryper. Though I have loved all their music, To Hell With The Devil was way back in 1986. To think that they could put it all together on that level almost thirty years later. It busted the WOW Meter. It's not an easy part to fix.

Thankfully for all of us here at Night Beat HQ, most releases fall between the ruts. These releases, of which there were plenty, are what we deem

Semi-Precious Metal

• Benjah - Haze & Reflections (Vanity Fare Remixed) 4.50 Emeralds
• Daughtry - Baptized 4.50 Emeralds
• Fit For A King - Descendants Redux 4.75 Emeralds
• Five Iron Frenzy - Engine of a Million Plots 4.75 Emeralds
• Gloria Gaynor - We Will Survive 4.75 Emeralds
• Luke Hellebronth - Stand Up 4.50 Emeralds
• Jeremy Horn - No Other Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Impending Doom - Death Will Reign 4.50 Emeralds
• Jahaziel - Heads Up 4.75 Emeralds
• The Letter Black - Rebuild 4.75 Emeralds
• Maranatha Music - Worship God: Everlasting 4.75 Emeralds
• William McDowell - Withholding Nothing 4.50 Emeralds
• Sean G. Park - I Bow Down 4.75 Emeralds
• Salt of the Sound - Journeys 4.75 Emeralds
• Soul Survivor & Momentum - Kingdom Come (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Shout Praises Kids - Nothing Is Impossible (Feat Planetshakers Kids) 4.75 Emeralds
• Micah Stampley - Love Never Fails 4.50 Emeralds
• Scott Stapp - Proof of Life 4.75 Emeralds

A few notes here. I really liked Scott Stapp. Sure, it isn't Creed, but it was close to Creed Lite. I can live with that. Though Creed was responsible for a whole slew of copycats, proving there's nothing original in the Music Industry, they were the mold. Sort of a guilty pleasure is Gloria Gaynor. I will Survive has turned 35, and, though I am sure the Disco era was a huge mistake, still, this song isn't that bad. There are much worse. And the rest of the album is Gospel. As to The Letter Black, click on the name to read my full review. I have only included Amazon links for the Pure Platinum and Christmas Music, to get things out quickly. Click and Purchase from the post, and you will support The Night Beat at the same time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

You Left Me Shattered

I like to think I do things a little differently here at the WENC Night Beat. Especially in regard to Song of The Year nominations for the Platinum Vinyl Awards. The Major Awards and I usually don't see Eye to eye when it comes to radio singles, from which the nominees are picked.

Maybe it's just that I don't get the whole process. I thought you wanted to release the strongest songs to radio in order to get people to buy the album. 

Case in point, Rebuild by The Letter Black. The radio singles are Pain Killer and Found. One anthem, one ballad. Batting .500 isn't bad. Hey, it's better than Ted Williams, but it could have been 1.000. Unlike some, I personally loved Found. There are a lot of FFR bands now in Christian Music, and all of them do anthems extremely well. The ballads, however, is where we separate the platinum from the rest. Some just can't pull it off. Sarah Anthony, however, has a simply beautiful voice. Found and Outside Looking In are showcases for her voice. Found has strings as well, and great orchestration. Simply, it sounds majestic. Great Choice.

Pain Killer, eh. The Video is intriguing, and we shall get to that soon enough when we begin the new Videos. But it it far from the best rock anthem on the album. If you want loud, you should go with Up From The Ashes. That is an excellent song, and is the hardest and loudest on the album. Better overall though would have to be Break Out. 

The Best Song on the album? Hands down that would have to be Shattered. It's sort of a hybrid between the two styles, and it absolutely burrows into your brain. I see it as a getting over a breakup song, as opposed to a love song.

You left me shattered, but I'm so over it. I put back the pieces just to see if they still fit.

You left me shattered, but I'm stronger from this. I'm doing just fine, and now you're only wasting your time. 

It's also a duet between Sarah and her husband Mark (no J Lo jokes please). There really aren't that many honest lyrics like this in Christian Music

You tried to make believe you're the best part of me
You words cutting me in two
But now I realize I gave you love you gave me lies
The worst part about me was you

Like I said, honesty. And it is in that vein that I am giving Rebuild by The Letter Black a near perfect score of 4.75 Emeralds. If you love to rock you will love The Letter Black. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Sonic Awakening: 3rd Qtr Nominees - Dance

We are continuing with our announcing of Third Quarter releases which crossed the initial bar of admission to the pool of Platinum Vinyl Award contenders. This time we move onto the Dance genre. Five releases mad the initial cut this quarter.

• Family Force Five - III.V
• The Letter Black - Hanging on By a Remix
• Owl City - Shooting Star (EP)
• Page CXVI - Re:Hymns
• The Washington Projects - Space Time Continuum: The Remixes

Both The Washington Projects and The Letter Black normally wouldn't be found in this genre. Their usual home is Hip Hop and Rock, respectively. However the remix is particular to Techno, and if one is done correctly, will turn anything into a dance album. (There is one exception - Switchfoot - Vice Re-Verses - why?)

Hard Rock and Rock are the only two genres remaining. Then we can get on with the new stuff. Click on the links to go to Amazon and buy from them. You will get some great music and support The Night Beat at the same time. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: May 2012

We're almost caught up. This is great, I managed to get the Platinum Vinyl Awards out this weekend (well, Thursday to Sunday) and I may get May wrapped up within the first week in June. WOO HOO!!!

For those new on The Night Beat, each month I put out a "quick hits" post wrapping up the releases of the past month and assigning an Emerald Rating to each. Let's get to it for May.

Missing The Mark

• Karen Davis - Songs In The Dark 3.75 Emeralds
• Jennie Lee Riddle - People and Songs, Opus 1 Collective 3.75 Emeralds
• Switchfoot - Vice Re-Verses 3.75 Emeralds

If you've read my rewind posts, you know I don't hold back on the attitude. Sometimes it gains me a little notoriety. Sometimes even the artists themselves comment. With the case of Karen Davis, I think the phrase "Hillsong in Hebrew" should suffice. Even though the majority of the songs were in Hebrew, the sound reeked of Hillsong, which is good for itself, but not in all situations. For someone whose experience in Messianic Music is Lamb and the Liberated Wailing Wall, I expected better.  For Riddle, I was unimpressed with the Opus. Sometimes it was too country, sometimes good. I thought it was uneven. I will save my biggest criticism for Switchfoot. WHY?? I loved Vice Verses, I gave it a perfect rating, but this. I usually love remixes because it makes it Techno, and I love techno. No to the remix in this case. Stick with the original.

Pure Platinum

• Lara Landon - Overcome 5 Emeralds

One Perfect album this month. What a voice. I still have my fantasy concert lineup of Lara Landon backed by Denver and The Mile High Orchestra in a speakeasy. I mean, the girls got pipes, and a voice that melts ice. Look up Torch singer and you'll find her picture. Buy Overcome or Beloved on Amazon by clicking on the links.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Bluetree - Kingdom 4.5 Emeralds
• Ben Cantelon - Everything In 4.25 Emeralds
• The Choir - The Loudest Sound Ever Heard 4.75 Emeralds
• Coopertheband - Kings 4.25 Emeralds
• Patrick Dopson - Open The Heavens 4.5 Emeralds
• Family Force Five - III.V 4.5 Emeralds
• For Today - Immortal 4.25 Emeralds
• Deitrick Haddon - A Beautiful Soul 4.75 Emeralds
• Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes (The Acoustic Sessions) 4.5 Emeralds
• Mat Kearney - Young Love (Deluxe Edition) 4.5 Emeralds
• The Letter Black - Hanging On By A Remix 4.75 Emeralds
• Martha's Trouble - A Little Heart Like You 4.5 Emeralds
• Mary Mary - Go Get It 4.5 Emeralds
• Jon McLaughlin - Promising Promises 4.5 Emeralds
• Mewithoutyou - Ten Stories 4.5 Emeralds
• Mercy Me - The Hurt and The Healer 4.75 Emeralds
• Owl City - Shooting Star EP 4.5 Emeralds
• Phillips, Craig and Dean - Here I am to Worship 4.25 Emeralds
• Point of Grace - A Thousand Little Things 4.5 Emeralds
• John Schlitt - The Greater Cause 4.5 Emeralds
• To Speak of Wolves - Find Your Worth, Come Home 4.5 Emeralds
• Rita Springer - The Playlist 4.5 Emeralds
• Stuart Townend - Ultimate Collection 4.5 Emeralds
• 12 Stones - Beneath The Scars 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Mighty To Save 4.5 Emeralds
• The Washington Projects - Space Time Continuum: The Remixes 4.75 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - Singalong 2 4.5 Emeralds

That's it, I am officially caught up. The June releases await. Until next time I am Awaiting Your Reply.