The Home of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Reviews of New CD releases, mostly CCM but also mainstream releases that may interest the Christian Music listener. Music News and Commentary, especially when there's a CCM connection.
Rap (and its sibling Hip-Hop) were third in the three way tie for third place in the first quarter of 2020. Two genres beat it. And when you have ten entries in a quarter and still aren't the winner, you know it's going to be a great year.
Rap/Hip-Hop
Beacon Light - Influential EP
Aaron Bucks - California, Volume 3
5ive - White Van EP
Xay Hill - Million EP
Manafest - This Is Not the End
Derek Minor - Nothing But A Word ft Propaganda
Social Club Misfits - MOOD/DOOM
Thi'sl - STTAG
Joey Vantes - The Season EP
Whosoever South - Backroads and Small Towns
To me Whosoever South and Manafest are at the top of the list, but this is a pretty good mix. The Penultimate Genre is Pop Music. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
The Time has come for our Best of (and we try to be Top 10) List. This Year an abundance of Perfect 5 Emerald Rated Albums and EP's has led to creating multiple lists. The Albums will be split into two lists. SOFT and HARD (Based on Volume, not Theological Content), and then we will have a post for the EP's on their own. We begin with the Soft List, which is basically Adult Contemporary, Pop, Soft Rock, and Synthpop. Let's get to the list.
Phil Keaggy and Rex Paul - Illuminations: Multiple Listens prove the location for this album. Maybe it's my musical roots, which go all the way back to the Jesus Music Era (I Officially became aware of Christian Music in the Mid 70's). He was
touring with the 2nd Chapter of Acts at the time. The Greatest Of All Time. His version of Time is worth the price of purchase.
Lindsey Stirling - Artemis: I am unabashedly a fan of strings, and I am not to proud to admit I just recently heard of Ms. Stirling. And for that I thank Amy Lee of Evanescence for "dueting" with her on Hi-Lo and Lindsey returned the favor on this album with Love Goes on and on. This is what heaven sounds like. It's 2, but it's really 1B.
Wilder Woods - Wilder Woods: The Neetobreathe side project is a mix of just about everything and is a joy to listen to.
BeBe Winans - Need You: BeBe and CeCe Winans were the modern generation of Gospel Family the Winans for my generation. Now at 57 Benjamin (BeBe) shows no sign of slowing down. This is a rousing Gospel/R&B/Big Band Sounding Gem.
Whosoever South - Back Roads and Small Towns: I was skeptical when I heard a band was going to mix Country and Rap. I hate the first and am somewhat lukewarm on the second. But they forgot to tell me the country was actually Bluegrass. This third album is the best of the bunch. The Bottom 5 without comment.
Zach Williams - Rescue Story
Out of The Dust - Now More Than Ever
Hillsong Worship - Awake
William McDowell - The Cry: A Live Worship Experience from Chattanooga
Keyondra Lockett - The Heal Reloaded: The Journey Continues
Next up: The Hard List. You Rockers will love this. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome back to Music Video Monday. We seem to be somewhat erratic in our schedule lately. Let's see if we can get more studious now that school is in session again. Those of you who have been with me for a while know that I pretty much despise Country Music. There are some exceptions, and that is notably Bluegrass. One genre that is greatly improved by Bluegrass is rap. When Bluegrass Meets Rap you get Whosoever South, who will release their third album in October. They're from Georgia. Children's Music is a tough genre. Usually while the Kids are kept amused, the parents are driven crazy. The trick is to do the former while avoiding the latter. The last time it was done to perfection was on Groovy (2011) by Denver and The Mile High Orchestra. Eight years later we have done it again, with the somewhat unorthodox Modern Worship band from Northern Ireland of all places, hereby dubbed Rend Collective Kids. From their recently released album Sparkle Pop Rampage, this is Feels Good (it's an Upbeat Song). We're mixing things up here this week Wilder Woods is the eclectic side project of Needtobreathe's Bear Rinehart. It is classically sounding music not made much anymore. It grows on you. This is Supply and Demand. That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next week, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
We are down to the final three genre based Video of The Year Nominees. Of course we have a bunch of General Field based nominees including Video Of The Year. They Will be announced in time. First up, though, is Hip-Hop/Rap Video of The Year. The Nominees are: Come On In by +WHOSOEVER SOUTH ; Letting Go feat Josh Lane by+Jekob Washington ; Party People feat Social Club by +Derek Minor ; Space Boots by LA Symphony; and We Gon' Reign by Flame. The nominated videos packaged up in a nice neat playlist. Hard Rock and Metal are next. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome back to our picks for the 4th We Love Christian Music Awards, as well as commentary on how it stacks up against the Platinum Vinyl Awards, more specifically, the current awards year, which is #PlatVnyl6. This is the third post, so check out the introduction and the first three groups of nominees by clicking on the appropriate links. The next two groups of nominees are competing for one award in the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Let me explain. The Encounter Award (Worship Album of The Year) and The Chorus Award (Church Based Worship Album of The Year) are both competing for the Modern Worship Album of The Year at the Platinum Vinyl Awards. And I think it will stay that way for a while. It's the sound, not the location, that makes the difference for me. The Encounter Award nominees are:
Aaron Gillespie - Grace Through The Wandering 4.50 Emeralds
Amanda Cook - Brave New World 4.50 Emeralds
Christy Nockels - Let It Be Jesus 4.75 Emeralds
Matt Maher - Saints and Sinners 4.75 Emeralds
Matt Redman - Unbroken Praise 4.75 Emeralds
The Chorus Award nominees are:
Bethel Music - We Will Not Be Shaken 4.75 Emeralds
Gateway Worship - Walls 4.50 Emeralds
Jesus Culture - Unstoppable Love #PVA5 (2014 Release)
Passion - Even So Come 4.75 Emeralds
Vertical Church Band - Church Songs 4.75 Emeralds
I Don't know why NRT dropped the ball on this one by putting a 2014 album for best of 2015. Other than that we don't have too many problems. I wasn't that impressed with Gillespie and Cook in the first grouping and Gateway worship in the second, but other than that the choices were very good. As I said, however, I have combined all the Modern Worship Music into one award. The Automatic Qualifiers for #PlatVnyl6. I have six, which is 1 short of a full bracket without busting it open. They are:
Bethel Music - Without Words: Synesthesia 5 EMERALDS
The Katina's - Sunday Set 5 EMERALDS
Planetshakers - #LETSGO 5 EMERALDS
Planetshakers - This Is Our Time 5 EMERALDS
Soulfire Revolution - Afterglow 5 EMERALDS
Young Oceans - I Must Find You 5 EMERALDS
A much better grouping. There probably will be an expansion of the categories beyond seven to accommodate a few more worthy nominees, but there will be no ties. The Hype Award corresponds to our Rap/Hip Hop Album of The Year, and personally I would say, don't believe the hype. Let's get right to the nominees.
Alex Faith & Dre Murray - Southern Lights: Overexposed MTM
Andy Mineo - Uncomfortable 4.75 Emeralds
JGivens - Fly Exam MTM
KB - Tomorrow We Live 4.50 Emeralds
Roy Tosh - Death Before Love 4.50 Emeralds
It's an OK bracket, but you notice those two MTM's. That means I consider them to have Missed The Mark and awarded them a score under 4 Emeralds. That means they don't get into the nominee pool, and KB and Tosh would be a stretch in the pool at 4.50. Here our the Automatic Qualifiers for #PlatVnyl6
Eshon Burgundy - The Fear of God 5 EMERALDS
Flame - Forward 5 EMERALDS
KJ-52 - Mental 5 EMERALDS
LA Symphony - You Still On Earth? 5 EMERALDS
Derek Minor - Empire 5 EMERALDS
Skrip - Renegades Never Die 5 EMERALDS
TobyMac - This Is Not A Test 5 EMERALDS
Whosoever South - Come On In 5 EMERALDS
This one was a category buster. 8 Perfect 5's in one year. And others may get snubbed if I don't go higher. Finishing with my picks. I'll go with Christy Nockels for the Encounter Award and Bethel Music for The Chorus Award. For Rap and The Hype Award, I'll pick Andy Mineo. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
"He Does All Things Well" (Mark 7:34). Maybe our first artist and his album shouldn't be compared to Jesus, but I liked the phrase. In a limited sense it applies. His name is CaJo (not Cujo) and is more accurately known as +Canton Jones. Forget Fresh Aire, with CaJo we are talking about Dominionaire, and there is definitely a window of blessing over his head. Mister Jones is one of those rare talents that can carry off a tune in whatever genre he feels led to sing in. Of course that makes it a little difficult to pigeonhole the album for award purposes, which, incidentally, is why you rarely see his albums up for award. A "typical" CaJo album mixes Rap, R&B, Hip Hop, and Gospel. Thankfully those 4 genres are combined into two at Night Beat HQ, or there would be 4 nominations given to an album. This year we had two albums to consider: Lust, Drugs & Gospel
, which was given a 5 Emerald rating and was put on this list, and God City USA, which fell just short of perfect.
Who woulda thunk that rap would be saved by crunk. I have no knowledge if that was spelled correctly, but I liked the rhyme pattern. #PlatVnyl4's New Artist of The Year and the winner of the Rap/Hip-Hop Album of The Year +WHOSOEVER SOUTH has, in this bloggers humble opinion, breathed new life into a stale if not dying genre. They did it by infusing Rap with Bluegrass, a combination I had not hitherto thought of. Goin' Home and All The Time were but two songs on a debut album that I almost missed because one early reviewer called them "country", and that is something that will not stand here at Night Beat HQ. All I can say is if this is country, then the CMA's need to start singing this instead of the junk that passes for Country these days. Thankfully we had a breather during #PlatVnyl5, but the eligibility year for #PlatVnyl6 began this October with the group inviting everyone to Come on In
. No Sophomore Slump here. Actually they raised the bar. The title cut, sounds like home, country crunk. Maybe the reason liberals make fun of rednecks and Southerners is because they can't appreciate good music. Just sayin. Rap has always been known as an individual effort, but sometimes it helps to go to the symphony. LA Symphony is a rap quintet at current, and the membership has gone as high as eight. They've been on silent since 2005, so when they make a comeback in 2014 they name their album You Still on Earth?Most of the original lineup made a guest appearance on the album, which has a good rhythm to it. I guess with Rap, more is better. Two albums, though perfect, failed to make the list. I had over 40, so I had to edit somewhere. Both Mental
by KJ-52 and Below Paradise
by Tedashii had to be cut. They were perfect albums, so look for them in the Platinum Vinyl Awards this year. Next up is Gospel. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Welcome Back to Music Video Monday everyone, we are somewhat on schedule this week. Just a quick post this time. We begin our video tour with Bluegrass/Rap group +WHOSOEVER SOUTH and their latest Music Video, Down Here.
We continue with another Perfect 5 Emerald Rating band, +Tenth Avenue North. This is We Are Cathedrals.
And finally, we conclude our video tour on a Hard Note. We crank up the volume for Project 86. This is the title video for Knives to The Future. That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
We are back in business. Welcome back to our regularly scheduled edition of Music Video Monday. Since two-thirds of the #PlatVnyl4 results are in, it's safe to resume normal operations, so here we go. We begin with a new video from a #PlatVnyl4 Winning Artist. +WHOSOEVER SOUTH has already won Hip Hop/Rap Album of The Year, and the announcements are still not done yet. They have an opportunity to win three more awards, so keep it tuned here for the results. From their album which will release October 7, they say Come On In. Next up we move on to the dance hall. This is Capital Kings, and Fireblazin. And finally we have one of the most beautiful voices in Christian Music, Lara Landon, with a home video tribute to her Father, who recently moved to heaven. This is the touching song I Want To Know You. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
We are on the home stretch, so to speak, as we progress through the Video Awards Show for #PlatVnyl4. The Rap Videos are next. We had a good group of nominees this time around, including a rarity for Rap and Hip Hop, a cover/remix of sorts. And what a style of music to cover. Not exactly rap material. Remember, if you are just joining us, we have already awardedAdult Contemporary, Alternative, Pop, Dance, and Electronic. On to the awards. The nominees in #PlatVnyl4 for Hip Hop/Rap Video of The Year were: Goin Home by +WHOSOEVER SOUTH ; No Sex by Still Trill Christians ; Pharaoh feat Tragic Hero by +Dre Murray ; Skyfall feat +ESHONBURGUNDYby Rekonciled ; and Sunglasses by Rod G Newman and Mr. Del. You can check out the announcement post here. When the votes were counted everyone was cheering for Bond, James Bond. Sorry. While the movie left me unmoved, I just loved this cover of the Adele Theme by Rekonciled. Who knew James could Rap. So the Winner of the Hip Hop/Rap Video of The Year for #PlatVnyl4 was Skyfall. The Rock genres are next to close it out. First up is Hard Rock and Metal. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
I promised these posts and I am finally getting around to it. Things have been pretty interesting around here. You know, as in, "may you live in interesting times". I think that is a curse. We are going to do the big four, as far as I am considered. We begin with the nominees for New Artist of The Year. And the nominees are:
Julie Elias
+Everfound The Ordnorolov Brothers, though residing in Colorado, emigrated from Russia with their parents. Their nomination makes the farthest East the Night Beat family stretches.
+Farah Loux These Kiwis (New Zealand) are the latest addition to The Commonwealth of CCM. There are barely any Flaws with their newest release, which in the tradition of fellow commonwealth member IONA, is filled with non-traditional rock instruments such as a harp.
+ShineBrightBaby The latest discovery by the Tooth and Nail empire, the Orville, OH band really knows how to jam, and songs like Love Endures and Made to Glow will not be forgotten very soon.
+Jenny Simmons The former Addison Road frontwoman makes a strong debut as a solo artist.
+We As Human Being discovered by John Cooper of Skillet is a strong point in this bands favor, and while they are not technically new (having formed in 2006 and released 2 EPs and 2 full length albums), their current eponymous release marks their Major Label Debut with Atlantic Records, all of the previous releases were Independent).
+WHOSOEVER SOUTHThe most unique rap/hip hop band out there. They blend the hip hop with Bluegrass instead of the traditional dance. I don't believe that anyone will be attempting to imitate them anytime soon. They are truly in a class by themselves.
That concludes the nominees. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Video by A New Artist. There is some wiggle room with this category as to "new" but not much. Sometimes they are debut, sometimes major label debut, and sometimes it's just that I just now heard of them. And isn't that all that really matters? Anyway we picked the five best videos by some of the up and comers. And the nominees are. Beautiful Love, +ShineBrightBaby Goin' Home, +WHOSOEVER SOUTH God of the Impossible, +Everfound He is With Us, +LoveAndTheOutcome K.I.D.S., +Farah Loux I hope you enjoy watching these nominees as much as I did while making the picks. I encourage you to vote for your favorite in the comments. Video of The Year is next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
We are almost through with the video portion of our Nominee Reveal. The next two segments will be much shorter. Today we reveal the nominees for Rap and Hip Hop Video of The Year. And the nominees are: Goin' Home, +WHOSOEVER SOUTH No Sex, Still Trill Christians Pharao feat +Tragic Hero , +Dre Murray Skyfall feat +Eshon Burgundy , Rekonciled Sunglasses, Rod G Newman and Mr.Del Just two more categories to go. Heavy Metal and Rock. I am Awaiting Your Comments.
Welcome to the Black Friday edition of Music Video Monday. I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving Day.
We begin Rap today. (Christmas Rap? Sorry, couldn't resist). This is a big one and will go on for a while. We begin with +andy mineoand AYO.
Mr. Del is next, with a hip hop cover of Corey Hart's Sunglasses. A couple of new artists are next. First up is Still Trill Christians who remind us that until the ring is on her finger there better be No Sex. Our last rap group is Whosoever South. They are truly in a class by themselves. This is Goin Home. Don't overdose on Tryptophan over the weekend. We'll be back with more Rap Videos on Monday. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
On to Rap and Hip Hop. A very well represented genre this quarter with ten entries. A nice mix of newcomers and veterans too. I wont spend too much time with introductions, so on to the entries.
Hip Hop & Rap
Shai Linne - Lyrical Theology, Part 1: Theology
Heath McNease - The Weight of Glory: Second Edition
Andy Mineo - Heroes For Sale
Mr. Del - Faith Walka
JSon - Braille
R-Swift - Apply Pressure
Still Trill Christians - Kings
Tony Tillman - The Tillman EP
Whosoever South - Goin Home
Young Chozen - G.L.O.W.
Some may remember that I was less than impressed one time with Mr. McNease. That was a different album. I treat each release separately.These songs inspired by the works of C.S. Lewis worked wonderfully. Newcomer Whosoever South was the star of the quarter. They mix it up. Hip Hop, Rap, R&B. A totally fresh sound in the genre. And staple JSon scored a perfect album this time around. Rock and Metal await. And I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Things are finally getting back to normal. In April's edition of Night Beat Rewind I mentioned that no releases missed the mark. This month seven missed the threshold. On the other hand, four releases were labeled as Pure Platinum, the most in any month since this blog started (Technically there were 5 Perfect Albums in October 2012, but since two of them were Christmas Music, and there wasn't a Platinum Vinyl Award Category for that, they aren't counted). If I don't get a handle on things you are going to think that I hand out Fives like candy. If I didn't hand out an abundance of 4.75's, things would really be out of control.
We like to begin with those albums which we said were
To all my new readers, I like to mention that like the 4.75 rating, the 3.75 rating is sort of a cop out. When I think the album is very good, but not really award worthy, I give it 3.75. I don't start making judgements unless its 3.50 or below. There were, however, releases which really wowed me. These are they which are:
The perfect list was all over the place. Rock for Elefante, Gospel for Bady, Electronic for ATBL and Yancy did her usual genre switch, this time either Inspirational or Modern Worship. I like to call the albums that fell somewhere in between these two
That concludes the May edition of Night Beat Rewind. It's only June 3. That makes me very happy. What would make me even happier would be for you to click on the links and buy the music from Amazon. You help support the work of The Night Beat at the same time. Except for Allistair and All the Bright Lights. Allistair is on noisetrade for free. ATBL appears to be delayed, but the link will take you to a pre-order. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
, which was given a 5 Emerald rating and was put on this list, and God City USA
, which fell just short of perfect.
. No Sophomore Slump here. Actually they raised the bar. The title cut, sounds like home, country crunk. Maybe the reason liberals make fun of rednecks and Southerners is because they can't appreciate good music. Just sayin.
Most of the original lineup made a guest appearance on the album, which has a good rhythm to it. I guess with Rap, more is better.
by KJ-52 and Below Paradise
by Tedashii had to be cut. They were perfect albums, so look for them in the Platinum Vinyl Awards this year. Next up is Gospel. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
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EP 4.50 Emeralds
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