Night Beat Rewind: October 2013

October is finally in the bag, release wise. It's time to do the monthly rewind. We begin the Platinum Vinyl Award Eligibility year with a doozy. Talk about candy store. There were a whopping eight Perfect 5's. One was a push from last year. Since the album was announced in the previous year but finally ceased to be vaporware in October. And then there was the Christmas releases, which aren't eligible for an award but have to be counted. There will be no links at first for this post, for obvious reasons.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• Paul Baloche - Christmas Worship 3.75 Emeralds
• Dave Barnes - A December to Remember 4.75 Emeralds
• Jonathan Butler - Merry Christmas To You 4.75 Emeralds
• For King and Country - Into the Silent Night 4.75 Emeralds
• Brandon Heath - Christmas Is Here 4.50 Emeralds
• North Point Music - North Point Christmas: Let There Be Light 3.75 Emeralds
• Phillips, Craig and Dean - Hope For All The World 4.50 Emeralds
• The Robertsons - Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas 5 Emeralds
• Marvin Sapp - Christmas Card 4.75 Emeralds

 Though I'm not a fan of Country, the Duck Dynasty group had me smiling. It's hard to top a duck call version of Deck The Halls. On to the releases which

Missed The Mark

• Keith Elgin - Our Hope Live 3.75 Emeralds
• The Exchange - The Exchange 3.75 Emeralds
• The Fold - Morning Past 3.75 Emeralds
• Natalie Grant - Hurricane (Deluxe) 3.75 Emeralds
• Gurl Code - Gurl Code 3.75 Emeralds
• City Harbor - Come However You Are 3.75 Emeralds
• One:nine - North Flew South For The Winter 3.50 Emeralds
• Lynda Randle - Ageless Hymns 3.50 Emeralds
• Sivion - Group Therapy 3.50 Emeralds
• Austin Stone - King of Love 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Holy Hip Hop, Volume 17 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Jam The Hype, Volume 1 3.75 Emeralds
• Various - Just As I Am 3.50 Emeralds
• Michelle Williams -Do You Know 3.75 Emeralds

Most of these albums just missed being pool eligible, so they are not bad albums. We move from the not in to those albums which are deemed to be 

Pure Platinum

• All The Bright Lights - The Wind and the Waves 5 Emeralds
• Anberlin - Devotion Vital Special Edition 5 Emeralds
• Beautiful Eulogy - Instruments of Mercy 5 Emeralds
• Downhere - Love & History: The Best of Downhere 5 Emeralds
• Icon For Hire - Icon For Hire 5 Emeralds
• Robbie Seay Band - Psalms EP, Volume 1 5 Emeralds
• Martin Smith - God's Great Dance Floor, Step 2 5 Emeralds
• Aaron Sprinkle - Water and Guns 5 Emeralds 

All The Bright Lights is the holdover. Anberlin is a special edition including a live second disc, and Downhere is a best of, which won't make the finals, because we don't have a best of Category. 

Finally we go to those releases in the middle, or ones we deem

Semi-Precious Metal

• Bride - Incorruptible 4.50 Emeralds
• Canon - Mad Haven 4.50 Emeralds
• Steven Curtis Chapman - The Glorious Unfolding 4.50 Emeralds
• Family Force 5 - Reanimated 4.75 Emeralds
• Flame - Royal Flush 4.50 Emeralds
• Gateway Worship - Women of Faith Presents: Gateway Worship 4.75 Emeralds
• Hillsong Young and Free - We Are Young and Free 4.50 Emeralds
• Dustin Kensrue - The Water & The Blood 4.75 Emeralds
• Thousand Foot Krutch - Made In Canada: The 1998-2010 Collection 4.50 Emeralds
• Bryan Popin - You Can Make It 4.50 Emeralds
• Press Play - #LITO 4.75 Emeralds
• Righteous Vendetta - The Fire Inside 4.75 Emeralds
• Royal Tailor - Royal Tailor 4.50 Emeralds
• Sainthood Reps - Headswell 4.50 Emeralds
• Laura Story - God of Every Story 4.50 Emeralds
• Superchick RE:Collections 4.50 Emeralds
• Jon Thurlow - Stand In Awe 4.75 Emeralds
• Chris Tomlin - Burning Lights: Deluxe Tour Edition 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - My Hope: Songs Inspired By The Message and Mission of Billy Graham 4.50 Emeralds
• Vertical Church - The Rock Won't Move 4.50 Emeralds
• WARR Acres - Hope Will Rise 4.75 Emeralds
• Wolves at the Gate - Back To School 4.50 Emeralds 

That finishes off the month of October. Things are getting off to a roaring start here in the 5th Platinum Vinyl Award Eligibility Year. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Wanted

Welcome Back to Music Video Monday, and Happy Veterans Day everyone. On This Day in 1918 the Armistice which led the groundwork for World War II was signed (sorry, Ended World War I, but we know the truth). End of history lesson, on to the videos.

We are closing out pop music on this Monday. Friday we move on to the Electronic Genres. We begin our video tour with another video by Love and The Outcome. This is City of God.
Next Up we have a wonderful British-American Sister Duo known as The Sonflowerz. This is the video for the title cut, Love Walked In.
No Sophomore Slump for our next artist. I knew it when I heard her debut, but it seems the industry is a little behind, as usual. Simply put, Dara Maclean is Wanted.
We end our pop tour with Ryan Stevenson, who says that he is Holding Nothing Back.
That finishes off pop. Friday we begin Dance and Electronica. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

No More Hell To Pay

1986 was a milestone year in Christian Music. At least if you were a headbanger. It was the year that a bunch of long haired freaks dethroned one of Pop Music's favorite singers, at least for a moment. The most sung youth ballad in history was, for a while, replaced by some Sweet Music.

Robert Sweet, Michael Sweet, Timothy Gaines, Oz Fox. We know them as Stryper. The name hails from the Bible. Isaiah 53:5 to be exact (by His Stripes we are healed). The album was called To Hell With The Devil , and the original cover featuring four long haired angels casting the devil into Hell caused quite a stir among the CCM Industry at large and was replaced by a black triangle logo with the name underneath. Most notable, at least for me, was that the ballad Honestly actually supplanted Friends by Michael W. Smith. Plus the album went platinum. Rare for a Christian Album at any time. In the 80's, and to a heavy metal band.

Fast Forward 27 years. Stryper is still among us, a feat in itself. Of course they did take somewhat of a sabbatical from 1991 to 1999. Still, when they reunited they did it with all the original members.

No More Hell to Pay , the third original album from the reunited band, is the sequel to THWTD in more ways than one. First, counting The Yellow and Black Attack EP, it is the

third album in sequence, not counting best of's and covers. Then there is another angel themed album cover. And finally, there is a Hell themed title.

That's pretty much where the similarities between the two end. This is by far the loudest and strongest Stryper album to date. The One, which is the only ballad on the album, is not what you would expect, honestly. It is still good. The anthems are where the band has always shone, and it is no different here. The Guitar Work by The Wizard of OZ is to be envied by any guitarist short of Phil Keaggy and Robert Sweet can still hit the high notes. Last Year I gave their students, Canadians Blessed By A Broken Heart, a Five Emerald Rating. I can do no less for the teachers here. The title cut alone is worth the albums, with typical tight three part harmonies. But then there is Revelation.

I'm, I'm, I'm, Coming like a thief at night. And You, you, you, you're out of time so make it right. There, There, There, will be no more apologies. Cause, my, my, my, my wrath will spread like a disease.

There's a Revelation, it's coming after you. Without hesitation, it's gonna bring the truth.

5 Emeralds. I can really do no less for No More Hell to Pay . The only Hell to pay will be if you don't get this album. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Weekend Edition: Live With Abandon

Welcome back to the Weekend Edition of Music Video Monday. I have decided to bookend the weekends with Music Videos to help you kick off the Weekend, and keep you from the Monday Blues.

We Start, or RESTART, with Newsboys, who encourage us to Live With Abandon.
I've really enjoyed this restart. Going into Synthpop was a very good move. It suits Michael Tait "To a T".

Next up is new group Love and The Outcome, reminding us, no matter what we are going through, we can trust our God, for He is With Us.
Another song from Jason Castro. This is Rise To You.
We finish the Weekend Edition with Christa Wells, one half of More Than Rubies. This is Shine.
That concludes another weekend edition of Music Video Monday. See You Monday for our regularly scheduled MVM. We're here on Veterans Day too. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The WENC Night Beat: Print Edition

While I am spinning my wheels with my Great American Novel, so to speak, I have decided to try my hand in the non fiction market. There are many post out there in the blogosphere about turning your blog into a book, and a few sites to help you do it for a fee. I've got to do it the cheapest way possible.

The working title is In Pursuit of Pure Platinum Perfection, and it could just as well be my memoir.  It is, however, the Night Beat in book form, and when it's done you can have my musical life in a nice package for easy reference. And it's got that alliterative title going for it.

I'm using google docs for the book, and all seems to be going well. Once I am done writing it I will most likely offer it for sale on my blog. If one of the ebook publishers makes hard copies I would most likely want to offer that option as well.

That does it for this post. Just wanted to update you on some of the things going on at The WENC Night Beat. You can follow my blog at bloglovin or check me out on Facebook or Google Plus

You can also check me out on Twitter, but, It's a combo personal page, so you'll find a lot of stuff on there not necessarily Night Beat related. I still would encourage a follow, though.

I'm on Chapter One of the book, but Chapters are kind of free, more like part one. Look for it soon. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Life is Beautiful

Welcome back to our regularly scheduled Music Video Monday. We have left Alternative Land and have moved on to Pop. 

We begin our video tour with Jason Castro, who reminds us that whatever problem you face, it's only a mountain.

Next up is The Afters, reminding us that Life is Beautiful.

Hawk Nelson is next, with Words.

And finally, a newbie. The Debut of Pop/Dance artist 1 Girl Nation and While We're Young.

That completes this edition of Music Video Monday. Tune in Friday for our weekend edition with Videos from Newsboys, among others. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

MVM Weekend Edition: More, More, Paramore.

Welcome to the second edition of Music Video Friday. We've made this concession to the abundance of music videos out there by the bands. I have neglected this up to now, but you can always vote for your best video of the week on the comments and I will tally them in the future to compile the nominees for the Video Awards.

We begin with Paramore, who released a self titled album earlier this year.  This is Still Into You.
Next up we want to Abandon Kansas. It's all about You+Me+The Radio.
Almost doesn't count except in Horseshoes and Hand grenades. And Alternative Music. This is The Almost, and I'm Down.
Finally we have one of the more oddly named bands in Christian Music. This is VOTA. From their latest release this is God of The Universe.
We turn to Pop on Monday, with videos from Hawk Nelson and The Afters among others. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.