The Reckoning: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr - Folk

Folk Music (and Folk Rock) is first up among our single genre posts. Folk has turned into somewhat of a catch all genres, including bluegrass, reggae and even a bit of light country.

Folk/Folk Rock

• Steven Curtis Chapman - Deeper Roots: Where The Bluegrass Grows
• Heath McNease - Be Clean Again
• Cindy Morgan - Autumn and Eve: Old Testaments, Volume 1
• Ripp + Rice - Songs We Wrote on Tuesday
• Wild Harbors - Monument

Kind of a diverse grouping. Like I said, it's somewhat of a smorgasboard of a genre, and this proves it. What would a wrap be without a tie. We have one next. Adult Contemporary is first, next. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Reckoning: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr - Metal Rap

Rap/Hip-Hop and Hard Rock/Heavy Metal finish off our three megaposts. From here on in it is all one genre per post.

Rap/Hip-Hop

• Heesun Lee - Flying Cars EP
• Steven Malcolm - The Second City
• Tedashii - Never Fold

Hard Rock/Metal

• August Burns Red - Phantom Sessions EP
• Demon Hunter - War
• The Persuaded - Dawn of Destruction
• Within Temptation - Resist

Those who are solely familiar with the CCM Market may be unfamiliar with Within Temptation. They are a mainstream symphonic metal band from The Netherlands. They belong to the fringe. Their lyrics are full of Spiritual meaning, like LEAH, U2, Evanescence and others. And if you are wondering what happened to Demon Hunter's other album Peace, wait for the Rock section. Our first single genre post is Folk Music. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Reckoning: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr - Children's Compilation Dance

Our second megapost awaits us. This is the second of three posts this quarter. Children's Music, Compilation Album, and Dance-Synthpop are in this post. Let's get to it.

Children's Music

• Jetty Rae - Stardust

Compilation Album

• Various - Lift Every Voice and Sing
• Various - WoW Gospel 2019

Dance - Synthpop

• Planetboom - Jesus Over Everything
• Switch - Symphony
• Joel Vaughn - Control, Volume 2
• Ian Yates - Deconstruction, Volume 1

We have a pretty veteran group this quarter. Even Planetboom is descended from Planetshakers, which is no stranger to the PVA's. Our final megapost takes Rap and Metal on. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Reckoning: The 2019 Platinum Vinyl Awards 2nd Qtr - Alternative Instrumental Pop

We begin our Wrap of The 2nd Quarter Entries for PVX (or Platinum Vinyl 10 for those new to abbreviations). We begin, as always, with at least one megapost for those genres which fail to attain the minimum bar of 5 entries to get their own blog post. We will have three such posts this quarter. We begin with Alternative Rock, Instrumental Music, and Pop Music.

Alternative Rock

• Switchfoot - Native Tongue

Instrumental Music

• The Creak Music - Still, Volume 3
• Brady Novotny - Passions Collide

Pop Music

• Matt Hammit - Living Room Sessions
• David Leonard - The Wait
• Natasha Owens - Warrior
• Dave Pittman - Different Kind of Love

The Wrap Has Begun. Our next megapost awaits. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The History of CCM: A Tale of Two Amy's

It was the Best of Times, It was The Worst of Times...Sorry, but with all due respect to Charles Dickens, it has become obvious to me that Contemporary Christian Music can be bookended by two women who defined their era. It is A Tale of Two Amy's.

The Modern Era of Christian Music began with the Jesus Music Era which some have pegged as a twenty year era from 1969-1989. I would take one entire decade off because if you're honest, 1979 marked a era change in Christian Music. That was the year that a Tennessee Gal by the name of Amy Grant sang about her fathers eyes. Before then Christian Music toiled in a sort of exclusive obscurity. Yes, we have our Nancy Honeytree, our Larry Norman,  and a host of others, but except for those who experienced them, most of us learned about them long after their era passed, and they became famous by reputation.

Amy Lee Grant (you can't get more political ambivalence in one name, trust me), who was born six years before I was (and is the same age as my brother) was a country girl from Georgia (dare I say a Georgia Peach) who moved to Nashville at a Child. That one song spawned a host of imitators. Suddenly everyone wanted to be Amy (at least the ladies. Guys wanted to Marry Amy and be Smitty). Thanks to Youtube, we have a live performance of My Father's Eyes from 1981.

Like I said, that launched Amy, and along with it, something called Contemporary Christian Music or CCM, and in so doing brought about the Death of The Jesus Music Era. And when you get a Dove Award for breathing (yes, Sarcasm, but when you win just about every year from 1983 on, one wonders about the integrity of the award process). Yes, I know there is Sandi Patti and Darlene Zschech out there for imitators, but it is extremely hard to do Opera. And the Zschechies? They're just creepy.

Either way CCM was in search of another savior before it disappeared into obscurity. And proof that there is a God and he has a sense of humor -- He gave the industry another Amy. This Amy didn't suit them. 

Amy Lynn Lee was a 22 year old girl from Little Rock, Arkansas with a penchant for white makeup, goth clothing, and a lyrical obsession with love and death. And, worst of all, she wasn't a perfect little Christian Girl. Still, the Debut Label Release entitled Fallen (2003), was pre - ordered by Christian Bookstores everywhere. And it did fairly well. And then came the Entertainment Weekly interview, and they (I think it was Amy, but I don't know) that dropped the F-bomb and said "they weren't a Christian Band" (a Statement made by innumerable Christian Artists before and since with no repercussions). The Christian Music Industry went apoplectic and not surprisingly, went on a witch hunt. I had fallen on order with a Christian Music Mail Order Company, and it was delayed an embarrassing long time until it was finally withdrawn. I got it from Target. It was withdrawn from Christian shelves everywhere.

Amy and Evanescence laughed all the way to the bank. Christian Music Fans stayed loyal, even if the industry didn't. The Album is multiple platinum, and they introduced an obscure Christian Band from Arkansas to Mainstream Superstardom. 

Christian Music has its savior, want her or not. If we are to believe Wikipedia one of her first side projects was a song on a Summit Church Worship Album. Plus she has mentored Deena Jakoub of Veridia. And Evanescence has inspired most of the Christian Rock industry today, Eowyn and LEAH immediately come to mind, but the "Evanescence Sound" of as I call it, Machine Gun Guitars, has come into bands like Demon Hunter and Red.

It really is that simple. Christian Music had its solution and missed it. But they way Christian Radio is organized, even if the industry had rallied around Amy Lee, the Radio industry is still stuck in the 80's, and that's a shame. Agree? Disagree? I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: March 2019

The Second Quarter of #PVX is in the bag. It is a big one. We begin with the songs released during the month.

The Singles Scene

• The Afters - Lightning 4.75 Emeralds
• Antarctic Wastelands - Ocean Whispers 5 Emeralds
• Apollo LTD - DNA 5 Emeralds
• Francesca Battistelli - Defender ft Steffany Gretzinger 5 Emeralds
• Tina Boonstra - Flicker 4.50 Emeralds
• Dan Bremnes - Searching For Something 4.75 Emeralds
• Mack Brock - I Am Loved 5 Emeralds
• Aaron Bucks - Work In Progress 4.75 Emeralds
• Jonathan Cain - More Like Jesus 5 Emeralds
• Cody Carnes - Heaven Fall 4.75 Emeralds
• Celldweller - My Disintegration (Instrumental) 5 Emeralds
• Steven Curtis Chapman Where The Blugrass Grows 4.75 Emeralds
• Riley Clemmons - Fighting For Me 5 Emeralds
• Collington - Mountain 4.75 Emeralds
• Color Theory - Feral 5 Emeralds
• Amanda Lindsey Cook - Awakening 5 Emeralds
• Jimi Cravity - More of You 4.75 Emeralds
• Death Therapy - Feels Like Fiction 5 Emeralds
• Deraj - Breath ft CASS 4.75 Emeralds
• David Dunn - Spend a Life 4.75 Emeralds
• Julie Elias - Forgive Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Embassy - Now We Know You 5 Emeralds
• Folding Lights - Beauty Traded Places 5 Emeralds
• For All Seasons - Friends 4.75 Emeralds
• Free Worship - Already Done 5 Emeralds
• Danny Gokey - New Day 5 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - Another In The Fire (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Influencers - Believe Again 5 Emeralds
• Jamie Kimmet - Burdens 4.75 Emeralds
• La'Trese - One Touch 4.75 Emeralds
• Tasha Layton - Sound of Heaven ft Chris McClarney 4.75 Emeralds
• Trip Lee - No Days Off 4.75 Emeralds
• Elle Limebear - Maker of The Moon 5 Emeralds
• Local Sound - Heaven 5 Emeralds
• MDSN - Hunger 5 Emeralds
• Manafest - Come Back Home ft Trevor McNevan 5 Emeralds
• Branan Murphy - Perfectly 4.50 Emeralds
• Neon Feather - Universe Inside Your Eyes 4.75 Emeralds
• Newsboys - Symphony 5 Emeralds
• Newsboys - This I Know 5 Emeralds
• North Point Inside Out - Anchor of Peace 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Behold The Lamb ft Kristian Stanfill 5 Emeralds
• Peabod - Side Hustle 4.75 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Only Way 5 Emeralds
• Allan Scott - No More Lies On Me (NMLOM) 4.75 Emeralds
• Martin Smith - Fires Gonna Fall 5 Emeralds
• Martin Smith - Great and Glorious 5 Emeralds
• Starflyer 59 - Hey, Are You Listening 4.75 Emeralds
• Stars Go Dim - For Worse or Better 4.75 Emeralds
• Mark and Sarah Tillman - Oh What A Father (Lilbearcub Remix) 5 Emeralds
• Unspoken - Reason 4.75 Emeralds
• Matthew West - Unplanned (from the Motion Picture Unplanned) 4.75  Emeralds
• Darlene Zschech - Forever My King ft Leeland, Dustin Smith, Chardin Lewis and Hope UC 4.75 Emeralds

53 Singles, talk about coming in like a lion. We move on to the albums, and begin with those which don't make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• Abandon Kansas - Alligator: Live at Smoakstack 3.75 Emeralds
• East Hill Worship - Found 4.25 Emeralds 
• 7eventh Time Down - Brand New Day 3.50 Emeralds
• Whatuprg - Raul EP 3.50 Emeralds

I Always feel bad when I have to pan a worship album, but you can't just mail it in folks. The Next grouping never mails it in.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Mack Brock - Covered EP 5 Emeralds
• Amanda Lindsay Cook - House on A Hill 5 Emeralds
• The Creak Music - Still Volume 3 5 Emeralds
• David and The Giants - What Are You Waiting For? 5 Emeralds
• Demon Hunter - Peace 5 Emeralds
• Demon Hunter - War 5 Emeralds
• Luke and Anna Hellebronth - Motions of Mercy 5 Emeralds
• HeeSun Lee - Flying Cars EP 5 Emeralds
• David Leonard - The Wait 5 Emeralds
• William Murphy - Settle Here 5 Emeralds
• Natasha Owens - Warrior 5 Emeralds
• The Persuaded - Dawn of Destruction 5 Emeralds
• Planetboom - Jesus Over Everything 5 Emeralds

A Lucky 13 Perfect Entries. A whole lot of entries are in the middle, however.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Meredith Andrews - Faith and Wonder (Live) EP 4.75 Emeralds
• The Cashmans - City of God 4.50 Emeralds
• Steven Curtis Chapman - Deeper Roots: Where The Bluegrass Grows 4.5o Emeralds
• Beverly Crawford - The Essential Beverly Crawford, Volume 3 4.50 Emeralds
• Todd Dulaney - To Africa With Love - 4.75 Emeralds
• Jon Egan - Unveil (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Wild Harbors - Monument 4.75 Emeralds
• Highlands Worship - Jesus You Alone 4.75 Emeralds
• Life Center Worship - Debut EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Heath McNease - Be Clean Again 4.50 Emeralds
• We Are Messengers - Honest EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Cindy Morgan - Autumn and Eve 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Behold The Lamb/It Is Finished EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Jetty Rae - Stardust 4.75 Emeralds
• Chris Tomlin - Holy Roar: Live From Church 4.75 Emeralds
• Joel Vaughn - Control Volume 2 EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard UK - Legacy (Live From Ireland) EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Ian Yates - Deconstruction Volume 1 EP 4.75 Emeralds

March came in and went out like a lion. On to April and The Third Quarter.

Night Beat Rewind: February 2019

We are two thirds of the way through the second quarter of #PVX (Platinum Vinyl 10 to the rest of you). And what a quarter it is January started us off with 4 Perfect 5's and February has blown that away with 11 Perfect 5's. It's a Temptation that may be impossible to Resist.

The Singles Scene

• Meredith Andrews - Open Over Us (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Apollo LTD - Heaven (All Around You) 5 Emeralds
• Battledrums - Breakthrough 4.75 Emeralds
• Big Daddy Weave - Alive 4.75 Emeralds
• Bonray - Love U Forever 4.75 Emeralds
• Marci Coleman - Timeline 4.75 Emeralds
• The Color - The Kind of Man 5 Emeralds
• Dayseye - Victory 4.75 Emeralds
• Demon Hunter - Close Enough 5 Emeralds
• Demon Hunter - More Than Bones 5 Emeralds
• Deraj - Everything 4.75 Emeralds
• Deraj - Genes 4.50 Emeralds
• DJ Em-D - Away ft Shope 4.75 Emeralds
• Embassy - Jehovah Jireh (ft Deraj) 5 Emeralds
• For All Seasons - Light and Momentary 5 Emeralds
• GAWVI - Hope You Say 4.75 Emeralds
• Chad Graham - You say/Look Up Child/Rescue/Still Rolling Stones 5 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - Jesus See The Traveler 4.75 Emeralds
• HGHTS - Somebody ft Kristen Hicks 5 Emeralds
• Koryn Howthorne - Unstoppable ft Lecrae 5 Emeralds
• Luke and Anna Hellebronth - Abide 5 Emeralds
• JJ Heller - The Place Where Lost Things Go (from Mary Poppins Returns) 5 Emeralds
• Highlands Worship - Jesus You Alone 5 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - As You Find Me (Live) 5 Emeralds
• Hollyn - Good Times 4.75 Emeralds
• Influencers - Just The Cross 5 Emeralds
• Ledger - Completely 5 Emeralds
• Elle Limebear - Call On Your Name 5 Emeralds
• Local Sound - Never Far 4.75 Emeralds
• Dianne Michelle - Let It Be Evident 4.75 Emeralds
• Narrow Skies - Season of Gold 5 Emeralds
• Neon Feather - Come To Life ft Matty Mullins 4.75 Emeralds
• Christy Nockels - In Every Way 5 Emeralds
• Pastor Victor Onwundi - You are at the centre 4.25 Emeralds
• Brian Ortize - Only Jesus ft London Gatch 5 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - Echo 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - Step Into The Light ft Sean Curran [Live From Passion 2019] 4.75 Emeralds
• Plumb - Somebody Loves You 5 Emeralds
• Royal Company - Found In You 4.75 Emeralds
• John Schlitt - Fighting The Fight 4.75 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - You Are 5 Emeralds
• Shonlock - Gnarly 4.75 Emeralds
• Michael W. Smith - Waymaker ft Vanessa Camapgna & Madelyn Berry 5 Emeralds
• Social Club Misfits - Everytime 4.50 Emeralds
• Stars Go Dim - It's Gonna Get Better 4.75 Emeralds
• JSteph - Erasing History 5 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Close ft Evan and Eris 4.75 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - More Love ft CASS 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship - You're Carrying Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Kevin Ward - He Loves 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Promise Me 5 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Tell Me What Is Real 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy James Whitaker - Turmoil (Ju5tabu5t Remix) 4.75 Emeralds
• Ian Yates - Deconstruction 5 Emeralds

54 Entries. Yikes. That's a lot of songs. If there are a comparable number of albums released we will soon be inundated. On to the albums, and we begin with the albums which do not make the cut.

Missing The Mark

• Xay Hill - Red Ranger: Part 3 3.75 Emeralds
• 1k Phew - What's Understood 4.25 Emeralds
• Slow Coming Day - 1,000 Years (Like A Day) 4.25 Emeralds

3 Missing The Mark is pretty low, but it's still okay. You'll wonder when you see the next segment.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Adelaide - Strong + Brave 5 Emeralds
• Evan and Eris - Seasons 5 Emeralds
• London Gatch - New Stories 5 Emeralds
• Donald Lawrence - Goshen 5 Emeralds
• New Hope Oahu - Scripture Songs 5 Emeralds
• Brady Novotny - Passions Collide 5 Emeralds
• Michael W. Smith - Awaken: The Surrounded Experience 5 Emeralds
• The Tommies - The Tommies Reunion 5 Emeralds
• 29:11 Worship - Marble and Mortar, Volume 1 5 Emeralds
• Various - Lift Every Voice and Sing, Volume 1 5 Emeralds
• Within Temptation - Resist 5 Emeralds

3 MTM to 11 Perfect. It appears that the candy store is open for business. But Hey, it's February, and candy and chocolate is in style. We have many criteria to pick a Perfect 5 Album, probably as many as the genres themselves. One of the major criteria is that the album is perceived as perfectly representing the genre that it is in. And in the case of New Hope Oahu, I have given a 5 for the effort. Turning non psalms into music is quite an undertaking. Most will not do it. On to the music in the middle.

Semi-Precious Metals

• August Burns Red - Phantom Sessions EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Becca Bradley - Heaven Come Down 4.50 Emeralds
• Cross Point Music - Cross Point Music 4.75 Emeralds
• Dayseye - Victory EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Elias Dummer - The Works, Volume 1 4.75 Emeralds
• Keith and Kristen Getty - Sing! Psalms: Ancient and Modern (Live at The Getty Music Worship Conference) 4.75 Emeralds
• Chad Graham - First 4.75 Emeralds
• Alex Holt and Free Worship - Grace.Mercy.Love 4.75 Emeralds
• Rick Lee James - Thunder 4.75 Emeralds
• Lindy and The Circuit Riders - Driven By Love 4.50 Emeralds
• Radiate Worship - Come Alive 4.50 Emeralds
• The Recording Collective - Gospel Volume 3: Yes And Amen EP 4.75 Emeralds
• K-Ross - Son 4.75 Emeralds
• The Ruins - The Ruins EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Shane and Shane - Hymns (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• Switch - Symphony EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Chris Tomlin - Is He Worthy? EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Upperroom - To The One 4.75 Emeralds
• Cory Voss - Songs of The House (ft Madison Street Worship) 4.75 Emeralds

That does it for February. March is already off to a Lions start. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.