Music Video Monday: Raise Your Hands, You're Surrounded

Welcome to an all new edition of Music Video Monday, where we do our darndest to track down the best Music Videos in Christian Music. We begin with Smalltown Poets, which is making a comeback after a four year break. This is Prophet, Priest and King
Next up we have Audrey Assad. She has released Evergreen this past Friday. This is the Lyric Video for Drawn To You.
And finally we finish off our two week marathon. Last Week Michael W. Smith lit a million lights in the Pop arena. This week he leads worship and we find ourselves Surrounded. This is the live video of the title cut.

That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. February is in the Bag. March and Spring Awaits. Until next month, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Breaking Out A Million Lights

Welcome to an all New edition of Music Video Monday. Happy Presidents Day. This is a sham holiday created to kick off High School Winter Vacation. We used to have two holidays in February, which honored Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. In a rare move of contraction we have to honor all Presidents including U.S. Grant (great General, incompetent President, most corrupt administration of All Time. Sorry Libs, Nixon doesn't even come close), Hoover(Caused Great Depression) and William Henry Harrison (32 days). I think I like the old way better. And you get two days off with pay.

We begin our Music Tour with All Above Me, a Christian Female Fronted Metal Band. (With all apologies to Icon For Hire, it helps with the categorizing. And they should be honored. No one has accused all FFR bands of sounding alike, something that can not be said of Male Fronted Bands unfortunately. The Ladies know how to create their own unique sound. Maybe the guys should take a lesson.). The Calgary Band has released their first Full Length Album Return to the Battlefield. Featuring Kevin Young of Disciple, this is King and Crown.

Sometimes a band takes a wrong turn. Sometimes it is a fatal mistake, sometimes the ship of state can be righted. Such is the case with Nine Lashes. A promising start in the Hard Rock/Metal genre (can you get much more promising than to be nurtured by Trevor McNevan of TFK?) they put out three solid albums before careening out of control into pop boy band territory with Ascend (talk about an ironic title). They return with a new single Breaking Out. All I can say is You have found your way back home.

Finally, those of you who have been with us since our reboot began know that The Night Beat had its start as a Radio Show in the Mid to late 1980's. A staple on the radio those days was Michael W. Smith, who was a perfectionist in those days, pushing back release dates to absurd lengths. Time must have mellowed him, because while he still makes excellent music, he is releasing 2 Albums in Two Weeks. A Million Lights drops on February 16, Surrounded on February 23. This is A Million Lights.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: January 2018

A New Year, a New Edition of Night Beat Rewind. 2018 has begun, and it is starting with a bang. I wont spend a lot of time telling you how big a month it is. I'll let the releases do the talking. We begin with the songs released in the month, with hopefully an album will follow soon afterward.

The Singles Scene

• Audrey Assad - Drawn To You 4.75 Emeralds
• Beacon Lights - Sleeping on Me ft Spencer Kane 4.50 Emeralds
• Brad and Rebekah - Never Alone ft Watoto 4.75 Emeralds
• Mike Brand - It's all good 3.50 Emeralds
• Ty Brasel - No More 4.75 Emeralds
• Ty Brasel - Phoenix in Exile 4.25 Emeralds
• Brvndon P - I Get No 4.50 Emeralds
• Eshon Burgundy - Testify 4.75 Emeralds
• Captured - With All 4.50 Emeralds
• Family Force 5 - Fire On The Highway 4.75 Emeralds
• Free G - The Great Escape ft Sibbyl 4.75 Emeralds
• James Gardin - Limits 4.50 Emeralds 
• Tragic Hero - Look Who I'm With 4.50 Emeralds
• Joey Jewish - Brown Boi ft WHATUPRG 4.25 Emeralds
• Prafit Josiah - Count Yah Blessings 4.50 Emeralds
• Lovecollide - I Don't Want It 4.75 Emeralds
• TobyMac - I Just Need U 4.75 Emeralds
• Sarah Masen - Three Strangers 4.75 Emeralds
• Kevin Max - AWOL 5 Emeralds
• Mighty Men of Faith - River of Life 4.50 Emeralds
• NF - No Name 4.75 Emeralds
• Nineclub - Keep On 4.75 Emeralds
• Owl City - Lucid Dreams 4.75 Emeralds
• Sarah Reeves - Right Where You Want Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Brian Reith - Good 2 B Back 4.50 Emeralds
• Scandroid - Time Crime 4.75 Emeralds 
• Scandroid - Time Crime (Instrumentals) 4.75 Emeralds
• Shiwan - New Grammar 4.75 Emeralds
• Social Club Misfits ft Tauren Wells - War Cry 4.50 Emeralds
• Tedashii - Splash 4.50 Emeralds
• Chris Tomlin - Resurrection Power 5 Emeralds
• Roy Tosh - Stronger 4.75 Emeralds
• JJ Weeks Band - Fools Gold 4.75 Emeralds
• The Young Escape - Good Life (Loud Luxury Remix) 4.50 Emeralds

34 Songs. You heard that right. 34. In one month. Sometimes we don't have 34 entries total in a month. Let's go on to the albums. We begin with those albums which do not qualify for the #PlatVnyl9 Pool.

Missing The Mark

• Eric Birdine and The Messengers - The Message Volume 2: Bless His Name 4.25 Emeralds
• Ruslan - Indie Jones II 4.25 Emeralds
• Corey Wise - Infinity Vibes EP 4.25 Emeralds

The next grouping not only doesn't have to worry about making the pool, they have a great chance of winning it all.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• Forerunner Music - Fully Alive 5 Emeralds
• Nicole C. Mullen - Like Never Before 5 Emeralds
• Rend Collective - Good News 5 Emeralds
• Mark Lee Townsend - 1919: The Ballad of Rexford 5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Gospel 2018 5 Emeralds

We finish with the albums in the middle, which have to fight it out in the pool.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Cory Asbury - Reckless Love 5 Emeralds
• Leanna Crawford - Crazy Beautiful You (Deluxe) 4.75 Emeralds
• Todd Dulaney - Your Great Name 4.75 Emeralds
• Equippers Revolution - CLRS EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Tommy Faulk - Come What May 4.75 Emeralds
• Jordan Felix - Witness (Remixes) 4.75 Emeralds
• First Free Music - Awake/Alive 4.50 Emeralds
• For All Seasons - Clarity EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Freedom Church - Thunder. Reign 4.75 Emeralds
• GodzG - Grayscale 4.75 Emeralds
• KJ-52 - Jonah Part 2 (Limited Release) 4.75 Emeralds
• Adam Layne - Emblem 4.75 Emeralds
• Steven Malcolm - The Second City, Part 1 EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Mass Anthem - Through People Like Me 4.75 Emeralds
• Germaine Martel - Human 3: The Holy Trilogy 4.50 Emeralds 
• Jared Miller - Chasing Me Down EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Cameron Moore - Alpenglow 4.50 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Ignition EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Remedy Drive - The North Star 4.75 Emeralds
• Brooke Robertson - Have My Heart EP 4.50 Emeralds
• Sleeping Giant - I AM 4.75 Emeralds
• Jason Upton - A Table Full of Strangers, Volume 2 4.75 Emeralds
• Cory Voss - Songs of Heaven and Earth 4.50 Emeralds

2018 is under way. It looks like its going to be a big year. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply. 

Music Video Monday: Riding In an Off Road Minivan

Welcome Back to Music Video Monday. We have had a bumpy ride lately, sort of like an off road minivan (more on that later). Still, we have managed to scare up a few videos this time.

We begin with Lights. She manages to keep putting out some great music videos in conjunction with her Skin and Earth Graphic Novel/Album. The latest of these is called We Were Here, and it features her husband Beau as a priest.

Next up we have a somewhat regular, Artifex Pereo. This is the music video for As History Would Have It.
Tooth and Nail Records has a history of discovering and nurturing new talent, who then go on their own and keep producing great Music (Do the names Emery, Icon For Hire and Thousand Foot Krutch ring a bell?). Their newest discovery is called Off Road Minivan, and they will be releasing their debut on February 16. This is Spiral Gaze.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Music Video Monday: Good News

Welcome Back to Music Video Monday. We haven't been able to keep a steady pace, getting waylaid by a few holidays, but we are making slow progress. We're doing much better in the behind the scenes stuff.

We begin our musical journey with a little rap. Eshon Burgundy came into the orbit of the Night Beat through his association with the Rap Group Rekonciled. They have been silent for the past 5 years. They need to make some noise. Anyway, Eshon has been releasing some singles in anticipation of a new album. This is the music video for Nothing Above You.
Next up we have Remedy Drive. They are lighting up the North searching for The North Star. This is Sunlight on Her Face. 
And finally we have a little free-form worship from Rend Collective. They are here to remind us that the Gospel that we preach is Good News. I think we should shout that from the rooftops.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Bumpy progress is still progress. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Lost Love Songs: A Coupleary Celebration

Well it is that time of year again. Coupleary. It is the 13th Month of The Year and spans from (Officially) January 15-February 14, but unofficially it lasts from December 26 (I checked, the stores had everything out on the shelves) until February 17. As a single guy, I usually do my best to ignore all the mushy ads. Valentines Day is one of the "holidays" that I opt-out of. I figure I save at least $500 every year. 

One of those things I try to avoid is love songs, at least the typical "I'd never trade a thing, you are so wonderful to me" songs. Written by someone who has the girl. Those of us who look at the situation and decide to try our luck at Foxwoods tend to like the other kind of "love song". The song where the girl says no or otherwise leaves. I call this playlist lost love songs, after "tis better to have loved and lost..." It is a work in progress and I will keep adding to it as I find them. For now, this is the list.

• Emery, The Ponytail Parades: "It scares me to think that you could find takers other than me, better than me." "Don't say that we can still be friends." With two cuts here, they are the king of the break up song.
• Emery, Can't Stop The Killer: One of the most disturbing songs in Christian Music. The chronicle of a Broken Marriage ending in Murder. You have to hear it to believe it.
• Color Theory, I Should Have Kissed You: "I told myself when you leaned in closer, this is my big chance but now it is over, and now I miss you. I should have kissed you." Honesty like this gets you the co-regency.
• Color Theory, A Safe Distance: "I will always love you, From a safe distance" Enough Said.
• Skillet, Say Goodbye: "Don't say anything tonight, if you're gonna say goodbye"
• NF, I Just Wanna Know: "I just wanna know, when did you get so cold, what happened to your soul."
• Sumerlin, Breaking Out: "It's my fault I gave my heart away with the key, I thought that she would be the one to stay here."
• The Ember Days, Darling: On first spin I felt it was about a spouse dying, I later discovered that it was about the death of a child. It works either way. "What shall be my hope without without my love without my love. Will I find heaven to be my only relief." I can not hear this song without tearing up. A short vocal song with a long instrumental end.
• The Quiet Science, The Things That Cannot Be: "If Only Every Word You Said Could be Removed From Me so that I didn't know you at all. If Only Every Line of your face didn't burn so deep into my memory the things that cannot be."

Despite the list I am not depressed, only realistic. The sayings end "than not to have loved at all" is true. You can't break up if you weren't together at one point. Get your tissues and give it a listen. Meanwhile I'll be practicing my poker skills. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
 

Falling Rocks: The 2018 Platinum Vinyl Awards 1st Qtr - Modern Worship

If you never knew which genre was going to win the quarter, you obviously are new to The Night Beat (and if you are, Welcome). It's pretty much a running joke here, as it is well known that Modern Worship is the most bloated genre in Christian Music. Of course this quarter the genre has produced an album which just might win Album of The Year. So there.

Modern Worship

• Cherry Hills Worship - Cherry Hills Worship
• Higher Vision - For Your Kingdom
• ICF Worship - The Journey: A Collection
• Kutless - Alpha Omega
• Light City Music - In Rivers
• Matt and Toby - I Quit Church
• Anabeth Morgan - A Place Your Glory Dwells
• Young Oceans - Suddenly (or The Nuclear Sunburst of The Truth Revealed)
• Pursue Worship - Let it Rise
• J. Reynolds - Fire and The Flood
• Jeremy Riddle - More
• Salt of The Sound - In Prayer
• Soul Survivor - The Promise
• Southville - Freedom's Tree
• Austin Stone Worship - Everflow
• Substance I.O. - Input Output
• Vineyard Worship - Wear The Crown: Anchor Studio Sessions

Count them up. That's 17 entries in a single quarter. That's almost three years worth of finals, and it's only the first quarter. Thee more to go. This is the toughest genre to judge. The Second Quarter awaits. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.