Music Video Monday: Sympathy

It's March, folks, and while that means nothing in the PVA World, except maybe that I'm behind schedule with nominations. It does mean that I am SOOOOO ready for Spring. March Madness has nothing to do with Basketball this year, it's how we all feel about the Winter.

We begin with another video from Stryper. This is Sympathy. Just not for the devil.

Skillet recently put out a Music Video for Not Gonna Die. Previously all they had was a very cool Manga Lyric Video. Yes the Album was for the current year, but the video is recent.
Next up is Daughtry. He's Waiting For Superman.
That's it for this week. From now on there will be a mish-mash of videos. Until next time, 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.

What If We Were Real

Despite all its accolades, sometimes American Idol makes a mistake. Nowhere more is that evident than with its Fifth Season. I bet that people don't even remember who won that year (It was Taylor Hicks, who Jay Leno called his son). I think he was doing the Food Festival circuit last I heard. On the other hand, the Runner Up (Katherine McPhee), 4th Place (Chris Daughtry) and top 6 (Kellie Pickler) have by far proven the judges and viewers wrong.

Also having greater success than the eventual winner is top 9 finalist Mandisa with her latest release What If We Were Real. As she burst onto the CCM scene (where other Idol castoffs such as Chris Sligh, Phil Stacey and Brooke (Barrettsmith) Adams have found success) with the help of Toby Mac and Gotee Records. The latest release is a blend of Gospel, R&B and Dance. I admit to be less than enthusiastic about her earlier music, and it had nothing to do with her weight at the time.

[I want to make a weight related musical aside here. In Christian Music, especially Gospel, there are an abundance of "plus sized" women who nonetheless have the pipes. Of course there is no correlation between the pipes and the weight, and the proof is Mandisa, who still has the pipes, and having reportedly lost 100 pounds, has developed a yowza factor as well]

The album begins with the first Radio Single, the Gospel/Dance hit Stronger, and from the first notes of this third album we know we will not be experiencing the usual mandisa album. The pop is gone, and it is replaced with high energy rock/R&B/Gospel. Even if you can't dance to save your life, you will dance when this comes out of your stereo, you can't help it. Though the overall tempo is high speed from beginning to end, we do slow down to "catch our breath" twice. I put that in quotes because The Truth About Meand Just Crytake full advantage of Mandisa's vocal range, with the result that both songs take on an operatic quality. It's hard to catch your breath while it's taken away.

For my final verdict, I am giving What if we were real by Mandisa 5 Emeralds. The perfect rating sets it as the bar to be reached in the Gospel/R&B genre. Though you should never say never, unless over seven nominees reach the coveted 5 Emerald Rating, it will guarantee the album entry among the final 7 nominees in the category. Without sounding overly crass, don't cry, just buy this album.

The Anatomy of Boredom

The Anatomy of Broken is the second release by 2007 10th Place American Idol Finalist Chris Sligh. Clocking in at just under an hour in length, it is quite long by current standards. Not helping matters any is that of the fourteen songs on the album, ten of them are of that perfect "Air Conditioning" genre (Adult Contemporary) that so easily goes on in the background that you don't pay much attention to it.  Let's just say I wouldn't pop this CD into my car for a long road trip home.