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.

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.

Heating It Up: Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees - Rock

We finally come to the end of the genre based nominees for this quarter with Rock. Again, we were well represented. Eleven entries for this one too.

Platinum Vinyl Awards 4th Quarter Nominees

Like I Said, nearly a dozen entries. This is good. Even though it makes my job a lot more difficult, I like it when the genre's are well represented.

Rock

• Ashes Remain - What I've Become
• Downhere - On the Altar of Love
• For King and Country - For King and Country EP (D)
• Icon For Hire - Scripted
• Manic Drive - Epic
• Maylene & The Sons of Disaster - IV
• Needtobreathe - The Reckoning
• Rapture Ruckus - Open Your Eyes
• Rush of Fools - We Once Were
• Switchfoot - Vice Verses (5)
• Heather Williams - This Time Around (5)

We had Two Perfect 5's this time around with Switchfoot and Heather Williams. Now that things are finished it's time to put every entry in the pool and start whittling them down. I know I am only in my second year but I'm already thinking of mixing things up, maybe making up a fan survey to see who you think makes the grade. But that can wait. Please feel free to make your thoughts known in the comments. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: August 2011

We are here at the Penultimate Edition of Night Beat Rewind for the 2011 Platinum Vinyl Awards. In case anyone is unclear on the word, that means next-to-last. Now remember my eligibility year is October 1-September 30, smack in the middle of the Grammy's (September 1, 2010-September 30,2011) and the Doves (November 1, 2010 -October 31, 2011).

Since I've been picking up new readers through Triberr and other sources, I think it's time to review my Emerald Rating System. As regards to regular music listening anything worth listening to on a regular basis will be scored 3 Emeralds or Higher. Now with regards to the Platinum Vinyl Awards, the bar is set slightly higher. PVA inclusion begins with 4 Emeralds, anything lower than that will not be considered (If you use a star rating, The numbers stay the same). At the end of the Year of Eligibility the entries in each genre will be cut down to get to a "Final Round" which, in a perfect world, would be Seven Nominees, but it will be how it will. Last year some categories only had Two nominees for the entire year. The Basics are as follows.

• 5 Emeralds - In to the final round. (There will never be 7 5 Emerald albums in a year in any given category, trust me on this one).
• 4.75 Emeralds - Great chance of making the final 7
• 4.50 Emeralds - A Very Good Chance of Making the Finals
• 4.25 Emeralds - Do You Believe in Miracles?
• 4 Emeralds - The Lowest bar of inclusion in the original mix, but let's not get too giddy about your chances.
• 3.75 to 3 Emeralds - These aren't Platinum, but Bronze Silver and Gold are still nice metals.
• 2.75 Emeralds or Lower - Break out the Gong and the Shepherds Crook.

As always, we start with the ones that didn't make it and progress to the ones that did make the initial mix.

• Blaze - Exposed 3.75 Emeralds
• Patrick Ryan Clark - Where Would I Be 3.75 Emeralds
• Bethany Dillon - Beautiful: The Hits Collection 3.75 Emeralds
• Stellar Kart - A Whole New World EP 3.75 Emeralds
• Lindsay McCaul - If it Leads Me Back 3.75 Emeralds
• Brother's McClurg - Alive 3.75 Emeralds
• Sandi Patty - The Best of Sandi Patty 3.5 Emeralds
• Sainthood Reps - Monoculture 3.75 Emeralds
• Aaron Shust - This is What We Believe 3.75 Emeralds

Yes I know it seems like a copout with all the 3.75's (and no complaints from the Sandi lovers out there). My opinion is that these just missed. Still not so sure on Stellar Kart. I know they're doing Disney Covers here but this might be a parody album. On to the best for the month of August.

• Ashes Remain - What I've Become 4.5 Emeralds
• Braille - Native Lungs 4.5 Emeralds
• Steven Curtis Chapman - Re:Creation 4 Emeralds
• Dorinda Clark-Cole - I Survived 4.75 Emeralds
• Committed - Committed 4.25 Emeralds
• DecembeRadio - The Southern Attic Sessions 4.25 Emeralds
• Denver & The Mile High Orchestra - Groovy 5 Emeralds
• Divided by Friday - Prove It EP 4.25 Emeralds
• Downhere - On the Altar of Love 4.5 Emeralds
• The Ember Days - Emergency 4.75 Emeralds
• Southbound Fearing - Southbound Fearing 4.5 Emeralds
• Shaun Groves - Third World Symphony 4.5 Emeralds
• Deitrick Haddon - Anthology 4.25 Emeralds
• Icon For Hire - Scripted 4.5 Emeralds
• Jai - Culture Shock 4.5 Emeralds
• Forever Jones - Get Ready (Deluxe Edition) **
• Mat Kearney - Young Love 4 Emeralds
• Donald Lawrence - YRM: Your Righteous Mind 4.5 Emeralds
• Mikeschair - A Beautiful Life 4 Emeralds
• Geoff Moore - Saying Grace 4.5 Emeralds
• Matt Papa - This Changes Everything 4.25 Emeralds
• Planetshakers - Nothing Is Impossible 4 Emeralds
• Cindy Cruse Ratcliff - Twenty Three 4.25 Emeralds
• V.Rose - V.Rose 4 Emeralds
• Selah - Hope for the Broken World 4.25 Emeralds
• Beckah Shae - Destiny 5 Emeralds
• Veggie Tales (feat Moriah Peters) - Songs for a Princess 4.5 Emeralds
• Warr Acres - Warr Acres 4.5 Emeralds
• Your Chance to Die - Suscitatio Somnus 4.25 Emeralds

** Forever Jones is being passed along at the same rating as the original album Last Year.

Links in this post go to my original review. In the case of Cindy Cruse Ratcliff, scroll down to the bottom of the linked post, which is for Darlene Zschech.

Am I glad I finally got everything fixed. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Downhere is Living The Dream

A few days ago I hurried of a quick post alerting my readers to a free full album listening party for Downhere's latest release On the Altar of Love. A lot of my readers may be unfamiliar with this band. First of all, their Canadian. They are not a new band, starting back in 1999, and in that time they have put out ten albums. If you catch them on tour it must be a rarity because I think they must live in the studio.

Anyway, I came to a more than a casual knowledge of the Band back in 2009, of at all times Christmas. Most people don't usually think of a Christmas Album as being a resume builder, but How Many Kings is probably responsible for the great majority of us here in the States knowing about the band, and it we learned about the non-holiday stuff afterward.

Last Summer a few fortunate folks, your favorite blogger included, got to see Downhere (sort of) Live in Canada. Billy Graham Ministries held an event called Rock The River, and those who knew about it (From the U.S.A.) were able to watch it Live on the Web for free. This year it seems to be in Fort Smith, AR. This show will be for the Rocker, with P.O.D. and Children 18:3 among the acts. No word yet on a web stream.

On to the album. The Album's opening track, Only The Beginning, which is an encouragement for the newly saved, could also be a metaphor for the fortunes of the band. The album is more orchestrated and string laden than the typical Downhere album, but from my perspective this is a good thing. If you've been reading The Night Beat for any length of time, you know that I am a sucker for strings and synthesizers. Christian Music needs more of both.

The album consists of soaring anthems with lots of strings. If you were looking for some rock songs like "My Last Amen", which Martel has been known to describe as "A Happy Little Song About Death", you will be disappointed. This album really builds on How Many Kings. If I have any complaints about this album, it is that Martel's voice (and in a self-deprecating manner he says he sounds like a girl) gets drowned out in a lot of songs. This is a production problem and not related to the songs. Anybody's microphone can be adjusted to insure they can be heard  above the music. The Banjo picking on Seek is pretty good.

Despite the minor mix problem, I am giving On The Altar of Love a final score of 4.5 Emeralds. This should bring in a load of new fans, and still manage to keep the old ones satisfied. Don't let the cover photo scare you away. Downhere may say thank you For The Heartbreak, but even they know that they are Living The Dream.

Night Beat Bonus: Not every album can impress here at The Night Beat, and that's a good thing. If every album impressed me, the Platinum Vinyl Awards would be a joke (my Critics think they still are). Aaron Shust This is What we Believe releases tomorrow, and has been the subject of a Listening Party since last Tuesday at New Release Tuesday. It's a praise and worship album, and to a degree so is On The Altar of Love (reviewed above), but it just has that sameness feel. Good but Not Good enough gets it a rating of 3.75 Emeralds. No Platinum Vinyl Award for Aaron this year.

You get a two-fer this time around. Soon I will make an announcement regarding the second Platinum Vinyl Awards. As a teaser, let's just say I am considering expanding the judging pool. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

On the Altar of Love

Canadian Alternative/Modern Worship Artists Downhere are back. Their latest release is titled On The Altar Of Love. I'm loving it right now at a JesusfreakHideout.com Listening Party! It should be up for a while so you will be getting a full review in the future, but for right now enjoy.