Last week, merely 7 days since the release of FFH's fourth label project, early sales reports
indicate that Ready to Fly is flying off store shelves. The project claimed key positions atop
multiple Christian SoundScan® charts: No. 2 on both the Top Christian Albums and Top Adult Contemporary
Albums charts in addition to No. 5 on the Overall Top Current Contemporary Christian chart.
Ready to Fly produced the band's highest debut sales numbers to date.
FFH's impressive retail standings reflect the group's swelling popularity since 1998. Nina Williams,
Essential Records' vice president of marketing, comments, "FFH consistently produces quality music that
resonates with listeners, and this week's numbers are a very positive reflection of that impact. We are
thrilled to be in continued partnership with the group's music and ministry."
Starflyer 59's highly anticipated full-length, Old, hits stores on May 20th!
To commemorate the release of the band's 12th release on Tooth & Nail, the label has declared the month of May
"Starflyer 59 Appreciation Month!" Not only will you be able to get the band's new album, but it will also be your
chance to pick up titles from the band's catalog at a deep discount. Keep your eyes open for an update on how to
pre-order the band's new record and get an autographed copy from the mail-order site! www.toothandnail.com
After over a decade of playing music together, Hangnail has
decided to break-up. Look for their new and probably last record Transparent in stores on July 22!
An official letter from Mike Middleton (vocalist, guitar) is posted on
http://www.hangnailmusic.com
Meet the latest rock group on Wind-Up Records, Big Dismal! Wind-Up wants you to have a chance to see
these guys live this Summer at the Kingdom Bound Festival in New York! Check out the new Big Dismal
E-Card for sound clips, info on how to sign up, and more! http://www.winduplist.com/ls/sites/bigdismal/promo_50010/?pid=12497
Andy Hunter is the one! Well, kind of... In a Matrix sense, Andy has a feature track on the new Matrix Reloaded
trailer! If you get a chance to see the exciting trailer, be sure to note Hunter's song "Wonders of You", from his
debut, Exodus, playing over the opening action!
Stacie Orrico was in LA earlier last week filming her guest appearance on the television show American
Dreams. She plays Peggy Santiglia, the lead singer of the (real-life) 60's
girl group the Angels and sang the number 1 hit "My Boyfriends Back." The
show is scheduled to air on Sunday, May 18!
Provident Music Distribution celebrates the RIAA gold certification of the March 18 release of
WOW Worship (Yellow). This certification marks the
fourth gold record for the WOW Worship series and the 21st for the WOW brand. WOW Worship (Yellow),
in its first week, secured the No.1 spot on the Nielsen SoundScan Praise & Worship chart where it currently
holds the top-selling Praise & Worship album position.
New artist Justin Fox of the Justin Fox Band is a dad! Justin announced this past weekend,
"Great news! Our fourth baby was born today [April 26, 2003] with a smooth delivery and in perfect health! She arrived at 1pm, weighing
7 lbs. 9 oz. Her name is Holland Karin Fox, and she’s got RED hair!!
(well, at least for awhile...it’s destined for a platinum blond along with the others I’m sure...)
Thank you so much for all your prayers, support, and friendship. It means so much for us to be able to share our joy with you."
Congratulations Justin!
New Rocketown Records artist Alathea’s Mandee Radford and
Carrie Theobald participated Saturday in Nashville’s fourth annual Country Music Marathon and ½ Marathon.
Radford, who completed the Chicago Marathon last fall, ran this race with her sister,
St. Petersburg dentist Lori Radford. Though both sisters developed injuries in their left knees
during the race, Mandee and Lori each completed the 26.2 mile course in five and a half hours.
Theobald, who ran the ½ Marathon with her friend Keller Layton from Roswell, Ga.,
finished her race in three hours!
"C.A.T.S., INSP's Christian Artist Talent Search" has been renewed for a second year,
as announced last week by The Inspiration Networks. The Inspiration Networks is the originator, sponsor and producer of this talent search/TV series. The "C.A.T.S. 2003-2004 Season" will air beginning in January 2004 on INSP-The Inspiration Network and syndicated stations representing in total more than 40 million televised homes.
The grand prize winner will receive a national recording contract from the Butterfly Group that is valued at more than $200,000.
Contestants may submit Entry Forms beginning April 1 through June 16 to participate in the competition. The sign-up period will be followed by regional competitions in eight cities during July-August.
Regional finalists will compete in televised competitions that will be produced in INSP's studios in Charlotte, NC. There will be 24 televised programs.
Contestants may sign up for the 2003-2004 competition at www.insp.com. Rules are posted on the web site also. More information is available by calling 704-561-7955.
Crowne Music Group is proud to announce the signing of Motivo.
This San Diego based latin-pop group (formerly known as 180) has been making a name for themselves that past 5 years playing constantly across the southwest to both the English and Spanish speaking markets.
“Motivo came to our attention about a year ago, and we were so impressed by their work ethic and their commitment to their ministry. This is just a band that was too good to pass up,” states Michael Turner, label manager of Crowne Music.
*Thursday, April 24th, 2003*
The O.C. Supertones' Ethan Luck had this update on the band's newest project,
"Starting in May/June we head to California to start working on a worship record. This is something we
have talked about forever. As all of you know, worship is a big part of the Supertones.
So we feel it's necessary for us to do this. If any of you are thinking, 'Oh great, the Supertones are
basically jumping on the worship album bandwagon.' Think again, although we are doing a few cover
songs, we are recording mostly original worship songs that we have been writing.
We are recording in Orange County so it will be nice to hang with our families during the
recording process."
On June 24, tobyMac releases Re:Mix Momemtum which is
just that - tracks from tobyMac's solo debut that are mixed up, hyped out, and turned around.
This record wasn't made in the typical "remix" fashion. Here's what tobyMac says about making Momentum
Remixed when he sat down to talk to ForeFront/Gotee Manager of Retail Marketing and Sales, John Allen.
John asked, "You are very "hands on" with the production of your albums. How do you get "hands on" with a remix record?"
"It's a little freaky for me," admitted Toby. "Because of my familiarity with remixes and having them as a
part of my life I am very open to it and excited to see what they (the producers) come up with. Since I'm
working on my new record at the same time, I'm trying to stay very hands off. The only hands-on
portion of this process is actually going to be quite interesting. We're taking a bunch of producers
and going to have each remix the tracks so we will have like 3 versions of each song and I get to pick
the one that's hot. So I get to listen to like three versions of 'Irene,' and pick the one that I like
without even knowing who did it."
Warner Bros. Records Christian Division and its Word Records imprint are set to release
downhere’s sophomore project, So Much For Substitutes,
June 10. So Much For Substitutes pairs the Canadian foursome with famed producer,
Jimmy Lee Sloas (PFR, Switchfoot) and showcases the songwriting talents of band members, Jason Germain
and Marc Martel. The album features such diverse topics as depression, loneliness and pain, as well as
worship, encouragement in faith and our responsibility to be Christ-like.
“This album is an honest portrayal of our growth and struggles over the last two years,” says Martel.
“It’s also a big jump in our musical evolution.”
Germain adds, “We didn’t want to just stick to the same color palettes, we wanted to mix them up.
We’re trying to explain in our art what being a Christian is and to be as deeply layered as possible.”
Essential Records recently announced the fourth installment in the famed City On a Hill
series. The latest project, entitled The Gathering, is set to release Sept. 23rd, and recording
is already underway. This fourth release will be an exciting follow-up to the recent Dove Award-winning
Sing Alleluia. Also, the label leaked that Jars of Clay
is feverishly recording their next studio offering for a release later this fall.
P.O.D.'s newest member Jason Truby speaks! In a recent newsletter from the band, he addressed the fans
for the first time... "Warriors - greetings from Little Rock, I've been home for a
few days to rest before going back to CA to finish writing
the new album. I wanted to let you all know how awesome
everything is going. The guys and me have been catching
up on old times and preparing for the vision ahead. We did
the video for "Sleeping Awake" and are now reviewing the final
edits. It is amazing. We have been writing new material and
already have 11 songs completed. We are excited for you all
to hear them. Thank you for supporting us and me. I am
honored to be apart of this family. P.O.D. will never let you
down - The biggest days are ahead. God bless, Jason"
Between recording their new album and touring, the boys of Fusebox
have barely had time to breathe. Between February and April, the band has performed in Colorado,
Tennessee, Michigan, Missouri, and Alabama. They also have finished over half of their upcoming album
(still untitled). It is now scheduled for an early fall release.
Verbs (formerly known as Knowdaverbs) was introduced a few years back
through his work with Grits, before landing his own debut video ("Syllabus")
on BET. Titled Unlocked, his new album musically transcends his West Coast
roots and promises to connect with a diverse fanbase. Currently Verbs is in
South Africa helping his U.S. fellowship plant a new church.
Watashi Wa's debut full length for Tooth & Nail,
The Love Of Life, hits stores on June 24th, but you can download an mp3 from the album now!
Download the song, "All Of Me," and hear what T&N is buzzing about! http://www.mp3.com/watashiwa
New music is also available from Starflyer 59!
Their brand new album, ironically titled Old, hits stores on May 20th, so head on over to mp3.com
to check out two songs from the record, including the new song, "The Lights On." http://www.mp3.com/starflyer59
Like the new rock act Mae? Now you can send the song
"Embers and Envelopes" to your friends' cell phones! Sounds odd? Check out this link to see how it works!
http://www.ipsh.net/campaign/mae.htm Geoff Moore and his wife are heading back to China in May
to bring home another little girl from the same orphanage where they adopted their daughter,
Anna Grace, nearly 2 years ago. I guess you can say this is kind of an early anniversary present
for Geoff and Jan Moore, who will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in June!
Oh yeah, and in the middle of all of this, Geoff will be hosting all three DCLA events AND
headlining 20 more "Evening of Compassion" shows with Rachael Lampa between May and August in
support of Compassion International.
*Friday, April 18th, 2003*
It has been a week of #1's for Newsboys. With over 31,500 albums sold its first week,
Adoration: The Worship Album was the #1 selling CD at Christian Retail, #1 on the Overall Christian
Albums chart, and #33 on Billboard's Top 200. In addition to sales success, Newsboys continue to dominate
the radio charts with their first single "He Reigns" claiming the #1 position on the Adult Contemporary
(AC) charts for 5 consecutive weeks.
In addition to their sales and radio success for Adoration, Newsboys were surprised with gold
plaques at a recent show in Nashville for their RIAA Gold certified album Shine...The Hits. The
Newsboys were presented with the plaques backstage at the AmSouth Amphitheatre where they played to crowds
in excess of 12,000.
Currently, Newsboys are performing on 12 Teen Mania "Acquire the Fire Events" in front of 8,000-18,000
ttendees each weekend through May as well as at all the major summer festivals.
CCM Magazine pointed to a new article on the Evanescence saga that
surfaced this week on RollingStone.com. Check out this link to read it (warning: some profanity that Entertainment Weekly
had censored isn't censored here) http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=17904 Rebecca St. James did something highly unusual this week: she officially took two days "off!"
Last week's Gospel Music Week provided a record setting pace even for the vivacious Aussie, often referred
to within industry circles 'as the hardest working woman in Christian Music.'
A major emphasis for Rebecca's GMA 2003 schedule was television.
Rebecca set a whirlwind GMA Week pace, capped by her hosting Thursday night of the "34th Annual Dove Awards"
pre-telecast at Gaylord Arena in Nashville. The two hour telecast kept Rebecca onstage much of the time
in the presentation of presenters and Dove Award winners. A few nights earlier, she had officially kicked
off the GMA Week activities on Sunday night by anchoring a major two hour telecast for the Trinity
Broadcasting Network (TBN) from the annual Worship Service at the historic Ryman, featuring
Michael W. Smith and an all star choir.
Rock quartet Pillar has quite a few things to celebrate these
days. The band, hailing from Tulsa, OK captured their third Dove Award at the 34th annual ceremonies
in Nashville last week. The Dove was awarded to them for their highly successful recording Fireproof
for Hard Music Album of the Year which has sold 150,000 plus domestically.
“We felt honored to be placed in a category with so many passionate and hard rocking bands at the Dove
Awards this year,” Kalel, bass player for Pillar said. “It’s awesome to be recognized by your peers and
industry folks for the work we’ve done. Pillar couldn’t have come this far without everyone’s support
and we’re excited to see the doors God will continue to open with our signing to MCA Records along with
our partnership with Flicker Records and Chordant Distribution.”
On the heels of Pillar’s current success, MCA Records (Universal Music Group) pursued and signed the band
to a multi-album deal with Flicker Records/EMICMG retaining worldwide Christian distribution rights.
Fireproof will re-release nationwide June 10th completely re-mastered and re-mixed by mainstream
rock powerhouses Mudrock (Godsmack) and Rich Costey (Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Hoobastank, and
Sum41).
New Ardent Records’ and Memphis based artist Todd Agnew was
introduced to the CBA industry during last week’s Gospel Music Association events in Nashville.
Interviewing with numerous national and international media throughout the week, Agnew also debuted
songs from his upcoming release, Grace Like Rain, drawing critical applause at four key events,
including the Radio and Retail Showcase Luncheon, Ardent Records’ Late-Night Showcase, Greg Oliver Agency’s
Manager’s and Promoter’s Luncheon, and the Chordant/EMD International and Mainstream sales conference.
Join Bishop T.D. Jakes & The Potters House Mass Choir
for an evening of Praise & Worship in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Featuring music from the their latest release, A Wing & A Prayer,
the Easter Weekend Special will air on The Daystar Network today April 18th (Good Friday) at 7PM ET
(6pm ET in the Dallas, TX market) and April 20th (Easter Sunday) at 11PM ET.
To check for local Daystar affiliates
or to watch LIVE Online, visit www.Daystar.org
*Wednesday, April 16th, 2003*
Only 5 weeks after releasing The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot
keeps rocking with national TV exposure, amazing tour and radio success and has also caught the eye of
MTV2 and Much Music.
Switchfoot makes their national television debut on May 5th by performing on
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborne! Check local listings for details… Also,
Switchfoot’s “Meant To Live” video has also caught the eye of Much Music and MTV2! To watch the video, click here!
Here's the latest from Five Iron Frenzy... "We have officially
decided that the name of the last FIF album will be The End Is Near. This is the album we are in
the studio recording right now, and it should come out around June 18, but it will ONLY be available at our
shows for quite some time. We've been working hard on this CD and I think there is no question that it will
be our best. The songs are coming together really well, and we are very excited about them.
Douglas TenNapel will be doing the art work, he is the person who has done the work for several of
our albums... Also, as I mentioned, we are in the studio again, and you can watch us working by going to:
http://www.onewaystudio.net/webcam.html
Point your browser there and watch us make some rock and roll!
Don't forget that Cheeses Of Nazareth which is our B-sides, demos, rarities and joke song album, will be in stores on April 22."
Plus One, winner of the 2001 GMA New Artist of the Year,
returned to Gospel Music Week this year as a dynamic foursome, announcing their signing to Inpop Records
through an unprecedented partnership and new imprint label.
Inpop Records, founded in 1999 in Franklin, Tenn., well known for their focus on artist development,
is a division of 1-2-3 Entertainment, a multi-faceted company which incorporates recording, live event
production, management, music publishing and touring.
With its deliberate focus on artist development, Inpop is already making an immediate impact on the
Christian music industry. Plus One’s strategic partnership with Inpop Records will provide new
opportunities for the group, including strong connections with their current and a new fan base,
promoters, youth groups and festivals. “We are truly excited to enter into this new partnership with Inpop and 1-2-3 Entertainment. We intentionally chose to be with the Inpop family because of their vision and strong belief in our future,” stated Plus One member Nate Cole. “We look forward to a long relationship with this new team, and building a strong connection with youth in and outside of the church.”
According to Billboards RIAA gold certifications, NewsboysShine- The Hits went gold on March 25 2003, making this the Newsboys' 4th Gold record. Congrats guys!
Ardent Records’ rock band Skillet performed music from its
upcoming studio project during the label’s Late Night Showcase held during last week’s Gospel
Music Association events in Nashville. The new tracks offered such titles as "Energy," "Smile Again," and "Imperfection".
Additionally, the band’s front man, John Cooper, performed
“Kill Me, Heal Me” from the band’s 2001 critically acclaimed album, Alien Youth, during the EMI
Songwriter Showcase. Skillet was also honored during the Dove Awards ceremony as its third consecutive
No. 1 hit single, “Vapor,” from Alien Youth, was nominated by the Gospel Music Association in the
“Hard Music Recorded Song” category.
Interested in hearing the latest offering from rockers P.O.D.? Yeah, we thought so. Check out the new
track, "Sleeping Awake" from The Matrix Reloaded soundtrack here: http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/cmp/index_soundtrack.html Out of Knowhere, the new album from Propaganda,
garnered some recent attention on mainstream hip-hop website SOHH.com. For years SOHH.com has been
providing the best in hip-hop coverage and Rolling Stone recognized them as the best around for hip-hop
websites.
They had this to say "With the war-torn state that the world is currently in, there isn't too much
enlightening music coming from the industry. Enter Propaganda to bring the good news to those who need it".
Read the full feature at:
http://www.sohh.com/thewire/read.php?contentID=4485
*Second Update for Sunday, April 13th, 2003*
South African Benjamin Gate frontwoman Adrienne Liesching
is engaged! Who's the lucky man, you ask?? Are you sitting?
Newcomer rock artist Jeremy Camp recently proposed to Liesching!
More details to come! Many congratulations to the lovely couple!
*Sunday, April 13th, 2003*
Fans of the band Evanscence will be shocked by the latest interview with the group that appeared in the April
18th issue of Entertainment Weekly. In an article by Chris Willman, the author writes, "Last year, the duo signed
with New York-based Wind-Up Records. That's been a blessing, since the label did put together that Daredevil
deal, but something of a curse, because Wind-Up includes spiritually inclined acts Creed and 12 Stones; religious
conspiracy theories abound. 'There are people hell-bent on the idea we're a Christian band in disguise, and that we have some secret
message,' says [Amy] Lee. 'We have no spiritual affiliation with this music. It's simply about life experience.' The perception hardly came
out of nowhere: Lee and [Ben] Moody discussed their faith in some early, pre-Fallen interviews, which they now count as youthful
indescretions. More recently, Wind-Up made a deal to distribute the album at Christian stores. 'I'm not ashamed of my spiritual beliefs,
but I in no way incorporate them into this band,' says Moody. 'We're high on the Christian charts, and I'm like
What the f--- are we even doing here?' Adds Lee, 'I guarantee that if the Christian bookstore owners listened to some of those
songs, they wouldn't sell the CD.' I suggest that, after this interview, that may no longer be a problem. 'Thank you,' says
Lee. An even touchier subject is whether Lee and Moody are following in the tortured romantic footsteps of the White Stripes-soldiering
on musically after a breakup. Moody has been quoted saying they were once betrothed, but no insists he was fibbing. 'J---- Chr---, no. Can
you imagine being a band with someone you were once engaged to? Our band is much more important than a romantic relationship, and besides,
I can't f---ing stand her. But I love her!' 'In that can't-standing way,' says Lee."
Middle digits are exchanged, and the playful antagonism continues as Moody bemoans his inevitable "Mr. Cellophane" staus alongside his highly photogenic ex/not-ex. "I think
you'll see me in the next video," he announces. "I did write the music and all. I'm gonna be there for the
editing, so I might slip in a shot here and there." The bill arrives, and Moody can't help but make a parting
plea for equal time. "Give me my moment. I'm like the guy who was crucified next to Jesus. All I want you
to do is remember me." Lee laughs: "Just what we need -- some biblical quotes."
Well... um... we're speechless!
(Thanks to Trey of Everyday Sunday for the news tip!)
VH1.com recently reported this story on P.O.D.,
"Guitarist Marcos Curiel's controversial departure in February raised questions about the San Diego
band's future, but they were quickly answered when former Living Sacrifice axeman Jason
Truby joined the group to write a song for The Matrix Reloaded and was a perfect fit.
"With Jason, it's like a fresh new vibe for us," drummer Wuv said on the video set Saturday for
the soundtrack single, "Sleeping Awake." "It's something that's welcome and something that we've
been yearning for for a long, long time. So it's working out great."
So great, in fact, that the new P.O.D. have already penned 11 songs for their next album, due November 4.
"We've always been like family, so it's jelling up great, and then musically it's jelling up even better,"
said Truby, whose previous band toured with P.O.D. years ago. "It's a blending, not a changing.
I bring what I have to bring to the table, without [compromising] what they are, and it's working
out really well."
Singer Sonny Sandoval described the new material as more mature. "I actually thought that with him coming
in we might have problems being a little bit too heavy, but the stuff's not really coming out like that,"
Sandoval said. "I mean, the guitars are heavy, but it's still very melodic, still very beautiful.
I think with Jason's influence it actually drives us to step it up a notch."
"When he came into our situation and became our guitar player, it was almost as if he had always been
there," bassist Traa added. "We are so comfortable with him playing it's unbelievable, on top
of him being an amazing guitar player."
While P.O.D. said Curiel left to join another band, the guitarist insisted he was kicked out,
at least partially for differences in religious beliefs.
Sandoval, Wuv and Traa described the situation as heartbreaking and said they are still
supportive of Curiel despite his remarks that P.O.D. were not as righteous as their reputation.
"I love Marcos," Sandoval said. "He's my bro. I've known him for a long time. I thought that this
would make him happy to do what he wanted to do and he was doing it and all of a sudden he didn't sound too
happy to me. But you know what? Our friendship and all that stuff, it's bigger than that. I'll be better. Right now, I just think it's a healing process."
Part of the process for the remaining members was throwing themselves into recording
"Sleeping Awake". The Matrix Reloaded producers originally asked for a remix of a previously
recorded song for the movie, but P.O.D. suggested doing something new, even if they only had a week to write
and record it.
"What turned them on to us was a lot of our biblical concepts and themes, and this movie has a lot of
biblical themes, and so they wanted to keep that vibe," Sandoval said. "I kind of got the concept from
Daniel interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar's dreams in the Old Testament and ... then all of a sudden
I go back and watch The Matrix again and that's what Laurence Fishburne tells Keanu Reeves,
that the Matrix is a computer-generated dream world. So I was like, 'I'm onto something.' "
The Wachowski brothers, who created The Matrix and its sequels, had ideas for a video, but scrapped
them when director Marc Webb submitted his treatment, which creatively portrays P.O.D. in parallel
universes.
"The Matrix has a lot of references to other classical literature, so one of the things I kind
of picked up on was this life through the looking glass thing, this 'Alice in Wonderland' thing,"
Webb explained. "I kind of like the idea of doing something that happens on the other side of the glass.
So we decided to do a concept with two identical performances on either sides of a mirror."
Webb even configured the cameras so the two shots look like reflections of each other. In one the band
is playing right-handed, in the other, left-handed.
"One setup is like the Nebuchadnezzar, which is the ship from The Matrix in the real world,
and the other side is this kind of The Matrix reality, which is a little bit more stylized,"
Webb said. "Everybody's wearing black and is cool. They move a little bit faster and look a little
bit glossier and do some crazy, crazy stuff. We're doing some stunts with the guitar player smashing
his guitar against the bass player and Sonny does some stuff with blocks."
Webb's original treatment required the bandmembers to shave their heads, but that concept was
quickly vetoed.
"I've been growing these dreads for six years," Traa said. "No way!"
More info on the Dove winners!
Sparrow Records recording artist and ”songwriter/singer” Nichole Nordeman,
as she nicknamed herself that evening, walked away with top honors garnering seven Dove Awards at the
34th Gospel Music Association’s annual presentation, held in Nashville, TN.
Nordeman nabbed trophies for Female Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of
the Year (for “Holy”) - with the award going twice to Nordeman as songwriter and performer, Pop/Contemporary
Album of the Year (for Woven & Spun) as well as Special Event album of the Year (for her participation
on City On A Hill-Sing Alleluia) and the evening’s final award, Song of the Year (for “Holy”).
Nordeman comments about her numerous awards, “It continues to be a strange experience to write songs with
such a personal message to share and then be awarded for them. I am so humbled and grateful and reminded how God uses each of us. This is an unbelievable pleasure.”
The Dove Awards will air on Saturday, April 19th at 9 pm EST/PST on PAX TV, also with broadcasts on the Trinity Broadcast Network.
On the heels of celebrating their fourth RIAA gold certification earlier this week for Third Day,
Essential Records’ rock band Third Day was honored at the 34th Annual Dove Awards with three Dove
Awards in multiple categories including their third consecutive Group of the Year trophy.
Third Day also garnered a Dove Special Event Album for their contribution to Essential Records’ project
City On A Hill – Sing Alleluia. The band received their third Dove of the evening for Rock
Recorded Song. The group-penned “40 Days” also offered each band member a Dove honor for their role as
song writers. This is the fourth consecutive year where Third Day has been honored in this category.
“It’s a complete honor for us to win Group of the Year for the third year in a row. We’re also really
excited about receiving a Dove again for Rock Song of the Year. We absolutely don’t take any of this
for granted. It’s such a blessing, and also a reminder, that so many people are so supportive of what
we do as Third Day and how they have allowed us the opportunity to have great impact around the world,”
commented band member Tai Anderson.
Audio Adrenaline took home the award for Rock Album of the Yea
for their late 2001 release Lift. The band also delivered an awe-inspiring live performance of
their first cross format hit song, “Ocean Floor”. The band is currently on tour promoting their new record,
Worldwide.
“My heart was pounding when they called our name,” says Audio Adrenaline lead singer Mark Stuart of their
Dove win, “It’s always good to be encouraged and uplifted by your brothers and sisters in Christ.”
This year tobyMac took home the Dove for Short Form Video for
“Irene” which appears on his Grammy nominated debut solo project, Momentum. tobyMac is currently
working on his June 24 release, Re:mix Momentum.
ForeFront Records President Greg Ham said, “Having so many artists recognized with nominations by the
association is a great achievement for our record label. We are especially proud of Audio Adrenaline’s
accomplishments over the past year. With a career spanning more than a decade, these guys have never
strayed from their mission to minister and provide hope to the youth.”
Other highlights of the night included Rebecca St. James hosting
the pre-show, tobyMac presenting the award for Group of the Year to Third Day with legendary singer,
Aaron Neville and Michael Tait joining Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and others in a tribute to
Michael W. Smith's popular song, "Friends."
Reunion recording artist Michael W. Smith was honored
at the 34th Annual Dove Awards, the Gospel Music Association’s annual awards celebration. Smith,
celebrating his 20th year in Christian music, walked away with six Dove Awards including, for the second
consecutive year, the prestigious Artist of the Year award and his first Dove for Male Vocalist of the Year.
Smith also received two Doves for his contribution as both artist and producer on the RIAA certified
gold Worship Again, in the Praise and Worship Album category. He earned another two statuettes
as artist and producer in the Long Form Music Video of the Year division for the platinum certified
Worship DVD/Video. Following the presentations, Michael’s career Dove Award count is 40.
Essential Records' Paul Colman Trio took top honors at Wednesday
evening's 34th Annual Dove Awards ceremony held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.
Less than a year since the release of its debut label project, New Map of the World, pc3 walked
away with the coveted New Artist of the Year title. The award ushers in the close of a phenomenal debut
year for the band.
The band's inclusion among leading new talents Big Daddy Weave, Daily Planet, Jeff Deyo,
The Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus and SoulJahz validates many years of hard work for the Aussie imports.
"This win is particularly meaningful to us because it has been so difficult getting to where we are
today having started out in Australia," says frontman Paul Colman. "Not only does this award validate
to our wives, who we uprooted from their homes and families, that our music is affecting people,
but it also serves as a platform for spreading our message about being reconciled to God and to each other."
The best-selling modern worship brand City on a Hill adds another Dove Award to its growing
list of accolades. Wednesday night at the 34th Annual Dove Awards, City on a Hill - Sing Alleluia won
for Special Event Album, the series' second trophy in that category since 2000.
Essential Records participating artists Bebo Norman, FFH, Caedmon's Call, Jars of Clay and Third Day also
received awards for their contribution to the project.
The record's producer, Steve Hindalong, and co-producer, Marc Byrd, took home statuettes for their work
with City on a Hill - Sing Alleluia as well. Hindalong comments, "I'm continually grateful for
and surprised by how the industry has embraced this series. I was especially pleased to share the night's
victory with Marc Bryd, who played a crucial role in the creative process. The great thing about
City on a Hill is getting to share it with so many people." This year also marks Hindalong's
third consecutive nomination in the category of Producer of the Year.
*Friday, April 11th, 2003*
Well, the results are in on the 34th Annual Dove Awards! The biggest surprise (or is it?) would
probably be Nichole Nordeman's amazing take of winning a total of seven awards! A very pregnant and joyfully emotional
Nordeman accepted the Song of the Year & Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for her runaway radio
smash hit "Holy," as well as Songwriter of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year
for Woven & Spun! Other notables were Michael W. Smith for Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of
the Year along with awards for his Worship longform video and Worship Again project.
Third Day snagged a few honors themselves with Group of the Year and Rock Recorded Song of the Year for "40 Days".
Other big surprises was the well-deserved Rock Album of the Year award for Audio Adrenaline's 2001 album Lift,
Paul Colman Trio snagging the coveted New Artist of the Year award, Jars of Clay grabbing Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year
for The Eleventh Hour, and Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Album of the Year going to Grits for The Art of Translation.
Three artists were also honored for their addition to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame including Amy Grant,
Pat Boone, and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
For a complete list of winners, surf on to http://www.doveawards.com/categories/.
And if you couldn't watch the live webcast last night, have no fear! You can catch the festivities on TV
on PAX TV: Saturday, April 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and on TBN: Friday, April 25 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and again on Saturday, April 26 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
Personally, we want to congratulate Audio Adrenaline on their win and although the Rock N Roll Worship Circus only
took home an award for Recorded Music Packaging of the Year, they're still New Artist of the Year in our eyes! Congrats
to all the winners!
Rebecca St. James could be seen hosting early portions of last nite's Dove Awards, but that's not the only
exciting thing going on for Rebecca right now. She has a new hit titled "I Thank You" currently streaming its
way up the national charts. The immediate success of the song, with the sincerity and heartfelt gratitude
of its message lead to a bit of divine inspiration: A special re-mix of "I Thank You" was engineered by
the singer's label, ForeFront Records, to include the voices of Americans from all walks of life-expressing
their thanks to our nation's military.
The special version of "I Thank You" was initially premiered to immediate positive reaction from listeners
this week on KLOVE Radio's national network of more than 150 stations. Well-known KLOVE air personalities
Jon & Sherry Rivers, hosted St. James on-air from Nashville's pre-Dove Award GMA activities.
St. James had openly dedicated her current song to the coalition troops shortly after their war efforts launched. She has used her platform with national radio and television to issue a call to America to not only pray for the welfare and safety of the troops-but to 'go the extra mile' in support of the "Adopt Our Troops" campaign. The campaign has been launched by the Presidential Prayer Team, of which Rebecca, at 25, is the youngest member of their Honorary Committee.
Surf over to Forefrontrecords.com to hear the remix now!
Gotee Records' recording artist Jeff Deyo has unveiled the
first leg of the upcoming Pure Worship Tour. Joining the Dove's New Artist of the Year nominee on this
Coast-to-Coast exploration will be co-leaders Rock 'n Roll Worship Circus and Jonathan Lee.
"We have decided to do something very focused and definitive," explains Deyo. "Many concerts and tours
incorporate "worship" as a part or a segment of the experience. But, we wanted to put together a
worship tour/conference that is completely and totally nothing but worship-people coming together to
love and KNOW their God through prayer, worship through singing, shouting, kneeling and more.
We're calling this gathering Pure Worship 2003. It's a place where people of all ages, races,
and denominations can join together to seek the Lord-intensely and passionately!"
The "Pure Worship 2003" Tour will be separated into two parts. The first section will be an afternoon
mini worship seminar given by Deyo, his worship band, and the other worship leaders on the tour. \
This seminar is specifically taylored for passionate worshipers of any type-whether they be
laypeople, worship leaders, members of worship teams, bands, musicians, or pastors. The Pure Worship
seminar will incorporate a total of three hours of intimate teaching and question time with a worship
leader track and a musician track. It will include sessions titled: "Being Real and Anointed,"
"What Is Modern Worship?," "Being a Lead Worshiper and a Non-Performer," "Writing Powerful
Worship Songs," and "Maximizing Your Gear for Worship."
The Newsboys hit the Malibu beaches two weeks ago to shoot their next video for the song "He Reigns"
off their new CD Adoration: The Worship Album which hit streets this week! Check out the link below
for images to get the "insider's view"! http://www.newsboys.com/news_item.php?artistID=14&articleID=1326 Skillet fans rejoice! The band's label Ardent Records has made clips of three hot new Skillet tracks
available to the public! Simply surf on over to http://www.ardentrecords.com/gma/
to hear the songs "Energy," "Smile Again," and "Imperfection" plus a full song each from new Ardent artists Jonah33 and Todd Agnew! -->
This week, delirious.org.uk reported this interesting tidbit on the great UK modern worship pioneers...
"Whilst in the studio working on their new album, Delirious? have
taken a brief break from recording their own songs and instead turned their hand to their first ever cover
version! But the track is not destined for their own album, instead Delirious? have been invited to
contribute a song to a forthcoming collection of U2 covers.
Delirious? have apparently recorded their own version of the 1984 U2 song 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)'.
Their cover version of the track will appear on an American compilation album which features other artists
covering classic U2 songs. Also lined up for the album are Californian rap-metal group P.O.D. singing
'Bullet The Blue Sky'. (which originally appeared on the band's 1999 album Southtown)
While Delirious? have been featured on compilation albums before, this is the first time the band have ever
recorded a song they didn't write themselves. Musically, Delirious? have often been compared to U2,
making them an ideal band to cover a U2 song."
Essential Records announced this week at the label's Gospel Music Week showcase the signing of progressive folk-rock band Silers Bald
to its roster. Cliff Young, founding member and frontman for Caedmon's Call, appeared on stage Monday night to welcome
Silers Bald to the Essential Records family. "There are many artists who are driven by the desire to become
well-known, to get a record deal," said Young. "However, Silers Bald has traveled the country playing youth
groups, coffee houses, fraternities and sororities, everywhere they can, simply because of their love of God
and music." Since its first release in 1997, the group's four independent recordings have reached cumulative
sales of more than 40,000 units. Its current record, Silers Bald, was named among the Top 10 Albums
of 2000 by the Free Times in Columbia, S.C. The self-titled project spawned the popular single, "Thirst,"
which was hitbound on the Rock radio chart. The group will release its debut Essential project on October 7.
Call it a musical boxing match that ends in perfect harmony.
On May 20, various artists are mixed and morphed together on Smash-Ups,
an unprecedented high-energy listening experience that blends the rhythm, melody, and instrumentals
of one song with the vocals of another song to create a totally new song.
Smash-Ups proves its thrilling theory time and again, pitting dc talk's
"Colored People" vs. Newsboys' "Entertaining Angels" and Steven Curtis Chapman's "Live Out Loud" vs.
Out Of Eden's "River." Hip-hop and rock converge when Grits' "TN Bwoys" meets Switchfoot's
"You Already Take Me There." Power-pop and rap-core cleverly collide when Relient K's "Pressing On" goes
against TobyMac's "Yours." Smash-Ups hits stores everywhere May 20. You've just got to hear it to believe it!
*Tuesday, April 8th, 2003*
In 1996 southern rock band Third Day released its first major
label project. Last evening, Essential Records announced that the self-titled album had been certified
gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) denoting sales in excess of 500,000 copies.
This certification marks the fourth gold record for the GRAMMY and Dove Award-winning band in less than two
years. Time, Come Together and Offerings have also reached gold status and the
band is currently approaching four million in career sales.
During Essential Records’ Gospel Music Week Evening Concert, before a packed house at the historic
Ryman Auditorium, Essential Records president Robert Beeson and Terry Hemmings, former president of
Reunion Records and current president and CEO of parent company Provident Music Group, surprised
Third Day members with a gold-album commemorating the landmark event.
20 years ago multi-platinum and award-winning artist and composer,
Michael W. Smith, launched his recording career. In recognition
of his accomplishments over two decades, Reunion Records is celebrating with an extensive retail campaign
that highlights Smith’s various milestones as an artist. The Bigger Picture promotion is scheduled
for national retail impact on June 3 and will run through July 31.
Promotional end-cap kits will feature product including the best-selling worship series, Worship,
the Worship DVD, and Worship Again. Also featured are some of the best-selling titles
in Michael’s catalog, offered at a special price of only $9.99. Titles include Change Your World,
Go West Young Man, The Big Picture, I 2 Eye, Project and Michael W. Smith 2.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a new DVD also called The Bigger Picture. The DVD project
comprises, “This Is Your Time,” “Cry For Love,” “Psalm 139/I See You” live concert footage,
video commentary, a behind-the-scenes family tribute produced by Michael’s oldest son Ryan, and,
available for the first time, “There She Stands.” This video collection is only available on this
DVD premium and will be offered free to consumers purchasing any participating CD in the promotion
while supplies last.
Multi-Platinum selling, multi-GRAMMY Award winning band Jars of Clay
(Essential/Silvertone) is drawing to a close its successful, Spring 2003 tour that continues to fill concert
venues nationwide.
Launched in Grand Rapids Feb. 12 and concluding in West Palm Beach April 12, the band has garnered
significant media exposure in every tour city. Coverage in newspaper dailies alone is amassing more than
three million in circulation and growing.
Partnering with label mate and Dove Award winning Caedmon’s Call to visit 40 plus cities on the select
college tour, referred to by promoters as the “thinking man’s pop tour,” Jars of Clay performed in
support of its critically acclaimed 2003 release, Furthermore—From The Studio: From The Stage.
In addition to packing venues, Jars of Clay appeared for several bookstore signings. One of Jars of Clay’s
largest Borders Bookstore events in Knoxville, TN saw more than 800 people attended to hear the band
perform an acoustic set.
ForeFront Records, in a joint venture with EMI Gospel, announced this week the signing of 13 year-old
Atlanta rap sensation Lil iROCC Williams, whose self-titled debut
is set to release June 24, 2003.
Lil iROCC Williams, who’s name stands for his daily declaration-"I Rely On Christ Completely"
is a commanding new rap artist from Atlanta, GA who is set to take his message to the streets
and to teens everywhere, in one of Christian music’s most unique releases of the year.
“We are very excited to welcome Lil iROCC Williams to the EMICMG family,” said Greg Ham, President for
ForeFront Records. “Lil iROCC has a unique gift to communicate a positive message and fervor for God
through his music.” EMI Gospel Label Vice-President, General Manager, Ken Pennell stated,
“We’re inspired by Lil iROCC’s love of music and passion to reach his generation with the message
of Christ. At EMI Gospel, we’re very pleased to partner with ForeFront to take this talented young
artist to a bigger audience than either label could do alone.”
The Bleach boys are right in
the middle of writing for their fifth record. "We
are tentatively scheduled to record here in Nashville an amazing studio
called the Dark Horse," announces the band in a recent newsletter. "Neil King
(Green Day, Elvis Costello) is scheduled to engineer the record. We are
very excited about this record and will keep you guys up to date as much as
we can. It is very tentatively scheduled to be in your hands on October
21st, 2003!"
Mono Vs Stereo, an EMI distributed independent label, has
announced its formation and first artist signing.
"Mono Vs Stereo is focused on piercing the underground independent rock culture with relevant music,"
says founder Brad Moist. "Recent rumors have surfaced in the music industry about our launch."
"Yeah, rumors," says Aaron Mars, a graphic artist who shares office space with Mono Vs Stereo in Franklin,
TN. Continues Moist, "Rumors have circulated that the tiny staff behind this label have come from Gotee
Records and that some initial support for Mono Vs Stereo has come from Gotee. I cannot deny, nor confirm
these rumors-though I can tell you two friends of mine financed our company. Consider them silent partners."
"We have two goals," explains Moist, whose actual title is Label Manager/A&R Director. "First we want to
release addictive music from bands that have the same passion and vision for rock and roll that we do.
Secondly, we want to start a revolution and take over the world. In that order."
The first release from Mono Vs Stereo will be the independent/unsigned band compilation dubbed
The Revoution Will Begin in the Blink of An Eye Vol. 1.
The album will feature music from Matt Beckler, Andy Zipf, The Connotations, House of Heroes, Embraced,
Johnny Come Lately, and Matthew Thiessen & The Earthquakes (the "solo" side project from the lead singer
of Relient K). The compilation will also unveil Mono Vs Stereo's first signing-indie rock band,
The Evan Anthem. The Revoution Will Begin in the Blink of An Eye Vol. 1 will release nationwide
on June 10.
*Friday, April 4th, 2003*
Here's the latest on Pillar...
"The new re-mixed and re-mastered "Fireproof" single is going to mainstream radio April 28, 2003.
We know a few mainstream stations already got a hold of it early and are playing it. We will have an audio
clip of the remixed "Fireproof" posted in the down load section of www.pillarmusic.com very soon.
If you are extremely impatient and want to here it now MCA Records is offering the full down load
at the link below. When you go to this page it says “Buy Now”. Since the new re-mixed Fireproof isn’t
out until June 10,2003 this “Buy Now” link refers to the current Fireproof album. We hope
to leak small clips of other remixed songs to you soon. We really want you to hear how much better
the songs sound and the little extras we added (and the big extra added to "A Shame").
Re-mixed "Fireproof" download (full).
June 10, 2003 is the day our re-mixed Fireproof album will hit stores nationwide.
Fireproof will be available at all major record stores
(Best Buy, FYI, Wherehouse, Tower Record, Walmart, etc) in the rock section. The album is completely
re-mixed and is off getting mastered right now. We should have the finished album in our hands any day now.
The first 25,000 Fireproof records sold will come with a new full length Pillar DVD.
At first the DVD was going to come with every re-mixed Fireproof album sold, but MCA really wanted to
reward the true hardcore Pillar fans who will show up at the stores on the morning of June 10. MCA
actually just requested all the stuff we have been collected for the DVD just this last week so they
can begin working on it. We are going to try and post some clips from the new DVD on www.pillarmusic.com
so you can see how important it is that you own it.
Rebecca St. James is taking seriously her commitment to
support the coalition troops in their current Iraq campaign.
The singer is using her platform with national radio and television to issue a call to America to not only
pray for the welfare and safety of our troops-but to "go the extra mile" in support of the "Adopt Our Troops"
campaign. The campaign has been launched by the Presidential Prayer Team, of which she is the youngest
member of the Honorary Committee.
At 25, Rebecca particularly feels a strong alliance to the countless scores of those from her own generation
who are overseas fighting the war. She has openly dedicated her current single at radio, "I Thank You"
on ForeFront Records as a source of encouragement to remember the troops with gratitude.
"In a generation in which many young people grew up on video games, the harsh realities of a world at war is something that countless millions of people are facing for the first time and finding quite overwhelming. It's literally a time like no other in history and seeking God in prayer on behalf of these men and women is extremely important," she noted.
2003 New Artist of the Year Dove Award nominee, the Paul Colman Trio
returns to the studio to record its second Essential Records release, One, due in stores Sept. 9.
Produced by Brent Milligan (The Elms, David Crowder Band), the project will again feature the band's signature
high-energy vocals and catchy pop melodies.
Epic Records was proud to announce the arrival of CeCe Winans
to its roster! The Grammy Award-winning superstar will release a new album this summer, the first in a new
recording agreement that brings together INO Records and Winans' own Wellspring Gospel label with Epic Records,
a division of Sony Music.
Memphis-based Ardent Records announces the addition of rock band Jonah33
to its roster. Founded by Seattle native and now Arkansas resident Vince Lichlyter, the band is slated
to release its national, self-titled debut, June 24, 2003.
Growing up in the midst of Seattle’s legendary beginnings of such acts as Nirvana and Pearl Jam,
Lichlyter relocated to Arkansas and began working with a local student ministry. After developing a
passion to reach teens involved with drugs and violence through music, he traveled to Memphis and
recorded an independent project at the world-renown Ardent Studios. His album caught the interest
of industry veteran and director of A&R, Dana Key.
Inspired by the Bible verse, Jonah 3:3, which reads in part:
“Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh,” front man Lichlyter created the band and,
under the direction of acclaimed producer Skidd Mills (Audio Adrenaline, Skillet, Sanctus Real),
recorded its debut. Additionally, Skillet’s John and Korey Cooper spent some time in the studio
with Jonah33, lending their talents to three of the album’s straightforward, modern rock cuts.
Global X Games (ESPN/EXPN), airing on Sunday April 6th, will be playing several songs from
Peace 586's new release Generations on Uprok Records during their shows.
Global X Games feature the worlds best In extreme sporting events. Check local listings for airing details.
Peace 586 Generations. Check out their cool ecard at http://www.uprokrecords.com/peace586/movie.html!
Reunion Records announces the addition of singer/songwriter Jill Paquette
to their roster of artists. Paquette's self-titled debut, slated for release on July 22, is like a tour
of an art gallery full of diverse images, guiding you through a unique collection of songs that capture
the imagination. Born in British Columbia, Canada, with French-Canadian, European and Native American roots,
Jill began training in classical piano at the age of three, learning to play by ear. The transition from
classical piano to acoustic guitar at the age of 16 breathed new life into her love of music. While she
composes on both the guitar and the piano, Jill notes, "the acoustic guitar is easily the coolest
instrument in the world. When I started playing that, it just felt like home."
London Calling has been added to Mainstage at Spirit Song
Festival at Paramount's King's Island Amusement Park. The Cincinnatti, Oh. festival features London
Calling as the only unsigned artist performing on Mainstage. Other artists performing on the July 12th date
include Third Day, Toby Mac, Bleach, and Rachael Lampa. This follows London Calling's headlining performance
the night before on Sonshine Festival's HM Magazine stage.
London Calling is seeking a recording agreement and is currently enjoying interest from labels Columbia,
Ultimatum, and Island/Def-jam. While the band had hoped to work with a Christian base, they are going where
the doors are opening. "Only God knows" says bassist Matthew Martin. The band has two rough mixes available
at www.mp3.com/london_calling
In other news, London Calling vocalist Jamie Rowe reunited with
his former band Guardian for two concerts in Central America
this past week. The band played Guatemala City, Guatemala and San Salvador, El Salvador to crowds in
excess of 5,000 each show. Guardian members Tony Palacios and David Bach were not able to perform so
Roy Mitchell (ex-Earthsuit) and Pete Orta (ex-Petra) filled in alongside Rowe and drummer Karl Ney.
The concerts were deemed a success by the band and fans alike!
Reunion Records recording artist Michael
W. Smith recently contributed guest vocals for Sandtown's rendition of U2's
"Pride (In the Name of Love)." Sandtown, Gotee's modern urban youth choir,
will feature the song on their May 6 release, Based On a True Story.
Beatmart Recordings, the newly formed record label headed by Gotee Records co-founder and producer
Todd Collins (DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline, Out Of Eden) recently announced his first label signing with
acoustic/pop band Everman. Collins and F. Reid Shippen produced
the self-titled debut, releasing June 24th, 2003.
Everman, whose name is taken from a small town in the group’s home state of Texas, is one of the few
bands under the Christian pop umbrella whose members aren’t afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves.
With lyrical content and a compelling live performance, the acoustic/pop quartet casts a light on life’s
uncertainties in an honest and vulnerable way throughout their 12-song CD.
*Wednesday, April 2nd, 2003*
Pop foursome FFH recently performed its first military concert
for an audience of 3,000 at Fort Jackson Army Post in Columbia, S.C. The evening's offerings included
classic FFH tunes, a sing-along to "America the Beautiful" and "The Star- Spangled Banner" as well as a
free copy of an FFH album. Most momentous, however, were the 175 soldiers who prayed to accept Christ.
Jeromy Deibler of FFH comments, "The soldiers were so appreciative of us just being there that they clapped
and sang every song like we were the Beatles. In the middle of our set we sang 'America the Beautiful'
during which the entire group of soldiers, all dressed in their standard issue fatigues, stood to their feet
and belted out like it was their personal theme song. We followed it with 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' which
we were barely able to get through. Those songs never had more meaning to me than they did at that moment,
and I will never sing them the same way again." Chaplin Arthur Pace, project manager of the event comments,
"The purpose of the concert was to try and provide something uplifting, of a spiritual nature, to the
soldiers who, when they complete their training, will go off to war. That reality is causing a lot of
anxiety for these young eighteen and nineteen-year-olds, many of whom are experiencing a spiritual
crisis and starting to rethink their relationship with the Lord. We really didn't know what to expect
as far as the turn-out and response to FFH's performance. FFH gave a call that really reached them,
and we were thrilled at the number of people who wanted to know the Lord."
In less than one week (on April 8th) Newsboys’ Adoration: The Worship Album
will be released to the world. Even before its release, Adoration has already seen massive radio
success with the first single “He Reigns” reaching the #1 position for two weeks on EVERY AC & CHR CHART
in the Christian music industry, which consist of Radio & Retail (R&R), Christian Radio Weekly (CRW),
and Broadcast Data System (BDS) and PDAdvisor (PDA).
“The listeners response to ‘He Reigns’ is overwhelming,” says Grant Hubbard, Sparrow Records VP
National Promotions. “Radio listeners have compared this song’s success to Newsboys
multi-format hit ‘It Is You’.”
Reuniting with producer Steve Taylor (Sixpence None The Richer) Adoration
blends moments of personal and corporate worship to lead listeners on a unique worship journey.
Featuring original worship songs as well as worship favorites, Adoration is a striking
collection of songs that will surely stand the test of time.
Stacie Orrico is about to live the American Dream
– on the small screen that is! On April 16 and 17, Stacie will be taping an upcoming episode of the popular
NBC television series, American Dreams. Not only will she be able to sing on the show, but she
will also get the opportunity to showcase her acting skills as well with a small role.
(http://www.billboard.com/billboard/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1848557)
Speaking of the small screen, don’t forget to catch Stacie on MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) on Thursday,
April 3. Stacie will be stopping by the NYC studios of TRL for an interview and to say hi to her new fans!
Be sure to set your VCR’s to catch this historic moment – April 3, 4:00-5:00 EST!
After traveling with Worship Generation on the Southwest Tour, the band Str8 N Narrow was
making their way back to California to play a show with Five Iron Frenzy and Officer
Negative when they were in a bad auto accident Saturday morning. Some of
them are now in hospital in Las Vegas.
Mark, who plays bass, is seriously injured. He has a head injury and is
listed in critical condition. Mark’s parents, Tom and Linda, and his sister
Ariel are with him and doing well. They know that God is in control and that
He will glorify Himself in this.
Giovan, who plays guitar, is listed in stable condition and has a
fractured hip.
Mario, who is the lead singer, and Skwid the drummer (formerly of PAX217),
have only minor injuries and have not been admitted to the hospital.
Grace, Mario and Giovan’s mom and their manager, is listed in stable
condition with broken bones and other non-life threatening injuries.
Please pray for the members and their families!
Rebecca St. James and the rest of the Wait For Me/Worship
God Tour recently performed in front of their biggest audience since the tour has been on the road.
When the tour stopped in Chicago, they were excited to learn they were going to play to a sell-out crowd
of more than 4,000 fans! In other RSJ news, the Grammy Award winning singer had an opportunity within the last several weeks to talk
to key contacts in Washington about the President's initiative on abstinence-a platform on which she has
developed a strong international voice of influence in taking the message to her generation.
As a follow to her meetings in Washington, this week Rebecca St. James will be featured in the nationally
distributed Abstinence Education Update, a weekly e-mail publication that is distributed to more than
700 abstinence education providers, supporters, and administrators across the United States. The
publication is an informational service from the Office of Representative Dave Weldon (R/Florida)
and is provided as an informational service to individuals and organizations involved in promoting
abstinence education to adolescents.
Luis Palau’s Beachfest took place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this past weekend and more than 300,000
attended the two-day festival to catch some of the biggest names in Christian music and to hear Luis
Palau speak about the Gospel. According to South Florida’s major daily, The Sun-Sentinal,
tobyMac stole the opening night show… “Christian hip-hop icon
tobyMac put out a clever, energetic synthesis of secular sounds on Saturday night. His updated praise
and worship contained the rhythm, lingo and first-person braggadocio of hip-hop, minus the profanity.”
Check out what else The Sun-Sentinal had to say about tobyMac’s performance…
http://www.landrudesign.com/DefaultFrameSet.htm?Gallery_Palau_ftlauderdale.htm~LandruMnFrm
In other tobyMac news, keep an eye out for a remix album of his 2001 record Momentum hitting shelves
June 24th!
MTV has accepted the Relient K's new “ChapStick, Chapped Lips, and Things like Chemistry”
video for MTV2 Rock and College Television Network! Expect an add date in the next 2 weeks. CTN airs on over 800 College Campuses...
Fervent Records has announced
the addition of their first female artist, Jill Phillips.
Set to release her first national release with Fervent August 5, 2003, Phillips has been
compared to the likes of Christian artists Nichole Nordeman and Sara Groves
with a sound comparable to Sheryl Crow.
In the studio now, Phillips takes on producing the album alongside her husband/co-writer
Andy Gullahorn and Matt Stanfield (Plumb). Together the three produced
her independent album, God and Money, which she received the CCM Reader?s
Award for Best Independent Artist of 2002.
Sixpence None The Richer have just announced tour dates with The Counting Crows! For a list
of dates, visit http://sixpencenonethericher.com.
If you can't check out their tour, you can catch Sixpence performing "Breathe Your Name" at the Dove awards
next week! (see last news update for airing times!)
Gotee Records is gearing up for what may be their most compelling and unusual project yet,
the May 6th release of Based On A True Story with the Baltimore-based urban youth choir Sandtown.
During the 1950s and early 60s Sandtown-Winchester was a flourishing neighborhood in Baltimore.
Though still segregated by the law of the land, an indomitable spirit defined it. Civil Rights
opportunities, a loss of jobs and other changes in the economy began to change the community.
Three fourths of Sandtown’s 40,000 people would eventually move to “better” neighborhoods,
leaving many homes for slum lords to neglect and eventually abandon. But the spirit of the
community remained. In 1986 a group of neighbors decided to rebuild, launching a profound
and long-term effort. Out of this setting an unusual group of children emerged—neighborhood
kids who sing their story. Each week the children of Sandtown, ages eight to fourteen,
walk to rehearsals where they learn to focus their boundless energy into performances.
Sandtown’s music celebrates who they are—their history, their outlook, their boldness to hope
for the future. Based On a True Story is the “soundtrack” of their community.
The latest project UK to receive the D: branding is already sending out the shivers.
Even though it’s early days for the new project from Delrious? –
producer Julian Kindred (Delirious?, Sonicflood, Mercy Me) suggests that studio sessions are due to be
wrapped up towards the middle of the summer, with the album’s release hoped for by the end of the year –
the untitled album has immediately generated a life force of its own: defiant, epic and bold,
this is Delirious getting all the paints out of the cupboard. This is a flagship band heading forward at
full speed, and the results cannot fail to satisfy. More information will follow soon,
but you can also keep up to date via www.delirious.co.uk.
The band have also been spending a little time of late dipping their collective toe back into the waters
of live performance. With two dates at the end of March in North America the Littlehampton five got
a chance to turn up the heat in front of 40,000 fans at two Acquire The Fire events! Also, don't forget
the band's new live worship project Access:d releases next Tuesday, April 8th!
Less than one week until the new PropagandaOut of Knowhere
album releases. The album features Sharlok Poems of LA Symphony, New Breed, LPG, Raphi, Kuliah of Burning
Star and Dokument. Please take a moment to preview the album on the new e-card:
http://www.uprokrecords.com/propaganda/movie.html
For other hip-hop previews, check out Underground (http://www.uprokrecords.com/UR/movie.html)
and Peace586 (http://www.uprokrecords.com/peace586/movie.html)!
Here's the latest from Blindside: "After 3 months on the road
the only place that feels like home is when we are on stage. So, we hired Zach Merck from Picture
Park films to follow us around and capture our lives right now in our latest video. It is who we are
- the blood, the sweat, the rock 'n roll... and our friends and family around the world."
Click here for The World Premier of "Sleepwalking"! Passion Conferences announces the creation of Gallery268,
a visual arts display dedicated to students’ interpretations of Passion’s 268 Declaration,
for its OneDay03 event to be held Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27, on a private 400-plus acre ranch
in Sherman, TX.
Becoming one of the largest collegiate gatherings of its kind in over 25 years after drawing more than
40,000 college-aged students representing every state in the nation and 26 different countries, OneDay
2000 featured “worship art” by inviting attendees to take part in creating a corporate art piece.
Attendees drew on a number of large panels of cloth, which were joined to create a towering tapestry
of worship that soared over the grounds.
Canada's Gospel Vibe Awards 2003 weekend begins with a New Artist Showcase
on Friday evening, followed by an extensive seminar on Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. entitled Christian
Music Industry Inside-Out. Both events are being held at the city’s Centre Street Church.
Voting for the Vibe Awards begins over the Internet at
www.vibeawards.ca and through the Blessings Christian Marketplace
bookstore chain on Friday, April 4. Nominees include Riley Armstrong, downhere, and Jake among others!
Effective immediately, Provident Music Group, one of the world's largest Christian music companies
and part of Zomba Music Group, will operate under the umbrella of RCA Label Group-Nashville. While it
will remain a freestanding operation, Provident will be overseen by Joe Galante, Chairman, RLG-Nashville.
Terry Hemmings has been appointed to the newly created post of President & Chief Executive Officer,
Provident Music Group. Reporting to Galante, he will be responsible for all operations of Provident.
Bride has taken time off from touring to write songs for a new CD, which
should be released later this year. Some of these new songs have been
recorded for demo purposes in order for the band to critic their own work.
The band has decided to offer, for a very limited time, seven
songs that have been recorded. All seven songs were recorded in the same evening and were never intended to
be heard outside of the band members. Every song is in a raw format, no overdubs and has been recorded live in our
rehearsal room. This is not a professional recording but strictly demo
quality. It will be sent out in a very plain CD case probably with no
insert, however there will be a label listing the names and order of the songs.
This RAW CD is only going to be available for a limited time.
If you are interested in ordering this "Bride Raw Rehearsal" send a check or
money order to Bride 295 Churchview Road West Point KY 40177 (or you can email them your
credit card information), along with your name and mailing address to this
email address. The band will take care of each order personally. The RAW CD is $10.00 each.
For more on Bride, visit www.bridepub.com
This Friday, October 11, 2024
ALBUMS
Clear Convictions Endure (independent)
Decayed Existence The Beginning Of Sorrows [Rottweiler]
Down East Boys Something To Shout About [Sonlite]
Flame Neo Ethos [Extra Nos]
homage homage [Integrity]
lydi lynn Desert Dream - EP [Gotee]
Tamela Mann Live Breathe Fight [TillyMann]
Maverick City Music, Songhouse MAVHOUSE - EP [Tribl]
Heath McNease Out of the Hollow (independent)
Ashtyn Michael Live At The Garden - EP [Integrity]
Power Wolves Demos, Experiments and Mishaps [Charon Collective]
Shout Praises Kids Creo En Ti - EP [Integrity]
Ian Yates Kingdom [7 Core]
Darlene Zschech Testament [Integrity]
SINGLES
2 Minute Minor No One Gets Out Alive - Single (independent)
adamariz PROMO (ft. NOT KLYDE & Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Micah Barbosa Looking For You (feat. Luke Barbosa) - Single (independent)
Jeremiah Bligen Remains - Single [Syntax]
Sam Bowman El Dorado - Single [DREAM]
Brave Days Tulip - Single (independent)
Paul Demer Your Favor Was Enough (Psalm 13) - Single (independent)
Fire From Heaven Through Day and Dark (feat. AJ the Metalhead) - Single (independent)
Glae Horde - Single [Broken Curfew Records]
Good Weather Forecast One More Time (Kings and Queens) - Single [DREAM]
Hrada Asphyxiated (feat. Damien) - Single (independent)
Tiffany Hudson The Wonderful Blood - Single [Elevation]
iNTELLECT Authentic Currency (Remix) - Single [Polished Arrow]
No Treaty Deep - Single [Charon Collective]
Blessing Offor All Over The World - Single [Capitol CMG]
Fernando Ortega Jesus, Bread of Life - Single (independent)
R.kitect Knuckle Up - Single (independent)
Relentless Pursuit War with the World (feat. Eric Castiglia) - Single (independent)
Resurrected Divinity Death Bed Revelation (feat. 10SCOOPS) - Single [God’s Basement Records]
Small Voice Just & the Justifier - Single (independent)
SNT. VINCENT MUERTOS (ft. Giovani & Arias) - Single [Syntax]
Kristian Stanfill Where the Power Is - Single [Capitol CMG]
Sunday Service Choir Go Tell It - Single (independent)
TAYA Come Into The Light - Single [Capitol CMG]
John Van Deusen Trebuchet - Single [Tooth & Nail]
Next Friday, October 18, 2024
ALBUMS
Futures Altars - EP [DREAM]
Brandon Hixson Room with a View (independent)
Aodhan King Beyond Us [Capitol CMG]
Newsboys Worldwide Revival - Part II [Capitol CMG]
SINGLES
City Students Worship Outside Your Love - Single (independent)
Dreamers Adoration - Single [DREAM]
LO CLOUD Sleepwalker - Single (independent)
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld Light of Joy (Gloria) - Single [Vere]