Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News: May 2003

May, 2003

*Wednesday, May 27th, 2003*

Some of the Relient K guys are in the studio right now recording brand new music for a vinyl 7¹ called The Vinyl Countdown. Plans are set to release the limited edition 7¹ (only 1,500 will be made) this summer online through the indie label Mono Vs Stereo website sometime in July. It will also be available at the RK merch table. We are told it will include 4 brand new songs, one of which is a Five Iron Frenzy tribute, and another is written about an RK Fan club member¹s thoughts on vinyl and how kids don¹t know what it is. The other 2 songs are titled ³We¹re Nothing Without You² and ³More Than Useless². Check out http://www.monovsstereo.com for more info.

The final studio album from Five Iron Frenzy was completed earlier this week entitled, The End Is Near. The album will be available at all live shows starting at Alive Fest in Ohio on June 18th. The band is working on having it available via a web site for all of you who don't live near where they are playing. We will keep you posted as more info rolls in!

Rebecca St. James credits a large ingredient of "divine inspiration" as being at the heart of the success of her current hit single, "I Thank You." A phone call this week from Iraq contained a very real thread of that truth. With the single now scaling the upper Top 10 of the charts, a special re-mix of "I Thank You," was engineered by ForeFront Records-and dedicated as a tribute to America's military. The re-mix features Americans-from President Bush to people from everyday walks of life -offering their gratitude and prayers for the troops. The re-mix has gained national airplay rivaling the success of the original single. The new video captures Rebecca's moving visit to the home of the 101st Airborne for a patriotic rally near their Fort Campbell homebase. The images are interwoven with military footage, sad farewells, and tearful welcome homes. But most miraculous in the midst of "I Thank You" is its' positioning near the heart of a miracle. The opening prayer in the special re-mix was given by Chaplain Kenneth Stone, serving at McDill Air Force Base in Florida when President Bush came to address the troops in March. He was shortly thereafter deployed to Iraq. Chaplain Stone, who had never met Rebecca St. James, called this week from Quatar in the Middle East to thank her for her support of the troops and his pleasure at being included in "I Thank You." Further, he recounted a miracle: Said Chaplain Stone: "When we first arrived in Iraq, we were greeted by horrific sand storms that engulfed the country just as we started the long journey to Baghdad. Everything was grounded. The storm lasted more than three days and was the worst in 100 years of Iraq's history. When the storms stopped and we could finally see for the first time in days, what we saw was a miracle. It was as if God's breath had blown through Iraq, exposing countless hundreds of landmines planted in our path to Baghdad-mines that if they had remained covered had capability to kill untold thousands of our troops. It's something I don't think the media fully grasped, and something I'd like for those that prayed back home to know."

Where's Luna Halo? Well, this is a question we sure wondered recently so we contacted frontman Nathan Barlowe who was kind enough to give us an update on the group, "We have been playing some, writing some, and trying to find the best label home... We have been showcasing for major labels. We are touring Europe in July and will play for labels there. We are about to record some new material this month that may be released as an EP."

While Jim Carrey's latest flick Bruce Almighty has created quite a stir and even topped this past weekend's box office, those who have seen it may have recognized a familiar female vocalist singing a tune. Yup! Those of you who have seen the film have heard Plumb's song "God Shaped Hole" from their 2000 album Candycoatedwaterdrops! The song is not only in the film but also on the motion picture soundtrack. For a ChristianAnswers.net interview with Bruce Almighty director Tom Shadyac, visit this link!

Paul Colman Trio releases its second Essential Records project, One, Sept. 9. Following the stellar success of its American debut, One challenges listeners to be reconciled to God and to each other. Production on One began last fall in the band's native Australia, wrapping at the home studio of Nashville-based musician, engineer and producer Brent Milligan (The Elms, David Crowder Band). Primarily penned by frontman Paul Colman with co-writing credits going to bassist Grant Norsworthy and drummer Phil Gaudion on four of the record's tracks, One combines strong drumbeats, melodic bass, subtle piano and distinct guitar sounds to produce an artistic backdrop for its message of love and reconciliation. "We wanted a record that truly captures the band," comments Colman. "We love big melodies and big songs about big topics. As we began to track the music, we really discovered that all the songs are about reconciliation."

*Wednesday, May 21st, 2003*

P.O.D. has announced that they will release their 3rd major label record for Atlantic Records, boldly titled Payable On Death. In the words of Sonny, "Payable On Death is a fresh new start, a going back to roots, a re-connecting with our people." Currently, the boys are working through 17 songs honing their heaviest and most revolutionary record yet. Long time Producer, Howard Benson had this to say about what he's experiencing with P.O.D. in the studio: "There's a certain quiet confidence in this band right now. They really know who they are. It's a magical moment... The whole team here can feel it. This record is going to touch their listeners souls like only great career artists can do." "We feel like we are giving birth to a whole new race," said guitarist Jason Truby, a recent addition to the band (formerly of the late Living Sacrifice).

ForeFront Records is pleased to announce the recent Gold certification of Rebecca St. James's, God. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), sales of God have reached in excess of 500,000 units. St. James will be honored with her first Gold Record by the industry on June 12 during a celebration held at the Nashville, TN offices of BMI. That evening will also spotlight Rebecca’s 10-year career milestone. “We are very proud of Rebecca’s accomplishments,” said ForeFront Records President Greg Ham. “Throughout her career, she has never lost her passion for her ministry. Its very inspiring to work with someone who has the vision and energy that Rebecca puts into everything she does.” Her 1996 release was responsible for career classics such as “God,” “Speak To Me,” and “Go and Sin No More.” “God was a pivotal release for Rebecca,” said Co-President of Chordant Distribution, Rich Peluso. “This was the album that took Rebecca to another level as a Christian artist. Since the release of God, Rebecca has been one of our most consistent selling artists, with a fan base that has grown with each release.”

Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth celebrated this Mother’s Day with a new addition! The Chapmans welcome Stevey Joy Chapman to the family! More details and photos coming to StevenCurtisChapman.com in the weeks ahead.

In celebration of Christafari's long awaited fifth release Gravity, Lion of Zion Entertainment is offering "14 Days of Gravity". Starting yesterday (14 days before the June 3rd release), fans will be able to go online and get a sneak preview of the songs, as well as insight into the ministry and message behind them. The "14 Days of Gravity" will be available at 12:00am EST, one per day, in Real Audio format exclusively at www.LionOfZion.com. Each "day" represents one of the 14 full-length tracks. Christafari producer and lead vocalist Mark Mohr shares the inspiration for, creation of, and motivation behind the songs, finishing each with a brief sermonette.

*Tuesday, May 20th, 2003*

Hey! Anyone remember the Hands And Feet book Audio Adrenaline planned to release? We do, and we couldn't help but wonder whatever happened to it. Through investigation online it was discovered that certain online stores, including Amazon.com, have information including an ISBN number and book cover for the novel but with no availability for it. Some sites cited its publishing for January 2003 with others saying "out of print". We emailed bassist Will McGinniss in hopes for some insight. Here's what Will had to say, "We're looking at releasing the book this Fall, but the name of it might be changed to Worldwide. The publisher will probably be NavPress... that's all I know." Hopefully Fall it is!

Living Sacrifice has decided to pack it in and go home. The band left this message to their fans on their official site recently, "Living Sacrifice is Officially Over. This is it for real this time. Due to personal family obligations and issues that have recently come up, Living Sacrifice will not continue to tour after next week. We are very sorry to have to cancel our west coast dates and all others in June and July. Our final shows are listed below. If you would, please get the word out so that these final shows will be successful. We have no plans to do any other tours or albums as we feel that the time has come to move on. Thanks to all of you who have been a part of Living Sacrifice and the success we have had over the last 13 years. God Bless you all. - Bruce, Lance, Arthur, Matthew, and Cory." The remaining dates are as follows: June 28th in Little Rock, AR at Vino's and July 5th in Bushnell, IL at Cornerstone Festival. Best of luck guys!

Industry veterans Stereo Deluxx are making history with the first ever free internet release of a full length Christian album. Pretty Time Bomb, their aptly titled sophomore release, is available for free download now. After fielding offers from mainstream record labels following the success of their debut Organic records release, So Clearly, Stereo Deluxx has finally put together the album they have always wanted to make. Blending their trademark electronic energy and an edgier, guitar driven rock sound with challenging lyrics of faith and promise, Stereo Deluxx is ready to make waves by giving this full length album away to the public for free. "We have sensed a change coming for a long time." says founding member, Lewis Lux. "We worked so hard and so long that I think we finally reached the point where we just wanted people to enjoy our music. What better way than to give it away." His wife and lead singer, Stacey, agrees. "We struggled for a long time to decide where and when to release another album for all sorts of reasons. We finally just decided that we didn't care about record sales or promotion, all we wanted is for people to enjoy our music with us." Last month, Pretty Time Bomb became fully available for download online! Fans can not only be able to download the songs but fully designed and print ready album art work. Visit holidayrecords.com to download Pretty Time Bomb!

Rumors and a few hints have been floating around for some time now, but it is now official that Atlanta based hip hop duo Mars Ill (comprised of Manchild and Dust) has just recently signed with Gotee Records. Gotee is proud and honored to have this underground hip hop group join their roster. Their Gotee debut, and third release, titled Backbreakanomics will be in stores August 19th. Mars Ill is currently mixing their Gotee debut with Steve Lotz(KJ-52), while it was recorded at their own Backwater Studios in Atlanta. For more info on the duo, check out their website at http://www.marsill.com.

After performing at Franklin Graham's Crusade in Roanoke, VA and at Bill Graham's Crusade in San Diego, CA, Michael W. Smith is back out on the west coast run of "Come Together and Worship" Tour with Third Day and Max Lucado. On his days off from touring, Michael is in the studio working on The Second Decade, releasing to retail October 7, 2003. More details to follow.

Jeff Deyo is working hard on his second Gotee release. The album is being recorded at Jeff's home studio and currently Rita Springer has been confirmed to do add some vocal arrangements to a song. Look for a September release.

The Katinas have jumped into the studio to work with producer Peter Kipley (Mercy Me) to record their 4th album. Amy Grant recently stopped by to add vocals to a song, expect an October release for this album.

The Insyderz are back! They guys had decided to take a few years off to work in different ministries and start families. But now the guys are back and have just inked a deal with Floodgate Records! Recording starts in June with an album out in the fall. Their website is www.theinsyderz.com

Speaking of Floodgate, the label has recently also signed the Chico, CA based Number One Gun. Floodgate is partnering with Salvage Records to distribute and help market the band. The guys have been touring all spring through the Midwest, getting amazing response opening for bands like the Benjamin Gate, Anberlin and our own Cool Hand Luke. Their album Celebrate Mistakes will release on August 12. Check them out at www.numberonegun.com

Rita Springer recorded 5 live worship sessions at her "Fragrant Oil" conference in Santa Fe, NM from April 24 to 26. Over five hours of raw, spontaneous worship were captured. The album, tentatively titled Fragrant Oil may turn out to be a 2 CD set. "We don't want to cut any song that really captured what God was doing in Santa Fe during the conference,” said Tim Taber, President of Floodgate Records, "Rita is an amazingly anointed and talented worship leader. This is an album she has wanted to make for a long time. Hopefully it will include prayers, cries, and just spontaneity that sometimes gets lost in studio worship albums. That said, the album can be as long as she wants it to be."

Our Australian contact, Lach, just sent this update on Stacie Orrico's radio success down under: "Stacie has jumped up to number 5 on the Aussie charts and has shipped gold (35,000) which is proportionate to the population as is gold in the US, so it's a good achievement." Congrats Stacie!

On the heels of their most successful year ever, NewSong is in the studio wrapping up their first pop album since 2000. More Life, NewSong's 14th studio album, releases to retail September 9, 2003, and includes their trademark vocals, hooky melodies and prolific lyrics. NewSong co-founder Eddie Carswell notes, "We have spent more time making this record than any in our history - we believe the result is one of our best projects ever. The message of God's love is evident in each song and the theme of life and God creating more life in each of our days is something we have experienced first hand."

Butterfly Kisses: A Tribute to Dad is a national primetime television special honoring fathers, hosted by multi-platinum Grammy Award winning artist, Bob Carlisle, produced by Phoenix Entertainment and Legacy Media Productions, and scheduled to begin airing around Father's Day in June 2003. "We are excited about encouraging thousands of Dads with this tribute," says Michael Davis, executive producer. "With this show, we want to honor all fathers for the special role that they play in keeping our families and nation strong. We hope that Butterfly Kisses: A Tribute to Dad becomes a tradition in America. It is designed to be a fun and inspiring show that the whole family should watch!" Butterfly Kisses will potentially show in over 89 million households in the United States and on networks around the world. It will feature many well-known artists and celebrities from the music, sports, television, and film industries sharing and reminiscing about their fathers. Special appearances include: Kevin Costner, Pele, Travis Tritt, Jeff Probst of SURVIVOR, Tobymac, Charlie Daniels, Rebecca St. James, WCW/WWF wrestler Sting, Lee Greenwood, Danny Ganz, and many more. Butterfly Kisses is already scheduled to air on INSP, FAMILY NET, I-LIFE TV, TLN, TBN, and CTS CANADA, in addition a variety of affiliates and independent stations in markets such as San Francisco, South Bend, Ind., Indianapolis, Denver, New Orleans, Tulsa, Olka., Honolulu, Gulfport, Miss., Australia and several Asian markets. Check local listings for exact airing dates, times, and networks.

Bebo Norman recently wrapped his second tour through Europe, visiting venues in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Altogether, Norman played for an estimated 24,000 fans, packing out shows in 10 cities. Less than a week after his performance at the 34th Annual Dove Awards, Norman ventured oversees to entertain audiences abroad. Kicking off in Milton Keynes, England with a day of national Christian and secular media interviews, the tour traveled west to Minehead for the first of three shows at Spring Harvest, a three week bible conference.

Joy Williams performed recently at the annual EPA (Evangelical Press Association) convention in Atlanta. Joy performed an unforgettable performance for more than 200 editors and writers before Crawford Loritts, Campus Crusade for Christ, delivered a powerful message to wrap up their convention.

*Monday, May 19th, 2003*

As guitartist Tyler Burkum would say, "Dude! This is extreme!" Audio Adrenaline's title track from their current release Worldwide was used during the X Games Global Championship as well as during ESPN's broadcast of the Championship. Here's a quote from a producer of the show, "What a great and appropriate song for the X Games Global Championship! There guys are terrific. Definitely one of the hottest Christian bands going," ESPN producer, Steve Bradley. Hey, we agree. In other AA news, Forefront Records made this interesting announcement on Friday: "Although we can't go into too much detail, be looking for Audio Adrenaline to make a big splash at festivals this summer. In typical AudioA fashion, the guys are planning on leaving fans awed with a show that will blow their minds. All I can really tell you is that it involves a 1976 Morris Mini Coop... stay tuned for more details or check out www.audioa.com now!" AudioA.com adds, "The Mini is just another way Audio Adrenaline is always looking for fun and creative ways to entertain while sharing the message characterized by their new album, Worldwide. "We feel called to use our shows to share the Gospel," states bassist Will McGinniss. Lead singer Mark Stuart adds, "We want to continue to motivate people to put their faith into action and do something incredible for God."

The Tait band was back in the studio last week for round two, laying more tracks for their fall release. According to Michael, things are going great and he is very excited about what is coming out of their time in the studio with producer, Mark Heimermann. This week, Michael is taking a step away from the Tait band to hit the studio with Nirva - you've probably seen her on stage as part of tobyMac's posse - to record a duet called "Lose My Life" which will be featured on the !Hero Rock Opera project to be released in the Fall.

Last week, the PAX217 guys are in Bucharest, Romania for the Somebody Loves You Festival. Watch the live broadcast of the show at the festival's website www.somebodylovesyou.org. The show is estimated to have more than 5,000 attendees. The guys have learned that the video for PAX217's hit "Prizm" is getting a lot of play on Romania's MTV!

This month, be looking for the June edition of CCM Magazine. tobyMac graces the cover and talks about his vision for hip-hop and rap music within the world of Christian music. The cover hits just in time to promote his Re:Mix Momentum project, which releases June 24.

Uprok Records' very own KJ-52 had his video for "Dear Slim" air on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) Friday. To say "it now has a huge buzz surrounding it" would be an understatement! Hit up the MTV website and check their message boards to find out what people are saying. There are tons of discussions going on over there and all across the internet about the video. While you are there at the MTV/TRL message boards consider expressing your support for the video and ask that they air the video again.
MTV Message Boards:
http://www.mtv.com/community/message_boards/
Vote/Request the video at (write it in at the bottom):
http://www.mtv.com/onair/trl/

Christafari returns June 3rd with their first new studio release in four years. True to their signature sound, Gravity took over a year to record, with production taking place throughout the United States and Trinidad. This long anticipated release offers 74 minutes of Caribbean sounds encompassing roots reggae, dancehall, soca, calypso, jamoo, ska, Indian chutney, salsa, jungle, hip-hop, and elements of jazz. Gravity will be released worldwide on June 3, 2003, distributed by Butterfly International Distribution, Navarre, and other international distributors.

*Tuesday, May 13th, 2003*

Deja vu! Didn't something like this recently happen with P.O.D.? Anyway, sadly enough, the exodus of Petra's drummer Louie Weaver is a little more involved than the candy-coated message on Petraband.com may lead one to believe. Those behind LouieWeaver.com announced recently, "Twenty-two year veteran time keeper of the Christian rock band Petra, Louie Weaver, is announcing today that he was dismissed from service to the band on February 8th, 2003. Weaver, the person to have performed with this group for the most number of years consecutively, says he was “shocked” and “surprised” that such a decision was made by current band leader John Schlitt and Schlitt’s personal manager, Wayne Seboa. Weaver says, “Although I am saddened by this decision, I know the Lord is already opening doors that I had never dreamed of.” Louie sites 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” Weaver continues, “For a long time I’ve felt God has given me a vision for ministry, especially ministry in music and praise to Him. Petra was part of my life for 22 years. It was a wonderful blessing to me and my family, but sometimes the Lord brings circumstances into your life where choices will be made for you, so you go forward with a new calling that He brings into your life.” For the rest of story, visit http://www.louieweaver.com/statement.htm

According to AudioA.com, Audio Adrenaline may have a second DVD release on the horizon! When asked recently if the band was releasing a live DVD from their highly successful GO Show tour, frontman Mark Stuart replied, "No, but we are going to film a LIVE DVD at one of the festivals this summer. Ben is already working on it. It's going to be really cool! We'll post more information on the web as soon as it is available." I think a celebration is in order!

The innovative See Spot Rock Tour recently entered the final string of dates on its successful 40-city run. Featuring an all-star lineup that includes rock favorites OC Supertones, Relient K and Pillar, along with hip-hop head John Reuben and critically-acclaimed newcomers Sanctus Real, the See Spot Rock Tour has connected with thousands of music fans across the country and has concert promoters singing its praises. “Once in a while a tour comes through New England that hits the nail on the head, and See Spot Rock did just that,” says Dan Russell with SoulFest Concerts. “The smart combination of artists, the creative and accessible management both on and off the road, the realistic pricing of expenses and tickets, and the actual concert itself made most of us (public included) wish we had sponsored more nights. We look forward to serving alongside this tour again soon.” Congrats to the artists on the tour for a great experience!

*Monday, May 12th, 2003*

Rock legends Petra are going through a bit of transition as they are working on a new record and adjusting to the recent exodus of a member who has spent 21 years in Petra. Wayne Seboa recently posted this announcement on the band's official site Petraband.com: "We would like to thank you, our fans, which have stayed faithful for all these years. We are in the process of making many positive changes concerning Petra and many of these changes will be announced to you as they unfold. Louie Weaver has been a faithful member of Petra for many years, and unfortunately the band and Louie have come to an impasse and he will not be performing with us any longer. We have all sought the Lord for a long time in prayer and council and feel this is the Lord's will for this situation. We hold no ill feelings toward Louie and wish him and his family all the best in whatever God's called him to next. Please continue to hold us in your prayers and thank you for your patience regarding this matter. Secondly, we are hard at work in the studio with Peter Furler making a classic Petra rock record. The record should be on sale sometime around August..."

Delirious? is currently in training for the release of their debut DVD. Out on May 31st and known as Archive:d, the digital treat brings together a bewildering array of Delirious visuals from over the years. As well as the live tour video from 1997 (‘A View From The Terraces’) and the promo/documentary ‘Promod:e’, the DVD also features the previously unreleased videos for ‘I Could Sing’, ‘Take Me Away’ and ‘Waiting For The Summer’. As if that wasn’t enough, the techies have also squeezed on the title sequence from the Fire Tour as well the background videos from five of the tour’s top tracks. What makes Archive:d extra special is the fact that its new NTSC format means that it will play on any DVD machine, regardless of region. It’s also available worldwide direct from Furious? Records [try www.delirious.co.uk] and comes in conjunction with a very special sweatshirt offer.

The Tait guys headed to the West Coast a little early last week to get in a photo shoot before their performance on the Billy Graham Crusade. The photo shoot is in preparation for their highly anticipated November 2003 release, tentatively titled Jealous Lover, and is being shot by famed rock photographer Danny Clinch (who has worked with the likes of dc talk, Audioslave, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, and Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan). Just before heading out of town for the shoot, Lonnie Chapin celebrated his birthday, which was last Tuesday, May 6!

As we reported last week, Rebecca St. James filmed the video for her latest hit single, "I Thank You" (remix) this past Thursday. Rebecca was filmed in a "field" of satellite dishes that surrounded a local broadcast facility. The concept of the video is Rebecca broadcasting a message of thanks to God and the troops. Be looking for the video to premiere on www.forefrontrecords.com soon, but until then, check out this photo of Rebecca on the set... http://www.forefrontrecords.com/images/news/rebecca_video.jpg

Just in time for Mother's Day, Geoff Moore and his family recently welcomed the newest addition to their home, a little girl adopted from an orphanage in China, Ashley Rose. Two weeks ago, Geoff's wife, Jan went to China to finalize the adoption process and brought Ashley back to the United States that Thursday. Jan and baby arrived back to the States safely and are doing great. According to Geoff, big sister, Anna Grace, adopted from the same orphanage more than a year ago, is very excited to have a little sister in the family!

Audio Adrenaline and MercyMe have just wrapped up one of this spring’s biggest tours, “The Go Show,” featuring special guests Kutless and The Swift. The tour played 50 cities in front of nearly 140,000 people in key markets such as Dallas, Los Angeles (Irvine), Houston, Phoenix, Seattle and Birmingham, and sold out an amazing 25 shows. Even though 50% of the dates were sell outs, the biggest success from the tour came as Audio Adrenaline and MercyMe reached beyond their ability to entertain audiences and joined forces to launch “The Go Foundation.” At the close of the tour, over 5,000 people had signed up at tour stops to go on mission’s trips through the foundation in the next 18 months, surpassing the tour’s goal. However, without taking too much of a break following the end of the tour, the guys from Audio A jetted off to Europe for the weekend to play a show at the Alton Towers theme park in England. Don't worry, though, they are going to take a couple of days off while they are there to relax.

Congratulations to Stacie Orrico as her "Stuck" video can no longer be seen during MTV's viewer-voted countdown show, Total Request Live (TRL), because MTV officially added "Stuck" in regular rotation recently! And as Stacie Orrico continues to reach new audiences, she has been featured in RollingStone.com's weekly newsletter. Last week's newsletter featured Stacie's "Stuck" video and was seen by about 1.5 million subscribers! In other Stacie news from the other end of the globe, her hit single is currently wedged in the number eight spot on Australia radio!

As most of you are probably aware, tobyMac's Re:Mix Momentum project is hitting the streets on June 24, 2003. What you may not be aware of, however, is that the rules have changed! Just erase everything you think you know about this release. Contrary to earlier reports, there are no longer seven remixed tracks from tobyMac's solo debut Momentum on Re:Mix, instead the track list doubled to 14! The disc is packed with over 50 minutes of music, including favorites such as "J-Train," "Somebody's Watching Me," "Irene," and the first single impacting radio now, an all-new version of "Love Is In The House." The Re:Mix Momentum project also includes an exclusive original mix performed by tobyMac's 4-year old son, Truett, also known as "Tru-Dog." The creation process of this project also took an unexpected turn. "In efforts to keep tobyMac focused on his Fall 2003 studio project, ForeFront tried to keep him out of the remix process, but he couldn't stay away from the project," said ForeFront Vice President of A&R Brent Milligan. "When tobyMac is in the studio, he puts 100% of himself into every project he works on. We actually asked him to slow down because suddenly this $10, seven-track disc was turning into a $10, 14-track album!" Click on the link below to hear the first single from Re:Mix Momentum, "Love Is In The House." http://media.emicmg.com/FFD83182R/audio/wma/full/56/liith_4.asx

INO Records’ recording artist Ten Shekel Shirt is set to release their sophomore effort, Risk, on August 26th. Risk is the follow-up to their 2001 debut, Much, which brought such radio hits as “Ocean” and “Meet With Me.” Band members Lamont Hiebert (lead vocals, guitar) and Austin Morrison (drums) spent the past year in the studio with producers Brent Milligan (The Elms, Paul Coleman Trio, David Crowder Band) and Monroe Jones (Third Day, Ginny Owens, Chris Rice). Milligan produced nine of the new tracks, while Jones produced the group’s upcoming radio single, “Poorest King” which goes for adds on AC radio in June. Their CHR single, “Cheer Up,” will also be going out in the same month.

Fresh off the success of her award-winning album Woven & Spun, Nichole Nordeman will release Live At The Door, on May 20th. Serving as the perfect introduction to her artistry from all three of her recordings, including the award winning Woven & Spun, Live At The Door features live acoustic performances of some of Nordeman’s most popular songs as well as a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s classic “Time After Time.” More than a quarter million people heard Nordeman perform on the Steven Curtis Chapman Live Out Loud Tour. Now fans and those who have yet to see her live can experience Nordeman at her finest. Recorded at “The Door” in Dallas, TX, Live At The Door is a must have collector’s item and for those that have never experienced her music.

Fervent Records band By The Tree returns to the root of their original pop/rock sound with their upcoming album. The album, being released on July 1st, is purposely titled Root to reflect this transition. The past year, members Chuck Dennie, Aaron Blanton, Charlie Goddard and Ben Davis, have spent their time recording an album that truly states what they are - a rock-n-roll band! Original and founding member Dennie states, "It feels great to be back to a place where we can play the music that truly moves us. This album shows our passion for rock-n-roll and has lyrics that are close to our heart."

In their second week at mainstream rock radio, Pillar has doubled the spins with their radio single "Fireproof" with 58 stations playing the song including major markets as Boston, Fresno, Chicago, Portland. In addition to radio success, the band booked their first mainstream gig at the Whiskey in L.A. and have recently signed a booking agreement with The Agency Group (home to Creed and Three Doors Down)! The remastered mainstream release of the Fireproof record on MCA records hits shelves June 10th.

On June 3, Rocketown Records will release a compilation album titled Hallelujahs—A Rocketown Worship Collection, which includes 11 previously recorded tracks and three new songs. Two new songs— “My Jesus I Love Thee” and “You Are My All in All”— were arranged and produced by Rocketown Records founder and Chairman Michael W. Smith during a live recording session at a Gospel Music Week 2003 showcase at Nashville’s Rocketown teen club. All of the artists on the Rocketown roster participated in the live recording, and each artist wrote liner notes for their songs on the album. “Worship music is what Christian music always has been and always will be,” said Smith. “What I love about our artists at Rocketown is that they write songs that represent what worship is about in its fullest sense, living all our lives for God. From the strains of nature heard in Chris Rice’s ‘Hallelujahs’ to the reminder that the greatest commandment is to love in Ginny Owens’ ‘I Am Nothing,’ I’ve found that this collection is music that draws my heart closer to the Father and challenges all of us to impact our world.”

This week, Bleach will go into pre-production on their fifth studio project, accompanied by Oran Thornton and Neil King. The band will take that time to shape up the songs and put the final touches on it all. The band will be touring this fall on Five Iron Frenzy's "Winners Never Quit" farewell tour with PAX217. Keep an ear out for a few possible new songs being played live!

Less than a month since the release of FFH's Ready to Fly, its debut radio single, "You Found Me," hits No. 1 on both the Radio & Records and Christian Radio Weekly Adult Contemporary charts. FFH's "Ready to Fly" tour also fuels the project's success, boasting five sold-out concerts to date. With five No. 1 songs already to its credit, FFH continues to find favor at radio. "Radio has always been extremely supportive of FFH," notes Phil Conner, radio promotions for Essential Records. "However, we hope that the songs on Ready to Fly will help to carry FFH to the next level. If 'You Found Me' is any indication of how radio will receive this album, we are definitely looking forward to what lies ahead."

The soulful pop/R&B styling of eighteen year-old Jackie Ungar is turning heads in the Christian music industry. Her debut album One Step has been nominated for the "Christian Contemporary Pop Album Of The Year" at the 2003 Vibe Awards. Jackie is currently busy rehearsing for her upcoming live performance at the Vibe Awards. The annual Canadian award show will be held on May 24, 2003 in Calgary, Alberta, and will be televised on Global, The Miracle Channel and CTS. The Vibe Awards are structured as a "people’s choice" awards program. Music fans can vote online at www.vibeawards.com until May 19, 2003.

Studio update! Justin McRoberts will be recording a new album this summer to be released in the fall. Other artists currently recording include (but are not limited to) Skillet, By The Tree, Bleach, Petra, Tait, tobyMac, and many others!

*Monday, May 5th, 2003*

Have you heard Rebecca St. James's special "I Thank You" remix yet? For a limited time, TowerRecords.com is offering an Internet exclusive digital download of the "salute to the troops" remix for only $1.11. You can check it out now at www.rsjames.com. Before the end of the month, you will be able to see the new video from Rebecca for her current hit single, "I Thank You." The crew braved threatening weather and filmed the video last week at a local broadcast facility, where Rebecca was filmed in a "field" of satellite dishes that surrounded the facility. The concept of the video is Rebecca broadcasting a message of thanks to God and the troops. Be looking for the video to premiere on www.forefrontrecords.com soon. In other RSJ news, this Friday Rebecca and her mother, Helen, will be featured on TBN's PTL Club as part of a Mother's Day special. Also, this week Rebecca will be making an appearance on the Fox News Channel in New York. The station has asked Rebecca to read an inspirational letter from a service man stationed overseas as a part of a new series highlighting the Fox Network's post war coverage.

Tonight, Monday, May 5 marks the finale of Audio Adrenaline's highly successful "Go Show" Tour with MercyMe. This past weekend the guys will be hit Atlanta and Birmingham and will be wrapping the tour in Louisville, KY. The 49-city tour sold out in half of its markets and has received more than 4,000 commitments through the "Go Foundation" from individuals to go on a mission trip within the next 18 months. For photos and journals from the tour, check out the new and improved Audio A website at www.audioa.com.

As the June 24th release date of tobyMac's latest remix project, Re:MIX Momentum quickly approaches, ForeFront Records has been working fast and furious to get everything ready. As a matter of fact, tobyMac was in the ForeFront offices until 3:00 a.m. with their production coordinator Shawn Andrews getting the final tracks ready to send to the manufacturer AND he showed up again Friday morning around 8:30 to check the artwork for the album packaging! No sleep, and he was still all smiles!

The next installment of last years Collector's Series DVDs from Chordant distribution are hitting shelves this June! Look out for DVDs by The Benjamin Gate, PAX 217, The Elms, The Swift, Grits, John Rueben, and personal friends of the Hideout, Everyday Sunday!

The Dove Award-winning City on a Hill series recently achieved cumulative sales of more than 700,000 units. Essential Records commemorated the event with a plaque for the series’ creator and producer, Steve Hindalong. City on a Hill – The Gathering, the collection’s third non-seasonal volume and final installment, is due out Sept. 23. Hindalong, who this month claimed a 2003 Dove Award in the category of Special Event Album (City on a Hill – Sing Alleluia), received recognition for the series’ success. “Producing City has been an extremely fulfilling experience,” comments Hindalong. “I’ve connected with the music and spirit of this project in such a way that I truly believe it is something I was put on earth to do.” Sept. 23 marks the release of the last offering from the City on a Hill community. Hindalong explains, “There is something conclusive about the number three in relation to the Trinity. The Gathering will focus on our need to love one another, a concept that artistically seems to complete the series.” Hey, I guess the Star Wars series isn't the last great series to come to a close in the near future...

Fall tours are starting to be announced! Keep an eye open for the following tours hitting your area! From Sept. 17th - Nov. 17th, catch John Reuben with Mars Ill complete with a break-dancing team and DJ's. Jeremy Camp, Sanctus Real, and The Sway will be rocking houses from Sept. 3rd - Oct. 19th while the worshipful sounds of Shane Barnard & Shane Everett (The Shanes), Robbie Seay Band, and Trent Monk will fill venues from August 21st - November 23rd. The third annual Festival Con Dios tour will run from Sept. 12th - Oct. 26th with only Kutless, Seven Places, and Thousand Foot Krutch currently announced as part of the roster. More info on that tour soon! Finally, Five Iron Frenzy's "Winners Never Quit" Farewell Tour will run from Sept. 14th - Nov. 22nd and feature Pax217 and Bleach!

"I Cannot Hide From You", the first single from DAVID: Ordinary Man...Extraordinary God, is making a huge impact at Christian radio. The Greg Long single will take the top position on today's CRW Inspirational chart. According to Jim Veldhuis, managing editor of CRW, it's the highest gain ever to a number 1 position on the Inspirational charts, jumping from #7 to #1.

Out of Eden took Spring Break by storm in Jamaica during their performance at Island Village on March 22nd. The ladies were part of an alternative Christian event for Spring Breakers to attend. Along with OOE, the concert included other artists such as Alvin Slater, Papa San and Junior Tucker.

MTV will premier P.O.D.'s much talked about new video for "Sleeping Awake" for The Matrix Reloaded on Tuesday, May 13th on TRL. The boys will be flying to New York for this special appearance & interview. Watch the video now at Launch.com! P.O.D. have also been invited to attend the very exclusive The Matrix Reloaded premier in New York! Only 300 guests have been invited to attend this illustrious event!

So what on earth is a Smash-Up?? Simply put, 2 hit songs = 1 smash-up! On May 20th, Sparrow Records will release Smash-Ups, an album that is so completely unique you have to experience it to believe it. Featuring some of today’s top Christian artists, Smash-Ups takes the rhythm, melody and underlying spirit of the instrumentals of one song and matches it with the vocals of another song to create a totally new song, like dcTalk "Colored People" vs. Newsboys "Entertaining Angels". A complete track listing is below. Mashing two songs together to make a ‘new’ song is has become popular among DJ’s in the underground scene. Smash-Ups marks the first time this concept has been executed legally. In the past, songs had been placed on the internet illegally with poorer sound quality. Several of these illegally mixed songs have been placed on the internet and have caught the attention of publications such as Rolling Stone and the New York Times. But on May 20th you can pick up a copy of the completely legal Smash-Ups which interestingly mixes songs like the music from Earthsuit's "One Time" ingeniously servings as a backdrop for Rebecca St. James's "God" vocal track. Yeah... you gotta hear it to believe it.

From Todd Agnew’s anticipated July 22 debut album, Grace Like Rain, “This Fragile Breath (The Thunder Song)” was chosen by Chordant Distribution for inclusion in its “HIT CD” promotion, a new singles line featuring premiere songs from the Christian music industry. Additionally, “This Fragile Breath” is currently being serviced to CHR stations and went for adds, May 2.

Underscoring the increasing move of consumers to online music purchasing power, our friends at MusiChristian.com are outpacing the market as witnessed by their recent record breaking success with the pre-sale offer of Newsboys newly streeted project, Adoration. "We processed orders for an initial 1,000 units within the first 72 hours of the album's offer availability launch," noted Daniel Smallbone, Manager of MusiChristian.com. "All music sales on our site are reported to Soundscan so all pre-order sales were counted as first week scans for Newsboys new project." Newsboys sales of Adoration at the online Christian music store went on to top 2,750 units during the run of the 6 week advance promotion, establishing a benchmark as one of the largest pre-sales in history within the Christian genre.

The brand new MxPx record Everything and After should be completed by the beginning of this month and will slightly push back the release of this highly anticipated album. More to come!

Justin McRoberts is taking time off the road this summer to record a new album, tentatively slated for a September release. Justin's fall tour kicks off on the East Coast.

The wait has been long and arduous for fans, but the time has come for us to reveal the brand new mp3 from North Carolina's own, Beloved. Beloved spent 4 weeks in the studio in British Columbia with producer GGGarth (Rage Against The Machine, Chevelle) and walked out with a record for fans of melodic and hard music alike. Their debut album, Failure On, hits the streets on June 24, 2003, but you can check out the new mp3, "Aimless Endeavor," here! http://www.mp3.com/belovedus

Solid State Records's latest signing Figure Four will be taking to the road with Misery Signals and Shattered Realm for most of May until jumping on tour with Beloved. The band finished recording their Solid State debut, Suffering The Loss, a few months ago and mastering was completed 2 weeks ago.

Norma Jean are preparing to head over to the UK for a 2 weeks tour with their friends in mewithoutYou. If you live in Italy, Germany, Belgium or England, don’t miss the chance to come out and say hello!

For a short time there are limited edition silk-screened “Infected” tour posters for the upcoming tour featuring Demon Hunter, The Agony Scene and Extol. Head over to the Tooth & Nail mail-order site and grab em before they’re gone. A limited number were autographed by the guys in Demon Hunter! http://www.toothandnail-mailorder.com

For the first time in her 21-year career, Kathy Troccoli is offering up a Greatest Hits album. Greatest Hits will be releasing exclusively to retail stores on July 1, 2003. Greatest Hits will feature eleven No. 1 songs plus brand new versions of the Troccoli classics "Stubborn Love" and "Holy, Holy", produced by Brown Bannister, the original producer of both songs. Troccoli notes, "It was so fun to walk down memory lane with Brown and reminisce about recording these songs 20 years ago. All the original elements of the songs that made us say, 'What were we thinking?' now have new life and new arrangements. It has made this greatest hits record very special for me." With 13 albums, 17 career No. 1 songs, 3 GRAMMY nominations and 19 Dove Nominations, multiple-best selling books and a hugely popular live women's event touring the nations, few artists have made the impact of Kathy Troccoli.