CCM Magazine reports today, "The next Newsboys album,
slated for release February 25, will be composed of original praise-oriented material.
According to Sparrow Records' publicist Jennifer Hanson, the CD will be titled Adoration: The Worship Project
and will feature "moments of personal worship and corporate worship to lead listeners on a unique journey."
Newsboys frontman Peter Furler teamed up once again with quirky artist/producer
Steve Taylor for the effort which is also described as a "seamless" recording with no
breaks in between songs."
For the last performance of his nationwide 58-city "Live Out Loud" tour, Steven Curtis Chapman
donated all the proceeds of the Oklahoma City date, totaling over $70,000, to the Waodoni Tribe of Ecuador.
Chapman and Mart Green, President of Mardel Stores and Bearing Fruit Communications, a non-profit
organization, made this generous gift possible. Green covered all the expenses for the concert in Oklahoma
City. Bearing Fruit is currently producing the feature-length documentary Beyond the Gates, a film
telling the story of how God touched the lives of those in the Waodoni tribe. For more information about
the documentary, please visit their website, www.beyondthegatesthemovie.com.
Looking for something to do after trick-or-treating this Thursday (tomorrow) night? Log
onto http://www.kevinmax.com to chat with Kevin Max (of
dc Talk fame) and to check out a preview of
his new book of poetry, Slip of the Ink as well as download other previously
unreleased material. The chat will kick off at 10:00 PM Central time, so
log on to find out what's new in Kevin's world!
It has just been confirmed that Rebecca St. James will be the sole performer for the
more than 400 employees at Wal-Mart’s Christmas Party at their corporate
headquarters in Bentonville, AR. Rebecca was chosen by Wal-Mart executives
to perform original material as well as songs from her Christmas album
during the December 20 event.
All Star United got ready for their close ups recently as they
filmed brand-new videos for "Sweet Jesus" and "Weirdo" that you'll be able to check out on a computer near
you when the enhanced U.S. edition of Revolution hits store shelves November 19 on Furious Records.
But video magic doesn't always come easily. In order for the clips to make it on to the U.S. release,
the band had a very strict deadline they had to meet. After all, they had to Fed-ex the footage to jolly
ol' England. Turns out that the night before it was supposed to go out, the guys decided the footage for
"Sweet Jesus" wasn't exactly what they wanted. So Ian and the boys scrapped the old concept, prepared a new
storyboard and re-shot the new video just in time to make the deadline. Whew! Other than a few bags under
their eyes and a slight caffeine addiction, the guys have recovered quite nicely.
And for those who've been patiently wondering when All Star United would make it to a city near you
in the United States, we've got great news! The band will be hitting the road this Spring with
Furious Records labelmates Delirious? for what's sure to be
a rockin' night at a venue near you.
tobyMac’s “Irene”,
Audio Adrenaline’s "Ocean Floor" and The Benjamin Gate’s
“All Over Me” will be airing on the mainstream program Get Reel beginning November 13. The video
show targets tweens, teens, and young adults, and airs on WAM! (America's
Kidz Network) a part of Starz's commercial free network. Speaking of the Gate,
be looking for The Benjamin Gate on the cover of Pollstar Magazine.
The Pollstar staff came out to catch The Benjamin Gate
at a recent Festival Con Dios date and took some live shots of the band that
will be featured on the cover and with the inside story. Be looking for the
edition to hit newsstands at the beginning of November.
Christmas is now less than 2 months away and you're not going to believe who's laughing around the
Christmas tree together - Four Guys and a Fruitcake; better known as Chonda Pierce
and 4Him! Following the rapid success of her latest project
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid, and phenomenal ticket sales on her fall tour, Chonda prepares to join
yuletide forces with one of Christian music¹s most beloved groups for a hilarious and celebratory Christmas
tour, Four Guys and a Fruitcake, kicking off in Savannah, GA on November 30th.
"We've planned a night of music and comedy that will be a great reprieve from the shopping frenzy and a
sweet reminder of what the season is all about," says Pierce. "Y'all come see us! But leave the fruitcake
at home, there'll be enough of that at the concert!"
*Friday, October 25th, 2002*
It's a girl! Skillet's lead vocalist and bassist John Cooper
and his keyboardist wife, Korey
welcomed a baby girl into the world on Wednesday evening! Her name is Alexandria
Christine Cooper. Korey arrived at the hospital Wednesday evening at
5:20PM and Alex was born at 5:55PM! Alex weighs 5 lbs. 14 oz. and is 17 & 1/2 inches long.
Congratulations to the Cooper family on Alexandria's birth!
The band has a lot to celebrate as they're gearing up for the November 19th release
of their first DVD, Alien Youth: The Unplugged Invasion!
The show must go on for Audio Adrenaline! On Sunday when the band stopped in Albequerque, New Mexico
on this Fall's Festival Con Dios tour, they arrived without a lead singer! Mark Stewart had come down
with a demobilizing case of the flu for several days. He flew in later that evening, due to being too sick to get on the plane
that morning. He went straight from the airport to the hospital where they gave him medicine through an IV.
Back at the venue, the band was frantically trying to find replacement vocalists for Mark for the evening show
and had to teach several artists the popular Audio tunes. Adrienne from The Benjamin Gate helped in singing "You Still
Amaze Me," Jeremy Camp helped sing "Big House," Bart from Mercy Me sang "Ocean Floor," Rob from Pillar sang
"We're a Band," and John Ellis from Tree 63 sang "Glory." Audio started the show without Mark who showed up
halfway through "Amaze Me" to help Adrienne close it out. AudioA.com reports on this and added, "He sat down a lot during the show and was pretty weak, but still gave it all he had.
He tag-teamed most of the songs, singing about half of each song." By Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas,
Mark was feeling well enough to perform the show himself while still feeling week. The band's planned
DVD, originally slated for a November 19th release, is being frantically worked on by drummer Ben Cissell
and is looking at a December street date. Please keep the band in your prayers and for Mark to have a speedy
and full recovery!
In honor of the tenth anniversary of the
release of dc talk's Free At Last project,
ForeFront Records is celebrating
the milestone with the release of the 10-Year Anniversary Special Edition
Free At Last album, and the never-before-seen Free At Last Movie on December
17th. The special edition album will include added content that was not on the
original release, such as audio commentary from the group on the making of
the record, little known facts, and what it was like for them during that
period. It will also include some new mixes, a re-make version of their #1
hit “The Hardway” produced by Matt Bronlewee, and will have alternate lyrics
and different instrumentation! As a special bonus to new and old fans alike, the Free At Last Movie,
featuring trailers and commentaries from dc talk and film makers, will
finally be released. Shot while on the Free At Last tour, the movie
showcases the history of dc talk on stage and behind-the-scenes, as well as
a deeper look in the individuals.
With so many people wanting the Employee Of The Month EP on Relient K's
Back to the Few tour, Gotee and Relient K have decided to add the EP to The
Anatomy Of The Tongue In Cheek in all stores for November and December. So,
for $13.98, you will receive The Anatomy... and the Employee Of The Month
EP, which features 5 brand new songs (2 from the new album
coming out in March and 3 only available on the EP). So, go buy The
Anatomy..., give it to a friend and keep the EP. This will be a great
Christmas gift, so get your shopping done early!
UK-bred Delirious? will defy the industry norm Nov. 19 with the release of its highly anticipated and fifth
studio album, Touch. Accompanying every copy of the album sold through the band’s recently
launched label, Furious Records Inc., will be a bonus disc that includes six compelling live performances
of fan favorites and three highly sought after music videos.
With greater creative freedom through Furious? Records Inc., and in keeping with the label’s promise to
be artist driven, Delirious? chose to deliver more than even their fans expected. Known for providing
one of the industry’s best live concert experiences, music buyers have eagerly waited for a live offering from
the band. Answering that call, the bonus disc boasts six songs recorded during Delirious?’s US tour during
June and July of this year. Included on the disc are live performances of the chart-topping hits “Deeper,”
“My Glorious,” “Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble,” “What A Friend I’ve Found,”
“I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever” and “There Is A Light.”
In addition to the live songs, the disc also features the music videos: “Take Me Away,” from Touch;
the video for “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever;” and the live “Sanctify” video recorded in front of an
enormous, enthusiastic crowd of 50,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium back in 1997.
Please keep The Benjamin Gate in prayer as they mourn the loss of a dear friend
of theirs whom was murdered on Saturday, October 19th. The band posted the following
on their site: "Today is one of the saddest days in Benjamin Gate history and in each of our lives.
Last night we lost one of our very dearest and closest friends, Derrick. To all his family, especially
his Mom and Dad - we are so sorry - please know that our prayers and thoughts are with you and we
love you very much. Derrick was an unbelievably special person, gifted in so very many ways. To the girls,
we are so sorry for what you have been through, and we love you and are thinking of you constantly."
For more information on the heinous crime, visit the following link.
We urge everyone to keep the families of the victims of this attack in your prayers, especially
Derrick's.
The O.C. Supertones, Relient K,
Pillar, John Reuben and Sanctus Real will be
taking the nation by storm in 2003 on the See Spot Rock Tour. The tour
will start mid February and run through April. Check out
http://www.seespotrock.com to sign up on the mailing list and see the tour
poster. Dates will be posted soon, so keep an eye on that address!
Randy Travis' country gospel offering
Rise And Shine made an impressive street week debut with over 9,000 total
combined sales, securing the #2 spot on the SoundScan Top Christian Country
Albums chart as well as the #8 listing on the Top Current Contemporary
Christian Albums chart (mainstream/Christian sales).
Country superstar Randy Travis is just back from a 10-city nationwide
promotional where over 40,000 fans turned out to church performances. While
on the tour, Travis had the opportunity to play the new songs of Rise And
Shine as well as share his personal testimony of faith to both longtime
fans and first time listeners.
In case you caught the season premiere of MTV's Tough Enough 3, you might
have heard Relient K's "Breakdown" and Jeff Deyo "I Give You My Heart." And on
10/29 at 9pm EST, be sure to watch NBC's 2 hour special of Third Watch, as
you will see the Grits video for "Here We Go" during a scene where Faith¹s
kids are watching the Grits video on tv while Faith and Fred make dinner.
*Tuesday, October 22nd, 2002*
Sixpence None the Richer is finally releasing their long-delayed record Divine Discontent
next Tuesday and lead vocalist Leigh Nash recently spoke with Pulse! Magazine about the band's
label as a 'Christian band.' Leigh complains, "The 'Christian' thing doesn't follow Creed or Lifehouse around, does it?"
The surprising article with the non-Christian publication continues on to take a more personal look at
Nash & Co.'s feelings towards the way they're depicted in the mainstream. Nash continues, "But in 80 percent
of the press written about us, 'Christian' is there somewhere, often used sarcastically, and it's so irritating.
I hate it. It's always a banner, and we just don't wanna carry that around anymore." For the full article
which further explores Nash's frustrations, visit: http://pulse.towerrecords.com/contentStory.asp?contentId=5693
While in Chicago, IL for a date on the successful The Eleventh Hour tour, multiple platinum and
multi-GRAMMY winning band Jars of Clay performed three songs on
the local FOX morning show. After their television performance and interview, members ran into the
legendary Dick Clark who was also visiting the FOX studios for interview segments.
The great Inpop Aussie band Beanbag has sadly split up.
Lead vocalist Hunz Van Vliet will be working on his solo work while Phil is now working on his new group
Tonjip. To check out their projects, go to www.mp3.com/hunz and www.tonjip.com
Following the platinum success of Worship, the near-platinum selling Worship DVD,
the recording of his second live praise & worship album Worship Again (releasing today) and the
Come Together and Worship Tour, Michael W. Smith wraps
2002 with his Christmastime tour. Title sponsored by iWORSHIP, the 14-city tour launches Nov. 29
and runs through Dec. 14. Smith will share stage with very special guests Point of Grace and debut artist
Kara while continuing a ministry partnership with Compassion International.
This is Michael’s second Christmastime tour; the first tour took place in 2000 with fellow artists
Anointed and The Katinas. “Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I’ve recorded two holiday albums and
look forward to singing many of those songs with Point of Grace and Kara,” notes Smith. “And though this is
a Christmas tour, a good part of the evening will consist of worship, which is why I’m excited about
partnering with our friends at iWORSHIP. Their presence will lend a unique visual element to each evening,”
he adds.
SONICFLOOd is currently in the studio with producer
Marc Byrd (co-producer City on a Hill, co-writer “God of Wonders,” frontman of the group
Common Children) recording new material for their
upcoming release. The album is tentatively titled Cry Holy and is scheduled to debut March 11th
on INO Records. The band is on tour this fall with Cadet and Jason Ingram. 2003 looks like it will be a
busy year for the band, as they will be performing 150 dates on the road.
In celebration of their new single from Lift (“Speak To Me”) hitting the
airwaves, the guys of Audio Adrenaline will be visiting K-LOVE's morning
on-air team, Jon and Sherry Rivers, at their ranch in Texas on Friday, Oct.
25 from 8-9am CST. Be sure to listen in at www.klove.com this Friday morning!
Rebecca St. James is currently working with ForeFront and sorting out the songs to be on
her next compilation release to come out March, 2003. The new hits project will be influenced
by the fans' choices of favorite tracks from the popular artist.
Also, look for the RSJ DVD to be released November 19th, which contains footage of
Rebecca in Australia plus the "Song of Love" and "Wait For Me" videos.
The Relient K Air Conditioner & Fan Club, located at
rkfanclub.com, is the "coolest" fan club around. Members receive
exclusive content and offers, including advance ticket sales to select events, special meet & greets with
the band at select concerts events, fan club only merchandise, online store special sales, monthly contests,
online chats with the band, the ability to network with other fan club members, exclusive video and audio
footage, and more all for a membership fee of only $25. As a special sign up bonus, new members will
receive a CD of All Work and No Play. Relient K has also recently finished recording their third album,
set for release in March 2003.
Costa from The Benjamin Gate celebrated his birthday last week, on
the 16th to be exact. On his birthday, the band had a day off from Festival
Con Dios so Costa spent the day relaxing in sunny California.
Costa received some good news on his birthday - he will be the August artist
featured in the 2003 D’Addario product calendar. Costa was chosen out of
the hundreds of artists who also endorse D’Addario strings to be included in
the calendar. Costa is featured along with artists like Jeffrey Cain from
Remy Zero, Brad Delson from Linkin Park, John Mayer, and Gillian Welch. The
calendar will be distributed to all D’Addario retailers throughout the
country!
The Elms have just finished their video for their new single
“Speaking in Tongues,” from their new album, Truth, Soul, Rock & Roll which hits shelves today!
And then there were three -- three Cornerstones that is! The 20th Anniversary of the biggest
Christian musical festival in the world will also include two more Cornerstone Festivals!
Florida and North Carolina will be hosting events in May and August respectively.
For more info, go to www.Cornerstonefestival.com
Ardent-Enthusiast reports that Kevin Max's independent acting
film Soupernatural is still going to happen. Although the script has been rewritten, investments
are still coming in and production will begin this fall.
Sparrow recording artist Nichole Nordeman, on the heels of her
third recording, Woven & Spun, (September 24th), has a lot to be happy about these days.
“Holy,” her first single from Woven & Spun just reached the #1 spot for AC radio, and in just
three weeks has already scanned over 21,700 units, making Woven & Spun Nordeman’s best-selling
release to date.
Still waiting for All Star United's new record to make its transition from the UK to the U.S.
on November 19th? In the meantime, hear clips from the upcoming album on
"Revolution Radio" on the site before its US release that will also include extras like brand-new band
photos and videos for "Sweet Jesus" and "Weirdo."
Congratulations are in order to the young group that make up Souljahz.
According to R&R, Souljahz now have the new #1 single ("All
Around the World") at Christian pop radio. This marks the first time a hip
hop group has topped this chart!
Everyday Sunday's debut album Stand Up has been flying off
the shelves in the past two and a half weeks since it has been released. They just finished up their leg of
Festival Con Dios where they had the chance to play across the country for the first time. Their position
on the tour has been replaced by new labelmate and Flicker artists The Swift.
Flicker President Bob Herdman says of Everyday Sunday, "I knew they were going to do well but I was
surprised to see how fast people are embracing them and their music. We usually count on these things
taking awhile. I thought they would do a slow and steady rise like Pillar has."
ForeFront Records will release the latest music compilation inspired by The
BreakThrough series, written by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Prayer of
Jabez. The six-song musical companion to the third book, A Life God Rewards
in Dr. Wilkinson’s best-selling series is inspired by the connection between
what you do today and what you will experience in eternity. The songs
featured on this project are worship songs reflective of the book’s message.
Mark Salomon of Stavesacre fame recently
released a book on his views of the music industry. To order Simplicity, go to
www.skeletonkeypublishing.com.
Also, be sure to pick up their brand new self-titled record on Nitro Records.
Hard rockers Chevelle will be hosting MTV2's The Rock Show
all week beginning October 21st at 6 PM Eastern. Their brand new album Wonder What's Next is now #14
on the Billboard Top 200 too. Congratulations guys.
In other break up news, the hardest band we know, Evelynn, is also biting
the dust. Their last show will be on November 1st in Texas with our friends Anne Hutchinson
and others. Five dollars, cheap merchandise and Evelynn's last show -- this is not to be missed.
From time to time Eli's songs get played on TV shows like
Party Of Five, Providence, Tuff Enough (on MTV) and twice now on Dawson's Creek!
The latest song was "Now The News" on the October 9th episode of Dawson's Creek. They even put a
link to Eli's website on the Dawson's Creek homepage. In other Eli news, stay tuned to EliNews.com
where info about a new live album from Eli will be released only to fans via EliNews.com!
Now's the chance to vote for your favorite faith-driven artists who impact
pop culture. Sixpence None the Richer, GRITS, P.O.D., Kirk Franklin and Jars of Clay come
to mind immediately. We also think of folks like Jennifer Knapp, Mary Mary,
Gotee's visionary Toby Mac, Switchfoot, Out of Eden and artists on the verge
like Relient K . To vote in Rolling Stone Magazine's 2002 Reader's Poll go
to: http://www.rollingstone.com/readerspoll2002/
Troy and Dale Thompson of the legendary metal band Bride are busy
organizing music and lyrics and will soon embark
on putting together the next Bride CD. Thus far, one thing has been agreed
upon… "Make it heavy!" If all goes as planned, this will be a self-produced,
self-financed CD and will be released in 2003. Bride would appreciate your
input, your prayers and continued support.
Be on the lookout for Playdough and KJ-52 appearing on a soundtrack for the new
Left Behind movie called Tribulation Force releasing to video this month.
The soundtrack also features Out of Eden, P.O.D., Cross Movement, DJ Maj, Toby Mac, and several others. More info on this one
at: http://www.flyingleaprecords.com
*Thursday, October 17th, 2002*
The P.O.D. DVD originally scheduled for Fall 2001 is finally hitting shelves!
Still Payin' Dues brings you closer to P.O.D. than ever before... From their humble beginnings in
a Chula Vista, CA garage, to the years in a van bringing the Warrior movement to kids across the country,
to their global multi-platinum success and sold-out tours around the world.
Still Payin' Dues also features never seen before footage shot by P.O.D.'s road crew during
the Youth of The Nation 2002 World Tour, as well as over 200 photographs from the band's personal
collections. The DVD will include all of P.O.D.'s groundbreaking videos: "Southtown," "Rock the Party,"
"Alive," "Youth of the Nation," "Boom," "Satellite" and their rare indie video, "Selah."
Also included is live performances of "Hollywood", "The MessenJah" and "School of Hard Knocks."
Still Payin' Dues hits stores November 12! In other P.O.D. news,
the band was invited again to perform with the
legendary Carlos Santana, this time, in P.O.D.'s
hometown of San Diego, CA. Last weekend, Sonny and Marcos joined Santana on stage
at the sold out Coors Amphitheater to perform their new hit
song, "America." Marcos and Santana jammed together and brought the
house down! A beautiful and unexpected moment for
the 25,000 plus in attendance.
MxPx is back in the studio with famed producer Dave Jerden
to make the third record for A&M / Interscope and their 11th record of their career. Currently there is no
working title and the band is in the process of screening some 46 songs that have been recorded over the
last 8 months. Release is slated for the first three months of 2003.
Michael W. Smith and StarOne Networks have announced the debut
of Friends Online, a subscription-based fan site offering exclusive benefits and features.
The premium site follows the recent re-launch of michaelwsmith.com
by StarOne Networks. To kickoff Friends Online, michaelwsmith.com will host a web cast from
Michael’s Worship CD platinum celebration hosted by Blanton Harrell Cooke & Corzine and Reunion Records.
“It’s really important for the people that follow my music to have a unique place -- a community --
to interact with me and each other,” says Michael. “Teaming up with StarOne Networks to develop and manage
the site ensures a great online experience giving members unique access to my music and my ministries.”
To kickoff Friends Online, michaelwsmith.com will feature a behind-the-scenes web cast from an
event to honor Michael for the platinum certification of Worship. Produced by Ryan Smith, the
webcast will air on michaelwsmith.com on Tuesday, October 15, from Noon to Midnight, EST and will re-air
on Tuesday, October 22, from Noon to Midnight, EST.
Skillet will be featured in the December issue of
Seventeen Magazine! Skillet, along with Relient K, Katy Hudson, Superchic(k), and John Reuben
will be featured in an article about the Christian music industry. Check out Skillet's new DVD,
Alien Youth: The Unplugged Invasion on November 19th!
With the release of their third critically acclaimed album, Reaching, LaRue
is preparing to hit the tour circuit on the second-leg of the Bebo Norman
Fall Circa 2002 Tour. The tour will hit 20 markets including Birmingham, AL; Lancaster, PA; Wheaton, IL among others.
"The Circa 2002 Tour is the perfect partnership of Bebo and LaRue with the college market. The tour targets
the core audience LaRue specifically feels called to reach out to and will expose them to a new audience
from their previous two projects." notes Keri Turner, sr. director of marketing.
The tour, which began early September and will run through mid-December, also features Ten Shekel Shirt, as well as headliner Bebo Norman.
LaRue will begin the tour on October 22 in Jackson, MS.
TruthQuest: California, a FamilyNet Television based reality show, kicked off
its premiere episode on October 3 with Daily Planet's hit single
"Flying Blind" as the theme song for the 13 episode series.
"We went through stacks of CD's in our search for the right music to set the tone for TruthQuest
California," said R. Martin Coleman, vice president of production at FamilyNet, "and Daily Planet's song
'Flying Blind' best embodied what we are trying to accomplish. We were excited about finding the perfect
song and then low and behold we find out it's number one on the charts. That demonstrates two things.
We should get [the song] out more, and two, this song is connecting with people in a huge way."
Daily Planet released their debut album, Hero, on August 22 and garnered their first CHR radio No.1 with
"Flying Blind". Daily Planet is currently out on the fall SHOUTfest tour with Salvador, Jeff Deyo
and Rachael Lampa among others through mid-November.
Rachael Lampa recently performed throughout Europe in support
of her critically acclaimed projects Live For You and Kaleidoscope, as well as her upcoming
anticipated release, Blur, which features edgier versions of her best-selling recordings.
Touring such countries as England, Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Holland and Norway, 17-year-old Lampa garnered
enthusiastic responses at each venue while showcasing her trademark vocals. In addition to a significant
performance at Norway’s largest church, the Oslo Christian Center, Lampa also hosted jam-packed in-store
promotional visits in Glasgow, Scotland and Gouda, Holland. The event in Holland was such an overwhelming
success that it had to be relocated to a larger venue to handle the vast crowd. She also performed at
an international sales conference and gained considerable attention from several key European
publications and radio stations, incluing HebbeZ! Magazine, the Netherland’s largest publication
dedicated to Christian entertainment.
Things have been quiet in the ZAO camp since their tour ended
this summer. Each of the band members have been working on side projects, in February 2003 Solid State
will be releasing the re-recorded version of All Else Failed with Dan Weyandt on vocals. All Else Failed
was ZAO’s original debut with a totally different vocalist. Guitarist’s Russ and Scott have formed a new
project called Jade Meridian and are in need of a vocalist. As the band says:
“Vocal talents wanted for Jade Meridian, a new hard rock project featuring Scott and Russ Cogdell from ZAO.
Qualifications include the listening appreciation of the artists as follows: Cave In, Foo Fighters and FAR.
If you are a serious app and are able to relocate, email questions Jademeridian@hotmail.com"
*Monday, October 14th, 2002*
Congratulations are in order for Michael W. Smith who's project Worship, released on 9/11/2001,
was RIAA certified platinum on August 6. His management team, Blanton Harrell Cooke & Corzine along with
Reunion Records partnered to honor Smith this week in Nashville. In addition to family, friends and many
appreciated industry partners, a very special guest was on hand to share in the event as well. Franklin
Graham surprised Michael and made a trip from North Carolina to say a few words in honor of his friend.
The project's sequel, Worship Again release October 22nd.
Knowdaverbs doesn't exist anymore, it is now just Verbs.
His third album, Unlocked will be released 02.25.03. You can download 2 of the new songs at
his old mp3.com site by clicking this link http://www.mp3.com/Knowdaverbs
He felt it was time to re-introduce Verbs and his new musical sound. A new website
will be launched soon at http://www.verbs7.com
Congratulations go out to the talented Phillip LaRue, of the brother/sister duo
LaRue, who recently got engaged to his girlfriend
Lia. The young couple first met when their pastor set them up on a blind date! They're currently
looking forward to a May 2003 wedding!
Rebecca St. James’ new book “Wait For Me,” published by Thomas Nelson, is
now in a 5th printing since its August release date! Sales of the book are
reflected in its’ current ranking at #11 on the Amazon.com
Religion/Spiritually-Teens chart.
This week, while the guys are on the road with Festival Con Dios, Audio
Adrenaline will be slipping off to various sites to conduct photo shoots for
their upcoming early 2003 release.
Here's an update on Toby and Amanda McKeehan's recent adoption: The twins are four months old. The boy’s name is
Moses and the girl’s name is Marley. The bi-racial siblings are tobyMac's new pride and joy. Congrats again, guys!
In other Toby news, you can look for tobyMac to appear in the December issue of Seventeen Magazine. The
magazine will be running a feature on Christian rock, which will also
include live photos of tobyMac from the Inside Out Soul Festival.
Mark your calendars now so don't miss these TV appearances! Sixpence None
The Richer will be performing on the "Wayne Brady Show" and the "Tonight
Show with Jay Leno", both airing on Thursday, November 7th. Stay tuned for
info on other upcoming TV performances... You can also check out the band's
newly re-designed website for up-to-the-minute information:
www.sixpencenonethericher.com. And
be sure to pick up a copy of Divine Discontent when it hits shelves on
October 29th.
A special "Collector Series" DVD is being released from Chordant Music Group
and the first Gotee artist to participate is Out Of Eden. The DVD
will feature the music videos for "Meditate" and "Lookin¹ For Love." It also
includes an exclusive all access interview session with the Kimmey sisters
about sisterhood, musical tastes, hobbies, and most embarrassing moments.
The OOE DVD will be released November 19 and only costs $5.99. Other
artists to release DVD's in the "Collector Series" include The O.C.
Supertones and Audio Adrenaline.
The Benjamin Gate bassist, Costa, has recently received his driver’s permit
and is currently working on preparing for his driver's test to get his first
license in the States. Beware! Costa is taking turns driving the van to the
FCD shows so he will be able to pass his driver's test with flying colors!
Currently on Rebecca St. James’ Worship God tour, modern worship band
Fusebox is holding a contest for people interested in singing
with them live on stage!
The song “Light the Fire” (a duet with Rebecca on their album,
Lost in Worship) is the piece that’s up for grabs for girls interested in trying out.
The winner of each audition will sing with Fusebox that same night.
For more details and contest rules, go to www.fuseboxmusic.com
Chris Tomlin's going back to college? Not exactly... Singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin
isn't signing up for any classes, but on October 24, he'll perform live at over 200 college campuses
simultaneously via the Passion '03 Satellite Link. Tomlin, whose songs are becoming standards in many
churches and on Michael W. Smith recordings, has just released his sophomore album, Not To Us,
featuring the hits "Famous One" and "Enough." He's on tour now with Rebecca St. James and is also meeting
with worship leaders in each concert city to promote next year's Passion Conferences. In addition,
St. James and Tomlin are even providing free sheet music resources to youth leaders at their shows.
You know her Dove Award-winning voice from hits like "Testify To Love," "Adonai," and "The Glory."
On November 5, Avalon member Janna Long flies solo for a little while with her debut project, Janna.
Produced by Brown Bannister (Amy Grant), Mark Hammond (Nichole Nordeman), and Anthony Michael Taylor
(Stacie Orrico, TobyMac), Janna embraces pop, R&B, and gospel songs that are high on energy and deep
with emotion. Husband Greg Long makes a special guest appearance as well.
Jaci Velasquez made a visit to White House last week for a National Hispanic
Heritage Month reception. Jaci performed "Imagine Me Without You" for
President Bush and a host of other guest attendees. In fact, at the onset of
her performance she took a moment to thank the President of the United
States and tell him how much he was appreciated by the nation. In
perfect-Jaci fashion, she summarized her overall gratitude by saying, "I
think you're really cool!" Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona took Jaci's
lead in his speech to the attendees by commenting that he wished he "was as
cool as the President."
Sandi Patty was honored to be a part of the recent National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation's memorial services. The weekend ceremonies honored
438 firefighters who died in the line of duty since last year, including the
343 who died at the World Trade Center. Patty sang the "The Star Spangled
Banner" and "God Bless America" for a crowd of 14,000 attendees.
Be sure to watch the Life Today with James Robison program on your local TBN
affiliate on Tuesday, October 15. Geoff Moore and his wife Jan and their
daughter Anna Grace will be the featured guests, talking about their
experiences in adopting Anna Grace from an orphanage in China.
*Monday, October 7th, 2002*
It was just over one year ago that Steven Curtis Chapman and
his wife Mary Beth, with their daughter Shaohannah, were in Washington, DC to perform and be awarded the
Angel In Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) at their annual banquet.
Due to the events last year of September 11th, of course the gala was cancelled. For this year’s banquet,
held on Tuesday, Sept. 24th, Chapman was invited to return to perform at the event. As he would have last
year, Chapman performed "When Love Takes You In" and “A Mother’s Prayer,” a song that he has never recorded,
for members of Congress along with 270 individuals who were recognized this year for their advocacy for
adoption, as well as the 2002 Angels In Adoption award winners. He and Mary Beth were also officially
awarded their Angel In Adoption Award, due to not receiving it last year.
Work is continuing on Rebecca St. James's budget DVD with the Wait For Me and Song of Love
videos on it plus recently filmed Australian footage. It should be out in
November. Also, Rebecca will be at the headquarters of Focus on the Family on
today to tape a segment of Focus on the Family Radio. Rebecca will be
joined in the studio by Brio magazine editor, Susie Shellenberger and will
discuss her new book on abstinence, “Wait For Me,” published by Thomas
Nelson and released last month. Stay tuned for air times.
While Delirious? is gearing up to release Touch on Nov. 19th
to the U.S., UK fans are also anticipating
a brand new project on Nov. 30th. Out soon is Access:d, the next chapter from Delirious?. Where Live And In The Can
offered an experience, Access:d reloads, updates and lays down the very latest d:worship experience.
With all the passion you'd expect from a Delirious? gig, Access:d captures the life-blood that has fired
the band over recent years: everyday anthems for life-loving people. Leaning to the side of Glo in its selection
of tracks, Access:d puts you front and center. It features special double CD packaging including: "My Glorious," "God's Romance,"
"Investigate," "Bliss," "Love Is The Compass," "Take Me Away" and more!
Flicker Records’ rock quartet Pillar continues to heat things
up with their sophomore release Fireproof which hit stores nationwide May 21, 2002. After only 16
weeks at retail, the album has sold an astonishing 70,000 plus units, making it one of the fastest selling
Christian Hard Rock albums since P.O.D. Since the album’s debut at #4 on the Christian Retailing chart,
Fireproof has remained one of the top ten selling albums in the Christian marketplace. (from jimmyswan.com)
According to CMCentral.com, Jason Wade of Lifehouse confirmed rumors that have been flying for a while now
that Wade wants to record a worship album. Wade himself personally confirmed it when asked about it by this
fan. Wade further went on to say that he'd already written the entire album but doubts the record will
be released under the name "Lifehouse." We'll keep you posted with any further news we receive.
Did anyone see Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie this weekend? (We wanted to, but it wasn't in our
area!!) If you've seen the movie, save your ticket stub! Send your Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie ticket
stub dated from Oct. 4th, 5th, or 6th to Rocketown Records and immediately be entered in a contest for one
of several exclusive Rocketown Records/Big Idea Softball Jerseys and a Rocketown Records CD Collection
including Chris Rice, Ginny Owens, Watermark, Shaun Groves, Ronnie Freeman, Exodus, and Out of the Grey.
Here's the address: Rocketown Records // 2035 Mallory Ln. // Franklin, TN 37067 // Attn: Veggie Contest Audio Adrenaline, Rebecca St. James,
Out of Eden, Skillet, OC Supertones
and Kutless are launching Collectors Series, an exciting new DVD line
offering fans more access to their favorite artists than they have ever had
before. Releasing on November 19 and loaded with music videos, EPK footage,
artist commentary and song clips, Collectors Series is required viewing for
even the most casual fan.
In January 2003, ForeFront Records will release, Mixdown, an album full of
never-before heard remixed versions of your favorite songs from various
artists including dc talk, tobyMac, Audio Adrenaline, Jennifer Knapp and
GRITS, all newly mixed by Mookie Taylor.
Essential Records' True Vibe readies to embark on a 25-city
"Pure Pop" tour alongside fellow pop artists Plus One, Phat Chance and
Souljahz. The tour, kicking off in Oklahoma Oct. 13, will visit major American cities
including Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Chicago, while also incorporating several Canadian concert dates.
The tour comes on the heels of a successful record launch for True Vibe, whose August 20 sophomore release,
See The Light, continues to win favor among critics and at radio.
Sparrow Records’ newest rock band Sanctus Real will release its
national debut, Say It Loud, Dec. 24. Fans and a national audience will have the opportunity to
preview a portion of the recording’s title song tonight on FOX Network’s highly publicized new drama,
John Doe. This week’s episode, entitled “Doe Re: Me,” will air at 9:00 p.m. EST/8:00 p.m. CST.
Sanctus Real will also be mentioned on the show’s website. Already receiving fan acclaim for its music,
the show’s website, www.fox.com/johndoe/main.htm, will be
adding a song list for each episode on a “recap” page on the site. According to the site, they are adding
the song information due to an overwhelming number of requests for the music.
Geoff Moore was asked to sing his song, “When All Is Said And Done” at the
groundbreaking ceremony of the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman,
North Carolina this Tuesday, October 8th. Kyle and Pattie Petty are founding
this camp in honor of their son, Adam Petty, also a NASCAR driver, who was
killed on the track in May of 2000.
Critically acclaimed UK-based singer-songwriter, Graham Kendrick
is releasing his latest praise and worship album, What Grace, in the United States November 19 on
the newly formed Furious? Records USA, a branch of Furious? Records UK founded by critically acclaimed and
multi-million selling artist Delirious?. The famed songwriter of “Shine Jesus Shine,”
Kendrick brings another stirring set of Christ-centered, Bible-based praise and worship songs with What Grace,
his first worship album in seven years.
What Grace speaks less of personal testimony and more of what Kendrick calls “the divine testimony.”
“Experience-based songs are still important, but it's more a matter of balance, as we worship in spirit and
truth,” says Kendrick. This landmark album is also a display of unity across the generations as
Graham enlists the help of friends and popular worship leaders Martin Smith (Delirious?) and Matt Redman,
as well as producer Andy Piercy (Delirious? / Cutting Edge, Matt Redman, Rita Springer).
NewSong is putting finishing touches on their next studio record set for
release next year. Their hit song "The Christmas Shoes" was turned into a
NY Times best-selling novel last year - this year a CBS Movie of the Week.
The Christmas Shoes will air December 1st on CBS, 9PM-11PM EST.
You’ve all heard the story of how Stacie Orrico was discovered at Estes
Park when she was 12. But did you know that Jars of Clay was the reason she
went to Estes Park in the first place? She went as a fan to see them
perform, and came out with a record deal. And now the 16 year old’s
sophomore album is due out early 2003.
Jason Ingram,
co-writer of the top ten hits "Resonate" from Sonicflood and his own
"Restore Me," has recently returned from a summer international tour that
took him from Latin America to Asia. "To take my music outside the borders
of America was a huge blessing," Jason says. The first leg of Jason¹s international tour took him to
Latin America where
he split his time between Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mexico City, and
Monterrey, Mexico. "What I discovered was how similar we are in our passion
for worship. They love to sing and they love to worship. Their worship
services are 3 hours long and what kept it interesting was that there were
1000 people singing, dancing, and praying all together. It was simply
amazing," Jason adds.
This Friday, October 11, 2024
ALBUMS
Decayed Existence The Beginning Of Sorrows [Rottweiler]
Down East Boys Something To Shout About [Sonlite]
homage homage [Integrity]
lydi lynn Desert Dream - EP [Gotee]
Tamela Mann Live Breathe Fight [TillyMann]
Maverick City Music, Songhouse MAVHOUSE - EP [Tribl]
Ashtyn Michael Live At The Garden - EP [Integrity]
Shout Praises Kids Creo En Ti - EP [Integrity]
Ian Yates Kingdom [7 Core]
Darlene Zschech Testament [Integrity]
SINGLES
adamariz PROMO (ft. NOT KLYDE & Jericko) - Single [Syntax]
Jeremiah Bligen Remains - Single [Syntax]
Sam Bowman El Dorado - Single [DREAM]
Good Weather Forecast One More Time (Kings and Queens) - Single [DREAM]
SNT. VINCENT MUERTOS (ft. Giovani & Arias) - Single [Syntax]
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]