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The Year
of the
NEW ARTIST
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contents
April 2006
31
The ! Factor
!
If youтАЩre wondering what all the excitement is surrounding this yearтАЩs issue, then
youтАЩre not alone. This month CCM breaks down both who and what is hot right
now...and should be in the year to come. So, head on over to our cover story and
find out if your faves made our ! lists! Pictured: Three-time nominee for GMAтАЩs 2006
тАЬSong of the YearтАЭ Award, Chris Tomlin.
features
44
52
The New Breed
in review
81
88
Books: A thirteen-year-old gives Margaret Becker new perspective.
Upper Level Management
92
Tour: One тАЬIndescribableтАЭ night with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman and
Louie Giglio.
artist, NEEDTOBREATHE. Plus, the verdictтАЩs in on surprising new
discs from MercyMe, Hawk Nelson and Sanctus Real.
Ever wonder just exactly what a manager does? What role he or she
plays in an artistтАЩs career? DEBORAH EVANS PRICE introduces you
to five managers who work with some of your favorite Christian artists.
58
Music: CCM weighs in on the debut from this monthтАЩs cover
Have you been impressed by the new artists that have already hit the
scene this year? Well, wait until you see what the rest of тАЩ06 has in
store. Namely, a boatload of new talent! And industry veteran JOHN J.
THOMPSON is here to give you a thorough overview of the newтАФand
very differentтАФfreshman class.
BonoтАЩs Prayerful Invitation
First U2тАЩs Bono was invited to be the keynote speaker at this yearтАЩs
National Prayer Breakfast with President Bush and other world
leaders. Then, in turn, the singer invited eight тАЬfaith editors,тАЭ including
our very own JAY SWARTZENDRUBER , to attend the breakfast and
join him for an on-the-record conversation. (YouтАЩll have to read it to
believe it!)
departments
06
From the Editor:
11
The Insider: Check out CCMтАЩs GMA Music Awards predictions
and this yearтАЩs Grammy Awards recap. Plus, learn why BarlowGirl is
the тАЬnextтАЭ even bigger thing and hear all about new act Monday
MorningтАЩs fast start.
22
The WriterтАЩs Block: Join Matthew West on a songwriterтАЩs
94
96
98
By the Numbers: Jeremy Camp
Is there hope for AC Pop?
journey along with this monthтАЩs guest, Mark Schultz.
A Personal Perspective by Sara Groves
HistoryMakers with John Styll: The history of the Doves.
CCM_04.06_Editorial.v5
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Page 6
fromtheeditor
by Jay Swartzendruber
тАЬPlease DonтАЩt Abandon
AC Pop Artists!тАЭ
тАФA plea to the Christian music industry
This monthтАЩs тАЬFrom the EditorтАЭ column is, in many ways, an open letter to the
Christian music community. IтАЩm writing it because IтАЩm concernedтАФeven alarmed.
If you told me five years ago that I would be making this plea, I would
have let you know in no uncertain terms that you were nuts. Back then, as
the communications manager for Squint Entertainment, I represented artists
such as Sixpence None the Richer, Chevelle, L.A. Symphony and
Waterdeep. Needless to say, our beloved artist roster
wasnтАЩt exactly in the Christian music mainstream. In
those days, CCM MagazineтАЩs cover repeatedly featured
artists such as Avalon, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy
Grant, Plus One, Jaci Velasquez, Michael W. Smith
and Point of Grace. No surprises thereтАФthese super
talents owned the album sales charts and Christian pop
radio. If any genres of Christian music needed an
advocate at the time, they were hip-hop and punk
rockтАФnot AC (Adult Contemporary).
That was then.
ItтАЩs been public knowledge for quite a while now that
the Christian music scene these days is defined primarily
by one genreтАФrock & roll. From the artists impacting
the mainstream (Relient K, Underoath, Switchfoot) to
modern praiseтАЩs rock-embracing worship leaders (Chris
Tomlin, David Crowder). And pretty much everything in between? You betтАФ
Jeremy Camp, Third Day, BarlowGirl, Kutless, Hawk Nelson, Jars of
ClayтАжthe list goes on. Thus, few were surprised when popular standouts
MercyMe, Rebecca St. James and Building 429 chose to take their new
albums in a decidedly more rock & roll direction. And have you seen Casting
Crowns in concert lately? Not only has the ensemble become quite the tight
live band, folks, but thatтАЩs the unabashed influence of modern rock youтАЩre
hearing thereтАФfrom the guitar techniques first innovated by The Edge to the
тАЬfor-best-results-hit-harderтАЭ display by Casting CrownsтАЩ drummer Andy
Williams. If thatтАЩs what you call safe as milk, then I want more calcium!
And therein lies the problemтАФfans like you and me. We want to rock. Yes,
and the Christian record labels know it.
But they also know most of us like thought-provoking, hook-driven AC
pop, tooтАФright? IsnтАЩt it obvious? I mean, Nichole Nordeman and Natalie
Grant, for example, have anchored themselves on the Christian retail charts
for the past year. And here at the magazine, we werenтАЩt at all surprised by
CCM MAGAZINE
Your Christian Music Magazine Since 1978
volume 28 issue 10
For those whose lives are strengthened through faith-informed
music, CCM Magazine goes behind the scenes to celebrate the
artistry of Christian music.
CCM Magazine is a publication of Salem Publishing,
a division of Salem Communications.
тАвтАвтАвтАв тАвтАвтАвтАвтАвтАвтАв
CCM Magazine
Publisher Jim Cumbee
Associate Publisher & Editor in Chief Roberta Croteau
Editor Jay Swartzendruber
Managing Editor & Web Editor Kristi Henson
Editorial Assistant Lindsay Williams
Art Director Mary Sergent
subscribersтАЩ favorable responses to AC artists in this yearтАЩs CCM Music Fan
survey. We asked you how interested you are in тАЬpop/contemporaryтАЭ artists
and listed Natalie Grant, Michael W. Smith and Sara Groves as examples. An
impressive 55 percent of you indicated you are тАЬvery interestedтАЭ in the genre.
Good. So AC pop remains a significant player in Christian music and will
remain so for the foreseeable future, yes?
Um, not exactly. As a matter of fact, if youтАЩre a fan of Adult Contemporary
music, you might want to take a seat before you continue readingтАж
Even though thereтАЩs a slew of new artistsтАФas in more than 40тАФbeing
introduced between now and the end of тАЩ06, thereтАЩs a virtual black hole where AC
pop artists are concerned. In fact, when you check out John J. ThompsonтАЩs
expansive new artist preview, тАЬThis YearтАЩs ModelтАЭ (which begins on page 44), youтАЩll
discover that none of the major or independent Christian labels John approached
are planning to introduce even one straight-up AC pop artist. Not one.
Did you ever imagine a time when
aspiring AC artists would have to go it
alone or rely solely on smaller indie labels
to reach such a sizeable fanbase? Or what
about Christian AC radio stations? Not
only are they responding to listenersтАЩ
increasing appetites for rock by adding pop
rock singles from the likes of Kutless and
even Disciple into rotation, but now it
appears they hardly have the option of
breaking new AC artists.
This calls for drastic measures.
IтАЩm willing to risk being labeled
тАЬmelodramatic.тАЭ ThatтАЩs why I opened this
editorial with my plea up front: тАЬPlease
DonтАЩt Abandon AC Pop Artists!тАЭ
If we as an industry do, I shudder to think what this will mean for the most
brilliant aspiring singer/songwriters. And what about the female artists of the
future? Will they have to be тАЬchick rockersтАЭ to get a deal? If youтАЩre a
gatekeeper at a Christian label, IтАЩm begging you, please donтАЩt lock the door
to a future Nichole Nordeman, Matthew West, Natalie Grant or MercyMe.
Not just because it would be a disservice to great artistry but also becauseтАФ
even in sheer business termsтАФa significant fanbase for Christian AC pop is
still out there, and will be for the foreseeable future. Christian rock may have
started this industry, but AC pop built it.
SAVE
POP!
[email protected]
Production Director Ross E. Cluver
Contributing Editors Andy Argyrakis, Margaret Becker, Michael
Card, Paul Colman, Russ Long, Gregory Rumburg, John Styll,
Chris Well, Matthew West
Contributors Christa A. Banister, Beau Black, Andree Farias,
Sara Groves, Michael Janke, Mark Joseph, David McCreary,
Kate McDonald, Brian Quincy Newcomb, Robin Parrish,
Doug Van Pelt, Deborah Evans Price, Andrew Schwab, Tony Shore,
Mark Stuart, John J. Thompson
Circulation Director Joan Dyer
Customer Service Representatives Amy Cassell, Emeka Nnadi
Fulfillment Manager Leesa Smith
Senior Director of Advertising
DeDe Tarrant 805/987-5072
Account Executive Blake Jackson
Account Executive Brian Lawing
Account Executive Pat McAbee
Advertising Coordinator Carol Jones
Marketing Manager Callie Johnson
Administrative Sales Assistant Melissa Smart
Main Office 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205
615/386-3011 (ph) тАв 615/386-3380 (business fax)
615/385-4112 (editorial fax) тАв 615/312-4266 (advertising fax)
Subscriptions/Customer Service CCM, 104 Woodmont Blvd., Ste 300,
Nashville, TN 37205, 800/527-5226 or [email protected].
Annual subscription rates: United States, $19.95/one year, $35.95/ two
years, $53.95/three years; Canada, (U.S. funds) $27.95 per year; all other
countries, (U.S. funds) $33.95 (surface) or $67 (airmail). For address
changes or other inquiries, please include both old and new addresses and
mailing label. Allow four to six weeks for new subscriptions to begin.
Cover design: Mary Sergent
NASDAQ SYMBOL: SALM
6 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
CCM_04.06_Feedback.v4
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feedback
more humble, kind group of guys in
any band. These guys truly care
about their fans and what may go on
in their lives. As far as being voted
the best new band, heck, I say
theyтАЩre just the best band, period.
God Bless you.
Kathy Luby,
Missouri Valley, Iowa
READERSтАЩ CHOICE WORDS
OK, itтАЩs now official: Canadians kick
butt!!! I mean it!!! ItтАЩs great to see
Hawk Nelson on the cover of CCM
(тАЬ2006 ReadersтАЩ Choice Awards,тАЭ
February). They really deserved it.
They are some of the greatest guys
ever. Great issue! But it is kinda
bittersweet for us CanucksтАжWe now
have to share our Hawk boys with the
rest of the world. Congrats boys!
Peace, love and hockey pucks,
Jessy Beck,
Loring, Ontario CANADA
IтАЩm not your typical Hawk Nelson
fanтАФIтАЩm a mom of two daughters
(ages 12 & 17) who basically never
heard of the band before I bought
their CD, Letters to the President, for
my oldest girl. At first I was a bit
reluctant to listen to it, but after I
did, it wasnтАЩt long before I was
playing it more than my daughter! In
the past year, we have been
fortunate enough to see them six
times (yes, six!) in concert, and I can
tell you hands down there is not a
I just want to say that I was
absolutely thrilled to see Hawk
Nelson on the cover of your
magazine. I have been hoping to see
them on one soon. I am very happy
with the overall results and am glad
to see my favorite band on the cover
of my favorite magazine. I really
enjoyed reading the тАЬA Personal
PerspectiveтАЭ article by [Hawk NelsonтАЩs]
Jason Dunn. I am excited to see that
they are promoting their new CD in an
awesome way! Thanks for always
putting a smile on my face!
Karlee Blanchard,
Wilmington, OH
I got the Readers' Choice issue of CCM
the other day and was so excited! When
I saw Hawk Nelson on the cover, I
screamed! My brothers were like,
тАЬWhatтАЩs wrong?тАЭ And I said,
тАЬNothing...EverythingтАЩs right!тАЭ I love
your magazine, and I love Hawk Nelson.
They rock! I just wanted to say thanksтАФ
itтАЩs awesome that there is such a great
Christian magazine out there.
Jordan Hooper,
Mooresville, NC
IтАЩd like to compliment the readers of
CCM for voting Johnny Cash into the
тАЬHall of Fame.тАЭ It is interesting that
the same year the readers decide to
start voting for punk rock artists and
HAWK NELSON
rap duos, we also get an artist that
their grandparents listened to. It is
heartening since Johnny Cash blows
everyone else who won in various
categories out of the water. Oh, and
regarding the Harry Potter pick and
disclaimerтАжAs a big Harry Potter
fan, I was happy to see the second
place slot for the newest book.
However, I was looking forward to all
of the nasty letters to the editor, so
the little disclaimer was a bit of a
disappointment. Anyway, thanks for
letting me stand on a soapbox for a
few minutes with this letter.
Jacob Gehman,
Lancaster PA
Hey Jacob! You want to know another
cool thing about our readers voting
Johnny Cash into our Hall of Fame?
Ballots closed before Walk The Line
hit theaters. In other words, CCM
readers didnтАЩt need a new bandwagon
to give him the credit he deserves!
GRITS
8 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
I just wanted to say how glad I was to
see Superchic[k] get in the top three in
a lot of the catagories. Like getting
second in who would break into
mainstream was cool because they
would be the group to keep their goals
on the right things if they did. IтАЩm a
major Superchic[k] fan and am not
afraid to admit it either. This is the best
ReadersтАЩ Choice IтАЩve seen yet!
Stephen Newby
via email
Having been a CCM subscriber for a
couple of years now, I was excited to
see new faces win the ReadersтАЩ
Choice Awards this year! Finally,
others have voted in what I have read
in the тАЬFeedbackтАЭ section for so
longтАФthat we want a more diverse
magazine covering all artists. Sure,
Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Steven
Curtis Chapman and the like have had
their share of the spotlight for years
now, but this generation is tired of
hearing about them and wants more.
CCM_04.06_Feedback.v4
3/9/06
9:08 PM
As a person living in the
Seattle/Tacoma area, I have one
Christian music radio station to listen
to, and they would rather play the
MichaelтАЩs and the AmyтАЩs over and
over. I need CCM to be a springboard
to help me find new artists or new
CDs coming out because I donтАЩt have
the luxury of hearing them on the
radio. When I see something I might
like, I rush to iTunes to listen to just a
30-second sample of something new!
I do want to see more hard rock,
alternative, gospel, worship and rap
artists featured in your magazine. And
judging from the readersтАЩ poll, I think
a lot of other subscribers do, too.
I do understand that your magazine
is titled Contemporary Christian Music,
but I think this generation is done with
that label and wants to move into
something more. That seems to also
be the theme a lot of artists are
singing these days...wanting so much
more to this life...CCM hear thy
people, they have spoken!
Marcie Kahler-Davis,
Puyallup, WA
Hi Marcie! Based on your letter, weтАЩd
say this issue is full of all kinds of
good news for a fan of your tastes. We
donтАЩt want to ruin any surprises
though, so weтАЩll just direct you to
Page 9
John J. ThompsonтАЩs article тАЬThis YearтАЩs
ModelтАЭтАФan excellent overview of the
new artists still to come in 2006тАФ
which begins on page 44.
FAN-O-RAMA
IтАЩm 14, and IтАЩm not a subscriber, but
I always eagerly read my older sisterтАЩs
CCMs from cover to cover as soon as
they come. One of the reasons I like
your magazine is because it lets me
know about all of my favorite artistsтАЩ
new CDs. Probably my favorite part of
CCM is тАЬChris WellтАЩs CCM List-ORama.тАЭ I love ChrisтАЩ sense of humor!
тАжFebruar yтАЩs тАЬList-O-RamaтАЭ about
songs having to do with love was
probably the best one yet.
On a side note, I totally agree with
Bradley Allen VaughnтАЩs letter about
the disappointing coverage of
Christian hard bands in CCM
(тАЬFeedback,тАЭ Februar y), but I
understand that itтАЩs hard to please
everyone. IтАЩm also pleased to see
that GRITS, one of my favorite hip-hop
artists, was voted тАЬFavorite GroupтАЭ in
the 2006 ReadersтАЩ Choice Awards. It
was quite a surprise, but itтАЩs really
awesome! Hopefully weтАЩll see more
recognition like this for great Christian
rap/hip-hop artists in the future.
Michael тАЬMJтАЭ Koprucki,
Louisville, KY
SUPERCHIC[K]
MXPX
CORRECT CHANGE
Greetings to a wonderful magazine! I
have been receiving CCM for a few
years now, but for the last two issues,
I have been particularly amazed. I
have always loved тАЬSightingsтАЭ by
Chris Well, but the last few times I
have read it, I have truly wanted to
read every single word on the page
and still want more! I would also like
to commend you on your тАЬIn Review:
MusicтАЭ section because the artists
featured actually have talent and are
ones that interest me. I have bought
six CDs, supporting your excellent
reviews, since January of 2006.
The only thing I find lacking,
however, is information on concerts
and festivalsтАжI am not finding much
more than advertisements on them! I
love Creation Fest West, but all I have
seen in your magazine is a full-page
advertisement. CCM is my one and
only source for Christian entertainment
news, but with concerts, you seem
somewhat absent. Why not tell us
more about it? I am quite sure my
fellow readers will agree with me.
Overall, great job, CCM. You have
changed (or I have!) in such a great
way that has led me to truly
appreciate your magazine so that I
felt imposingly compelled to write to
you. By the way, your February cover
[Hawk Nelson] was very clever!
Kaitlin K. Smithson,
Port Angeles, WA
Thanks for all your kind words, Kaitlin.
And regarding your question about
festivals and concerts, you have ironic
timing. Each year we include a special
festival тАЬadvertorialтАЭ previewing the
summer's biggest fests. And as it
turns out, this yearтАЩs model is in this
month's issue! We were also pleased to
preview Celebrate Freedom--the largest
one-day Christian music concert in
America--in last monthтАЩs CCM.And as you
know, each issue of CCM includes a
concert review on our тАЬStanding Room
OnlyтАЭ page. To find up-to-date concert
listings, simply go to CCMmagazine.comтАЩs
searchable tour database.
STANDING OVATION
I enjoyed the тАЬStanding Room OnlyтАЭ
concert review in your January issue.
I love MXPX, and that was the first
time IтАЩve seen
them
in
your
magazine since I
subscribed. I went
to the тАЬPanic with
a K Tour,тАЭ and it
was awesome to
see two great
bands play in one
show. Thank you so much for writing
about them and a remarkable
concert! Also, thanks for making
such a cool magazineтАФI love
opening up my mailbox to find one of
CCMтАЩs issues!
Michelle DiTullio,
Souderton, PA
We welcome your comments.
Address your letter to Feedback,
CCM Magazine, 104 Woodmont
Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205;
fax 615/385-4112, Attn: Feedback; or
email [email protected].
Always include your full name, address
and phone number. Letters may be edited
for length and clarity.
ccmmagazine.com
april 06 ccm 9
CCM_04.06_Insider.v4
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insider
?
AND THE WINNER WILL BE тАж
MAYBE тАж
When the first week of April hits, that means itтАЩs GMA MUSIC
AWARDS timeтАФspecifically, Wednesday night, April 5. And
each year in advance, CCMтАЩs editorial team likes to offer a
couple of sacrificial lambsтАжlambs cocky enough to think they
know whoтАЩs going to win the biggest awards. This yearтАЩs selfdescribed тАЬexpertsтАЭ are our editor, JAY SWARTZENDRUBER
(who didnтАЩt learn his lesson last year), and our managing editor,
KRISTI HENSON (oh, to be so young and na├пve).
And, theyтАЩre offтАж
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Amy Grant, Bethany Dillon, Joy Williams, Natalie Grant, Nichole
Nordeman]
Should win:
JAY: Natalie Grant
KRISTI: Amy Grant
Will win:
JAY: Natalie Grant. ItтАЩs no secret that Nichole NordemanтАЩs artistry is on my
short list of faves, but the past year has been Natalie GrantтАЩs year. Her latest
disc sold more than any of the other nomineesтАЩ albums. SheтАЩs the тАЬmost
improved.тАЭ She has the biggest reach across Christian and mainstream radio.
She uses her platform to give a voice to the voicelessтАФa true hero. And her
singing voice? Are you kidding me? It will slay you live.
>>>
Grammy Awards Recap,
BarlowGirlтАЩs Yahoo!
Experience and More
KRISTI: Nichole Nordeman. Natalie Grant may have sold more than any of the
other nominees this past year, but she just doesnтАЩt quite yet have that certain
unnamable something behind her that Nichole Nordeman does. My theory is
that Bethany, Joy and NatalieтАФwhile all great singersтАФwill cancel each other
out, leaving Amy and Nichole. As far as why Amy should win, I loved the latest
installation of the Hymns project. And, obviously, IтАЩm not alone...look who
picked up the Grammy this year! However, AmyтАЩs too much of a legend in our
industry to win, and NicholeтАЩs everywhere these days. She will walk away with
a big trophy.
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Chris Tomlin, David Phelps, Jason Crabb, Jeremy Camp, Mark Hall]
Should win:
JAY: Chris Tomlin
KRISTI: Chris Tomlin
Will win:
JAY: Chris Tomlin. Check the top of the Christian pop radio charts, college
studentsтАЩ iPods, Sunday morning worship services, compilation albums, other
artistsтАЩ CD players, the front of CCM Magazine...You name it, heтАЩs there. And
when you look in his arsenal of talent, the only thing eclipsing his voice is his
songwriting.
KRISTI: Read JayтАЩs musings. Ditto for me.
GROUP OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: BarlowGirl, Casting Crowns, David Crowder Band, Kutless,
MercyMe]
Should win:
JAY: Casting Crowns
KRISTI: Casting Crowns
Will win:
JAY: Casting Crowns. Thanks to their greatly improved live shows, tough love
lyrics, befuddling тАЬX factorтАЭ and authenticity so thick you can cut it with a knife,
the Crowns continue to win over even their most stubborn critics.
KRISTI: Casting Crowns. Were I allowed to play devilтАЩs advocate here, I could
make pretty good cases for BarlowGirl, David Crowder Band, Kutless and
MercyMe. Despite the stiff competition, this just feels like Casting CrownsтАЩ
yearтАФand a stellar one at that. Nonetheless, itтАЩs an honor just to be nominated!
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: George Huff, Krystal Meyers, Mat Kearney, Stellar Kart, The
Afters]
Should win:
JAY: The Afters
KRISTI: George Huff
Will win:
JAY: The Afters. This critical and commercial favorite has made significant
strides in both the Christian and general markets.
KRISTI: The Afters. So why is it that George Huff should win? Come on,
people. He placed in the Top 5 on тАЬAmerican IdolтАЭ! Millions of rabid тАЬAmerican
IdolтАЭ fans canтАЩt be wrong! If the Doves involved phoning in votes, thereтАЩd be
no competition. However, itтАЩs not an afterthoughtтАжThe Afters have what it
takes to grab the brass ring this year!
WhatтАЩs up bro?: New INO/Columbia act The Jonas BrothersтАФfeaturing three siblingsтАФwatches their first
ccmmagazine.com
april 06 ccm 11
>>>
CCM_04.06_Insider.v4
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insider
GRAMM-atically
CORRECT
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant,
Switchfoot]
U2 WASNтАЩT THE ONLY ARTIST OF
FAITH THAT WON BIG AT THIS
YEARтАЩS GRAMMYS...
Should win:
JAY: Chris Tomlin
KRISTI: Chris Tomlin
Will win:
JAY: Chris Tomlin. While all five of these nominees would make a great тАЬArtist
of the Year,тАЭ itтАЩs Chris Tomlin whose work the Christian community cherishes
the most right now.
KRISTI: Switchfoot. While the Christian community may cherish Chris TomlinтАЩs
work most at present, our community also loves to embrace those acts who
achieve mainstream success. It appeals to the Roaring Lamb in all of us! So,
despite the copy-protected CD debacle, Switchfoot will walk away with a win here!
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Brown Bannister, Ed Cash, Mark A. Miller, Otto Price, Vince Gill]
Should win:
JAY: Ed Cash
KRISTI: Vince Gill
Will win:
JAY: Ed Cash. Ed will take this one for the second consecutive year, thanks to
his excellent work with Bethany Dillon, Steven Curtis Chapman, David Crowder
Band and Paul Colman.
KRISTI: Mark A. Miller. Umm...Casting Crowns...hello??? Now, about my Vince
Gill props, hear me out! First of all, see my comment regarding Amy Grant in the
тАЬFemale VocalistтАЭ category. Then, factor in not just VinnieтАЩs Christian effort but
also his production credits for his own hit records! The Next Big Thing, indeed!
SONG OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: тАЬCry Out to JesusтАЭ--Third Day, тАЬFriend of GodтАЭ--Phillips, Craig &
Dean, тАЬHeldтАЭ--Natalie Grant, тАЬHideтАЭ--Joy Williams, тАЬHoly Is the LordтАЭ--Chris
Tomlin, тАЬHow Great Is Our GodтАЭ--Chris Tomlin, тАЬIndescribableтАЭ--Chris Tomlin
тАЬLifesongтАЭ--Casting Crowns, тАЬOnly GraceтАЭ--Matthew West, тАЬVoice of TruthтАЭ-Casting Crowns]
Should win:
JAY: тАЬHoly Is the LordтАЭ
KRISTI: тАЬIndescribableтАЭ
Will win:
JAY: тАЬHoly Is the Lord.тАЭ Tomlin is his own worst enemy in this categoryтАФeach
of the three songs he has nominated will steal votes from the other two. Call
me crazy, but IтАЩm sticking with him anyway. (Look for Tomlin to also be named
this yearтАЩs тАЬSongwriter of the Year.тАЭ)
KRISTI: тАЬCry Out to Jesus.тАЭ I must agree with JayтАЩs assessment of the
situation for multiple song nominees...up to a point. I actually think the
multiples will cancel themselves out by dividing the vote. For me, that leaves
the obvious choice of тАЬCry Out to Jesus.тАЭ After all, what are the Doves without
Third Day these days?
>>> video
old statuettes were handed out to the yearтАЩs top artists at the 48th
Annual GRAMMY AWARDS on February 8. Highlights of the
ceremony included U2тАЩs Grammy sweep, in which they went 5 for
5 this year with wins in all the categories in which
they were nominated, including тАЬAlbum of the YearтАЭ for
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Island) and тАЬSong
of the YearтАЭ for тАЬSometimes You CanтАЩt Make It On
Your Own.тАЭ And, as expected, the Grammys
telecast featured several remarkable throw-down
per formances this year with especially
spectacular moments courtesy of divas MARIAH
CAREY (who won three awards this year including
тАЬBest R&B Female Vocal SoloтАЭ for тАЬWe Belong
TogetherтАЭ) and KELLY CLARKSON (who picked up two
Grammys including тАЬBest Pop Vocal AlbumтАЭ for Breakaway [RCA]) as well as
an understated and poignant acoustic performance of тАЬDevils and DustтАЭ by
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, a cut for which he picked up the тАЬBest Solo Rock
Vocal PerformanceтАЭ award.
Unfortunately, the тАЬGospelтАЭ categories are somehow always presented in
тАЬceremonies held earlierтАЭтАжbut that still doesnтАЩt lessen the excitement! This
year, CECE WINANSтАЩ тАЬPrayтАЭ picked up the trophy for тАЬBest Gospel
PerformanceтАЭ while YOLANDA ADAMSтАЩ тАЬBe BlessedтАЭ was dubbed тАЬBest
Gospel Song.тАЭ In the тАЬBest Rock Gospel AlbumтАЭ categor y, AUDIO
ADRENALINE took top honors for Until My Heart Caves In (ForeFront), insuring
that a rock act actually won the тАЬRockтАЭ category in which three hip-hop/rap
acts were also nominated. UmmтАжdo you think the
Recording Academy needs to add a few categories
to the тАЬGospelтАЭ segment so that hip-hop and rap
artists donтАЩt have to be thrown in with the тАЬRockтАЭers? But, I digress. Lifesong (Beach Street) from
CASTING CROWNS nabbed тАЬBest Pop/
Contemporary Gospel Album,тАЭ and AMY GRANT
picked up тАЬBest Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel AlbumтАЭ honors for
Rock of AgesтАжHymns & Faith (Word). In the тАЬBest Traditional Soul Gospel
AlbumтАЭ category, DONNIE McCLURKINтАЩs Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs
(Verity) took home the trophy, while CeCe Winans picked up Grammy #2, for
тАЬBest Contemporary Soul Gospel AlbumтАЭ with Purified (Wellspring/INO).тАЭ
Rounding out the gospel categories, legend GLADYS KNIGHTтАЩs work with the
SAINTS UNIFIED VOICES on One Voice (Many Roads) won the Grammy for
тАЬBest Gospel Choir or Chorus Album.тАЭ
KRISTI HENSON
G
(тАЬMandyтАЭ) voted into Top 5 of MTVтАЩs TRL two months before pop-punk debut, ItтАЩs About Time, releases
12 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
CCM_04.06_Insider.v4
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Page 13
>> pop/rock
OT
THEYтАЩVE G
NEXT!
YAHOO! YELLS WOO-HOO FOR
BARLOWGIRL
They laughed. They talked. They bragged about
their parents. They spoke about their faith. They
even got to rock a little bit afterwards.
It was almost like a regular day meeting the
press for BARLOWGIRLтАФsisters Rebecca, Alyssa
and Lauren BarlowтАФexcept this wasnтАЩt your typical
Christian music outlet or radio station.
The trio actually got to hang out, tape an interview
and record an exclusive performance of their hit
тАЬNever AloneтАЭ with megaportal Yahoo! Music, whose
visitors picked BarlowGirl as the January winner for
the siteтАЩs monthly тАЬWhoтАЩs Next?тАЭ talent competition.
After garnering 38 percent of the votesтАФand beating
out newcomers Limbeck, The Willowz and
Morningwood in the processтАФthe sisters had the
honor to be prominently featured at the high-profile
website for a whole month.
Though theyтАЩre not exactly sure how they got into
the competition to begin with, theyтАЩre extremely
grateful that their label had enough confidence in
them to get behind them in the contest.
From left: Alyssa Barlow, Neil Weiss (Producer тАЬWhoтАЩs Next,тАЭ Yahoo! Music), Rebecca Barlow, and Lauren Barlow
тАЬWe werenтАЩt really seeking to win because the
bands that we were up against had huge pull,тАЭ says
Rebecca. тАЬWe were just thankful to be in the running.тАЭ
But the win isnтАЩt what excites her the most.
тАЬItтАЩs awesome that we won, but the blessing for
me is that we got to meet those people at Yahoo!
and got to connect with them because they donтАЩt
have Christian bands going there that often,тАЭ she
says. тАЬThey were open to what we had to say about
God. They let us speak about whatever we wanted
to speak about. And they let us say whatever was
on our hearts. They supported that. That was
awesome for us to see.тАЭ
MONDAY MORNING
SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
CHRISTIAN POP RADIOтАЩS NEW FAVES GIVE тАЬMONDAY MORNINGтАЭ A
GOOD NAME.
While Monday mornings tend to get a bad rap from AmericaтАЩs 9 to 5тАЩers, thatтАЩs starting to change
for the thousands whose radio dials target Christian pop music. If their local station boasts the
Christian Hit Radio (CHR) format, theyтАЩre enjoying the moody, melodic rock of new Selectric Records
artist MONDAY MORNING. In fact, тАЬWonder of It All,тАЭ the lead single off the bandтАЩs debut album,
FoolтАЩs Paradise, took only 9 weeks to go No. 1 on the charts according to Radio & Records.
Lauren, the youngest of the three, agrees тАЬWe
kind of went into it thinking, тАШThere are going to be
some boundaries,тАЩтАЭ she says. тАЬThereтАЩs going to be
someone who is going to say, тАШWell, our audience
is such and such.тАЩ [But] they just said, тАШShare your
heart. Share whatever you have.тАЩ And I really
respected them for that.тАЭ
Even if the Yahoo! folks wouldтАЩve asked them to
тАЬtone downтАЭ their message, Lauren admits they
wouldnтАЩt have done a good job of it.
тАЬWeтАЩre not too good at doing that,тАЭ she says. тАЬWe
canтАЩt beat around the bush. We have to say it like it is.тАЭ
ANDREE FARIAS
тАЬI was really blown away,тАЭ says Monday Morning lead
vocalist DEREK STIPE. тАЬWeтАЩd hoped and expected it to do well,
but, being our first release, to see it shoot up the charts so fast
with Switchfoot [тАЬWe Are One TonightтАЭ] and Jeremy Camp
[тАЬBreatheтАЭ] on our heelsтАФboth great artistsтАФit really came as
quite a surprise.тАЭ
Monday Morning and Selectric RecordsтАФthe label recently
founded by industry veterans DINO and JOHN ELEFANTEтАФare
off to quite a start. The band is SelectricтАЩs debut artist, so
тАЬWonder of It AllтАЭ is the first single for both Monday Morning
and its label. At press time, тАЬWonder of It AllтАЭ had claimed the
CHR chartтАЩs No. 1 spot for three consecutive weeks.
Americans arenтАЩt the only ones enjoying тАЬWonder of It All.тАЭ
Explains Stipe, тАЬSouth AfricaтАЩs largest mainstream pop/rock
station has picked us up, and weтАЩre already on their Top 40 chart.тАЭ
So Monday Morning connects with radio, but how are
audiences responding at concerts? тАЬReally well!тАЭ he says
enthusiastically. тАЬPeople are really digginтАЩ our live show, and I
couldnтАЩt be more stoked about it.тАЭ
Will Monday Morning be coming to a concert venue near
you? тАЬWe have a lot of spot dates and are planning a tour for
April and May,тАЭ says Stipe. тАЬThis summer, plan on seeing us
at almost every festival around. If it ends in тАШfest,тАЩ weтАЩll
probably be there.тАЭ
JAY SWARTZENDRUBER
Find out more by visiting mondaymorningmusic.com and
myspace.com/mondaymorningmusic.
May 2 тАв Chic[k] it out: Superchic[k]тАЩs Max Hsu announces on his blog that his band is "going to be on
ccmmagazine.com
april 06 ccm 13
>>>
>>>
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Page 14
insider
Kutless & Disciple (Trumann, AR)
Steven Kanika (Dalton)
Michael Neagle (Monk & Neagle)
Mark Kibble (Take 6)
GRITS (Jonesboro, AR)
PALM SUNDAY
Ben Davis (By The Tree)
Justin Cox (Fireflight)
Matthew Hayes (Overflow)
Leigh Cappillino (Point of Grace)
Noah Henson (Pillar)
Christine Dente (Out of the Grey)
Glenn Drennen, Jr. (Fireflight)
David тАЬPopтАЭ Winans
Chris Wright (Cross Culture)
Sanctus Real (Lincoln, NE)
Ginny Owens
Natalie Grant (Spokane, WA)
Tooth & Nail Tour
Emery, Anberlin, The Fold & more
(Jacksonville, FL)
Danielle Young (CaedmonтАЩs Call)
Thousand Foot Krutch & Hawk
Nelson (Lisle, IL)
Jordan Messer (Stellar Kart)
NEEDTOBREATHE (Charlotte, NC)
Rebecca St. James & Evie
(Hunstville, AL)
ccmmagazine.com
Keyboardist JIM BRYSON and
his wife, Misti, recently welcomed
Jack Philip Bryson into their
home on January 19. At 6 lbs., 6
oz. and 19.5 inches long, this
little fellow spent the first 10
days of his life in the hospital.
Thankfully, Baby Bryson is now
healthy and safe at home with
Mom, Dad and big brother, Riley.
A few days later, on January 23,
drummer ROBBY SHAFFER and
wife, Margaret, added another
baby to the MercyMe family with
the birth of their son, Levi
Troy. Just a tad smaller than
Jack, Levi weighed in at 6 lbs., 1
oz. and 19 inches.
ARTISTS SAYING тАЬI DOтАЭ
Casting Crowns & Nichole
Nordeman (St. Paul, MN)
14 ccm april 06
With a much-anticipated record dropping this month,
one would expect the MERCYME boys to be basking
in the gratification of a job well done. However, their
new release, Coming Up to Breathe (INO, April 25), is
nothing compared to the pride felt with their most
recent accomplishmentsтАФtwo new baby boys.
Justin Abilla (Olivia the Band)
GOOD FRIDAY
Records
20-City Holiday
Tour
>>>
>>> Columbia/Sony
BREATHING EASY
Dan Harrass (Cross Culture)
Lester Estelle (Pillar)
Josh Schwartz (Seventh Day Slumber)
fanfare
To top it off, front man BART MILLARD and his wife are
expecting again and will be welcoming their third child
into a growing family later this month.
fri.
Mark Breazeale (Overflow)
thurs. wed. tues. mon. sun.
37th Annual GMA Music Awards
(Grand Ole Opry House), 8 p.m.
Check local listings for dates & times.
Chrissy Conway (ZOEgirl)
Alisa Girard (ZOEgirl)
fri.
GMA Week
Switchfoot (Baltimore, MD)
EASTER
Sara Acker (Inhabited)
sat.
GMA Week
thurs. wed. tues. mon. sun.
GMA Week
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
sat.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
GMA Week Begins (Nashville,TN)
Third Day/David Crowder Band
(Nashville, TN)
Gerald Wolfe (Greater Vision)
sun.
sat.
fri.
thurs. wed. tues. mon. sun.
sat.
fri.
thurs. wed. tues. mon. sun.
sat.
APRIL
Keep track of upcoming artistsтАЩ birthdays, key concert dates,
events, HOLIDAYS, and other seasonal fun right here each month.
Life on the inside of JADON LAVIKтАЩs
world is pretty sweet right now as
he marries his lovely bride,
Stephanie, on April 23. In addition
to celebrating his marriage, Jadon
is also excited about his latest
album, Life on the Inside (BEC),
released in March. You can catch
Jadon on tour with Rebecca St. James and
BarlowGirl throughout the spring.
New 7Spin artist RED UMBRELLA
recently celebrated the marriage of
its keyboardist/guitarist, DENNIS
MICHAELIS. Dennis and his wife,
Cr ystal, were married at the
beginning of 2006. Red UmbrellaтАЩs
debut album, Wishing for Boardwalk,
hits stores April 4.
LINDSAY WILLIAMS
from
onтАЭ тАвChance
Live Atmovie
Greenbelt:
тАЩ80sMichael
fave After
the Fire
2004 Greenbelt
тАв Thenow
Second
(starring
w. smith)
now announces
set to hititstheaters
in >>>
>
CCM_04.06_Insider.v4
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1:32 AM
Page 15
rock/pop
>>
www.GraceUniversity.edu
Christ-centered education that empowers
your future career and your life-long walk with Christ.
5
Questions
with KEVIN
YOUNG of DISCIPLE
Before Disciple released last yearтАЩs popular self-titled album
(Epic/S-R-E)тАФits first for a major labelтАФthe hard rock band had
already logged six No. 1 rock hits and four Dove nominations. And
with the higher profile, the acclaim only grew. Last year alone
Disciple claimed two more No. 1 singles with тАЬThe Wait Is OverтАЭ
and тАЬInto Black.тАЭ But thatтАЩs not the half of it. According to Radio
& Records, тАЬThe Wait Is OverтАЭ was the No. 1 most-played song of
the year at Christian rock radio. And now? The bandтАЩs third single,
тАЬRise Up,тАЭ is shooting up the charts. More Dove nominations
have flown DiscipleтАЩs way as well. Front man Kevin Young & Co.
are up for GMA Music Awards nods in the тАЬRock Album of the
YearтАЭ (Disciple) and тАЬRock Recorded Song of the YearтАЭ (тАЬThe
Wait Is OverтАЭ) categories.
1.
If you could visit any
place in the world, where
would it be and why?
I have always wanted to visit
Italy because there is so
much Christian history there.
2.
WhatтАЩs your most
embarrassing moment
onstage?
I have fallen down several
times. Each time was quite
humorous, but I remember
one time in particular...I
used to play bass guitar,
and I was spinning around
on stage. I got really dizzy,
and I fell into the drums
and knocked some cymbals
and a drum over and, then,
just lay there laughing.
3.
As a kid, what did
you want to be when you
grew up?
Believe it or not, I wanted to
play in a Christian rock band.
My youth pastor turned me
on to Christian rock when I
was twelve, and from that
Arts??????????
Festival
>> >>>
тАв Powerful Double Major - Every
student graduates with a major
in biblical studies and one of 14
undergraduate academic programs.
тАв Powerful Student - Teacher Relations
Extensive faculty interaction with
students in small, personalized classes.
тАв Powerful Investment in Your Future
Lower tuition costs than most private
colleges and universities, plus financial
aid is available.
тАЬ Grace gives me a real-world education from a
Christian perspective.тАЭ
тАЬGrace has nurtured my faith and provided me
with a solid education.тАЭ
тАЬThe education I have received, and the
relationships formed at Grace have changed
my life.тАЭ
тАЬI have been trained to succeed in life and grow
spiritually.тАЭ
тАЬCollege is a time to develop your relationship
with Christ.тАЭ
тАЬSmall class size, diverse majors, Christian
fellowship, preparation for life.тАЭ
moment, I tried to go to see
as many of my favorite bands
in concert as I could. In the
late тАШ80s and early тАШ90s, it
seemed that bands were a
little more evangelical in their
approach, and I was really
moved as a young person by
their boldness.
4.
WhatтАЩs one goal you
have as an artist?
I donтАЩt think I have one goal in
particular. Achievements are
wonderful, and I would be
lying if I said that I didnтАЩt like
them; but I truly believe my
goal is to simply sing and
write songs that will have a
positive impact on peopleтАЩs
lives. I believe if we stay
dedicated to that, then
achievements will come, now
and later.
Visit us on the web at www.GraceUniversity.edu
5.
1311 South 9th Street
Omaha, NE 68108
WhatтАЩs one question
youтАЩd like to ask God when
you get to heaven?
Now what?
performance will now be
>>>
>>>
You can experience
the Power of Grace
Call us at
(800) 383-1422
CCM_04.06_Insider.v4
3/10/06
1:32 AM
Page 16
sightings
by Chris Well
THE AFTERS ALL OVER
Big news for Dove-nominated band THE AFTERS:
The song тАЬBeautiful LoveтАЭ was confirmed for the
Lindsay Lohan film Just My Luck, which hits
theaters May 12. тАЬBeautiful LoveтАЭ is also the
theme song for MTVтАЩs тАЬ8th & Ocean,тАЭ which airs
this spring. In addition, the group was recently
featured in online contests for both
тАЬEntertainment TonightтАЭ and тАЬThe Insider.тАЭ
ROLLING
WITH
тЬктАФ BEFORE THEY WERE
(CHRISTIAN) STARSтАФ тЬк
DYLAN
The new DVD documentary, BOB DYLAN 1975-1982: Rolling Thunder & The
Gospel Years (MVD), shines the spotlight on a period when Dylan made three
Gospel albums and began preaching from the stageтАФalienating fans and
enraging critics. Director and producer Joel Gilbert weaves the story through
revealing insider portraits, exclusive photos, live concert video clips and TV
footage from 1975-1982, and by including visits to Rundown Studios, the
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, the Vineyard Church and the Fox Warfield
Theatre. Find more info online at highway61ent.com.
тЧЖ
BRING YOUR DADDY
TO WORK DAY
Billy Ray Cyrus returns to TV with the
brand new comedy series тАЬHannah
Montana.тАЭ Billy Ray plays the dad
and manager of a preteen who lives a
secret life as a pop star. And, lo and
behold, the part of his daughter is played
by none other than real-life daughter Miley
Cyrus, who records original music for the show.
The show premiered March 24 on the Disney network.
No-cable schlubs like me can watch the show Saturday
mornings this fall as part of the ABC Kids lineup.
THE MAN BEHIND NARNIA
New to DVD is C.S. LEWIS: BEYOND
NARNIA. The hour long docudrama, filmed
in many of the actual locations in England
where Lewis studied, lived and worked, is a
dramatic reenactment of his life. It explores
the inspiration behind his childrenтАЩs literary
masterpiece, The Chronicles of Narnia, and
other works. Edward J. Murray of Faith &
Values Media, which produced the film,
says it тАЬexplores the events in LewisтАЩ life
which not only led him to accept the
existence of God but also to accept God as
a central part of his life and his writings.тАЭ
>>>
Several Christian entertainment personalities started
out in the world of sitcomsтАФnow available in
convenient DVD box sets!
Before he was тАЬBibleman,тАЭ
WILLIE AAMES was wacky friend
Buddy Lembeck on тАЬCharles in
ChargeтАЭ (1984-1990). Charles in
Charge: The Complete First Season
came out in February. Mr. Aames
recently launched the new teen
DVD series, The Public Life of Sissy
Pike (Tommy Nelson), which he
writes, directs and produces.
Before he brought the Left
Behind character Buck Williams to
life in a series of DVD adaptations,
KIRK CAMERON came to national
fame as eldest son Mike Seaver
on тАЬGrowing PainsтАЭ (1985-1992).
Growing Pains: The Complete First
Season also came out in February.
Before she became a Christian
author and spokesperson for
homeschooling, LISA WHELCHEL
played preppy rich girl Blair Warner
on TVтАЩs тАЬThe Facts of LifeтАЭ (19791988). The Facts of Life: The
Complete First and Second Seasons
comes out in May. (Bonus points: Lisa is the only one
of the three to record the Steve Taylor-penned song
тАЬGood Girl,тАЭ on her 1984 Christian pop album All
Because of You.)
тЭДтЭЖ
[
]
WOULD YOU LIKE
SALVATION WITH THAT?
A new short film pokes fun at the
over-commercialization of the
Gospel: THE McPASSION is a 4minute faux infomercial for the latest
crass тАЬJesus junkтАЭ product tie-ins.
The film, which has already
screened at film festivals, started
streaming online March 1 (Ash
Wednesday). And, as with most fast
food promotions, it will only be
available for a limited timeтАФ40 days
and 40 nights, in fact. Find the film
online at themcpassion.com.
NO SNOW JOB
тЭД
The Denver Post and
Sports Illustrated both filed
nice write-ups on Olympic
pioneering snowboarder
KELLY CLARKтАФwho, win
or lose, puts her faith in
more than the next award. From DPтАЩs Mark
Kiszla: тАЬImagine the double-takes when, after
finishing a disappointing fourth place in the
finals, Clark said: тАШI love Jesus. ItтАЩs more joyful
knowing him than all that snowboarding stuff.
And so being able to snowboard for Him is
amazing.тАЩтАЭ And her music of choice during her
biggest Olympics event? Clark rode her
snowboard accompanied by DAVID CROWDERтАЩs
тАЬтАШO Praise Him (All This for a King).тАЭ
PresidentтАЩs
released on Council
DVD; two-hours
on Service
of footage
and Civic
will include
Participation
hit single
тАв Gotee
тАЬDer Records
KommissarтАЭ
unveils
тАв Hello:
twoP.O.D.тАЩs
digital
тАЬGoodbye
EPs with
for NowтАЭ
>>>
16 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
CCM_04.06_Insider.v4
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1:33 AM
Page 17
LISTEN TO THE WORD
In the past, listening to the Bible meant flipping through a
whole stack of CDs or audio cassettesтАФbut now the folks
at BIBLES ON DVD (biblesondvd.com) have created a
lineup of audio Bibles on convenient DVDs. Listen to the
KJV, NKJV or NLT. Read along with scripture on your TV
screen and also see crisp photos of the Holy Land. Go to
Chapter and Book with a touch of your remote.
The company has also created Bibles on DVD for kids
and the Bible Challenge Q&A Game.
SO LONG, PA KENT
Following the death of his character on the 100th
episode of the popular WB series тАЬSMALLVILLE,тАЭ
actor JOHN SCHNEIDER told TV Guide why Pa
KentтАЩs death was necessary: тАЬItтАЩs the catalyst that
actually causes Clark to become Superman. Clark
has to fill the void of this tremendous role model
that heтАЩs had in his life. HeтАЩs trying to become his
dad in a world void of his dad.тАЭ Schneider also
remarked: тАЬIтАЩve really appreciated the opportunity
on тАШSmallville.тАЩ The [respectable] father figure really
has been absent [on television].тАЭ
тАжDONтАЩT POLLUTE
Hitting theaters in April is the Walden Media
production HOOT, an eco-friendly tale adapted
from Carl HiaasenтАЩs Newbery Honor-winning
young adult novel. With original music by
JIMMY BUFFET, the film is a mysteryadventure revolving around three middleschoolers who take on greedy land developers
and corrupt politicians to save endangered owls.
FIT BELIEVERS
Get aerobic with the new music video game DANCE
PRAISE (Digital Praise), the premier тАЬChristian-Themed
Dance Arcade Game for PCs.тАЭ Dance Praise offers top
hits from Christian artistsтАФranging from AUDIO
ADRENALINE to 4TH AVENUE JONES to ZOEGIRLтАФ
with lyrics onscreen as you dance along.
With multiple speeds and
settings available, the dance pad
plugs right into the USB port of a
Windows or Macintosh
computer so anyone
in the family can start
dancing right away.
SOUND ADVICE
AUDIO ADRENALINEтАЩS
This month
front man Mark Stuart reviews
The Phantom of the Opera DVD.
THE PAST TWO TO THREE YEARS have seen pop culture and the silver
screen infiltrated by a literal barrage of adapted theatrical productions.
The success of projects such as Chicago, RENT and newly released The
Producers follows the new trend of classical theater permeating our
seemingly shallow, over-sponsored and sound bite driven lives.
That said, we arrive at Andrew Lloyd WeberтАЩs timeless contribution to
theater-тАФand now cinema-тАФThe Phantom of the Opera. A hauntingly
beautiful story of love, loss and the journey of the human heart, Phantom
is a must-see for people of all ages and persuasions.
Gerard Butler (the Phantom) leads
an amazingly talented cast of
singers/actors. As the resident ghost
of Opera PopulaireтАФParisтАЩ most
prominent late 1800s venueтАФthe
Phantom is a musical genius of the
highest level. The Phantom secretly
loves Christine Daiea (Emmy
Rossum) a young chorus girl with a
heavenly, almost Siren-like voice.
Patrick Wilson plays Raoul,
ChristineтАЩs childhood love and new
benefactor of the Opera Populaire.
The tormented triangle of passion
and attraction that is woven leaves
you wondering who should win the
young womanтАЩs heart for all time.
The acting is good; the singing is divine; and the story speaks for
itself based on longevity alone. The most attractive feature of this
movie was the stunning accuracy used to bring a third dimension to a
stage production. The sets, dialogue and choreography are true to
stage formтАФjust as I remember it from Her MajestyтАЩs Theater in
LondonтАЩs sleepy West End.
Own this DVD! Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber has packed it with extras
including: the conceptualization of the original play, making the movie,
extra commentaries and a new song written just for the movie version
of The Phantom. If you are a lover of the new musical revolution in film,
or if you are a theater purist looking to explore a new twist, The
Phantom of the Opera on DVD is worth owning, sharing, gifting and
definitely watching over and over.
By the way, go see the play while you can. DonтАЩt be that, тАЬI saw the
movie but will not read the book (or see the play, in this case) person.тАЭ
Keep up with the latest тАЬSIGHTINGSтАЭ at CCMmagazine.com.
тАЭ>
Goes No. 1 on MTVтАЩs TRL in February, making it the bandтАЩs 4th No. 1 MTV clip тАв Cashback: Rolling Stone
ccmmagazine.com
april 06 ccm 17
>>>
CCM_04.06_List.v4
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4
6
1 235
12 9 8
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7 10181
19 11 16
15
*
archedтАЭ musings
A compendium of arguably useless and тАЬrese
20
-O-Rama
st
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S
U
IO
IC
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lтАЩ
Chris Wel
4
YOU LIKE ME, YOU REALLY LIKE ME:
5 BIG WINNERS IN GMA HISTORY
As any self-respecting Christian music fan knows (and, frankly, so do most of
the self-loathing ones), the Christian music industry comes together once a
year for Gospel Music Association Week. The 37th Annual GMA Music
Awards will be held April 5 and televised in national syndication April 15 to
May 21. In that spirit, here are five artists who have made that trip to the
podium again and again and againтАж
JAMES BLACKWOOD
1.
2.
With seven Doves for тАЬMale Vocalist of the
Year,тАЭ Southern Gospel music legend James
Blackwood (1919-2002) ties for the most
awards in this category withтАФyou guessed itтАФ
Steven Curtis Chapman. Not that the two
gentlemen ever had to arm wrestle for it: Mr.
Blackwood won his between 1969-1975,
whereas Mr. Chapman won his between the
years 1990-2000.
4.
THE IMPERIALS
3.
STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN
In the categories of тАЬArtist of the YearтАЭ and
тАЬSongwriter of the Year,тАЭ Steven Curtis
Chapman has been loaded down with more
trophies than anyone else (six and nine,
respectively). In fact, all told he has
collected an unbelievable 49 Dove
AwardsтАФmore than any artist in history.
With three nominations for the upcoming
awards, he could very well pass the 50trophy mark this month.
There was a time there when
contemporary Christian music fans
wondered whether тАЬFemale Vocalist of
the YearтАЭ should be renamed тАЬThe Sandi
Patty Award.тАЭ Ms. Patty won an
astounding 11 consecutive times in this
categoryтАФfrom 1982 through 1992.
If you combine the stats for тАЬGroup of the
YearтАЭ (which has only existed since 1981)
with the proto-category тАЬMale Group of the
Year,тАЭ legendar y gospel group The
Imperials has been awarded no fewer than
eight times between 1969 and 1983.
Special shout-out to the Speer Family, who
won тАЬMixed Group of the YearтАЭ eight times
from 1969-1977.
BROWN BANNISTER
In the тАЬProducer of the YearтАЭ category, which has only existed since 1994, the prolific Brown
Bannister has been awarded five times. And heтАЩs hardly finished: in this yearтАЩs nominations,
he is up seven more times, including once more for тАЬProducer of the Year.тАЭ
WAYS TO MAKE THE GMA AWARDS
MORE INTERESTING
(1) Less emphasis on who gets the most votes, more
emphasis on whoтАЩs wearing the best rub-on tattoo.
(2) Before accepting awards, winners must each
successfully race through the Gauntlet of Death
and Marshmallows.
(3) Have everyone dress up as his or her favorite
Charles Dickens character. Or robot.
>>>
SANDI PATTY
5.
PRANK DISASTERS
1.
The time we almost got kicked out of the тАЬStar
TrekтАЭ convention. (We thought the Cylon
costumes were funny.)
2.
3.
The time I pretended to be a garbage collector
and got stuck working the whole route.
The olтАЩ тАЬfake pink slipsтАЭ gag of 2002.
(My boss decided to honor mine.)
Novelist Chris Well has never won a GMA Music Award. Of
course, he has never recorded any music, so his bitterness in
this matter is unwarranted. On a lighter note, you can pick up
ChrisтАЩ new book, Deliver Us from Evelyn now.
reports Johnny CashтАЩs family discovers тАЬrevelatory, stripped-downтАЭ never released recordings by Cash
18 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_04.06_IndBeat_v4
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1:34 PM
Page 20
K
industrybeat
A conversation with
Mark Funderburg
by Jay Swartzendruber
consumer. In all of this, we continue to work diligently to keep retail strong, as
well, by helping retailers embrace new technologies, such as VMI [Vendor
Managed Inventory] and enhanced POS [Point Of Sale] systems.
Are there some key ways that Word Distribution, itself, has already
changed strategically during the past couple years?
We have made a conscious effort to bring family entertainment into our
business strategy. Our long-term relationship with Big Idea and new
partnerships with 20th Century Fox and Warner Home Video have allowed us
to offer quality family films to share with the CBA marketplace. This
diversification between audio, video and print music separates us strategically
from our competitors.
When you look ahead to the rest of 2006, what few releases do you
expect to be the strongest for Word Distribution?
Mark His Word
Mark Funderburg has been the president of Word Distribution since 1993.
While he landed his first тАЬrealтАЭ job at Musicland, he went on to work five
years for General Electric as a design engineer before joining Baker Book
House, where he grew their Christian music sales from zero to 30 percent.
He was eventually hired by Sparrow Records as a field sales representative
in Chicago, where he began working his way through the sales division,
becoming a regional manager and working with national accounts. He moved
to Nashville in 1991 to lead the sales and distribution marketing division for
Sparrow (now EMI-CMG). He served as Sparrow DistributionтАЩs Vice President
of Sales & Marketing until taking his current position at Word.
As Word DistributionтАЩs president, Mark oversees product distribution for
all the companies Word represents, including Word Records, Myrrh Records,
Maranatha!, Vineyard, Big Idea Productions (home of VeggieTales), Fervent
Records, Word Music (WordтАЩs print music division), Curb Records, 20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, Elektra/Atlantic,
Floodgate Records, Spring Hill Music, Taseis Media Group/LKS, Daywind
Music, Centricity Records and Indelible Creative Group.
How did you first become a fan of Christian music?
I have been a fan and serious collector of music and films for many years. I have a
collection of over 10,000 projects. Although I had grown up in the church, I had a bit
of a diversion from this upbringing in my mid-teens. After years of straying from the
values I had been raised by, I returned to the Lord in my mid 20s. A neighbor
introduced me to some music that he thought would help as I found my way back to
the faith of my youth. Some of the bands and artists that inspired me at that time
included The Imperials, Farrell & Farrell, Chris Christian, Dallas Holm and Don
Francisco. I began producing a radio program on WJQK in Holland, Mich., called
тАЬJoyful Noise,тАЭ featuring Christian music I could identify with, such as DeGarmo &
Key, REZ Band, Randy Stonehill and White Heart, to name a few.
Looking back on your career thus far, is there a personal
accomplishment that stands out most for you?
While at Sparrow in 1990, I was honored to receive an award from the CBA
(Christian Booksellers Association) for тАЬSalesman of the Year.тАЭ At that time, this
award was given to one salesman across all facets of the industry including
books, gifts and music. I was the first music salesman to receive this honor.
Do you see the look of larger distribution companies such as Word
changing over the next three to five years due to modern technology
and the way fans are choosing to buy their music?
Yes, itтАЩs really changing so quickly now, and we as a company are embracing the
digital and ringtone world by exploring new avenues in delivering music to the
>>>
We are excited about all of our labels delivering strong releases and new artists
throughout 2006. SelahтАЩs new duets project will make an impact later this
summer. This sincere, missions-minded trio connects with listeners and the
church on an astounding level. Furthermore, we anticipate continued attention for
BarlowGirl with even more media exposure, thanks to the efforts of Fervent
Records and Word Label Group, as well as with added support from Warner
Brothers. This label group has built a strong team and is guaranteed to launch
several breakout acts in the market this year along with hits from established
artists such as Building 429, Salvador, Amy Grant and Big Daddy Weave. Natalie
Grant continues to build momentum off
what many are calling the best song of
2005, the hit single, тАЬHeld.тАЭ Finally, we
have some wonderful new films coming
down the pike from 20th Century Fox
based on bestselling books by Frank
Peretti and Ted Dekker.
A Day Behind the
Scenes with Mark
6:00 Wake up
8:00 тАЬMy timeтАЭ
8:15 Drop my daughter off at school
(best part of day!)тАФlisten to
XM satellite radio on drive in
8:30 Answer emails/begin
scheduled calls
10:30 Christian Music Trade Assoc.
plans for next board meeting
11:00 Meet with artists or labels
12:00 A&R lunch/artist showcase
2:00 Staff meeting with direct
reports
4:00 Executive team meeting with
Jim Van Hook (CEO, Word
Entertainment)
6:00 Wrap up calls & emails
6:30 Drive homeтАФlisten to new
CDs from company
7:00 Dinner at home and down
time with family
9:00 Exercise/swim
10:00 Andy Griffith on UPN
10:30 Review next day & listen to
music to fall asleep
тАЬNo Broken BonesтАЭ
тАЬAs a representative for Sparrow, I was
attending the Cornerstone Festival in
1984 and happened to be on stage when
Steve Taylor was entertaining the crowd
with his usual enthusiasm,тАЭ says Mark
Funderburg, recalling a favorite memory.
And thatтАЩs when he saw itтАФTaylorтАЩs most
notorious moment on stage. The highly
energetic singer was making his usual jump
off the stage during the song тАЬMeat the
Press,тАЭ when, just as he launched himself,
he noticed a child had snuck under the rope
that kept the crowd back. In a midair
attempt to avoid landing on the boy, Taylor
adjusted his feet in such a way that he
landed awkwardly and broke his ankle. He
then crawled up the scaffolding back to the
stage and hopped on his left foot through
the rest of the set and an encore.
тАЬ[After he jumped], it took me a minute
to realize he wasnтАЩt on stage before
several of us rushed to his rescue,тАЭ says
Mark. тАЬBefore we knew it, we were
accompanying him to the hospital. We
thought it would amuse him to poke fun at
the situation and had a custom shirt
made for him that parodied his тАШNo
ClonesтАЩ tour shirts.тАЭ
[CCM Trivia: The young boy that Steve
Taylor narrowly dodged was none other
than the son of CCMтАЩs longtime
contributing writer Brian Quincy Newcomb!]
from the early тАШ70s; two-CD collection (49 songs!) titled Personal File to release in May.
20 ccm april 06
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thewriterтАЩsblock
by Matthew West
facing a battle with cancer. One night at that old
chapel, Mark began writing that song. He described
to me what happened: тАЬAs I was writing, I began
second guessing myself, thinking, тАШWho am I to
write a song about this? I donтАЩt have cancer, and I
couldnтАЩt possibly know what itтАЩs like!тАЩтАЭ
He left the chapel frustrated and at a loss for
inspiration. But, later that night, Mark felt compelled
to go back to the chapel and write that song. тАЬI sat
back down at the same piano, and the song just
began flowing out of me,тАЭ he remembered. After a
second time around, Mark found the inspiration to
write a song that has gone on to touch countless lives.
ThereтАЩs a story in the Bible about some guys who
were having a hard time finding inspiration. They
werenтАЩt songwriters. They were fishermen, and they
couldnтАЩt find any fish. One day, Jesus had a little
SONGWRITING TIP #21:
WHEN YOU CANтАЩT
FIND INSPIRATION,
GO DEEPER.
GONE FISHINтАЩ
WHEN MATTHEW WEST CONNECTS WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER MARK
SCHULTZ, THE GOAL IS INSPIRATIONтАж
t is buried in the chapters of a book. It is covered under a conversation with a stranger. ItтАЩs riding on the
subway and hiding in the headline of the morning paper. It is living in the line of a movie. тАЬITтАЭ is everywhere
but still so hard to find. Inspiration is the elusive necessity that every songwriter craves. The life support
for the heart of a song. Inspiration is the deciding factor for whether that fresh, new sheet of paper gets dirtied
up with words and ideas today or left blank with a pencil by its side. Inspiration is everything to a songwriter.
So, what happens when a songwriter canтАЩt find any inspiration? Well, what happens when Lance
Armstrong canтАЩt find his bicycle? When Seinfeld canтАЩt find his sense of humor? What happens when
Wolfgang Puck canтАЩt find his taste buds? Nothing happens, thatтАЩs whatтАжSee, when you canтАЩt find the
inspiration to do what you do, well, itтАЩs pretty hard to do it.
I hooked up with singer/songwriter MARK SCHULTZ the other day to write a song. (Sometimes, in the
search for inspiration, two heads are better than one.) I met him in a beautiful old chapel in Nashville. ThatтАЩs
where he always writes. As I stepped through the door, I saw the light sliding through the stained glass
windows, resting on the old wooden pews, and I heard the notes from the piano filling the chapel from floor
to ceiling. Talk about inspiring! In his career as a recording artist, Schultz has penned many No. 1 songs.
So, I asked him for his thoughts on this crazy little thing called inspiration.
He said, тАЬI think songwriting is like fishing.тАЭ
Come again?
тАЬYeah, you know. You go fishing, and sometimes you catch something. But, sometimes you donтАЩt.тАЭ
He went on to give me a powerful example. MarkтАЩs song, тАЬHeтАЩs My Son,тАЭ was inspired by a boy who was
I
talk with Simon. He said, тАЬGo out where it is deeper,
let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.тАЭ
Simon was tired. They had just finished a long night
with no luck and no fish. So, he responded to the
Maker of the fish, тАЬWe worked hard all last night
and didnтАЩt catch a thing.тАЭ Reluctantly, Simon took
the boat back out and did as Jesus said. And what
do you know? They caught so many fish their boat
started to sink!
Are you having a hard time finding inspiration
today? Maybe youтАЩre struggling to find the
inspiration just to get out of bed in the morning.
The Lord knows, we all have those days! The next
time you go fishing for inspiration and come up
empty, remember JesusтАЩ words, тАЬGo deeper.тАЭ
Look to the One who made you. Let Him guide
you. Let His love inspire you! When you do, you
will write the song of your life. A life in Christ is a
life filled with inspiration. Now, go deeper and
catch some fish!
P.S. IтАЩm having no shortage of inspiration these days
as my wife and I celebrate the arrival of our little girl,
Luella Jane West. I call her тАЬLulu,тАЭ and IтАЩve never been
more amazed by the wonderful, intricate design that
only God could create! If you want to see pictures of
Lulu, you can check them out at matthewwest.com.
New dad and Universal South singer/songwriter Matthew West has found inspiration time and again writing songs recorded by Natalie Grant, Joy Williams,
Point of Grace and Rascal Flatts, among others. His latest album, History, released in June 2005. For more information visit matthewwest.com.
22 ccm april 06
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paulcolmanтАЩs onestowatch
THE LONELY HEARTSтАФwhich evolved from Tooth & Nail act
HollandтАФmay have borrowed part of its name from a classic Beatles
record, but this is most certainly an American band. Comprised of
principal songwriter Will Holland (vocals/guitar/keyboards), his brother
Josiah Holland (vocals, bass), Jeremy Brannon (guitar), Timothy тАЬYogiтАЭ
Watts (drums) and Steven Barlow (guitar), The Lonely Hearts fought
hard through early influences to discover a fresh sound all its own. The
bandтАЩs songs are unpretentious, melodic and thoughtful, performed by
musicians who obviously believe in the songs and their messages.
Reviews of the debut record, The Paper Tapes (Tooth & Nail),
which released last month, have been glowing. For more information,
visit thelonelyheartsmusic.com and myspace.com/thelonelyhearts.
PAUL: Your name is obviously a nod to The Beatles, but you do have
your own distinct sound. Tell us how you found it.
WILL: Our name ended up being one we simply all agreed on. I wanted
something solid and fairly timeless sounding. I thought things like,
тАЬWhat would Hank Williams name a band?тАЭ When it comes to our
sound, I think we started playing songs that we wanted to hear.
Blame it on personal tastes or regional upbringings or on a creative
itch that just needed to be scratched.
Family Force 5
тАЬWHATтАЩS THE
PASSWORD?тАЭ
PAUL: What is the story behind your song тАЬPassive AggressiveтАЭ?
WILL: I was really trying to find a stable place for myself during the
time I wrote that songтАФtrying to figure out what kind of man I wanted to be and what kind of life I wanted to live. I guess you could say
it is about the pursuit of a life that contains minimal regrets.
FAMILY FORCE 5, from Atlanta, is all about energy, confidence and its
mission to make relevant, God-inspired music that engages both the
mainstream and the church. FF5тАЩs three blood brothersтАФSolomon
(a.k.a. тАЬSoul Glow ActivatorтАЭ), Jacob (a.k.a тАЬCroutonтАЭ) and Joshua (a.k.a
тАЬFattyтАЭ) OldsтАФteamed up with Nathan Currin (тАЬNadaddyтАЭ) and Derek
Mount (тАЬChap StiqueтАЭ) to create music that, according to their official
bio, blends тАЬOutKast with Rage Against the Machine and Beastie Boys
with The White Stripes.тАЭ Their debut recording, entitled Business Up
Front, Party In The Back (Maverick/Gotee), released to mainstream and Christian markets last month. Visit familyforce5.com or
myspace.com/familyforce5 for more information.
PAUL: What is a Lonely Hearts show like?
WILL: We arenтАЩt throwing guitars. We arenтАЩt pounding our fists in the air.
We are sliding on our boots and dramatizing our solos. We are a good rock
& roll act. DonтАЩt expect eye shadow, but do expect a good, tight live show.
PAUL: Is there any specific message behind your songs?
WILL: IтАЩve always tried to be honest with my songwriting. I write about
life experiences, good or bad. It is nothing new, but it is what has captivated listeners from the beginning of music. Every song is a different
story, complaint, regret, pledge or proclamation.
PAUL: ItтАЩs reported that you were chased by several mainstream
companies but would not sign unless they also released you in the
Christian market. Is that true? And if so, tell us why?
SOLOMON: It was important for Family Force 5 to sign with Gotee
because we refuse to deny who we are. We are Christians and from a
Christian background. While our band is a тАЬpopтАЭ band, we refuse to
become one of those bands that gets in the mainstream and denies
their faith or tries to act like something they are not. We also felt that
Gotee had the relevance to deliver our music to the Christian market,
and they had experience in working with truly different styles of music.
PAUL: Do you have a different way of communicating your message
in тАЬsecularтАЭ and religious environments?
SOLOMON: Family Force 5 performs the same passionate, crazy live
show in every venue that we have the opportunity to play. We want
to take the message of Jesus everywhere we go and tear the house
down at the same time!
PAUL: Your new record is entitled Business Up Front, Party in the
Back. WhatтАЩs going on at the party? Who is invited?
SOLOMON: Ever yone is invited to the Family Force 5 par ty because
this par ty is for eternity! WeтАЩre talking about a place where the
music goes all night long, people donтАЩt stop dancing and the road
beneath your feet is made of gold. Talk about bling bling, yo!
ThatтАЩs how G-O-D rolls!
24 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
The Lonely Hearts
FOLLOWING THE
PAPER TRAIL
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paulcolmanтАЩs onestowatch
MAINSTAY is a rocking trio from Minneapolis comprised of lead
singer/guitarist Justin Anderson, drummer Ryan DeYounge and
bassist Dan Ostebo. The band came together as a punk outfit in suburban Minnesota garages and refined its sound to more mature
alternative rock while gathering a considerable following and significant record label interest. Mainstay eventually signed to BEC
Recordings and teamed up with acclaimed producer Aaron Sprinkle
(Hawk Nelson, Falling Up) for its first full-length CD, Well Meaning
Fiction, which released in February. For more information, check
out mainstayrock.com and myspace.com/mainstay.
PAUL: How would you describe your sound?
JUSTIN: Modern Rock. Some have said that we are Switchfoot meets
Acceptance. Others say we are Sanctus Real mixed with Anberlin.
PAUL: WhatтАЩs the story behind your name?
JUSTIN: Basically, our name comes from the nautical term тАЬmainstay.тАЭ
The mainstay holds the mast steady on a boat. It is not a one-to-one correlation, but we view God as holding us steadfastly amidst lifeтАЩs storms.
PAUL: WhatтАЩs your new album Well Meaning Fiction about?
JUSTIN: Well Meaning Fiction is mainly a broken-hearted plea for the
Jessie Daniels
JOYFUL NOISE
JESSIE DANIELS is a teenage singer/songwriter from New York City.
She grew up in a wonderfully passionate Italian family and, at a young
age, experienced a faith that was gritty, personal and real. Her first big
idea was to swim upstream culturally and go against the accepted
flow. She started writing songs, made a demo and is the first тАЬfaithbasedтАЭ artist to get signed to mainstream label Midas Records. Her
self-titled debut album, featuring first single тАЬThe NoiseтАЭ (which has
already gone Top 10 at Christian pop radio!), hits shelves June 6.
Check out jessedaniels.com and myspace.com/jessiedaniels for
more information.
PAUL: Apparently you made your TV debut when you were a child? Is
that true?
church in America to return to the biblical truth of the gospel. So many
churches are watering down messages to tickle peopleтАЩs ears and leaving out the key points that being saved is about repenting of our sins
and trusting Christ to save us. Those are unpopular and unwelcome
words in many churches, and itтАЩs extremely sad to us. An unclear
gospel is not the way to anchor someoneтАЩs soul to Christ. If people
donтАЩt understand their desperate need for Christ, then Jesus becomes
a friend to help us through tough timesтАУnot a sovereign Savior worthy
of all of our lives. The gospel isnтАЩt about accessorizing our lives with
Jesus, itтАЩs the call to conversionтАУthe call to hate sin and treasure Christ
above everything else.
PAUL: What is the bottom line message you hope your listeners receive
from Mainstay?
JUSTIN: We hope listeners will catch a glimpse of the glory of Christ
so that they see Him for who He really is...I feel so humbled in my
own life about how much I have failed to honor and obey God. And
this record is a call for me to be honest with my own sin and shortcomings, while realizing that ChristтАЩs righteousness atones for me.
JESSIE: I was 11 when I first appeared on TV. I did a commercial for
Lifetime тАЬTelevision for WomenтАЭ on child education. It was such a
cool experience.
Mainstay
ANYTHING BUT FICTION!
PAUL: When did you start writing songs?
JESSIE: I started writing songs about three years ago when I first
came to work in Nashville.
PAUL: Who are some of your heroes?
JESSIE: Jesus and my parentsтАФjust to name a few.
PAUL: I understand that your label is mostly country artists? What a
privilege to be one of the few faith-based artists they have signed.
Is that cool? Are they supportive of you expressing your faith?
JESSIE: Yup, thatтАЩs true. Midas Records has a country division of
many artists and a Christian division which is me. (Laughs) I think
itтАЩs awesome that IтАЩm the only faith-based artist on my label. Midas
is very supportive of me expressing my faith, and they totally understood my vision as an artist and my calling as a Christian. IтАЩm at a
great place with them, and you should expect great things to come!
26 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
Singer/songwriter/author Paul Colman, the former frontman of Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning act Paul Colman
Trio, recently became the NewsboysтАЩ new guitarist. The latest single from his current solo album, Let It Go, is тАЬHolding On
to You.тАЭ Colman currently tours, speaks and performs internationally. For more information visit paulcolman.com.
CCM_04.06_Bible_v4
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livingthemessage
by Michael Card
тАЬMany Samaritans from the village believed in
Jesus because the woman had said, тАШHe told
me everything I ever did!тАЩтАЭ
тАФJohn 4:39 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)
A Questionable Witness
at the Well
{
39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, тАЬHe
told me everything I ever did!тАЭ 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay
in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his
message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, тАЬNow we believe, not just because of
what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed
the Savior of the world.тАЭ John 4:39-42 (NLT)
Noon was a suspicious time of day for a lone woman to be coming to a well.
The cooler morning hours were reserved for carrying water, and this was a
task which the women of the town always did together. So why was she there
alone in the first place?
Jesus was tired. His feet were tired. His back was tired. And there was an
emotional weariness as well that was weighing him down that day.
тАЬSome water, please?тАЭ
The only thing more unusual than a woman alone at the well in the middle of
the day was the sight of a Jewish rabbi speaking to a Samaritan and asking to
drink from her water jar. Any self-respecting Jew would not consider even
touching the water bucket of a Samaritan.
Racial hatred is a bizarre sort of blindness. Individuals, regardless of their
personal qualities, are lumped together and labeled тАЬworthless,тАЭ тАЬlazy,тАЭ
тАЬdeceitful.тАЭ It is amazing that even the Jews, themselves the object of so much
racial hatred from almost every other people group on earth, would embrace
such prejudice towards another race. It is a congenital flaw in all of us.
The Samaritan woman is put off, but not completely so, it seems. She
enters into a discussion with the unusually open rabbi. She is puzzled that
He should want to drink from her water jar. Most Jews avoided being touched
even by the shadow of a Samaritan. He asks for so little and, yet, is ready
to offer her everything.
тАЬIf only you knew,тАЭ Jesus says, тАЬwho is asking you for a drink.тАЭ тАЬIf only you
28 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
knew...тАЭ John seems to be saying to every reader of his gospel. If only you
knew who this man is.
тАЬIf only you knew,тАЭ Jesus says. Then He offers her the water that is alive, the
Spirit, from the depth of His heart. Jesus is not trying to be obscure. In fact, He
is seeking to connect with her by using the objects close at hand. тАЬYou are here
at a deep well,тАЭ He says. тАЬWhat if a fountain came to life inside your heart, leaping
with the Spirit of God. And all I ask is a drink, a cup of water.тАЭ (Could it be that
this incident was on His mind years later when he promised a blessing to all those
who would offer a cold cup of water in His name?)
тАЬYou do not even have a bucket,тАЭ she says, as if to write Him off. Her flat,
gray, narrow reasoning comes crashing against the deep, rainbow colored
Wisdom of God. He asks for little and gets nothing. Though He is the thirsty
one, still it is He who offers to meet her need.
тАЬIf you drink this water, youтАЩll be thirsty in a few hours, but if you will only
drink the water IтАЩm offering, youтАЩll never be thirsty again, not for the ages to
come,тАЭ says the still thirsty Jesus.
At last the door opens a crack. тАЬGive me this water,тАЭ she says, still not
knowing what sheтАЩs asking for. Her tone doesnтАЩt seem completely sincere, and,
yet, it is not completely mocking either.
тАЬThen go get your husband,тАЭ Jesus says.
She wonders to herself, тАЬPerhaps He knows why IтАЩm here alone in the
middle of the day. Maybe someoneтАЩs told him about the rumors. Is His
question an innocent one, or is He laying a trap?тАЭ
She offers the benign response, тАЬI have no husband.тАЭ
Whether she meant it to be truthful
or not, the woman has answered
truthfully, and this amuses Jesus.
тАЬThen they said to the
тАЬYouтАЩre so right,тАЭ He says. The fact
is the woman has had five husbands, woman, тАШNow we believe, not
when even the most liberal rabbi says
just because of what you
the limit is three. But note the told us, but because we have
absence of condemnation in His heard him ourselves. Now we
voice. There is no name calling. This
know that he is indeed the
does not mean she is disqualified
Savior of the world.тАЩтАЭ
from receiving the living water. As
тАФJ
OHN 4:42 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)
gently as a doctor unwraps a wound,
Jesus exposes her life. There are five
deep wounds from past, broken
relationships, and, even now, there is an ongoing injury, living with a man
whose love will not embrace her as his wife.
She is discovered, uncovered, and the only thing left to do is throw sand in JesusтАЩ
eyes and hope to get away. Religious talk is the grittiest, most irritating talk she
knows. тАЬYou disqualify me by saying Jerusalem is the only place to find God,тАЭ she
throws in his face. But His concern is relentless.
тАЬIt is not your mountain or Jerusalem thatтАЩs the point,тАЭ Jesus says. тАЬIt is a matter
of Spirit and Truth. That alone pleases God. Not my Jewishness nor your mountain.
He loves people who are true, the ones in whom His Spirit is able to bubble up and
overflow. That is the water IтАЩm offering you.тАЭ
Her life has been laid bare, and yet sheтАЩs accepted. She has tried to
escape, but arms of acceptance hold her fast. There is only one more test.
The Samaritans had a different name for the Messiah. It was тАЬTahav,тАЭ the
Revealer. The subject of Christ comes from out of left field almost.
тАЬI know when the Messiah comes, He will reveal everything to us,тАЭ she
whispers to the One who has just revealed everything to her.
тАЬI AM,тАЭ He says looking down into her eyes.
Almost all of His witnesses are questionable. The shepherds who first
came to worship Him in the stable were disqualified by society from giving
testimony in a court as were women in general. And now His first
missionary to the Samaritans is a woman whose word was about as
valuable to the people as her empty bucket. It is an expression of His
}
}
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Charlie HallтАЩs
Invisible Children Ministry
foolish Wisdom, His unlikely strength, that He
chooses unlikely men and women to tell His
unlikely, unbelievable story. So how could it be
that they still come running by the millions to
hear Him?
COMMIT:
Notice that Jesus refuses to
allow anything to stand between Himself and the
woman, not her ethnicity, not her gender and,
especially, not her sin. What is standing between the
two of you?
Ask for the grace to become as relentless in
your relationship with Jesus as He is towards you.
Pray that your life will become the overflowing
spring of the Spirit He promises it can become.
тАЬI wonder, in my life, how many times I
have said тАШnoтАЩ to God. I wonder how
many times He would respond to me
with, тАШIf you knew Who it was that asked
you...тАЩ We miss out on the blessings and
opportunities that God has for us
because we don't recognize that He is
the one who is asking. We are too busy,
and, like the woman in this story, we
make all kinds of excuses. At the end of
the day, after all of our seemingly
reasonable excuses have fallen down, the
question remains, will you say тАШyesтАЩ to
God or will you deny him?тАЭ
тАФ John Cooper (Skillet)
Michael Card is an awardwinning scholar, musician and
radio broadcaster who resides in
Franklin, Tennessee. His new
album, The Hidden Face of God,
releases April 18. This enhanced
CD with a devotional booklet,
features songs of lament. Visit michaelcard.com for
more information.
getreal
{CARRIERS OF GODтАЩS PRESENCE}
IF YOU ARE A FAN OF MODERN WORSHIP, THEREтАЩS A
GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU ENJOY THE MUSIC OF CHARLIE
HALL. CHARLIEтАЩS HISTORY INCLUDES STUDENT LIFE
TOURS AND PASSION CONFERENCES ALIKE. THOUGH
YOU MIGHT BE A FAN OF HIS MUSIC, WHAT YOU MAY
NOT KNOW IS THAT CHARLIE HAS A HUGE HEART FOR
MISSIONS. AND THESE DAYS, HE IS STRIVING TO CREATE
AWARENESS FOR INVISIBLE CHILDREN (IC), A MINISTRY
CREATED BY YOUNG PEOPLE.
More than a year ago, Charlie and a friend decided to
proactively research mission-minded organizations
out of a desire to create a non-profit of their own that
would help raise money to pour back into mission
work. The results of their research turned up Invisible
Children, a movement started by three young people
in their 20s from California who, in the spring of
2003, took a trip to Africa. While in Sudan, these
twenty-somethings discovered children living in a wartorn town, abandoned, malnourished and sleeping
on the streets. So, they decided to do something
about it and filmed footage while on their trip that
they later turned into a powerful documentary.
Charlie immediately connected with the vision of
these young adults and decided to help promote the
mission of Invisible Children versus starting a nonprofit of his own. тАЬWeтАЩre just trying to swap back
and forth and really trying to shine a light on
something thatтАЩs already movingтАФseems like it has
GodтАЩs hand on it already,тАЭ Charlie says.
The тАЬswapтАЭ was a good one as Charlie had
recently written a song based on Micah 6:8, and
after viewing the documentary, he couldnтАЩt erase the
images from his mind. He asked IC if they could
possibly use the song in an informational video. Now,
Charlie uses this 3 1/2-minute video every night
while heтАЩs on tour, educating his fans about Invisible
Children and the kids this organization seeks to help.
In fact, CharlieтАЩs new album, Flying into Daybreak
(sixsteps), fits in nicely with the mission of IC. Charlie
explains, тАЬThe message of the record has a lot of the
same reasons why we would support IC, so weтАЩre
basically taking a full message that GodтАЩs put in us
and helping people digest it musically.тАЭ
Charlie admires these young adults for stepping
up to the plate and stepping out in faith. He says,
тАЬTheyтАЩre taking something they loveтАФfilmmaking.
So, theyтАЩre doing something that they enjoy, and
theyтАЩre using it to change the world. Doing
something creativeтАжand doing it well and, then,
using it for GodтАЩs movement on the earth is a
beautiful thing to me.тАЭ
Creativity is the key word. Just one look at the
website, and you will realize that this is not an
ordinary missions effort. The lingo used online
relates to how these self-starters would carry on a
conversation with their friends. Perhaps this is what
makes this movement so accessible and intriguing.
In fact, this is one of the very facets that attracted
Charlie to the ministry. тАЬEven just the look and feel
of it [IC] is just a lot more attaching than a lot of
mission groups out there.тАЭ
The goal of these youth is to get their documentary
seen by as many people as possible. Supporters
across the nation are getting behind this movement
by hosting house parties or screenings in their cities.
WhatтАЩs more incredible is that the Invisible Children
documentary had been shown to the United Nations
Association, at the Carter Center and at the Capitol
Building in Washington, D.C. In addition, footage has
been televised on тАЬThe Oprah Winfrey Show,тАЭ CNN
and the National Geographic Channel.
Charlie is encouraging students he talks to each
night to actively pursue change. тАЬItтАЩs not strictly
about Africa for me. ItтАЩs about stepping out and
doing something. We are the тАШcarriersтАЩ of GodтАЩs
presence and life,тАЭ he says.
тАЬI spent many years praying for revival, but I
realize if I had cut my time in half and actually gone
to do a few things, toward people and toward the
world, trying to help make adjustmentsтАФeven little
onesтАФeven in my cityтАжthatтАЩs how GodтАЩs presence
in the world movesтАФthrough His people,тАЭ Charlie
continues. тАЬEven for young people. We may not have
a lot of money, but we have time [and] energy.тАЭ
For more information on how you can host a
screening in your city, visit invisiblechildren.com. To
learn more about Charlie Hall and his new release,
Flying into Daybreak, check out charliehall.com.
LINDSAY WILLIAMS
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тАЬ тАЭ
!
MARKS
THE SPOT
WELCOME TO CCM MAGAZINEтАЩS SECOND
ANNUAL ! EXTRAVAGANZA. DIVE IN WITH
US AS WE HIGHLIGHT THE ARTISTS,
MUSIC, TRENDS, EVENTS, ENTERTAINMENT,
ACTIVITIES AND MORE THAT ARE ! IN AND
AROUND THE WORLD OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
FROM WHO YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
AND WHO YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT TO THE
THINGS YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS ENJOY
MOST, ITтАЩS ALL RIGHT HERE!
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The runaway leader (not only in sales but also through impact) in
todayтАЩs faith-based rock scene is, of course, SWITCHFOOT. The
bandтАЩs Nothing Is Sound (Columbia/Sparrow) CD topped
numerous criticsтАЩ picks lists last year and continues to earn
acclaim. The equally enthusiastic and slightly Southern-tipped
THIRD DAY also came out of the box with a bang thanks to
Wherever You Are (Essential), which made history as the bandтАЩs
highest street week debut, landing at No. 8 on the The
Billboard 200 sales chart. Essential label mates JARS OF
CLAY released its popular Redemption Songs a year ago,
which kicked off a stellar run that has seen the band perform
as part of the historic LIVE 8 concerts and the Rev. Billy
GrahamтАЩs last crusade, experience profound success with
its тАЬ1,000 Wells ProjectтАЭ for Africa and appear on ABC,
CBS, CNN, BBC, MTV, VH1 and other outlets.
Making what is easily the best artistic statement
of her career, REBECCA ST. JAMES recently
recorded If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something
(ForeFront), a return to some of her roots and a
departure from others. As she embraced the rock
& roll of her youth, she made great strides lyrically,
writing songs with an honest vulnerability more
reminiscent of King DavidтАЩs Psalms.
The increasingly popular BUILDING 429
turned up the amps a bit for its brand new Rise
(Word) record, and, in the process, took a more
personal approach with its songwriting. тАЬOne
thing we never realized as a first-year band was
that we have the ability to be influencers of our
industry and be ahead of the worldтАЩs curve,тАЭ
says B429 front man Jason Roy. тАЬThough itтАЩs
nice to have a Christian alternative to
MetallicaтАФand the people doing that may
have good intentionsтАФthe end result is the
art isnтАЩt always up to par.тАЭ
SANCTUS REAL, meanwhile, offers The
Face of Love (Sparrow) this month as a
dramatic calling card in the world of real
life rock relevancy. And KUTLESSтАЩ new
album, Hearts of the Innocent (BEC),
impresses, so look for the bandтАЩs
momentum to continue. Other acts
going full steam ahead? THOUSAND
FOOT KRUTCH, JEREMY CAMP and
BARLOWGIRL are all on the radar
with recent releases setting the
stage for another round of accolades
and rollicking rock romps.
ANDY ARGYRAKIS
<<
!ROCK
!
POP >>
PUNK
Pop Punk is nothing new. ItтАЩs been
around since the late тАЩ70s, and, quite
surprisingly, Christian music wasnтАЩt far
behind in the early тАЩ80s with bands
such as UNDERCOVER and ANDY
MCCARROLL & MORAL SUPPORT. In
those days, it was not a commercially
successful format and was ignored by
the more mainstream labels and fans.
Now itтАЩs the ! genre. Bands such as
GREEN DAY set the tone and brought it
back, but itтАЩs really taken on a more
commercial appeal. And the current flock of
pop punk bands is more popular than ever.
The good news is that Christians are wellrepresented within this genre.
MXPX was the first Christian band to
make a name for itself on the pop punk
revival scene, is still putting out excellent
records and has a good fan base. But
RELIENT K and HAWK NELSON are leading
the current pack. Though released a year
and a half ago, Relient KтАЩs latest album,
MMHMM (Capitol/Gotee), remains one of
Christian musicтАЩs Top 10-selling albums,
thanks to heavy touring and major general
market exposure at alternative radio and video
outlets such as MTV. Relient KтАЩs humorous
lyrics, hooks and melodies continue to connect
with a growing fanbase. The band adds a twist to
the pop punk formula by adding BRIAN WILSONinfluenced vocal harmonies and lyrical twists that
sometimes border on novelty.
Hawk Nelson, meanwhile, has enjoyed a hit
debut record, movie and television appearances
and packed national tours. тАЬWe play the kind of
music that we like to listen to,тАЭ says Hawk Nelson
lead singer Jason Dunn. тАЬWe also work hard to give
the fans something they will want to hear over and
over again and sing along with. ThatтАЩs what this
music is all about.тАЭ
There are so many other new bands on the Christian
pop punk scene itтАЩs hard to keep track. STELLAR
KART and OLIVIA THE BAND both have a good buzz,
and the independent to watch is LAST TUESDAY.
DR. TONY SHORE
32 ccm april 06
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Leading the hard music way after its nearly runaway hit WeтАЩre Only
Chasing Safety (which was re-released in October with bonus
tracks and DVD) and successful stints on the тАЬVanтАЩs WarpedтАЭ
tour (which itтАЩs playing again in June), UNDEROATH is releasing
a highly anticipated follow-up on June 20, They Know
Destruction Is Coming (Tooth & Nail). Chris Lord Alge (P.O.D.,
Switchfoot, Green Day) was tapped to add his masterтАЩs touch
at mixing. Expect lots more cool keyboard transitions and
accents as well as oh-so-singable choruses along with all the
intense chaotic riffing the band is known for.
DEAD POETIC might make the biggest jump in popularity
and prominence with its forthcoming album, Vices (Tooth
& Nail). The band met up with legendary DEFTONES front
man, Chino Moreno, in Sacramento to craft some songs
that it then wrapped up in Seattle with Tooth & NailтАЩs
studio mastermind, AARON SPRINKLE.
тАЬWeтАЩve all been fans of the Deftones since junior
high,тАЭ explains guitarist DUSTY REDMON, тАЬso it was
pretty surreal, especially in retrospect. We all were on
the same page with him and created and recorded a
song weтАЩre super proud of.тАЭ
Vocalist BRANDON RIKE chimes in: тАЬWeтАЩve
been extremely lucky to work with two completely
different producers. Aaron Sprinkle [is] coordinating
the entire album, but also Chino Moreno [brings] to
us a more тАШout-of-the-boxтАЩ attitude toward song
structure. ItтАЩs extremely important to look at your
music from all angles, and we have definitely been
able to do that with this new album.тАЭ
MEWITHOUTYOU, who was recently added
to THURSDAYтАЩs spring tour, should up the
ante of its growing fanbase with its new
album dropping in September.
Other bands that are still riding the long
waves of their 2004 releases and continue
to show up on MTV2тАЩs тАЬHeadbangerтАЩs BallтАЭ
and major tours? NORMA JEAN (T&N is
re-releasing OтАЩ God, The Aftermath with
bonus tracks + DVD), PROJECT 86, AS I
LAY DYING and DEMON HUNTER.
And hard musicтАЩs breakout newcomer?
Without a doubt, itтАЩs TexasтАЩ own
FLYLEAF. The bandтАЩs lead single, тАЬIтАЩm
So Sick,тАЭ charted first at Christian rock
radio and then quickly entered the Top
30 of the nationтАЩs Alternative airplay
charts. Simultaneously, the band has
found itself hailed in the pages of
Metal Edge, Kerrang! and Revolver.
DOUG VAN PELT
<<
!
HARD
MUSIC
!
Of all genres of Christian music,
hip-hop is the one style that still
largely remains the underdog. In
mainstream circles, rap music is a
goldmine and has been for many
years. Surprisingly, and despite the
hefty figures, hip-hop in Christian music
doesnтАЩt get nearly the attention it
deserves. Just to put it in perspective,
TOBYMAC is the only artist who made
the year-end list of Top 20-selling albums
in Christian musicтАФhe came in at No.
20тАФand even heтАЩll admit his music is as
much rock & roll as it is hip-hop.
Regardless of its low numbers and lack
of promotion, there are a number of
ambassadors bringing awareness about the
genreтАФpeople such as GRITS, KJ-52, THE
CROSS MOVEMENT and DJ MAJтАФall of
whom are leading a quiet revolution to raise the
banner for this nascent, yet promising, scene.
тАЬI think hip-hop is definitely in a better position
than it was five years ago,тАЭ says TERON
тАЬBONAFIDEтАЭ CARTER, one-half of best-selling
rap duo GRITS, which sold a combined 120,000
copies of its Dichotomy A and Dichotomy B
(Gotee) albums. тАЬThe growth has mostly been
within the talent and the quality of the music. A lot
more attention is being given to production,
packaging and, even, imaging. All of these are
things that are very important in music in general.тАЭ
And the industry is finally, but slowly, beginning
to respond as a resultтАжEven before GRITS edged
out ZOEGIRL and AVALON to be named CCM
readersтАЩ тАЬFavorite GroupтАЭ [тАЬReadersтАЩ Choice
Awards,тАЭ February], hip-hop was seeing a gradually
increasing amount of love fromтАФbelieve it or notтАФ
Christian pop radio. During the past year, artists
such as DJ Maj, KJ-52, 4TH AVENUE JONES and
JOHN REUBEN have been quietly appearing in the
Top 30 of Radio & RecordsтАЩ CHR charts.
Even so, Bonafide says thereтАЩs still much work to
be done and significant inroads to be made. тАЬOn the
business side, thereтАЩs a little growth,тАЭ he adds. тАЬIt doesnтАЩt
have the same effect that the general market has on young
people. We need people who live and breathe [hip-hop].
When you donтАЩt have the people who know how to handle
itтАФpeople to guide itтАФwhen you donтАЩt have those people in
place, itтАЩs always going to be an after thought.тАЭ
HIP-HOP>>
ANDREE FARIAS
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Page 34
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ccmmagazine.com
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CCM_04.06_[!]Feature_v4
3/10/06
1:18 PM
Page 35
<<
<<
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If you have yet
to dive into tod
ayтАЩs independent
scene, what are
you
Christian music
soul? Well, thatтАЩs waiting for? A little bit of funk an
d a whole lot of
as good a starting
describe indepen
place as any. An
d it happens to
dent ar tist DAVE
BARNES (daveba
Nashville-based
rnes.com). This
singe
record, Chasing Mi r/songwriter is making a splash
with his third
ssissippi, which de
Top 20 Internet
bu
ted
at No. 19 on Billbo
Albums char t. Ba
ardтАЩs
rn
es
MySpaceтАЩs acou
also ranks at No
stic ar tis
. 8 among
Then thereтАЩs SAND ts!
RA McCRACKEN
Touring both the U.
(sandramccracke
S.
n.com).
has shared her be and U.K. since 1999, this Nashvill
e folk ar tist
autifully crafted so
ng
a growing audienc
e. SandraтАЩs fourth s and insightful stories to
project, The Build
Architect, is an alb
er and the
um of mostly ori
ginal hymns produ
husband (and IN
O recording ar tis
ced with
t) DEREK WEBB.
deeply moving, yo
Simple and
u just might disco
ve
r itтАЩs the best of
Remember THE RO
its kind.
CK NтАЩ ROLL WOR
meet THE LISTE
SHIP CIRCUS? We
NING (thelistenin
ll,
g.com)тАФsame ba
name. If youтАЩre
nd, new
not already a fan
, that means yo
seen The Listen
u havenтАЩt
ing in concer t. Th
e bandтАЩs captiva
show is some
ting
of the best of
modern rockтАжbe live
melodies, hauntin
autiful
g
ListeningтАЩs self-title ambience and striking lyrics.
The
d album is now av
ail
able online.
Next up is ALLI RO
GE
RS
(al
liro
ge
rs.com). Those of
who fell in love
us
with the purity
of her voice an
honesty of her de
d the
but album, Alway
s Eden, are eage
awaiting its follow
rly
-up, Day of Small
does Alli have a
Things. Not only
new record comi
ng
soon, she is als
opening for SHAW
o
N McDONALD on
See her website
his spring tour!
for CD and tour
details.
Well-known on the
West Coast, the Wa
of LATE TUESDA
shington natives
Y (latetuesday.co
m) are preparing
release their fou
to
rth album in Ma
y. Recognized for
compelling writing
and beautiful harm
onies, all three of
these ladies sin
g an
throughout their live d play multiple instruments
sh
quirky) coffeehouse ow, creating a warm (and often
vibe.
JOSH GARRELS
(joshgarrels.com)
, meanwhile,
is a Midwestern
ar tist with a uniqu
e sound that
is hard to desc
ribe, although тАЬro
otsyтАЭ and
тАЬorganicтАЭ would
be accurate. His
gutsy voice
powerfully deliv
ers his poignan
t lyrics. Be
looking for JoshтАЩs
third album, Over
later this spring
Oceans,
and, in the mean
time, pick
up Stone TreeтАФyo
u wonтАЩt be disap
pointed.
KATE Mc DO NA
LD
ccmmagazine.com
april 06 ccm 35
1:18 PM
Page 36
!SONGWRITERS
Two words for you: MATTHEW WEST. In addition to
being prolific at his craft, he writes CCMтАЩs
songwriting column, тАЬThe WriterтАЩs Block,тАЭ each
month. You do the math.
NICHOLE NORDEMANтАФSo long, status quo. Her
lyrics from her most recent album, Brave (Sparrow),
really couldnтАЩt be a more fitting way to describe
NicholeтАЩs refreshingly honest approach to writing
songs. Rather than relying on the usual clich├йs,
NicholeтАЩs songs dig deep into the ups and downs of
the faith journey.
Speaking of refreshingly honest, this trait is
probably the hallmark of DEREK WEBBтАЩs songwriting.
His latest disc, Mockingbird (INO), is meant to spark
conversation on the uncomfortable issues that arenтАЩt
often addressed in Christian music: politics, poverty
and senseless tragedy in society are just a few.
What can we possibly say about SARA GROVES
that we havenтАЩt said already? Simply put, her songs
are exquisite reflections on faith that resonate with
warmth and the beauty of simplicity. тАЬI think a good
song names true things and evokes feelings that
sometimes I donтАЩt even know are there,тАЭ Sara says.
тАЬIn Walking on Water, MADELINE LтАЩENGLE says that
in writing, the story already exists, she just has to
uncover it. That is the closest thing I have ever
heard to describe my songwriting processтАФ
something akin to lyric archaeology.тАЭ
As GMAтАЩs reigning тАЬSongwriter of the YearтАЭ for the
past two years and as a recent Grammy winner,
CASTING CROWNSтАЩ MARK HALL clearly knows
something about writing songs that connect with the
masses. тАЬI think a good song is just an honest one,тАЭ
he confides. тАЬI think people are willing to listen to
the hard truth if youтАЩre being transparent about your
own life, your own struggles with doubt and fear and
failure. My goal in writing is to confront hard issues
in the life of a believer through the brokenness of my
mistakes and through the forgiveness and
restoration that God has brought about (and is still
bringing about) in my life. The world doesnтАЩt need
any more тАШrock stars,тАЩ just broken people made
whole, telling their stories. All the songs I write are
simply about where we all live.тАЭ
TexasтАЩ own CHRIS TOMLIN has quickly become
the go-to guy for congregational worship favorites.
Need more proof than the fact that you probably sing
his songs on Sunday morning? Just check out GMAтАЩs
тАЬSong of the YearтАЭ nominees this yearтАФChris has
three songs nominated, including two he penned.
And the future? You may recall last AugustтАЩs issue
of CCM. тАЬThe FutureтАЭ is exactly how we described
singer/songwriter BETHANY DILLON. And that she is.
CHRISTA A. BANISTER
<<
3/10/06
!PRODUCERS
This month, specifically, no Christian music producers
are more ! than BROWN BANNISTER, ED CASH,
MARK A. MILLER, OTTO PRICE and VINCE GILL. The
Gospel Music Association has selected these five
exceptionally gifted men as the finalists for 2006тАЩs
тАЬProducer of the YearтАЭ nod, and, on April 5, one of
them will walk away with that GMA Music Award.
Miller, whoтАЩs SAWYER BROWNтАЩs lead singer, and
Gill may seem like the odd men out, since they
almost never produce other ar tistsтАЩ music, but
theyтАЩre being honored for their master ful production
on the latest albums by CASTING CROWNS (Miller)
and AMY GRANT (Gill).
But the studio whiz who truly is the odd man outтАФ
as in the odd man left outтАФthatтАЩs none other than
producer extraordinaire AARON SPRINKLE. Consider
the production credits he had which were eligible for
this yearтАЩs GMA nominations: JEREMY CAMPтАЩs
Restored, KUTLESSтАЩ Strong Tower, ANBERLINтАЩs Never
Take Friendship Personal, KJ-52тАЩs Behind the Musik
and EMERYтАЩs The Question (Tooth & Nail), among
others. Sprinkle has become so prolific as a producer,
his versatility at the board is unmatched within the
Christian community.
Think about itтАжCan you name another person who
helms both critically acclaimed and top-selling pop, rock,
alternative, hip-hop and hardcore albums?
Exactly. But weтАЩre preaching to the choir here. After
all, you, the CCM readers, recently named Sprinkle
your тАЬFavorite ProducerтАЭ in this yearтАЩs ReadersтАЩ Choice
JAY SWARTZENDRUBER
Awards. Bravo.
<<
<<
CCM_04.06_[!]Feature_v4
!TOURS
The current hot package tours in the world of
Christian music include alliances between the
rock of THIRD DAY and the DAVID CROWDER
BAND, the pop of CASTING CROWNS and
NICHOLE NORDEMAN, plus the worshipful
CHRIS TOMLIN and MATT REDMAN. And fans of
underground alternative music will want to check
out the тАЬTooth & Nail Tour,тАЭ featuring EMERY,
ANBERLIN, FAR-LESS and THE FOLD with special
guests THE CLASSIC CRIME and JONEZETTA.
With Christian market artists continuing
their crossover to the mainstream at
lightening speed, the number of Christian acts
opening for general market superstars
continues to increase. Consider singer/
songwriter MAT KEARNEY, who first made
waves on Inpop Records and now on
Aware/Columbia. He joins sophisticated
popsters THE FRAY on a club tour this spring.
On a more alternative note, concept rockers
MAE take up a support slot next to MTV
heroes YELLOWCARD, while THOUSAND
FOOT KRUTCH joins TRAPT and STRETCH
ARM STRONG teams with Victory RecordsтАЩ
bands SILVERSTEIN and SPITALFIELD.
In an interesting twist, Christian market
artists with major general market recognition
sometimes find themselves on the road with
mainstream opening acts. Take, for instance, the
recent double bill of RELIENT K and MXPX which
featured relative newcomer to the punk world
RUFIO. And SWITCHFOOTтАЩs red hot jaunt behind
Nothing Is Sound (Sparrow) includes Warner
Brothers signee EISLEY, an ethereal pop troupe
of siblings who has also toured with COLDPLAY.
тАЬThe love between the bands has grown to a
heightened level,тАЭ writes membersтАЩ father Boyd
DuPree on the groupтАЩs official website
(eisley.com). тАЬThis tour is incredibleтАж Switchfoot
will probably bring down the house. They are
very, very amazing.тАЭ
ANDY ARGYRAKIS
3/10/06
1:19 PM
Page 37
<<
CCM_04.06_[!]Feature_v4
!MOMENTS
WHILE THE PAST YEAR WAS CERTAINLY MONUMENTAL IN TERMS OF WORLD EVENTS,
THERE WAS ALSO PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC CIRCLES. HERE ARE
SOME OF THE MOST ! MOMENTS.
JARS OF CLAY HELPS MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
AT LIVE 8 IN PHILLY
Continuing in its efforts to help the poor, sick and
disfranchised in Africa, JARS OF CLAY joined the
likes of ALICIA KEYS, KANYE WEST, MAROON 5,
LINKIN PARK, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND and more
for the U.S.тАЩs Live 8 concert in Philadelphia on July
2. As a result of the 10 Live 8 events, more than
30 million people from all around the world gave
their names for the Live 8 list that was later
presented to Tony Blair, chair of the G8, by
representatives of Live 8 and the Global Call to
Action Against Poverty.
HAWK NELSON GETS READY FOR YET ANOTHER
CLOSE-UP
While they arenтАЩt exactly veterans on the music
scene, HAWK NELSON has certainly had some
amazing career moments already. Not only were
the rockers named CCMтАЩs тАЬFavorite New ArtistтАЭ by
the fans, but the band also graced the cover. And
if that wasnтАЩt exciting enough, the boys also made
their movie debut (playing a rock band, no less) in
Yours, Mine & Ours, which starred Dennis Quaid
and Rene Russo.
IS HIP HOP THE NEW ROCK?
Anyone whoтАЩs been following Christian music for
very long already knows that Christian hip-hop
doesnтАЩt usually receive the attention it rightly
deserves. And thatтАЩs exactly why this yearтАЩs Grammy
nominations in the тАЬBest Rock Gospel AlbumтАЭ
category were so surprising as three hip-hop acts
(GRITS, FRESH I.E. and THE CROSS MOVEMENT)
were nominated alongside AUDIO ADRENALINE and
DAY OF FIRE. And while AudioA took home the
Grammy gold, it was awesome to see Christian hiphop finally get some propsтАФthough some, including
this magazine, took issue with the awkwardness of
hip-hop landing in a тАЬRockтАЭ category.
ARTISTS RESPOND TO HURRICANE KATRINA
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina rocked the
southern coast of the United States, the
Christian
ar tist
community
responded
immediately and in force. In addition to the
several benefit concerts that were organized,
some artistsтАЩ individual efforts stood out. First,
THIRD DAY offered its new albumтАЩs biggest
song (тАЬCry Out to JesusтАЭ) to churches, relief
agencies and fans free of charge for
encouragement and raised thousands of dollars
in concert donations for relief efforts. Then the
NEWSBOYS converted 20 of its own Festival
Con Dios tents into temporary housing for relief
workers in Gulfport, Miss. SARA GROVES and
her husband Troy, meanwhile, loaded up their
tour bus with baby formula, diapers and other
essentials and drove it to Slidell, La., for
distribution.
PETRA HIT GETS TWANG
In a cool but almost as surprising move as when
TIM MCGRAW collaborated with NELLY,
PETRAтАЩs тАЬMore Power to YaтАЭ officially went
country as McGraw covered the rockersтАЩ hit
during the first nationally-televised Hurricane
Katrina relief concert.
P.O.D.тАЩS 5 ON T.R.L.
Did you happen to catch the smokinтАЩ five-song
setтАФyes, five songsтАФthat P.O.D. played on
тАЬTotal Request LiveтАЭ just before the band
released its latest disc, Testify (Atlantic/Word)?
If not, you missed an unprecedented moment
that couldnтАЩt help but make P.O.D. fans proud.
Way to go, guys!
ARTISTS TEAM UP WITH RICK WARREN FOR
WORLD AIDS DAY CONCERT
In hopes of providing further awareness about
the AIDS pandemic, Purpose Driven Life author
RICK WARREN held a conference at his southern
California Saddleback Church to commemorate
World AIDS Day on December 1. In addition to a
prayer service, there was also a free concert that
featured artists of faith such as TAIT, OUT OF
EDEN, LA SYMPHONY, WYNONNA, LINCOLN
BREWSTER and several others.
NOTHING IS SOUND!
In a technological snafu that caused quite a few
SWITCHFOOT fans to get angry, not to mention
the band itself, a copy-protected version of
Nothing Is Sound (Columbia/Sparrow) became
the source of quite a bit of drama. Initially, the
band launched a high-profile protest against copyprotections installed on its latest CD by Sony
BMG label Columbia. Eventually, EMI was forced
to recall a stock of improperly configured discs.
CHRISTA A. BANISTER
ccmmagazine.com
april 06 ccm 37
CCM_04.06_[!]Feature_v4
3/10/06
1:19 PM
Page 38
<<
!ARTIST BLOGS
SUPERCHIC[K]тАЩs MAX HSU is one very unique
fellow. You wonтАЩt find very many in the music
world quite like him. From his early days of
learning the ropes of programming by interning
in the studio so he could work solo in the wee
hours of the morning to his mentoring of
fellow bandmates, he knows the ins and outs
of the music studio like few others.
A man of many talents, Max also dabbles
in photography (check out his photos on this
page) and graphic art and often displays his
work on his blog. He talks candidly about
what itтАЩs like spending so much time in the
studio and the interesting people he
meets there (not to mention the тАЬsecret
storiesтАЭ they tell him about production of
other artistsтАЩ albums). He also loves to
spark dialogue about creativity, as youтАЩll
see from his regular тАЬIn Your ShoesтАЭ
series of interviews with creative
persons from all walks of life. His
gorgeous, high-res photography and
his forthright, but unassuming,
manner (a recent entry showed off
all 35 rejected album covers for
Beauty from Pain [Inpop], the
bandтАЩs latest album) draw in
anyone looking for more depth in
blog reading. Lots of artistsтАЩ
blogs promise to take you
тАЬbehind the scenes,тАЭ but few do
it with as much insight into the
authenticity of the creative
process as Max Hsu. Smart,
witty, always unexpected and
offering a singular point of
view you wonтАЩt find anywhere
elseтАжThis is what awaits
you at maxwax11.com.
MAX HSU
ROBIN PARRISH
BLOG-O-RAMA:
TRY THESE OTHER FUN
BLOGS ON FOR SIZE...
Carolyn Arends: carolynarends.com/cgi-bin/cablog/blogger.cgi тАв Dale Baker (Sixpence alumnus):
dalebakerdrummer.com/my_weblog/ тАв Ceili Rain: ceilirain.com/weblog/ тАв David Crowder: xanga.com/home.aspx?user=emprise34
Randall Goodgame: infuzemag.com/staff/randall/ тАв Shaun Groves: readshlog.blogspot.com тАв Chad Jarnagin (Among Thorns): chadjarnagin.blogspot.com/
Mark Lee (Third Day): marklee.typepad.com тАв Leigh Nash: myspace.com/leighnash тАв Andrew Osenga (CaedmonтАЩs Call): caedmonscall.net/osenga/
Chris Rice: chrisrice.com/blog/blog.php тАв Terry Scott Taylor: myspace.com/terryscotttaylor тАв Jeremy Thiessen (downhere): jeremythiessen.typepad.com/
Third Day: thirdday.blogs.com/ тАв ZOEgirl: blog.myspace.com/zoegirlonline
38 ccm april 06
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!MOVIES
<<
<<
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<<
Within a matter of months, faith-based ideologies
made their voices heard at the cinema in
revolutionary ways that were subtle yet powerfulтАФ
profound but not fanatical. Put simply, the world at
large got to see what real Christians look like, and
they found out that we look nothing like the overthe-top activists and televangelists that many like
to think of us as being.
WALK THE LINE portrayed the life of a damagedgoods JOHNNY CASH, an innately talented man
with a lifetime full of mistakes but, ultimately, a
profound sense of his own depravity and need for
redemption. THE GOSPEL gave KIRK FRANKLIN a
chance to strut his stuff on the big screen while
giving a realistic portrayal of the modern тАЬblack
church.тАЭ Likewise, STEVE TAYLORтАЩs THE SECOND
CHANCE deftly took us on a heartfelt tour of the
racial differences that tend to separate GodтАЩs
people. END OF THE SPEAR (despite the endless
need some feel for fostering controversy regarding
its top star) took the familiar missionary story from
Beyond the Gates of Splendor and, intriguingly,
showed it from the Waodoni tribeтАЩs point of view.
But perhaps the most тАЬChristianтАЭ film of the year
was the one in which God was never mentioned at
all. For the first time ever, THE CHRONICLES OF
NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE
WARDROBE depicted a fully realized Aslan, the
great lion from C.S. LEWISтАЩ epic fantasy world. His
sacrifice, honor and raw power were the most
faithful, genuine representations of the divine that
Hollywood has ever delivered. ROBIN PARRISH
!TELEVISION
Who would have thought that HAWK NELSON, a
band few of us had ever heard of just a few
years ago, would be selected by the producers
of тАЬAmerican DreamsтАЭ to portray British icons
The Who on camera? Yet the boys pulled it off
without a hitch, and after seeing them in action,
it was obvious why they were chosenтАФthere
was a certain soul symmetry between the
youngsters and the legends that was as
impossible to ignore as it was unlikely.
AMY GRANTтАЩs тАЬThree WishesтАЭ took a page
from the most тАЬChristianтАЭ show on TV, тАЬExtreme
Makeover: Home Edition,тАЭ and ran with it. The
showтАЩs inspired method of pitching a tent in
Hometown, USA, week after week and getting to
know the natives and their biggest needs
personified the Great Commission in creative
ways weтАЩve never seen before on television.
Though NBC gave up on it (after introducing it in
the Friday night scheduleтАЩs тАЬdeath slotтАЭ), hereтАЩs
hoping its new home on CMTтАЩs cable channel
provides solid room to grow for years to come.
KIRK
FRANKLINтАЩs
achingly
honest
appearance on тАЬOprahтАЭ brought to light a
heretofore underpublicized addiction to
pornography in FranklinтАЩs past. More importantly,
it gave an intelligent, unpretentious voice to a
secret sin that haunts so many men (and
women) in the 21st century.
In a year when the outrageous and the
depraved garnered the most attention, bravo to
Christians in television for showing that morals
and virtues really do still matter.
ROBIN PARRISH
!BOOKS
An obvious nod should go to the increasingly
influential DONALD MILLER (Searching for God Knows
What) and his Blue Like Jazz (Nelson), which took this
yearтАЩs тАЬFavorite BookтАЭ award in CCMтАЩs ReadersтАЩ
Choice Awards (February). And some of the other
most noteworthy books in the world of publishing?
In, perhaps, one of the most star tling
turnabouts in recent times, ANNE RICE has rediscovered God, so to speak. Rice, who, until now,
has spent her career chronicling the likes of
vampires, witches, and worse, released Christ the
Lord: Out of Egypt (Knopf) in November to
widespread acclaim and curiosity. тАЬI promised,тАЭ
says Rice, тАЬthat from now on, I would write only for
the Lord.тАЭ Take that, Lestat!
FRANK PERETTIтАЩs second novel-turned-motion
picture, The Visitation (WestBow Press/Thomas
Nelson), just released on DVD in February. Not to
be outdone, TED DEKKERтАЩs novel THR3E (WestBow
Press/Thomas Nelson) is currently in production for
a big screen release later this year. Interestingly
enough, both films were directed by ROBBY
HENSON (The Badge) and produced by RALPH
WINTER (X-Men, Fantastic Four, Planet of the Apes).
Meanwhile, Peretti and Dekker have paired up to
co-author the novel House (WestBow Press/
Thomas Nelson), which is in stores this month.
And, donтАЩt worry folks, this joint project is packed
with all the thrills, chills, and things that make you
go тАЬhmmmтАжтАЭ that youтАЩve come to expect from this
dynamic duo! Not a big reader? All those pesky
words get in the way of your enjoyment? Never fear!
A movie version of House is slated to begin filming
later this year!
Forgive us if you feel weтАЩre a bit partial, but we
must also toot our own horn here. CCMтАЩs very own
CHRIS WELL saw his debut novel, Forgiving Solomon
Long (Harvest House), named to the Top 10 Christian
Novels list from Booklist magazine. How big of a deal
is that? Booklist is published by the American Library
Association. YouтАЩll be pleased to know you can pick
up ChrisтАЩ sophomore release, Deliver Us from Evelyn
(Harvest House), in stores now!
The hear t-wrenching, feel-good, made-for-TV
movies keep on coming from JANETTE OKE! тАЬLoveтАЩs
Long Journey,тАЭ the third small screen adaptation of
her Love Comes Softly (Bethany House) series, aired
to a massive and eager audience last December on
the Hallmark Channel and is newly available on DVD.
OkeтАЩs books have sold over 30 million copies, and
the Hallmark movie versions continue to thrive with
тАЬLoveтАЩs Long JourneyтАЭ premiering at #1 on the
Hallmark Channel and ranking overall as the
KRISTI HENSON
networkтАЩs #1 film of all time.
HAWK NELSON as The Who (pictured with Brandy)
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NATALIE GRANT
1. Mission trips
2. Anything made by Apple/Mac
3. Mat Kearney
4. тАЬ24тАЭтАФthe best TV show ever
5. Girls who are smart
HECTOR CERVANTES (CASTING CROWNS)
1. Apple Powerbook
2. Xbox
3. PSP (PlayStation Portable)
4. Starbucks anything
5. iPod
JOHN COOPER (SKILLET)
1. SkilletтАЩs 7th release!!!
2. Ron LuceтАЩs Battlecry for a Generation
(battlecry.com)
3. Season 5 of the show тАЬ24тАЭ
4. X-Men 3 baby!!
5. My teeth being straight
JASON DUNN (HAWK NELSON)
1. The Calgary Flames
2. Goldfinger
3. Prince Edward Island
4. Dumb & Dumber
5. HarveyтАЩs
BETHANY DILLON
1. тАЬIn His PresenceтАЭ by Clint Brown
2. Rob BellтАЩs NOOMA films
3. Black Cherry Vanilla Coke
4. Gospel for Asia
5. Ella Fitzgerald
KALEL (PILLAR)
1. Subway
2. Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini
3. Working out
4. The Third Secret by Steven Berry
5. Wireless Internet
AVALON
1. Babies
2. тАЬLostтАЭ
3. тАЬLaw and OrderтАЭ
4. Diet Pepsi
5. In & Out Burger
AARON SPRINKLE
1. Fly fishing
2. Hayao Miyazaki
3. Oswald Chambers
4. My wife and son
5. My kitchen
RYAN CLARK (DEMON HUNTER)
1. Walk the Line
2. The band Soilwork
3. U.S. Armed Forces
4. Leather wrist cuffs
5. TVтАЩs тАЬPrison BreakтАЭ
40 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
!
TOP 5
<<
LISTS >>
WHAT DO YOUR FAVORITE
ARTISTS THINK IS !
THIS YEAR?
CHECK IT OUT.
KJ-52
1. Caffeine (the many forms that it comes in,
i.e., Red Bull, Starbucks, etc.)
2. Mac products (be it G5s, iBooks, iPods,
iChat, pretty much anything with тАЬiтАЭ in front of it)
3. Podcasting (video and audio journaling...
IтАЩm addicted to it.)
4. Stupid movies (Napoleon Dynamite, тАЬMonty
Python,тАЭ etc.)
5. Making an entire record on my laptop while
flying on a plane (Reason 3.0, digital
performer, my iBook and the joy that it brings)
NEEDTOBREATHE
1. Season 2 of тАЬLostтАЭ on DVD
2. iPod CandyтАФthe iPod you can eat!
3. A reality show about people
who watch reality shows
4. Us
5. Humility
DEREK WEBB
1. Non-violent struggle
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
3. Irish rock star crusaders
4. The Onion radio news podcast
5. Non-violent struggle
DEREK STIPE (MONDAY MORNING)
1. Snowboarding
2. MySpace
3. Jack Johnson
4. Crest Cinnamon Toothpaste
5. Walk the Line
NICHOLE NORDEMAN
1. Fiji Water...IтАЩm not a water snob, but it
seriously tastes better.
2. A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren...
for anyone who suspects that Jesus is more
than a mascot for contemporary Christianity.
3. тАЬHear MusicтАЭ from Starbucks...where I first
discovered Madeline Peyroux. Nuff said.
4. IKEA...affordable brilliance for any home.
5. Rhymezone.comтАжcan help тАЬunstickтАЭ even
the most тАЬstuckтАЭ of lyrics.
CHRIS HUFFMAN (CASTING CROWNS)
1. тАЬ24тАЭ
2. MySpace
3. Sony PSP
4. iTunes
5. Apple computers
JOE KISSELBURGH & JOSH SHROY (FALLING UP)
1. тАЬLostтАЭ
2. Video iPods
3. MuteMath
4. Sweet tea
5. The Oregon coast
JOSH HAVENS (THE AFTERS)
1. iPods
2. C.S. Lewis
3. Mainstay
4. Chuck Taylors
5. Go Lean cereal
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!
<<
10 NEW ALBUMS YOU SHOULD HEAR
HAWK NELSON
Smile, ItтАЩs the End of the World (Tooth & Nail)тАФIf HawkтАЩs first two albums
were brothers, this one would be the BIG brother!
SHAWN McDONALD
Ripen (Sparrow)тАФUndeniable proof that there is such a thing as тАЬgut-pop.тАЭ
FAMILY FORCE 5
Business Up Front, Party in the Back (Maverick/Gotee)тАФWhen was the last
time you heard an album that was so good it was hard to describe?
PLUMB
Chaotic Resolve (Curb)тАФAnd we thought we liked her beforeтАж
KUTLESS
Hearts of the Innocent (BEC)тАФThe only thing innocent about this album is
the bystanders caught off guard by how good it isтАж
CINDY MORGAN
Postcards (Reunion)тАФHow could you ask for more?! Put simply, it just donтАЩt
get any better than this!
NEEDTOBREATHE
Daylight (Lava/Atlantic/Sparrow)тАФYou might have noticed this debut band
on our cover this month...Need we say more?
EDISON GLASS
A Burn or a Shiver (Credential)тАФYou might notice this debut band on our
cover some monthтАжStay tuned for more.
P.O.D.
Testify (Atlantic/Word)тАФClassic P.O.D. for todayтАЩs fans.
SANCTUS REAL
<<
The Face of Love (Sparrow)тАФTheyтАЩve long been considered a band of great
potential, and, with this album, Sanctus Real has arrived.
CCM STAFF
!CERTIFICATIONS
RIAA (RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) GOLD & PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS FOR THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY FROM MARCH
2005 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2006. GOLD CERTIFICATIONS SIGNIFY 500,000+ UNITS SOLD (FOR ALBUMS). PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS EQUATE TO
1,000,000+ UNITS SOLD (FOR ALBUMS).
GOLD ALBUMS:
JEREMY CAMP
JEREMY CAMP
CASTING CROWNS
ISRAEL & NEW BREED
MARY MARY
DONNIE McCLURKIN
RELIENT K
MICHAEL W. SMITH
RUBEN STUDDARD
SWITCHFOOT
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
CHRIS TOMLIN
VARIOUS
VARIOUS
GOLD SINGLES/DIGITAL (100,000+ SOLD):
Carried Me: The Worship Project
Stay
Lifesong
Live from Another Level
Mary Mary
Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs
MMHMM
Healing Rain
I Need an Angel
Nothing Is Sound
Tell All Your Friends
Arriving
WOW #1s
WOW HITS 2005
(BEC)
(BEC)
(Beach Street/Reunion)
(Integrity)
(Columbia)
(Verity)
(Capitol/Gotee)
(Reunion)
(J Records)
(Columbia/Sparrow)
(Victory)
(sixsteps/Sparrow)
(Provident)
(Sparrow)
WOW HITS 2005
(Sparrow)
MERCYME
RELIENT K
SWITCHFOOT
SWITCHFOOT
I Can Only Imagine
Be My Escape
Dare You to Move
Stars
(INO/Epic)
(Gotee)
(Columbia/Sparrow)
(Columbia/Sparrow)
PLATINUM SINGLES/DIGITAL (200,000+ SOLD):
RELIENT K
SWITCHFOOT
Be My Escape
Meant to Live
(Capitol/Gotee)
(Columbia/Sparrow)
PLATINUM ALBUMS:
VARIOUS
SWITCHFOOT
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!CONNECTIONS
>>
Country music shares
Christian musicтАЩs home
base in Nashville, so itтАЩs
natural that there is some
cross-pollination. Case in
point, singer/songwriter WAYNE
KIRKPATRICK has penned hits
for AMY GRANT, SUSAN ASHTON,
ERIC CLAPTON and GARTH BROOKS.
HeтАЩs recently produced CINDY MORGANтАЩs
return, Postcards (Reunion), and a new hit disc for
country act LITTLE BIG TOWN. He also penned
BrooksтАЩ new duet with TRISHA YEARWOOD, тАЬLove
Will Always Win.тАЭ
>>
JAY DEMARCUS, formerly half of duo EASTWEST,
is now part of breakout country band RASCAL
FLATTS. And AARON BENWARD (AARON JEFFERY,
solo artist) is part of country duo BLUE COUNTY.
>>
CHRIS RODRIGUEZ, session guitarist and singer,
solo artist, and former A&R guy for Word Records,
is touring in country star KEITH URBANтАЩs band,
along with former WHITE HEART member/session
drummer CHRIS MCHUGH.
>>
UrbanтАЩs not the only one picking up Christian
session players: American Idol KELLY CLARKSON
tours with original SONICFLOOD guitarist DWAYNE
LARRING and keys-man JASON HALBERT. The pair
also produced worship projects for TIM HUGHES
and MATT REDMAN. Session drummer DEREK
WYATT is also in ClarksonтАЩs band.
>>
>>
One of CECE WINANSтАЩ many connections is a
family thing: her nephew MARIO, who scored last
yearтАЩs ENYA-sampling hit, тАЬI DonтАЩt Wanna Know,тАЭ
produced CeCeтАЩs Grammy winning cut, тАЬPray.тАЭ He
got his start as part of DIDDYтАЩs production stable
and co-helmed MARY J. BLIGEтАЩs smash, тАЬLove At
First Sight.тАЭ
Hard-rocking SKILLET scored a major label deal
and impressive sales with its last record, and for
its new one, the band is working with mainstream
producer BRIAN HOWES (Hinder, Closure). Howes
and SkilletтАЩs JOHN COOPER both have similar
musical backgrounds but different views on faith.
But thatтАЩs proven a plus: Cooper says that having
an outside perspective on the bandтАЩs lyrics has
been a boon. тАЬInstead of guessing how a nonChristian music listener would experience my
lyrics, I can draw from BrianтАЩs reactions. He has
spent so much of his life in the тАШsecularтАЩ music
world that he has a desire to be a positive
influence on young people because he has seen
some of the devastation that artists can bring upon
BEAU BLACK
their listeners.тАЭ
42 ccm april 06
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<<
CHRISTIAN ARTISTS
CONTINUE TO BLUR LINES,
MOVING INTO THE GENERAL
MARKETтАЩS ROCK, POP, COUNTRY
AND SOUL ARENAS. SOME ARE
OBVIOUSтАФSWITCHFOOT AND P.O.D.,
KIRK FRANKLIN AND YOLANDA
ADAMS. HERE ARE A FEW LESSERKNOWN ARTISTS MAKING A BIG
SPLASH IN ANOTHER MARKET.
!FAREWELLS
2005 SAW THE SUPERTONES AND PETRA WINDING
DOWN, AND MUCH TO THE SURPRISE AND
DISAPPOINTMENT OF FANS, 2006 FINDS MANY
MORE BELOVED CHRISTIAN ARTISTS SAYING
GOODBYE. THE ENCORE CDS ARE RELEASING, AND
FANS ARE FLOCKING TO CONCERTS TO SEE THEIR
FAVORITE ARTISTS ONE LAST TIME. SO, AS A
TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO ARE BIDDING US ADIEU
IN 2006, LETтАЩS TAKE A MOMENT TO FIND OUT WHAT
THEIR FINAL YEAR WITH US HOLDSтАж
AUDIO ADRENALINE
For AudioA, the end is
bittersweet. The band
recently
announced
that they are saying
тАЬadiosтАЭ this year due
to front man Mark
StuartтАЩs increased vocal
chord difficulties. While
members are unsure what
lies ahead after the last show is played, they are
all certainly grateful for the long tenure of their
band and the times theyтАЩve shared together
through the years. тАЬThe reality is this may be the
biggest thing IтАЩm ever involved with,тАЭ says guitarist
Tyler Burkum. тАЬIтАЩve been in the band since I was
17; itтАЩs what brought me to Nashville. I just hope
that the next people I play with are just as cool to
hang out with.тАЭ The band will be releasing Adios
later this year as a greatest hits compilation,
featuring two new cuts. They will also be touring
extensively, hitting all the major summer festivals.
And, the guys will be going out on top if their
second consecutive Grammy win, this time for Until
My Heart Caves In (ForeFront), is any indication.
тАЬThereтАЩs an overall feeling of excitement just to
finish strong,тАЭ Burkum says. тАЬIn some ways, it will
probably be one of the sweetest years ever
relationally.тАЭ Visit audioa.com for tour dates.
TONEX
Multi Stellar and Dove
award winner Ton├йx
started off 2006 with a
shocker, announcing
his leave of Christian
music. On his MySpace
blog posted January 22,
Ton├йx said, тАЬAfter long
contemplation and much
financial and emotional hardship, I
have decided that Ton├йx needs to go on hiatus
from the music industry. I have tried very hard to
endure all that I can from being misunderstood to
being down right lied [to], and I donтАЩt physically or
emotionally have the capacity to continue on
anymore under the current circumstancesтАжI donтАЩt
know when IтАЩm coming back.тАЭ With disgruntled
feelings about the Christian music industry, Ton├йx
claims he doesnтАЩt blame his label, but at the same
time, he feels that no one truly тАЬgets him.тАЭ
Disappointed and disillusioned, Ton├йx is
completely removing himself from any realm
related to Christian music. Professionally, his
future plans remain unclear. To hear a radio
interview with Ton├йx discussing his thoughts on
why heтАЩs retiring from the Christian music industry,
visit kjlhradio.com/tonex.htm.
4HIM
As we repor ted in our
February issue (тАЬInsiderтАЭ),
vocal super group 4HIM
is in the process of saying
farewell. Along with defining
their individual identities
through solo albums, the
four guys are also actively
involved in their home churches.
Currently, 4HIM is touring in support of its final
project, ENCOREтАжFor Future Generations (INO).
The tour is likely to make its last stop in either
Nashville, Tenn., or Mobile, Ala., where the guys
played their first show. For updated tour dates and
more info regarding the album, visit 4HIM.net.
WATERMARK
As Nathan and Christy
Nockels discussed further
with CCM last month
(тАЬLeaving Their Mark,тАЭ
March), the duo will not
be
renewing
their
contract as Watermark
this year. However, the
essence of what they have
spent the past 10 years doing
every night will remain the sameтАФтАЬwriting, leading
worship and connecting with people.тАЭ Nathan will
continue producing and writing, and Christy looks
forward to staying home with their young children.
The Nockels also plan on continuing to lead worship
at their local church. Go to watermark-online.com
for tour info.
LINDSAY WILLIAMS
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<<
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!WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
SOMETIMES IT SEEMS WE BLINK, AND OUR FAVORITE ARTISTS ARE GONE. OTHER TIMES WE TURN
AROUND AND REALIZE THAT WHILE THEY LEFT THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC SCENE, THEY WERE REALLY
JUST AROUND THE CORNER WORKING ON SOMETHING FRESH, UNIQUE AND BETTER THAN ANY OF
THEIR PREVIOUS ENDEAVORS. SOME JUST TAKE DETOURS, UTILIZING THEIR TALENTS IN OTHER
WAYS, PERFECTING THEIR CRAFTS, WHILE OTHERS USE THE TIME AWAY FROM THE SPOTLIGHT TO
REVALUATE THE CALLING ON THEIR LIVES AND THE DIRECTION THEY ARE TAKING BOTH
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. SO, HERE ARE JUST A FEW UPDATES ON THE WHEREABOUTS
OF SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS.
BURLAP TO CASHMERE
As many fans may already know, last November
Burlap to Cashmere guitarist Johnny Philippidis
was involved in a serious car accident and ensuing
assault that nearly took his life. BurlapтАЩs front man,
Steven Delopoulos, gives a positive update on his
cousin, Johnny. тАЬWe almost lost him. It really is a
miracle. He made a full recovery. HeтАЩs on his
feetтАФplaying guitar, playing music. And that really
kind of brought us to want to do another Burlap to
Cashmere record again in a full way,тАЭ Steven says.
Though a new record is in the works, it will be six
to seven months before demos are heard and
people тАЬrealizeтАЭ Burlap is back. In the meantime,
Delopoulos is set to release an independent
acoustic project produced by Monroe Jones (Third
Day), a follow-up to his 2003 solo debut, Me Died
Blue (Universal South). stevendelopoulos.com
JENNIFER KNAPP
Sadly one canтАЩt say for sure if or when Jen Knapp
will ever record again. Gotee released a live album
earlier this year reminding us just how much we
miss this womanтАЩs unique brand of worshipful rock
& roll. WeтАЩve been missing her since her last tour
back in 2002. Her return to Christian music
remains elusiveтАФeven to Jennifer herself. Manager
Mitchell Solarek says, тАЬJennifer takes her art very
seriously, and sheтАЩs taking a long overdue break,
not even thinking about anything [professionally].
We get a crazy amount of calls about her every
week.тАЭ Solarek did mention that Knapp, a true
artist at heart, is always writing and creating art.
During her indefinite break, Knapp has been doing
some traveling as well. jenniferknapp.com
STACIE ORRICO
After releasing a solid debut and then 2003тАЩs
breakout self-titled sophomore album in both the
Christian and general markets, Stacie is currently
writing and recording for her third album.
Energized to be back in the studio, Stacie is said
to be working with great producers and is excited
about her soon-to-be-released project. At press
time, a release date had not been confirmed.
stacieorrico.com
PLUS ONE
After the release of Exodus (Inpop) in 2003, the
remaining three members of Plus One decided
to take an indefinite тАЬbreak.тАЭ At a crossroads of
sorts, Nate Cole and Gabe Combs moved home
to California and are currently living in L.A.
working on music for a new band, Castledoor.
Nate and Gabe will be in the studio this spring
recording, with Johnny Macintosh (Luna Halo)
serving as producer. Castledoor hopes to sign
with a mainstream indie label, although,
interestingly enough, the guys recently found
themselves in conversations with Epic Records.
Personally, both Cole and Combs are getting
married within a month of each other this
spring. For free downloads of some new tunes,
check out myspace.com/castledoormusic.
Nathan Walters, who got married in 2005, is
recording for his first solo record. To listen
to some of NathanтАЩs demos, check out
myspace.com/nathanwaltersmusic.
Jason Perry, who departed Plus One before
the groupтАЩs last album, is currently in the
process of earning his degree in speech
communication with a minor in music. He leads
worship at his local church in Nashville and is
writing for a solo project, gearing up to head
into the studio in the near future. тАЬI still want to
do music. IтАЩm not exactly sure what that looks
like yet, but it gets closer all the time,тАЭ Jason
says. HeтАЩs also enjoying branching out beyond
music, doing some acting and modeling.
LINDSAY WILLIAMS
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M
THIS YEARтАЩS
ODE
BY:JOHN J.
THOMPSON
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NEEDTOBREATHE
L
DE
HERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE WATER. IN
FUTURE GENERATIONS, THE YEAR 2006 A.D.
MIGHT IN FACT BE REMEMBERED IN CHRISTIAN
MUSIC AS тАЬTHE YEAR OF NEW ARTISTS.тАЭTHOUGH
T
DETAILED STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS STILL BEING COMPILED
AT PRESS TIME (WELL, NOT REALLY), IT SEEMS TO SEVERAL
INDUSTRY INSIDERS THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE
тАЬNEWтАЭ ARTISTS DEBUTING THIS YEAR THAN ANY IN RECENT
MEMORY. BETWEEN APRIL FOOLтАЩS DAY AND NEW YEARтАЩS EVE ALONE,
THERE WILL BE MORE THAN 40 NATIONALLY-DISTRIBUTED NEW
CHRISTIAN ARTISTS DEBUTING AND VYING FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SERVICE CCM MAGAZINE IS
SHINING A LIGHT AROUND THE CORNER OF TOMORROW FOR YOU.
THOUGH OUR MUSICAL CRYSTAL BALL IS A BIT CRACKED AFTER
THE NU METAL REVOLUTION A COUPLE YEARS AGO, PUBLICISTS,
LABEL REPS, A&R EXECUTIVES AND EVEN ARTISTS THEMSELVES
HAVE BEEN EAGER TO HELP US BRING THE REST OF THE YEAR
INTO PLAIN SIGHT.
needtobreatheтАФDAYLIGHT
MODERN ROCK, LAVA/ATLANTIC/SPARROW, APRIL 4
The CCM odds makers are picking South Carolina natives NEEDTOBREATHE
to lead the remarkable freshman class of 2006. The modern rock band
combines edgy ultra radio-friendly hooks with expansive, stadium-sized
swagger. With a unique record deal that starts with the mainstream labels
Lava and Atlantic, and then cross-pollinates into the Christian market via
Sparrow Records, these guys might just have that shot. тАЬI want [the band] to
have the kind of year that Switchfoot or Maroon 5 or The Killers had,тАЭ front
man/guitarist/pianist Bear Rinehart says via cell phone on the way to the
bandтАЩs first major video shoot in L.A. тАЬIтАЩd be stupid not to have that as a goal.тАЭ
There are several twists and inversions that make the NEEDTOBREATHE
story so compelling. Brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart grew up in a strict but
loving and creative Christian home with two dominating cultural influences:
Christian rock and football. The sons of a Christian camp director and pastor,
the boys were only allowed to listen to Christian music for several years.
Bands such as dcTalk, Tourniquet and early Switchfoot all contributed their
influences while, on the football field, both boys became standout players.
But one rare reverse crossover moment would impact the young men in a big
way. In the mid-nineties, one of the biggest names in mainstream rock, Collective
Soul, had one of its records distributed to Christian retail for a short time. To the
Rinehart brothers, then in their mid-teens, having one of their friendsтАЩ favorite
bands available to them through the Christian retail world was monumental. тАЬWe
thought that was the coolest thing in the world,тАЭ Bear admits. тАЬIt became one of
our favorite records.тАЭ Around the same time, the boys began playing guitar and
writing songs. Through the following years, they would excel at football (Bear
earned top honors at the college level, and Bo was a rising high school football
star who was featured in the 2003 film Radio) and grow as songwriters and
musicians. Their hard work and determination in both areas drove them to the top
of their game.
The disciplined environment of high-level school football left its mark on the
band in no uncertain terms. Brad OтАЩDonnell, the A&R representative for
Sparrow who eventually signed NEEDTOBREATHE, sees that influence clearly.
тАЬWhen you do anything at that level, you approach it with a certain amount of
intensity and seriousness,тАЭ OтАЩDonnell says. In fact, the band honed their live
show over the last several years by videotaping each one and then meeting later
to dissect their performances in detail---a sort of rock & roll version of game
films. Non-stop touring (including a tour with none other than their heroes
Collective Soul), brutal self-criticism and a strong spirit of support, teamwork
and camaraderie have tuned songs and live performance to near perfection.
The Collective Soul experience came back around as the band started to
receive interest from both Christian and mainstream record companies.
NEEDTOBREATHE took a unique route to a deal. Having first-hand experience with
the confines of the Christian market subculture, the band knew that odds were
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HYPER STATIC UNION
EDISON GLASS
ELEVENTYSEVEN
THE YEAR OF THE N
not in their favor to impact the culture at-large from the trenches of the Christian
music scene. тАЬWe didnтАЩt want to only have a Christian deal,тАЭ Bear explains, тАЬbut,
at the same time, we wanted to stay true to ourselves and to kids that were like
us.тАЭ The band quickly clicked with Lava/Atlantic in New York, who were open to
allowing the band to negotiate its own Christian market deal on the side.
OтАЩDonnell, who had been interested in signing the band since seeing a video clip
of them on the Internet, quickly grabbed them up for Christian market distribution.
OтАЩDonnell sees nothing but potential in NEEDTOBREATHE, confident that they
will be one of the biggest breakout bands of the year. тАЬWhen everyone else is
kind of fighting against success,тАЭ OтАЩDonnell explains of the current indie rock
aesthetic, тАЬthese guys are working their tails off running towards it!тАЭ For
OтАЩDonnell, the secret to the power of the band lies in two words. тАЬMore than
anything else, itтАЩs about their mission and ambition,тАЭ he says. тАЬThose guysтАФ
maybe more than any artists IтАЩve encounteredтАФhave an unbelievable work
ethic and are ready to do anything it takes to have a significant career.тАЭ
With three independently released EPs under its belt, firsthand knowledge of
what it takes to make it on the big stage, and a burning desire to deliver its
inspiring and undyingly upbeat message of hope to any with ears to hear,
NEEDTOBREATHE is poised to have an incredible launch and an amazing career.
Hyper Static UnionтАФLIFEGIVER
ROCK/ALTERNATIVE/GROOVE, RKT, MAY 9
The buzz surrounding Hyper Static Union is as loud as a chainsaw.
The Camas, Washington-based band first trickled onto the radar of
the industry one year ago when none other than Third DayтАЩs Mac
Powell started pressing early rough mixes into peopleтАЩs hands
during Gospel Music Week in Nashville. тАЬYou gotta hear this band,тАЭ
he said. тАЬThis is the best stuff IтАЩve heard in years!тАЭ Powell and his Third Day
compatriots were so impressed by this soul-tinged, funk-laden modern pop band
that they actually started their own production company, Consuming Fire
Productions, so they could sign the band up. Rocketown Records was so thoroughly
taken with the band, they moved up plans to launch a modern-rock imprint, and
RKT Records was born with Hyper Static Union as their flagship signing.
Powell was eager to talk to CCM about his production debut. тАЬItтАЩs unlike
anything in our market,тАЭ he says, тАЬand thatтАЩs what I want as a producer.тАЭ With
a band as successful and reliable as Third Day as your day job, experimental
artistry often takes a distant back seat to delivering what audiences expect.
The off-beat style of Hyper Static Union, however, provides a perfect vehicle for
that musical adventurism. тАЬFor meтАФas a producer and A&R guyтАФto work with
a band like this that really isnтАЩt like anything around is very satisfying,тАЭ Powell
continues. тАЬWhen something new and fresh comes along, people are excited.тАЭ
The eclectic style ranges from classic modern rock to groove-based, off-beat
pop. Breakdowns, hooks and loops aside, though, it is the voice and writing of
front man Shawn Lewis that is the constant focus. PowellтАЩs enthusiasm quickly
lands on the front man himself. тАЬSean is hands down the most talented man I
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know,тАЭ Powell insists. тАЬIтАЩve worked with him in the studio on this record and on
a worship record that IтАЩm doing now, and the way he sings, plays and writes is
just amazing. The whole band is really strong musically. IтАЩve seen other artists
backstage watching and just shaking their heads saying, тАШThese guys are great!тАЩтАЭ
The bandтАЩs debut, Lifegiver, hits this spring, and Hyper Static Union is already
scheduled to be at most summer festivals and will be touring constantly.
Considering both the endorsement and monster coattails of Third Day, thereтАЩs
good reason to believe this band will be one of the top new acts of 2006.
Edison GlassтАФA BURN OR A SHIVER
ALTERNATIVE, SPARROW, APRIL 4
One of the most musically adventurous new artists to debut in
2006 is a Long Island-based alternative quartet dubbed Edison
Glass. The bandтАЩs truly unique sound blends elements of indie
rock, classic alternative strains of The Police and The Jam, quirky
new wave bits and an overall attitude towards composition that
recalls the better moments of the progressive rock movement of the 1970s.
With top notch musicianship, up-to-the-second relevance and an overarching
spirituality that borders on the sublime, Edison Glass is one of the truly original
and, yet, classic sounding bands you canтАЩt believe youтАЩve never heard before.
Their debut album, A Burn or a Shiver, features world-class production by a
true indie-rock legend. Brad Wood (Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins,
Pete Yorn) couches the jams, the wails, the plaintive melodies and the insanely
intricate rhythms in an extremely enticing package. Never indulgent, but always
interesting, Edison Glass ought to generate serious interest in the indie circuit
far outside of the Christian community.
Sparrow A&R rep Chris York is absolutely beside himself over the way the band
has developed. тАЬMusically,тАЭ York begins, тАЬIтАЩve never heard anyone thatтАЩs doing
what they are doing. ThereтАЩs emotion, spirituality and a worshipful heart to their
music. Aside from being very artistic and energetic and intense, there is a lot of
heart behind it. I never get sick of it. I listen to the record over and over.тАЭ
With a background that includes extensive musical training at the university
level, years of club gigs and loads of experience leading worship in church,
Edison Glass defies easy categorization. Even while playing the darkest bar, the
band somehow creates a worshipful environment. тАЬTheyтАЩre coming together as
great musicians who love the spirit of worship,тАЭ York adds. тАЬBut they are a rock
& roll band, and they mostly play clubs. They bring a rad spirit into those places!тАЭ
EleventysevenтАФAND THE LAND OF FAKE BELIEVE
POP/PUNK, FLICKER, MAY 2
Ska, Rap-Core, RaveтАжit has all come and gone. But who would
have expected pop/punk to be the Energizer Bunny of modern
music? When The Ramones are a mall brand and Green Day
elder statesmen, itтАЩs fair to assume that the genre is here to
stay. Flicker Records joins the pop/punk discussion with the
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PHIL WICKHAM
UNTIL JUNE
E NEW ARTISTS
strongest debut since Relient KтАЩs. EleventysevenтАЩs And the Land of Fake
Believe betrays the young bandтАЩs weaning on MXPX and Blink 182 before
sneaking in subversive new wave influences and then sucker-punching the
listener with lyrics that actually sound like a brain was engaged in the writing
process. Flicker president Troy Vest considers the thoughtful songwriting a
real stand-out for the band. тАЬThese lyrics are not what you would expect from
a pop/punk band,тАЭ Vest admits. тАЬSocial and spiritual commentary are
incredibly evident throughout the record. ItтАЩs not just goofy lyric, girly frou-frou
love songs like a lot of pop/punk can be.тАЭ
Vest is beaming over his latest discovery. тАЬEleventyseven is going to hit the
junior high/high school crowd right between the eyes!тАЭ he gushes. тАЬMatt
Langston (front man/writer/vocals/guitar) is one of the most prolific writers
we have ever been involved with. He has already written three full recordsтАФ
after this one was trackedтАФthat are ready to go.тАЭ That energy translates to
the stage as well. тАЬTheyтАЩve kicked butt on the touring circuit,тАЭ Vest continues.
In fact, despite being just two years into their driving career, the band has
been working it out on the road for more than four years.
The thoughtful but ultimately relatable lyrical approach coupled with a
musical palette that includes synths and imaginative arrangements make the
Greenville trioтАЩs debut a real standout.
Ayiesha WoodsтАФINTRODUCING AYIESHA WOODS
POP/SOUL/ROCK, GOTEE, JUNE 6
After nearly two years in production, 2006 will be the year the
Christian music world meets singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist
and stellar vocalist Ayiesha Woods. Make a note.
One part Alicia Keyes, one part Tracey Chapman, with a little
Tasmin Archer thrown in for pop accessibility, WoodsтАЩ gravelly
and soulful voice offers up an eclectic batch of songs, including examples of
pop, soul and, even, rock. With production by David Mullen (Nicole C. Mullen),
Ric Robbins and Otto Price (Out of Eden, GRITS) and Chris Stevens (tobyMac,
Sanctus Real, Shawn McDonald), Introducing Ayiesha Woods is worth the wait.
Gotee Director of A&R Jason S. King says that itтАЩs her versatility that most sets
her apart from the crowd. тАЬShe can play in a coffeehouse with an acoustic
guitar, or she can go on tour with Donnie McClurkin and rock the house with a
full band,тАЭ King explains. тАЬItтАЩs a very multi-faceted record. She has some nice
R&B tunes--real funky and soulful. Then she has some songs that are way to
the right, like тАШHappyтАЩ which is going to be our first Christian single.тАЭ
Flatfoot 56тАФKNUCKLES UP
PUNK ROCK, FLICKER, RELEASE DATE TBA
annual Cornerstone Festival, Flatfoot 56 has inked a deal with Flicker
Records, and the world is a better place because of it.
Bands such as The Pogues, Flogging Molly and The Real McKenzies have been
flying the Celtic punk flag for decades, and Flatfoot 56 sits right in there with the
best of them. To put the authenticity of this band in perspective, despite their
blatantly Christian lyrics and bold declarations of faith, they routinely win over
тАЬsecularтАЭ punk audiences across the countryтАФno small accomplishment.
Pounding double-time beats, warm walls of sound guitars, mandolin and
even some bagpipes provide the backdrop for the often humorous, but always
thoughtful, lyrics of this visceral, essential punk rock band.
Phil WickhamтАФPHIL WICKHAM
ALTERNATIVE POP/WORSHIP, SIMPLE/INO, APRIL 25
Phil Wickham has been wowing audiences for years already.
Recording and releasing his first independent project at the age of
19, Wickham had actually grown up in a house ringing with
progressive worship music. His father, a pastor in San Diego, was
a member of several early Jesus Movement era bands (Parable, The
Way and Love Song). That spirit, though filtered through a very modern Buckley cum
Wainwright style, is clear and resonant throughout WickhamтАЩs stellar debut.
Though not forced into a тАЬworship musicтАЭ mold, WickhamтАЩs songs are truly
worshipful and emotional at their core. However, a non-believer would likely
find the confessional lyrics challenging and engaging as well. Fans of U2, Jeff
Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, Mat Kearny and Coldplay should definitely check
out the debut by this amazing young artist.
Until JuneтАФUNTIL JUNE
ALTERNATIVE/MODERN POP, FLICKER, JUNE 6
тАЬTheyтАЩre a completely different flavor than the rest of our roster,тАЭ
Flicker president Troy Vest offers of the debut release from
HollywoodтАЩs Until June. тАЬItтАЩs kind of in the Aqualung/Keane vibe.тАЭ
So it is. Artsy, ambient songs with sinewy vocals, ambling
melodies and plodding, almost trance-like, cymbal-driven
rhythms are delivered with layers of piano, keyboards, clean guitars and
frequently impossible falsetto vocals. Vest seems unconcerned that Until
June may be the least commercial band on the label. тАЬYes,тАЭ he admits, тАЬwe
have to think about the commercial viability of an artist before we sign them.
But at the end of the day we have to ask ourselves, is it somebody that we
want to be in business with? Is it someone whose art we appreciate? ThatтАЩs
how we feel about Until June.тАЭ
ThereтАЩs no school like the old school, and, when it comes to classic Windy
City punk rock with Irish overtones and throaty vocals, thereтАЩs no one on the
scene like ChicagoтАЩs Flatfoot 56. After years of experience in the toughest
punk venues around the country and of building a ridiculous following at the
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FIGHTING INSTINCT
JONEZETTA
CIRCLESLIDE
JONAS BROTHERS
Decyfer DownтАФEND
OF GREY
MODERN HARD ROCK, COLUMBIA/SRE, JUNE 13
Channeling disappointment, disillusionment, poor choices and a newly
rekindled sense of personal faith and
calling into their sweeping, melodic
hard rock, the members of South
Carolina-based Decyfer Down have already built a
respectable mainstream following both on radio and in
concert. With a sound somewhere in the neighborhood
of Kutless, Staind, Saliva or Sevendust, the band has
toured extensively and shared stages with acts such
as Puddle of Mudd, Breaking Benjamin, Jeremy Camp
and Skillet. тАЬItтАЩs all intense, extremely unusual, telling
and attractive,тАЭ says SRE President Jeff Moseley.
тАЬUnder that intensity are amazing hearts and a band
of purposeтАУguys who go about everything they do in an
intense, purposeful and direct way.тАЭ
ShonlockтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
URBAN ALTERNATIVE/HIP-HOP, WORD, RELEASE
DATE TBA
A debut Urban Alternative disc from a well-established
independent drops this summer from the completely
overhauled Word Entertainment crew. Shonlock,
known primarily as tobyMacтАЩs тАЬhype man,тАЭ dancing
and doing flips on stage, has been recording
independently for years. His edgy, street style is right
in step with artists such as Kanye West and Gorillas.
The Classic CrimeтАФALBATROSS
ALTERNATIVE MODERN ROCK, TOOTH & NAIL, MAY 23
Another great band from the
Northwest, The Classic Crime, peddles
gripping songs with imaginative
arrangements, strong vocals and
some of the coolest melodic hooks
anywhere. Unafraid of lead guitar solos and actual
singing, The Classic CrimeтАЩs Albatross is a
stunningly good debut. With the kind of sound that
earns fans well beyond the Christian music
underground, Tooth & Nail may have their next big
mainstream launch on their hands.
Fighting InstinctтАФFIGHTING INSTINCT
MODERN HARD ROCK, GOTEE, JUNE 27
Somewhere between classic vocal rock bands such
as Boston or Extreme and the more modern postgrunge fare of Creed, Nickelback or Staind comes
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the bold debut of North Carolinabased Fighting Instinct on Gotee
Records. Cr ystal clear vocals,
scorching Southern-fried riffs and
muscular production by Skidd Mills
(Three Doors Down, Skillet, Sister Hazel) all conspire
to make Fighting InstinctтАЩs self-titled debut
immediately appealing to modern hard rock fans.
The three-piece band brings back everything great
about gear strippinтАЩ rock & roll without pretense,
bombast or a mouth full of mothballs.
Jonas BrothersтАФITтАЩS ABOUT TIME
POP/PUNK, COLUMBIA/INO, MAY 2
One of the sure-fire breakout bands
in the pop/punk realm in тАШ06 is the
sibling trio the Jonas Brothers from
New Jersey. The positive, upbeat
band with spunky and tightly
produced tracks featuring the incredibly high and
soulful vocals of thirteen-year-old Nicholas Jonas
(think Michael Jackson in the early тАШ70s) is tailormade for family audiences. Already garnering
significant support from TRL and MTV as well as
ink in upcoming issues of Teen Vogue and Popstar,
their tight sibling harmonies, boyish good looks
and disciplined format are sure to find their way to
Nickelodeon and Disney films before long.
JonezettaтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
ALTERNATIVE POP, TOOTH & NAIL, SUMMER
One of the hippest sounding debuts of the year
must be the as yet untitled project from Mississippi
natives Jonezetta. Toggling between edgy rock and
disco-beat pop grooves, the band lands
somewhere in the Jellyfish/Franz Ferdinand/The
Killers realm, which is very cool indeed. Rumor has
it a bidding war broke out to grab up the wellestablished indie band, and signing them cost
Tooth & Nail more than they had ever invested in a
new band. Thus, Jonezetta is a major priority for
the label and is sure to do well.
CircleslideтАФ UNCOMMON DAYS
ALTERNATIVE, CENTRICITY, JULY
Nashville-based Circleslide borrows its name, and
some of its sweeping, atmospheric sound, from
alternative Christian music pioneers The Choir. No,
it is not a Choir tribute band, and, in truth, its
sound is not all that similar to the Grammy-
LIQUID
nominated legends themselves. However, the band
embraces the epic cinematic sound of its
forbearers and has built an impressive independent
following. Recently signed to the new indie label
Centricity Records, watch for its full-length debut to
drop this July and a tour to follow.
LiquidтАФTALES FROM THE BADLANDS
URBAN ALTERNATIVE/HIP SOUL, GOTEE,JULY 18
From the crime-ridden inner city area
of Philadelphia known as тАЬThe
Badlands,тАЭ a new artist dubbed Liquid
is about to turn up the heat on the
modern Christian R&B/Urban music
scene. From deep groove to Latin-flavored pop to
straight hip-hop, Liquid brings smooth singing vocals,
fresh and supremely imaginative programming and a
social/spiritual perspective on the struggle of day-today life. LiquidтАЩs is a sound that references Marvin
Gaye, J. Moss, Curtis Mayfield, Usher and John
Legend in a completely fresh new flavor.
Homeless JтАФTHREE SECONDS TO GAZE
ALTERNATIVE, SELECTRIC/SONY RED, MAY 2
Homeless J brings a sense of
literacy, danger and passion to
alternative music in a way few other
bands have. Three Seconds to Gaze
creates swirls of tension and
release, borrowing images from DanteтАЩs Inferno
and sounds from sources as diverse as The Doors,
LSU and JaneтАЩs Addiction. Deeply biblical and
seriously rock & roll, Homeless J presents a
challenging image on stage and on disc. Three
Seconds to Gaze will definitely be a highlight of
2006 for alternative music fans and might end up
connecting on a broad level with the college
rock/alternative scene outside of Christian music.
The Red Letters Project
ROCK, VELOCITY, JULY
A new independent label created by some of the
most experienced veterans in the music business
unveils the ambitious Red Letters Project (the entire
Gospel According to Matthew set to modern and
classic rock) this summer. A full multi-media stage
show is being mounted to tour the U.S. Details at
press time were sketchy, but considering the fact that
the folks behind Velocity can cite first-hand
involvement with the careers of Elton John, Neil
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HOMELESS J
RUN KID RUN
JUDD AND MAGGIE
LIQUID
THE TURNING
Diamond, Kiss, Third Eye Blind, Train, Black Flag, U2,
The Beach Boys, Jesus Christ Superstar and Kenny
Wayne Sheppard, this should be one to watch.
The TurningтАФLEARNING TO LOSE
MODERN ROCK/POP, RKT, JUNE 6
With shades of Matchbox 20 and
Collective Soul in the background,
Chattanooga natives The Turning
have been getting ready for their
close-up for five years. The
experience shows on their RKT Records debut,
Learning to Lose. Catchy melodies, exper tly
executed pop rock and frequently worship-themed
lyrics all conspire to make Learning to Lose a
remarkable experience.
FireflightтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
MODERN ROCK, FLICKER, SUMMER
On the heels of stunningly successful years by
female-fronted rock bands such as Flyleaf and
Paramore, Flicker offers the lone тАЬChick-RockтАЭ band
on our New Artist List. OrlandoтАЩs Fireflight brings
muscular guitar riffs, flat out hard rock & roll and
soaring vocals courtesy of Dawn Richardson.
Produced by the legendary Skidd Mills (Sister Hazel,
Skillet), FireflightтАЩs debut drops this summer.
Run Kid RunтАФTHIS IS WHO WE ARE
ROCK, TOOTH & NAIL, MAY 16
Hailing from somewhere amidst the cornfields of
Illinois is the hooky power-pop rock of Run Kid Run. The
bandтАЩs taut debut is too melodic to be considered
pop/punk but is definitely in the Relient K tradition.
Excellent production by James Paul Wisner (Dashboard
Confessional, Further Seems Forever, New Found
Glory) makes this a sure-fire summer favorite.
DaltonтАФTASTE THE SKY
MODERN ROCK/POP, SELECTRIC, MAY 2
The boys of Dalton didnтАЩt even play
instruments when they decided to
form a band. That didnтАЩt hold them
back for long. Several years later,
they landed a deal with Selectric
Records and recorded their debut at the Sound
Kitchen, one of the best studios in Nashville.
Somewhere in the sonic neighborhood of Jimmy
Eat World, the band specializes in pop rock with
worshipful overtones.
Judd and MaggieтАФSUBJECTS
FOLK/POP, RCA VICTOR/PROVIDENT, MAY 2
This eclectic brother-sister duo is
one of the nearest things to a new
Inspo or AC act scheduled to
release between now and 2007. But
the beautiful, earthy sound of Judd
and Maggie is hardly Christian radio fare. Having
signed directly to RCA Victor, this talented pair is
now touring with Derek Webb and will soon share
some dates with Jars of Clay.
M.O.C. (Mind of Christ)тАФGARDEN STATE
OF MIND
URBAN, FERVENT, RELEASE DATE TBA
Another spin-off from tobyMacтАЩs supremely cool
touring band, M.O.C. is a four-member girl group
focused on creating edgy urban music for Fervent
Records. As an indie, the group has already
received radio play, sold a large number of albums
and gotten a ton of exposure through TobyтАЩs
Welcome to Diverse City album and tour.
DecembeRadioтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
SOUTHERN ROCK/CLASSIC ROCK, SLANTED, JUNE
Already hailed by Billboard Magazine as a тАЬFace to
WatchтАЭ in 2006, the Virginia-based rockers will
unveil their Scotty Wilbanks (Third Day) produced
debut this June. The first signing to Slanted
Records (the new rock imprint of Spring Hill Music),
the album will be distributed by Word.
The LongingтАФTHE LONGING
MODERN WORSHIP, INDELIBLE, MAY 9
Fans of Delirious and Chris Tomlin will enjoy this
band fronted by worship leader Jason Ingram.
Those fretting the void of new AC talent can
hopefully enjoy this albumтАЩs тАЬnear ACтАЭ momentsтАФ
or, as format enthusiasts call it, тАЬHot AC.тАЭ
REDтАФRED
MODERN ROCK, ESSENTIAL, JUNE 6
Nashville-based modern rock band RED has signed
with Essential Records after two years of
independent work. REDтАЩs self-titled debut was
produced by Rob Graves and releases in June.
The MySpace Factor
MOST OF THE NEW ARTISTS WEтАЩRE PREVIEWING
THIS MONTH HAVE MYSPACE.COM PAGES WHERE
YOU CAN SAMPLE MUSIC, READ THEIR BLOGS
AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM IN GENERAL.
ITтАЩS TIME WELL-SPENT, SO TAKE OUR ADVICE
AND CHECK OUT THIS ACTION...
AYIESHA WOODS: myspace.com/ayieshawoods
BERNARD: myspace.com/bernard
CALEB ROWDEN: myspace.com/calebrowden
CIRCLESLIDE: myspace.com/circleslide
THE CLASSIC CRIME: myspace.com/theclassiccrime
DALTON: myspace.com/daltonmusic
DECEMBERADIO: myspace.com/decemberadio
DECYFER DOWN: myspace.com/decyferdown
EDISON GLASS: myspace.com/edisonglass
ELEVENTYSEVEN: myspace.com/eleventyseven
FIGHTING INSTINCT: myspace.com/fightinginstinct
FIREFLIGHT: myspace.com/fireflight
FLATFOOT 56: myspace.com/flatfoot56
FOOLISH THINGS: myspace.com/foolishthings
HIGH FLIGHT SOCIETY: myspace.com/highflightsociety
HOMELESS J: MYSPACE.COM/HOMELESSJ
HUNDRED YEAR STORM:myspace.com/hundredyearstorm
JACKSON WATERS: myspace.com/jacksonwaters
JESSIE DANIELS: myspace.com/jessiedaniels
JIMMY NEEDHAM: myspace.com/jimmyneedham
JONAS BROTHERS: myspace.com/jonasbrothers
JONEZETTA: myspace.com/jonezetta
JUDD AND MAGGIE: myspace.com/juddandmaggie
HYPER STATIC UNION: myspace.com/hyperstaticunion
M.O.C.: myspace.com/moc
NEEDTOBREATHE: myspace.com/needtobreathe
PHIL WICKHAM: myspace.com/philwickham
PIVITPLEX: myspace.com/pivitplex
RED: myspace.com/dropofred
RED UMBRELLA: myspace.com/redumbrella
RUN KID RUN: myspace.com/runkidrun
SHONLOCK: myspace.com/shonlock
THE TURNING: myspace.com/theturning
TWO BARE FEET: myspace.com/twobarefeet
UNTIL JUNE: myspace.com/untiljune
J.J.T.
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ADIE
12:18 AM
Page 50
FOOLISH THINGS
JESSIE DANIELS
I
Adie (Adrienne Camp)тАФDONтАЩT WAIT
Tia & KeranтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
MODERN ROCK, BEC, FALL
R&B/HIP-HOP, CROSS MOVEMENT, AUGUST
The long-awaited solo debut from the former lead
singer of The Benjamin Gate will finally see light of
day later this year via Tooth & NailтАЩs BEC.
This act contributed guest vocals to тАЬShine Your
LightтАЭ on J.R.тАЩs critically acclaimed 2005
debut, Metamorphosis.
Michelle BonillaтАФPHENOMENAL Andrea WebberтАФSURRENDER
POP/R&B/LATIN, CROSS MOVEMENT, MAY 2
MODERN WORSHIP, SKYTONE/SELECTRIC, SEPTEMBER 5
Many fans are already familiar with Michelle, thanks
to her guest vocals on The Cross MovementтАЩs popular
тАЬLord You Are,тАЭ from the album Higher Definition.
On her MySpace page, she describes her music as
тАЬrock,тАЭ but her record label tells us her debut
album will be тАЬeclectic pop worship.тАЭ We had a
sneak peak at one song titled тАЬWell Done,тАЭ and it
was a piano-based modern pop rock track featuring
Euro-dance treatments.
Jackson WatersтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
ALTERNATIVE POP, WORD, LATE 2006
WordтАЩs VP of A&R let it leak that this тАЬMaroon
5/Keane/WallflowersтАЭ six-piece band from Arkansas
will be unveiled late this year.
Jessie DanielsтАФJESSIE DANIELS
POP/ROCK, MIDAS, JUNE 6
See тАЬPaul ColmanтАЩs Ones to WatchтАЭ beginning on page 24.
Red UmbrellaтАФWISHING FOR
BOARDWALK
ALTERNATIVE, 7SPIN MUSIC, APRIL 4
Hundred Year StormтАФ
HELLO FROM THE CHILDREN OF PLANET EARTH
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE ROCK, FLOODGATE, SUMMER 2006
This Austin-based band offers well-crafted indie
rock, referencing recent breakthroughs such as
Phantom Planet and Switchfoot.
Soul PтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
HIP-HOP, BEATMART, DECEMBER
This Canadian band brings a welcome dose of
textured and ambient alternative pop ├а la Keane,
Verve or Radiohead.
This Por tland, Oregon-based ar tist
тАЬcommercially accessibleтАЭ hip-hop.
Ron HodgeтАФBORN KING
ROCK/WORSHIP, SRE, RELEASE DATE TBA
HIP-HOP, BEATMART, APRIL 18
Performing Christian rock stripped down to its
basic essence, Two Bare Feet has already
developed a significant following touring heavily in
the Northeastern U.S. and Europe and opening for
major acts such as MercyMe, TAIT and Newsong.
This East coast-based project features 22 songs
and 80 minutes of music.
Foolish ThingsтАФLETтАЩS NOT
FORGET THE STORY
MODERN POP/ROCK, INPOP, JUNE
This Colorado bandтАЩs version of analog alternative
pop recalls the essence of Ester Drang or a gentler
Jimmy Eat World.
Caleb rowdenтАФFREE FROM
ORDINARY
MODERN ROCK, SLANTED, JULY 25
Caleb Rowden cites his influences as David Crowder
Band, Switchfoot, U2, Coldplay, Starfield, Keane,
Muse, Tim Hughes and Delirious. These musical
mentors are evident on his melodic debut album,
which will be a welcome addition to many a CD library.
Jimmy NeedhamтАФFOR FREEDOM
ACOUSTIC POP/FOLK ROCK, INPOP, AUGUST
This rising young indie star will introduce his John
Mayer-inflected acoustic pop to the world at large
in late summer.
offers
Two Bare FeetтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
High Flight SocietyтАФ
CURRENTLY UNTITLED
MODERN ROCK/ALTERNATIVE, SELECTRIC, RELEASE
DATE TBA
After dabbling with development deals and
entertaining offers for several years, High Flight
Society finally connects with a label to introduce its
high-decibel alt-rock to a broader audience.
PivitplexтАФTHE KING IN A ROOKERY
N CONCLUSION
Whether or not this bevy
of new artists proves to be unprecedented
(many 2006 releases are yet to be announced),
it is clear that the Christian music community is
increasingly driven by new talent. But is it at the
expense of our veterans? And, eventually, of so
many of these new artists themselves? Where will
they be in two or three years? Music fans will have
to wait for the answer to that one.
It seems that, in many cases, these artists
represent hope for an industry that is struggling to
adjust to the new marketplace. They may also
represent an increasing commitment by the
influencers in the community to be culturally relevant
to the world at large. It was not a function of editing
that there was not a single Adult ContemporaryтАФ
much less InspirationalтАФartist mentioned in this
survey. None was submitted by any of the major
labels or larger indies. For now, it seems Rock and
Urban music dominate the aesthetic horizon for
Christian music. Considering where our culture is in
general, that can only be considered a good thing. ccm
AC POP:
INDEPENDENT LABELS TO THE RESCUE?
When we received this new artists preview feature
from our writer, John J. Thompson, we were
stunned by the complete absence of Adult
Contemporary pop artists. Sure, we knew Reunion
Records was going against the flow with the
introduction of young, promising AC artist Ana
Laura last month. And when the same label signed
longtime AC star Cindy Morgan after a five year
sabbatical, we simply saw it as an admirable move
where great artistry dictated substance over
trends. But to look ahead and see that not one new
AC artist would be introduced by major labels or the
leading independents between now and the end of
the year? Surely, we were missing somethingтАж
So we emailed the record labels and
independent PR folks who represent the world of
Christian musicтАФ74 informed professionals in
all. We asked them if they knew of any new AC
artists who will debut with national Christian
distribution between now and yearтАЩs end.
We received about eight responses in all, with
some of them simply asking if their rock or guitardriven modern worship artist was тАЬAC enoughтАЭ to be
included. In one case, we discovered that Inpop
Records will be positioning the acoustic, harmonicainfused pop (featuring driving rhythms and fastpaced vocals) of Jimmy Needham as AC pop.
But тАЬtraditionalтАЭ Adult Contemporary acts? In
the end we got promising responses from four
independent labels. If youтАЩre a fan of this
diminishing genre of Christian music, youтАЩll want to
keep an eye out for these five upcoming debuts:
Carl CarteeтАФUNFAILING
AC/WORSHIP, SPRING HILL, MAY 23
MODERN POP/ROCK, SELECTRIC, RELEASE DATE TBA
Artsy power pop/alternative rock is the secret
weapon of NashvilleтАЩs Pivitplex, debuting with a
Tony P-produced disc.
Jeff MorrisтАФEVERYTHING
AC/INSPO, MPI, JUNE
Brett RushтАФINVITATION
WORSHIP/AC, CREATIVE SOUL, SUMMER
BernardтАФA VIEW BEYOND THE CAVE
ALTERNATIVE, FLOODGATE, RELEASE DATE TBA
Heather PowersтАФLAY THEM DOWN
AC/INSPO, THOUSAND MILE MUSIC, SUMMER
In an innovative move, this Floodgate label debut
will be a тАЬdigital onlyтАЭ release!
AnadaraтАФCURRENTLY UNTITLED
AC/WORSHIP, SPRING HILL, RELEASE DATE TBA
тАФJAY SWARTZENDRUBER
50 ccm april 06
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MEET THE
MANAGERS
[BEHIND YOUR
FAVORITE ARTISTS]
52 ccm april 06
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M
ANAGERS ARE ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING, FREQUENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD FACTIONS IN THE
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. THIS BEHIND-THE-SCENES GROUP OF PEOPLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING
PROPEL THE CAREERS OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS FORWARD YEAR AFTER YEAR. THEY ARE STRATEGISTS,
NEGOTIATORS AND, SOMETIMES, BABYSITTERS, BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WOULDNтАЩT BE
THE SAME WITHOUT THEM.
HERE WE INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF THE TOP MANAGERS IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC AND GIVE YOU A LOOK AT HOW
THEY OPERATE. BY: DEBORAH EVANS PRICE
ccm: First off, define for our readers what a manager actually does?
CHAZ CORZINE: [Partner in Blanton, Harrell, Cooke & Corzine, who manage
Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Bebo Norman, Aaron Shust
and author Frank Peretti] I always describe the managerтАЩs role as kind of like
being a conductor. In an orchestra, there are different sections, and they have
to operate perfectly synched. The manager is kind of the conductor in an
artistтАЩs life. Any artist is going to have a booking agent, publicist, record
company and any different number of entities. The manager has got to keep
them all going in synch and flowing together and have a master plan as to how
this is all going to work. And, like a conductorтАФyou know if you ever go to the
symphonyтАФthe orchestra is in the pit, and you can just barely see the
conductorтАЩs head. HeтАЩs pretty much out of sight, and, to me, thatтАЩs what a
really good manager doesтАФkind of stays out of sight and controls all the
chaos in an artistтАЩs life.
elements surrounding every artist or band (i.e., work ethic, family dynamics,
children, outside interests or second jobsтАФlike producing, pastoring,
philanthropic work, etc.).
ccm: WhatтАЩs the most challenging aspect of what you do?
CORZINE: I would say balance. Keeping a good balance between personal and
professional lives because, sometimes, there are tremendous professional
opportunities that are very much in conflict with what ultimately is most
important, which is their family life, their personal life.
DAVIS: Trying to balance the health of the artistтАЩs personal life with the
challenges of the time schedules and the demands on them. I think thatтАЩs
probably the hardest thing in trying to find those balances to where they can
still really drive as hard as we all need them to drive, and as much as they
want to, without tilting the scales and turning it into a really bad situation.
TERESA DAVIS: [Founder of Paradigm Management, which manages Hawk
Nelson, Falling Up, KJ-52, Fighting Instinct and 4th Avenue Jones] We guide
and, hopefully, develop the careers of artists we feel passionately about. ItтАЩs
really a partnership relationship. What they do is unique to them, and what
we do is obviously facilitate their giftings and their talents as much as we
possibly can. We try to get their lives healthy both on the personal side and
on the entertainment side of what they do with their music. So itтАЩs kind of a
balancing act between the two. ItтАЩs a lot of just scheduling and being really
good at booking on Southwest Airlines. We try to make what they do as easy
as possible but as successful as it can be.
SHELLEY GIGLIO: [Founder of sixsteps records and the Passion conferences
with husband Louie Giglio, she manages Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band,
Charlie Hall and Matt Redman] I didnтАЩt know anything about management
when I started doing this five years ago. I mean, basically, we started a record
company, sixsteps recordsтАжand we were trying to keep our family of artistworshippers together. We wanted to just maintain a familyтАж My experience,
for the most part with them, is to act sort of as a liaison for them, and itтАЩs a
little bit of a protection role. I think when thereтАЩs exposure, there are all kinds
of opportunities, and so itтАЩs good to have somebody in their lives who kind of
has their best interests in mind at all timesтАФjust taking whatever
opportunities exist and making the most of them.
NORMAN MILLER: [Founder of Proper Management, which manages Avalon,
Casting Crowns, Bethany Dillon, Michael English, Twila Paris, Nichole
Nordeman and ZOEgirl] More than anything else, itтАЩs the big picture, and I
think that what weтАЩre doing all the time is working on five-year plans with our
artists. What we try to do as managers, once weтАЩve put the plan in place, is
try and fulfill it. One of the things that I would say to artists is, тАЬI do not have
a vision for you.тАЭ I donтАЩt think thatтАЩs my job. I think itтАЩs imperative that the
artist has a vision, and my job is to help them fulfill that vision.
DAN RAINES: [Founder of Creative Trust, which manages Steven Curtis
Chapman and Third Day] In a macro sense, the manager acts as a coach of
sorts, assessing the strengths and weaknesses inherent in every career and
formulating an approach to the market that has the most potential for reaching
the most audience. Then, the manager orchestrates the team (internal and
external) to move and implement effectively toward the same goals and
outcomes. Of course, only a portion of those factors are creative. The
complexity of the job kicks into high gear when you figure in the unique
GIGLIO: To stay on task with the mission. I feel like our little family of artistworshippers have been called to a real mission, particularly with college
students, but, even, to the greater world to introduce Christian music and
worship music at a level it maybe hasnтАЩt reached before. So I think the
hardest part of what I do is just trying to keep that mission on task. There are
so many great things we could be doing that I think can detract us from what
weтАЩre supposed to be doing. Sometimes my goal is just to stand in the middle
of those things, and I think, through sheer determination, just to keep
listening to the Word of God and keep pointing us in the direction I feel like
HeтАЩs leading us in. And thatтАЩs a difficult task sometimes because
opportunities are amazing. You know, itтАЩs hard to pass things by sometimes.
MILLER: I would say relationshipsтАФnot just with the artists but also with the
record company, with radio, with promoters. I think itтАЩs all about relationships,
and if all your relationships are in order, then I think that it really helps you to
accomplish your goals.
RAINES: One of our primary goals is to reach coordinated critical mass as soon
as possible on central artist initiatives (i.e., record releases, tours, media, etc.).
There is an infinite number of barriers to accomplishing successful critical mass,
and I would say the ability to move the entire energy of the team, to overcome
and push through these barriers, is probably our greatest daily challenge.
ccm: What made you want to become a manager?
CORZINE: I had no talent. When I was growing up my dad sang southern gospel
music. And his best friend, my godfather, owned a kidsтАЩ clothing store, and he
promoted all-night singings and things. One of my earliest memories was
when I would help my dad decorate the stage, get the stage ready for the
concert that night, and then IтАЩd go sit in the ticket booth with his best friend
and watch him sell tickets. I was just fascinated with the business side of it.
I played in bands when I was growing up, but I knew early on that I wasnтАЩt
talented enough. And the business side of it just really caught my interest. I
started promoting concerts myself when I was in high school.
DAVIS: I had just come out of school at Belmont University, and I was working
at Star Song Records. Someone suggested that I go out and pursue doing a
management gig with a band on ForeFront Records. I really wasnтАЩt into the
whole label thing, and I really felt like I wanted to be more in touch with youth
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тАЬThe most
rewarding thing
[about our job] is God
giving you a job to do that
you totally love and is so
completely fulfilling
that you wake up feeling the
same way on a Monday
morning as you do on a
Saturday morning.тАЭ
Norman Miller
teresa davis
chaz corzine
shelley giglio
54 ccm april 06
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norman miller
dan raines
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ministry and work with music at the same time, so I kind of fell into it. ItтАЩs a
great setting for the giftings I have. ItтАЩs fun.
ccm: How is working in the Christian industry different from working in the
general market?
GIGLIO: I became a manager because Louie basically looked at me and said,
тАЬHow тАШbout you?тАЭ So thatтАЩs how that worked. I think GodтАЩs gifted me in a role
of implementation. I think there are a lot of people in life who are
visionariesтАжAs far as being a manager, it wasnтАЩt something I really set out to
do or aspired to. I didnтАЩt really even know what it was. But I do aspire to
implementing vision. And where thereтАЩs the great vision, I want to be involved.
And thatтАЩs where I think I can aspire to that role.
MILLER: I started off playing in groups when I was a teenager. And in those
days, nobody had a manager, or very few people had management in Christian
music. I was the one, I guess, with a little bit of business [knowledge], so I
always ended up managing whatever band I played in. Then I went to work for
Word Records in EuropeтАФI learned a lot. I spent 10 years playing in bands,
and I spent 10 years working at the record label. And that sort of experience
really helped me to know that management was what I really wanted to do.
RAINES: I was a terrible bass player.
ccm: Describe for us the relationship between a manager and a record
company. And why are those entities sometimes at odds ?
CORZINE: I donтАЩt like for them to be at odds. I feel like I have great
relationships with the labels I work with. I have great respect for them. I
understand what they do.
DAVIS: Managers are viewed by labels as instruments of manipulation
sometimes. They have to service so many more artists than obviously a
manager has to and to market them. Our goal is to market the short roster that
we haveтАжand everybody wants to be the priority and have the money spent on
their artist, and it canтАЩt happen for everyone. ThatтАЩs where you come into odds
with labels. And when youтАЩre not a priority and when youтАЩre not feeling like your
voice is being heard, you start to fight a little bit harder, and thatтАЩs when some
of the gloves start to come off between you and the labels. Your interests donтАЩt
necessarily always equally line up, so I think thatтАЩs where some of the
adversarial types of things start to come in. I work mainly with Tooth & Nail.
WeтАЩre the best of friends, but we also do battle a lot. But we always know at
the end of the day, weтАЩre working for the best interest of the artist.
GIGLIO: WeтАЩre blessed in that the record company and management are the
same people.
MILLER: IтАЩm a great believer in the whole thing being done as a team, and I
see the record company as part of the team. I see the booking agent as part
of the team and management as part of the team. My friendships and
relationships with the labels, I would say 95 percent of the time, are incredibly
positive and friendly. And the five percent that itтАЩs not, itтАЩs not that itтАЩs bad;
itтАЩs more that we have to agree to disagree. As a manager, you always want
the record company to do more. YouтАЩre always trying to get your artist to be a
priority at the label. ThatтАЩs always one of my goals with every artist, and I donтАЩt
think you can be a priority at the label if youтАЩre at loggerheads at the record
company. You have a lot more chance of being a priority at the label if you
know they want to take your phone call, they want to have lunch with you. Then
they want to work with you as opposed to dreading your phone call every time.
DAVIS: Intentions and motivations. Both marketplaces do exactly the same
things in a lot of places to sell records, but the purpose and the reason of
why each marketplace does what they do seems to be uniquely different.
MILLER: The biggest difference is that, hopefully, all the artists are actually
doing it for a slightly different reasonтАФor a very different reason than they are
in mainstream. I wonтАЩt be involved with an artist who doesnтАЩt have a ministry,
a genuine ministry, that really does long to affect people for Jesus.
RAINES: Mechanically, they are really the sameтАФsame broad commercial
entities, same market factors, many of the same relationships. But, I think the
Christian industry is burdened with an additional overlay that has to do
fundamentally with a unique Christian message and a unique Christian
lifestyleтАФboth countercultural in todayтАЩs broader culture. With that comes
additional responsibility and, often, limited mass media access. In effect, it is
a harder grassroots development game with a Christian music act in order to
be successful in todayтАЩs commercial environment.
ccm: WhatтАЩs the most embarrassing thing thatтАЩs ever happened to you
while working with an artist?
CORZINE: In the early days, working with Amy [Grant], she was invited to do
Charlie DanielsтАЩ тАЬVolunteer JamтАЭтАФa big deal here in the South. On this
particular Jam, the guestsтАФif I remember correctlyтАФwere Charlie, Dobie Gray,
Ted Nugent, Amy and several others. Amy was sound checking, and everything
was running behind. Our keyboard player was having trouble getting any sound
out of his keyboard, and, rather than let a qualified tech take care of it, I jump
up to the rescue. I find the first unplugged cord I can find and stick it in the
first open receptacle I can find. In addition to causing the most horrendous
sound I have ever heard come out of a sound system, it literally fried the
keyboard. It looked like a scene out of тАЬI Love LucyтАЭ there was literally smoke
pouring out of the keyboard.
RAINES: IтАЩll give you an early one. Probably the day I rallied the media together,
photographers and all, into the studio to interview Debbie Boone while she was
finishing a new project. From the excitement that I had somehow actually gotten
all this media together in one room, I unfortunately forgot to inform Ms. Boone
that I was going to parade this entourage into her presence on this particular
day. So, unannounced, the door to the control room opens, and in I come with
a press conference flashing away. She, in her workout sweats and no make-up,
shot me the look that could kill. (I thought she looked pretty good myself.)
ccm: Is it harder to launch a new act or maintain an established artistтАЩs success?
CORZINE: Neither is easy. The music industry runs in cycles, and I think weтАЩre
in the cycle right now that makes breaking new artists very difficult. Radio is
more valuable than ever and not something you can control. There are a
limited number of media outlets for Christian artists, so establishing yourself
is just tougher than before.
DAVIS: The start-up side because of the lack of funds. I think itтАЩs a lot harder
on the initial launch because of all the branding issues that you do have to
establish, and thatтАЩs more stressful now.
GIGLIO: TheyтАЩre both pretty challenging these days. I hear people talk about
RAINES: It is simple, really. Record labels are in the business of selling music.
Managers are in the business of building artist brand. While selling records
is a core goal of building artist brand, it is not the only factor at play in a
career. That said, the caricature of the label and manager always at odds is
exaggerated. Some of our most satisfying work comes with working in tandem
with our label partners. But, when we are most guilty of pushing too hard with
a label, it is usually because of our awareness that a label often has 30 or
40 artists signed at any given time; however, our client only has one
career...so our tolerance becomes a bit more focused.
launching new artists and how difficult it is to get people to listen to their
music. I think itтАЩs also a challenge to maintain artists. ItтАЩs a pretty challenging
time in the music industry. Things are shrinking as far as sales go in some
ways, and, yet, sixsteps has been really blessed to have good growth. I think
thatтАЩs exciting.
MILLER: TheyтАЩre both hard. It used to be that if an artist started a career in
the Christian music industry, they were there until they retired. ItтАЩs absolutely
not the case anymore. ItтАЩs harder when someoneтАЩs established to keep them
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[OFF THE RECORD]
there and keep them relevant, and then I think itтАЩs also hard to launch
something totally newтАж You canтАЩt force people to buy a record, but if you
produce something that people really want to hear, I think that people are
going to buy itтАФthatтАЩs how you launch a new act.
RAINES: Generating new momentum is always hard work, whether on a new
act or an established act.
ccm: What makes you want to take on someone as a client?
DAVIS: That your music is for the purpose of seeing lives changed. ThatтАЩs the
first and foremost thing that I always sit down with a new artist on and talk
about. I donтАЩt necessarily think you have to work in the Christian marketplace,
but if that isnтАЩt the reason why you do what you do, then IтАЩm pretty much not
into it because thatтАЩs why I do what I do.
тАЬYeah, we turned off the recorderтАФ
we just wanna know a few things
out of our own curiosityтАжтАЭ
1. Name your favorite order at Starbucks:
CHAZ CORZINE: I donтАЩt drink coffee, but my wifeтАЩs favorite is a
half caf latte non fat with two pumps of sugar free vanilla.
TERESA DAVIS: IтАЩm a tall green tea girl. I know itтАЩs healthy, but
it also kinda gives me that little step. It works for me.
SHELLEY GIGLIO: Iced grande soy Chai latte.
NORMAN MILLER: Coffee of the dayтАФIтАЩm boring.
DAN RAINES: I go to Portland BrewтАжgreat coffee...and I get
Chai tea latte.
RAINES: Three primary factors: observance of a clear sense of mission (what
it is they fundamentally sense they were put on the planet to do), a serious
commitment to developing and exploring their craft as an artist, and the
observance of a long history of strong work ethic. In addition, we also have
two universal factors that always come into play. Has God captured this
personтАЩs heart in such a way that integrity rules every area of his or her life?
And, of course, the factors that keep us in the game every dayтАФare we moved
and inspired by the art itself?
CORZINE: тАЬLong and Winding RoadтАЭ by The Beatles
DAVIS: тАЬPictureтАЭ by MuteMath
GIGLIO: Anything by James Taylor
MILLER: I want тАЬWho Am IтАЭ sung at my funeral.
RAINES: Imogen Heap, тАЬHide and SeekтАЭ...very innovative!
ccm: WhatтАЩs the most rewarding part of what you do?
CORZINE The Shawshank Redemption
DAVIS: Ben Hur
GIGLIO: Shrek
MILLER: Braveheart
RAINES: BabetteтАЩs Feast
CORZINE: It really is to me about the musicтАЩs effect on peopleтАЩs livesтАж That still
remains the motivatorтАФseeing that music really can impact somebodyтАЩs life.
DAVIS: ItтАЩs twofold for me. ItтАЩs being able to see the artists really get to enjoy
what they do and be effective at what they do. ThatтАЩs a huge, huge
accomplishment when you can see that with your own eyes as you work dayto-day with them. The second is being able to see the effects of what you do
on a day-to-day basis with the artists and seeing how it affects young peoplesтАЩ
lives. You are going home after long hours and knowing that kids are being
pointed in the right direction some way, somehow through music. ThatтАЩs really
where itтАЩs at for me.
GIGLIO: My guys succeeding, doing the things they feel called to do. ThatтАЩs
probably the most rewarding part is to see them saying, тАЬThis is what I feel
called to do.тАЭ And know in some way I had a part in implementing that. ItтАЩs
very, very breathtaking to me.
MILLER: The most rewarding thing is God giving you a job to do that you totally
love and is so completely fulfilling that you wake up feeling the same way on
a Monday morning as you do on a Saturday morningтАФwhere you get to have
impact on the lives of artists, and who, in turn, have impact on millions of
people around the world. ItтАЩs a very humbling thought. I donтАЩt think it too
often, but I sure am grateful that God has called me to do something that I
love doing so much.
RAINES: Without a doubt, seeing an initiative or a project or tour succeed in
such a way that people are positively moved and impacted. That is when we
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2. Favorite song:
3. Favorite movie:
4. The song you think is the most overrated:
CORZINE: тАЬGet HereтАЭ by Oleta AdamsтАФCome onтАж тАЬYou can
reach me by caravan/Cross the desert like an Arab man,тАЭ or тАЬYou
can reach me by sail boat/Climb a tree and swing rope to rope,тАЭ
or, my favorite, тАЬYou can windsurf into my life/Take me up on a
carpet rideтАЭтАФtake your pick. This song reminds me of when my
daughters have to write poetry for an elementary school
project. DoesnтАЩt matter what it saysтАФas long as it rhymes!
DAVIS: CreedтАЩs тАЬHigherтАЭ
GIGLIO: тАЬAchy Breaky HeartтАЭ by Billy Ray Cyrus (What in the
world?)
MILLER: French National Anthem
5. Worst place youтАЩve visited with an artist:
CORZINE: A prison
DAVIS: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
GIGLIO: Oh, IтАЩd hate for someone to feel singled out...but
Mississippi can be pretty interesting! (Hi Tim!)
MILLER: Moscow in 1986 (before the fall of communism)
RAINES: I canтАЩt...What would Klinger say?
6. Best place:
DAVIS: Santa Monica
GIGLIO: New York City
MILLER: Sydney, Australia
RAINES: Where was the last sellout?
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When Your Artist Goes
MAINSTREAM
7. Best concert youтАЩve ever attended:
GIGLIO: Coldplay
MILLER: The Beatles, Odeon Hammersmith, London, 1963
RAINES: Bob Dylan at the Forum...тАЬSlow Train TourтАЭ
8. Artist you wish you managed:
CORZINE: Paul McCartney
DAVIS: Bryan Adams
GIGLIO: IтАЩve got all I could dream of!
MILLER: Elvis
RAINES: No regrets here. We gladly work with those God sends us.
9. The one that got away (somebody that you almost managed
but donтАЩt):
CORZINE: There was a country artist here in town who was
amazing. Her name was Cyndi Thomson. Cyndi released one
albumтАУthe first single, тАЬWhat I Really Meant to Say,тАЭ rocketed
up the country charts to No. 1, and her debut album went gold.
We had signed her, and she was really on her way! Just a few
months into the relationship, Cyndi (who was a solid believer)
came in and told us she wanted to тАЬquit the businessтАЭтАФand
she did! She walked away from a couple of smash hit radio
singlesтАжan album headed toward PlatinumтАФand quit! IтАЩd
never seen anything like it. To her credit, she did what she was
called to do at that time, and IтАЩm still a huge fan. SheтАЩs a great
writer, and I wouldnтАЩt be surprised to see her back at the top of
the charts someday. And when she is, it will be on her terms!
DAVIS: Katy Hudson
GIGLIO: None...we got all we started with!
MILLER: You know who you are!
RAINES: The Fray
10. Favorite awards show moment:
CORZINE: The year that the Grammys opened, the curtain
came up and there were four grand pianos sitting there. It was
Ray Charles, Kim Bassy, Little Richard, and I donтАЩt remember
who the 4th one was. I just thought it was unbelievable. Blew
me away.
DAVIS: When KJ-52 won [his first Dove Award]. He got up there
just so nonchalant about it. It was probably my favorite awards
show moment ever for me, just personally, because he was just
kind of indifferent about it, really humble, just really unassuming.
GIGLIO: The boys playing/winning at the GMAs last yearтАФso
proud of them all the time...
MILLER: When Dove host Glen Campbell kept on referring to
the тАЬFemale Vocalist of the YearтАЭ as Twilla Paris.
RAINES: They all feel good.
Christian music managers contemplate
the process.
During the past few years, an increasing number of acts have traveled beyond
the Christian music community to achieve success in the mainstream music
world. This tends to create a whole new set of opportunities and issues for
the managers guiding their careers.
ItтАЩs a journey, however, managers are willing to take with their artists. тАЬThe
benefits are that your artists are given more opportunities and are more
recognized,тАЭ says SCOTT BRICKELL, who has helmed MercyMeтАЩs career through
the multi-genre success of тАЬI Can Only Imagine.тАЭ тАЬYou never know if an act will be
successful crossing over, but it all comes down to songs. If you have the right
song, at the right time, and listeners respond, then that is all you can ask for.тАЭ
MITCHELL SOLAREK, whose clients include Natalie Grant, Blue County,
Overflow and Phillip LaRue, agrees. тАЬIt comes down to great music. A strong
touring history and existing fan base doesnтАЩt hurt, but, at the end of the day,
it comes down to whether or not they hear a hit!тАЭ
ZACH KELM, who manages Skillet, Decyfer Down and Nevertheless, says
many mainstream labels see the Christian community as a тАЬfarm teamтАЭ that
develops acts by building a fan base and putting them on the road, thus
preparing them for the mainstream market. He cautions that itтАЩs important to
make sure an artistтАЩs fan base knows his or her intentions. тАЬPeople
sometimes still relate crossing over to selling out, even if that is the farthest
thing from the truth,тАЭ he says. тАЬThey automatically assume the worst instead
of considering the possibility of the great that can be done.тАЭ
Kelm says itтАЩs definitely easier now for an act to enjoy mainstream success
than it was when Amy Grant first made the leap to a broader audience. тАЬThey
just have to communicate their purpose well,тАЭ he says. тАЬAvenues such as the
Internet have made it so much easier to communicate directly to your fans so
they know the heart and motive behind the music. John Cooper and [his band]
Skillet have made it a priority to be very consistent in their communication
with their fan base, the Panheads, through their website.тАЭ
JEFF RISDEN, who manages Relient K and House of Heroes, says Christian
fans hear about the things that happen in mainstream rock music and are
concerned their favorite act could be giving in to the ways of the world. тАЬThey
hear stories about all these parties that go on and that these bands are doing
this or that,тАЭ he says. тАЬAnd, yeah, some of that stuff does happen, but at the
same time, it doesnтАЩt necessarily mean that these Christian artists arenтАЩt
grounded enough and havenтАЩt surrounded themselves with, you know, people
who can keep them accountable and keep them on the right path.тАЭ
Brickell agrees, тАЬAccountability shouldnтАЩt change. If you have a good system
in place prior to the pressures being there, then nothing should be any different.тАЭ
Solarek says when it comes to working in the mainstream or the Christian
market, ministry marks the difference. тАЬThere are times when a decision can
seem so clear on a business level, but it just doesnтАЩt fit with what the artist
feels God leading him or her to do,тАЭ he says. тАЬMany times, Natalie [Grant] will
make a decision that doesnтАЩt make a lot of sense on paper, but I respect that
she isnтАЩt in the тАШentertainmentтАЩ business. I find myself having to talk through
decisions with her more than I would with a mainstream artist because there
are so many other issues that come into the decision making process.тАЭ D.E.P.
11. If you werenтАЩt a manager, what would you be doing?
CORZINE: I love university settings, education. I would probably
work in a university or college.
DAVIS: IтАЩd probably be a basketball coach.
GIGLIO: Rocket science for sure...
MILLER: Consulting.
RAINES: Next life, I want to be an architect.
D.E.P.
scott brickell
mitchell solarek
zach kelm
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N
O OтАШS
B
prayer request
Photo courtesy of AP
U2тАЩs Bono joined President Bush, other world leaders and a few thousand
evangelicals for breakfast. CCMтАЩs editor was thereтАФand at the small group meeting
with Bono afterwards. BY JAY SWARTZENDRUBER
тАЬI
President Bush laughs as Bono speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast.
тАЩve gotten to know Bono,тАЭ said President Bush to the 3,000 mostly
evangelicals attending this yearтАЩs National Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton
Washington Hotel. тАЬHeтАЩs a doer. The thing about this good citizen of the
world is heтАЩs used his position to get things done.тАЭ Then the president turned
to U2тАЩs lead singer and said, тАЬYouтАЩre an amazing guy, Bono. God bless you.тАЭ
Surreal. ThatтАЩs what this whole morning of February 2nd had been so far.
And it was about to become even more unusualтАФfor me, personally, anyway.
I had spent a little time with Bono in the past, but that was before I was a
member of the Christian music press. Ask any diehard U2 fan what Christian
music press has meant to U2 the past 25 years. In a nutshell? Rarely, if ever,
has such a tiny segment of the media intimidated such a cultural giant.
Intimidated as in тАЬcaused the band to avoid at all costs.тАЭ* Perhaps it was 77sтАЩ
lead singer Mike Roe who said it bestтАФor worst depending upon your
perspectiveтАФтАЭAll press is good press, except being called a тАШChristian band.тАЩтАЭ
So, all things considered, why had BonoтАЩs camp invited me to join seven
other тАЬfaith editorsтАЭ and him for an on-the-record conversation after the
prayer breakfast?
And more incredibly, why was Bono the keynote speaker at the breakfast
itself? тАЬIt must be an emergencyтАж,тАЭ he would say later about his dayтАЩs
activities. тАЬAnd it is.тАЭ
Organized each year by the evangelical non-profit group The Fellowship
Foundation, the National Prayer Breakfast was originally established in
1953 as a small Senate breakfast to encourage the president and his family.
Things have definitely changed since then. Can you imagine what it must
have been like to be an unsuspecting attendee at this yearтАЩs event? Everyone
sitting at my table appeared to be more than 20 years older than me. And
BonoтАЩs involvement had not been announced in advance.
Picture him stepping up to the podium, sporting his brown corduroy
OтАЩS
58 ccm april 06
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jacket, black shirt, jeans and, yes, those reddish-brown wraparound shades.
тАЬWell, IтАЩm the first to admit that thereтАЩs something unnaturalтАжsomething even
unseemlyтАжabout rock stars mounting the pulpit and preaching at presidents,
then disappearing to their villas in the South of France,тАЭ said Bono to his
audience of politicians, foreign dignitaries, religious leaders and other invited
guests. тАЬTalk about a fish out of water. It was weird enough to have [former
Senator] Jesse Helms come to a rock show...this is really weird.тАЭ (Laughter)
Looking over at President Bush, who was seated to his right, Bono asked,
тАЬMr. President, are you sure about this?тАЭ (Laughter)
Bono went on to speak for 20 minutes, often quoting scripture. He told the
attentive banquet hall about his history as a believerтАФhow heтАЩd been raised by
a Protestant father and Catholic mother in Ireland; how heтАЩd grown cynical,
not of God, but of the church; and then, through the mentoring of two elderly
Christian men he met in 1997, how heтАЩd started to grow fond of her again.
Bono also lavished praise on the church for its response to AfricaтАЩs AIDS and
poverty emergency, saying at one point, тАЬIтАЩm here today in all humility to say: you
changed minds; you changed policy; and you changed the world. So, thank you.тАЭ
He soon made it clear, though, that тАЬthere is so much more to do.тАЭ
тАЬThis is not about charity,тАЭ he said, тАЬthis is about justice and equality.тАЭ
тАЬI was amazed when I first got to this country, and I learned how much
some churchgoers tithe,тАЭ he remarked later. тАЬUp to 10 percent of the family
budget. I meanтАж How does that compare to the federal budget, the budget
for the entire American family? How much of that goes to the poorest
people in the world? Well, itтАЩs less than one percent of the federal budget.
тАЬMr. President, Congress, people of faith, people of America, I want to
suggest to you today that you see the flow of effective foreign assistance as
tithingтАжwhich, to be truly meaningful, will mean an additional one percent
of the federal budget tithed to the poor.тАЭ
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Bono explained that this is the goal of The ONE Campaign and that the
one percent is тАЬa new partnership with Africa, not paternalism towards Africa.тАЭ
The atmosphere in the room was very receptive. White тАЬONEтАЭ (Campaign)
wristbands had been placed on every table, and when Bono finished speaking,
everyone seemed to pick his or hers up. I looked around at the tables near ours
and didnтАЩt see one remnant.
A little more than an hour after the prayer breakfast, weтАФthe eight тАЬfaith
editorsтАЭтАФmet with Bono in a small room not far from the main banquet hall.
The other magazines represented were Charles ColsonтАЩs BreakPoint WorldView,
The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Jewish Telegraph Agency, Religion & Ethics
NewsWeekly, Religion News Service and Sojourners.
As Bono joined us, someone suggested rearranging the chairs so we could
sit in a circle. We did so, and I ended up seated directly across from him.
While we talked, Bono ate leftoversтАФfruit and muffinsтАФfrom the breakfast
out of a closeable Styrofoam plate.
After some brief pleasantries, one editor asked, тАЬWas this your most
deliberately religious talk ever?тАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ Bono replied, and we were off. He said his remarks during breakfast
were inspired by Isaiah 58, which heтАЩd recently come across again in тАЬan old
Bible IтАЩve had since I was a kid,тАЭ and explained it had been тАЬunderlinedтАЭ
quite a bit. He then commented on Isaiah 58:7-8, тАЬItтАЩs absolutely the
prophetic utterance of this very time in history. What it really suggests is
that if we do GodтАЩs business, God will be more in ours. To use the
colloquial, itтАЩs God watching our back. I love the street aspect of that. ItтАЩs
certainly been true in my own life. And itтАЩs true at the level of this
extraordinary country. IтАЩm proud to trumpet that.тАЭ
BonoтАЩs demeanor was relaxed and conversational. As he spoke, he
regularly made eye contact, often holding his gaze until he finished
expressing a given thought.
тАЬI appreciate the absurdity of being a rock star and quoting the
scriptures,тАЭ he said, before telling us he enjoys reading The Message тАЬby the
very gifted scholar and poet Eugene Peterson.тАЭ
Both during his speech earlier in the morning and in our meeting here,
Bono easily quoted somewhat lengthy passages of scripture from memory.
The next part of our conversation reminded me of ChristтАЩs parable about
the poor widow who put her two mites into the collection box. IтАЩm one of the
many Americans whoтАЩs taken pride in knowing the United States gives more
money than any other country when it comes to foreign aid. But once I
learned how little we sacrifice compared to other wealthy nations, I was
humbled. As Bono explained, when you combine all of AmericaтАЩs givingтАФ
both government and private charitable givingтАФthe U.S. is not in the Top 10
as far as giving a percentage of wealth. (Of the 22 richest nations, weтАЩre 14th.)
тАЬWe have to change that,тАЭ he said. тАЬWe have to look at aid itself and how
itтАЩs being mismanaged. We have to restore confidence. The second thing we
have to do is educate people. Americans believe the government is giving
10тАУ20 percent to aid. ItтАЩs actually gone from 0.1 percent to 0.16 percent
since Bush became presidentтАжThis is why IтАЩm sitting with you. Give
Americans the facts, and theyтАЩll do something.тАЭ
Then he turned his attention to the churchтАЩs response, тАЬIn the past, the
church has been behind on some issues, but the church hasnтАЩt missed this
timeтАФit is leading...ItтАЩs amazing. If me 10 years ago had heard me now
saying this, I wouldnтАЩt have believed it.тАЭ
When one editor started his question to Bono with the statement, тАЬYouтАЩve
got street cred...,тАЭ the Irishman interrupted him with a laugh, saying, тАЬI had
street cred until I did this! ...We [U2] just lost a million album sales.тАЭ
Asked what he wanted to accomplish with the morningтАЩs prayer breakfast
speech, he responded, тАЬI hope the church will feel some fanfare from
musicians and loudspeakers such as myselfтАжThe church is a much bigger
crowd even than the stadiums we play as U2. ItтАЩs a big tent. We need to be
the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
тАЬAIDS is the leprosy of our time,тАЭ he went on to say. тАЬIt couldnтАЩt be more
poignant, from a scriptural point of view, that this is on GodтАЩs mind, that
this is JesusтАЩ point of view.тАЭ And a short while later, тАЬThis may be a
compliment to you: we canтАЩt beat Europeans up with scripture.тАЭ
Naturally, I had thought for awhile about what I wanted to ask Bono
when the opportunity presented itself. тАЬBono,тАЭ I said. тАЬIтАЩve been closely
following your career since The Unforgettable Fire [1984], and IтАЩve noticed that
even since U2тАЩs earliest days, the label тАШChristian bandтАЩ has given you the
heebie-jeebies. Now, skip ahead to late 2002, and IтАЩm escorting you to a
meeting with 20 of the most influential Christian artists in America. How
has the response of the Christian music community since then changed
your perception, if at all, of Christian artists?тАЭ
Bono began his response explaining his discomfort with the label тАЬChristian
band.тАЭ тАЬI have a hard time getting my head around the cultural terms,тАЭ he said.
тАЬIтАЩve never seen why there should be a separation. Much of my life, IтАЩve been
asked, тАШWhy doesnтАЩt your music proclaim Christ?тАЩ I say, тАШIt does!тАЩтАЭ
Then he asked, тАЬDoes nature scream the name of Christ? Creation has its
own proclamation within the majesty of it. IтАЩd like to think our music has
the same qualities to it.
тАЬI always got shifty with that [label],тАЭ he continued, тАЬlike there were
[supposed to be] compartments in your life. When I read scripture, there
are no compartments to your life. When I read scripture, these men are
wild, with a greed for God and mammon.тАЭ
Bono expressed his disdain for music thatтАЩs made тАЬwithout truthful telling
of where you are and where you live in your lifeтАЭ as an artist. And he referred
to тАЬhappy clappyтАЭ songs that were short on тАЬgrit,тАЭ explaining this was his
impression of Christian music, тАЬuntil I met you and others who looked and
acted like myself...These artists upheld humility...And some of them, I heard
their music and found that I liked it. I stopped thinking of their music as
тАШChristian music.тАЩ...They also made very effective student activists.тАЭ
He affirmed he had a remaining discomfort with the label тАЬChristian
musicтАЭ and then said, тАЬNow, IтАЩm not talking about worship leaders, IтАЩm
talking about songwriters and recording artists. Being a worship leader is a
calling to the highest of all art formsтАФto worship and call people into the
presence of God.тАЭ Bono then stated that some of his favorite worship music
includes Charles WesleyтАЩs hymns, HandelтАЩs Messiah, Jewish liturgical
chanting and songs with тАЬrawтАЭ emotion.
When it was time for Bono to depart, we all stood, and he took a few
moments to shake hands with each one of us. тАЬGod bless you, Bono,тАЭ I said
when he approached me.
тАЬOh! He has!тАЭ ccm
You can read the complete transcript of BonoтАЩs prayer breakfast speech by visiting my blogs at
CCMmagazine.com.
* Longtime CCM subscribers will recall an interview with U2тАЩs The Edge that
appeared in our December 1988 issue. At the time of the interview, The Edge
had no idea the freelance writer was going to submit that story to CCM.
BREAKFASTfeedback
POINT OF GRACE (who performed тАЬCircle
of FriendsтАЭ and тАЬWaiting in the WingsтАЭ for the
prayer breakfast) and MercyMe were two of
the Christian artists in attendance. And what
did they make of the morningтАЩs event?
тАЬSinging at the National Prayer Breakfast
was definitely one of the highest honors we have ever had as Point of
Grace. We respect our president so much and were humbled to be a part
of this great tradition,тАЭ says the vocal groupтАЩs Shelley Breen.
тАЬI was personally challenged by BonoтАЩs keynote address,тАЭ she continues.
тАЬThe entire message of his ONE Campaign has such validity, and I felt
called to action after hearing him speakтАжWhy would we not rise to his
challenge? As Christians, one of our highest callings is to take care of the
poor, and I felt very inspired to join with Bono to do my part.тАЭ
MERCYMEтАЩs Bart Millard couldnтАЩt
agree more. тАЬI cannot describe to you
the feeling I had when I heard Bono
challenging our world leaders to stop
seeking GodтАЩs blessing on what they
are doing, but instead, get with what
God is doing, for it is already blessed,тАЭ
says the lead singer. тАЬI truly had
church that morning. As a musician called to share the gospel, it was beyond
inspiring to see a rock & roll legend speaking of Kingdom work. Who knows?
Maybe the world can be changed.тАЭ
Go to ONE.org to sign the ONE Campaign declaration today. J.S.
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inreview
music
THE APPEAL OF BROAD DAYLIGHT
AS NEEDTOBREATHE RELEASES ITS STRIKING FULL-LENGTH DEBUT THIS MONTH, THE MODERN ROCK ACT
IS IMMEDIATELY POISED TO MAKE SERIOUS WAVES IN THE CHRISTIAN AND MAINSTREAM ROCK WORLDS.
NEEDTOBREATHE
Daylight
Lava/Atlantic/Sparrow
HOW MUCH SUBSTANCE IS THERE BEHIND
THE HYPE?
If youтАЩre a fiercely attentive Christian music fanтАФ
the kind that visits CCMmagazine.com weekly,
even dailyтАФthereтАЩs a good chance youтАЩre already
anticipating the April 4th release of
NEEDTOBREATHEтАЩs major label debut. Why? You
File under:
Grade: Aknow that when Lava/Atlantic flipped over the
Rock
band and offered them a contract, the South
Carolina-based boys insisted they be allowed to simultaneously sign with a Christian
label of their choice. And the recipient of NEEDTOBREATHEтАЩs favor? Sparrow Records.
Sure, that scenario piqued your curiosity, but before you would highlight тАЬApril 4тАЭ
on your calendar, you needed to know more. Did you investigate further and discover that sibling bandleaders Bear and Bo Rinehart were raised in a Christian home
where, for many years, they were only allowed to listen to Christian music?
By the age of 17, Bear was a serious guitarist and writing songs, and Bo quickly
followed in his footstepsтАФsort ofтАж Bo decided to go the self-taught-make-your-ownrules route and, as a result, his creatively eccentric style of play includes picking up
rather than down with the guitar pick.
Skip ahead several yearsтАФjust past collegeтАФto the summer of 2005. NEEDTOBREATHE, which had formed some years earlier, was rounded out by drummer Joe
Stillwell and bassist Seth Bolt. The band already had three indie EPs under its belt
and was ready to record for a major label. So the lads did what any Christian-musicbred band would doтАФthey caught the next flight to Nashville to cut their albumтАж
Um, hardly.
The plane tickets they purchased read, тАЬDestination: England.тАЭ Not only that, when
NEEDTOBREATHE arrived in the U.K., it headed out into the countryside to a studio
where renowned producer Andy Green (Keane, KT Tunstall) awaited its arrival.
And the result? Well, thatтАЩs what all the fuss is about. (That and the bandтАЩs live show.)
As a full-length debut, NEEDTOBREATHEтАЩs Daylight is both surprising and engaging musically. The albumтАФas in every songтАФis defined by both sweeping hooks and
an emphasis on melody, whether via BearтАЩs rich, versatile vocals, his piano playing
or the brothersтАЩ divergent but complementary guitar styles.
And how does the album surprise? Simply put, Daylight is so deep on potential
rock radio singles, this disc would make a good тАЬbest ofтАЭ album for a lot of other
bands. (Did I mention this is a debut?)
NEEDTOBREATHE is obviously indebted to Andy Green, whoтАЩs delivered a masterful
production. Daylight thrives on driving, emotive rock & roll thatтАЩs stylishly presented with
the aesthetic and precision of a studio wizard. Yes, it smells of big bucks and great care.
While Daylight strikes a familiar chord across the board, the bandтАЩs style isnтАЩt
reminiscent of a specific band or two so much as a regional rock sound. The impressive rhythm section of Stillwell and Bolt may be extremely direct, but the Rinehart
brothers take a distinctly European approach. While their guitars are often up front
and sound тАЬbig,тАЭ the album is lavished in skillful, ambient playing as the siblings
make great use of space.
As far as shortcomings go, youтАЩll have to dig to find one with Daylight. That said,
many aficionados who relish thoughtful, compelling songwriting will be left wanting.
Believers may immediately connect with lyrics such as тАЬSeas of everlasting grace/
Fall down upon this sinnerтАЩs faceтАжтАЭ from the albumтАЩs musically representative lead
single, тАЬYou Are Here.тАЭ And the same goes for the piano-entwined тАЬDonтАЩt Leave Just
YetтАЭ in which Bear acknowledges, тАЬI know we donтАЩt separate/But my sins are in the
way/And I know that you donтАЩt let me get away too farтАжтАЭ But if you thrive on
poignant wordplay or memorable storytelling, youтАЩll need to look elsewhere. While
the lyrics are hope-filled and technically poetic, they are positioned the same way in
every trackтАФliterally each song is sung specifically to a тАЬyou.тАЭ The only diversity in
that regard centers around who тАЬyouтАЭ may be. For instance, in тАЬHaley,тАЭ Bear sings
over an acoustic guitar to a romantic love interest, while in straight-ahead rocker
тАЬShine On,тАЭ he portrays God singing encouragement to a disheartened believer.
The good news, here, is NEEDTOBREATHEтАЩs lyricism shows significant potential.
And given the artful approach the band takes with its music, you canтАЩt help but hope
for a legacy defined by songs every bit as memorable for what they communicate as
for how great they sound.
JAY SWAR TZENDRUBER
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MERCYME
CCM_04.06_Music.v5
File under:
Pop/Rock
Page 82
Coming Up to
Breathe
INO
Grade: B-
A DIFFERENT BUT FAMILIAR DIRECTION
82 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
MERCYME
тАЬI Would Die For You,тАЭ when he cleverly
sings, тАЬYou never know why youтАЩre
alive/Until you know what you would die for.тАЭ
MercyMe fans will likely be pleased with
this solid offering that clocks in at exactly
an hour. Others who are not yet on the
MercyMe bandwagon may continue to hope
that theyтАЩll come up with more creative
ways both musically and lyrically to express
themselves next time around.
MARK JOSEPH
HAWK NELSON
The buzz around MercyMeтАЩs Coming Up to
Breathe was that the album was going to
rock, potentially alienating the segment of
MercyMeтАЩs audience that is SUV-driving
Moms who hummed along to тАЬI Can Only
ImagineтАЭ as they drove their kidsтАЩ carpools
and wistfully remembered their grandfathers. Well, Soccer Moms of America, you
can relax. There is nothing to fear in this
set. If you could handle Michael W.
SmithтАЩs тАЬCross of GoldтАЭ in high school
and you secretly enjoyed Guns NтАЩ RosesтАЩ
тАЬNovember Rain,тАЭ then you should still be
able to handle a turbo-charged MercyMe.
Coming Up to Breathe opens with its
pop/rock title trackтАФclean, high-energy
тАШ80s melodic rock that just seems a little
out of place in тАШ06. Then again, maybe itтАЩs
so out of place that itтАЩs going to be the
next big thing. Either way, itтАЩs clear that
Bart Millard and company had a great time
in the late тАШ80s and early тАШ90s drinking
deeply from the wells of acts such as
White Heart, Petra, Amy Grant, Michael W.
Smith, Guns NтАЩ Roses and, maybe, even a
little early тАШ80s Kansas and are now bringing those influences to bear on their
music. And like the aforementioned, these
boys have learned a thing or two about
hooks. тАЬSo Long Self,тАЭ for instance, has
an irresistible chorus and a witty concept
(first articulated by Petra in тАЬKilling My Old
ManтАЭ) that describes getting rid of oneтАЩs
ego/sin nature.
тАЬHold FastтАЭ is a strong and sweeping
mid-tempo rocker, vaguely reminiscent
of Amy GrantтАЩs тАЬYouтАЩre Not Alone,тАЭ
reminding the listener not to give up
hope. тАЬBring the RainтАЭ is similarly memorable if overly earnest with its reminder
that God is to be ser ved in both sunshine and rain.
Overall, Coming Up to Breathe is an
enjoyable album but one that could have
benefited from more A&R direction
and/or a stronger producerтАЩs hand, either
of whom could have sent some lyrics
back for re-writes and forced Millard to dig
deeper and come up with the kinds of
word-pictures that he has proven himself
capable of...ItтАЩs an ability that is clearly
still there, as he proves on the final track,
File under:
Punk/Pop
Smile, ItтАЩs the
End of the
World
Tooth & Nail
Grade: A
SMILE, THIS ALBUM KICKS TAIL!
It really isnтАЩt appropriate to say that this
young band has тАЬgrown upтАЭ because that
implies its members have lost their
youthful energy, and that just wouldnтАЩt be
right. Hawk Nelson is still a young band
with a lot of vigor, and since releasing its
label debut, Letters to the President, the
foursome has matured both musically
and lyrically. This latest offering not only
avoids the dreaded тАЬsophomore slumpтАЭ
that plagues many bandsтАЩ second efforts,
it surpasses all expectations. This album
has тАЬhitтАЭ written all over itтАжpacked with
catchy hooks, brilliant songwriting and
immaculate production.
After the amazing success of Letters to
the President, as well as the TV and film
appearances theyтАЩve made, itтАЩs no surprise that Hawk Nelson delivered a great
record that will please its fans. What is
surprising about this record is just how
much Hawk has matured and where the
band is headed with its sound. This is an
album of songs that youтАЩll want to crank
up in the car or on your iPod in the summer. Despite the title, or perhaps because
of it, there are a lot of positive upbeat
tunes here, like the party anthem, тАЬThe
Show,тАЭ that is reminiscent of the MXPX hit
тАЬPunk Rawk Show.тАЭ ItтАЩs followed by yet
another upbeat shout-it-out-loud rocker
тАЬBring тАШEm Out,тАЭ which is so hooky it may
get stuck in your head forever. And speaking of hooks, the song тАЬEverything You
Ever WantedтАЭ slows things down just a
little. Surely a Top 40 video hit waiting to
happen, this track tells us it isnтАЩt just
about pop-punk rock this time around.
ThereтАЩs a distinct power-pop influence
on this record that will definitely earn it
fans of the Click Five and Fountains of
Wayne sound.
The biggest area of growth on Smile, ItтАЩs
the End of the World is clearly evident in
the albumтАЩs lyrics. тАЬIs Forever EnoughтАЭ is
a song that really captures the meaning
behind the albumтАЩs title, talking about all
of the chaos in the world we live in but
coming back with an answer that says no
matter what happens, God is always there
for us: тАЬYou take my breath away/Now IтАЩm
trying to get up/IтАЩm trying to retrace my
steps back to wherever I messed up/Is forever enough?/IтАЩm holding on/I know youтАЩll
be there whenever I wake up.тАЭ
The lyrics are good and the songs are
great, but the best thing about this album
is the production. This record sounds so
good! From the recording, to the strings,
piano, driving guitars and booming
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SANCTUS
REAL
CCM_04.06_Music.v5
File under:
Rock
The Face of
Love
Sparrow
Grade: A
FACING REAL LIFE HEAD ONтАж
SANCTUS REAL
drums, the production is near perfection.
Aaron Sprinkle manned the helm again
this time around for Hawk Nelson, and he
seems to have grown as a producer as
much as the band has. He is easily the
most underrated producer out there. But
this album should have no problem bringing Sprinkle and Hawk the increased exposure and recognition they both deserve.
VARIOUS
ARTISTS
DR. TONY SHORE
Praise Life:
Beyond 1.0
EMI Gospel
File under:
Grade: B
Modern Worship/Urban Pop
PRAISE & WORSHIP FOR THE
HIP-HOP GENERATION
Since first exploding in the late тАШ90s, modern
worship has been able to morph into a
variety of contours, which include your typical
pop, rock and alternative offerings as well
as less populist styles such as folk, techno,
Celtic and Latin music.
All these years, however, thereтАЩs been
a void for urban pop listeners, as the
amount of worshipful options available to
them totaled virtually zero. Matt RedmanтАЩs
тАЬHeart of WorshipтАЭ done to a thick, sumptuous club beat? Heresy!
Praise GodтАФno pun intendedтАФfor
Praise Life: Beyond 1.0, a compilation
spearheaded by EMI Gospel that seeks to
fill this giant-sized hole. Fashioned with
the urban pop lover in mind, this collection
is to R&B what those ubiquitous Nitro
Praise discs were to house music at the
turn of the millenniumтАФmusic with a worship
spirit by no-name singers created with a
specific target audience in mind.
Unlike Nitro Praise, however, the Praise
Life team doesnтАЩt simply take your favorite
Sunday morning choruses and turn them
into generic hip-hop jams. Produced almost
single-handedly by newcomer Antonio Neal,
the album is more a showcase of original
expressions of worship with a strong rhythmic
footing, complete with some of R&BтАЩs most
enduring clich├йsтАФa rap cameo here, a
female vocal trio there, the requisite remix
over there, plus the inevitable shout-out (to
Jesus, of course).
In fact, true-to-form urban music is so
scarce in Christian circles that none of
these elements seem forced or groaninducing to those who grew up listening to
the genre. At times things will get overly
indulgent and out of hand, particularly
during the crunk, floor-blazing joints. But
other than that, most everything remains
compactly contained and under control.
You may or may not recognize any of
the artists hereтАФmost of them are either
up-and-comers or unsigned cats with
great voicesтАФbut name recognition was
never a component of worship music.
This тАЬinvisibilityтАЭ elevates the sole two
covers in the set, the aforementioned
тАЬHeart of WorshipтАЭ and the omnipresent
тАЬHere I Am to Worship,тАЭ both of which
sound so fresh, distinct and creatively
genuine, youтАЩll think theyтАЩre originals.
Both are good barometers for the quality
level of Praise Life, the firstтАФand not last,
we hopeтАФpraise and worship anthology
for the hip-hop generation.
ANDREE FARIAS
DonтАЩt let the seemingly sentimental title
throw you off. The third тАЬofficialтАЭ release
from ToledoтАЩs own Christian rock favorite
Sanctus Real is no trifle of sentimentality
or romance. In fact, the opposite is true.
While the last year has seen the band
score a GMA Music Award for тАЬBest
Alternative Album,тАЭ rack up impressive
sales, radio hits and popular tours, and
further ensconce themselves as one of
the mainstays in Christian rock, behind
the scenes, the members experienced
the intensity of life in all of its extremes.
The joy of birth, the pain of death and all
points in between took any thoughts of
simple truisms or anthems to shallow
faith completely off the table.
The songs presented on The Face of
Love echo those experiences in the light
of a defiant hope in things unseen. The
opening cut (and first single), тАЬIтАЩm Not
Alright,тАЭ sprays tense guitar bends with
obvious angst before resolving into an
intimate confessional. The chorus expands
again as vocalist Matt Hammitt wails,
тАЬIтАЩm not alright/IтАЩm broken insideтАжтАЭ
Though still anchored in the modern rock
genre, the musical arrangements demonstrate more texture, melodic complexity
and maturity than anything in their repertoire thus far. Producer Chris Stevens
(tobyMac, Shawn McDonald) manages to
prod the best performances out of each
member of the ensemble while stretching
the groupтАЩs artistry and scope.
With a complete lack of contrivance or
posturing, the songs of The Face of Love
are both catchy and painfully real. The
irresistibly hooky тАЬEloquentтАЭ opens with
bittersweet self-deprecation as it plainly
offers, тАЬIтАЩm as eloquent as an elephant/
IтАЩm as headstrong as the Mighty King
Kong/On a rampage throwing airplanes/I
canтАЩt believe you havenтАЩt gone away.тАЭ
Nearly every song offers similarly honest
reflections on failure and doubt but with
a bold insistence that there is hope in
the midst of pain.
The plaintive and raging тАЬWeтАЩre TryingтАЭ
creates one of the high points of intensity
lyrically and musically on the disc as it
insists, тАЬEveryone wants reality, so here it
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is/I believe that nobody is goodтАжWe are
liars and thieves/WeтАЩre destroying the
peace /But weтАЩre trying.тАЭ As brutal as the
psalmic confessions are, though, the
proclamations of true, realistic faith are
just as strong. The same song ends with
the equally bold statement, тАЬThere is
nothing in our blood that makes the heart
beat strong enough/Apart from grace,
apart from love.тАЭ
The title track offers the ultimate perspective on the problem of pain in the life
of the believer. Contrasting human frailty
with the unending goodness of JesusтАЩ
love for sinners, the song prayerfully begs
for boldness in the midst of struggle, that
broken people would find peace in serving others, becoming the face of love to a
hurting world. Strains of the great authors
Henri Nouwen and Brennan Manning are
obvious. The worshipful тАЬMagneticтАЭ and
the sincere closer, тАЬBenjamin,тАЭ will no
doubt also serve as touchstones and
mile markers in this bandтАЩs career as
long as it chooses to endure.
With strong writing, excellent performances and flawless execution, The Face
of Love is the sound of a good band growing
up and is by far the most satisfying work
of its career.
JOHN J. THOMPSON
84 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
MARTHA
MUNIZZI
MARTHA MUNIZZI
File under:
R&B/Worship
No Limits
Live
Integrity
pelling persona. ItтАЩs important to note that
while no live recording can duly capture the
full extent of an actual worship experience,
No Limits comes awfully close. No doubt
the capable production of Noel Hall (former
musical director for Fred Hammond)
helped to render the clarion result. Then
there are the spoken exultations Munizzi
provides on virtually every track, which
may give some listeners the sense that
they are ascending to a higher place.
The albumтАЩs title track kick-starts the
proceedings and sets the tone for what
quickly becomes a nonstop procession of
captivating yet largely unfamiliar, mid- and
up-tempo worship songs (save for widely
known standard тАЬAmazing LoveтАЭ).
Arrangements are simple yet deftly executed, mostly underpinned by keyboard,
electric guitar and the accompaniment of
a gifted supporting gospel choir.
While the first disc contains a respectable supply of rewarding songs (witness
the powerful R&B intonations of тАЬName
Above All NamesтАЭ), disc two features the
lionтАЩs share of notable tunes. To wit,
standout ballad тАЬWhile You WorshipтАЭ
speaks of praising God even during difficult
times in life (тАЬThe storm will make you
stronger/It drives you to your kneesтАЭ). And
despite the clich├йd title, horn-infused cut
тАЬJesus Is the Best ThingтАЭ resonates a
buoyant Caribbean feel. The project concludes with the foot-stomping number
тАЬChosen Generation,тАЭ a fitting finish for
someone who seems to be just gearing
up to make a joyful noise for the Lord.
DAVID McCREARY
Grade: B
WARREN
BARFIELD
CCM_04.06_Music.v5
ROCK-SOLID EVIDENCE OF BOUNDLESS PRAISE
As one of praise & worship musicтАЩs most
acclaimed independent per formers,
Martha Munizzi has enjoyed uncommon
exposure both in album sales and industry
accolades. Besides selling more than
330,000 copies of her first three recordings, Munizzi made history in January
when she became the first non-AfricanAmerican to win a Stellar Award (she
received the 2005 тАЬNew Artist of the
YearтАЭ honor). Now a bona fide signed
artist, Munizzi releases her first record
with Integrity Music, a live dual-disc set
containing 22 of her most soulful and
memorable numbers.
Recorded at Bethany World Prayer
Center in Baton Rouge, La., shor tly
before Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf
Coast, No Limits showcases MunizziтАЩs
confident mezzo-soprano vocals and com-
File under:
Acoustic Pop/Rock
Reach
Essential
Grade: B-
A MUSICAL STEP FORWARD
Over two years after his debut, Warren
Barfield returns with a new label home
(Essential) and a new album, Reach. The
time between projects has allowed
Barfield to hone his skills and solidify his
musical identity. His freshman project cast
him in the musical shadow of Steven
Curtis Chapman, though the work was
marked by some standout lyrical moments.
On ReachтАФproduced by Marshall Altman
(Marc Broussard)тАФBarfield is clearly more
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confident, vocally and musically; unfortunately, the album lacks the memorable lyrical
marks of its predecessor.
The biggest change for Barfield is his
shift towards a bluesy, acoustic pop/rock
style, similar to Gavin DeGraw. тАЬIтАЩll Be
AlrightтАЭ kicks off the album and showcases
this new sound to perfection, as do the
more aggressive тАЬSavedтАЭ and тАЬShadow,тАЭ
which arrive later in the album. The soulful
groove of тАЬUnleashedтАЭ is the musical highlight of Reach and shows just how captivating
Barfield can be when he stretches himself
beyond the stereotypical тАЬsafeтАЭ sounds of
Christian radio. Unfortunately, the albumтАЩs
ballads do not do any of that stretching,
and they are largely forgettable, particularly
тАЬBeyond the Walls.тАЭ
Bar field wrote ever y song on the
record, co-writing (with Bryan White, Scott
Krippayne and Andrew Bissell) on just
three. Give that credit where it is due, and,
consequently, the album reflects WarrenтАЩs
heart. However, though the project is very
encouraging and hopeful, the positive
messages are not conveyed in a way that
we have not heard before, and most of the
songs rely on familiar phrasing and clich├й.
The writer, who dug a bit deeper on tracks
like тАЬMy Heart Goes Out,тАЭ seems to have
regressed a step; none of these songs will
be remembered as a classic five years
from now. Reach shows Barfield on a
more confident musical footing and will
appeal to his fanbase, but, hopefully, the
third time around he can put it all together
and deliver the complete package.
FAMILY FORCE 5
MICHAEL JANKE
File under:
Rock
Business Up
Front, Party
in the Back
Maverick/Gotee
Grade: A
A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
Need a caffeinated boost but a little short
on cash for that caramel macchiato from
Starbucks? Well, we may have just stumbled on the next best shot of adrenaline
for the any-time-of-day doldrums: Family
Force 5тАЩs debut, Business Up Front, Party
in the Back.
With the high-octane aggressiveness of
Rage Against the Machine, the span-thegenres fun of Outkast (with songs far better
than тАЬHey YaтАЭ) and the lyrical whimsy of
FAMILY FORCE 5
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a whole, itтАЩs full of тАЬoh, thatтАЩs a cool
[melody/lyric/song]тАЭ momentsтАФand tracks
radio should embrace.
LavikтАЩs onto something here, and Life
On the Inside seems like a record that
could make him a Matthew West-style
breakout success. At the very least, heтАЩs
made an imminently listenable project
from start to finish.
THE FOLD
BEAU BLACK
Relient K, Family Force 5 makes a
strong first impression with 12 insanely
catchy songs that celebrate the lighter
side of life and love (and may even
cause the worst dancer to want to bust
a move).
And like EarthsuitтАЩs much-overlooked
Kaleidoscope Superior back in 2000 or
Ton├йxтАЩs Out of the Box in 2004, Business
Up Front, Party in the Back also brings a
fresh dose of originality to the scene with
clever programming, savvy production and
club friendly beats. Also noteworthy is the
fact that there arenтАЩt any superfluous
tracks, a definite plus in the often A-D-D
iPod generation.
Fronted by Solomon Olds, who also
keeps fans guessing vocally as he
sounds like a dead ringer for tobyMac
some moments and RageтАЩs Zack de la
Rocha others, the band has the vibe of a
Friday night dance party down to a science on tracks such as тАЬCadillac Funk,тАЭ
тАЬEx-GirlfriendтАЭ and тАЬPeachy.тАЭ Those looking for something more than a good time
may be a little disappointed in what they
find, but ultimately, thereтАЩs no doubt why
this act also caught the attention of
mainstream label Maverick Records.
With insatiable charisma and a live
sound that probably sounds even better
at a venue near you, this family has a
bright future in both the mainstream and
Christian worlds.
CHRISTA A. BANISTER
86 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
JADON LAVIK
JADON LAVIK
File under:
Pop
File under:
Pop/Punk
This Too Shall
Pass
Tooth & Nail
Grade: B
A JOURNEY FROM MELANCHOLY
INTO PRAISE
Life on the
Inside
BEC
Grade: B+
WILL HE MAKE YOUR LIST OF FAVES?
Mr. LavikтАЩs second outing launches him
into the upper ranks of the poppy guywith-a-guitar pantheon, alongside Bebo
Norman, Warren Bar field and others.
Lavik doesnтАЩt have NormanтАЩs songwriting
chops or BarfieldтАЩs voiceтАФbut what he
has is an album thatтАЩs greater in sum
than its parts might suggest.
One of the albumтАЩs selling points is its
consistency: thereтАЩs really not a тАЬhit the skip
buttonтАЭ track here. тАЬChanging HappyтАЭ is the
first soon-to-be ubiquitous single (or perhaps
already so), a thumpinтАЩ redefinition of what
constitutes contentment. ThereтАЩs a melodic
sweetness to the songs тАЬFatherтАЭ and тАЬWhat
IfтАЭ thatтАЩs reminiscent of Kenny LogginsтАЩ best
stuffтАФhigh praise, indeed. тАЬHear Our SongтАЭ
sounds like a Jason Morant tune (another
compliment). On the lite-rock, pseudo-title
cut, тАЬOn the Outside,тАЭ Lavik sings of being
an outsider in this world, a тАЬstranger
here/Living in reverent fear.тАЭ Though Lavik
sounds like several other folks (add Marc
Broussard and Marc Byrd to that list), heтАЩs
carving out a spot in the midst of them for
himself. He doesnтАЩt tackle anything earthshakingly new, but his lyrics are mostly free
of the clich├йs that pollute some Christian
pop projects (heck, any pop projects). Taken
bit by bit, Life may seem merely nice. But as
The crisp, punchy debut of The Fold tells
the stor y of singer/songwriter Daniel
CastadyтАЩs move from mainstream band
Showoff (Maverick) to the Christian faith
that is the foundation of The FoldтАФthus,
the unexpected clarity and maturity of this
quartet, rooted in suburban Chicago, on
This Too Shall Pass.
Having found a тАЬbrand new way,тАЭ Castady
is learning to deal with lifeтАЩs grim realities
(тАЬGravityтАЭ and the title track) but affirms that,
with faith and in time, things will get better.
Throughout, The Fold rocks with a pop sensibility that remains tied to the best power
pop bands of the past, while maintaining an
air of freshness. This works thanks to the
crunchy guitar presence of Aaron Green and
the uptempo groove established by drummer
Mark Rhoades and bassist Keith Mochel.
Castady keeps his hooky melodies
dominant and places vowels over rhetoric
(oohs & aahs) in all the right places. As
the 14 tracks wear on, the novelty factor
diminishes, but the band manages to
maintain a suitable energy level that overcomes the tendency toward redundancy.
CastadyтАЩs songs have a point to draw
the listener toward the truth of Jesus Christ
and тАЬwhat is right.тАЭ And, while they eschew
a dependence on preachy language, titles
such as тАЬEvermoreтАЭ and тАЬRemnantтАЭ suggest the faith issues that underlie these
experience-driven narratives.
By the тАЬI Believe YouтАЭ confessional of a
conclusion, the band moves from a focus on
whatтАЩs gone wrong to praising God, whose
grace abounds. And thatтАЩs a good thing.
BRIAN QUINCY NEWCOMB
3/10/06
11:48 AM
Page 87
newreleases
ARTISTтАЩS
CHOICE
CCM_04.06_Music.v5
ANDREW SCHWAB
PROJECT 86 FRONTMAN ANDREW SCHWAB
REVIEWS THE LATEST ALBUM FROM HARD MUSIC
FAVES THRICE.
If you arenтАЩt already familiar with Thrice, the
bandтАЩs new album, Vheissu (Island), will be an
interesting starting point for you. ThriceтАЩs 2003
release, The Artist in the Ambulance, is one of the
most successful (and influential) of its genre,
which some label as тАЬscreamoтАЭ and others hail
as тАЬpost-hardcore.тАЭ In a time when few bands of
this тАЬsceneтАЭ are willing to take the risk of pioneering, Thrice has concocted an album that is a
successful departure from the metal/hardcore
influences that bind so many of its peers. This,
the bandтАЩs fourth installment, frames it at its creative, as well as spiritual, peak.
When I first popped in this record, my spirit
was uplifted. And though I could spout journalistic
puff about the intricacy of ThriceтАЩs riffs
and influences, I
would rather just
talk about how good
I felt when I first listened to this record.
The fact is itтАЩs been
awhile since I put in
a CD, let go of my
criticтАЩs lens, and just...sat back in my car and
sang along with songs that penetrated my soul.
The opening track, тАЬThe Image of the Invisible,тАЭ
is both inspirational and confrontational: тАЬWeтАЩre
more than carbon and chemicals/We are the
image of the invisible.../Though all the world may
hate us, we are named/Though shadow overtake
us, we are known.тАЭ
Even if you donтАЩt like heavy music, give this
one a try. ItтАЩs spacey, atmospheric and dynamic.
I promise the lyrics will hit you in an intelligent
and thought-provoking way. ThriceтАФfeaturing
lead singer Dustin Kensrue, guitarist Teppei
Teranishi, drummer Riley Breckenridge and
bassist Eddie BreckenridgeтАФis both sincere
and filled with integrity, which is why this band
continues to be about seventeen steps ahead
of everyone else in its genre.
For more information on Thrice, visit thrice.net.
APRIL 4
Paul Baloche
Decyfer Down
Edison Glass
Hawk Nelson
A Greater Song (Integrity)
End of Grey (SRE)
A Burn or a Shiver (Tooth & Nail)
Smile, ItтАЩs the End of the World
(Tooth & Nail)
Hillsong
Mat Kearney
Darlene McCoy
United We Stand CD/DVD (Integrity)
Nothing Left to Lose (Columbia)
Psalm 151: Vertical Praise
(EMI Gospel)
MXPX
Let It Happen (Deluxe Edition)
(Tooth & Nail)
Daylight (Lava/Atlantic/Sparrow)
Passion: Glorious (sixsteps)
Thug Love (Beatmart)
Count It All Joy (EMI Gospel)
Wishing for Boardwalk (7Spin Music)
The Face of Love (Sparrow)
Live CD/DVD (Inpop)
Finale (EMI Gospel)
Narnia: Songs of Wonder (Disney)
WOW Worship (Provident)
X 2006 CD/DVD (BEC)
Celtic Worship (Integrity)
NEEDTOBREATHE
Passion тАШ06
Pettidee
Darrel Petties & SIP
Red Umbrella
Sanctus Real
Superchic[k]
The Tri-City Singers
Various
Various
Various
Shelia Walsh
Bebe & CeCe Winans Treasures: A Collection
of Their Greatest Hits (EMI)
APRIL 11
Anthem Avenue
Deas Vail
Seasons of Love (Doxology)
All the Houses Look the Same
(Rambler)
APRIL 18
Rob Hodge
Born King (Beatmart)
APRIL 25
MercyMe
Phil Wickham
Coming Up to Breathe (INO)
Phil Wickham (INO)
Please cut out and place on your church bulletin board
Enjoy the Good News
Right to Your Cell Phone
No matter how hard it is to get going in the morning...
No matter how hard it is to get that right spiritual focus at the start of the day...
Spiritual Lift delivers meaningful and intelligent text message devotionals daily
SUBSCRIBE NOW!!!
Simply start a new text message: Type L I F T and send to 9 1 6 8 2
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Monthly Subscription: only $9.99 per month for 2-part Daily Devotionals. Additional wireless provider fees may apply.
or favorite community board. Thank you!
text message devotionals
CCM_04.06_Books.v4
3/9/06
9:13 PM
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inreview
books
DISCOVERING THE HIDDEN LIFE
by Margaret Becker
тАЬHow do you find where the songs start and end?тАЭ asked my thirteenyear old neighbor, Lillian. We were hovering over my vintage General
Electric тАЬportableтАЭ record player. She had a Joan Baez LP in her hand.
тАЬYou find the slick looking rings on the record. ThatтАЩs the beginning of
a song.тАЭ I demonstrated by placing the needle on the second ring. тАЬThe
Night They Drove Old Dixie DownтАЭ came crackling out of the
тАЬhi-fi.тАЭ I never realized how primitive the whole record player
thing was until I tried to explain all the nuances of placing the
needle down on the correct song. Lillian took a turn.
SCChhhhhweererp. The needle skidded across the next
cut. тАЬSorry!тАЭ she winced.
тАЬNo Problem. It just takes some practice.тАЭ
For the next hour, she тАЬpracticed,тАЭ playing me albums she
found in her basement containing songs IтАЩd long forgotten, discussing them as if they were recorded last week. I couldnтАЩt
help but marvel at how well she connected to the message of
music that is over 40 years old.
Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The DoorsтАжLillian would explain
the emotional content of each song before she set the needle down, until we got to Fats Waller, who apparently was someoneтАЩs
favorite at one time. It was scratching and popping mostly.
тАЬItтАЩs pretty different than CDs, isnтАЩt it? Kinda noisy,тАЭ I offered.
тАЬYou mean the pops and stuff?тАЭ Lillian thought about it for a minute
then added, тАЬI like the popping, it is just moreтАжreal or something.тАЭ
ThatтАЩs the way I feel about The Hidden Life, by Kitty Crenshaw and
Catherine Snapp (NavPress). Like great music in any format, some messages are universal, surpassing the restraints of time and context.
The Hidden Life is a biography of sortsтАФa spiritual oneтАФcentering on
Betty, who is now in her eighties. The story is written by two women who
Shaking Things Up
The Hip-Hop Church: Connecting With the Movement
Shaping Our Culture
By Efrem Smith & Phil Jackson (InterVarsity Press)
If we want to reach those living the hip-hop lifestyle, we must
understand the culture. In The Hip-Hop Church, Smith and
Jackson undertake the challenge of reconciling the church to
hip-hop culture, marrying the two seemingly disparate entities,
and offering new hope through this integration.
The New Rebellion Handbook: A Holy Uprising Making Real
the Extraordinary in Everyday Life
(Nelson)
The New Rebellion Handbook features 24 themesтАФfrom worship
and prayer to health and commitmentтАФwhich provide a fresh
perspective on everyday issues and help Christians become
rebels with a spiritual cause. Recommending websites, music,
books and events, the Handbook is designed to awaken the rebel in all
Christians, showing them how to put their new rebellion into action.
How Sweet the Sound
Captured by Grace: No One is Beyond the Reach of
a Loving God
By David Jeremiah (Integrity)
Did you know that John Newton, writer of the beloved hymn тАЬAmazing
Grace,тАЭ was a slave trader? In Captured by Grace, David Jeremiah
explores the concept of grace as seen in both the lives of Newton
and the Apostle Paul (who was a former Christian executioner). тАЬAmazing grace,
how sweet the soundтАЭ will ring even sweeter after reading this inspirational book!
88 ccm april 06 ccmmagazine.com
Betty spiritually mentored. Unusual and hard to categorize, the book is a
treasure chest of timeless truth.
Betty is a simple, honest woman. In this book she shares her life with
the reader, with all the pops and crackles, many of which are familiar to
most of us. Fear, depression, loss of self, marital tensionsтАжit carries a
tendril of every life issue. She lays it out there, peppers it with
matured hindsight and infuses with it some original poetry. ItтАЩs
a unique way to present the wisdom of a lifetimeтАЩs worth of
struggle; but, even more than that, what makes this offering so
unique is its commonality. SheтАЩs someone you know, maybe
even someone you want to become.
Reading her journey made me feel like I was with a trusted
sage who was willing to pass on some hard won knowledge. By
hearing her recount her many life adjustments, I felt IтАЩd encountered myself in some shape or form. It didnтАЩt matter that she was
talking about something that took place during World War II (another lovely aspect of the bookтАФthe firsthand account of history), her
experiences still struck a chord with me 60 years later.
Like Lillian, I like the pops and crackles in life much more
than the perfection.
BettyтАЩs book is a vintage, near-mint life study. ItтАЩs like having a wise,
loving тАЬNanaтАЭ nearby who can show you by exampleтАФand without
shameтАФthat everything will pass in its time and, if God is allowed His
way, we will be better for it.
Margaret Becker is an award-winning author, speaker, producer, songwriter
and recording artist. Her latest CD is Faithfully Yours: Psalms, and her new
book, Coming Up for Air, can be ordered at amazon.com and christianbook.com.
For more information visit maggieb.com.
Order in the Court
The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ &
The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney
By Randy Singer (WaterBrook)
Best-selling author Randy Singer is back with a dual offering!
While each title is a work of art, he has innovatively woven
them together so that the answer to a puzzle in one book lies
within the pages of the other. In The Cross Examination of Jesus
Christ, Singer has written a stirring non-fiction apologetic with a
fresh twist: a unique look at faith on trial with Jesus as the
defendant. In The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney, Singer
has penned a masterful legal thriller in which the rescue of
crusty Judge Oliver Finney depends upon the ability of his
prot├йg├й, Nikki Moreno, to decipher clues hidden in a popular
theology book, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. And the
verdict is in: this novel concept is a winner!
And for the Person Who Has EverythingтАж
SummonтАЩs Christian Miscellany: An Amusingly Informative
Collection of Unexpected Facts, Curiosities, and Trivia
By Parminder Summon (Doubleday)
How big is a cubit? What are the Ten Commandments for the
Road (as defined by the Christian Road Safety Association)?
Who is the patron saint of the ugly? What is The AdultererтАЩs
Bible? Find the answers to these and other pressing questions
in SummonтАЩs Christian Miscellany, a compendium of тАЬthings you didnтАЩt know
you didnтАЩt knowтАЭ about the worldтАЩs most popular religion (with more than two
billion adherents).
Profiles by Kristi Henson
CCM_04.06_Gear.v4
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9:20 PM
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russlongтАЩs guidetogear>>
BARLOWGEAR 101
WHEN I SAW MY FIRST BARLOWGIRL PERFORMANCE IN FLORIDA THIS PAST
SEPTEMBER, I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY HOW GOOD THE BAND IS LIVE.
COMPRISED OF THREE SISTERS (REBECCA, ALYSSA AND LAUREN BARLOW), THE
GROUP RELEASED ITS SELF-TITLED DEBUT IN EARLY 2004 AND SAW IT BECOME ONE
OF THE YEARтАЩS BEST SELLERS. THE BAND REUNITED WITH PRODUCER OTTO PRICE
(SONICFLOOD, GRITS) FOR ITS POPULAR SOPHOMORE RELEASE ANOTHER JOURNAL
ENTRY, WHICH FOLLOWED A YEAR LATER. WITH HUNDREDS OF SHOWS UNDER ITS
BELT, I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT GEAR KEEPS BARLOWGIRL ROCKING.
From left: Rebecca, Alyssa and Lauren Barlow
>> GIRL POWER::
>> GOT SHEET MUSIC?
Alyssa, the bandтАЩs bassist, describes her setup, тАЬFor my amps, I use an SWR 750x bass
head with Son of Bertha and Goliath III Cabs. I play a Mustang bass with custom
Wound S-1 pickups and an Active P Bass Special that also has S-1 pickups. For keys,
I use a Kurzweil PC2X.тАЭ
Rebecca, the bandтАЩs guitarist, primarily plays her first guitar, a beat up Fender
Telecaster with Seymour Duncan hot rails. Not only is this her axe of choice, but it is
also the first guitar she ever owned! She runs the guitar through an
assortment of Boss, Line 6 and Vox pedals into her Marshall 1987x Plexi
with a Marshall Vintage series 1960 TV cab (loaded with Greenbacks) and
her тАЬsmall but mightyтАЭ Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Lauren, the drummer, plays a DW
kit with DW hardware and Zildjian cymbals.
Not only does BarlowGirl display well-refined musicianship, but they also write their own
music (a practice which, unfortunately, is becoming less and less common these days). Lauren
explains the simplicity of the bandтАЩs writing process, тАЬBecca always has her acoustic guitar, and
all three of us bring our journals and a tape recorder. And we just sit down and write.тАЭ
THAT MAGIC SOUND::
BRYAN LENOX (Michael W. Smith, Cliff Richard) is guilty of masterfully recording both BarlowGirl albums. He
was kind enough to share the secret to his amazing vocal sound (which comes in at around 10,000 bucks). тАЬI
used an AT 4050 (Audio Technica) mic through a 7th circle Audio Neve Mic Pre through a DBX DeEsser through
a GML Compressor through a vintage Langevin EQ through a Tubetech CL1B into an Apogee Psx100 Convertor.тАЭ
SLEEP FALLING::
While life in the fast lane is exciting, Lauren reminds us that even rock stars need to sleep. тАЬWe were doing a show in
California, and I was suffering from sleep deprivation that particular night. I was walking around the drum kit trying to tighten
up the hardware when I miscalculated the width of the riser, and I totally fell off. But as I was doing it, I managed to have my
hand in the hi-hat, and then I practically jumped on the hi-hat pedal as I was falling and smashed my hand in the hi-hat. Then,
I proceeded to fall. I pray to this day that nobody saw me do that.тАЭ
One of the coolest resources IтАЩve come
across in a while is SHEETMUSICPLUS.COM.
Think of it as the Amazon.com of sheet
music. They have the worldтАЩs largest
selection of sheet music, nearly 400,000
titles and over 50,000 of these are Christian
and Gospel. This gives musicians, vocalists,
worship leaders and choir directors an easy
way to learn the music they want to play.
Many of the songs are available in several
different formats including piano, vocal,
guitar arrangements, guitar tablature, etc.
NICHOLAS BABCHUK, the companyтАЩs
founder explains, тАЬOver 1,500 churches
purchased sheet music from us last year
and weтАЩre responding to this demand by
further improving our service and selection.
It is our goal to offer all sheet music that is
in print, including all Christian music.тАЭ
I couldnтАЩt resist, so I surfed on over to the
site. Searching for songs can be done by
artist, song or composer, and virtually every
artist I could think of was represented (from
Amy Grant to P.O.D. to MercyMe to
Switchfoot). I ordered a handful of products
including BeethovenтАЩs тАЬFur Elise,тАЭ The
BeatlesтАЩ тАЬLet It BeтАЭ and, of course,
BarlowGirlтАЩs Another Journal Entry songbook
(all simplified versions of course). And what do
you know? They showed up on my doorstep a
couple of days later. It couldnтАЩt be easier.
[The BarlowGirl Gadgets]
BAND MEMBER
FAVORITE
WISH LIST
BIGGEST HEADACHE
BECCA
Plexi
Mac Book Pro
Ear Monitors
LAUREN
Snare Drum
Hockey Gear
Ear Monitors
ALYSSA
Custom Mustang Bass
Jet Airplane
Ear Monitors
GEAR :
LINKS
For more information on the artists and gear on this page, visit:
fender.com, dwdrums.com, zildjian.com, audiotechnica.com,
sheetmusicplus.com, barlowgirl.com
90 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
Russ Long is an award-winning recording engineer who has helmed gold and platinum albums by Sixpence
None the Richer and Newsboys as well as recordings by Relient K, Wilco, Phil Keaggy, Over the Rhine and
others. Russ recently created an educational DVD on studio engineering tailored for singers, songwriters
and home studio enthusiasts. For more information visit audioinstruction.com.
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standingroomonly
your guide to concerts
All photos by Andy Argyrakis
by Andy Argyrakis
From left: Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin
[CHRIS TOMLINтАФMATT REDMANтАФLOUIE GIGLIO
тАЬINDESCRIBABLE TOURтАЭ]
PEORIA CIVIC CENTER | PEORIA, ILтАФFEBRUARY 6, 2006
Even though CHRIS TOMLINтАЩs a relative newcomer
to Christian music after releasing a trio of studio
CDs and a new live disc, heтАЩs truly a veteran of the
road and master of the stage. The singer/
songwriter has certainly paid his dues along the
way, opening for a wide array of acts (most recently
on Steven Curtis ChapmanтАЩs тАЬAll Things New TourтАЭ)
while remaining a prominent figure in the Passion
worship movement. But now that TomlinтАЩs a
headliner on the тАЬIndescribable Tour,тАЭ heтАЩs truly hit
a stride unparallel to any thus far in his career,
taking his audience on a fast-paced journey of
alternative pop and hand-raising praise.
The jaunt adapts the style of ChapmanтАЩs latest
outing where no one is necessarily an opening act
or headliner, but, rather, itтАЩs a family affair from the
onset. Tomlin welcomed the crowd and performed
a short set to get everyone revved up, including the
high octane тАЬForever,тАЭ the reverent тАЬHoly Is the
LordтАЭ and the hugely familiar тАЬFamous One.тАЭ From
there, he passed the microphone over to Britishbred singer/songwriter MATT REDMAN, who
continued the momentum by unveiling modern
church classics from his latest CD Blessed Be Your
Name: The Songs of Matt Redman, Vol. 1 (sixsteps).
The fact that he rarely performs on American
shores made his half hour appearance a treat,
though, like Tomlin, it was not about self-indulgence
but, rather, intentionally about Christ.
Cuts such as тАЬLet Everything That Has Breath,тАЭ
тАЬOnce Again,тАЭ тАЬThe Hear t of WorshipтАЭ and
тАЬBlessed Be Your NameтАЭ were all congregational
regardless of their varying speeds, while Redman
made a point to give all the glory to God over his
own song-penning gifts. In keeping with the tradition
of a mini-Passion conference, guest speaker and
Passion founder LOUIE GIGLIO took the
microphone next to offer an intriguing message
about the grand nature of God and His divine plan
92 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
for the entire universe. After some pondering of
those reflections backed by visual, Scriptural and
even scientific support, Giglio bowed out of the
spotlight for a duet between the two troubadours,
who turned in an inspiring rendition of тАЬThe
Wonderful CrossтАЭ to signify the first setтАЩs finale.
After a brief intermission, the mood turned towards
flat out fun as Tomlin and his backers provided a
glimpse of what a party might be like in heaven
courtesy of тАЬYour Grace Is Enough.тАЭ Inspired by its
pogo stick momentum, the praise leader invited all to
join hands and rejoice as the body of Christ,
regardless of denomination, and they obliged,
dancing together throughout the aisles with stunning
unison. A tight and evenly tempered roll through other
favorites included тАЬOn Our Side,тАЭ тАЬUnchanging (Raise
Up Holy Hands)тАЭ and тАЬIndescribableтАЭ (introduced as a
chilling solo piano piece) performed with comparable
enthusiasm to TomlinтАЩs recent Live from Austin Music
Hall (sixsteps) project. Yet the focus turned even
deeper towards adoration of the Creator on the next
pair of tunes with Tomlin even more prominently
playing the piano (тАЬHow Great Is Our GodтАЭ and тАЬHow
Great Thou ArtтАЭ) during which everyone lifted up the
holiest Name of all and rejoiced over having an
indescribably abundant life in Him.
HERE AND THERE
ARE YOU WITHIN A DAYтАЩS DRIVE?
Here is a concert date you wonтАЩt want to miss!
04/21 тАЬThe Rise TourтАЭ Building 429 and
TAIT, St. Peters, MO
For the latest concert listings, check out
CCMmagazine.comтАЩs searchable tour database
to find out when your favorite artists
will play in a city near you.
CLUB CONNECTION
[
Giving concertgoers a look at one of
the countryтАЩs coolest Christian venues.
]
CLUB THREE DEGREES isnтАЩt just a Minneapolis hot
spot when it comes to Christian concerts. The venue
(formerly named The New Union) is one of the
MidwestтАЩs most prominent musical destinations, even
earning rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine,
which proclaimed, тАЬIt's the most pristine and sleek
night club Minneapolis has to offer." And after taking a
stroll through the three-level, 18,000 square foot
facility, itтАЩs easy to see why, as the ultra hip vibe of
candlelit tables, futuristic chairs, pool tables and a
state of the art light and sound system are set against
the towering stage.
The club is packed with patrons throughout the
week but especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
for live concerts featuring local and national Christian
acts and DJs. A recent perusing of the calendar
includes a vast list of acts as diverse as SUPERCHIC[K],
OLIVIA and THE VIOLET BURNING, while the annual
New Union/Club Three Degrees band tournament has
also been the launching pad for the likes of PFR and
CASTING PEARLS. Ministry is at the forefront of its
mission, including church services every Sunday and
Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. which feature cutting edge
praise and worship with тАЬkeep-it-realтАЭ teaching. For
additional information, log on to club3degrees.com.
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BYTHENUMBERS
9274Jeremy Camp7231
by Gregory Rumburg
Jeremy CampтАЩs тАЬTake You BackтАЭ was 2005тАЩs most-played Christian pop song,
according to Radio & Records and Christian Radio Weekly. Moreover, by yearтАЩs
end, Camp added two gold records to his credit, Stay and Carried Me: The Worship
Project. With the GMA Music Awards taking place April 5th, the BEC Recordings
singer/songwriter stands to figure quite prominently at the annual Grammyesque ceremony. Fresh from visiting in-laws in South Africa, the former high
school football standout counts his blessings.
1.5 MILLION 46
Records sold in three-and-a-half years, according to CampтАЩs management.
тАЬYou donтАЩt expect to sell that many records, so when it happens, you just feel
overwhelmed with joy and very grateful,тАЭ the Indiana resident tells us.
CampтАЩs management anticipates all of his records will be RIAA gold-certified
by the time you read this.
Hours in a car, the longest door-to-door trip of CampтАЩs career. He was
heading to Canada for a gig following a 2002 showcase for Columbia
Records in California. Icy roads and heavy traffic in Texas stand out among
the lowlights of the journey as the artist and four others traveled in a Ford
Expedition. тАЬIt was the most ridiculous thing. You just wanted to punch
people,тАЭ Camp says of the experience.
9 300
Back-to-back No. 1 singles, with тАЬThis ManтАЭ being his most recent hit. WhatтАЩs
the secret to CampтАЩs success on the radio? тАЬDude, there is no formula,тАЭ he
says. тАЬWhat really is the deciding factor and what really gets to the heart of
people is that youтАЩre real when you write. You donтАЩt just write a pop song thatтАЩs
going to make it to radioтАжWhatтАЩs important is you writing your heart down.тАЭ
5
Dove nominations for this yearтАЩs GMA Music Awards. What will be going
through CampтАЩs mind as he takes his seat for this yearтАЩs ceremony? тАЬHope
my wife doesnтАЩt have our babyтАЭ while heтАЩs at the show. ThatтАЩs Adie, former
front woman of The Benjamin Gate, who is due April 22.
3-PEAT
Camp could be the first artist to win тАЬMale Vocalist of the YearтАЭ three years in
a row since Michael English did it in тАЩ92, тАЩ93 and тАЩ94. тАЬI feel pretty humbled
because I look at other artists like Jason Crabb [of the Crabb Family] who can
really sing. I just feel lucky,тАЭ Camp says.
19
Months ago, Camp became a father for the first time. He gushes over Isabella
Rose. тАЬSheтАЩs so cute. There are so many things about being a father that are
amazing. One thing I love is that when I walk in the room, sheтАЩll say, тАШDa-Da!тАЩ
and hold her hands out, as if to say, тАШPick me up!тАЩ ThatтАЩs the most amazing
thing. And I love to pray for my daughter.тАЭ
94 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
Days on the road that first year after Stay released. тАЬKids, donтАЩt try that
at home. It was not fun,тАЭ the singer laughs.
5
Workout days per week, when heтАЩs home. Before discovering songwriting,
Jeremy planned to try his luck at college and pro football.
56
Pairs of shoes line the closet in the Camp household. Jeremy says his
wife has more pairsтАФbut not many. His inventory includes golf shoes,
Harley-Davidson boots and several pairs of Nike and Diesel shoes. Why so
many? We think itтАЩs because of a lot of short walks through the houseтАж
14
Number of houses, Camp has lived in during his life. тАЬWe used to move
around a lot. My Dad had different jobs. Then, when I lived in California, I
moved about six times,тАЭ he says.
17
Months, since Restored hit shelves. But Jeremy anticipates a new studio
record by this November. The working title is Beyond Measure.
CCM_04.06_Perspective.v4
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apersonalperspective
A CRASH COURSE IN
Christianity
IN RECENT YEARS INO RECORDING ARTIST SARA GROVES HAS PROVEN HERSELF TO
BE ONE OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITYтАЩS MOST ARTICULATE AND MOTIVATIONAL
ACTIVISTS. WHETHER SHEтАЩS RESPONDING TO THE DEVASTATION OF HURRICANE
KATRINA, HUMAN TRAFFICKING OR THE AIDS AND POVERTY EMERGENCY IN AFRICA,
SARA LIVES OUT HER FAITH AS BOTH AN EDUCATOR AND A HUMBLE ROLE MODEL.
WHEN WE HEARD THAT SHE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM HER FIRST TRIP TO AFRICA,
WE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO WITH THIS PAGEтАж
I have never had an experience where my worldview was so stretched and
challenged in such a short time, where I would see some simple thing and
think, тАЬThat changes everything.тАЭ
This past January my husband, Troy, and I went to Rwanda. We went
there to capture the stories of people who are adding to the beauty for a
DVD releasing this summer. How we got there is a long story with many
sub-stories. What we saw there is even more complexтАФthis is an attempt
to summarize our experience.
The trip was a crash course in global health issues. It is one thing to have
a conversation with Jars of Clay backstage about the necessity of clean
water in Africa (see bloodwater.org) and yet another to see women and
children walking for miles with buckets of brown water balanced on their
heads. At one point Troy said to me, тАЬSara, I havenтАЩt seen any elderly
people, have you?тАЭ I realized that I had not. We asked our 27-year-old
Rwandan friend, Alfred, where the elderly people were. He just shook his
head, тАЬAt 50, I will be an old man.тАЭ There are no elderly people. According
to UNICEF, the average life expectancy in Rwanda is 39 years of age.
The trip was a crash course in global economics. It is one thing to have a
conversation about fair trade at my local Starbucks and another thing
completely to talk to a coffee grower named Augustine who has eight
children and is just now beginning to be paid for the work he has done all of
his life. Many times I had the thought, тАЬThis is not about charity, this is about
acknowledging injustice.тАЭ This is about the need to right great inequities
that, for some reason, have been called тАЬthe way things are.тАЭ I donтАЩt expect to
work for free, and yet that is the standard for much of the world.
And then there is the genocide. I started teaching 10th grade history right
after the genocide in Rwanda took place. It was one of our topics during
тАЬFriday Current Events.тАЭ It is one thing to stand in front of a classroom and
discuss the meaning of the word тАЬgenocideтАЭ and yet another to speak to
Raphael, who is one of only a handful of survivors out of 50,000 people who
sought refuge at the Murambi school grounds only to be trapped and
murdered by a mob with machetes. His wife and five children are buried at
the memorial site where he now works, sharing his story with visitors.
96 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
by Sara Groves
And then there is the reconciliation. Unlike the Holocaust, the survivors
of this genocide still live among the people who committed the mass
murders. How on earth do you keep things from disintegrating into war in
a climate like that? It is one thing to read in my daily devotions about
forgiveness and to think about that person at church who annoys me
somewhat and another thing completely to hear stories from the Minister
of Reconciliation, Fatuma Ndangiza, about the woman who not only
forgave the young man who murdered her family but recently took him in
as a son after he had served his sentence. It is unfathomable, and yet
everywhere you go, you feel the clarity of the choice in this fragile place
between more death and killing and forgiveness.
The trip was a snapshot of a historical tipping point. So many of my
songs are about how God brings beauty out of pain. If that is true, then the
world is about to witness something unbelievably beautiful in Rwanda. As
dark and painful as the history is, the hope is palpable. (I will be writing
more about this on our website, saragroves.com.)
This trip was a crash course in Christianity and what it means to be a
part of the Kingdom of God. I thought I was a fair person and a sensitive
person, but this trip exposed my self-congratulatory attitude, my messianic
complex, my materialism addiction, my U.S.-centric worldview, and my
total failure to grasp that all people are made in the image of God.
Our last night in Rwanda, we were treated to a performance by the
Rwandan International Ballet. The woman sitting next to me was telling me
that the song and dance we were watching was from the perspective of the
parents to their children. тАЬThey are saying, тАШYou are as big as elephants to
us. Even though you are small, you are powerful, and you matter to us.тАЩтАЭ
Later in the program, she leaned in to say, тАЬMost of our songs are about
children, lifeтАжyou know, families and work. What are your songs about?тАЭ
тАЬChildren, life, families and work.тАЭ
On the plane ride home, I listened to Fernando OrtegaтАЩs song тАЬAll That Time.тАЭ
The song is about a husband and wife, but the words took on a new meaning,
тАЬOur long arms hanging by our sides, all that timeтАжтАЭ With that thought came a flood of
tears. I was picturing all the people filling the earth, all of us with our need for
love, for meaning, and all of us with our long arms hanging by our sides.
I picture myself in the not so distant past, with my long arms hanging by
my sides and my tiny heart so full of fear and self. I reflect over the last few
years, and I see with profound gratitude how God has taken me into account,
been patient with my hesitation, and invited, and invited, and invited me to
be a part of His work. I see how my heart has grown and continues to burst
out of its confines. I understand now more than ever that this is not charity;
this is fullness of life. God has invited us to be a part of His work, to be a part
of something so much bigger than ourselves, and not just for the sake of the
poor. As we help others climb out of the grip of poverty, maybe we, in turn,
will find ourselves climbing free from the poverty of our souls.
Sara GrovesтАЩ latest album, Add to the Beauty, was named 2005тАЩs тАЬAlbum of the YearтАЭ
by CCM Magazine.
CCM_04.06_Classifieds.v3
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CLASSIFIEDS
CDs
MUSICIANS
NEW CDs $6, used CDs $3.50. All genres
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STUDIO-READY and tour-ready drummer
available. Serious inquiries only. Contact
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CONFERENCES
NATIONAL CHRISTIAN SONGWRITERS
CONFERENCE, Washington, D.C. (June 23, 2006) тАУ Mclean Bible and God-song
host AmericaтАЩs premiere songwriting
event. Watermark, Bob Kauflin, Jamie
Har vill, Mar ty McCall and more. For
information, visit www.god-song.com or
call 540-842-1119.
PRODUCTION
SEEKING MINISTRY-minded individuals
interested in traveling the country. Technical
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CCM [ISSN 1524тАУ7848] is published monthly by Salem Publishing.
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april 06 ccm 97
CCM_04.06_HistoryMakers.v4
3/9/06
9:19 PM
Page 98
HISTORYMAKERS
WITH J O H N S T Y L L
MOMENTS THAT SHAPED CCM
THIS MONTH WE ASKED JOHN TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE GMA MUSIC AWARDSтАЩ HISTORY AND AN
INSIDERтАЩS PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THE GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION PULLS OFF THE AWARDS SHOW EACH YEAR.
[WHEN DOVES FLY]
As president of the Gospel Music Association, one of my
duties is to serve as Executive Producer of the GMA Music
AwardsтАФalso known as the Dove Awards. The Executive
Producer is basically responsible for arranging funding,
production and distribution.
This yearтАЩs show takes place April 5. The nominations were
announced on February 1. We thought this monthтАЩs column
would be well-served by giving you a little history about the
Doves and explaining how the GMAтАЩs awards process works.
The first Dove Awards took place in Memphis in 1969
during the National Quartet Convention. There were only
11 categories, and all of them were Southern Gospel. (The
GMA was originally formed by the Southern Gospel music
industry for the purpose of promoting that form of music.)
The тАЬInspirationalтАЭ and тАЬPop/ContemporaryтАЭ categories
were added in 1976 to reflect the growing scope of the
industry and the undeniable popularity of artists such as
Evie, The Imperials and The Bill Gaither Trio. A black
gospel category was added in 1977.
The most important decision ever made by the GMA
Board of Directors was when they decided to have the
GMA represent all forms of gospel music, rather than
Southern Gospel exclusively. Now the awards encompass
42 categoriesтАФeverything from bluegrass to Spanish
language to hip-hop.
HereтАЩs how the process works. Most of the GMAтАЩs 4,000
members are in the тАЬprofessionalтАЭ category, meaning that
they earn all or part of their living in some aspect of gospel
music. Members and record companies are given the
opportunity to nominate artists and albums for entry into the
awards process. The eligibility period is from November 1
through October 31. In other words, to be eligible for
nomination for a 2006 GMA Music Award, an album must
have been commercially released between November 1,
2004, and October 31, 2005. In early December, various
98 ccm april 06
ccmmagazine.com
From left: This yearтАЩs GMA Music Awards hosts Kirk Franklin and Rebecca St. James, GMAтАЩs Dove Trophy
тАЬScreening CommitteesтАЭ convene to review all of the submitted entries to ensure that they meet
the eligibility requirements and have been placed in the most appropriate musical category.
Approximately 70-80 people who are experts in various musical styles volunteer most of a day to
assist with this process. Their task is to review more than 1,200 separate entries. All entriesтАФboth
from big-name artists and companies and from hundreds youтАЩve never heard ofтАФare given careful
consideration.
The GMAтАЩs Awards & Criteria Committee meets a few days after the screening process to
review all of the entries, make decisions regarding any conflicts, and determine whether any
major releases or artists were inadvertently overlooked.
Based on the number of entries received, a list of the top 25 albums or artists in each category
is made available to all GMA members who are active as of December 1. For the first time this
year, voting took place online. The five artists, songs or albums receiving the most votes in each
category become the finalists. A ballot featuring these nominees is made available in February,
and from there, the Dove recipients are chosen.
The results are kept secret until revealed during the GMA Music Awards. This year the show
will be held on April 5 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. It will begin airing on television
April 15. (You can find out when it will air in your area by going to gmamusicawards.com.)
I am often asked why the GMA Music Awards does not air on one of the major networks such
as ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. ItтАЩs very simple, really. Although the sales of gospel music exceed
classical and jazz combined, the networks still see it as a relatively small niche market when
compared to mainstream rock, R&B or country. And frankly, the religious nature of the lyrics
makes TV executives nervous. Over the years we have had discussions with every network.
They canтАЩt quite grasp the breadth of the appeal of this music, nor do they see many of our
artists as тАЬstarsтАЭ (as they would define the term). Consequently, none of the networks has been
willing to take the risk of airing the show.
ThatтАЩs why we тАЬsyndicateтАЭ the show. All that means is that we make deals with TV stations on a
market-by-market basis. They air the show at a time that is convenient for them, which is usually not
during prime time. We try to find sponsors who are willing to pay to have their products promoted
during commercial breaks. We use that money to produce the showтАФwhich can cost several
hundred thousand dollars. It seems unbelievable, but itтАЩs true. And we think itтАЩs worth it, considering
the television exposure the gospel message receives through the music that is presented on the show.
Send your thoughts to me at [email protected].
[
JOHN STYLL is the president of the Gospel Music Association. Before taking its helm, he launched CCM
Magazine in 1978 and captained our ship for more than 20 years. For more information on the Gospel
Music Association or the GMA Music Awards, which it oversees, go to gospelmusic.org.
]

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