August, 2006 *Thursday, August 31st, 2006* Storming out with their hit release Smile, It’s The End of the World, Hawk Nelson continues to blaze upward with their music video for “The One Thing I Have Left” being added to mtvU as well as being eligible for voting on “The Freshman” show, which introduces new artists through the video countdown format. mtvU is produced exclusively for the college audience on more than 730 universities, reaching over 6.5 million students in dining halls, student lounges, fitness centers, and dorm rooms. To Vote for Hawk Nelson on mtvU go to www.mtvu.com/music/freshmen/ next week September 4-8th. Voting begins Monday, September 4 at 11AM EST & ends Friday, September 8 at 11:59AM. In addition to hitting mtvU, Hawk Nelson has been traveling across the country from New York to LA with summer festivals and media blitzes. Recently they spent a day in New York City interviewing with Launch Radio Network, Popstar, and FUSE Network along with performances at Billboard and Music Choice. While in LA, Hawk Nelson taped an entertainment feature with the top-rated KTLA Morning Show, which airs Thursday (August 31). The band also appeared on the video countdown show on Much Music as well as taped a segment for the International Music Feed. Also this summer, radio fell in love with Hawk Nelson’s first single from the sophomore project, “Everything You Ever Wanted.” The single stood strong at No.1 on the CHR chart for nine consecutive weeks. Plowing ahead full force, Hawk Nelson will be headlining the fall Smile, It’s the End of the World tour (dates below), which will be in key markets such as Las Vegas, Houston, Nashville, San Diego and Los Angeles. The tour will consist of House of Blue shows (Anaheim, Las Vegas) as well as a TGIFriday/Wal-Mart opening in LA. The tour will be sponsored by Absolutepunk.com, Rockstar Energy Drink, and Xbox. Following their Smile tour, Hawk Nelson will join the Beyond Measure Tour with Jeremy and Adie Camp. (from The M Collective) Pre-promoting the September 26 release of his fourth album, See The Morning, 2006 GMA Artist of the Year Chris Tomlin’s Made To Worship EP, a digital exclusive, is now available online via iTunes and other digital service providers. The “Made To Worship” EP features See The Morning’s title track and first single, plus a live version of the #1 hit “Indescribable,” the 2006 GMA Song of the Year “How Great Is Our God,” and “Your Grace Is Enough.” At iTunes, the EP also includes a PDF of sheet music for “Made To Worship.” Pick up this popular download right here. For complete details on See The Morning, including several great pre-order deals, check out www.ChrisTomlin.com. (from Sparrow Records) Responding to what their fans have requested, the members of Avalon will release a new album of timeless worship songs from the church, Faith: A Hymns Collection, on October 17 via Sparrow Records. Produced by Brown Bannister (Amy Grant), Faith features Avalon’s special renditions of powerful hymns including “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Blessed Assurance,” “Joyful, Joyful,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “In Christ Alone,” “It Is Well,” “Total Praise,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “On Christ The Solid Rock,” “How Great Thou Art,” and “Amazing Grace.” Also highlighted are “Jesus Medley” and the bonus patriotic song “For Freedom Needs.” Avalon is already performing some of these Faith songs at Women of Faith conferences around the country. The group will perform for nearly 500,000 people at these events through 2006 and has several major television appearances in the works to promote the new album upon release. News of Faith: A Hymns Collection comes even as Avalon’s current album, Stand, continues to impact radio and retail. Another standout single from that acclaimed project, “Somehow You Are,” hit the airwaves earlier this month. Posting at www.AvalonLive.com, group member Jody McBrayer said, “It’s a personal favorite of mine, and I hope you guys enjoy it too.” (from Sparrow Records) One would think supergroup Alabama has seen it all, done it all and won it all, but that is not the case. The band just completed recording Alabama – Songs of Inspiration, an album of traditional hymns, standards and two new songs that will hit stores October 24, 2006. The album will be simultaneously released by RCA Records to traditional retailers and by Provident Music Group to the Christian retail outlets. “We first started thinking about this in 1990,” recalls Alabama frontman Randy Owen, “and it seems like fans have been asking for it longer than that! The timing just happened to finally work out to record the album now.” Alabama – Songs of Inspiration is the Country Music Hall of Fame band’s first new album in over five years, the first since the band’s farewell tour wrapped up three years ago, and first album with inspirational content in the group’s history. Included are classics like “Rock of Ages,” “How Great Thou Art,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Amazing Grace” and more. Narrowing the vast offerings available to record was the most challenging aspect of putting together the album, according to Owen. “I initially looked for songs at my mother’s house. I looked through her notebooks and found so many songs and old song books. We also did a survey with the fan club to get ideas from them on songs they’d like us to do.” “These are songs that we grew up listening to as little kids. They’ve been ‘hits’ for hundreds of years, and our hope was to just carry them along in the same tradition. They’ll be around long after we’re gone, and I hope what we did with these songs will fit in somewhere in a good spot in history.” Two original songs, “One Big Heaven” and “Rain” – both written by Owen – were recorded for the album. Dr. Ralph Stanley contributes vocals on “I Am The Man Thomas.” Stanley co-wrote the song, which also features Stanley’s grandson on mandolin. Gospel standouts The Isaacs provide beautiful vocals on “I Need Thee.” Three granddaughters of Alabama’s Teddy Gentry sang on “Jesus Loves Me,” and the Christmas classic “Silent Night” was also recorded for the album - a first for Alabama. “We recorded two Christmas albums, but we never cut that song. It fit the project, and it’s beautiful!” Owen continues, “Recording this album has been an emotional journey, and it’s one I’m proud we took. I hope people feel like they’re going to church when they listen to these songs. Music is a great healer and a great comfort, and I think that’s what these songs are,” he concluded. “This music is for the folks - this is for all God’s people.” (from Provident Music Group) Word Records (a Warner Bros./Curb co.) Austin-based Latin jam band, Salvador, announces its fourth national headline run, the “Dismiss The Mystery Tour.” Booked by the William Morris Agency (www.wmaccm.com), Salvador begins its tour October 5th in San Diego in support of its August 29th release, Dismiss The Mystery, and visits several key fan markets including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Albuquerque and Miami. Salvador has earned multiple Latin Billboard Award nominations and took home the Dove Award for “Spanish Language Album of the Year” for Con Poder. The band has performed before audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands, including Billy Graham’s final crusade in New York City. Seven years in the making and with an average of more than 100 dates a year, Salvador has built one of the most loyal and appreciative fanbases in the industry. The band’s last single, Heaven, seized a Top 5 radio position for 18 weeks on AC radio and was the 4th most played song of 2005. The Dismiss The Mystery Tour additionally features the bands Liquid and Circleslide, along with special guest speaker, David Conteras. (from Word Records) *Tuesday, August 29th, 2006* Contemporary Christian music mainstay, newsboys releases its latest offering, GO, Oct. 31. The band’s first bona fide pop-rock album in nearly five years, GO was motivated by newsboys’ recent international travels. Produced by Tedd T and Peter Furler, GO originates at the height of newsboys influence and recognition overseas. Having recently performed shows in Europe, Morocco, and Tiberius, Israel, as well as domestically, newsboys engaged thousands of people from various cultures and religious backgrounds. This interaction prompted them to record an album that echoed the call of the Great Commission. “The Israeli festival had a large impact on us,” comments newsboys’ frontman Peter Furler. “All the different nationalities and religious beliefs coming together, and for that moment co-existing peacefully, was a moment I will never forget.” Such purpose is reflected on songs like the title track: “GO...From the top of the world/ To the bottom rung/‘til the work is done/I wanna send you/GO.../From the break of the dawn/To the age’s end/Somebody’s needing a friend/I wanna send you.” Musically, the project harkens back to newsboys popular, catchy pop-rock sound while moving forward creatively and sonically. “Wherever We Go” released to radio Aug. 18 and was the most added song at both Adult Contemporary and Christian Hit Radio its first week out, debuting on the Top 30 chart. Plans are in the works now for a major album premier event live from Jerusalem. newsboys will also be heading out on tour in the Spring of 2007 for the largest tour of their career to date. Additional details are forthcoming. “GO is a landmark recording for both newsboys and Inpop,” comments Dale Bray, Inpop Records president. “I’ve seen the band stretch themselves to break boundaries both musically and lyrically. All of us at Inpop are excited to be involved in such an outstanding recording.” With five gold albums, sales exceeding six million units, more than 20 No.1 radio hits, and a mantle of Dove Awards as well as Grammy nominations, newsboys have achieved phenomenal success in its near two decades together. Known for their amazing live performances, and their groundbreaking tours, the band continues to sellout festivals and concerts worldwide, satisfying diehard fans and winning new ones in the process. For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.newsboys.com. (from Savvy Media) Centricity Record’s artist-worshiper, Jaime Jamgochian, has achieved a major milestone in her recording career….. a #1 single on the national Christian charts with “Hear My Worship.” This is the follow-up to the top 10 single “Love Rains Down” from Jamgochian’s debut CD, Reason To Live, which was released via Word Distribution on June 6, 2006. The CD was immediately heralded as a breakthrough project for Jamgochian and continues to receive critical acclaim from media, radio, and retail. “Jaime’s music just blew me away when I first heard it,” exclaims John McClain, Assistant Program Director/Morning Air Personality, KCBI-FM/Dallas. “She has the unique ability to sing right through to the heart with intense emotion. In a word, Jaime’s music is worship. I don’t know if she realizes just how special she is….what a talent! Reason To Live is a must-have.” Jamgochian gave a debut performance of “Hear My Worship” at this year’s GMA 5th Annual Worship Breakfast, where 500 radio programmers gave it an enthusiastic response. The song was co-written by Jamgochian and Sam Mizell and features the powerful lyrics: "Here as I worship You/I long to be more honest/Long to be more free; I long to be more real/I long to be more transparent/As You see my true intentions." “This song was written during a time when God was really challenging my heart to be honest and real with Him,” says Jamgochian. “I was in the middle of a writing period for the new CD, Reason To Live, with numerous co-writing appointments and I started feeling stale and kind of on a treadmill to get the songs finished quickly for the new album. During my frustrating writing season, I was at my keyboard, playing, praying, and started singing this song to Him. My hope for this tune is that it will convey that every part of our lives hopefully displays true worship to God.” “All of us at Centricity are incredibly excited for Jaime,” states Steve Ford, Vice President, Marketing, Centricity Records. “She has worked hard to let people know about this song – early morning radio visits and long treks to the next city being the least – and all that hard work has paid off. We are proud of Jaime and the team around her for the diligence and dedication to ‘Hear My Worship.” We know this is just the beginning for Jaime, as there are many more great worship songs to follow.” Jamgochian will be heading to Colorado Springs, CO in mid-September, as she will be the musical guest for Focus On The Family’s Chapel Service where she will perform “Hear My Worship.” Then on September 22, Jamgochian will be in Charlotte, NC to kick-off the Girls Of Grace tour with Point Of Grace, as Jamgochian is the worship leader for all of these events. And check on her website, www.jaimejam.com, for “Modest Is Hottest” conferences that Jamgochian is leading with her new band. The seminars promote purity and modesty for teens and young women, who are buying and wearing the “Modest Is Hottest” t-shirts that Jamgochian sells at these events and on her website. (from Bozeman Media) Skillet is eager to spread the word of their October 3rd release, Comatose. Right now fans and fans-to-be can check out a new promi video that gives just a tiny taste of what's to come. Visit http://www.skillet.com/myspace/comatose-promo.html for the video now! (from Skillet; JFH) Eleventyseven fans have a chance to vote this week for the band's new video "Myspace" on mtvU's The Freshmen. Voting can be done two ways... online or by texting. Voting started yesterday and runs through this Friday, September 1st. Help promote eleventyseven get their video, "Myspace" featured on mtvU's The Freshmen. Go to Flicker's myspace blog for code to post the banner. Show the boys love and help them get more votes! (from Flicker Records) Fervent Records’ renowned three-sister rock band, BarlowGirl, releases Another Journal Entry - Expanded Edition on Aug. 29 (today). Following up BarlowGirl’s critically acclaimed 2005 release, Another Journal Entry, the Expanded Edition package includes five previously unreleased songs, exclusive web content and a 150-page book, BarlowGirl: More Than Music, written by Alyssa, Becca and Lauren Barlow with Andrew Barlow. Featuring segments on daily life, thoughts on the future, stories behind the songs and pages of color pictures, More Than Music provides an inside look at the girls as artists, songwriters, sisters and friends. Another Journal Entry – Expanded Edition additionally includes the band’s music video, "Never Alone." The video recently debuted on Yahoo! where it has been one of the most successful Christian premieres to date with over 500,000 views online. BarlowGirl will launch its nationwide, 30-city “Do Not Conform Tour” this fall in support of Another Journal Entry – Expanded Edition. Beginning Sept. 15 in Cincinnati, OH and jointly sponsored by LifeWay, Word Label Group and World Vision, the tour also features Matthew West and Downhere. This is BarlowGirl’s first time ever headlining a tour. (from Word Records) Blindside is making preparations for their follow-up to their 2005 release The Great Depression. The band has toured internationally almost exclusively this year, with upcoming dates in South Africa and Sweden. U.S. fans have just one more chance to see them live this year at the Harvest Moon festival in Edmonton, Canada. To wrap up their support of The Great Depression, the band will be releasing "When I remember" as a single in Sweden. A video is also in progress and will come out in the beginning of September. For more Blindside happenings, read the guys' new blog at MySpace.com/Blindside (from MySpace.com/Blindside; Thanks to invert48) Every day this week Tooth & Nail / Solid State will be releasing new unreleased songs from upcoming albums on their imprints. Visit each of the band's MySpace pages on the designated day below to listen to an unreleased song. Sunday Aug 27: Jonezetta Monday Aug 28: Destroy The Runner Tuesday Aug 29: Norma Jean Wednesday Aug 30: Dead Poetic Thursday Aug 31: mewithoutYou Friday Sept 1: He Is Legend Saturday Sept 2: Twelve Gauge Valentine Sunday Sept 3: Anberlin *Exclusive Free Song Download (from Tooth & Nail Records) Midas pop-rock artist Jessie Daniels claims the most played video on Gospel Music Channel for two second consecutive weeks with “The Noise.” The video recently made its debut at No. 1 on the network’s Overall Top 30 Videos Chart. Filmed at both Rocketown and PK Studios in Nashville, Tenn., the video, a visual accompaniment to Daniels’ No. 2 Christian Hit Radio single, combines live performance shots with images of New York City’s Times Square. Its concept mimics the song’s theme about breaking through worldly distractions to find quiet time with God. “Jessie Daniels’ ‘The Noise’ was a no-brainer for us at Gospel Music Channel,” comments Jerry Williams, director of programming. “The visuals are dynamic, the music is kicky and the lyrics are dead on. Jessie herself portrays a sort of hip innocence that makes this video especially viable for us.” To view the video, click here and click on “The Noise.” Daniels’ self-titled debut label project released to retail June 6. Featuring 11 songs, eight written by Daniels, the album is fun and catchy with a pop-rock flare. Its debut radio single “The Noise,” reached No. 2 on Radio & Records Christian Hit Radio chart. Her current single “Everyday” held steady this week at No. 5 on Radio & Records CHR chart. Eighteen year-old Jessie Daniels hails from Long Island, N.Y. An actress since the age of eight, Daniels has appeared in multiple independent films as well as commercials for MTV and Lifetime. In 2003, she began writing and recording her first music project, a 6-song EP that released via her Web site. The EP garnered Daniels national attention, and she was asked to perform at Radio Disney concert events nationwide. More dates followed with artists like Seventh Day Slumber, Kutless, Paul Wright, and Across the Sky. Daniels has been featured by more that 60 media outlets and is endorsed by Transitions Optical and Daisy Rock Girl Guitars. She is currently on the SHOUTfest tour, www.shoutfest.com, through October. For more information, check out her official Web site at www.jessiedaniels.com. (from Savvy Media) Many thought that when Bride released a CD called This Is It that they were quitting and going off into rock n’ roll retirement. But that was hardly the case. Bride has been working on their new CD Skin for Skin over the past few months. This 2006-2007 release will begin a new Bride era. Bride has returned again to its metal roots. Dale and Troy Thompson original founders of Bride have once again composed and recorded 12 songs that are sure to re-awaken the Bride fans. Not since the release of the legendary Snakes in the Playground has any of their CD’s been so highly anticipated. Skin for Skin is a very powerful piece of work. Recorded at Waycross Studios in Ohio the band was able to get away from all of the Nashville types and concentrate on being themselves. Vocally Dale comes out screaming and finds new vocal range in the lower register to induce and incite cold chills up ones spine. Troy invents some of the most memorable and grove oriented metal licks in his career. Lawrence Bishop on bass drives the bottom end like a M1 Tank. Unlike the past several CD’s Skin for Skin is riddled with double bass thunder. Together all of these elements produce possibly the best work that Bride has ever recorded. Lyrically Dale deals with tough subjects like racism, war, evil in the world, sacrifice and the love of one for all others. He delves headlong and addresses addiction, redemption, restoration, deliverance, and love. Dale’s son Alex who is currently serving in the United States Airforce even has song writing credit as he shares his song about suicide on this CD. Alex could not perform the song himself but Bride did their best to interpret his thoughts and feelings. Bride also invited a special guest to appear on the CD. Not since their second release Live to Die has Steve Osborne guitar virtuoso appeared on a Bride CD. But on Skin for Skin you will hear his phenomenal solo’s throughout. Bride expects no less than world wide success with Skin for Skin. A core player in Bride’s history has re-joined the band. Drummer Jerry McBroom is back and will be touring with the band as they travel to Brazil and Europe after the release of the CD. Bride is universally recognized as one of the greatest live bands to date and they now have captured the live energy on a studio CD. Skin for Skin is the essential Bride CD to obtain. Twenty years has past, more than a dozen CD’s, thousands of miles of touring throughout the world playing to hundreds of thousands of fans on the globe and Bride is back full throttle, all metal! Skin for Skin is a CD to be celebrated. But most of all fans should not loose sight of the true theme of all Bride CD’s. That is “Christ and Him crucified.” For more about the legendary rockers, visit www.bridepub.com (from Bride) *Saturday, August 26th, 2006* Our friends The Listening was recently involved in a serious accident with their van that left the guys shaken but okay. Here's vocalist Gabriel Wilson's version of the frightening story... "Its 5AM, Josiah is at the wheel. We've just crossed the Montana/Wyoming border on I-90 going East bound. We're sleeping in the back. Eric and Adam (tour manager) are on back bed. Chris is on the middle bench seat. Gabriel (that's me) is on the bench seat just behind the two front seats. Just before Sheradin, Wyoming tragedy strikes. I don't quite know how to describe it -- except to say that we lived through one of my worst nightmares, and barely made it. Josiah hits a deer. That would be fine, except this time the airbags are deployed, knocking Josiah's hands off the wheel and sending us out of control. Josiah starts yelling at the top of his lungs... It wakes me up. He tries his best to regain control... and almost does. I don't remember much, save for the prayers that I prayed. The van was rocking back and forth. Actually, it was being thrown back and forth by the weight of our 8,000 pound trailer full of gear and production. The sound was indescribable. A lot of yelling. A lot of screeching tires. All of us yelling, "Jesus! Save us! Help us! God, protect us!!!" I'm sure everyone was praying as best they could. About 3 seconds later, the trailer flipped over, causing our van to whip around 180 degress and then flip. I remember the sensation of knowing that we were flipping. I was on the bench seat, curled into a ball with my hands and arms covering my head. I remember the feeling of the bench seat slipping out from underneath me, and the sound changing. From the screams of my best friends, I now heard the world outside of the van. I was being thrown from the van--at 50 mph. I remember that I wasn't scared...I was just "aware" of the fact that I was being thrown out of the van as we rolled. None of us were in our seat belts, except for Josiah... I flew through the air...and I hit the ground. It was dirt and gravel, though I only know this by taste and smell, not by the texture. I could hear the trailer flipping around and gear flying out of it.. It had detached from the van and was sent flailing. And I heard the van... rolling towards me. I didn't move. I froze in my curled up state, my arms protecting my head. I heard it touch down 3 feet behind me... I knew it would roll on top of me. And it did. I heard it hit 3 feet in front of me... and then I heard nothing. I had a friend in 7th grade who was thrown from a truck as it rolled--and then smashed by the rolling truck. It killed him. I thought to myself... "is this it? This is it... here I go." I thought I would die. And when all I heard was silence... I thought it was over. I opened up my eyes. I looked around. The van was on top of me, only it was on its tires. Yes, I was under the van, only miraculously, I wasn't smashed at all. I had a couple inches between me and the drive shaft of the van. I still didn't hear anything. I pulled myself from underneath... I checked myself out. I had no scratches, except for a mild scrape on my left elbow. I checked my head... I checked my face. I checked my neck... I felt fine. I was sorta taken back. I mean, I had been thrown OUT OF THE VAN. I had landed, and then slid a ways in the gravel. And nothing? Then I began to worry. If I was thrown out of the van, the boys must be everywhere, and hurting. I peered through what used to be the side door window to see if any of them were still in the van. Josiah was still sitting in the driver's seat. He saw me... "Are you okay, Siah?" "Yeah...dude. I hit a deer, man! It launched the airbags, and I couldn't keep contol! I'm so sorry..." "No worries man... Chris, are you okay?" Chris was pinned by his bench seat which had come undone from its brackets that hold it in place... "yeah...I'm okay" "Adam...Eric?...you guys okay?" We didn't hear anything at first. The back of the roof was smashed down onto the bed. I thought for sure they'd be a bloody mess, if not dead. But Eric was fine... Adam, however, was busted up. "My arm's busted," he said. "Its really broken bad." As the boys got out of the van, I started checking myself... "Are you okay?" Josiah asked. "Yeah...I feel fine. I got thrown out of the van. It landed on top of me, but it didn't hurt me 'cuz it landed on its tires." "That's crazy!" I checked myself again. I was weirded out... No blood. No cuts. Barely a scrape on my elbow. And my right thigh was a bit sore. Other than that, nothing crazy... And from there...this whole day has been nuts. The trailer was totalled, and much of the gear was thrashed. The van was also totalled... We were all taken by ambulance to the hospital. After xrays, ct scans, and the works, Adam was diagnosed with a severely broken arm. Eric has a badly sprained ankle and some pulled ligaments in one arm. Chris is really sore. And I am only sore as well... Josiah was seat-belted in as the driver, so he's fine as can be--but VERY shaken up by all of this. There was nothing he could've done any better...nothing at all. Sometimes airbags help. In this case, they almost killed all of us. We are walking miracles. Honestly, we shouldn't be alive. And that is the beauty of this story. In the most dangerous time, and the most frightening time, God is with us all. The doctors told us that we were lucky. The tow truck driver explained that this was a "bad, bad wreck" and that we were "lucky to be alive." Agreed. He was right there with us the whole time... Thank you, Jesus." For the full blog from Gabriel, visit MySpace.com/TheListening. Please keep the band in your prayers during this really tough time. (from MySpace.com/TheListening) Can't wait for Jeremy Camp's October 31st release of Beyond Measure to get your hands on new music from the pop/rock star? The new single "Tonight" from Jeremy, along with with a bonus Adie Camp song called "When It's Over" (from her new album Don't Wait), plus a 12 minute podcast, is available for a limited time for $1.99 at www.itunes.com! (from Jeremy Camp) *Friday, August 25th, 2006* Fans everywhere can now download their favorite Gotee Records' music as ringtones for their cellular phones by going online to www.ringtonejukebox.com. Currently available for download are songs from artists including Relient K, Sarah Kelly, John Reuben, Paul Wright, Fighting Instinct, and Jennifer Knapp. In the upcoming weeks, an additional 40 ringtones will be on the site with an anticipated 51 total ringtones offered by the end of September. Forthcoming music downloads will include music from Ayiesha Woods, StorySide:B, GRITS, Family Force 5, and 4th Avenue Jones, as well as imprint label Mono-vs-Stereo bands like Last Tuesday. (from LB PR) Big Idea’s VeggieTales, the most recognized kids faith and values-based property in the U.S., will launch this fall in a regular time slot on NBC, Telemundo and the i network as part of the new qubo programming block. Along with VeggieTales, the programming block will also include Big Idea’s 3-2-1 Penguins! and its 2D LarryBoy Adventures. The launch marks the national television debut for the Big Idea properties, which have sold over 52 million videos since the company began in 1993. In addition to the English language broadcast on NBC and the i network (formerly PAX), VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins! and the LarryBoy Adventures will also debut in Spanish this September on Telemundo. Big Idea will support the Spanish launch of the properties by releasing two of its VeggieTales DVDs, Gideon: Tuba Warrior and Minnesota Cuke and the Search For Samson’s Hairbrush in Spanish nationally on DVD November 7. VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer is producing the 30-minute VeggieTales TV episodes, which have been tailored to meet NBC’s programming guidelines as well as national educational and informational (E/I) standards for children’s programming. “I am very excited for the opportunity to bring Bob, Larry and their veggie friends to national TV,” states Vischer. “VeggieTales helps kids learn life-changing lessons in a delightfully wacky way. The positive messages of the stories can now reach a wider audience and, in doing so, affect a new generation of children.” “This is a milestone for kids and families looking for children’s programming with a positive message,” says Terry Pefanis, Big Idea’s COO. “VeggieTales, Penguins and LarryBoy are stories that kids love and entertainment parents trust. We are grateful for the opportunity to bring these shows to an even larger audience.” The Big Idea programming is coming to television as part of “qubo,” a new children’s programming venture from ION Media Networks, NBC Universal, Scholastic, Classic Media/Big Idea and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana. The qubo initiative champions literacy and positive values through entertainment and represents an alliance of leading distribution and content providers in children’s television. The Big Idea programming will premiere on NBC and Telemundo on Saturday morning (September 9) and the i network on Friday afternoon (September 15). The Big Idea programming schedule is as follows: NBC Saturday Morning (premieres September 9, 2006) - 10:00 a.m. VeggieTales; 11:00 a.m. VeggieTales Presents: 3-2-1 Penguins!/Larry Boy Adventures (alternating stories). Telemundo Saturday (premieres September 9, 2006) - 8:00 a.m. VeggieTales; 9:00 a.m. VeggieTales Presents: 3-2-1 Penguins!/Larry Boy Adventures (alternating stories). i network – Friday Afternoon (premieres September 15, 2006) - 3:00 p.m. VeggieTales; 4:00 p.m. VeggieTales Presents: 3-2-1 Penguins!/Larry Boy Adventures (alternating stories) (from Hoganson Media) With just over a month to go before Grammy-nominated rockers Skillet release their 7th studio recording Comatose (Lava/Atlantic/Ardent/SRE), the band’s first single at Christian Rock radio is heating up, making the highest debut this week at No. 17 on R&R’s Christian rock chart and causing their fan message boards to go crazy. Since putting a clip of “Rebirthing” on their MySpace (myspace.com/skilletmusic) page just over two weeks ago, the single as received over 100,000 plays. On top of that, the song is being played non-stop at their official website (skillet.com) and their fan site (panheads.org). You can grab the song right NOW on iTunes for just 99 cents! Hot on the heels of 2003’s best-seller Collide, which launched Skillet into the mainstream with the hit single “Savior,” touring with Three Days Grace, Salvia, Shinedown, and 12 Stones, plus a nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, Comatose hits stores on October 3rd, 2006. (from The M Collective) If you live in our home state of Kansas and the surrounding states or you want to road trip… you don't want to miss attending and being in Pillar's new video shoot! "We understand this is a short notice, but that is usually the video making process," the band announced in a recent newsletter. "We just found out about it ourselves. The treatment we received for this video is an awesome concept and what we love the most about it is it allows us to invite you guys to be a part of it with us." The details include: WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, August 26 (Be there at 5pm sharp!) / Western Kansas (9 miles West of Goodland, KS) - I-70; Exit 9- go north; 1st stop sign turn Left; 1st and only house on the Left; WHAT TO BRING: Bring your own water, snacks, and hamburgers/hot dogs (there will be grilling). ***You need to wear solid colors, no branding.*** REQUIREMENTS: "We will need people to be 18 years or older or accompanied by a parent who can sign a release for for them." Sounds like a good time, kids! (from Pillar) Myrrh Records is launching its music instruction series for worship leaders and musicians with the Sept. 26 release of Myrrh Worship Resource Vol. 1 – Let It Rain. Including a DVD and CD, Vo1. 1 Let It Rain provides instructional content for 10 influential modern worship songs led by Big Daddy Weave’s Mike Weaver and Jeremy Redmon, Pocket Full Of Rocks’ Michael and Alisa Farren and By The Tree’s Aaron Blanton. The DVD features guitar instructional video with variable camera angles for each song along with on-screen chord tab graphics. The disc additionally includes exclusive artist interviews offering behind-the-song stories and other useful instruction for growing musicians, worship leaders and songwriters. The CD features full-mix studio recordings of each song arranged in easy-to-learn versions for leaders and musicians of any skill level. The complete resource disc is further enhanced with printable lead sheets, chord charts and MediaShout presentation files for all 10 songs. (from Word Records) *Thursday, August 24th, 2006* GRAMMY-nominated recording artist and worship leader Sarah Kelly unveiled her highly-anticipated sophomore album Where The Past Meets Today on August 15th and is now poised to showcase the songs via a virtual tour at online sites including Monsterpod.com and CCMcom.com, with other online sites being added in the upcoming week. Where The Past Meets Today sold nearly 5,000 albums first week out, landing at #2 on Sound Scan's Christian album chart. The virtual tour, featuring the heartfelt songs of Where The Past Meets Today, will spotlight Kelly in 20-30 minute performances. Each concert will be exclusive to the various websites and available online for 30 days. Where The Past Meets Today, Kelly's personal chronicle of healing from lifelong abuse, has already been heralded as "a stellar sophomore offering" by CCM Magazine and "a worthy piece of work that will hopefully earn her the Best Female Vocalist award that she deserves from the GMA," by CBN.com. Kelly, who performed on CBN's The 700 Club earlier this year, recently made a guest appearance on Rick Dee's Top 40 Countdown syndicated radio show. In addition, songs from the new album are slated as part of Continental Airline's in-flight radio station programming set to air this November 1st- December 31st. Take Me Away, Sarah Kelly's 2004 Gotee Records debut, merited the singer-songwriter a bevy of attention from fans as well as industry, who gave her a GRAMMY nod in the "Best Rock Gospel Album" category. The album nabbed the #12 spot on the "Top Christian Albums" Soundscan chart first week out by selling more than 4,100 units, securing her as the highest new artist debut in the 10-year history of the Gotee label. The single "Take Me Way" also landed a No. 6 spot on the CHR radio charts. In 2005, the national retail store Guitar Center added Kelly?s image to the "World's Largest Outdoor Photo Exhibit," a gallery found on the outside of 140 Guitar Center stores all around the country. In addition, Kelly was one of the first Christian artists to have music exclusives featured on Sony Connect (www.sonyconnect.com). With an average of 150-200 tour dates a year, Kelly has shared the stage with acts including Jars of Clay, Everyday Sunday, and Paul Wright. Fall tour plans are currently underway. For more information on Sarah Kelly, check out www.gotee.com or her newly redesigned, official artist website at www.sarahkelly.com. (from LB PR) All the proceeds from Audio Adrenaline’s recent concert in Anchorage, Alaska went to benefit the Hands & Feet Project, a non-profit organization they formed dedicated to the health, welfare and education of orphaned children of Haiti. For the full story, visit the Anchorage Daily News website, www.adn.com. (The story was also picked up and serviced by United Press International, www.upi.com.) More than $16,000 was raised at the concert for the charity. Audio Adrenaline will also be auctioning off a pair of front row tickets and “meet and greet” passes for each concert on their 30-plus-city fall tour with MercyMe. The monies raised from the tickets will benefit the band’s Hands & Feet Project. To place your bid on the tickets for a concert near you, go to: http://www.audioa.com/static/ticket_auction/. Because this is their last year together, AudioA has committed to playing as many shows as possible in the next few months. Don't miss them when they come to your town! For a complete list of tour dates, go to AudioA.com or www.myspace.com/audioa. (from Hoganson Media) Currently climbing radio charts with his new single, “History,” singer/songwriter Matthew West will join the Don’t Conform Tour this fall with BarlowGirl and Downhere. The 30-city run of concerts begins September 15 in Cincinnati, Ohio. West has had a busy summer with the national re-release of his acclaimed original independent album, Sellout, performances at minor league baseball “Faith Night” events around the country, and the continuing success of his new studio album, History. That project’s recent hit, “Only Grace,” will also be featured on the upcoming WOW HITS 2007. Catch up with Matthew West, who Billboard magazine recently ranked among the Top Ten songwriters in Christian music, at www.MatthewWest.com. (from Sparrow Records) Amid non-stop touring as an author, speaker and vocalist, GRAMMY nominated, Dove Award winning recording artist Kathy Troccoli is set to deliver her 18th studio record Story Of Love on Nov. 14. The album will be released by Troccoli’s own KT Records, in partnership with and distributed through Reunion Records and Provident-Integrity Distribution, to retail outlets nationwide. Co-produced by Troccoli and industry veteran, Matt Baugher, The Story of Love delivers what this iconic performer is famous for – unique timbre, vulnerability and passion. Her vocals have never been more pronounced than on this latest record, gliding through jazz classics such as “Pick Yourself Up” and “The Glory of Love” and taking command on impact tunes like “Talk To Jesus,” “Friend For Life” and the Keith Green classic, and first radio single, “Make My Life A Prayer To You.” Troccoli co-wrote several songs on the project, including “Friend for Life,” “Dancing Me Through,” “Psalm 34” and “Talk To Jesus.” “Lifting My Hands” is special for Troccoli. “I was at a friend’s home and she played this song, noting that her 14-year-old son Matt had written it,” she offers. “I was overwhelmed by the humility and the worship, and I knew I needed to record it.” She continues, “The Story of Love is like a dance I have been waiting to perform for a long time. Full of melodic beauty and heart-felt lyrics, the songs melt me and leave me in a big puddle,” expresses Troccoli. “Music is so powerful and I continue to want to use this gift to offer hope and give hearts a lift. This is a project that touches upon different dimensions of love—which is God’s greatest gift. I hope listeners will celebrate these heartfelt expressions of both the earthly and divine manifestations of this miracle that is still unfolding in all of our lives. That’s the glory of, and the story of, love.” 2007 marks Kathy Troccoli’s 25th year anniversary as a recording artist. Within this timeframe she has become a force in arenas including recording, speaking and publishing. Launching her music career in 1982 as Reunion Records’ flagship artist, she has garnered three GRAMMY nominations, 19 GMA Music Award nominations, two GMA Music Awards and has seen overwhelming success at radio across formats. Troccoli’s 1991 hit, “Everything Changes” claimed the #2 spot on mainstream Adult Contemporary radio while earning a “Billboard Top 40 Adult Contemporary Song of the Year” award. She also received a nod as the magazine’s “Top 20 Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year.” She’s garnered several other Top 5 mainstream radio hits, one Top 10 single and 17 #1s at Christian radio. (from Springboard Entertainment) *Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006* newsboys are back! This fall, newsboys make their Inpop Records debut with a brand-new studio record. After a hugely successful foray into the genre of worship music, newsboys return to their rock roots with Go, the highly-anticipated new album releasing on October 31. It's been nearly 5 years since the band has released a rock record, and we know that you are primed and ready for more of the band's original high-energy pop-rock sounds! Featuring the hit single, "I Am Free," and new songs like the first single "Wherever We Go" and "Something Beautiful," Go is certain to be a worldwide smash. Get a sneak peak of the new album now at myspace.com/newsboysofficial and listen to 2 new songs from the album! Look for more exclusive newsboys audio and video content coming soon to Inpop.com. Also available for a limited time is a special collector's edition of Go which includes 3 exclusive tracks plus a DVD featuring over an hour of behind-the-scenes video footage! Reserve your copy now at newsboys.com or at the JFH Music Store! (from InPop Records) After two highly acclaimed, chart-topping studio projects (Grace Like Rain, Reflection of Something), Ardent/INO Records’ artist Todd Agnew has crafted an epic retelling of the Christmas story on his upcoming holiday release Do You See What I See?, which will be releasing on October 3, 2006. Following in line with Agnew’s reputation as a powerful lyricist and storyteller, Do You See What I See? tells the Christmas story from the personal perspectives of the eyewitnesses to Christ’s birth from the innkeeper to the Magi to the angels. “Last Christmas, God led me to really study the Christmas story,” explains Agnew. “For six months, everyday piece-by-piece I studied the birth of Christ. I prayed through it, asking God to reveal it to me. He made the Bible come to life---it became not only true, but also realistic. Realizing that we look at Christmas from more than 2000 years later and that those individuals involved were not able to fully understand the big picture of what was happening like we can is remarkable.” Painting an audio picture for the listener, he created a musical, not just a collection of seasonal songs for his project. In addition to Todd’s solo performances and duo with Ardent Records newcomer Joy Whitlock as the innkeepers, Vince Lichlyter (Jonah33) is featured as Joseph, Christie Nockels (Watermark) as Mary, Shelley Jennings (Passion) as Elizabeth, Mike Weaver (Big Daddy Weave) as Simeon, Anthony Evans as the angel and Michael O’Brien (recently of NewSong) as the shepherd. There is also a multi-artist finale of the much beloved classic, “In the First Light.” Agnew and friends want to stress that this project is about the whole perspective surrounding the birth of Christ and not a typical holiday CD, but an eyewitness depiction. A complete listing of the musical cast and characters is below. “It seems like this Christmas record will be set apart from so many others that are about candles and wreaths,” shares guest soloist Shelley Jennings. “I don't know how much the individuals who were involved in the first Christmas really knew about what God was doing with them, but I think they knew it was something really big. The song I sang, ‘Sleep Well,’ is from the perspective of Elizabeth, who herself was carrying a significant life and who knew that Mary was carrying the Lord. The beautiful melody and poignant lyrics of this sweet lullaby are like a calm before the storm.” To celebrate the Christmas season, Todd and a select group of friends will be performing this Christmas project on “The Christmas Hope” tour, co-headlining with NewSong and featuring Rachael Lampa and NY Times best-selling author, Donna VanLiere. The 15-city tour is being booked through The Greg Oliver agency and will run Thanksgiving weekend through the week prior to Christmas. (from The M Collective) This fall, Superchick headlines the "Live Love Tour" with special guests Sanctus Real, John Reuben and Last Tuesday! The tour will be hitting cities all across the country, so check out superchick.net for all the tour dates! "Stand In The Rain" from the band's latest release, Beauty From Pain 1.1, has just gone to radio and it is flying up the charts! The song is Superchick's stand-out track from their major label debut, so be listening for it at radio now! Get Beauty From Pain 1.1 now exclusively at Christian retail. Also, you can check out a live performance Superchick will be doing on the Cartoon Network on Friday, September 8th right before the Adult Swim on their Friday Night concert series. Superchick will play 2 songs and be interviewed. In related news, "It's On" is the featured music over the climatic battle scene in Columbia Picture's Zoom starring Tim Allen, in theaters now, and will also be featured in the upcoming ABC television movie Relative Chaos. For all the latest, visit myspace.com/superchick. (from ) Tree63 is on the brink of having yet another #1 hit song! "All Over The World" from Worship Volume One: I Stand For You is currently at the top of radio charts nationwide, and is already a #1 song for many stations! Many thank to all the fans who called in their requests! Tree63 has been in the studio recording demos for their new album, releasing in early 2007. The hard-working band tracked 23 songs in just 6 days! Check out some pictures from in the studio at myspace.com/tree63. (from ) Casting Crowns, one of Pollstar magazine’s top 100 touring bands in the U.S., continues to draw in sold-out crowds around the globe. The band recently headlined three concerts in Africa pulling in nearly 15,000 fans in Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg. In addition to the live shows in Africa, Casting Crowns remained focused on its passion for student ministry by reaching out to local youth leaders in the countries and introducing them to the band’s Global Youth Ministry resource. Designed to offer youth leaders access to FREE tools and leadership training, GYM helps equip and support a new generation of youth ministries. The group met with 175 youth workers in Cape Town representing 80 churches, 125 leaders in Kisumu and 100 workers in Nairobi. Lead singer Mark Hall notes, “We had an amazing time talking with the youth workers in Africa about the biblical model for student ministry and the importance of giving ownership to the students and helping them find their own individual ministries.” Promoter and missionary to South Africa, Jay Johnson said, “Casting Crowns has left a lasting impact on the Christian community of South Africa and Kenya. People were most impressed with the heart of the band and their commitment to Christ and especially to the youth of both countries. Though the music was amazing, and most have said that it was the best Christian concert the countries have ever seen, the ministry was what touched the hearts of the people. Everyone is already talking about next year and hoping that Casting Crowns will be back to minister again in Africa.” In Kenya, the band visited an area development project through its partnership with World Vision, an international relief organization for which Casting Crowns is responsible for more than 15,000 child sponsorships to date. Crowns spent time at a local primary school visiting many of World Vision’s sponsor children. The kids acted out skits with anti-AIDS messages as part of the school’s AIDS education for the visiting band members. Mark Hall adds, “In Kenya, my heart was hurt for the people living in extreme poverty with so many needs, but I was also encouraged by the believers there who are actively reaching out with the hands of Jesus to touch their lives.” He acknowledges, “We didn’t take anything new to Kenya. We simply joined in what God is already doing in His church there.” Paul Diederich, director of the artist program for World Vision, notes, “It was a pleasure to spend time with Casting Crowns in Kenya and see their heart for the children of Africa. Their partnership with World Vision continues to be a blessing, not only to us, but to the thousands of children who now have hope for a brighter future because of their ministry.” Guitarist Chris Huffman says, “The World Vision project in Kenya is a great example of global ministry. The schools that we visited really impacted me the most. Just getting to spend time with the kids and to experience the presence of Jesus with them was amazing! Being there and seeing where they live really burdened me to be more thankful for what God has entrusted me with and pray for them that Christ would be the answer to the hope we all saw in their faces.” The group's latest project, Lifesong Live, releases October 3rd. (from Provident Music Group) *Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006* Switchfoot has posted another update on their pending new studio album, including official word on the title and new release date (confirming our previous report)... "So much going on around here, a blur of creativity with album artwork and final sonic tweaks on the new songs. We have several announcements concerning the new album. First we must recognize a very important guest musician who will be laying down the final musical contribution this week... congratulations to Sarah Mooridian, the winner of the cowbell contest! For those of you who have been following the podcasts you probably already know that the title of the new album is Oh! Gravity. It may be a little early to be thinking about Christmas but we're already counting down the days because the new album release date is set for December 26. We'll preview some of the new music on our site very soon and you'll be able to pre-order the album as well. We can't wait to get out and start playing these new songs live so we are planning a fall U.S. tour in October/November. Stay tuned for tour details. -Jon, Tim, Chad, Jerome, and Drew" And stay tuned to this page as we continue to receive details on Oh! Gravity... (from Switchfoot) Best-selling, award nominated twosome Shane & Shane takes its act on the road again with a 30+-city fall tour, kicking off later this month. Joining the Shanes will be Essential Records artist Warren Barfield and Dualtone Music Group trio, The Peasall Sisters. Shane and Shane continue to sell out venues of more than 1500 seats, including colleges and universities nationwide. The fall 2006 tour will be no different. Launching August 20 in Siloam Springs, Ark., the tour’s initial leg features The Peasall Sisters who will make a guest appearance through early September. The tour’s second half will feature Warren Barfield exclusively as featured opener for Shane and Shane. “We’re excited about the opportunity to tour with two artists we really respect and admire this fall,” says Shane Everett of Shane and Shane. “The Peasall Sisters are really close to the heart of God, and I think you’ll see a fun, new dynamic with this leg of the tour. As for Warren Barfield, we get to spend time sharing the stage with someone known not only for playing barefoot, but for bringing a really special element into what we provide our fans.” Warren Barfield notes, “I first heard of Shane & Shane before either of us were signed artists. When I was traveling around as an indie artist, I often had people tell me I should check them out and do some shows with them. Well, here we are many years later and I'm finally taking the advice and touring with the Shanes. I’m expecting every night of this tour to be something worth being a part of. I look forward to seeing the fans again, and sharing this season with a couple of guys whose art and ministry I have admired from afar for a long time.” (from Savvy Media) *Saturday, August 19th, 2006* ZOEgirl, the powerhouse-pop threesome (Chrissy Conway, Alisa Childers and Kristin Swinford), will say goodbye to their fans and close this chapter of life this fall during their final performances on The Revolve Tour. The talented group, teamed with Sparrow Records since 2000, has spent the last six years establishing themselves as deliberate role models and a sounding board to young teens and moms alike. On August 15, fans will have the opportunity to complete their final collection of favorite songs from the popular groups’ lengthy career with ZOEgirl: The Early Years. The recording is part of a series being released by Sparrow Records with similar collections from Newsboys, Steven Curtis Chapman, Out Of The Grey, Rebecca St. James, dcTalk and Sonicflood. The artists included in the Early Years Series have collective sales of more than 22 million units sold, over 100 Dove and Grammy Awards®, and 33 RIAA Certified Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum Records. "For the past six years, Chrissy, Kristin and Alisa of ZOEgirl have dedicated themselves and their music ministry to a culture of teenaged girls who were desperate for inspiration, leadership and guidance,” Peter York, president of EMI CMG Label Group, speaks to the group’s legacy. “Their passion and commitment has had far reaching impact and their music has encouraged an entire generation of young women." The brainchild of Norman Miller of Proper Management, ZOEgirl burst onto the music scene in 2000 and immediately earned the title as Sparrow Records fastest-selling debut artist in the company’s history; a title that the group still maintains. "All three girls in ZOEgirl have always had an incredible passion for reaching and helping young girls with issues that confront them. They also have the unique ability of communicating through their songs the fact that God loves them, just as they are, and that He wants to have a relationship with them,” explains Miller. It is the groups’ purpose and integrity of mission that helped connect them to fans, who heard the ZOEgirl message of Christ’s acceptance loud and clear from the beginning. Steady touring paired with strong radio play and landmark sales surrounded their sophomore release, Life, which climbed to #2 on Billboard Heatseeker’s Chart and lingered in the top 3 for 5 weeks. In 2002, the popular threesome accepted the award for GMA New Artist Of The Year and continued to rack up sales and noticeable airplay with subsequent releases, Mix Of Life, late in 2002, and Different Kind Of Free, in the fall of 2003. A career filled with prime opening slots on tours with Avalon, Clay Crosse, Plus One, Newsboys and Carman and co-bills with Jump5, iWorship and SHOUTfest fueled the flame, firming up an already strong fan base and boosting media attention for the group. Headlining tours like their FREE Experience Tour drew fans in by the thousands each night and featured ZOEgirl and their guests Superchi(k), Joy Williams and speaker Susie Shellenberger of BRIO Magazine. Two ASCAP Top Airplay awards and significant radio airplay on Radio Disney with “Feel Alright” (Different Kind Of Free) were added to ZOEgirl’s growing list of accomplishments. The song was also featured in Walt Disney’s motion picture Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen starring Lindsay Lohan. Room To Breathe released and soared to #1 on Billboard Heatseeker’s Chart in March of 2005 and the group’s most recent record, With All Of My Heart recapped hits and favorites, capturing songs specifically requested by their active fan base. Over the past six years of ministry, the success of ZOEgirl’s musical career has expanded their platform, allowing them to initiate annual summer missions to South America and those ministry efforts will continue. The group, partnering with Big World Ventures, remains committed to inviting teens to join them on a trip to South America each summer where the group performs concerts and dramas and works in orphanages, schools and areas where housing is unstable. “Each year, seeing ZOEgirl light up and selflessly lead teams on summer mission trips, its clear that they are passionate about serving and sharing the love of Jesus to people around the world. Beyond the music, their lives are truly about radical obedience to Gods call on their lives,” explains Caleb David, Director of Strategic Relations, Big World Ventures. Fans of ZOEgirl are vocal on websites and blogs when discussing the groups’ impact. “ZOEgirl sings about what is happening in real life, and they sing about what it is like to be a Christian. When I listen to their songs, I can relate to them,” said a 13-15 year old fan from Florida. “The music speaks to me and inspires me to be myself and to keep trying. When I saw them in concert recently, I understood how much in common we all have with each other…” added a 18-22 year old from Colorado. “ZOEgirl brought me closer to Jesus (I now read my Bible!) and made me feel loved and wanted…” said a 13-15 year old fan from Michigan. For More Information: www.zoegirlonline.com (from EMI CMG) Hard rockers Project 86 announced on their MySpace page this week, "The band is hard at work writing right now for a brand new album due out early next year!! We will be playing spot dates throughout the fall as we write, so check back often for details. A couple of new dates are up right now on our myspace page!! We are very excited to be working on new material..." And so are we! We'll keep you posted! In the meantime, be sure to check out their latest album ...And The Rest Will Follow if you still haven't yet! (from MySpace.com/Project86; thanks to Hollie P) Switchfoot has recently announced the completion of their new studio album. Frontman Jon Foreman wrote the following thoughts... "It's 5:55 am on Monday, August 7th. The sun is rising. I can hear the traffic starting to wake up on the 5. The early birdies are beginning to sing. I pull the fifteen passenger van into the driveway and kill the engine. I let the silence sink in. Inhale. Exhale, slowly. Inhale. Close your eyes. Breathe. It's been a long trip. I am home. Home. And the record is done. And the record is done. Breathe. We've been up there for a while. Too long probably. Hotels, friends houses, couches, commuting back and forth- last night we slept on the floor of the studio. I woke up and just started walking. Walking. I need some distance. Maybe a drive up the coast. Alone. Forget the music. Forget it. And I remember something else. A faint memory of something. someone. distance. distance. I feel very confident in saying that this record is the best recording that I've been involved in. I feel like our blood is still up there on tape: spinning around on a half inch machine on Santa Monica Blvd. That's the goal, I suppose. A piece of someone. The best part. Sacrificed for the others to consume. In stereo. In stereo. Along with the highs come the lows. And now I let go. I'm done. To try to tell you where this record has taken us is an ridiculous task. The story tells itself I suppose, and the journey is to simply listen. To listen. To listen to the journey spinning around on the half inch right now somewhere in the city of angels. My God, I hope that it moves you!!! I wish I could see your face as you listen. To watch the corners of your mouth." The new album is now targeted at a December 26th release. More to come! (from Myspace.com/Switchfoot; EMI CMG) *Friday, August 18th, 2006* As one of the top Christian rock bands today, Sanctus Real is also about tangibly being the “face of love,” not only with friends and family, but reaching outside of that comfort zone. Hearing about the incredible need in Africa through African Leadership, the band has decided to join forces with the organization to help relieve the plight of that continent. Sanctus Real will immediately begin raising funds through the organization’s Mocha Club missions work. The funds will be used for relief efforts in Darfur, Sudan, where more than 300,000 people have been killed in the last two years and more than two million people have been displaced. Future efforts will lend support for an orphanage in Kenya where babies have been abandoned because of AIDS, building a school for 380 children in the Sudan, building a village for and rehabilitating young women who were former sex slaves under the Rebel forces in Northern Uganda, funding an orphanage for 134 street children in Kampala, Uganda and building a school amidst the largest slum in East Africa for 400 children in Kibera, Kenya. “In every way that we can, we’re to give back what God’s given us,” says Sanctus Real front man Matt Hammitt. “As a band, we were looking for an organization that wasn’t trying to pay artists to help. We just wanted to help because we believe in something. With African Leadership, we found a team of people that has really fast, effective ways of getting relief to the people where they need it—like in Darfur where there is a civil war going on and tens of thousands of people are being brutally murdered. People are fleeing to the hills and just don’t have the resources to survive. Little dollars are providing big necessities for these people.” “The music of Sanctus Real challenges us to be more honest, to live with integrity in our relationship with God and the people around us,” says Larry Warren, African Leadership president. “Now they are pointing the way to demonstrate authentic care in more difficult places, far away, like Darfur, Sudan. When Matt [Hammitt] tells their audience how to save a life for $5 to $10 dollars by providing food and medicine, delivered by African Leadership, and their newly formed Mocha club, then this band is blessing the people of Sudan and the audience who wants to live with the integrity Sanctus Real sings about. I am blessed to know these guys whose attitude is, ‘we will keep speaking out for those in need, as long as there is a need.’” African Leadership’s Mocha Club is a sponsorship program where for the cost of two mocha coffee drinks per month, people and organizations lend their support to provide a solution to the challenges Africans are facing every day. Individuals who sign up for sponsorship through Sanctus Real will also receive a copy of the band’s current, best-selling CD, The Face of Love. African Leadership is an organization striving to make a difference by providing HOPE, one leader…one family…one child at a time. They are currently discipling nearly 10,000 pastors and church leaders in 27 African nations. Classrooms range from “under a tree” in the war torn-corners of Sudan to the most densely populated slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Also, through their mission to meet the physical needs of Africans, their leadership network offers life-sustaining Hope to those that God calls "the least" of His children. Since Sanctus Real broke on the national scene in 2003, the band has looked for opportunities to partner with helps organizations like African Leadership. They have supported Food for the Hungry and Compassion International on recent tours and have contributed to World Vision through proceeds received from their first No. 1 hit and U2 cover, “Beautiful Day,” recorded for the multi-artist project, In The Name Of Love: Artists United For Africa. More information on Sanctus Real can be found at www.sanctusreal.com. More information on African Leadership and the Mocha Club can be found at www.AfricanLeadership.org and www.mochaclub.org. (from Hoganson Media) GRAMMY-nominated, Platinum-selling artist Jonny Lang releases his fifth album, Turn Around, to both general and Christian retail Sept. 19. In addition to A&M Record’s general market channels of distribution for Turn Around, Provident-Integrity Distribution will be providing distribution to Christian retail for the first time. “We are excited about bringing Jonny Lang’s new album to the Christian retail market,” says Don Noes, Provident-Integrity Distribution Sr. VP of Sales and Distribution. “Jonny is a tremendous talent and an established name in mainstream music. With Turn Around, he has recorded a compelling album that reflects his faith and maturity and songs that will appeal to a wide Christian audience.” Lang topped the Billboard New Artist chart with his first album at age 15, toured with the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, performed with B. B. King and Buddy Guy, and now stands as a mature creative force, made more sensitive yet also toughened by life’s adventures. He’s learned what it means to rise above hard times and to find meaning where chaos seemed to rule. These insights, and the emotions they unleash, makes Turn Around the pivotal album of Jonny Lang’s career to date—a passage that links the triumphs of his past to the promise of his future. “With this album I want to focus, more than ever before, on my purpose in life,” Lang explains. “I’ve been so incredibly blessed. My wife and I just had our fifth anniversary. I get to do what I love for a living. But it wasn’t so long ago that I was spiraling downward in a lot of ways, until God touched my life and set me on the right track. I feel a huge debt to give glory back to Him for everything He has done for me. “Every record I’ve done has felt progressively more and more like the real me,” he sums up. “But more than anything I’ve done, this one comes straight from my heart.” Produced by GRAMMY winning songwriter/performers Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders (India.Arie, Temptations, Nicole C. Mullen), and Lang, and anchored by former Prince New Power Generation drummer Michael Bland, Turn Around is the first of what will become his most moving and enduring works. There is funk and gospel energy inherent in these 14 songs, which includes “My Love Remains,” co-written with five-time GRAMMY winner and the Gospel Music Association’s most awarded artist, Steven Curtis Chapman. With three radio singles from the album, “Thankful” and “Bump In The Road” being servicing to Gospel and Christian AC/CHR radio respectively, and “Anything’s Possible,” which is this week’s top Most Added song at Triple A radio (R&R), fans will also be able to see Lang perform new material from Turn Around in concerts this summer and on a 40-city tour this fall. For further information, see www.jonnylang.com. (from Hoganson Media) *Thursday, August 17th, 2006* An official press release about JFH turning 10 has been released! Read on... JesusFreakHideout.com, one of the premiere online outlets for music fans to keep up with all things CCM, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this month. The site has partnered with major record labels to mark the milestone with special contest give-aways and Birthday greetings, sent in by some of today’s top artists. Started in August 1996 as a free web page on Angelfire.com, the site soon became the flourishing brainchild of 16 year old creator John DiBiase. Two years later, DiBiase partnered with a major Christian record company to birth Jesusfreakhideout.com (JFH), featuring music reviews, artist interviews, contests, concert reviews and movie reviews. Fall 2001 found JFH ending its partnership with the record company and branching out on its own, adding an ever-growing artists database, lyrics database, album preview reviews, a recurring photo caption contest, and its own merch store. Today, the little page that was created and maintained by a high school-aged music fan has become one of the industry’s major players in keeping Christian music fans up to date with all the latest information on their favorite artists and has expanded its staff to a team of over 15 writers. Jesus Freak Hideout receives nearly 25,000 unique visitors each day with 36,000 – 41,000 visits. There are roughly 100,000 page views daily and just over 1 million hits per day. The site has been mentioned in CCM Magazine, Billboard, Reuters, Yahoo News and The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, as well as having countless artists and labels, including RSJames.com, SparrowRecords.com, AudioA.com, SanctusReal.com, Relientk.com, EssentialRecords.com, JarsofClay.com and many more, either mentioning JFH or including links to the site. Additionally, Jesus Freak Hideout has featured 120 contests, with the most participated in receiving more than 5,200 entries for a Jars Of Clay CD Library. The most recent and extensive contest has been the “10 Til 10 Contest,” giving away prizes each day for the 10 days leading up to the 10th Birthday. Prizes include pre-release copies of new albums from Krystal Meyers, Sarah Kelly and Jars of Clay, and autographed CDs from Red, Day of Fire, and Pillar as well as a complete Audio Adrenaline CD library and an autographed Third Day Where You Are Special Commemorative Gold Collection Box Set or t-shirt. Other current give-aways include a Leeland Guitar Give-Away and upcoming contests include prizes from Audio Adrenaline and Krystal Meyers. Wanting the site to serve as a ministry in addition to a music information site, weekly devotionals, written by J.M. Farro, were also added as a regular feature on the site in 1999, and in 2004, Farro’s columns were collected into the Life On Purpose series of devotional books published by Harrison House Publishers. The devotional series has sold well over 60,000 copies collectively and has been translated into several different languages. A fourth book, Life On The Go Devotionals for Dads, released this past June. “I had started The Jesus freak Hideout because of my love for Christian music and because it had affected me so greatly as a youth that I wanted to help share that with as many as possible. I feel JFH is just one of the ways we can give back, explains DiBiase. “It never ceases to amaze me to see what God has done with a young teenager’s dream! He truly can use the least of these and it’s been a humbling experience.” With content updated daily, it is not surprising that music industry professionals and even artists stop by DiBiase’s site to catch up on the latest happenings within the music industry. Artists like Sarah Kelly, Fireflight, Nevertheless, Leeland and GRAMMY winners Jars Of Clay even sent in photo Birthday greetings to show their appreciation for the site. "In a world of over-produced music that caters to an industry making money instead of creativity, (both mainstream and Christian) it is so refreshing to see John and everyone at Jesus Freak Hideout keeping it real. The reviews are not guided by sales or promotion dollars but true heart and true music....” exclaims Kelly, an artist on Gotee Records. “Congratulations guys on ten years of fighting an upward battle for the sake of art!!!! I love you and respect what you do...." Brian Peterson, associate director of interactive marketing for Provident Music Group/Sony BMG adds, “JesusFreakHideout.com is one of the first places we think of when letting music fans know about our artists and their music.” Faithful visitors and fans of the site also took time over the past few weeks to leave special messages, expressing their gratitude... “JFH has been such a great source for music news and reviews, as well as DVD and movie reviews. The weekly devotionals by J.M. Farro are such a blessing! I hope you guys do this for another ten years- at the very least! Thank you, JFH staff! “ (Gabriella G., FL, USA) “JFH has helped me on my walk with God in keeping me in touch with the Christian side of music when I started falling away from God last year…” (Chloe K., Auckland, New Zealand) “JFH is wonderful. It's the best Christian site around. It's jam packed with interviews, Crazy Captions, and everything about my favorite bands! If I'm looking for band information--this is my first stop! You gotta love a website that isn't afraid to serve our God!” (Kyrsten C., CA, USA) DiBiase looks to the future. “I am excited to see where God takes Jesusfreakhideout.com next. We hope to continue to be a relevant voice in the Christian music industry, helping to highlight the artists who are bridging the gaps between the Christian and the mainstream, all the while remaining to be bright lights in a dark world. We’re firm believers that ministry through music can be conveyed with artistic integrity and that just makes us all the more eager to see what God will do in the decade to come.” For more information about Jesus Freak Hideout or to become part of the community, please visit www.jesusfreakhideout.com (from Springboard Entertainment) Progressive rock band Leeland (Essential Records) has performed before more than 75,000 people since May of 2006. Having performed at Spirit West Coast, Creation West, Soulfest and Kingdom Bound, Leeland is now readying for seven opening concert dates this fall for one of the most impactful touring bands in music, Third Day. Over the past decade, Third Day has amassed 23 #1 radio singles, sold almost six million albums, and has maintained a touring record second-to-none by playing for audiences reaching into the millions. For a complete list of upcoming Leeland dates, visit www.myspace.com/leelandmusic. Sound of Melodies, the 11-track debut from Leeland was produced by Matt Bronleewe, Marc Byrd and Steve Hindalong. According to Leeland Mooring, “Whenever we play, our main goal is to be able to minister to our generation.” The songs on Sound of Melodies establish a doorway to God’s presence while musically containing layer upon layer of emotional, majestic melodies constructed on rock influences, European groups such as: Travis, Coldplay, Delirious, Doves, and Godfrey Birtill, among others. Leeland is comprised of: Leeland Mooring, guitar/lead vocals; Jack Mooring, piano/vocals; Jake Holtz, bass; Jeremiah Wood, guitar; and Mike Smith, drums. For the Jesusfreakhideout.com of Sound Of Melodies, click here! (from ) EMI CMG Distribution and Inpop Records have agreed to a new, long-term distribution agreement. The extension was announced Monday by Greg Bays, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for EMI CMG Distribution, and Dale Bray, President of Inpop Records. Continuing their successful seven-year partnership, EMI CMG Distribution holds exclusive rights for worldwide Christian and general market retail distribution of all Inpop artists, whose roster includes newsboys, Superchick, Tree63, Shane & Shane, and Mat Kearney and newly-signed artists Foolish Things and Jimmy Needham. “Since 1999, Inpop and EMI CMG have enjoyed a close working relationship, and together, we have enjoyed significant success,” said Bays. “We look forward to many more years of Inpop producing and EMI CMG distributing excellent and meaningful music.” “From the start, we have appreciated the commitment and passion that everyone at EMI CMG has demonstrated for Inpop’s vision. There was no question that we wanted to lengthen this relationship as they continue to support us in growing and nurturing artists whose music knows no boundaries,” said Bray, who formed the Inpop label in 1999 with fellow Australians Wes Campbell and newsboys’ leader Peter Furler to develop a roster of international pop artists. The deal extension comes just before some highly anticipated releases for Inpop this fall, including Speak, the Inpop debut of Houston, Texas-based, singer/songwriter Jimmy Needham, which hits stores August 15. The 20-year-old college student from Texas A&M has already made a name for himself on the independent artist circuit for the last two years with his soulful pop sound and passionate evangelical focus. On October 31, after a hugely successful foray into the genre of worship music and nearly five years since the band has released a rock record, newsboys return to their rock roots with Go. The record has already produced an AC and CHR hit single, “I Am Free” with a new single, “Wherever We Go” going for ads at radio in August. EMI CMG and Inpop have also created a limited collector’s edition of Go exclusively for the Christian Retail market, which includes 3 bonus tracks plus a DVD featuring over an hour of behind the scenes video footage and newsboys’ interviews. “For a boutique label, Inpop Records has already had a significant impact at retail with at least seven of its artists passing the 100,000 mark in record sales. We expect that track record to not only continue, but to grow, and EMI CMG Distribution plans to provide the best sales and service we can to make sure that happens,” said Bays. “Looking at the new music coming out this fall, we obviously have a lot to be excited about, and look forward to a long and productive relationship,” said Bays. (from Spinhouse PR) Following his starring role in the live CD+DVD, Delirious? Now Is The Time: Live At Willow Creek, releasing Oct. 17, Delirious? drummer Stew Smith joins the Ironman Triathlon for charity. Read his message below and support him if you can! "I suppose we're used to traveling quite a long way in a day. So in some ways the 20th of August this year is no big deal; I'll be covering about 140 miles. The only difference is that it’s my legs alone that are going to be doing the carrying. This is my first Ironman Triathlon, and I'll be in Sherbourne, Dorset for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and full 26.2 mile marathon. How do I feel? Scared. Very scared. But there's a bigger picture that I've got in mind... I want to raise money to help two amazing charities I know: Links international - They work to empower others to achieve their own destiny. Primary Health Care and Micro-enterprise Development are just two of the ways that are having a huge impact. The Wire - A local charity that provides practical, creative and accessible activities for children, young people and families in Littlehampton, UK. These two charities are great examples of people making a difference in the lives of those who need it. I've attached a flyer with further details of what I'm doing, which also gives you the opportunity to join me in helping support these great charities and to help give a whole bunch of kids a touch more hope in their lives. Thank you! Stew" Download Stew's pdf flyer with sponsor form by clicking here! To track Stew's process, click here! (from Hoganson Media) Multiple award-winning vocal foursome Avalon lends its voice to a new compilation of traditional Christian songs, Faith: A Hymns Collection, on Oct. 17. The project, which features all original recordings, expands Avalon’s repertoire, boasting elements of gospel, rock, and jazz among other new stylistic elements. Produced by Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, Sara Groves) Faith: A Hymns Collection originated from the band members’ longtime love of church worship standards, particularly Greg and Janna Long as well as Jody McBrayer, who grew up in the ministry. Although such staples as “Blessed Assurance,” “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” “It is Well With My Soul,” and “Amazing Grace” are familiar to most Christians, their arrangements on this record are anything but typical. For example “I’ll Fly Away” has a clapping, round-the-campfire, improvisational feel to it, while “Jesus Medley” is highly R&B-influenced with soulful vocals. Among the album’s biggest surprises is “How Great Thou Art,” which rocks out to electric guitar. “Avalon has always made diverse records, but this project is proof of how truly versatile they are, vocally and stylistically,” comments Brad O’Donnell, vice president of A&R for EMI CMG Label Group. “Avalon’s fans will hear the same quality they’ve come to expect but we believe there are songs on Faith that will draw new listeners as well.” Avalon will continue performing at Women of Faith conferences this fall. Additionally “In Christ Alone” will be serviced to Christian Inspirational radio beginning Sept. 8. Avalon, considered a versatile standard in Christian music since 1996, continues to sing classic ballads and singable, spine-tingling pop songs with commanding vocals as well as compelling lyrics. Closely approaching more than three million in sales worldwide, the band additionally has 20 No. 1 radio hits to its credit. Most recently Avalon was welcomed into the Women of Faith family, singing at events across the country. For more information on Avalon, visit www.Avalonlive.com or www.sparrowrecords.com. (from Savvy Media) In keeping with its mission to reach contemporary society with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ, Come Alive International, Inc (CAI) announces the launch of Come Alive Cruises. Partnering with Carnival Cruise Lines, the first expedition will set sail to the Caribbean February 11-17, 2007. “We are very excited to be expanding into this new arena,” says Nick Kulb, vice president of marketing and sales for CAI. “In addition to taking in performances by today’s hottest Christian artists, attendees can enjoy all the other activities the ship has to offer as well. And, as a secondary bonus the cruise is over the Valentine’s Day holiday!” Several of the hottest artists in Christian music today will join the adventure, including worship leader Paul Baloche, rockers Downhere and Tait, top female vocalists Rebecca St. James and Natalie Grant, new artist Voice and GRAMMY Award winning Casting Crowns, in one of their few select performances before the 2007 summer festival season. Mike Cavanaugh and Pastor Thomas will serve as speakers for the week-long adventure. In addition to the concerts, morning worship and other meaningful events offered by Come Alive, the cruise will also feature an abundance of activities aboard the Carnival Liberty, the newest and largest ship in their fleet. The floating resort boasts duty-free shops, delicious dining options, onboard activities and the addition of the Carnival Seaside Theatre – a 12-foot-high by 22-foot-wide LED screen located poolside on Carnival Liberty’s Lido deck showing movies, sporting events, concerts, and various other programming. Its 13 passenger decks house a 13,500-square-foot health club, four swimming pools, a cascading water slide, a 4,200-square-foot children’s play area, and a 1,800-square-foot teen club. Dining options include twin two-level main dining rooms, a spacious poolside eatery and an intimate reservations-only supper club serving U.S.D.A. prime beef and other gourmet cuisine. Along the way, the ship will dock at several beautiful islands for onshore excursions. The Carnival Liberty will set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, FL on February 11th and make stops in the Bahamas, Grand Cayman and Costa Maya, where you can escape to paradise to stroll the endless beach, swim with dolphins, take a kayak safari, go fly fishing or spend the day shopping in the local markets. “Throughout the past 28 years God has used us through the Creation Festivals and Creation Concerts – now we are taking a ‘mini festival’ to the beautiful Caribbean,” exclaims Rev. Harry Thomas, president of CAI. “This cruise is a perfect time to escape the cold weather or a special gift for your Valentine! Those who travel with us can expect a week of relaxation and spiritual refreshment as we sail on the newest and best ship in the Carnival Cruise line. Make your plans now to be with us and get ready to relax, splash and be blessed!” (from Springboard Entertainment) Selectric/Sony Records artist, Cross Culture, will be heading out on the road this week on a 61 city international tour with V.A.S.T., one of the hottest underground acts in the world. “We are all very excited to be able to share the stage with VAST this fall,” says Justin David, lead vocalist for Cross Culture. “We’ve been fans of VAST for years and we know this is going to be an amazing time!” Kicking off in Little Rock, AR on Wednesday, August 16th, many dates on the tour are already sold out…including the show in Nashville, TN on August 17th. The tour will also make stops at CBGB’s in New York City, The Viper Room in LA. International performances include stops in Japan, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy and the UK. For more information about Cross Culture, and the VAST tour, please visit the band’s website, www.crossculturelive.com, or contact the band’s management, The Von Agency, at Matt@TheVonAgency.com. (from Springboard Entertainment) Worshipful acoustic artist Shawn McDonald has partnered with SonyConnect.com to offer an exclusive eight-song collection of his music recorded live in concert. The set is available now and highlighted by the first available version of “Hush,” a fan favorite not yet featured on a McDonald studio album. Also included is an especially poignant performance of “Gravity” from McDonald’s widely embraced first album, Simply Nothing. Sony Connect representative Shelly Hartman says the rising singer and songwriter, “is one of the most amazing live performers I’ve seen in a long time. Having Shawn perform for just a few people in our studio was truly a special treat. The performance was so intimate and touching, he actually made one of our interns cry while singing ‘Gravity.’” Sample the exclusive Shawn McDonald Sony Connect Set here. In other news, McDonald will launch a new tour this fall in support of his current studio album, RIPEN. The Chicago Tribune recently noted the project and how it “continues to explore the impact of beauty, freedom and redemption—the same forces that fuel the artist’s life.” The upcoming road run will include shows from California to Florida and into the Northeast. (from Sparrow Records) *Saturday, August 12th, 2006* P.O.D. made the official announcement yesterday morning that it has left its partnership with Atlantic Record. "P.O.D. have left Atlantic Records. We’ve been proud to be Atlantic Recording Artists, but it’s not the same place anymore," stated the band in a newsletter to fans. "For most of our stay, we were blessed by a staff that was gracious towards our vision, faith, and love of music.... resulting in more than 7-million records sold. It’s time to dream again with a new staff and we leave with grateful hearts. By the people, FOR the people - P.O.D. - Aug. 2006" We'll keep you posted when more details are released or a new deal is struck with another label. (from P.O.D.) More details are surfacing about artist worshiper Chris Tomlin's new album, See The Morning, in stores everywhere September 26 from sixstepsrecords. Inspired by God's faithfulness and the very gift of worship itself, he calls the follow-up to his gold-selling Arriving disc "a record of hope." Tomlin, who won the 2006 GMA Music Awards for Artist, Song, and Male Vocalist of the Year, says, "God is as sure as the rising sun. No matter how dark it gets, the morning will come." Despite his own mounting music industry successes, Tomlin makes it clear that his purpose with See The Morning is to continue making God's glory known through songs and service. In a recent interview with FOX News, he described his musical style by saying, "There are guitars and drums, but the sound is hundreds of thousands of voices singing praise to God together." Explaining the context of his new album, he also humbly tells of a mission worker he met who served in some of the worst places on earth where children are starving and mistreated. This person said, "Chris, it is worship that keeps us from falling apart. We come together and sing your songs; worship songs bind us together and give us hope." Songs on See The Morning include "Rejoice" (featuring the lyric that inspired the album title), first single "Made To Worship," and "Glory To God In The Highest," an expression Tomlin hopes will be used not only at Christmas time. He also collaborates with Matt Redman on a new rendition of the 1860 praise hymn, "How Can I Keep From Singing?" and offers a joyous cover of Brenton Brown's "Everlasting God." (from Sparrow Records) “Psalm 40” was a number one radio hit for Integrity Music’s Dove Award-winning, Grammy-nominated hitmaker, NewSong, and now it is the name of the band’s 25-city Fall concert tour, kicking off this weekend. The Psalm 40 tour, headlined by NewSong, in support of NewSong’s current Integrity release, Rescue, will also feature special guest Curb Records’ Nate Sallie, a piano driven Pop/Rock artist who has been creating some buzz as he gears up for the much anticipated release of his new album, Ruined For Ordinary, release date pending. The tour’s official charitable sponsor is Holt International (www.holtintl.org) Children’s Services. The Psalm 40 tour starts on Sunday, August 13 in in Amity, Penn., south of Pittsburgh and wraps up in Seviereville, TN on November 17. “NewSong loves to connect with and worship with our fans all over the country and we are so excited that we will soon be doing that with our Psalm 40 Tour with Nate Sallie,” says NewSong’s Drew Cline, who will make his official debut as lead vocalist on this tour. “It is an honor and privilege to now be sharing a tour bus and stage with the incredibly talented and faithful of NewSong.” (from Spinhouse PR) *Friday, August 11th, 2006* American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), widely known for its high-performance motorcycles and life-enthusiast-focused automobiles, yesterday announced a sponsorship with BEC/Tooth and Nail's Kutless, making the band the automotive company's first music partnership. A joint effort of ASMC's Automotive and Motorcycle Divisions, the agreement makes American Suzuki the exclusive title sponsor of Kutless' upcoming tour - the Hearts of the Innocent tour powered by Suzuki. The tour marks Suzuki's first foray into the music industry where the company sees an opportunity to connect its products with a like-minded consumer demographic of those who choose to live life instead of watch it go by. "Kutless is honored to partner with Suzuki, a company that shares our passion for living life to its fullest," said Kutless frontman Jon Micah Sumrall. "The Hearts of Innocent record is a call to our generation to stand strong and faithful. We are pumped to get back out on the road for a full-throttle rock-and-roll show that will be more than just a great night of music." "Suzuki is thrilled to partner with Kutless, one of the hottest, young, up-and-coming rock bands in the country," said Gene Brown, vice president of marketing, ASMC Automotive Operations. "Just as Suzuki is dedicated to providing fun and exciting products for consumers, Kutless shares a similar commitment to providing exhilarating entertainment for music fans." The Hearts of the Innocent tour powered by Suzuki supports Kutless' latest album The Hearts of the Innocent, which was released in March, and debuted at No. 2 on Neilsen SoundScan's Top Christian/Gospel Albums Overall chart, No. 1 on its Top Christian Rock/Alternative Albums chart and No. 45 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. The Hearts of the Innocent Tour powered by Suzuki kicks off Aug. 25, in Cullman, Ala., with fellow rockers Disciple and new bands Red and Run Kid Run as the show's opening bands. "We're thrilled to have helped launch the exciting partnership between Kutless and Suzuki, which puts Kutless in exclusive company with other artists who have secured such prestigious corporate sponsorship relationships," said Kathy Armistead, whose Commercial and Sponsorship Department at William Morris Agency in Nashville, along with Kutless' Platform Artist Management, helped broker the Kutless-Suzuki partnership. "In an unprecedented tour and retail alliance, both parties have an amazing opportunity to connect with their respective fans and customers." Added Chance Hoag of Platform: "It's an awesome opportunity for Kutless to demonstrate to Suzuki and other corporations of their caliber that there is tremendous benefit to being associated with Christian music and its fans; as well as for the fans to see how a corporate sponsor helps a band like Kutless to deliver a first-class, high-impact concert experience." (from Spinhouse PR) While peace may not be near on some fronts in the world, one drawn-out battle between band and label has ceased. Warner Bros. has made peace with MuteMath over their recent lawsuit. Frontman Paul Meany writes on the band's Myspace blog, "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the lawsuit is officially over. All issues are settled. Our label Teleprompt has just inked a new and improved deal with Warner Brothers that enables us to keep making and selling music exactly as we want. It feels incredible to finally have this legal cr*p out of the way. So now for the next step: everyone's been working frantically to get the LP available in stores and on line as soon as possible. It is with great pleasure that I can announce that our record will be released nationwide September 26th, which, by the way, is also why we dropped off of Warped Tour last week. Sorry about any inconvenience, but we were back in the studio re-mastering the record, which now will include some additional tracks from the Reset EP." Meany continued on to express gratitude to fans for their support before offering more details on the re-release, "As far as the new release, I wanted to also mention that we'll be including a bonus live EP in the first pressing that goes out this fall. Please consider this to be just a small token of thanks for helping our music get the chance to be heard on the world stage. We'll be heading out on tour this Fall with some of our favorite bands. The show will be colossal. We'll see you there. Much Love, Paul" To keep tabs on the band, visit Myspace.com/MuteMath (from Myspace.com/MuteMath) The critically acclaimed rock group, BarlowGirl, will for the first-time headline a major U.S. tour that kick-offs in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 15 and will visit thirty cities. The “Don’t Conform” tour will also feature Universal South’s, Matthew West, and Centricity Record’s rock group, Downhere. The tour is being jointly sponsored by Lifeway, Word Records, and World Vision. “We are very excited about the ‘Don’t Conform’ tour,” says BarlowGirl, “and are thrilled to be sharing the stage with our good friends, Matthew West and Downhere.” “Both of these acts share our ministry for encouraging the youth in this country to live a life according to God’s plan and to follow God’s plan boldly in their own life. This tour is about worshipping our Lord and working together to send His message out into our own neighborhoods and the world.” “Don’t Conform” has long been the focal point of BarlowGirl’s music ministry, as they rock with the message seeing ourselves through God’s eyes, not by the world’s standard . While the world is promoting celebrity lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits, BarlowGirl is saying “no” and encouraging young men and women to question the world’s way and choose God’s way. “We are giving kids freedom to not conform and speak out loudly about what they believe,” says BarlowGirl. “Our generation is ready to live boldly, free of what everyone thinks of us. We must live, and live with passion!” (from Bozeman Media) Wayne Watson's recent creative re-commitment to a new season in his celebrated Christian music career has already proven fruitful--and busy! Compassion International will sponsor a full 45 city fall 2006 tour with the multi-Dove award winning and Grammy nominated artist whose voice and songs helped create the defining portrait of contemporary Christian music throughout the ‘80's and ‘90's. Watson has just been signed as a spokesperson for Compassion's worldwide efforts towards sponsorship of children in the world's neediest countries. His first official efforts in the new alliance will take him to the country of Bolivia August 21st-25th to witness first hand the day-to-day ministry functions of Compassion's South American outreach. Following his return to the U.S., Watson will begin the fall concert tour of 45 U.S. markets, beginning with Salt Lake City, Utah on September 6th and running through a close out concert in Knoxville, Tennessee on November 19th. Plans for a Christmas tour series for Compassion is also currently in initial discussions with artist management. "It's a win/win partnership," noted Spence Smith, Artist Relations for Compassion International, in announcing the addition of Wayne Watson to the organization's family of artists. "We felt an alliance with a long recognized artist of Wayne Watson's caliber would offer him ministry opportunities that would instantly re-connect his gifts and name value at a level that would at the same time benefit so many children around the globe who desperately need sponsorship." "The trip to Bolivia and the subsequent fall tour for Compassion is something that Wayne is personally very motivated about--both for the ministry value and fo