Downhere has inked a new record deal with Centricity Records. “The opportunity to work with John Mays and the Centricity team is something we’ve been looking forward to for quite a few months now,” said guitarist and vocalist Marc Martel. “We’re due for some new material out there, and Centricity really resonates with us on how to go about doing that.” Downhere’s next album is slated for release in 2006.
Audio Adrenaline will celebrate the release of their ninth studio project Until My Heart Caves In “Victory-style” as frontman Mark Stuart rides his Victory motorcycle coast to coast for charity. The “Hands & Feet Across America” Tour will rev up August 15 in West Palm Beach and roll through Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo and Visalia before its final stop in Sacramento, August 26th. Stuart will be traveling approximately 3,000 miles driving his Victory motorcycle to raise money per mile for the Hands & Feet Project, an orphanage in Haiti that the band is building from the ground up to provide a caring and loving environment for orphaned children in Haiti. At the end of the trip, the motorcycle, which will be autographed by various celebrities along the way, will be offered in the band’s Second Annual Charity Auction on ebay. Individual or group sponsors of the ride can go to HYPERLINK “http://www.handsandfeetproject.org/”
INO Records’ singer/songwriter Derek Webb has teamed up with iTunes’ to announce Derek’s Podcast, featuring exclusive music, performances and interviews with Webb which can then be downloaded for free and listened to on iTunes or in your iPod.
Thousand Foot Krutch’s sophomore album, The Art of Breaking (EMI/Tooth and Nail) sold 14,396 units and landed at #67 in Billboard’s Top 200 in its first week of release (according to SoundScan), and was the #2 most selling release album overall in the CBA marketplace. The Art of Breaking is the follow up to the band’s breakthrough debut, Phenomenon.
Industry veterans John and Dino Elefante, in partnership with Greg Weston of Weston Entertainment, have announced the launch of 3.1 Productions, a new record label founded on a progressive model for multi-layer artist development. Rock band Monday Morning is the debut artist signed to 3.1 Productions’ rock imprint, Selectric Records. Their album, Fool’s Paradise, is in stores now.
Music for the Soul founder and Director Steve Siler has made a commitment to pledge 100 percent of all lifetime royalties of the title track from his recent project Somebody’s Daughter to Christian counseling centers around the nation. The album confronts the lies of pornography and has received rave reviews from ministries like National Religious Broadcasters, The American Association of Christian Counselors and Focus on the Family. “This is not about me having another hit,” Siler says. “I believe so strongly that every Christian man in America needs to hear this song.” In addition, co-writer John Mandeville has made the same decision for the song “Free.” A not-for-profit organization, Music for the Soul’s mission is to create CD projects (consisting of spoken word, testimonials and songs) that deal with and confront difficult issues.
Musical storyteller Andrew Peterson borrowed the name for his latest album, The Far Country, from a quote by Meister Eckhart, a sixteenth-century German spiritual teacher who said, “God is at home. We are in the far country.” “It expressed so simply the way I feel about life on this earth, and my heart resounded with the truth of it,” recalls Peterson. “We usually think of Heaven as the far country, a cloudy, ethereal place, an eternal church service, which sounds about as appealing as traffic school. C.S. Lewis said that all of our desires, for acceptance, intimacy, rest, work, satisfaction, beauty are, at their root, desires for heaven.” Consistent with Peterson’s previous albums, the new project features hammered dulcimer, bouzouki, piano, mandolin and acoustic guitar.
With his latest album, Collision, college favorite David Crowder Band explores the science behind music and worship. “For the past two years, I have ended most nights in concert with the following statement: ‘When our depravity meets his divinity, it is a beautiful collision.’ This recording is about that collision,” says frontman David Crowder.
Country star Naomi Judd will be releasing two books this year. First, the self-proclaimed expert at making mistakes is teaming up with J. Countryman, a leading inspirational gift book publisher, to offer readers The Transparent Life, 30 Proven Ways to Live Your Best. In the book, Judd shares thirty practical ways to live more fully. The book hits stores this November. In addition, Judd will release children’s book Gertie the Goldfish and the Christmas Surprise on the Tommy Nelson imprint.
Following his recent week-long promotional tour of the U.S., D.J. Andy Hunter’s latest album Life became a Top 10 (No. 6) best selling CD at iTunes, sharing the chart with such well-known artists as Sasha, Daft Punk, Thievery Corporation, Telepopmusik, and Moby. Hunter played the main stage at the Cornerstone Music Festival in July, closing out the night out for Skillet and tobyMac, before flying to Seattle to tape a documentary for Microsoft. Hunter, regularly tapped by Microsoft for his DJ expertise, talked about the creative aspect of working in 5.1 surround and the differences between stereo and 5.1. The documentary features Hunter working in the studio with an engineer on the 5.1 mix on “Come On” from Life.
Nashville-based Christian music distributor TAG Artist Group has partnered with contemporary gospel music pioneer and former Santana front-man Leon Patillo for the release of Live Experience 2. The singer/songwriter is perhaps best known in music circles for fronting the multi-platinum group Santana, as well as for his work with Funkadelic and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. For the past 25 years, Patillo has been on a ground-breaking contemporary gospel solo career. After stepping down from Santana in 1979 after six years recording and touring, Patillo signed with Word Records and released the cutting edge gospel project Dance Children Dance. Since 1999 has been performing for the “Get Motivated” conferences.
Scott Wesley Brown is set to release Old Hymns Made New, the latest release from Billy Smiley’s new Worship Hymn Series. “I think reaching back into history is and has always been a good thing,” states Brown. “What we are trying to do with the Worship Hymns is to elevate the powerful content of the lyrics and combine it with the great music of today.”
Evansville Indiana-based independent rock band Lost Anthem is preparing for the national debut of their latest project, Moments In And Out Of Time through Infinity Music Distribution. The album comes packaged with a full-length bonus DVD featuring three music videos, behind the scenes footage and a mini documentary on the band.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) released their list of the industry’s top 100 albums and among them is Amy Grant’s 1991 release Hearts in Motion.
Rap artist T-Bone will release his seventh studio album, Bone-A-Fide, Sept. 27th. A pioneer of the gospel hip-hop movement for nearly 15 years, T-Bone has won many fans across music markets and listening backgrounds. Legendary production team of Buster & Shavoni have signed on to spearhead T-Bone’s latest effort. Boxer Laila Ali has a starring role in T-Bone’s forthcoming “Can I Live” music video.
Rocketown recording artist Ginny Owens recently sang the National Anthem Sunday at “Tee-Ball on the South Lawn,” a special initiative launched in 2001 by President George W. Bush to “promote interest in baseball and a spirit of teamwork and service for America’s youth.” The game featured District 12 Little League Challengers from Williamsport, Penn. playing West University Little League Challengers from Houston, Texas. The Little League’s Challenger Division is organized for and features teams comprised of mentally and physically disabled children, and this game celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities.
Rocketown recording artist Shaun Groves recently announced his fall tour to promote his latest album, White Flag. The album was inspired by a Bible study on the Beatitudes that Groves taught as a pastor to college students at his home church. Joining him on tour will be special opening acts Kendall Payne and Jason Morant.
Canadian rockers Manic Drive are on the road this summer on their Reason For Motion tour. The band will be performing at music festivals, youth rally’s and clubs across the U.S. and Canada, sharing the stage with artists like Skillet, Superchick, Pillar, Stellar Kart, Michael Tait of dc Talk, Audio Adrenaline, TFK, Hawk Nelson and Disciple.
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NEW RELEASES:
Jeff Deyo – Surrender (Gotee) – August 2, 2005
Antonio Neal – Days Of My Life (EMI) – August 2, 2005
Bart Millard – Hymned (INO records) – August 9, 2005
LA Symphony – Disappear Here (Gotee) – August 16, 2005
Hip Hope 2005 (Gotee) – August 16, 2005
Vicki Yohe – He¹s Been Faithful (PureSprings Gospel) – August 30, 2005
Twila Paris – He Is Exalted: Live Worship (Integrity Music) – August 30, 2005
TobyMac – Renovating Diverse City (Gotee) – August 30, 2005
Yolanda Adams – Day By Day – (Warner/Word) – August 30
Andrew Peterson – The Far Country – (Warner/Word) – August 30
Building 429 – Space In Between Us (Expanded Edition) – (Warner/Word) – August 30
Bruce Carroll, Big World – (On The Grove / TAG Distribution) – September 6, 2005
Rick Blair – Fields of Freedom (Martingale Music / Word Distribution) – September 13, 2005
Paul Nelson – Fairest Lord Jesus – (Martingale Music / Word Distribution) – September 13, 2005
Eric Wyse – Be Still and Know – (Martingale Music / Word Distribution) – September 13, 2005
Various – 25 Down Home Bluegrass Favorites – (Martingale Music / Word Distribution) – September 13, 2005
Sarah Hart – Into These Rooms (spiritandsong.com) – September 13, 2005
Matt Maher – Welcome to Life (spiritandsong.com) – September 13, 2005
Various – Come Let Us Adore Him: Christmas Classics (BHT Records / Word Distribution) – September 27, 2005
Classical Praise – Power of Your Love – (Martingale Music / Word Distribution) – September 27, 2005
Kendall Payne – Grown – (BHT Records / Word Distribution) – September 27, 2005
BarlowGirl – Another Journal Entry – (Warner/Word) – September 27
Mark Schultz – Stories Behind the Songs CD/DVD – (Warner/Word) – September 27
Various Artists – Absolute Christmas for Kids – (Warner/Word) – September 27
David Phelps – Life Is A Church – (Warner/Word) – September 27
