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Casting Crowns – Healer (Official Lyric Video)
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DEC 17, 2021 — Buried Above has released their self-titled debut solo album, a rousing rock record co-produced by Josiah Prince and Andrew Stanton of Disciple. The album follows the singles “It’s Never Too Late” and “The Nations Fall (feat Josh Bramlett),” which had a consistent presence on CMW’s Christian rock chart throughout 2021.
“I personally feel that I grew in a big way over the last couple years working on this record,” says Colton Reed, who has been making music under the title Buried Above since 2019. “Whether it’s through my talents with guitar or vocals, or learning tricks in the studio to make better demos for ideas, I feel that God gave me the ability to learn these things at a faster pace.”
The result is 10 strong tracks, each one serving Buried Above’s core desire to communicate the Gospel of Jesus. That drive draws on Colton’s personal testimony, as told in the track “Already Written (feat Dawn Michele).” “I’m certain everyone has had the fear that there’s something they could do to lose their salvation, though the Bible tells us that it’s eternal, and through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are saved forever,” Colton shares. “While we have a choice to determine what we do in our lives, God already knows our story from beginning to end, and sacrificed His son for us in spite of anything and everything we have done against Him.”
Deeply emotional, “Already Written” is intensified by guest vocals from Fireflight’s Dawn Michele, who Colton connected with through producer Josiah Prince. In deep gratitude, Colton says, “Dawn made the song, which was already my favorite on the record, so much more powerful.”
“Blood” is another stand-out, this one featuring the contributions of producer and guitarist Josiah Prince. “This is another testimonial song, but more about salvation for humanity in general instead of for me personally,” Colton explains. “When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we see all our impurities and flaws. For those who have accepted Jesus as their savior, the impurities are wiped clean. Instead of seeing the things we’ve done, all that God sees is the Blood of Jesus in our place.”
There are several other powerful collaborations on the album, including Spoken’s Matt Baird on “Gravity” and rapper Aaron Ray on album closer “Divide.” With the overall production helmed by Andrew Stanton and Josiah Prince, Buried Above’s first full album draws on the support of veteran talent.
“From the beginning when we wrote our first song together, Josiah helped to bring out the best of my musical and lyrical writing skills. Many of the songs we worked on were a joint effort between him, Andrew and I, but I was surprised at how much of the songs came from my own head,” Colton remembers of the writing process. “When it came to tracking the songs, both Josiah and Andrew were exceptionally fun to work with, Josiah having a lot of Synth and Background production ideas, and Andrew focused more on getting the best guitar sound and character that we possibly could.”
The result is an album that caps off 2021 with one of the strongest debut releases of the year, promising more to come from this rising band’s music and ministry. Colton concludes, “If only ONE person hears this record and decides to follow Christ, then I have done my job as a follower of Jesus. Being able to work with the best in the Christian rock industry is a dream come true, but the ministry is what’s really important in the end!”
Buried Above is available through all major digital retailers, including Apple Musicand Spotify. You can learn more about the band by following them on Facebook Instagram and YouTube, or by visiting buriedabove.com.
Buried Above releases self-titled album, produced by Josiah Prince and Andrew Stanton of Disciple
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Save The Storks – Shelter of Love (Official Video)
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Fight The Fade – “Over & Over” (Official Music Video)
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MULTI-PLATINUM SELLING GRAMMY WINNERS CASTING CROWNS ANNOUNCE THE 24-CITY ‘HEALER TOUR’
SLATED FOR MAJOR ARENAS AND VENUES THIS SPRING
Presented by Compassion International, Spring 2022 Tour Kicks Off Feb. 17,
with We Are Messengers and Jonathan Traylor
Tickets On Sale Friday, Dec. 17
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Dec. 13, 2021 – GRAMMY® winning multi-platinum group Casting Crowns has announced plans for the 24-city “Healer Tour” set to hit major arenas and venues this coming spring. Presented by Compassion International, the tour gets underway Feb. 17, following the January release of the band’s brand new album, Healer (Jan. 14). The Healer Tour will feature special guests We Are Messengers and Jonathan Traylor, and will make stops in cities like Baltimore, Grand Rapids, Tulsa, Nashville, Cleveland and Milwaukee, to name just a few. Tickets for The Healer Tour will go on sale Friday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. local time, following a special fan presale Dec. 15-16. Ticket information can be found at CastingCrowns.com. Ticket buyers may also purchase an add-on ticket called “Casting Crowns Pre-Show Experience,” which will include a pre-show Q&A with the band, a souvenir laminate, an autographed photo and an exclusive merch piece. These limited add-on tickets will be available while supplies last.
CASTING CROWNS – THE HEALER TOUR – SPRING 2022
Dates and venues subject to change without notice.
February
17 – Baltimore, MD – Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
18 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre
19 – Salisbury, MD – Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
20 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston PAC
24 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Civic Center
25 – Alexandria, LA – Rapides Parish Coliseum (*on sale Dec 20)
26 – Meridian, MS – Temple Theater for the Performing ArtsMarch
3 – Pompano Beach, FL – Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
4 – Gainesville, FL – Exactech Arena
5 – Sarasota, FL – Robarts Arena
8 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium
10 – Salem, VA – Salem Civic Center
11 – Columbus, GA – Columbus Civic Center
12 – Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall
17 – Pikeville, KY – Appalachian Wireless Arena
18 – Getzville, NY – The Chapel at CrossPoint
19 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
24 – North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
25 – Tulsa, OK – Mabee Center
26 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
27 – Nashville, TN – Grand Ole Opry House
31 – Cleveland, OH – Playhouse SquareApril
1 – Milwaukee, WI – Wisconsin Lutheran College (*on sale now)
2 – Corbin, KY – The Corbin ArenaABOUT CASTING CROWNS: Prolific, chart-topping CCM group Casting Crowns has achieved sales milestones with more than 12 million albums sold. Additionally, they have received numerous RIAA certifications: one RIAA 2x multi-Platinum® album, five RIAA Platinum albums, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, seven RIAA Gold® albums, four Gold DVDs, five RIAA Platinum singles, and 12 RIAA Gold digital singles. The band has also been honored with four American Music Awards, a GRAMMY Award® for their 2005 album Lifesong, and eight additional GRAMMY Award nominations. In addition, the group has garnered 18 GMA Dove Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, and 13 total Billboard Music Award nominations. The group’s 2018 release, Only Jesus, was met with astonishing success and response. Generating RIAA Gold Certifications for the No. 1 songs “Only Jesus” and “Nobody,” the album also produced two No. 1 radio singles (including the group’s 15th career No. 1 radio single) a GRAMMY nomination, a 2019 Dove Award, two 2020 Dove Award nominations, and two Billboard Music Awards nominations for “Top Christian Album” and “Top Christian Song” (“Nobody” ft. Matthew West). The impact of this album almost three years later includes more than 290 million streams life to date.
Casting Crowns’ seven band members all remain active in student ministry and tour according to their local church commitments. For more information, visit castingcrowns.com.
ABOUT WE ARE MESSENGERS: We Are Messengers has 206 million on-demand streams, 360 million global streams, and boasts six Top 5 and ten Top 10 Christian Airplay hits with “Image of God,” “Power,” “Maybe It’s Ok,” “Magnify,” “Point To You,” “Love,” “Everything Comes Alive,” “God With Us,” “This Is Jesus” and “From Heaven To Earth (Joy To The World).” The band’s last album, Power, featured the award-winning self-acceptance anthem, “Maybe It’s Ok,” which was hailed as “air to a drowning man” by Rawckus Magazine, and “potent, effective and liberating” by Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global. We Are Messengers’ brand new album, Wholehearted, released Oct. 15, 2021, featuring the band’s brand new No. 1 radio single, “Come What May.” The band has played for a live audience of over 2 million people across 40 states and 5 countries, including selling out shows in the Netherlands, England, and lead vocalist Darren Mulligan’s native Ireland. The Dove-nominated and K-LOVE Award-winning group joined TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour in early 2021 and hits the road on Casting Crowns’ Healer Tour in the spring of 2022. For more information, visit wearemessengersmusic.com.
ABOUT JONATHAN TRAYLOR: Jonathan Traylor signals the coming of a new generation of faith music—an authentic melting pot of Worship, Christian and Gospel influences, marked by captivating songs and anchored by a heartfelt passion for ministry. The Dallas-raised performer is a world-class singer/songwriter, producer, musician and dancer who grew up listening to pioneering gospel influences Kirk Franklin and Tye Tribbett, and was inspired by their ability to use contemporary sounds and high-energy stage performances to infuse the culture with the message of the Gospel. His debut project on Motown Gospel/Capitol CMG, The Unknown, released in 2020. For more information, visit jonathantraylormusic.com.
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Casting Crowns has announced plans for 24-city “Healer Tour”
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Fight The Fade – Composure (Official Lyric Video)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Faith-based rock and metal awards show The Grizzly Awards is gearing up for their 3rd year by opening up submissions for nomination considerations. Bands, fans, labels and management teams are all welcome to submit media at https://bit.ly/GrizzlyNominations2021.
Within the first 24 hours of opening submissions, The Grizzly Awards team received over 300 responses— a number that continues to climb. “Every year, the rock community surprises us,” shares The Grizzly Awards co-founders Joel Burris, Mary Nikkel and Cindy Blankenship. “This year is already blowing us away. The enthusiasm and genuine support that we see artists, professionals and fans in this genre offer each other renews our commitment to serving and celebrating them well.”
The Grizzly Awards will be accepting submissions until the end of December. All submissions will be vetted by experts, with the finalists in each category being released for voting in January. Once again, The Grizzly Awards will be considering a combination of fan votes and the votes of a panel of industry experts.
As the grassroots movement behind The Grizzly Awards grows, in their third year, the organization is celebrating their status as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit. As in years past, the awards show honoring artists will be funded on a donation and sponsorship basis. Donations can be made at http://bit.ly/TheGrizzlyAwardsDonate, and parties interested in sponsoring the show can reach out to thegrizzlyawards@gmail.com.
Ultimately, The Grizzly Awards team hopes that this year’s awards will be a continued support and encouragement to the underdog voices of rock and roll: “We know the sacrifices required to create the music that is changing lives, year after year. We know the toll of years spent sleeping in a van and working two or three side hustles to keep the music going. And we know that listeners appreciate it far more than could be adequately expressed in just words. The Grizzly Awards is a way to tangibly express that love and gratitude through action.”
You can stay tuned for future updates from The Grizzly Awards at thegrizzlyawards.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
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The 3rd Annual Grizzly Awards opens submissions for nomination consideration
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Lacey Sturm – Awaken Love (OFFICIAL AUDIO)
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Abby Robertson – Miracle of Christmas (music)
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Skillet – Refuge (Official Lyric Video)
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DEC 10, 2021 – Record-setting hard rock queen Lacey Sturm has released an offering of mystery and romance with “Awaken Love.” The song is available on all major streaming platforms at https://slinky.to/AwakenLove.
Both atmospheric and intimate, “Awaken Love” is a string-driven ballad that Lacey co-wrote with Skillet’s Korey Cooper. The song explores what it feels like to be immersed in the transcendent experience of perfect love.
“With lyrics, I go into a place where I try to hear what the song is about. I have to learn. The music tells you,” Lacey recalls about the writing process. “Sometimes there are lyrics that stir that up, and Korey already had some of that written.”
The song developed into a sweeping chorus and vivid verses, with Lacey’s fervent vocals declaring, “My racing heart so safe with you, they can’t take me away from you.”
While the instrumentation marries rock riffs with cinematic musical scope, “Awaken Love” invites the listener into wonder over the ways they’ve experienced unexplainable love. “Romance is a shadow of the divine,” the singer concludes. “The shadow boxing of romance is really coming from the divine dance of God and humanity.”
“Awaken Love” follows the previously released “The Decree” and “State of Me.” Together, the three songs showcase Lacey Sturm’s consistently expanding sound. Working closely with her husband and guitarist Josh Sturm to break new musical ground, Lacey continues to solidify her role as one of the most iconic voices in hard rock.
You can keep up with all things to come from Lacey Sturm on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Twitch.
Lacey Sturm releases stirring new ballad “Awaken Love” – LISTEN TO IT HERE
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Sarah Reeves – Sentimental (Official Music Video)
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for KING & COUNTRY | RELATE (Official Music Video)
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NEEDTOBREATHE, Phil Wickham, Riley Clemmons and We Are Messengers tie with most nominations each. Live ceremony from Visible Music College in Memphis, TN scheduled for February 22, 2022. Boise, ID – After celebrating its 20th Anniversary this past summer, Christian music site, NewReleaseToday (www.NewReleaseToday.com) is launching the 10th Annual WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS (www.WeLoveAwards.com)–a celebration of the best Christian artists, albums and songs released in 2021.
WATCH NOMINATION VIDEOS FOR ALL CATEGORIES: https://nrt.cc/10thWLAVideos
NEEDTOBREATHE, Phil Wickham, Riley Clemmons and We Are Messengers are tied for the most nominations with five each, and Crowder follows closely behind with four nominations. Artists getting three nominations each include for KING & COUNTRY, Andy Mineo, MercyMe, Newsboys, Mike Donehey, Hollyn, Apollo LTD and CeCe Winans.
A total of 84 artists are nominated this year, 21 of which are independent artists, a significant differentiator from other Christian music awards. “The We Love Awards have always been about music discovery,” shares founder, Kevin McNeese. “If listeners are not discovering new artists to embrace and love, we’re not doing our job. A huge part of that is making sure all artists making faith-based music are considered and included. Our list of nominees represents that heart and we can’t wait for fans to embrace more artists that inspire and point to God’s Kingdom!”
Christian music fans will once again choose the winner from five nominees in all 24 categories including SONG OF THE YEAR, MALE and FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR and a new category for this cycle, LIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR. Voting is now open through Friday, January 28, 2022 at www.WeLoveAwards.com.
For the second year in a row, APPLE MUSIC is partnering exclusively with The We Love Awards by featuring the official playlist in their Christian Music category. Fans can access the exclusive playlist at https://nrt.cc/10thWLAPlaylist.
Winners in all categories will be announced at a ceremony being broadcast live from Visible Music College in Memphis, TN on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 9PM EST/8PM CST. “We couldn’t be happier to host the We Love Christian Music Awards once again at our Memphis campus,” shares Visible Music College’s President, Ken Steorts. “It is a major highlight for our campus that welcomes students from all over the country who are studying to be artists, musicians, producers and managers in the Christian music industry.”
Learn more about the WE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS, view the full list of nominees and vote at http://www.weloveawards.com.
About NewReleaseToday
NewReleaseToday (NRT), launched in August 2002, has become the largest Christian music and media site online, offering the most complete and up-to-date info on faith-based arts and entertainment. From album release dates to exclusive interviews to world premieres and Christian music news, NRT has become the go-to source for what’s new in Christian music. www.NewReleaseToday.com
About Visible Music College
Visible Music College is a global, spiritual community of musicians, technicians, business professionals, and educators serving the Church and society with collective energy and talent, fostering an environment of creativity, worship, and innovation in artistic endeavors for the glory of God. More information can be found at www.visible.edu.
Links
Annual Christian Music Awards Opens Public Voting For 10th Year Nominating 84 Artists In 24 Categories
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Skillet – Standing In The Storm (Official Lyric Video)
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TobyMac – Promised Land
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I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
– Philippians 1:3-5
Another day sinks into eternity without resolution, yanking the scab from the wounds of battle.
In the darkness, tears drown the day’s end in another night of pain. A crush of unsolvable problems create the sensation of falling, headfirst, into a world without hope.
Then a song on the playlist reaches through the heaviness, pulling back the veil from the holy place to reveal a Sovereign presence.
God is here.
In the stillness, the Holy Spirit embraces and absorbs the pain. His Word, spoken through another hurting soul, binds the wounds and gathers the tears to anoint the Savior’s feet.
This Thanksgiving, I thank you who write and sing and speak truth gleaned from your own sorrows.
Your words of victory in the night gives us hope for tomorrow. Your honest confession of weakness reminds us it’s okay to falter, to be in pain, to not understand why life hurts so much.
This Thanksgiving and every day, I am grateful for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Your struggles and trials and even your failings are not in vain. Together, through the storms, we stand; a temple built upon the Rock by those who have gone before us and those who stand with us.
Together, we rise.
I’m thankful for you who cherish Jesus, whether you are a stranger, friend, or family member. Your pain is never for nothing. Every hard-won victory paves the way for those who follow. You may feel alone, even forsaken, but you are neither. Many witnesses testify to your devotion to your King.
We see.
Every day you live for Him gives someone else courage to fight another day.
Thank you, today and always, for being my family in the Lord. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Slightly Obsessed #258: Thank God For You!
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Spoken – Nightmare (Official Lyric Video)
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TULIP – The Inner Light (Official Video)
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Michael Feighan “Someone Prayed” Official Video
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