Fair Trade Services Honored with Eight Dove Award Nominations
Aug 24, 2015 Artist Updates
Fair Trade Services Honored with Eight Dove Award Nominations
MercyMe, Phil Wickham and Laura Story Among Artists Garnering Recognition
Nashville, Tenn (Aug. 24, 2015) – Fair Trade Services garnered a total of eight nominations for the upcoming 46th Annual GMA Dove Awards. Multi-Dove Award winning band MercyMe took honors in top categories, including “Artist of the Year,” Song of the Year” (for their 16 week No. 1 “Greater”), “Songwriter of the Year” (for Bart Millard) and Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year. Phil Wickham’s “This Is Amazing Grace” gathered nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Worship Song of the Year” as well as earned Wickham a nod for “Songwriter of the Year.” “O Love of God” from Laura Story is up for “Inspirational Song of the Year.”
The 46th Annual GMA Dove Awards, hosted by Erica Campbell and Sadie Robertson, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13, live from Allen Arena on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. and will air exclusively on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) on Sunday, October 18th at 9:00 p.m (CST).
On the heels of the announcement of their upcoming holiday project, MercyMe, It’s Christmas!, MercyMe’s current single “Flawless” is No. 1 at Billboard Christian AC Monitored/Indicator, Soft AC and National Christian Audience Charts as well as in the top spot on the iTunes
® Christian Top Songs Chart. Story will debut her latest book “When God Doesn’t Fix It” on Sept. 15 while her current single “Till I Met You” is impacting radio. Following up his BMI “Christian Song of the Year” distinction, Wickham is currently in the studio working on his sixth studio project to release in April 2016.ABOUT FAIR TRADE SERVICES
Fair Trade Services, LLC launched in June 2011 by music industry veteran Jeff Moseley. Fair Trade Services is a partnership based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, formed for the development of remarkable Christian artists who desire artistic excellence, cultural relevance and spiritual significance. Located in Brentwood, Tenn., their roster includes MercyMe, Laura Story, Phil Wickham, Audio Adrenaline, Hawk Nelson, The Afters, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Sara Groves, Mark Schultz, The Digital Age and more. Fair Trade Services is distributed by Provident Distribution and Sony Music. www.fairtradeservices.com
First-Ever OUTCRY Tour Elevates the Local Church
Aug 24, 2015 Artist Updates
First-Ever OUTCRY Tour Elevates the Local Church
By Gathering More Than 130,000
Compassion International Breaks Sponsorship Record at OUTCRY in Houston
Created and produced by Premier Productions — and fostered through local pastor gatherings — sold-out arenas and amphitheaters were filled with a collective 60 hours of music led by Hillsong UNITED, Kari Jobe, Bethel Music, Jesus Culture, Passion, Crowder, Trip Lee and Lauren Diagle.
Shane Quick, Partner for Premier Productions, caught the vision for this never-before-imagined tour and reveled in every stage of production. “Outcry was so much more than I even dreamed,” said Quick. “More than 130,000 people, thousands saved, record-breaking numbers of children sponsored, friends made, unity on every level and so much more. Very few things are better than a vision realized. We are grateful to the LORD for all He did and to the countless people who made Outcry a reality. We are louder together!”
In addition to elevating the local church’s reach — with some gatherings hosting as many as 18,000 people — OUTCRY heavily impacted child-sponsorship organization, Compassion International, a Christian organization dedicated to long-term development of poverty-stricken children around the world. Over the course of the tour, Compassion received 7,800 children sponsorship commitments, breaking their single show record in Houston with 990 in one evening.
“Outcry and Compassion make great partners because we’re so like-minded,” said Zane King, Compassion International Artist Relations Director. “Our ministries have a strong desire to champion and empower the local church. That alignment has created a great deal of excitement and energy on each stop along the Outcry tour. It has also made each event much more than a concert–it’s a dynamic worship experience.”
Plans for a larger 2016 tour are underway. For more information, please visit outcrytour.com.
Facebook: facebook.com/outcrytour
Twitter: twitter.com/outcry_tour
Instagram: instagram.com/outcry_tour
Speak Life in Word, Music, & Action!
Aug 24, 2015 Ministry
Speak Life in Word, Music, & Action!
Youth & Family Weekend September 11 – 13
Camp LuWiSoMo in Wild Rose will present the Speak Life Youth & Family Weekend, featuring Bob Lenz, Ryan Stevenson, and AJ the Illusionist on Saturday evening, September 12. Everyone is welcome!
Bob Lenz is an internationally known speaker and author who is widely recognized for his ability to ignite young people’s faith, connect with their hearts and minds, and share experiences that help them deal with real life while challenging them to make a difference in their world.
A.J. the Illusionist shares his comic physical illusions with audiences around the world. Using his expertise in visual performance, A.J. communicates the love of God in powerful ways you will never forget.
Ryan Stevenson is a singer/songwriter best known for recording “Holding Nothing Back” and “The Human Side”; his message is one of faith and trust.
Speak Life festivities will begin Friday evening with a welcome buffet from 4-8pm and a campfire after dusk. Camp activities such as boating, fishing, hiking, archery, horseback riding and meals & treats will be available throughout Saturday; Sunday morning after breakfast the Reverend Bill Meier and Ryan Stevenson will lead a worship service in the chapel.
In addition to the entertainers, activities, food, and worship, Camp LuWiSoMo is hoping to make a difference in the local community through a donation for the Foundation for Living in Waupaca. Please bring non-perishable food and personal care items, such as Granola Bars, Breakfast Bars, instant soups, canned goods, and soap, toilet paper, or laundry detergent to pass on to this worthy organization.
Youth and church leaders of all denominations are encouraged to register their groups in advance; if registered by September 11, the leader will receive free admission and a free gift.
All activities are open to the public, and for those who aren’t able to stay for the entire weekend, Saturday Passes are available for as little as $10 per person or $25 per family of 4 when purchased in advance. Per person rate increases to $15 on Saturday. Larger families and groups, please call for special rates. Camp LuWiSoMo strongly advises reserving your campsite, cabin, or dormitory-style room, as well as meals for the weekend, prior to August 30 for the best prices and seating choices. More information is available at www.luwisomo.org or by calling 920-622-3350
MANAFEST RETURNS TO INDIE ROOTS, RELEASES REBORN OCT. 2
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates, New Release
Trevor McNevan (Thousand Foot Krutch), Tedashii, Soul Glow Activatur, Shonlock Make Guest Appearances
“Let You Drive” Video/Radio Single Hits This Week
Singer/rapper/songwriter/author/skater Manafest pushes musical envelopes, creating an uplifting, seamless blur between the spectrums of rap, hip-hop, rock and pop while selling 300,000-plus albums, playing more than 1,000 events logged over four continents and garnering four Juno and five GMA Dove Award nominations along with nine GMA Canada Covenant Awards. After seven albums in the major label system, and anchored by a sea of tastemaking fans that fully funded his current PledgeMusic campaign, Manafest will return to his indie roots for his next groundbreaking album, Reborn, releasing Oct. 2 through The Fuel Music. Pre-orders are being received now at www.pledgemusic.com/manafest.
Inspired by a full-circle season that mirrors the hunger and predominant hip-hop flavors accompanying this versatile artist’s self-released debut a dozen years ago, Reborn is part of a creative surge that’s been churning in the performer’s mind for quite awhile.
“I’ve always rapped, even on the rock stuff, but I’ve wanted to do a more hip-hop influenced record for a long time,” says Manafest. “I started thinking about that just after Fighter came out, which was my second kind of more real rock record like The Chase, and then last year’s The Moment was a bit of a hybrid record. For Reborn, I decided to go back to hip-hop, but even the way I do hip-hop isn’t the traditional ‘boom, bap,’ stuff, so I don’t think the fans who like more of the rock stuff will be disappointed.
“The whole concept of my faith is always all about being reborn and starting anew,” continues Manafest. “I’ve done this for a long time, but at times I feel reborn because I’m basically starting over. And I say that as someone who’s not jaded or broke, but as someone who’s happy and stoked. I still have lots to say and lots to create.”
Joining Manafest in the process of creating Reborn are producers Seth Mosley (Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, Sanctus Real) and Joel Bruyere (Thousand Foot Krutch), along with several eclectic guest performers. The signature rock vocals of longtime Manafest collaborator Trevor McNevan (Thousand Foot Krutch) lifts the chorus in “Shine,” a song about living each day to maximum capacity and ‘beaming your light’ along the way. Rappers Tedashii and Shonlock vibe alongside Manafest on “I Have A Dream,” a track that carries on the message of peace and unity that Martin Luther King, Jr. began. Former Family Force 5 lead vocalist Soul Glow Activatur (Solomon Olds) joins Manafest on the rhythmic party rocker “Stick To Your Gunz,” an all-out anthem for surviving the struggle and never going down for the count.
The album also features musicians like guitarist Jerry McPherson (Jewel, The Neville Brothers) and drummer Miles McPherson (Paramore), whose pop/punk rhythms propel lead single and video “Let You Drive.” Premiered this week by NewReleaseToday.com, the song is available now on iTunes, Spotify and more, and goes for radio adds nationally on Aug. 14. The single is about taking your hands off the wheel and knowing that God’s got everything under control.
“So many times I’ve tried to take control of the wheel steering my life in the direction I wanted to go,” reflects Manafest. “I came to understand, through experience, that every time I let God in, it was the better route – not only for having peace during the journey, but also arriving to the destination faster and not as bruised up from life’s punches.”
That theme carries over into the hip-hop centric album’s title track, which premiered this week on Rapzilla.com and is sort of a “Manafest meets Johnny Cash and Mumford & Sons” eclectic offering. (See lyric video at http://youtu.be/Gzsysud-fbA.)
“To me, being reborn is starting over and having a second chance,” says Manafest. “It’s like hitting restart, but without having to go back in time and start from the very beginning. This song is a confession that it’s not easy, and that we can all have doubts, but just don’t give into them. I fall down, but I rise and go!”
Taking the new music and messages of Reborn, along with his long list of fan favorites, on the road, Manafest brings his live concert experience to fairs, festivals and parks internationally this summer before returning to North America to launch his “Reborn Tour” Sept. 17 in Evansville, IN.
For all the latest Manafest tour dates, music, videos and more, go to www.manafest.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest.com, ReverbNation, Spotify, Google+ and BandsInTown.
ABOUT MANAFEST:
Manafest (a.k.a. Canada native, Chris Greenwood) has organically built his fan base since his seminal indie EP Misled Youth launched in 2001. In 2005, Manafest released his first label recording, Epiphany, on BEC Recordings, which launched a series of seven best-selling, award-winning studio albums and one live DVD/CD. In 2006, Manafest’s rock anthem “Impossible” from the album, Glory, that features Thousand Foot Krutch’s Trevor McNevan, became a global hit. Two years later, Manafest’s Citizens Activ gathered multiple TV placements and was followed by 2010’s The Chase, which received a JUNO Award nomination and won a 2010 GMA Canada Award. In 2012, Manafest’s Dove Award-nominated Fighter debuted at No. 16 on the iTunes® Rock album chart, No. 7 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and No. 8 on the Japan iTunes chart. The next year, Manafest released his first book, Fighter, followed by 2014’s acclaimed album, The Moment. Selling more than 300,000 records worldwide, Manafest songs have been featured in video games, as well as on “CSI: Miami,” “NFL,” “Knight Rider,” “NBC-GRIMM,” “One Tree Hill,” “Jockeys,” “MTV Unplugged” and “So You Think You Can Dance Canada.” He has also toured throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, China, Ireland and more, while sharing stages with artists like Thousand Foot Krutch, Skillet, RED and many others.
DOVE AWARD WINNER CHERI KEAGGY RELEASES NO LONGER MY OWN TODAY
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates, New Release
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DOVE AWARD WINNER CHERI KEAGGY RELEASES
NO LONGER MY OWN TODAY
Popular Singer/Songwriter’s Ninth Album Encourages
Believers to Live Boldly For Christ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 7, 2015) – Psalm 91 Records has announced the release of Dove Award-winning recording artist Cheri Keaggy’s latest album, No Longer My Own, to retail today, Friday, August 7. The project, which is distributed by Elevate Entertainment, is the singer/songwriter’s ninth full-length CD to date. “I gave a copy of No Longer My Own to my Dad,” muses Keaggy. “After he had a chance to give it a good listen, he called me. Through broken-up tears, he said, ‘You wouldn’t have been able to write these songs if you hadn’t gone through the things you’ve been through.’ He went on to say, ‘This is your best one yet.’ It touched me that it moved him so deeply.” Keaggy believes this project might be her most bold recording to date. “I have often referred to my last album, So I Can Tell, as my beauty-from-ashes project or my bleeding heart album,” she confesses. “But, the Lord heals. And this album feels a little more broad. Brokenness humbles you and makes you more sensitive to the world around you and, perhaps, even more in tune with the Father’s heart. It was a stretch, both spiritually and emotionally, and I stretched myself vocally too, going for notes I might have been too timid to reach before.” Donning the producer’s hat, Keaggy employed the talents of some of Nashville’s top musicians, skillfully steering the project’s instrumentation and her own trademark velvety vocals toward the pop and gospel genres. The result is a cohesive collection of Christ-focused songs that exude a sense of deep felt conviction and, ultimately, surrender. No Longer My Own seeks to embolden fellow sojourners of the faith to live more fearlessly for Christ. Perhaps that sentiment is best expressed in the album’s title cut, a song inspired by the “Covenant Prayer” popularized by John Wesley. Listeners can look forward to such vertically oriented songs of celebration as “Lucky To Be Breathing Your Air,” prayerful petitions like “Jesus, One and Only,” poignant ballads like “You Go Before,” and the powerful anthem, “Overcome,” a response to recent news reports of believers facing persecution, even unto death, and the increase of moral decay in our nation. She also enlists her uncle, Grammy nominee and Dove Award winner Phil Keaggy, who contributes a jubilant ukulele track in the lighthearted Scripture song, “Whatever is True (Phil. 4:8).” Composing new music and melody to the hymn “He Giveth More Grace” in her newly named “The Giving Song,” she includes a hint of the church classic, “I Surrender All.” She offers an invitation to abide in “I Love Your Company,” a sentiment that echoes every parent’s wish to see their child content and at rest in blessed communion. “My prayer is that all-too-busy believers will rediscover the simple joy of being with Jesus, sitting with Him, delighting in Him,” says Keaggy. “After an incredible season of pouring out, I knew I had to guard that, to remember my First Love. And it has humbled me, in a good way.” Perhaps the most poignant and achingly honest song on the project is Keaggy’s newly penned, “Be My Sabbath,” which serves as a desperate cry for God’s restorative power and refueling. She wrote the song after experiencing the sheer elation of reaching her goal on the Kickstarter campaign that funded the CD, and the unanticipated physical and spiritual burnout that followed. “One definition of ‘burn-out’ is ‘to cause to fail, wear out, or become exhausted, especially from overwork or over use.’ I’m not entirely sure what constitutes burnout,” Keaggy muses. “But I think I reached that point sometime around the Christmas holidays. The hectic pace of life, work, and ministry simply caught up with me, and the usual things I did to find renewal wouldn’t work. I was stuck.” All the traveling, pouring out, promoting, administering, and bill paying had taken their toll. Keaggy, who has often said, ‘When you come to the end of yourself, you come to the beginning of Jesus,’ had finally reached her end. “I woke up one morning and scribbled out a whole page of words and feelings with no concern for order or rhyme.” And realized a song was brewing. “I don’t mind being broken as long as I get a good song out of it,” she quips. “It might contain the most angst-ridden lyrics I’ve written to date, but it’s real, it’s authentic, and it points to God, my Source, my Sabbath.” Keaggy employed the innovative Kickstarter crowd-source business model to fund the project, joining such high profile Christian recording artists as Shaun Groves, John Schlitt, Five Iron Frenzy and Thousand Foot Krutch, who also used the outside-the-box service to fund recent projects. Keaggy is no stranger to the business model, having successfully employed Kickstarter to raise nearly $25,000 to fund her 2012 release, So I Can Tell. While Keaggy admits to being both humbled and excited by the number of doors that opened for ministry through concerts, church services, women’s events, TV appearances, interviews, and radio airplay as a direct result of So I Can Tell, she insists the story is far from over. With a quiver full of new songs burning in her soul, Keaggy prays No Longer My Own will inspire and embolden fellow saints to live more fearlessly for Christ. |
About Cheri Keaggy: Cheri Keaggy began her career as a worship leader at a small church in Southern California before recording her debut album on Sparrow Records, Child of the Father, in 1994. Honored with a Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year, Keaggy has gone on to record eight additional albums, resulting in nine No. 1 songs, three Dove Award nominations and a Dove Award win. After more than two decades in music, her ministry has expanded to include speaking engagements as well. Her latest project, No Longer My Own is now available from Psalm 91 Records and Elevate Entertainment.
For more information about Keaggy and No Longer My Own, visit cherikeaggy.com. Like Keaggy on Facebook (facebook.com/CheriKeaggy) or follow her on Twitter (@cherikeaggy). |
TYE TRIBBETT, JASON CRABB JOIN FORCES FOR THE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TOUR
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates, Tour
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TYE TRIBBETT, JASON CRABB JOIN FORCES FOR THE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TOUR
Gospel, Contemporary Christian Music and Comedy Come Together
On One Stage for the Most Unique Tour of 2015 |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 6, 2015) – Cinder Entertainment has announced that multiple GRAMMY Award winning artists Tye Tribbett and Jason Crabb, along with Dove Award winning comedian Akintunde, have joined forces to create what is shaping up as one of the most unique, must-experience concert tours of 2015. The Up Close and Personal Tour will not only allow audiences to experience the artists in an intimate concert setting, but it will also provide the artists the opportunity to express their desire to break down barriers that too often separate generations, cultures, denominations and races.
“Jason and I felt it was important for us to join forces to impact the Kingdom of God,” says Tribbett. “This fusion of high energy and creativity provides a dynamic experience. Plus, I just love Jason Crabb’s music and I know my audience will as well!”
“So many times we let what makes us unique and special separate us,” says Crabb. “But, when all of God’s people come together, it’s like nothing else! Sharing the platform with Tye Tribbett and Akintude is a blast–I’ve never experienced anything quite like it! When the audience sees us come together, in harmony, in Christ, it unites them in Christ! This is a night you don’t want to miss.”
The Up Close and Personal Tour, presented in conjunction with Feed the Children, will feature popular comedian Akintunde (BET’s The Monique Show and Comicview, TBN’s Praise The Lord, CBN’s The 700 Club) as the tour’s host.
The juxtapostion of three different genres–Gospel, CCM and comedy–will allow each of the featured artists the opportunity to minister in their own inimitable styles, offering fans the chance to enjoy the artist they love, while also being introduced to fresh and exciting new styles from artists they may not have experienced yet.
The Up Close and Personal Tour is more than a concert; it’s an experience–one that will make a lasting impact on those who attend. Attendees with have the opportunity to walk the red carpet, meet the artists and take photos with them. But the Up Close and Personal experience is so much more than a traditional meet-n-greet. Attendees will be invited to participate in ministry impartations, and also gain valuable insight into the artists’ hearts and souls through panel discussions with Crabb and Tribbett as they share their desire to present a united front of love, respect and harmony in the wake of the ungodly racial divisiveness that has gripped the nation during the past year.
“New Life had the opportunity to experience the ‘Up Close and Personal’ Tour last month,” says John F. Hannah, pastor of New Life Covenant Church Southeast-Chicago. “Needless to say, we were extremely blessed, uplifted and inspired by the amazing ministry of Tye Tribbett and Jason Crabb.”
The dates of the Up Close and Personal Tour are as follows:
The Up Close and Personal Tour features two exclusive ticket packages, including the Platinum Package and the Gold Package (see details below), in addition to a General Admission option.
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PLATINUM Up Close and Personal Package:
One Reserved Concert Ticket in the first 3 rows, Exclusive Meet & Greet with Jason Crabb and Tye Tribbett, One Individual Photograph with Jason Crabb and Tye Tribbett, Entry into Pre-Concert Reception, Exclusive “Up Close and Personal Experience” Panel Discussion with Jason Crabb and Tye Tribbett, Tour gift bag (exclusive to VIP guests), Exclusive log-in for download and purchase of photos from the event, Official autographed “Up Close And Personal” laminate, Separate VIP red carpet check-in.
GOLD Up Close and Personal Package:
One Reserved Concert Ticket in rows 4-10, Entry into Pre-Concert Reception, Exclusive “Up Close and Personal Experience” Panel Discussion with Jason Crabb and Tye Tribbett, Tour Gift bag (exclusive to VIP guests), Exclusive log-in for download and purchase of photos from the event, Official autographed “Up Close And Personal” laminate, Separate VIP red carpet check-in.
GENERAL ADMISSION: Concert-only tickets are also available.
For more information, visit upclosetour.com. Like on Twitter (@upclosetour), Instagram (@upclosetour) and Facebook (facebook.com/upcloseandpersonaltour).
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About Tye Tribbett:
Tye Tribbett and his group, G.A. (also known as Greater Anointing), burst on the national stage when their song “Let Go, Let God” was featured on the soundtrack of Steven Spielburg’s hit animated feature film, The Prince of Egypt. Tribbett and G.A. soon found themselves sharing the stage with such superstars as Gloria Estefan, LeAnn Rhimes, Elton John, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder. An invitation from mega-producer David Foster to perform onstage at the annual City of Hope event at Universal Studios in Hollywood led to national tours singing backup for Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Don Henley. G.A. ‘retired’ in 2009, allowing its members to pursue their personal goals and dreams.
Today, the radical entertainer that is Tye Tribbett continues to shatter the mold of what is traditionally known as Gospel music. With one of the most relevant voices of this generation and a sound that reaches the masses, Tribbett creates a dynamic new caliber of music. His high energy, powerful, and infectious music has helped redefine gospel music, and garnered him a bevy of prestigious awards and nominations, including multiple Number 1 Albums, Stellar Awards and GRAMMY Awards.
Tribbett’s current project, Greater Than, from Motown Gospel, debuted at #1 on
Billboard’s Top Gospel Chart, #4 on iTunes, #9 on Billboard’s Top 200, earning a Stellar Award and two GRAMMY Awards. For more information about Tribbett and Greater Than, visit tyetribbettworldwide.com.
About Jason Crabb:
In his career, Kentucky-born Jason Crabb has won a GRAMMY and 21 Dove Awards, both as a solo artist as well as with the Crabb Family. In 2012, the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards crowned Crabb as both Artist and Male Vocalist of the Year. Since his first solo release in 2009, Crabb has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious stages, such as Carnegie Hall, The Grand Ole Opry, The Brooklyn Tabernacle and Billy Graham’s final crusade in NYC. He has also shared the stage with artists such as Wynonna, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Sandi Patty, the Oak Ridge Boys and more. He has appeared on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice (NBC) and alongside Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson. Crabb has been covered by such outlets as Associated Press, The Huffington Post, Billboard, USA Today online, Fox News, Entertainment Tonight, and Country Weekly, among others, and was named one of Nashville’s Most Beautiful People by Nashville Lifestyles Magazine. Crabb is also a host at TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network). His upcoming project, Whatever the Road, will be available September 18, 2015 from Provident Label Group. For more information about Crabb and Whatever the Road, visit jasoncrabb.com.
About Akintunde:
Akintunde is the 2014 Dove Award Comedian of the Year and a 20 year comedy veteran. He is also a sought-after screen and television writer with over 350 original television episodes of writing credits. Ak has written for It’s Showtime at the Apollo, The BET Awards, and The NAACP Image Awards and worked as a head writer and producer for BET Networks’ The Monique Show. In addition to multiple appearances on The Word Network, TBN, The Gospel Music Channel, and The Stellar Awards, Akintunde has been on 10 national tours in the past five years. He toured with Pastors Creflo and Taffi Dollar on The Change Experience Tour for four years and hosted a tour with TeenMania’s Acquire The Fire. For the last three years, Akintunde has been featured at T.D. Jakes’ Megafest and Woman Thou Art Loosed Conferences.
For more information about Akintunde, visit Akintunde.net.
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FEARLESS BND Finds Something Worth Dying For at FEARLESS LA
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates
Worth Dying For at FEARLESS LA
Groundbreaking Modern Worship Group Formerly Known as Worth Dying For Announces Ambitious Monthly Release Plan for 12 New High Energy Singles
FEARLESS BND, the sound of worship at Fearless LA, is launching a loaves and fishes approach to creating new music for the church. The sole purpose is to equip and empower pastors and worship leaders with songs, media, video, graphics, sermon/song notes, tutorials and more. One innovative, congregationally ready media package at a time, every first Friday of the month.
Instead of releasing an entire album all at once, says Sean Loche, associate pastor at Fearless LA, this approach gives us the ability to stay current and evolve as the music evolves, and it allows us to get material into churches/hands more quickly. Our goal is to release each single on the first Friday of every month, along with lyric videos, loops, promotional material and high-level graphics, sermons, noteseverything we use in our churchwith the hope of making it easier for local pastors and worship leaders.
Brighter, a pulsating club-mix anthem, embodies the energy and passion heard on any given Sunday at Fearless LA, which meets in the No. 1 nightclub in the U.S. We have church in a nightclub, with lights everywhere, a disco ball above us, three huge LED screens and crazy graphics, Christy Johnson says, and its pretty awesome seeing the transformation that happens when people worship in that room. The same place where people are dancing all weekend, were lifting up the name of Jesus, and hes changing lives through encounter with him.
When lead pastor Jeremy and Christy Johnson moved to Los Angeles 3.5 years ago to start a new church, the former youth pastors and worship artists known collectively as Worth Dying For gave up everything they knew to make one giant leap of faith.
Fear had been something wed both battled with our entire lives, Jeremy says, and yet we felt called to the dreamers, to those crushed by their dreams, to those chasing their dreams, those with dead dreams, to people who had moved to LA from all over the world to pursue the arts, entertainment, education, entrepreneurshipto not just be a safe haven, but a dream factory, helping broken people dare to dream again.
Trying to come up with a name for the church that would encapsulate both its radical and positive foundation, the couple started digging around for inspiration. And then they saw it: A scared world needs a fearless church. A.W. Tozer.
And so the church-planting season began, migrating from seven different locationsnightclubs, studios and warehouses, at a bonfire on the beach, in a coffee shop, an old garage and eventually back to a nightclub. And as the dreamers came in droves to see this new church, what had been true in their Worth Dying For days was no less true in the City of Angels: when you give people their own words to sing to God, something that reflects whats happening in their lives right now, God does something explosive with it.
The stories behind the songs of FEARLESS BND as the story of Fearless LA itselfreflect a move of God, not born of glitz and glam and achieving acclaim in a city full of stars, but born out of encounter with grace. Were seeing so many people getting saved, finding new life and new birth in this place. Their world is being revolutionized, so theyre writing from that struggle, fighting for the dreams in their hearts, says Jeremy, who has seen nightclub staff, security guards and club patrons encounter the truth of Jesus at Fearless LA.
At the end of the day, he says of FEARLESS BNDs mission, its the words that impact us. Where two or more agree around truth, its truth shifts the atmosphere and opens hearts.
That, Jeremy says, is the driving passion behind FEARLESS BND, to share the gifts God has given this church in the land of broken dreams with worship pastors and leaders around the world, equipping them to lead with power and excellence in todays content and media-saturated culture.
For more information on FEARLESS BND, visit http://fearlessbnd.com.
For more information on FEARLESS LA, visit http://www.fearlessla.com.
Evolution of Gospel Featuring 15 Iconic And Groundbreaking Artists And Hits
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates
| Rendezvous Music Releases
Evolution of Gospel Featuring 15 Iconic And Groundbreaking Artists And Hits
Available Online and in Stores September 4 |
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DETROIT (August 5, 2015) – Gospel’s most iconic and groundbreaking artists come together on Rendezvous Music’s new collection, Evolution of Gospel, set for release online and in stores September 4. Distributed by Provident, the CD celebrates 15 brightest, biggest, and most enduring Gospel songs and singers.
Since its birth out of the African American spiritual experience, Gospel music has always been deeply rooted in the faith. Throughout the years the music has stirred hearts, recharged souls and maintained an integral presence in church congregations and in the artists who deliver the lyric and music with obedience and spirit.
Evolution of Gospel features the defined Gospel sound that inspired fans over the decades. The genre’s sound evolved, but still maintained its distinctive contribution to music. The Evolution of Gospel anthology captures the essence of Gospel’s greatest melodies from Al Green, Albertina Walker, Andraé Crouch, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Kirk Whalum featuring Jonathan Butler, Mahalia Jackson, Rev. James Cleveland, Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers, The Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Thomas A. Dorsey with Marion Williams, and Walter Hawkins. These artists paved the way for many others who followed in their footsteps and continue the ‘evolution of Gospel’ today and in future generations.
Track listing for Evolution of Gospel:
Online Music Stream: https://soundcloud.com/mackavenue/sets/the-evolution-of-gospel/s-EQ4HJ
ABOUT RENDEZVOUS MUSIC A division of Mack Avenue Records II, LLC., Rendezvous Music is a record label founded in 2002, by multiple Grammy Award nominee and RIAA Certified Gold recording artist, Dave Koz, renowned radio entrepreneur, Frank Cody, and music business veteran Hyman Katz. Along with Rendezvous Music, Mack Avenue Records II, LLC., is home to Artistry Music and Sly Dog Records, featuring musical artists in jazz, smooth jazz, traditional jazz and Gospel. For more information on Rendezvous Music, visit www.mackavenue.com/rendezvous_music. |
Multi-Platinum Rock Band Stryper to Host Fan Weekend September 1013 in Anaheim
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates
This once-in-a-lifetime fan event will be filled with special guests, VIP events and many more surprises
Stryper Fan Weekend will provide fans with the opportunity to go back in time to Southern California the place where it all began for the band. A number of once-in-a-lifetime events are being planned, including a wide variety of special guests. For the first time, Stryper will bring together some of the people who helped shape their career, and fans will have the opportunity to meet and interact with both current and former managers, road pastors and other band personnel.
The 4-day fan event will include VIP treatment for Stryper LIVE at the House of Blues (Anaheim), Q&A sessions with the band and special guests, interactive events with the band, an exclusive commemorative laminate, a professional photo with band (printed and personally autographed) and more surprises and exciting moments to be announced!
While fans have come to know Stryper Fan Weekend as an annual event, 2015 will mark the final event for the foreseeable future. Due to heavy touring, recordings schedules and other project commitments for the individual band members, 2015 is scheduled to be the final annual event. Stryper will continue to offer their popular Meet & Greets throughout the 2016 tour and beyond.
We love our fans and we want as many people as possible to attend our final Fan Weekend, said Michael Sweet. We have added an extra day this year, and in order to make the event more affordable, we have dropped the price to $577 which includes admission to all events including VIP access to our concert at House of Blues. We want to make this an unforgettable experience for the fans and we cant wait to see everyone in Anaheim!
Stryper Fan Weekend is on sale now and space is extremely limited. For more information or to register, visit http://www.stryper.com/News/fanweekend2015.html.
The bands all-new studio album, Fallen, will be available in North America on October 16th via Frontiers Records. Fallen is available for pre-order via digital retailers and can be ordered via iTunes at http://radi.al/StryperFalleniTunes and via AmazonMP3 at http://radi.al/StryperFallenAmazon. It is also available in various physical configurations at www.stryper.com/fallen.
About Stryper:
Stryper is one of the top Christian rock bands of all time. Comprised of the original line-up, Stryper has been rocking since 1984, and is responsible for such ’80s metal classic albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil and In God We Trust. In fact, Stryper is the first band to ever have two songs in MTVs Top 10 simultaneously with their hits Free and Honestly. After a sabbatical for much of the 1990’s, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century. To date, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY nominated band has sold upwards of 10 million records worldwide. Their last studio album No More Hell To Pay debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Top 200 landing at #35. For more information, visit www.stryper.com.
FAMILY FORCE 5 ANNOUNCES 12-CITY HEADLINING TOUR – “TOUR STANDS STILL” WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BORN CAGES
Aug 8, 2015 Artist Updates, Tour
REMIX ALBUM RELEASING NOVEMBER 6, 2015 – TIME STILL STANDS
Nashville, Tenn. – (August 3, 2015) – Alternative Pop/Rock band Family Force 5 announces their 12-city headlining “Tour Stands Still” Tour with special guests Born Cages, which kicks off Friday, October 16 in Vienna, VA and wraps Monday, November 2 in Chicago, IL (complete list of tour dates below). Family Force 5 – known for their electrifying live show and for always bringing the party, and whose music has been featured on ESPN and music videos have been viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube – are currently on a main stage run as part of the 2015 Vans’ Warped Tour, which will then lead directly into their own “Tour Stands Still” Tour.
Following “Tour Stands Still,” Family Force 5 will release their latest remix project, the 8-song Time Still Stands, which will be available everywhere November 6, 2015 and will feature remixes by Matoma (“This Is My Year – Matoma Remix”), Tim Yago (“Time Stands Still – Tim Yago Remix”), and Smile Future (“Let It Be Love – Smile Future Remix”).
FAMILY FORCE 5’S “TOUR STANDS STILL” TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BORN CAGES – TOUR DATES:
Fri – 10/16 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
Sat – 10/17 – Charlotte, NC – The Visulite Theatre
Sun – 10/18 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
Wed – 10/21 – Dallas ,TX – House of Blues Dallas – Cambridge
Thurs – 10/22 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Houston – Bronze
Mon – 10/26 – Cleveland OH – House of Blues Cleveland – Cambridge
Tues – 10/27 – Columbus, OH – The A&R Music Bar
Wed – 10/28 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe
Thurs – 10/29 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache
Fri – 10/30 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
Sun – 11/1 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
Mon – 11/2 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
About Family Force 5: Alternative Pop/Rock band Family Force 5 – which consists of members Derek Mount (“Chap Stique” / guitar, vocals), Jacob Olds (“Crouton” / vocals, drums), Joshua Olds (“Fatty” / bass, vocals), Nathan Currin (“Nadaddy” / keyboards, vocals, percussion) and Teddy Boldt (“Hollywood” / drums, percussion) – formed in Atlanta in the summer of 2005. Creating chart-topping albums and achieving impressive success at radio with their No. 1 hit “Let It Be Love,” alongside singles such as “Walk On Water,” “Show Love,” “Superhero” and “Not Alone,” Family Force 5’s music music videos have received more than 30 million YouTube views, including “Sweep The Leg,” “BZRK (feat. KB)” and “Chainsaw.” For more information, visit www.familyforce5.com.
