TobyMac Gives Back to Help Children in Need
(6/30/2010)TobyMac recently took a break from his highly energetic tour and Diverse City Band to spend some time with children diagnosed with HIV at the 2010 A Time for Heroes Celebrity Picnic, sponsored by the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation in Los Angeles. The multi-platinum selling artist was among many other celebrity guests including Stacy Keibler, Billy Crystal, Lori Loughlin, Billy Bush and more. Guests were able to spend time with their favorite Hollywood's stars, played games, and enjoyed unbelievable food while helping create a generation free of HIV.
Thanks to the support of generous donors and sponsors, including the title sponsor Disney, over $1.3 million was raised to help the foundation eliminate pediatric AIDS.
In other TobyMac news, his current single "Get Back Up" is dominating the radio charts. The hit track recently peaked at No. 1 on AC Monitored and this week holds the No. 1 spot on CHR radio, while also placing at No. 2 on AC Indicator and on the National Christian Audience Chart.
With the summer season in full swing, the Grammy ® Award winner is back on the road with popular contemporary artist Chris Tomlin on the Hello Tonight tour. Together they are visiting select cities across the U.S. and fanatics have had the opportunity to win tickets to experience the excitement LIVE by sending in a simple text.
To catch TobyMac LIVE, please visit www.tobymac.com for additional tour dates and information.
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Tooth & Nail Records Adds A Fresh Face To The Artist Roster
(6/23/2010)Tooth & Nail Records has recently nabbed the fresh new talent of Swimming With Dolphins, which includes frontman Austin Tofte, formally of Owl City, hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota. This summer, Swimming with Dolphins will begin recording their debut album with Tooth & Nail Records.
"I'm more than excited to announce Tooth & Nail as the home of Swimming With Dolphins," shares Austin Tofte about the recent signing. "I grew up inspired by so many T&N artists. It's a great honor now to be a part of this family."
Independently releasing "Ambient Blue EP," Swimming With Dophlins' ambient electronica pop sound has attracted a huge fanbase, which has increased as the band has been touring with the likes of Owl City, Lydia, We Are The In Crowd and Places and Numbers. In addition, AbsolutePunk raved about the band's EP and sound stating, "To say that Swimming With Dolphins have potential is an understatement."
To learn more about Swimming With Dolphins, check out their newly launched website: http://www.swimmingwithdolphinsmusic.com, their MySpace http://www.myspace.com/swimmingwithdolphins, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Swimmingwithdolphins and follow them on Twitter @SWDmusic.
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TOBYMAC Starts Clothing Line To Honor Mothers
(4/26/2010)Some guys give flowers and some give cards, but when you really want to get creative you start a clothing line for your wife! That's just what award-winning musician TobyMac did after watching his wife with their children one day when the phrase just came to him…The Bomb Mom.
At first he wasn't sure what to do with the phrase, but eventually he realized it was a great name for a clothing line - a series of statement tees for all the beautiful (inside out) women who give their lives to mothering: the bomb moms.
"I know for a fact that I don't work half as hard as any mother out there," he says. "I've had three to five of my kids for a day, and three hours in, I was sailing the white flag of surrender. So, I wanted to figure out a way to honor amazing moms out there."
The Bomb Mom caters to moms, moms-to-be and children, with a great range of products from stylish women's tees, maternity tees, toddler, baby and youth tees, as well as a "bling" coffee mug and "bling" tote. All products can be viewed and purchased on the site at: http://www.thebombmom.com.
The Bomb Mom has already received some incredible feedback by some of the best mom blogs out there, including:
"I have to say that I LOVE this tee! First of all, it is just so cute! I love the design (especially the blue foil lettering) and the fit is very flattering. I would have normally worn a medium, but got a small because the fit runs a bit big, and it was perfect! This is also THE softest tee shirt I own which makes it the first shirt I grab when I want to get comfortable! When I wore my Bomb Mom tee, I received many compliments and "Where'd you get that shirt?" from the Moms at my dance studio. All the attention made me feel like "The Bomb!" Mission accomplished!" - Momdot.com
"I love my new t-shirt from The Bomb Mom. It's stylish and will surely bring a few double takes. The fabric is soft and feels high quality. I love the colors and the rhinestone bomb. (I just better not wear this on a plane!) Since the t shirts run a little big, I ordered a small, but I usually wear a medium in most brands. I have worn my shirt like two times a week, so I better get a new style! I would like to get Colton one of the shirts that says, "My Mom is the Bomb." You don't see very many kids t shirts about Moms. There are usually lines like "Daddy's Girl," or "My Dad is the Man!" (Colton has that one). So it would be nice to have Colton wear a shirt about Mommy! I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing this shirt on celebrity moms before you know it." --Busymom.com
"Moms can be hot too, you know! Kudos to the wife who inspire this line of tees for moms, toddlers and babies. The Bomb Mom, an expression coined by the creator of this hip new fashion statement, is simply fun to wear. The tee is super soft and empowering without leaving the kids out of the action with tees and onesies such as 'My mom's the bomb.'"
-coolbabykid.com
www.thebombmom.com
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Word Entertainment Flies High at the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards
(4/24/2010)Word Entertainment flies high at the 41st Annual Dove Awards scoring 15 Awards at Wednesday night's event. Held at the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, evening standouts included NEEDTOBREATHE with three wins and first-time award winners Francesca Battistelli and Sidewalk Prophets. The GMA Dove Awards is set to air on the Gospel Music Channel this coming Sunday, April 25 at 8:00 PM ET.
Atlantic recording artist NEEDTOBREATHE carried the Word Label Group with three nods; Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year for their latest release The Outsiders, Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for the gospel-infused track "Lay 'Em Down," giving the group a back-to-back win in this category with their nod for "Washed By The Water" in 2009 and the coveted Group of the Year award.
"We are really proud of the record and glad people seem to like it," says Bear Rinehart from NEEDTOBREATHE. "Thanks to all of our fans for their support!"
Fervent Records' Francesca Battistelli brought home two wins; Female Vocalist of the Year and Short Form Music Video of the Year for her chart-topping, record-breaking smash hit "Free To Be Me." Battistelli also performed live her brand new single "Beautiful Beautiful."
"I'm so incredibly honored and humbled by the support of the GMA, Christian radio and my amazing fans," says Francesca. "I'm very blessed to do what I love to do every single day and can not even begin to express my gratitude. I thank God for these wonderful blessings."
And the firsts keep coming in as Sidewalk Prophets were named the New Artist of the Year. This award came on the heels of their No. 1 hit, "The Words I Would Say," from their top-selling debut album, These Simple Truths.
"This year has been an unbelievable journey for us and truly humbling," remarks Sidewalk Prophets frontman Dave Frey. "Our heart lies in inspiring people and letting them know that they matter. Being given the gift of spreading this message through our music drives us and this award is beyond what we ever expected."
The Breen Agency, another division of Word Entertainment handling artist touring and booking, garnered nominations for Inspirational Album ("Revelation Song"; Phillips, Craig & Dean) and Inspirational Recorded Song ("The Only Hope"; Bebo Norman and Jason Ingram).
Below is the complete list of awards for Word Entertainment:
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Francesca Battistelli
GROUP OF THE YEAR
NEEDTOBREATHE
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Sidewalk Prophets
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Jason Ingram, Rusty Varenkamp
RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG
"Movin"; Ordinary Dreamers; Group 1 Crew; Group 1 Crew, Jeremy James, Byron Chambers, Christopher Stevens; Fervent Records
ROCK/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG
"Lay 'Em Down"; The Outsiders; NEEDTOBREATHE; Bear Rinehart, Bo Rinehart; Atlantic Records
INSPIRATIONAL RECORDED SONG
"The Only Hope"; Bebo Norman; Bebo Norman; Bebo Norman, Jason Ingram; BEC Recordings
ROCK/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
The Outsiders; NEEDTOBREATHE; Rick Beato, NEEDTOBREATHE, Jim Scott, John Alagia; Atlantic Records
INSPIRATIONAL ALBUM
Fearless; Phillips, Craig & Dean; Bernie Herms; INO Records
COUNTRY ALBUM
The Reason; Diamond Rio; Michael D. Clute, Jimmy Olander; Word Records
CHILDREN'S MUSIC ALBUM
Veggie Tales: Here I Am To Worship; Featuring Natalie Grant & Aaron Shust; Steven V. Taylor; Big Idea
SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM
Glory Revealed II: The Word of God in Worship; Mac Powell, Shane Everett, Jonathan Shelton, Brian Littrell, Trevor Morgan, Mark Hall, Jason Crabb, Bear Rinehart, Matt Maher, Amy Grant, Ed Cash, Geoff Moore, Natalie Grant, Laura Story, Brandon Heath, Mike Donehey, Aaron Shust, Shawn Lewis, Sara Evans, Bethany Dicks Olds, Shane & Shane, Bethany Dillon, Kari Jobe; Mac Powell, David Nasser; Reunion
CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Christ Has Come; Big Daddy Weave; Jeremy Redmond; Fervent Records
SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"Free To Be Me"; Francesca Battistelli; Andy & John Erwin; Dan Atchison; Alabama Production Group; Fervent Records
MUSICAL
A Baby Changes Everything; Deborah Craig-Claar, David T. Clydesdale; Word Music
For more information on Word Entertainment log on to: http://www.wordlabelgroup.com
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41th Annual GMA Dove Awards Celebrated At Nashville's Famed Grand Ole Opry House
(4/22/2010)The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards, Gospel/Christian music's biggest event, were held last evening at the legendary Grand Ole Opry House. It was an evening of celebration as an incredible 43 Dove Awards were handed out and 15 collaborative performances were showcased. The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards will be televised nationwide on gmc (http://www.watchgmctv.com) Sunday, April 25th from 8 p.m. -10 p.m EST. Click here for a complete list of all winners.
The Dove Awards in the overall categories went to:
Artist of the Year: Casting Crowns
Female Vocalist of the Year: Francesca Battistelli
Male Vocalist of the Year: Brandon Heath
Group of the Year: NEEDTOBREATHE
New Artist of the Year: Sidewalk Prophets
Songwriter of the Year: Jennie Lee Riddle
Song of the Year: "By Your Side," Mike Donehey, Phillip LaRue, and Jason Ingram, as performed by Tenth Avenue North
Producer of the Year: Jason Ingram, Rusty Varenkamp
"On behalf of the membership of the Gospel Music Association, we are fortunate to have such immense creative talent sharing the Gospel through music," says Ed Leonard, Gospel Music Association's Chairman of the Board. "We are proud to present this year's Dove winners, and congratulate them and all the nominees on their achievements."
Tenth Avenue North's "By Your Side" was awarded Song of the Year. Written by Tenth Avenue North's Mike Donehey, along with Phillip LaRue and Jason Ingram, the band also performed the hit single, which ranked an impressive No. 3 on Billboard's overall decade ranking of Christian songs, this evening.
Ingram additionally collected trophies for publisher for Song of the Year and co-writer on the Inspirational Song of the Year, "The Only Hope." He was also named Producer of the Year along with Rusty Varenkamp.
Another of the night's multiple award winners is rock band NEEDTOBREATHE who walked away with statuettes for Group of the Year, Rock/Contemporary Album for The Outsiders, and Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song, "Lay 'Em Down." NEEDTOBREATHE'S Bear Rinehart also picked up an award for participating in the Special Event Album, Glory Revealed II: The Word of God In Worship.
Artist of the year was awarded for the first time to platinum-selling Casting Crowns. The Atlanta-based band of youth workers continues to be one of the nation's top-selling artists across all genres, with its recent album Until the Whole World Hears debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing the first-week sales of rapper 50 Cent. One of the best-selling new artists of 2009, Sidewalk Prophets, received the New Artist of the Year award. This is Sidewalk Prophets's first Dove Award.
For the second year in a row, the Artist and New Artist of the Year categories were voted on by both the Gospel/Christian music industry as well as its fans in a campaign coordinated by gmc. Almost 100,000 votes were cast on gmc's website (http://www.watchgmctv.com) and via text messaging to help determine the winners.
It was also a big night for Francesca Battistelli as she walked away with two Dove Awards, winning for Female Vocalist of the Year and for Short Form Music Video for "Free To Be Me." Battistelli also took to the center stage performing her song "Beautiful, Beautiful" from her debut project, My Paper Heart.
In other top overall categories, for the second year in a row Brandon Heath took home the Male Vocalist of the Year trophy. He also received a Dove Award for his participation in the Special Event Album category. Heath also performed last evening, partnering with winners Jars of Clay on its single "Two Hands." Jars of Clay was awarded two Dove Awards, one for the Pop/Contemporary Album win The Long Fall Back To Earth, as well as for the album's Recorded Music Packaging, designed in partnership with Tim Parker.
Another double winner was Jennie Lee Riddle. Riddle was recognized as the Songwriter of the Year, as well as for her No. 1 penned single, "Revelation Song," named Worship Song of the Year. Recorded by Phillips, Craig & Dean, as well as by Kari Jobe.
Even more performances and unique collaborations took place, as almost 100 artists joined throughout the night to showcase the plethora of Christian music genres. Natalie Grant, who co-hosted the evening along with MercyMe's Bart Millard, joined with Jordin Sparks to open the main show with "Human," while MercyMe and David Crowder combined as one to perform the medley "All of Creation"/"How He Loves."
Other stellar collaborations were shared with the packed Grand Ole Opry House audience, such as Rock Album of the Year winners Red taking the stage with Brian "Head" Welch, former lead guitarist of multi-platinum metal band Korn to perform the medley "Fight Inside"/"Death Of Me." Introduced by Tenley Molzhan, a runner-up from the 14th season of ABC's "The Bachelor," bluegrass icon Ricky Skaggs performed "Someday Soon" with Gordon Kennedy, while Stellar Award-winning artist and producer Donald Lawrence teamed up with Jason Crabb, showcasing their talents for the audience during their collaboration of "My Tribute."
The evening was also highlighted by a tribute honoring 100 years of Southern Gospel. The tribute featured the Blackwood Brothers, The Perrys, The Booth Brothers, Mosie Lister, and The Crabb Family.
Other unforgettable performances of the evening included Amy Grant performing "Better Than A Hallelujah," tobyMac & Diverse City with "Funky Jesus Music," and Bebe & Cece Winans shared the stage with a 23-piece choir to perform "Grace." Another highlight this evening was from Casting Crowns, last year's Group of the Year, who performed "Until the Whole World Hears" sharing the stage with a mass children's choir.
"Come Together Now," the Haiti relief tribute helmed by Michael W. Smith and written by Smith, David Mullen and Cindy Morgan, closed the celebratory evening. Introduced by evangelist Franklin Graham, nearly 30 artists united on stage for the poignant finale to illustrate Nashville's distinct and authentic community of musicianship, and most of all to help remind people of the need to help those in Haiti. A few of the artists who participated in the powerhouse collaboration were Wynonna, Lee Greenwood, Matt Maher, Melinda Doolittle, Jeremy Camp, Nicole C. Mullen, Mark Hall and many more.
The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards Opening Ceremonies featured the presentation of 37 of the evening's 43 Dove Awards, as well as remarkable performances by Voices of Glory, Karen Peck & New River, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Collin Raye, and The Nelons with Karen Peck.
Bob Gordon was the producer of the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards. Stephen Hubbard produced the evening's Opening Ceremonies.
About GMA:
Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Gospel/Christian music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles including Pop, Rock, Praise & Worship, Urban Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and more. The GMA community consists of more than 2,200 members including agents, artists, church leaders, managers, promoters, radio personnel, record company executives, retailers, songwriters and other industry visionaries. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, GMA Dove Week and IMMERSE. For more on supporting the GMA or becoming a member, please visit www.gospelmusic.org or contact the GMA directly at 615.277.1376.
About gmc:
gmc can be seen in 47 million homes. The channel's rapid growth has made it one of the fastest growing networks in television for the past three years. gmc is available on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224. For more information visit http://www.watchgmctv.com.
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Tobymac Garners Song And Songwriter Of The Year Honors From BMI Awards
(4/21/2010)Five-Time Grammy Award ® winning artist TobyMac garnered two more honors last night at the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Christian Music Awards for Song and Songwriter of the Year. The ceremony was held at BMI's Music Row offices in Nashville.
Leading U.S. music rights organization BMI saluted the writers and publishers of the past year's most-performed songs on Christian radio and television. By contributing two songs each to the most-performed list, genre-bender TobyMac, perennial favorite Steven Curtis Chapman, top-tier producer/songwriter Chris Stevens, and promising young singer/songwriter Jason Walker shared the Songwriter of the Year title, while "Lose My Soul," recorded and co-written by TobyMac and Stevens, garnered Song of the Year honors.
To close the ceremony, the audience enjoyed an intimate live performance by TobyMac performing "Boomin" off of his third studio album Portable Sounds.
In addition to his appearance at the BMI Awards, TobyMac will be performing on the 41st Annual Dove Awards, where he is nominated for Artist of the Year. The Dove Awards are scheduled to air Sunday, April 25 at 8/7c on GMC.
For more information on TobyMac, please visit www.tobymac.com.
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The Creation Festivals Announce Additional Details for the 2010 Events
(4/15/2010)Creation Festivals, voted "Favorite Festival" by CCM Magazine readers for the 3rd consecutive year, has proven to be the hallmark summer event music fans can't afford to miss. Hosted in two incredible settings, Creation Festivals host todays top Christian artists, compelling speakers, and stellar entertainment all for one low price. Both festivals are home to 5 stages, 60 artists, 20 speakers, an extreme zone, kid's entertainment, exhibit buildings, and much more.
Creation 2010 Northeast will celebrate the 32nd annual festival June 30th - July 3rd at the Agape Farm in the beautiful mountain ranges of Mount Union, PA. Creation 2010 Northwest will be held at its new home, the Enumclaw Expo Center, in Enumclaw, Washington (just 45 minutes outside Seattle) on July 21st - July 24th.
"Creation is a destination" says festival Producer, Bill Darpino. "The beautiful mountains of western Pennsylvania or the awe inspiring view of Mt. Rainier allows each attendee to experience Gods creation in a unique and personal way."
Each festival boasts world-class artist lineup that includes bands such as Skillet, TobyMac, Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, the David Crowder Band, Switchfoot, Newsboys, Red, Family Force 5, and many more. The Nations top speakers such as Bob Lenz, Louie Giglio, Reggie Dabbs, Ron Luce, Tony Nolan, and Matt Pitt will also take the stages at Creation. The "Fringe Stage" will feature the best alternative Christian artists, including Group 1 Crew, Seabird, The Classic Crime, R-Swift, and Brian "Head" Welch (founding member & former lead guitarist of Korn). In addition, Creation Northwest will feature Hillsong Live from Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia - a Creation Festival exclusive.
The Creation Festivals are more than just entertainment for families and groups - it's an experience. Generations have come to the Creation Festivals over the years with an expectancy to see God move.
"Nothing can compare to worshiping with tens of thousands of people, being a part of the candle-lighting service, or even watching young and old be baptized," states Co-founder and Director of the Creation Festivals, Pastor Harry Thomas.
The message of hope and encouragement is one that is carried throughout the week at Creation. Each afternoon there are special seminars on a variety of topics from keynote speakers at various locations on the festival grounds. Creation has once again teamed up with Interlinc to provide youth leaders with the "Youth Leader VIP Experience." This special tent will house daily seminars by festival speakers, exclusive artist talkback sessions where youth leaders can meet and have candid discussions with some of the artists appearing at the festival, enjoy free snacks, and a place to connect with other church leaders from across the nation.
An event for the entire family, Creation Northeast and Creation Northwest features a "Kid's Stage," geared especially for children of all ages. The Donut Man, Phredd, Mark Thompson, and Stephen Courtney will all make Creation an exciting experience for children. Each afternoon, kids also gather in the "Kid's Grove" for a special craft time, puppets, and a petting zoo. For teens and adults alike, there is an "Extreme Zone" featuring a skate and BMX park, climbing walls, spider jumps, sumo wrestling, basketball courts and much more.
Creation strives to offer the best entertainment value for families as well as youth groups. Advanced tickets start at $49.00 per person for the entire four-day festival, providing the attendees with jam-packed entertainment, lodging, and more all for one low price. In addition to Creation's group rates, Creation offers free tickets to kids under 5 years of age and has once again offered its "Ticketing Payment Plans" and "Carpooling to Creation" contests to help fans spread their dollars even further.
Nick Kulb, Director of Marketing and Sales, states "We will continue to support our attendees by offering a tremendous amount of entertainment for the lowest possible ticket price.
Creation has become a staple on the summer calendars for tens of thousands of people and we will continue to provide them with great value." Tickets for both festivals are available now at www.creationfest.com.
For more information about Creation 2010 Northeast and Creation 2010 Northwest go to www.creationfest.com or Google keyword - "Creation." There you will be able to view the complete program, find information on purchasing tickets, volunteering, and much more. Media and press outlets looking to cover the festival on-site please go to www.creationfestpress.com. Become a fan of Creation Festival on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
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Manafest Releases 'The Chase' To Rave Reviews
(3/31/2010)BEC Recordings' Manafest drops his fourth studio project, "The Chase" (iTunes, Amazon $5.99). After three records that received international acclaim including huge success in Japan, Juno nominee Manafest releases his most aggressive and sonically evolved record to date. Check out the full album at AOL's Listening Party (http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/11).
"The Chase" is produced by Adam Messinger (Chris Brown, JoJo, Justin Bieber) and features eleven tracks of gritty guitars, aggressive rhymes fusing rock and rap styles. Already the album is generating a positive reviews from media across the board.
"This is an outstanding album by Manafest, and his best work to date. If you have always enjoyed rock and hip-hop fusion then Manafest is one of the best out there, and you should definitely support him and his music by checking out The Chase."
--IndieVisionMusic.com
"Comfortable in his own skin...Manafest has a good project on his hands."
--Rapzilla.com
"The Chase is an enjoyable album with so much variety that it never seems to become tedious. Releases like this one don't come around too often, so if you crave rock and rap, it doesn't get better than this."
--JesusFreakHideout.com
Over the past seven years, Chris Greenwood has used the moniker Manafest to organically build his fan base playing hundreds of shows on three continents. In 2006, Manafest released "Glory" from which the rock anthem "Impossible," featuring Thousand Foot Krutch's Trevor McNevan, became a global hit. This release dramatically increased his record sales 5x over. In 2008, Manafest followed up with "Citizens Activ," which catapulted success garnering multiple TV placements and his overall presences in the US and internationally. Contact Lori Mahon for interviews and reviews.
Connect with Manafest:
www.myspace.com/manafestca | twitter.com/Manafest
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BEC Recordings Ink Deal With Parachute Music To Bring Us Rapture Ruckus
(3/22/2010)Always on the hunt to bring new talent to their fans, BEC Recordings is partnering with New Zealand based Parachute Music to introduce the music of Rapture Ruckus to the United States in June 8, 2010. Rapture Ruckus will release their fourth project, which includes songs recorded in Nashville, TN with industry-maven Joe Baldrige (DC Talk, Family Force 5), as a part of the BEC Recordings' partnership.
Fronted by MC Rapture (Brad Dring), Rapture Ruckus craft an arresting, original fuse of Rock laden Hip Hop, with heavy guitars and slick pop sensibilities. Honing a tight stage show over the past eight years, the band dazzles with big production and a live show that is most at home under the flashing lights of festivals and stadiums.
Rapture Ruckus debuted in 2002 at New Zealand's Parachute Festival (one of the largest music festivals in the Southern Hemisphere) breaking the event's record for highest-selling new act. Owning the stage like veterans, their slamming show propelled Parachute Music to instantly sign the act, and they have since become a key headliner of the 25,000-strong festival.
Rapture Ruckus has continued touring, supporting bands throughout North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Already releasing three albums since their 2002 debut, and winning the 2007 New Zealand Music Award for Best Gospel Album, Rapture Ruckus is thrilled to bring their music to the United States via BEC Recordings. MC Rapture spits out gritty, honest lyrics, covering his redemption story from a broken home and substance abuse problems to an uncompromising confidence in Christ. The songs are instantly infectious (their sophomore album garnering the band five No. 1 singles), and Rapture Ruckus rile the crowd until everyone is chanting along, or at least waving their arms with the Hip Hop salute.
For more information on the force that is Rapture Ruckus, visit http://www.myspace.com/raptureruckusmusic. Check out the new artist page on BEC Recordings' site for the song "Tonight," album cover and track listing (http://www.becrecordings.com/releases/762/Rapture_Ruckus/track_list/). Also sign up for the DJHero Giveaway and get a free download of a Rapture Ruckus song (http://www.becrecordings.com/djhero/). More information on the new project and its release date will be announced soon.
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41st Annual GMA Dove Awards Nominations Announced Today
(2/18/2010)Artist of the Year Nominees are Casting Crowns, tobyMac, Mary Mary, Jars of Clay, Francesca Battistelli, Skillet and Jason Crabb
Group of the Year Nominees Include Skillet, Casting Crowns, Gaither Vocal Band, Jars of Clay, Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, NEEDTOBREATHE, and Tenth Avenue North
Kari Jobe, Crystal Aikin, Bluetree, Jonny Diaz, Revive, Sidewalk Prophets and Brian Courtney Wilson Recognized in New Artist of the Year Category
Jars of Clay, Skillet, Matt Maher and Jason Crabb, lead the diverse and gifted artists nominated for gospel/Christian music's highest honor – the Dove Award, with six nominations each. Bernie Herms leads in total nominations of eight, including Producer of the Year. Producers and songwriters Jason Ingram and Wayne Haun follow with seven nominations each.
Of the 43 categories, nominees in 23 categories of the Dove Awards were announced at a press conference today in Nashville for the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards. The event was held at Belmont University's Curb Café and was hosted by an outstanding list of Dove and GRAMMY nominees and winners including Francesca Battistelli, Jeremy Camp, Jason Crabb, Brandon Heath, Kari Jobe, Michael W. Smith, Ben Tankard and Lisa Kimmey-Winans. The GMA Dove Awards, gospel music's biggest night of the year, will feature artists from every style of gospel/Christian music coming together for a night of music and celebration. The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at Nashville's famed Grand Ole Opry House and televised nationwide on gmc (http://www.gmclife.com/), Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. EST. While the awards are the urpose of the show, music performances will definitely share center stage at the GMA Dove Awards, showcasing some of gospel music's hottest and most diverse artists.
Dove Awards will be handed out in 43 categories. Dove Awards nominations go to recordings released during the eligibility year November 1, 2008 through October 31, 2009 and voted on by the members of the GMA. The complete nominations list is available at both http://www.gospelmusic.org/ and http://www.doveawards.com/.
Tickets to the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards are currently on sale through the Grand Ole Opry Call Center, 1-800-SEE-OPRY/1-800-733-6779, via the web at http://www.opry.com/ or may be purchased in-person at The Opry Box Office located at the Opry House at 2804 Opryland Drive and the Ryman Auditorium Box Office at 116 5th Ave North, in downtown Nashville. Ticket prices range from $25 - $200.
About GMA:
Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves as the face and voice for the Christian/Gospel music community and is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the Gospel through music of all styles including Pop, Rock, Praise & Worship, Urban Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and more. The GMA community consists of more than 2,200 members including agents, artists, church leaders, managers, promoters, radio personnel, record company executives, retailers, songwriters and other industry visionaries. The GMA produces the GMA Dove Awards, GMA Dove Week and IMMERSE. For more on supporting the GMA or becoming a member, please visit http://www.gospelmusic.org/ or contact the GMA directly at 615.277.1376.
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