ChristianMusicDaily

Christian Music Daily: EMI Gospel will release the all-new project REVEALED ... Live In Dallas from Myron Butler & Levi on March 30, 2010. Recorded live in his hometown of Dallas, TX, Butler and long time vocal group, Levi, take their signature brand of urban praise and worship to a whole new level.  
 
Butler's first live album features a balance of distinct urban contemporary praise songs with Sunday morning ready church songs. Butler presents REVEALED ... Live In Dallas as a way for listeners "to lyrically and spiritually connect to knowing who God is and to reveal God's character." The lead single and title track "Revealed" kick off the project in high-gear with excited energy. The song is a call to God for His glory and His presence.
 
REVEALED ... Live In Dallas is a musical experience that audiences can both participate in and enjoy. "I created this album to be something the church can touch; something praise & worship teams can duplicate and sing in their church every Sunday morning," said Butler. 

When ChristianMusicDaily.com gets great music in the mail, you’ll know about it here online, and The Riverside Worship Project is one of those Christian bands well-worth sharing with you.

The Riverside Worship Project is a group of five college guys from Auburn University in Alabama. They make worship music that’s influenced musically by artists like John Mayer and Coldplay. What caught my eye in the band’s press release was this line: “The album opens with lead singer Steven Hale yelling at God ‘Are you here?’ and what follows can only be described as a musical tug-of-war between spirit and flesh, God and the devil.”

Don’t think all this group does is yell. Actually, there’s not too much yelling on their new release called “So Sing.” It’s not a hard rock album, and it’s not screamo. Instead, the sound would best be described as “what Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers would sound like if they were worshipping the Lord with their music.” I especially like band member Andrew McQuaig’s keyboard/synth work on songs like “Freedom,” where nothing’s ever overdone but just right. And while many of the songs are pretty mild, musically, the band does rock out on some songs, like the anthemic “May Love Reclaim This World.” Drummer Jason Hermansdorfer keeps the beat intense and the crunchy guitars courtesy of Brian Alpizar and lead singer Steven Hale, along with the pounding bassline by Ryan Campagna, will get your shoulders shaking.

Sister duo Elissa and Becca Leander, better known as The Sonflowerz, began their musical collaboration in church, while leading worship for their youth group. Eleven years later, The Sonflowerz are one of the most promising acts in Christian music. Their latest single, My Heart is Alive, is available now at iTunes.

"My Heart is Alive came together in a non-traditional way," says Becca. "We were in Nashville recording an interview with a station that had flown in from Holland, and they challenged us to write a song in one hour from text messages that they had received live while on the air."

"We really were inspired by one particular title," continues Elissa, "that reminded me of how Christ coming into our lives is the beginning of something new, something that changes our whole lives, and it just makes us come alive. So we got into the back room and Becca and I put together the first version of our song, My Heart is Alive, and played it live for Holland."

Two of the most talented and unique musicians in the Christian and mainstream genres, Dove nominated Burchfield Brothers, release their eleventh CD, Times and Seasons. The project features some of Jon and Ben Burchfield’s favorite songs from their previous albums and the CD is available on the duo’s website, www.burchfieldbrothers.com, and digitally online at iTunes.com.

“Times and Seasons can be compared to a diary spanning two decades,” explains Jon Burchfield. “The ‘times’ reflect life experiences and the ‘seasons’ are like the ever-changing chapters in our lives. Whether it’s ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ from Appalachia or ‘Laguna Lights’ from the west coast, each song evokes a memory from another time and place.” Times and Seasons showcases twelve eclectic selections that includes: “To Him Who Sits on the Throne,” “Amazing Grace,” “Be Thou My Vision,” “Doxology,” “Heart Of Mary” and “Sunset Coast.” Many of the songs were inspired by nature itself, being the perfect example of letting go of the old and embracing the new. The project is an instrumental collection of great hymns and timeless classics that features the multi-talented Burchfield Brothers playing guitar, marimba and Irish flutes.

As gospel music artists gathered in Nashville, Tennessee to celebrate the biggest and brightest at the 25th Stellar Awards recently, they also came together for a higher purpose. With the recent tragic earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Kirk Franklin assembled numerous award-winning gospel music artists in Nashville’s Quad Studios to lend their voices to “Are You Listening,” a song they all hope will inspire those devastated as well as raise much needed funds for Haiti. All proceeds from the record will be donated to charities involved in relief efforts.

Artists United for Haiti includes (listed in alphabetical order) Yolanda Adams; Jeremy Camp; Shirley Caesar; Dorinda Clark-Cole; Natalie Grant; Fred Hammond; Tamela & David Mann; Mary Mary; Donnie McClurkin; Bishop Paul S. Morton; J. Moss; Smokie Norful; Marvin Sapp; Karen Clark-Sheard; Kiera "KiKi" Sheard; BeBe Winans; CeCe Winans and Marvin Winans along with other gospel artists featured in choir including Shari Addison; Kathy Taylor Brown; John Gray; Bishop Darryl Hines; Stephen Hurd; Karima Kibble; Judith McAllister; Nicole C. Mullen; Jessica Reedy; The Neville Sisters; Troy Sneed; Micah Stampley; Melinda Watts and Brian Courtney Wilson.

While Gospel music has always been about spreading the good news, what Haiti needs most are funds and resources to help them rebuild and restore their communities. “All the artists associated with the project donated their talent and gifts for this project,” says song and project producer Kirk Franklin. “This initiative is so important because while we are asking America to give we know that many are giving sacrificially. The people of Haiti are very spiritual people with an unwavering faith and belief in God and still count The Lord as the main source and provider. We will continue to pray and stand with them. We hope this song will bring much needed support and awareness in an effort to raise funds in the near and long-term future.”

Mark Weber, a recording artist from Buffalo, New York, has released the song "Haiti, We Hear Your Cry" as a digital download through his website, meetmarkweber.com. A portion of the proceeds will go to efforts to rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake hit the island nation recently.

"I have friends in Kingston, Jamaica," says Weber. "I saw both the tropical beauty and utter poverty there when I visited this past April, so I have some sort of idea what Haiti looks and feels like having visited its neighbor. When I saw the 'Hope for Haiti' TV special, I was inspired by fellow recording artists Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, and Beyonce to write and record my own song to touch the hearts of people affected by this tragedy."

Weber, who has been the publicist for Kingdom Bound Christian music festival for several years, recently decided to record three albums with producer Joe Secchiaroli (This Day & Age, More Than Me, The Reign of Kindo). "Haiti, We Hear Your Cry" was written on January 24th, and recorded on January 25th in Secchiaroli's Buffalo-area studio. It features Weber on piano and Secchiaroli on guitar, with a unique tropical drum beat.

"I heard there are almost 400,000 orphans in Haiti," says Weber. "And I can't even imagine what it would be like if one day all the buildings collapsed around me, killing my friends and family. 'Haiti, We Hear Your Cry' is a song that came to me quickly, and is meant to let the Haitian people and their relatives abroad know that the rest of the world cares about them and our prayers are with them now, and in the months and years to come."

To see the "Haiti, We Hear Your Cry" video, and/or download the song, please visit meetmarkweber.com.

Christian Music Daily: The Mighty Clouds Of Joy, three-time Grammy winners and the #1-selling Gospel quartet of all time, are celebrating their 50th anniversary in Gospel music with the release of AT THE REVIVAL.  An all-new collection of studio tracks, the 10-song album marks their third effort on EMI Gospel and arrived in stores and online January 26, 2010.

"Rarely comes a time where an artist maintains relevance, let alone continues for half a century," says Larry Blackwell, Vice President/General Manager for EMI Gospel.  "We are honored and privileged to partner with Joe Ligon & the truly iconic Mighty Clouds Of Joy for their first release of the next 50 years."
 
At the Revival is sure to be an instant classic, as the Clouds apply their trademark harmonies to soulful R&B and rock rhythms.  The project was produced by celebrated soul-music producer/songwriters Raphael Saadiq (Mary J. Blige, John Legend) and DeVante Swing (Al Green, Usher).  Both men were huge fans of the Clouds and count the Gospel quartet tradition among their earliest musical influences.

One of the best events you could attend is Kingdom Bound international Christian music festival, taking place August 1-4, 2010, at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort in Darien Center, New York, halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. Are you ready for great concerts, seminars, rides, and people? Kingdom Bound helps thousands of people experience "God at an amusement park." Get info at www.kingdombound.org or call 800-461-4485 today!

Charlie Daniels, the country music legend best known for his hit, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia,” may be around 70-years-old, but the spry singer-songwriter shows no signs of slowing down. Besides having an excellent bluegrass gospel album in stores entitled “Songs from the Longleaf Pines,” the bushy bearded icon continues to be outspoken about religion and politics.

Vicki Yohe decided to record the song “He’s Been Faithful” after adopting her first child in March 2005. When she and her husband, Troy Hodges, were trying to decide what to name her recent CD, they agreed that “He’s Been Faithful” would be the perfect title.

“After being married for 9 years—no children—praying desperately that God would give us a baby,” she says, “my friend Darlene Bishop, from Ohio, who works with teen mothers, called me and said she’d have a baby for us in one week.”

If someone you loved was in the hospital, but you were seperated by a great distance, how could you still be there with them, to help them through their tough time? Piano player Dusty Knapp was miles away when he heard the news that his dad was in the hospital. Was it a heart attack? Dusty couldn't rush to his dad's side, since dad was in Upstate New York and Dusty was in Nashville. So he did the next best thing a piano playing son could do. He recorded a CD. If he couldn't be there in body, at least he could be there in spirit.

That CD, titled "Reflections of Worship," features Dusty's expressive, passionate piano playing. It's a beautifully arranged and performed mix of solo instrumental hymns, as well as praise and worship favorites, with a couple originals that will draw you closer to God, soothe your soul, and relax your mind. It helped Dusty's dad get out of the hospital sooner than expected, so if you know anyone who needs to relax and heal, "Reflections of Worship" will help them get through their toughest time.

Now you can preview Mark Weber's new book about Christian and Gospel music artists right here on ChristianMusicDaily.com! Click on 'Read more' to get a glimpse of this informative new book, which features BarlowGirl, Charlie Daniels, and many more established as well as up-and-coming artists!