Cross Streams Radio

RED Tour announced!

2012-01-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

(from CMSpin)
Two-time GRAMMY nominated, Essential Records rock act RED kicks off its second headlining tour in five months, the “REDvolution Tour,” on Feb. 10. Visiting 20+ cities domestically, with special guests Thousand Foot Krutch, Manafest, Nine Lashes, and KIROS, the tour will also include a run of “RED only” dates throughout Europein April. A year since releasing its acclaimed third studio project, Until We Have Faces, RED continues to make massive career strides, venturing out on back-to-back headlining tours. Following its popular fall “Kill The Machine Tour,” RED sets the stage for an all-new endeavor, the “REDvolution Tour.” Kicking off two weeks from Friday, the tour will visit more than 20 cities across the U.S., including major markets Washington, D.C., Dallas, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, among others, through late March.
And for the first time, RED will headline its own European tour, taking the show abroad to cities in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and Ukraine. Please refer to the tour itinerary following this release for additional information, or visit http://www.redmusiconline.com/ for an updated list of tour dates. For more information on the “REDvolution Tour” artistline-up, go to: http://www.redmusiconline.com/
In addition to headlining its own tour, RED will be headlining select festival dates this summer as well, including Sonshine Festival in Minnesota. Also, look for the band to make appearances at Alive Festival, Ichthus Festival, Creation East, SpiritSong, KingsFest, and Creation West, to name a few. Listen for the RED’s latest radio single “Who We Are,” now vying for adds at Christian CHR and Rock too.
For a complete tour schedule and the latest news on RED, please visit: http://www.redmusiconline.com/, www.facebook.com/redmusiconline and www.twitter.com/redmusiconline.For information on supporting artists on the “REDvolution Tour,” please visit their respective websites: http://www.thousandfootkrutch.com/, http://www.manafest.ca/, www.facebook.com/ninelashes and http://www.kiros.com/.About RED:Nashville-based rock outfit RED comprises Michael Barnes (vocals), Anthony Armstrong (guitar) Randy Armstrong (bass) and Joe Rickard (drums).
Together, its three career albums -- End of Silence (2006), Innocence & Instinct (2009), and Until We Have Faces (2011) -- have sold more than 780,000 units, garnering two GRAMMY nominations, five GMA Dove Awards, two Top 10 Active Rock singles, three Top 10 Mainstream Rock singles and 10 consecutive No. 1 hits at Christian radio.
Most recently, RED’s Until We Have Faces (Feb. 1, 2011) was the highest national debut at No. 2 on the coveted Billboard Top 200. Additionally, the project topped the following Nielsen SoundScan charts: Current Hard Music, Current Rock Music, Current Alternative, Christian Rock, Current Contemporary Christian Album and Record Label Independent charts. Also its debut week, two of the album’s songs were spotlighted on national TV, with TBS'“Conan” featuring "Faceless" and NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" highlighting "Not Alone.”
In addition, RED has logged an impressive 1,300 + live shows, performing alongside notable rock names such as Hinder, 3 Doors Down, Creed, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Godsmack, Sevendust, Drowing Pool, Flyleaf, Seether, Papa Roach, Buckcherry, Saving Abel,Staind, Third Day, Switchfoot, Skillet and others. Rave reviews for the band’s live shows and albums have been featured in top media outlets including Billboard, USA Today, ModernDrummer Magazine, Rolling Stone and Guitar World.

REDvolution Tour Dates
February 10 - Rochester, Minn.
February 11 - Thief River Falls, Minn.
February 12 - St. Cloud, Minn.
February 15 - Washington, D.C.
February 17 - Richmond, Va.
February 18 - Cary, N.C.
February 19 - Blountville, Tenn.
February 24 - North Charleston, S.C.
February 25 - Jacksonville, Fla.
February 26 - Saint Petersburg, Fla.
March 8 - Corpus Christi, Texas
March 9 - Dallas, Texas
March 11 - Tulsa, Okla.
March 15 - Las Vegas, Nev.
March 16 - Redlands, Calif
March 17 - Phoenix, Ariz.
March 21 - Wichita, Kan.
March 22 - Fort Smith, Ariz.
March 23 - Sauget, Ill.
March 24 - Fort Wayne, Ind.

European Tour Dates*
April 17 - Urtecht, The Netherlands
April 19 - Enschende, The Netherlands
April 20 - Bormal-sure-Ourthe, Belgium
April 21 - Frankfurt, Germany
April 22 - Berlin, Germany
April 24 - Cologne, Germany
April 25 - Stuttgart, Germany
April 26 - Zurich, Switzerland
April 28 - Moscow, Russia

April 29 - St. Petersburg, Russia

April 30 - Kiev, Ukraine

KUTLESS new release February 28th!

2012-01-20T15:55:00.000-08:00

From CMSpin

After a successful 2009 release that spawned the mega-hit single “What Faith Can Do,” Kutless will be releasing a new studio album titled Believer next month on February 28 (BEC Recordings). The album is produced by Grammy-nominated Chris Stevens as well as David Garcia (TobyMac, Mandisa, Carrie Underwood) and Dave Lubben (worship leader, Kutless). Click here to view the album cover and tracklisting. The debut radio single from this album is already gaining traction out of the gate at K-LOVE, Air1 and Way-FM have already added the song, “Carry Me To The Cross.” You can listen to the song here as well as hear the band perform it live on KLOVE here. With over two million albums sold, a RIAA Gold-selling album, AC Song of the Year in 2010, and 11 No. 1 radio singles, Kutless has transformed from that new rock band from Oregon to the one new bands look up to, the band whose music is all over the radio in multiple formats and on major tours.Believer finds Kutless using a decade of growth to deliver an expertly crafted set of songs with as much diversity in the music as there is consistency in the message. Believer is poised to become a career highlight from Kutless. The title itself is particularly important. On this album, believers will find a deeply relevant message: What does it really mean to surrender to Christ? How does this relationship change you every day? How does it define you? It is only now, after all these years, that Kutless is able to explore these vital issues. Frontman Jon Micah Sumrall declares, “We’ve made a huge leap in the quality of the songwriting. It’s diverse – there are things I love on the upbeat side (heavier rocking moments), and things I love about the intimate worshipful moments. I really feel like this newest record shows a real maturity from over the years of what we’ve learned, what we’ve brought together.” It only takes one listen to realize that Kutless has really come of age musically. They’ve determined their style instead of chasing the latest trend, and it shows. For more information, go to http://www.kutless.com/ or follow the band on Twitter @kutless and become their fan on Facebook: facebook.com/kutless.

Casting Crown 44 Concert Tour Dates

2012-01-18T01:32:00.000-08:00

FROM CMSpin

Multi-platinum selling, GRAMMY®, AMA and 2010 Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year Casting Crowns will extend its massive “Come To The Well” tour into the spring by adding an additional 44 dates across the U.S., this time featuring special guests, singer/songwriter Matthew West, pop-rockers Royal Tailor (both GRAMMY-nominated) and Christian music newcomer Lindsay McCaul who was also on the 2011 fall tour lineup. Following a hugely successful fall run, which included a string of more than15 sell-out performances, playing before more than 155,000 people, the spring leg of the “Come To The Well” tour kicks off Feb. 9, in Florence, S.C. Among its scheduled 44 shows, the tour will hit arenas in major markets like Grand Rapids, Orlando, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Houston and many more.

The tour takes its name from the Casting Crowns’ newest studio project, Come To The Well, (released October 18, its first new studio album in two years), featuring the hit single “Courageous,” which was showcased in the recent Sherwood Pictures film by the same title. The project is filled with songs that both challenge and encourage believers in their walk, including, “Just Another Birthday” which goes for radio adds today. Frontman Mark Hall collaborated on several of the tracks with top songwriters including Steven Curtis Chapman, Matthew West and award-winning country songwriter Tom Douglas.

The week of its release, Come to the Well sold 99,138 copies, making it the highest debut on Billboard’s Top 200 at No. 2. The album additionally topped the Billboard Contemporary Christian Overall chart, while also claiming No. 1 on the iTunes Christian Albums chart and No. 3 on its Overall Albums chart. Lead radio single “Courageous” landed at No. 1 on the iTunes Christian Songs chart and peaked at a No. 1 on the Billboard National Christian Audience
chart in just 10 weeks. In addition, the band celebrated its second career American Music Award win, from six career AMA nominations, on Nov. 20.

FEBRUARY
2/9 (Thursday) - Florence, S.C. - Florence Civic Center
2/10 (Friday) - Virginia Beach, Va. - Rock Church
2/11 (Saturday) - Woodbridge, Va. - Hylton Memorial Chapel
2/16 (Thursday) - Grand Rapids, Mich. - Van Andel Arena
2/17 (Friday) - Troy, Ohio - Hobart Arena
2/18 (Saturday) - Lynchburg, Va. - Vines Center – Liberty University
2/23 (Thursday) - Coral Gables, Fla. - BankUnited Center
2/24 (Friday) - Orlando, Fla. - UCF Arena
2/25 (Saturday) - Tallahassee, Fla. - Leon County Civic Center
2/26 (Sunday) - Pensacola, Fla. - Pensacola Civic Center

MARCH
3/1 (Thursday) - Ft. Wayne, Ind. - Memorial Coliseum
3/2 (Friday) - Brookfield, Wis. - Elmbrook Church
3/3 (Saturday) - Toledo, Ohio - Huntington Center
3/8 (Thursday) - Johnson City, Tenn. - Freedom Hall
3/9 (Friday) - Raleigh, N.C. - RBC Center
3/10 (Saturday) - Charlotte, N.C. - Bojangles Coliseum
3/11 (Sunday) - Greenville, S.C. - Bi-Lo Center
3/15 (Thursday) - Lowell, Mass. - Lowell Memorial Auditorium
3/16 (Friday) - Newark, N.J. - Prudential Center
3/17 (Saturday) - Getzville, N.Y. - The Chapel at Crosspoint
3/18 (Sunday) - Baltimore, Md. - 1st Mariner Arena
3/22 (Thursday) - Independence, Mo. - Independence Event Center
3/23 (Friday) - Moline, Ill. - iWireless Center
3/24 (Saturday) - St. Charles, Md. - Family Arena
3/29 (Thursday) - Philadelphia, Pa. - The Liacouras Center
3/30 (Friday) - Hershey, Pa. - Giant Center
3/31 (Saturday) - Pittsburgh, Pa. - Console Energy Center

APRIL
4/5 (Thursday) - Bowling Green, Ky. - E.A. Diddle Arena
4/6 (Friday) - Chattanooga, Tenn. - UTC MacKenzie Arena
4/7 (Saturday) - Birmingham, Ala. - BJCC Arena
4/12 (Thursday) - Austin, Texas - Shoreline Church
4/13 (Friday) - Odessa, Texas - Ector County Coliseum
4/14 (Saturday) - Oklahoma City, Okla. - State Fair Arena (Private)
4/19 (Thursday) - Cedar Falls, Iowa - McLeod Center
4/20 (Friday) - Sioux Falls, S.D. - Sioux Falls Arena
4/21 (Saturday) - Minneapolis, Minn. - Target Center
4/22 (Sunday) - Fargo, N.D. - Fargo Dome
4/24 (Tuesday) - Springfield, Mo. - JQH Arena
4/26 (Thursday) - Louisville, Ky. - Broadbent Arena
4/27 (Friday) - Woodstock, Ga. - First Baptist Church
4/28 (Saturday) - Charleston, W.V. - Charleston Civic Center

MAY
5/3 (Thursday) - Tulsa, Okla. - Spirit Bank Event Center
5/4 (Friday) - Lubbock, Texas - United Spirit Arena
5/5 (Saturday) - The Woodlands, Texas - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Newsboys..BIGGEST Tour!

2011-12-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

(from CMSpin)
On the heels of releasing their highly acclaimed rock worship project, God’s Not Dead (Nov. 15 on Inpop Records), Newsboys have announced they will embark this spring on their biggest tour yet, the “God’s Not Dead Tour.” Kicking off Jan 12th and running through May 5th, the tour will run in over 60 markets across the U.S. The tour is presented by Compassion International, continuing their partnership with Newsboys to raise awareness for child sponsorships. Additionally, a special VIP Pre-Show Meet & Greet Experience will be held nightly with a portion of its proceeds going to support Compassion International's child trafficking initiatives. Other major sponsors supporting the tour are I Am Second and Interstate Batteries. Joining Newsboys on the tour will be special guests The City Harmonic (winners of GMA Canada's New Artist of the Year award), the high-energy pop foursome Anthem Lights, and the rock-driven group Abandon. A special emphasis has been placed on outreach and evangelism, with youth evangelist Bob Lenz joining the tour to share a message of hope. Lenz's non-profit organization, Life Promotions, will be building a network of supporting churches throughout the tour to facilitate the post-concert evangelistic efforts of the tour, with additional support from I Am Second. I Am Second, a movement meant to inspire all people to live for God and for others, is designed to help people discover their purpose in life. The “God’s Not Dead Tour” follows Newsboys’ current appearance on “The Story Tour” running through December 18th. Just last month the band wrapped up their west coast leg of the Winter Jam Tour.
Tour dates for the "God's Not Dead Tour" are listed below, with more dates being added daily. Be sure to visit Newsboys.com and the tour's official webpage at http://www.godsnotdeadtour.com/ for the most updated schedule, as well as all the information about the tour sponsors and supporting acts.

Newsboys' God's Not Dead Tour Dates:*

January 12 - Holland, MI

January 13 - Anderson, IN

January 19 - Sheboygan, WI

January 20 - Port Huron, MI

January 21 - Menominee, MI

February 02 - Amarillo, TX

February 03 - Longview, TX

February 04 - Abilene, TX

February 09 - Temple, TX

February 10 - Carlsbad, NM

February 11 - Phoenix, AZ

February 12 - Tuscon, AZ

February 17 - Oceanside, CA

February 18 - Brentwood, CA

Feburary 19 - Sacramento, CA

February 21 - Layton, UT

February 23 - Anaheim, CA

February 24 - Redlands, CA

February 25 - Fresco, CA

February 26 - Bakersfield, CA

March 02 - Farmington, NM

March 03 - Lubbock, TX

March 09 - New Bern, NC

March 16 - St. Charles, IL

March 17 - Quincy, IL

March 22 - Barre, VT

March 24 - Lynchburg, VA

March 28 - Yankton, SD

March 29 - Indianola, IA

March 31 - Spencer, IA

April 05 - Edna, TX

April 06 - McAllen, TX

April 14 - Valdosta, GA

April 21 - Springfield, OH

April 22 - Wabash, IN

April 26 - Knoxville, TN

April 27 - Evansville, IN

May 03 - Menasha, WI

May 04 - Oak Creek, WI

May 05 - Flint, MI

Big Daddy Weave's The Ultimate Collection is released...

2011-09-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Their Current Single, “Love Come To Life” is Already in the Top 25 After Only Four Weeks on the Charts
Fervent recording artist Big Daddy Weave releases, The Ultimate Collection, today, Sept 20 which includes their current single and tour name, “Love Come to Life.” The single is currently in the Top 25 on Billboard’s Christian AC-Indicator, only four weeks since its debut. The multi-award winning group will kick-off their headlining tour, “Love Come to Life Tour” this Friday, Sept. 23. Luminate and Kerrie Roberts will join Big Daddy Weave for select dates of the tour, which kicks off in St. Charles, MO.
In addition to the track “Love Come To Life,” The Ultimate Collection spans Big Daddy Weave’s 10-year-career by including tracks from their five studio albums: “Audience of One,” “In Christ,” and “Neighborhoods,” from their 2002 breakout LP One and Only; “Fields of Grace,” “Heart Cries Holy,” and “Set Me Free” from 2003’s Fields of Grace; “What I Was Made For,” “Just The Way I Am,” “You’re Worthy of My Praise,” and “Without You” from 2005’s What I Was Made For; “Every Time I Breathe” and “Let It Rise” from 2006’s Every Time I Breathe; and “What Life Would Be Like” and “You Found Me” from 2008’s What Life Would Be Like. Three of Big Daddy Weave’s singles — “You Found Me,” “Every Time I Breathe,” and “Worthy Of My Praise” — have gone to No. 1 at Christian AC radio. The group’s 2009 Christmas album, Christ Is Come, won the Dove Award for Christmas Album of the Year in 2010.

“Love Come to Life Tour” Tour Dates:
9/23 – St Charles, MO
9/24 – Excelsior Springs, MO
9/25 – Hardin, KY
9/30 – Marietta, GA
10/1 – Memphis, TN
10/2 – Columbus, GA
10/6 – Pace, FL
10/7 – Panama City, FL
10/8 – Brookhaven, MS
10/20 – Philippi, WV
10/21 – Goshen, IN
10/22 – Canton, OH
10/23 – Hardyston, NJ
10/27 – Sarasota, FL
10/28 – Miami, FL
10/29 – St Cloud, FL
10/30 – Jacksonville, FL
11/2 – Charlotte, NC
11/3 – Hoover, AL
11/4 – Lenoir, NC
11/5 – Holly Springs, NC
11/6 – Corinth, MS
11/10 – Elk City, OK
11/11 – Carthage, MO
11/12 – Jefferson, WI
11/13 – Brooklyn Park, MN

For further information on Big Daddy Weave and the “Love Come to Life” tour, please visit http://www.bigdaddyweave.com/.

Ealry Christmas Present! WOW 2012 Christmas.Sept 27 .

2011-09-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

(from CMSpin)

New Holiday Collection Features Top Christian Artists: Casting Crowns, Francesca Battistelli, Chris Tomlin, Third Day, TobyMac, Chris August, And Many More
Just in time for the 2011 holiday season, EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Music Group, and Word Entertainment proudly announce their continued partnership in the WOW brand with the release of WOW Christmas (2011) available everywhere September 27. This 2-disc, 32-song collection marks the first WOW holiday offering in six years, since the release of WOW Christmas (Green), and features the biggest names in Christian music singing holiday classics as well as original fare. With over 26 million units sold—including the most recent installment, WOW Hits 2011—each WOW release continues to be a “must-have” for Christian music fans.
Featuring stand-out Christmas selections from a diverse line-up of fan favorites, WOW Christmas (2011) delivers songs including Casting Crowns’ “Joy to the World,” Francesca Battistelli’s “You’re Here,” Chris Tomlin’s “Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground),” Third Day’s “Born In Bethlehem,” Audrey Assad’s “Winter Snow” (featuring Chris Tomlin), Jeremy Camp’s “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and TobyMac’s “Christmas This Year” (featuring Leigh Nash), plus many more.
The new holiday collection also features three new songs: David Crowder*Band’s “The First Noel,” Matt Maher’s “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and Tenth Avenue North’s “Deck the Halls.”
WOW Christmas (2011) Track Listing:
Disc One

1. Casting Crowns — Joy To The World

2. TobyMac — Christmas This Year (Featuring Leigh Nash)

3. Steven Curtis Chapman — O Little Town of Bethlehem

4. Francesca Battistelli — You’re Here

5. Brandon Heath — The Night Before Christmas

6. Third Day — Born In Bethlehem

7. Chris Tomlin — Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)

8. Tenth Avenue North — Deck The Halls

9. MercyMe — Joseph’s Lullaby

10. Chris August — Come Now Our King

11. Natalie Grant — Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

12. David Crowder*Band — The First Noel

13. Sanctus Real — Silent Night

14. Mandisa — Angels We Have Heard On High

15. Mark Schultz — When Love Was Born

16. Building 429 — What Child Is This
Disc Two

1. Newsboys — Jingle Bell Rock

2. Jeremy Camp — O Come All Ye Faithful

3. Matt Maher — Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

4. NEEDTOBREATHE — Go Tell It On The Mountain

5. Amy Grant — I Need A Silent Night

6. Matthew West — One Last Christmas

7. Kerrie Roberts — O Holy Night

8. Sidewalk Prophets — Hope Was Born This Night

9. Kutless — Mary Did You Know

10. Big Daddy Weave — O Come, O Come Emmanuel

11. BarlowGirl — It’s the Most Wonderful Time of The Year

12. Britt Nicole — Last Christmas

13. Point of Grace — Little Drummer Boy
14. Jars of Clay — It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

15. Michael W. Smith — Gloria

16. Audrey Assad — Winter Snow (Featuring Chris Tomlin)

Marketing efforts include prime retail positioning at all Christian, mainstream and digital retail outlets during the Christmas shopping season. More information is available at http://www.wowilovechristianmusic.com/.
The Word Entertainment distributed release is part of the multi-platinum WOW brand series. Created through the partnership between the three largest Christian music/entertainment companies in the industry, including EMI Christian Music Group, Provident Music Group, and Word Entertainment, the marketing and distribution of WOW projects are shared among the companies, with Word Entertainment leading efforts for WOW Christmas (2011).
About Word EntertainmentA leader in the music industry, Word Entertainment, a Warner/Curb company, is a unique, comprehensive entertainment company comprised of multi-faceted artist service departments including publishing, merchandising, booking, and online initiatives. Word Entertainment represents some of the top names and brands in music, including Meredith Andrews, Chris August, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Patrick Ryan Clark, Group 1 Crew, Dara Maclean, Point Of Grace and Sidewalk Prophets and is home to 25 LIVE, Word Distribution (representing Curb Records and Big Idea/VeggieTales among others), Word Print, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records and Fervent Records.

Jeremy Camp/Francesca Battistelli WE CRY OUT tour!

2011-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

(from CMSpin)

After releasing his acclaimed worship album, We Cry Out: The Worship Project, GRAMMY®-nominated artist Jeremy Camp announces his fall headlining “We Cry Out Tour” beginning September 29th in Georgia and concluding on November 20th in Texas. The 29-city tour will feature reigning GMA Artist of the Year Francesca Battistelli as well as special guest Adam Cappa. Tour dates are below and ticket information can be found online at http://jeremycamp.com/tour.

“The past year has been an incredible journey sharing the worship project as well as the international tour dates we’ve been blessed to do recently," shares Jeremy Camp. "I’m so excited to bring this tour to our fans and share the stage with the amazing artists Francesca Battistelli and newcomer and my friend Adam Cappa. It is going to be a great night of music and worship.”

The “We Cry Out Tour” will also feature a limited number of VIP tickets at select dates. The VIP package includes a Q&A with the artists, a signed tour poster and early entry into the show. Information on all tickets is available at JeremyCamp.com

This tour announcement follows the exciting news of Jeremy Camp’s latest radio single, “The Way,” hitting No. 1 at AC Indicator for the second week in a row. This marks his 22nd No. 1 radio single across all formats, currently climbing at AC Monitored and CHR in the Top 5 and Top 20 respectively. The official music video for “The Way” can be viewed here.

JEREMY CAMP: GRAMMY® and two-time American Music Award nominated artist Jeremy Camp marks his inspirational return to worship with the release of his sixth studio project on BEC Recordings, We Cry Out: The Worship Project. Over his stellar 9 year career, Camp has established himself with these landmark accolades: Four RIAA Gold-selling studio albums including his debut album; One RIAA Multi-Platinum long-form video; 22 No. 1 Radio Hits across all formats; GRAMMY® nominated project for his last studio album Speaking Louder Than Before; Billboard’s No. 3 Christian Artist of the Decade including five songs in the Top 50 Billboard Christian Songs of the Decade; Four ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards; ASCAP Song of the Year award; Five Dove awards including two-time Male Vocalist of the Year. Jeremy is a Compassion International artist. Additional information available at http://www.jeremycamp.com.

FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI: Fervent Records’ Francesca Battistelli is the Dove Award reigning “Artist Of The Year” and “Female Vocalist Of The Year.” These accolades come on the heels of the successful release of Battistelli’s sophomore album Hundred More Years, which debuted at No. 1 on the Christian Album Chart and No. 16 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart. Hundred More Years released to rave reviews and is the follow-up to her debut My Paper Heart, which delivered the smash No. 1 single “Free To Be Me” and hit singles “It’s Your Life,” “I’m Letting Go” and “Beautiful, Beautiful.” With over 430,000 albums sold to date, Battistelli has become the best-selling new artist in the genre in the past eight years. To date Battistelli has earned a GRAMMY® nomination ("Best Gospel Song Performance"), five Dove Awards and 15 Dove Award nominations. For additional information on Francesca Battistelli, please visit http://www.FrancescaMusic.com.

ADAM CAPPA: A vocalist, guitarist, performer, young songwriter and communicator through and through, Adam Cappa - a 25-year-old young man who has just finished his third album along with mentor and labelmate Jeremy Camp - is ready to share his story. It all started when Adam, reared Catholic with no knowledge of Christian music, got involved with Young Life after accepting Christ as a sophomore in high school. Fast-forward a few years and two independent records, Cappa has now teamed up with BEC Recordings to release his label debut. His fall release is a full-on Christian pop album with a "Top 40" feel complete with loops and back tracking, which was produced by Camp and Andy Dodd. For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/Adamcappa.

“WE CRY OUT TOUR” Dates (all dates subject to change)

09/29/11 Dalton, GA
09/30/11 Nashville, TN
10/01/11 Meridian, MS
10/02/11 Niceville, FL
10/06/11 Morgantown, WV
10/07/11 Lynchburg, VA
10/08/11 Greensburg, PA
10/09/11 Reading, PA
10/13/11 Lansing, MI
10/14/11 Ft. Wayne, IN
10/15/11 Elida, OH
10/16/11 Grove City, OH
10/27/11 Salina, KS
10/28/11 Rapid City, SD
10/29/11 Billings, MT
10/30/11 Idaho Falls, ID
11/03/11 Tri Cities (Kennewick), WA
11/04/11 Tualatin (Portland), OR
11/05/11 Redmond, WA
11/06/11 Abbotsford, BC
11/08/11 Spokane, WA
11/10/11 Salt Lake City, UT
11/11/11 Albuquerque, NM
11/12/11 Roswell, NM
11/16/11 Abilene, TX
11/17/11 McAllen, TX
11/18/11 Austin, TX
11/19/11 Houston, TX
11/20/11 Lufkin, TX

Great New Release From Ginny Owens!!

2011-07-03T04:44:00.001-07:00

(from CMSpin)

ASCAP and Dove Award-winning singer/songwriter Ginny Owens releases her first new studio project in five years, Get In, I’m Driving, Aug. 23. The album, whose songs chronicle Owens’ journey over the last few years, is her most personal offering to date. Produced by Owens, David Das (Rebecca St. James, Katharine McPhee, BarlowGirl) and Monroe Jones (Third Day, Mark Schultz, Holly Williams), Get In, I’m Driving is a departure from Owens traditional sound. This CD is smoky and smooth, jazz-tinged R&B shot through with pop music sensibilities. “I grew up listening to R&B, hip hop and soul. I got into jazz while I was in college, and I’ll admit there is a part of me that loves straight pop music. My dream has always been to be versatile enough musically to play a club on Saturday night and a church on Sunday morning…and why not? People in both places love music and are desperate for hope.” The final product is an eclectic musical experience that takes you on an adventure of the soul. Songs include the thudding, breathy opening strains of the title cut, to lilting, pop-inflected “Mystery of Grace,” and playful, piano-driven “Before You Fly.” Owens injects fetching melodies with thought-provoking lyrics to remind listeners that life is a journey; one that usually involves a lot of falling down and getting back up again. “Nearly every song on this record was its own writing process,” says Owens. “I began writing many of them soon after leaving Rocketown, then during my season of living in New York City, and most recently while taking care of my mom during her battle with cancer. Most of them weren’t completed until I came back to Nashville and began processing all that I’d been through.” She says it’s almost like reading pages of her diary, complete with the heartaches and triumphs. Owens plans to support the new album, to release on EMI CMG distributed label Soul Stride Records, with radio single “Before You Fly,” currently vying for adds at Christian AC and CHR, and select tour events this summer and fall. For more information, visit http://www.ginnyowens.com/. A three-time Dove Award winner, including the Gospel Music Association’s 2000 New Artist of the Year recipient, and multiple ASCAP Award winner, Ginny Owens has sold nearly one million albums. A top performer on the Christian radio charts with hits like “If You Want Me To,” “Free” and “I Wanna Be Moved,” among others, Owens’ music has impacted mainstream audiences at Lilith Fair, the Sundance Film Festival and the White House. Her music has received widespread film and television placement, with songs on the popular WB series “Roswell” and “Felicity,” and she has been featured on national television, including MSNBC and CNN, for her contribution to help rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, Owens launched The Fingerprint Initiative, a hands-on, non-profit organization designed to “bring hope to the world, one project and one touch at a time.” The organization has partnered with and raised money for groups such as Compassion International, International Justice Mission and Habitat for Humanity. Learn more about Ginny Owens at: http://www.ginnyowens.com/ or http://www.fingerprintinitiative.org/.

David Crowder Announces tour with Chris August!

2011-05-06T01:59:00.000-07:00

(From CMSpin)
The GRAMMY ® nominated David Crowder*Band will headline the highly anticipated “The 7 Tour” with acclaimed artists Gungor, who is doing an acoustic set, Chris August and John Mark McMillan. The shows will span from September through November and hit over 30 clubs and theaters across the U.S. including key markets such as: Dallas, Texas, Los Angeles, Calif., Portland, Ore., Seattle, Wash., Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y., Atlanta, Ga. and Orlando, Fla. Known for their fan-centric focus, David Crowder*Band unveiled a fan-exclusive pre-sale in order to give their core group of supporters the opportunity to purchase tickets before everyone else without high ticket fees and with the incentive of being the first ticket-holders into the venue each night. The pre-sale was such a success that in addition to the website initially crashing due to high traffic, nearly half of the dates sold out of their limited presale quantities seven months early. “We're really excited about this tour,” comments David Crowder. “The line up is ridiculous! We're pretty sure this is going to be a really special outing.” David Crowder*Band is currently working on their new album slated for release later this year or early 2012, this will be the follow-up to their GRAMMY ® nominated Church Music which released in the fall of 09. For tickets and further tour details, visit http://davidcrowderband.com/schedule. http://www.davidcrowderband.com/www.myspace.com/davidcrowderband www.twitter.com/crowderband About David Crowder*Band:Named among the “most thoughtful, progressive and exciting acts in contemporary Christian music” by The New York Times, the popular yet unconventional David Crowder*Band released their latest GRAMMY ® nominated album Church Music in the fall which debuted at No. 1 on the Christian retail chart scanning over 35,000 units. This gave David Crowder*Band their largest street week to date ranking in at No. 11 on the Billboard Top 200. David Crowder*Band’s latest music video for “SMS (Shine)” nabbed coverage on NBC’s The Today Show, Fox & Friends, USA Today, Billboard and Paste Magazine online as well as a GMA Dove Award win for “Short Form Video of the Year.” The video was also recognized at the LA Film Festival in 2011. Along with the group’s 9 GMA Dove Awards and 22 nominations, the band was the first Christian artist to be named MSN.com’s Artist of the Year in 2006. Despite the success, David Crowder*Band makes it a point to get back to University Baptist Church on most Sundays, a church they helped found near the campus of Baylor University in Waco, TX. The band is also part of the Passion Movement, participating in university student gatherings in the US and around the world. The group’s leader David Crowder is further an acclaimed author, having penned two books, including his acclaimed, highly personal, Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die: Or (The Eschatology of Bluegrass). http://www.davidcrowderband.com/ About Gungor:GRAMMY ® nominated Gungor earned critical acclaim with their latest record Beautiful Things (Brash) upon its release in February, 2010. Amidst appearing at well known Passion and Catalyst conferences and headlining the unique “Beautiful Things Events,” the band hailing from Colorado has earned two GRAMMY ® nominations as well as a GMA Dove Award nomination. Worship Leader magazine named Beautiful Things their top CD release of 2010 while both Relevant magazine and CCM gave the record honorable mentions in their celebrated year end lists. Gungor is set to release a new album this fall. http://www.gungormusic.com/ About Chris August:While he may be considered a "new" artist, Fervent Records' singer-songwriter Chris August is anything but a rookie in the music industry. The self-taught pianist, guitarist, and producer previously toured as the keyboard player and opening act for pop sensation Ashlee Simpson and worked with Ryan Cabrera, Brian McKnight and Jessica Simpson before shifting his focus to his solo career. Chris, a native of Dallas, Texas, put his refined skill set to work when he co-produced his debut album, No Far Away, with acclaimed producer Ed Cash. While he is not one to shy away from writing about his faith, Chris isn't afraid to embrace relationships and heartache in his songwriting. Chris cites influences such as Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, and Gavin DeGraw who all contributed to the polished pop/rock sound that is sure to resonate with all who listen. The first single, "Starry Night," was a multiple week #1 single on three charts in late 2010. Last week, August was honored by the industry with the “Male Vocalist of the Year,” “New Artist of the Year” and “Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year” at the 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards. For additional information, please log on to: http://www.chrisaugustmusic.com/, www.myspace.com/chrisaugustmusic or www.twitter.com/ChrisAugust. About John Mark McMillan:Heart-on-sleeves rock is what North Carolinian McMillan does best. And it's his bluesy voice and well-crafted lyrics that have brought him heightened popularity and universal critical acclaim with The Medicine, his third album (but first on a major label). The Medicine is an intriguing, musically compelling and intensely in-depth project which expresses McMillan's soul and personal life journey. Through his lyrics, McMillan takes listeners through a story of emotions. Poetic metaphors and vivid imagery thread themselves through the album binding together a universal theme of brokenness and love's power over the weak and the wounded. http://www.thejohnmark.com/
About sixstepsrecords:Founded in 2000 by Louie Giglio, sixstepsrecords (http://www.sixstepsrecords.com/) is a worship label and a division of Passion Conferences. sixstepsrecords’ artists include Chris Tomlin (And If Our God Is For Us…), David Crowder* Band (Church Music), Charlie Hall (The Rising), Matt Redman (10,000 Reasons), Christy Nockels (Life Light Up), Kristian Stanfill (Mountains Move) and Passion (Passion: Here For You). The label partners with Sparrow Records/EMI CMG Label Group for A&R, marketing, sales and distribution operations. http://www.sixstepsrecords.com/ About EMI CMG Label Group:Brentwood, Tennessee-based EMI CMG Label Group is comprised of Sparrow Records, Forefront Records, and Credential Recordings, in addition to providing A&R and marketing support for sixstepsrecords via a joint venture and licensing partnership. Balancing freedom, discipline, creativity, profitability and ministry, EMI CMG Label Group strives for excellence in artist development. The Label Group is a division of EMI Christian Music Group. For further information, please visit http://www.emicmg.com/ “The 7 Tour” Dates:* all dates subject to change, visit http://davidcrowderband.com/schedule for latest tour information.

9/28 Austin, TX - Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheatre

9/30 Houston, TX - House of Blues
10/1 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
10/4 Lubbock, TX - City Band Auditorium
10/5 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
10/6 Phoenix, AZ - Grand Canyon University Arena
10/7 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10/8 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
10/9 San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
10/11 Portland, OR - The Crystal Ballroom
10/12 Seattle, WA - The Moore Theater
10/14 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
10/15 Lawrence, KS - Lied Center / Univ. of Kansas
10/16 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
10/20 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue Mainroom
10/21 Chicago, IL - Vic Theater
10/22 Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room
10/23 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
10/25 Lafayette, IN - Long Center
10/26 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room - Old National Centre
10/27 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
10/28 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
10/29 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
10/30 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
11/1 Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore Charlotte
11/3 Greenville, SC - McAlister Auditorium / Furman Univ.
11/4 Lynchburg, VA - Vines Center / Liberty Univ.
11/5 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
11/6 Sarasota, FL - Manatee Civic Center
11/10 Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre
11/11 Orlando, FL - House of Blues
11/12 Panama City, FL - Marina Civic Center
11/13 Jackson, MS - Jackson Academy PAC

Casting Crowns Adds Another Dove Award!

2011-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

(from CMSpin)

Group Garners Win for Long Form Music Video The Gospel Music Association’s 2010 Artist of the Year, Casting Crowns adds another Dove Award to its list of accolades, winning tonight for its long-form music video, Until the Whole World Hears Live DVD/CD release. The occasion marks Casting Crowns’ first career nomination and win in the category, which has previously been taken by artists such as Third Day, Switchfoot, Amy Grant, Audio Adrenaline, and tobyMac. The honor is awarded to the video’s artist, director and producer. Until the Whole World Hears Live, released Aug. 31, 2010, was recorded at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C. on April 24 of last year with additional footage recorded at North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, S.C. and at Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Ala. The video captures Casting Crowns’ unforgettable 2009/2010 “Until the Whole World Hears” national concert tour on this live 2-disc set, sharing the heart and story of such songs as “If We’ve Ever Needed You,” “Glorious Day” and the No. 1 hit single “Until the Whole World Hears.” The powerhouse tour saw more than 350,000 fans in 82 cities. The 54-minute concert DVD additionally includes 80 minutes of behind-the-scenes content. For more information, visit: www.providentpress.com/artists_pr.php?id=216. Christian music’s GRAMMY, AMA, and Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year, Casting Crowns is headed by frontman/principal songwriter Mark Hall. The platinum-selling band’s recent fourth album, Until The Whole World Hears, sold 167,000 copies first-week setting a sales record as the highest debuting Christian music artist in SoundScan history (week ending 11/22/09). The album certified RIAA Gold in four weeks, with more than 800,000 sold to date.
All of the Atlanta-based band’s projects are RIAA certified, with a monster tally of two RIAA Platinum Albums, two RIAA Platinum DVDs, three RIAA Gold Albums and a Gold DVD, holding position as Billboard’s top-selling act in Christian music since 2007. Despite an unprecedented six-year career with Casting Crowns, the seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta area and tour part-time around their local church duties. Serving his 18th year in youth ministry, Hall is the student pastor at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. As a remarkable occasion, Casting Crowns performed for a second time in North Korea in April 2009, in partnership with Global Resource Services, as the band continues to forge invaluable relationships with the people in the D.P.R.K.
For more information, visit http://www.castingcrowns.com/ or follow the band on Mark Hall’s Twitter at twitter.com/markhallCC. The 42nd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Ga. on Wednesday, April 20th. The awards show will be televised on GMC at 8:00 p.m. ET/delayed PT on Easter Sunday, April 24th. GMC is the fastest-growing network in television and can be seen in 47 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224. For a complete list of winners, visit http://www.gospelmusic.org/. For further information on Provident artists and projects, please visit http://www.providentpress.com/

Toby Mac wins BIG at BMI Awards!

2011-04-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

(from CMSpin)

This week, BMI hosted their Annual Christian Awards ceremony at their offices in downtown Nashville and for the third year in a row Forefront’s multi-platinum selling artist TobyMac took home the award of the night “Songwriter of the Year,” making it his fourth win in this category. He shared the honor with Rodney Griffin and Bo Rinehart who also took home awards for the same title. Additionally, the award-winning artist’s hit songs “Get Back Up” and “City On Our Knees ” were recognized for being two of the Top 25 most performed songs on Christian radio over the past year. In addition to being one of Nashville's top songwriters, TobyMac continues to mentor songwriters and artists such as Jamie Grace, through Gotee Records and is excited for what she is bringing to the music industry: "Jamie Grace writes, sings and plays her own music. She has a style that can’t be put into a typical label box—a dash of reggae, a dash of folk, a dash of hip hop," says TobyMac. "I’ve said it a million times, ‘If we’re ever going to be a shining city on a hill, we have to be diverse city.’ Jamie Grace is part of that diverse city. She’s such a natural, beautiful next step for our industry.” The new female vocalist’s latest single “Hold Me,” also featuring TobyMac, was recently given the spotlight at iTunes ® as the Discovery Download. Listeners welcomed Grace with open arms as over 188,000 downloads were received. For more information on Jamie Grace please go to www. Jamiegrace.com. TobyMac is currently entertaining crowds in the thousands on the HipRockFunkandSoul Tour. Opening the show are the solo talents of ArchNemesiz, SHONLOCK, Nirva Ready, Toddiefunk, Tim Rosenau, SuperHeRose and Byron “Mr. Talkbox” Chambers otherwise known as the Diverse City Band.

Rend Collective Experiment Tour with Chris Tomlin

2011-04-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

(from CMSpin)

Band To Record Tour Favorite, “You Are My Vision,” Single Slated For Sept. 2011 Release Hailing from Bangor, Northern Ireland, Rend Collective Experiment released its international debut Organic Family Hymnal to widespread critical acclaim. A movement of 20-somethings that began in Ireland and spread across Europe before hitting the Americas has now officially added the U.S. to its groundswell as tens of thousands of worship music fans experience the infectious Rend Collective Experiment on its first U.S. national tour with Chris Tomlin that began Feb. 15 and has already logged 23 sold out events. Wrapping up April 16 in Seattle, WA, the 30-city major market “And If Our God Is For Us…” tour also features Louie Giglio with special guest Christy Nockels (see remaining tour dates below). Charting a unique course, Rend Collective Experiment is a group of friends collectively wondering how to make sense of the conundrum of life, God and community. What Rend Collective Experiment’s members add to the conversation are melodies, harmonic progression and lyrics that are scriptural and contemporary, fresh and ancient. The resulting mix has sparked Rhapsody to name the band among the Top 5 Christian/Gospel artists to watch in 2011 as Gospel Music Channel named Organic Family Hymnal among the “Best Albums of 2010.” For more information on Rend Collective Experiment and Organic Family Hymnal, go to http://www.rendcollectiveexperiment.com/. The remaining “And If Our God Is For Us…” tour dates follow: Thu, Mar 31st 20117:00 PM Mabee Center Tulsa, OK Map SOLD OUT

Tue, Apr 5th 20117:00 PM Wells Fargo Center Denver, CO MapBuy Tix Wed, Apr 6th 20117:00 PM Kiva Auditorium Albuquerque, NM Map SOLD OUT

Thu, Apr 7th 20117:00 PM Christ Church of the Valley Peoria, AZ Map SOLD OUT

Fri, Apr 8th 20117:30 PM Christ Church of the Valley Peoria, AZ Map SOLD OUT

Tue, Apr 12th 20117:00 PM Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA Map SOLD OUT

Wed, Apr 13th 20117:00 PM Adventure Church Roseville, CA Map SOLD OUT

Thu, Apr 14th 20117:00 PM Rolling Hills Community Church - Tualatin Portland, OR MapBuy TixJUST ADDED

Fri, Apr 15th 20117:00 PM Rolling Hills Community Church - Tualatin Portland, OR Map SOLD OUT

Sat, Apr 16th 20117:00 PM Overlake Christian Church Seattle, WA Map SOLD OUT * Tour dates subject to change.

Tenth Ave North Announced Tour

2011-03-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

From CMSpin

Tenth Avenue North, Christian music’s most impactful new artist of the past several years, gives fans a unique look at the moments and motivations that make up a life lived through music through the new CD/DVD project: Tenth Avenue North Live: Inside and In Between releasing on March 1. Tenth Avenue North will take part in a live, DVD release event online at HearItFirst.com ( http://live.hearitfirst.com/) on Tuesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The band will introduce clips from the project as well as answer questions from fans. Long known for an uncanny ability to capture listeners’ attention and compel them to think, even within the framework of a seemingly simple pop song, the music of Tenth Avenue North has always been informed with a maturity of purpose that goes far beyond the members’ young ages. It’s that desire to give fans more than face value that has always gone into both the band’s songs and live shows. “These songs are hopefully a vehicle for us to help people learn,” says vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Mike Donehey. “Our hope is that people would see what we do in concert and that we have a desire for people to learn, not just be entertained.” “At the same time, we hope to find a platform that looks a little more like a community when you come to one of our shows,” he continues. “We just wanted something deeper.” Included in the DVD, Donehey explores the deeper message behind the songs in seven powerful video journals including “By Your Side,” “Healing Begins” and “You Are More.” That’s not to say everything is so deep within Donehey and his bandmates’ (drummer Jason Jamison, guitarist/background vocalist Jeff Owen and bassist Ruben Juarez III) world, as shown on Inside and In Between’s lighter moments, including the unparalleled “athletic” competition known fondly as “Bunk Olympics.” Framed by live performances (featuring 5.1 Surround Sound audio mixes) and revealing off-stage interviews, Inside and In Between gives an all-encompassing look at some of the freshest new music to emerge over the past several years, including songs like “Love Is Here,” “Strong Enough To Save,” “Hold My Heart,” “You Are More,” “Healing Begins” and the 2010 Dove Award-winning Song of the Year “By Your Side.” Tenth Avenue North will continue its packed early 2011 live show schedule as part of Third Day’s “Make Your Move” Tour, which kicked off in Mercedes, Texas on Feb. 18, and runs through a May 21 date in West Palm Beach, Fla. THIRD DAY / MAKE YOUR MOVE TOUR – SPRING 2011 (featuring Tenth Avenue North)* More dates to be added. All dates are subject to change without notice.
FEBRUARY

2/18 Mercedes, TX RGV Livestock Show Grounds

2/19 Longview, TX S.E. Belcher Performance Hall

MARCH

3/9 Indianapolis, IN Northview Church

3/10 Indianapolis, IN Northview Church

3/11 Brookfield, WI Elmbrook Church

3/12 Davenport, IA Adler Theater

3/13 Grand Rapids, MI Sunshine Comm. Church

3/18 Monroe, LA Fant-Ewing Coliseum

3/19 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater

3/20 Joplin, MO Joplin Memorial Hall

3/24 Beaver Falls, PA Geneva College

3/25 Grove City, OH Grove City Church

3/26 Johnstown, PA War Memorial Arena

3/27 Charleston, WV Charleston Civic Center

3/31 Johnson City, TN Freedom Hall

APRIL4/1 Fairfax, VA Patriot Center

4/14 Memphis, TN Hope Church

4/15 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Coliseum

4/16 Greenville, SC TBA

4/17 Macon, GA Centerplex

4/28 Valparaiso, IN Valparaiso Nazarene Church

4/29 Chicago, IL Life Changers

4/30 Greenville, IL Agape Festival

MAY5/1 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium Arena

5/4 Salem, VA Salem Civic Center

5/5 Louisville, KY TBA

5/6 Cincinnati, OH Landmark Church

5/7 Saginaw, MI Dow Events Center Theatre

5/12 Chattanooga, TN Memorial Auditorium

5/13 Greensboro, NC Special Events Center

5/14 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

5/19 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
5/20 Ft. Myers, FL Germain Arena

5/21 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater

About Tenth Avenue North: Modern pop band Tenth Avenue North – made up of members Mike Donehey (lead vocals/acoustic guitar), Jason Jamison (drummer), Jeff Owen (electric guitar/background vocals) and Ruben Juarez (bass) – saw its sophomore album, The Light Meets The Dark, debut in May 2010 at No. 1 on the Nielsen Christian SoundScan chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Top 200 with first week scans of 21,583. The album also secured the No.1 Christian Album chart position at both iTunes and AmazonMP3, and reached Top 5 on the iTunes overall chart.

Hillsong United...Aftermath release and tour

2011-02-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

Hillsong UNITED Readies AFTERMATH For Feb. 15 Release
Traversing six continents of the world into 42 nations just since 2006 in a cross-cultural journey, best-selling modern worship band Hillsong UNITED returns to North America February/March 2011 for the 12-city major market “Aftermath” tour. The tour follows the Feb. 15, 2011 release of the band’s highly anticipated, 11th full-length album and second ever studio recording, AFTERMATH, on Sparrow Records. This is the first new recording from the band in the alliance announced last year with EMI Christian Music Group.
The Aftermath tour extends coast-to-gulf-to-coast, hitting Los Angeles (Staples Center), Houston (Berry Center), New York City (Hammerstein Ballroom) and more. Already selling thousands of tickets, the momentum has driven a second event to be added in Boston at the Orpheum Theatre. Last year’s tour opened in Boston with a capacity crowd at The Wang Theatre. The full Hillsong UNITED Aftermath tour itinerary can be found on the band’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/hillsongunited, which has more than 1.4 million friends. (All tour dates are also listed below.)
The band’s 2011 tour builds on recent tours that saw major venues sell out coast-to-coast, from the Nokia Theatre (Los Angeles) to Roseland Ballroom (New York City) to Bank United Centre (Miami) to the largest event ever held as of last April in the Sears Centre Arena (Chicago, IL), which outdrew recent concerts there by such legendary performers as Billy Joel, Elton John and the Eagles.
With more than a decade’s worth of worship favorites, Hillsong UNITED will also play new music from AFTERMATH while on tour, including the first radio single from the album, “Search My Heart.” The song goes to radio Jan. 21 and is a pulsing, urgent cry to be used by God for His – not simply our own – purposes.
Having its pulse consistently in tune with the heart cry of congregations across the globe and a fresh, forward-thinking soundtrack to match, Hillsong UNITED has been the veritable gold standard of modern worship music for the past decade and counting. As Hillsong UNITED’s team of songwriters penned and recorded the tracks for AFTERMATH, the theme of genuine, paradoxical hope in the wake of apparent tragedy emerged in track after track.
“Normally ‘aftermath’ has a negative, even traumatic, connotation,” Hillsong UNITED’s Joel Houston says. “At the same time, when I look at the Crucifixion as an event, it paints an extraordinarily negative and horrific picture. But the aftermath of the Cross is hope for all mankind. It’s grace, freedom, peace, life and everything that is good about God. I absolutely love that picture.”
“Ultimately, through these songs, our upcoming tour – even the album’s packaging – we want to take people on a journey that leaves them feeling empowered to be about what God’s calling us to be about – not out of this sense of burden,” continues Joel.
Fronted by worship leaders Joel Houston, Jad Gillies and Jonathon "JD" Douglass, the UNITED team is also an evolving collaboration of pastors, worship leaders, musicians and songwriters - all intentional about giving voice to a generation passionate about God. Having led worship in churches, stadiums and open fields in Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, the full Hillsong UNITED 2011 Aftermath North American tour itinerary follows:
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 Vancouver, BC Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports CentreThu, Feb 24,2011 Seattle, WA ShoWare Center KentSat, Feb 26, 2011 San Francisco, CA The Warfield TheatreSun, Feb 27, 2011 Sacramento, CA Memorial AuditoriumTue, Mar 1, 2011 Los Angeles, CA Staples CenterWed, Mar 2, 2011 Phoenix, AZ US Airways CenterFri, Mar 4, 2011 Houston, TX Berry CenterSat, Mar 5, 2011 Dallas, TX Music HallMon, Mar 7, 2011 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett CenterTue, Mar 8, 2011 Birmingham, AL BJCCThu, Mar 10, 2011 New York, NY Hammerstein BallroomFri, Mar 11, 2011 Boston, MA, 7 PM Orpheum TheatreFri, Mar 11, 2011 Boston, MA, 10 PM Orpheum Theatre, Part II
Hillsong UNITED was born out of the Youth Movement of Hillsong Church, where the Youth group meets weekly and now has over 3,000 attendees. Young people are encouraged and empowered to use their creativity in music, arts and film to serve in ministry. In 1999, UNITED recorded its first album Everyday, which featured original songs written by the young people, and has since sold over 1,000,000 albums in the U.S. alone and built a very large brand image and following all around the world. Its 2007 album, All Of The Above, and 2009 album, A Cross the Earth: Tear Down The Walls, launched to No.1 on U.S. Billboard Christian charts, and the latter and most recent album also grabbed the No. 2 position on the iTunes mainstream chart, just behind Eminem.
Based in Sydney, Australia, Hillsong Church is one of the world’s fastest-growing ministries, with a 25,000-plus strong congregation in Australia, as well as one of the largest evangelical churches in London, Cape Town and Kiev. Hillsong also has churches in Stockholm and Paris, and recently announced plans to establish a new church in New York City. Hillsong Music has sold over 11 million albums to date and has earned 30 Gold and Platinum awards around the world.

NEWSBOYS ANNOUNCE TOUR

2011-02-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Award-winning band Newsboys have announced at the completion of headlining 2011's Winter Jam they will headline the "The Born Again Experience" tour. Presented by Compassion International, "The Born Again Experience" will hit 26 cities across the nation, kicking off the second week of April and running through May. Newsboys are already planning for a revolutionary and jaw-dropping set, and with the support of Compassion International, an exciting evening offering the message of "A Night For The City To Serve The City." Redefining the live show experience, Newsboys plan to get audiences on their feet and to offer hope, service and compassion to the community and for one another. Making the tour even more exciting for fans everywhere, Newsboys have also announced the VIP Born Again Experience. By purchasing a Platinum or Premium ticket, this allows the VIP ticket holder into an exclusive meet and greet with Newsboys, access to their Pre-Show Experience and to a pre-show acoustic concert. Special Gold Circle seating is available for all Platinum ticket holders. Additionally, each VIP Born Again Experience ticket holder will receive a tour grab bag, which includes an autographed poster and an autographed CD of Born Again: Miracles Edition, which officially releases March 29th. The VIP Born Again Experience Premium ticket is available now for only $50, and for an additional $25 buyers will receive a Platinum ticket. A portion of these proceeds will go directly to the work and ministry of Compassion International. Kutless, Disciple, Carlos Whittaker, and special guest speaker Bob Lenz will join Newsboys on the tour. For more information and to register for VIP tickets, please visit Newsboys.com. General tickets will not be available to the public until February 15th. THE BORN AGAIN EXPERIENCE tour dates*: Mon., April 11 - Williamsport, PAThurs., April 14 - Corbin, KYFri, April 15 - Bowling Green, KYSat., April 16 - Murray, KYSun., April 17 - Topeka, KSThurs., April 21 -Florence, ALFri., April 22 - Atlanta GASat., April 23 -Pikeville, KYThurs., April 28 - Houston, TXFri., April 29 - Wichita Falls, TXSat., April 30 - San Antonio, TXSun., May 1 - Corpus Christi, TXTues., May 3 - Lubbock, TXThurs., May 5 - Albuquerque, NMFri., May 6 - Phoenix, AZSat., May 7 - Santa Ana, CASun., May 8 - Sacramento, CA Thurs., May 12 - Puyallup, WAFri., May 13 - Medford, ORSat., May 14 - Kennewick, WA Sun., May 15 - Spokane, WATues., May 17 - Idaho Falls, IDWed., May 18 - Salt Lake City, UTThurs., May 19 - Grand Junction, COFri., May 20 - Highlands Ranch, CO*All tour dates subject to change
Newsboys.com Newsboys are currently headlining this year's Winter Jam, which kicked off earlier this month and will be hitting a total of 47 cities. 2010's Winter Jam brought in a total audience of over 400,000 with over 74,000 making a commitment to follow Christ! For 2011 concert dates, please visit jamtour.com.

BRANDON HEATH...debuts at #1!

2011-01-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

Dove-winning Male Vocalist of the Year, Brandon Heath debuts his highly-anticipated third studio release, Leaving Eden, at No. 1 this week on Billboard’s Top Current Contemporary Christian Chart, marking the Nashville artist’s first career opening at the top of the sales chart. Produced by Dan Muckala, the acclaimed 11-song project also held the No.1 position on iTunes Christian Albums chart, and lead single “Your Love” remains No. 1 at radio for a third week atop Billboard’s National Christian Audience, and AC Monitor charts, with 100% of AC stations across the country spinning the hit track. Reviews applaud the GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter’s latest offering, with Billboard magazine projecting Heath as the next leader in the genre. The respected print magazine’s Jan. 22 feature states Heath is “Cementing his growing status as the next young male artist to carry the Christian music torch held by veterans Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith…”. Other media outlets proclaim: “ Brandon Heath won the last two Dove Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year with “Give Me Your Eyes,” and “I’m Not Who I Was,” but those tunes pale in comparison with what he offers on Leaving Eden.” - DenverPost.com “…we can’t get his song “Leaving Eden” out of our heads.” - AmericanSongwriter.com As radio and sales soar, Heath reached another career milestone as the digital sales of his previous 2009 Song of the Year hit “Give Me Your Eyes” surpass 500,000 - officially certifying as a RIAA Gold digital single last week. According to SoundScan, “Give Me Your Eyes” has sold over 563,000 digital downloads to date. Heath is currently on tour with GRAMMY Award winning artist TobyMac as part of the Winter Wonder Slam Tour. For tour dates, and to view Heath’s new Leaving Eden video sessions, please visit http://www.brandonheath.net/.Dove-winning Male Vocalist of the Year, Brandon Heath debuts his highly-anticipated third studio release, Leaving Eden, at No. 1 this week on Billboard’s Top Current Contemporary Christian Chart, marking the Nashville artist’s first career opening at the top of the sales chart. Produced by Dan Muckala, the acclaimed 11-song project also held the No.1 position on iTunes Christian Albums chart, and lead single “Your Love” remains No. 1 at radio for a third week atop Billboard’s National Christian Audience, and AC Monitor charts, with 100% of AC stations across the country spinning the hit track. Reviews applaud the GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter’s latest offering, with Billboard magazine projecting Heath as the next leader in the genre. The respected print magazine’s Jan. 22 feature states Heath is “Cementing his growing status as the next young male artist to carry the Christian music torch held by veterans Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith…”. Other media outlets proclaim: “ Brandon Heath won the last two Dove Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year with “Give Me Your Eyes,” and “I’m Not Who I Was,” but those tunes pale in comparison with what he offers on Leaving Eden.” - DenverPost.com “…we can’t get his song “Leaving Eden” out of our heads.” - AmericanSongwriter.com As radio and sales soar, Heath reached another career milestone as the digital sales of his previous 2009 Song of the Year hit “Give Me Your Eyes” surpass 500,000 - officially certifying as a RIAA Gold digital single last week. According to SoundScan, “Give Me Your Eyes” has sold over 563,000 digital downloads to date. Heath is currently on tour with GRAMMY Award winning artist TobyMac as part of the Winter Wonder Slam Tour. For tour dates, and to view Heath’s new Leaving Eden video sessions, please visit http://www.brandonheath.net/.

What Can Faith Do? Kutless knows...

2010-12-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

Since the 2009 release of their hit worship album, It Is Well, BEC Recordings’ Kutless has catapulted to the top of the charts with their mega-hit song “What Faith Can Do.” Already a hit single in 2009, the success has carried into 2010 as this single topped the 2010 Mediabase Christian AC Song of the Year.
In addition to Mediabase, “What Faith Can Do” was the No. 2 Billboard Hot Christian Song of the Year. Kutless was also named the No. 7 Billboard Christian Artist of the Year, and It Is Well was the No. 10 Billboard Christian Album of the Year.
This year “What Faith Can Do” topped five radio formats --CHR, AC Mon, AC Indicator, Inspo as well as spent eight weeks at the top on the the National Christian Audience Chart. The single has also surpassed 220K in digital single sales. It Is Well is also nearing 200k in album sales. Fans can now purchase the expanded edition of It Is Well, which features three live tracks and two new songs.
Kutless also has two singles currently moving up the charts from their worship project. “Everything I Need” is breaking into the Top 20 on AC Monitored and the National Christian Audience Chart, Top 10 on AC Indicator and Inspo. “Remember Me” is currently in the Top 5 on CHR.
This Christmas season, Kutless also released a new single “This Is Christmas,” which has been charting at AC Monitored, AC Indicator, Inspo and the National Christian Audience Chart. The song is No. 1 at CMW. This song is available on the BEC Recordings’ Christmas compilation O Come All Ye Faithful.
After the holidays, Kutless will be heading out on the 2011 Winter Jam Tour Spectacular with Newsboys, David Crowder Band, Francesca Battistelli, Red, Newsong, KJ-52, and more. The all-star packed tour begins January 8th in Charleston, West Virginia and concludes on April 3rd in Illinois. For the tour dates, visit here: http://www.hearitfirst.com/winterjam/default.aspx
For more information, go to http://www.kutless.com/ or the band’s official YouTube Page http://www.youtube.com/kutless. Follow the band on Twitter @kutless and become their fan on Facebook: facebook.com/kutless.

Mercy Me...Wins Award...Announces Tour

2010-12-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

Band Performs National Anthem at Dallas Cowboys Game On the heels of their second American Music Award win for Contemporary Inspirational Artist, MercyMe recently garnered the National Christian Audience Song of the Year and Christian AC Song of the Year with “All of Creation” according to Billboard magazine. The track dominated Billboard’s AC Monitored chart for 11 weeks, the longest run at No. 1 in the band’s career. Along with the Song of the Year nod, MercyMe is closing out 2010 with a bang in other ways as well. Having wrapped their successful “The Generous Mr. Lovewell” tour, the Dallas-area locals had a dream come true when they were recently asked to open a Dallas Cowboys Football game by singing the National Anthem for Sunday night football. “2010 has been an amazing year for this band,” remarked lead vocalist Bart Millard. “Christian radio, fans, etc have just been so good to us, and this year was no exception - it’s just beyond incredible. Of course standing on the football field before the Cowboys fans and such was mind blowing – what a thrill for all of us! We’re a blessed group of guys for sure.” The multi-platinum selling band was also invited to visit Sam’s Club associates in Bentonville, AR for their quarterly business review and holiday party. With nearly 1000 in attendance, MercyMe charmed the crowd with their humor and gave an intimate stripped down performance of some of their greatest hits, along with a selection of new favorites off of their latest best-selling album The Generous Mr. Lovewell (INO Records). MercyMe will kick off 2011 on January 28th when they hit the road for the third annual Rock and Worship Roadshow. Compassion International will serve as the executive producer and along with MercyMe the tour will also feature Jars of Clay, Thousand Foot Krutch, Matt Maher, The Afters and LeCrae. For more information on MercyMe please visit http://www.mercyme.org/.

Who is Barlow Girl?

2010-12-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

Biography:Who we are - Barlowgirl is an all girl band made up of three sisters: Rebecca, Alyssa and Lauren Barlow. (Can you guess how they came up with the band name?) For two years they traveled around the country and were the back up band for their dad. During one concert Lauren, who was the keyboard player at the time, caught sight of a drumset, fell in love.... and so a drummer was born. Soon after that the girls began experimenting with song writing and out of that came songs never to be played or heard of again :) During that time they decided to start their own band and have been one for the past three and a half years. What happened to their father, you ask? Well don't... kidding. He and his wife (ironically, the Barlowgirl's mother) are now the girl's managers. Yes, it is a family affair.
Our Vision - Barlowgirl has a passion to write songs about the journey that God has taken them on in their lives. Our main topics include trusting God, purity, and our stand on not dating.
Trust- "We believe that God is calling everyone to live a life that is fully surrendered to Him so that He can do His work in us and begin to show us His true purpose for our lives. We're definitely not saying 'we've mastered this concept and now it's your turn', but instead that this is a daily process and a journey that all of us will be on forever."
Purity- "In a world that constantly bombards us with impurity and immodesty, we feel called to take a stand against what the world is telling us is acceptable. Especially in the area of clothing and modesty."
Not dating- "We believe that God has one perfect man already chosen for us; therefore we have no need to worry ourselves in searching for him. When the time is right we know God will bring us together. In the meantime we are not hiding in a closet avoiding all males. We are still living our lives, just without the pressure of having to have a boyfriend.

SONICFLOOd...a decade of praise!

2010-12-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

A DECADE OF PRAISE — SONICFLOOd, the band that paved the way for the modern praise and worship movement and touted as “The Fathers of Modern Worship Music” is celebrating 10 years of ministry. In the 10 years that SONICFLOOd has been ministering through praise and worship, they have seen great and tremendous advancements for the kingdom of God. One of their greatest honors was to perform the first Christian concert ever in a secular venue in modern Turkey’s history. This was nothing short of a miracle in a Country that is 99.9% Muslim.They have also had the privilege of performing at the President of Thailand’s birthday party. Their international ministry is extensive as they have performed on every continent except Antarctica. They have touched the lives of Orphans in Thailand, the Shanty Towns of South Africa, the prisoners in the Bahamas, and our brave men and women serving in our military around the world. Their commitment to the world is ever present as they produced a groundbreaking media production 56-city tour with the International Mission Board. While the band’s international ministry is vast, their influence and involvement here in America is equally as impressive. They were recently asked to minister in Geneva, Alabama after the tragic mass shooting spree that killed 11 people. They have ministered with Promise Keepers, Franklin Graham, Josh McDowell, Morris Cerullo, Robert Schuller, Luis Pulau , Rod Parsley, and Acquire the Fire, just to name a few. They had the distinct honor of being asked to play at the 2008 Republican National Convention Prayer Breakfast, and lead singer, Rick Heil and his wife were appointed Americans of Faith Coalition Chairmen. In their 10 years of ministry they have helped facilitate over 10,000 child sponsorships and counting. They have earned a Grammy nomination, Dove Awards, ASCAP awards, as well as many other accolades. They have been featured on the 700 Club, TBN, INSP, God TV, and Harvest TV. They have sold over 2 million records and are currently touring in promotion of their new album “A Heart Like Yours”, which Christian Music Planet says “proves Sonicflood is still the cream of the crop.” They are working on their first Christmas album which is due out this fall. All in all, over the last decade Sonicflood has tirelessly labored in the mission field to live up to their title “The Fathers of Modern Worship Music!” and have changed the face of worship music forever

STARFIELD-The Saving One Review

2010-11-30T20:09:00.000-08:00

Artist: Starfield Album Name: The Saving One Label: Sparrow Records Comments: Known for energetic worship songs, Starfield returns with a another winner. The Saving One is aimed to provide churches more great worship songs but also has a deep personal nature to it. For me this CD was fun to listen to. I’ve never really heard more songs then what the radio plays so I jumped onto the opportunity to listen to more. A few songs really stuck in my head “Rediscover You” and Declaration Of Dependence”. The song “No Other Savior” just touches your heart to remind you that there is only ONE savior in Jesus Christ. Defiantly worth the try if you have never heard much from them.
Style: Modern Worship Songs:1. The Saving One2. Rediscover You3. Declaration Of Dependence4. No Other Savior5. Something To Say6. Absolutely7. Overwhelm8. Top Of My Lungs9. Beautiful The Sound10. Father11. The Saving One (Acoustic)Favorite Songs: No Other Savior, Declaration Of Dependence, Top Of My Lungs Website: http://www.starfieldonline.com/

Church Skit to Downhere's "How Many Kings>"

2010-05-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

SIMPLY GREAT CHRISTIAN MUSIC

2008-04-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

CROSS STREAM WEB GEMS:

Why do people believe in evolution? Can the Earth be "billions of years old"? In a very real and understandable way, speaker Malachi King can give you answers to these and many more questions in the creation/evolution debate. It is definitely a web site to check out.

http://www.evidenceofcreation.com/

For an excellent audio bible on line, go to this following web site:

www.audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

CROSS STREAMS IN THE PRESS!

2008-04-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

Article in April 3, NOBLESVILLE LEDGER Newspaper

A big THANK YOU to columnist Katie Merlie for the following article

NOBLESVILLE RESIDENT RUNS INTERNET RADIO STATION THAT PLAYS CHRISTIAN MUSIC!

RESIDENT BROADCASTS CHRISTIAN TUNES OVER THE INTERNET TO LISTENERS WORLDWIDE!

By Katie Merlie
Posted: April 3, 2008

NOBLESVILLE -- Rich Heckner's love of the radio and Christian music has turned a little hobby into a unique ministry.

Heckner, 40, Noblesville, operates Cross Streams, a Christian radio station broadcast over the Internet.

"I like a lot of Christian music and decided to put some of it on there (on the Internet) just for fun," he said.

Cross Streams started in April 2007 and is operated from Heckner's home on Cumberland Pointe Boulevard, which he shares with his wife Esther and two sons, Benny, 9, and Brian, 5. The family, which moved more than two years ago to Noblesville from Fort Wayne, Ind., are members of New Life Assembly of God.

Heckner's love of radio started when he owned a small radio station in Ligonier, Ind., that was sold in the 1990s. When he discovered that technology allows him to choose the music he wants and broadcast it for free over the Internet, Heckner downloaded about 10 contemporary Christian songs from his own compact discs through a site called Live365 Internet Radio.
"I've been amazed at the response," Heckner said, adding that he's now uploaded nearly 80 songs that run on a continuous loop, and he's always looking for more.

The site allows Heckner to see how many people have clicked on Cross Streams. Since its launch, Cross Streams has received nearly 7,800 hits. In March, Cross Streams had more than 3,100 hits.

"I'm big in Egypt," he said, adding that the site also allows him to see where in the world Cross Streams has filtered through someone's computer speakers. He's received e-mails from listeners and from artists asking him to play their music.

"We listen to it, and if it fits for the station we put it on there," he said.

In the future, Heckner would like to do a live program and broadcast sermons from community pastors. "I was brought to Christianity through a lot of music," he said. "If I can bring others (to Christianity), I'll let the music do it."

Call Noblesville Ledger reporter Katie Merlie at (317) 444-5549

www.thenoblesvilleledger.com (www.indystar.com)