Wow, it's been over three months since we've done a cMusicMail. For that,
we're sorry. The past couple months have been busy for all of us, but we're
working on rededicating ourselves to keeping cMusicWeb.com fresh for all of
ya. Just in case you've been out of it all summer like us, we've got a
summary of all the best new releases plus a couple of new reviews on
cMusicWeb.com.

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A SUMMER FULL OF NEW MUSIC
Alright, let's get right down to it and cover all the new releases of the
last three months. Here's all the good stuff:

ALL TO YOU LIVE CD/DVD - LINCOLN BREWSTER
Lincoln Brewster is one of worship's better guitarists, and I still consider
his self-titled debut one of the best worship albums out there. But in the
spirit of today's thousands of other worship compilations, Brewster does a
live collection of worship favorites that's sure to sell well.

AMUSING - CHRIS RICE
After years of working with Monroe Jones for his albums, Chris Rice has
managed to call Monroe his boss as well as his producer. Now on Jones'
amazing eb+flo label, Amusing is perhaps Chris Rice's most honest work to
date.

THE ART OF BREAKING - THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH
TFK's second major-label release is finally here, and if you ask me, it's a
bit of a downer. Their hard-hitting rap-rock has been muted a bit with
overproduction and the lyrics failed to grab me like their previous album,
Phenomenon.

BLESSED BE THE NAME - MATT REDMAN
These days, new worship songs are not selling. So the worship labels have to
be content with eternally repackaging old content. This is a new live
recording, but it's mostly just a best-of from Matt Redman. All your
favorites are there, from the title track to "Heart of Worship"; just don't
expect anything fresh.

BOOGIROOT - DJ MAJ
Thus far, DJ Maj has been known for his amazing mixtapes that bring all the
best in Christian hip-hop. But with this release, we find a more involved
project for Maj. The man himself appears as singer and emcee on almost every
track of this album. Instead of the hard-core raps, which Maj has others
deliver, he does some great new arrangements and fun songs that will keep
your boogie going.

THE FAR COUNTRY - ANDREW PETERSON
You have to get this album. Many times has Andrew Peterson been likened to
Rich Mullins, and with every album it becomes more and more apparent that
this man is making some of the best music around. Check out our full review:
http://cMusicWeb.com/folk/andrewpeterson/farcountry.shtml

FOOL'S PARADISE - MONDAY MORNING
Again, this is a band I have not had a chance to sample, but they seem to be
a great up-and-coming rock band. It could be a good one to check out.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION - BLINDSIDE
Blindside has left their major label and has released this brave new project
on a smaller hard rock label. But don't expect any less from these Swedish
hard rockers, for they deliver possibly the best album of their career. More
elements of electronica and pop mix in with the hardcore sounds but do not
detract from their original sound. If you've never bothered to check this
band out, I strongly encourage you to give them a listen.

HELLO, GOOD FRIEND - THE ROCKET SUMMER
If there's one artist that has been constantly in my CD player this summer,
I believe it is The Rocket Summer. All the instruments and vocals of this
amazing rock album are done by one man, Bryce Avery. His sound is infectious
and the songs will be bouncing through your head for days.

I HAVE TO BELIEVE - RITA SPRINGER
Rita Springer makes some of the best original worship albums of the day, and
this is no exception. From her original songs such as the title track to her
cover of delirious?'s "Rain Down", this disc is powerful.

IMAGINATION - BETHANY DILLON
Bethany Dillon is still very young, but no doubt she has matured over the
last couple years of touring and growing up. I have not yet given this album
a listen, but I am sure Bethany Dillon has grown a lot.

LAST CHANCE TO BREATHE - SPOKEN
Spoken has been one of Christian rock's best kept secrets, but hopefully
they will not be for much longer. Last Chance To Breathe features some great
new songs, not the least of which is a hard-hitting cover of Cyndi Lauper's
"Time After Time".

MARY MARY - MARY MARY
Many things are released in Gospel music that we don't talk about, but one
of them that we do like is Mary Mary. These girls deliver great R&B/Gospel
that transcends genres and brings Christ's message to many.

NOTHING IS SOUND - SWITCHFOOT
Of course, since it's Switchfoot, it's a big release. But is it on the same
level of their last, The Beautiful Letdown? Well, it may take you a couple
more listens to see it, but the short answer is yes. For a more in-depth
review, read it in the next couple weeks of cMusicMail.

PROMISES FOR THE IMPERFECT - NUMBER ONE GUN
Despite ripping their title off of Everyday Sunday, this is a great
sophomore album. While the first album had some good songs, this album has
great artwork, solid songs across the board, and a more mature sound.

THE QUESTION - EMERY
I have yet to hear this album, but the buzz on the street is that this album
is much better than their debut. Since it's outselling most of the rest of
hardcore music these days, I expect it's a pretty good album.

REBORN - STRYPER
The reunion tour of this 80s metal band was so popular among middle-aged
rockers that the band decided to reunite for another studio album. This is
still Stryper, but it's up to the fans to decide if the new material is as
good as the old.

RENOVATING DIVERSE CITY - TOBYMAC
Less than a year after his second solo album, TobyMac is back with the
remixes. As usual, Toby brings to his aid a couple of great mix masters and
a bunch of rather bland ones.

THE REVOLUTION - INHABITED
Inhabited is one of the new breed of female-fronted rock bands. While not as
intense as Flyleaf or the lesser-known Kainos, this band delivers some great
rock music with a solid, Christian message.

SARAH BRENDEL - SARAH BRENDEL
This artist has been popular in her home country of Germany, but now she's
making the jump across the pond. Her German accent brings something fun to
her rather typical pop/rock sound.

SENS - THE EVAN ANTHEM
The Evan Anthem is one of today's most overlooked, experimental rock bands.
I haven't heard Sens myself, but everybody says it's amazing and I hope to
check it out soon.

SUNRISE TO SUNSET - PAUL WRIGHT
Paul Wright has been likened to a young TobyMac by many (and even TobyMac
wishes he started his career like Paul has). So for his second album, Paul
Wright delivers more fun songs that evoke fun times in the sun, just like
the cover.

SURRENDER - JEFF DEYO
At one point, Jeff Deyo was joking that they should call this album "Live
from Middle Earth". I e-mailed him saying it would be awesome, but the
marketing department won that fight. Surrender is a live album from the huge
Parachute Festival every January in New Zealand. Deyo delivers his signature
songs as well as some amazing versions of old worship favorites that remind
you of the early days of Sonicflood.

ULTIMATE MUSIC MAKEOVER: THE SONGS OF MICHAEL W. SMITH - VARIOUS
Our review of this album will be coming soon, but expect a mixed bag of
tracks covering Smitty. It's great that many rock artists cover songs from
the whole breadth of Michael W. Smith's career, but many of them tend to be
carbon copies of the original versions.

UNTIL MY HEART CAVES IN - AUDIO ADRENALINE
Audio Adrenaline has been around for a long time, and in our opinion, at
least a couple years too long. But nevertheless, they keep cranking out
radio ballads that sound just like "Ocean Floor".

WHITE FLAG - SHAUN GROVES
Many people have not found the gem that is Shaun Groves. His latest album,
White Flag, delivers his rock star vibe to some of the most personal and
honest songs.

WHY SHOULD THE FIRE DIE? - NICKEL CREEK
Nickel Creek is by no means a "Christian" band, especially if you're turned
off by a great song called "Scotch & Chocolate". But for those who are a bit
more adventurous, these youngsters come from a Christian background and
deliver some of the best country/bluegrass that isn't considered "ole
timey".


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Feature: A Traveler's Guide To Gospel Music Week
http://cMusicWeb.com/features/gma2005

Interview: Mat Kearney
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/matkearney/interview.shtml

Interview: David Crowder Band
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/davidcrowderband/interview.shtml

Interview: BarlowGirl
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/barlowgirl/interview.shtml

Review: All Things New - Steven Curtis Chapman
http://cMusicWeb.com/pop/stevencurtischapman/allthingsnew.shtml

Review: Bullet - Mat Kearney
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/matkearney/bullet.shtml

Review: Going Public - The Newsboys
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/newsboys/goingpublic.shtml

Review: On A Search In America - Dizmas
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/dizmas/onasearchinamerica.shtml

Review: ...Sings The Blues - Pigeon John
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/pigeonjohn/singstheblues.shtml

Review: Unique, Just Like Everyone Else - Deepspace5
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/deepspace5/uniquejustlikeeveryoneelse.shtml

Review: Upstairs - Shane & Shane
http://cMusicWeb.com/folk/shane&shane/upstairs.shtml

Review: [UP]: Unified Praise - Hillsong + delirious?
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/hillsongdelirious

Review: X&Y - Coldplay
http://cMusicWeb.com/modernrock/coldplay/x&y.shtml

Review: When Silence Falls - Tim Hughes
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/timhughes/whensilencefalls.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

A COLLISION - DAVID CROWDER BAND
David Crowder Band is the poster band for the Christian worship rock star.
And this new album is not going to be any different. Recorded in a barn in
Waco, TX where Crowder's favorite drink, Dr. Pepper, was birthed, A
Collision brings a new experiment in rock/worship that spans 18 tracks and
73 minutes. This PICK OF THE WEEK should be an amazing album.

...AND THE REST WILL FOLLLOW - PROJECT 86
Project 86 does not stop releasing albums. Hot on the heels of their last
one, Andrew Schwab and co. craft another album that their fans will eat up.

ANOTHER JOURNAL ENTRY - BARLOWGIRL
Although their live show is more engaging than their albums, this second
release from the Barlow girls has a number of new songs, an acoustic version
of "Never Alone," and covers of David Crowder Band and Chris Tomlin.

BONE-A-FIDE - T-BONE
T-Bone is a staple to the west coast holy hip-hop community, and to some
others, a point of embarrassment. While this may seem to be a departure from
his last album, which was mostly experimental, this album is much like his
earlier work.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: INSPIRATIONAL SOUNDTRACK - VARIOUS
Yes, the Chronicles of Narnia is coming this December to theaters and it
will be amazing. But what about this album? Well, it's merely an excuse to
get Christians excited about the movie by throwing in a couple songs that
are "inspired by" the movie. Oh yeah, and since the label needs a couple
more tracks, they threw in some new tracks like "Stronger" by delirious?

ETERNITY IS NOW - TELECAST
Telecast's debut showed they knew how to do amazing new worship with a real
rock edge. Their second album is even better and not one to be missed.

GROWN - KENDALL PAYNE
It's been almost a year since we've gotten this album and it's been
available online, but today for the first time it's available widely in
Christian bookstores. If you liked Kendall's first album, you will find
Grown to be an even more personal, moving album full of rich songs.

MARK SCHULTZ LIVE: THE STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS - MARK SCHULTZ
What have I been missing? For some reason, this is the first copy of a Mark
Schultz album we have received for review, and I finally found out what
everybody said I was missing. Mark Schultz is a great storyteller and a
great artist, and this live disc is a great testament to his craft. Even
without hearing any of his songs before, this live album kept me engaged and
sometimes very emotional because of his poignant stories.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@.... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
AOL IM - dMusicWeb