Purple Door Festival 2009 Artist Lineup Announced - Lower Ticket Prices!

In an ever-changing economy and music industry, Purple Door Arts and Music Festival, one of the nation’s premier Christian music events, is taking a bold approach to its 2009 Festival by offering more bands for a lower overall event ticket price. Additionally, the HM Stage will host
performances on Friday night as well as all day Saturday and most bands on all stages will play longer sets.

“Everyone at Purple Door knows that times are hard and we want to do our part to make things a little bit easier for our attendees, while thanking them for their support of the festival,” explains Purple Door Producer, Chris Strayer. “This year not only will we offer more bands and the addition of the HM stage Friday night but we will also offer lower ticket prices. All of the advance ticket prices are the cheapest they have been since 2005 and the gate price is the cheapest price since 2004.” In its 14th year, the annual arts and music festival will once again be held at Ski Roundtop in Lewisberry, PA August 14 and 15, and will play host to three stages of music, speakers an art gallery, skate park, paintball and much more.

Purple Door is also pleased to announce its initial line up for 2009. Artists slated to perform include:

Anberlin
Family Force 5
Mewithoutyou
Disciple
Project 86
Lecrae
Fireflight
Bradley Hathaway
Seabird
Nevertheless
House of Heroes
The Showdown
Spoken
Run Kid Run
Shawn McDonald
Deas Vail
John Mark McMillan
MyChildren MyBride
Becoming the Archetype
Reilly
Children 18:3
Capital Lights
Chasen
Esterlyn
B.Reith
Rainchildren

Speakers for the weekend will include Eric Timm of No One Under Ground and Renee Yohe, who inspired the organization To Write Love on Her Arms.

Tickets for the Purple Door Festival are available now and can be purchased online at iTickets.com

Ticket prices are as follows:
• December 8 – April 3: Advance Individual: $33.50 / Advance Group: $32.00
• April 4 – August 7: Advance Individual: $36.00 / Advance Group $35.00
• At the gate: All tickets $39.50

Additional announcements of highlights and new aspects to Purple Door 2009 will be forthcoming.

For more information about Purple Door Arts and Music Festival, including photos and videos from last year’s event, please visit www.purpledoor.com and www.myspace.com/purpledoorfestival.

Read our review and photo feature of the 2007 festival here.

New Recording from Kevin Max - Crashing Gates

Kevin Max returns today with his latest recording, CRASHING GATES – an all-new 7-song studio recording that brings Max back to the passionate rock sounds that his fans have come to expect. This will be Max’s first release on the dPulse Recordings label.

"This is where THE IMPOSTER left off,” says Max about the new project. “I view this EP as a more focused collection of songs about the Apocalypse."

Joining with his frequent guitarists Erick Cole and Cary Barlow (of Luna Halo), and producer Jonathan Smith, Max recorded CRASHING GATES during a week of late-night sessions at X Marks the Spot Studios in the Green Hills area of Nashville.

“The process was interesting, more like a band than any other effort I have done, to date,” says Max. “We cut the songs, playing together, and sometimes found ourselves jamming into 10 minute long vamp sections.”

Max and his band will be touring the USA and Europe in support of CRASHING GATES, including upcoming dates in San Antonio, Dallas, Little Rock, Nashville, Bakersfield and Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

"Rock and roll has always been the most interesting music to me, because it is simple and yet undeniably emotional at the same time,” summarizes Max. “I am excited to see how this project connects."

CRASHING GATES - Track Listing:
1. Traveler
2. Baby, I’m Your Man
3. The Saint of Lonely Hearts
4. Future Love Song
5. Out of the Wild
6. Crashing Gates and Passing Keepers
7. Your Beautiful Mind (2009)

“We’re thrilled to be distributing Kevin’s latest work," says Robb McDaniels, Founder and CEO of INgrooves - the distribution partner for dPulse Recordings and Universal Music Group Distribution. "He’s a true musician and INgrooves is proud to have a role in getting his music heard.”

New Christmas CD from Alathea!

The ladies of Alathea have brought us a wonderful folksy Christmas cd featuring terrific renditions of songs like "The First Noel", "What Child Is This", "Silent Night", "Tennessee Christmas", and more.

For a preview of some of the songs (including the above) visit their special Christmas CD Myspace.

Family Force 5 debuts new music video for "Radiator" on MySpace

Watch the video below. Enjoy!
Radiator

Superchick making music video for "Cross the Line"

CAPTION: Power pop-rock band Superchick stars in a music video for its newest single, “Cross The Line,” from the group’s current project, Rock What You Got. Filmed last month in Nashville, Tenn. the video, directed by Superchick’s Max Hsu, will be serviced to national media outlets early next year to coincide with the single’s release at CHR and Rock radio.

Read our review of Rock What You Got.

Relient K & House of Heroes Christmas Songs Coming Nov. 18th

Relient K and House of Heroes bring their musical festive tidings to this year’s Christmas season on November 18th via digital music stores with three brand new holiday songs and an animated music video from Relient K, as well as label mates House of Heroes offering up their rendition of the classic “Silent Night”.

The three songs from Relient K will include “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “O Holy Night,” and “Silver Bells,” with an animated music video for the song “Sleigh Ride” coming as well. The Christmas anthems will be added to the platinum-selling band’s 2007 album, Let It Snow, Baby…Let It Reindeer, and upon purchasing online the customer will given a unique code and directions to download the additional three tunes. Fans can also anticipate extra gifts from Relient K upon purchase, including exclusive photos, downloadable wrapping paper, and a few other bonuses.

House of Heroes brings their powerhouse pop sound to “Silent Night” which is also available at all online music outlets on November 18th. The band, whose most recent album The End Is Not The End was delivered via digital stores, has seen an incredible response with the release making it to the #6 spot on the iTunes rock chart and #42 on the overall chart, with a #1 radio hit single and over 1 million plays on their MySpace page.

Relient K, who has toured with the likes of Switchfoot and Good Charlotte, has a GRAMMY nod, and three RIAA-certified Gold albums to their credit. The pop-punk band has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” with their video for “Must Have Done Something Right” receiving airplay on mtvU, MTV Hits, FUSE's "Steven's Untitled Rock Show," Nickelodeon's The N, IMF and Music Choice. Relient K is comprised of lead singer/guitarist/pianist Matt Thiessen, lead guitarist Matt Hoopes, drummer Ethan Luck, bassist John Warne and guitarist Jon Schneck.

House of Heroes’ discography includes a 2005 self-titled debut and the re-release Say No More in 2006. Prior to signing a record deal with Mono Vs Stereo/Gotee, the band released an indie project What You Want Is Now (2002) to much critical acclaim and a large grassroots following. On the tour front, House of Heroes has opened up for the likes of Filter, Silverchair, Relient K, and MxPx, as well as full-blown tours with acts including Spoken, The Evan Anthem, Last Tuesday, Dropping Daylight, Love Arcade, and Kids In The Way. The band is Columbus-Ohio natives Tim Skipper (guitar/lead vocals), A.J Babcock (bass/vocals), Colin Rigsby (drums/vocals), and Jared Rigsby (guitar/vocals).

The Washington Projects release Christmas EP

Following the success of their debut release earlier this year, The Washington Projects (formerly Souljahz) are pleased to announce the release of their Christmas EP. The six-song release is available now through online digital outlets.

Click below to buy at iTunes:


Christmas features three original songs, “Stay A While”, “Thank You For Christmas” and “This Christmas” as well as three instrumental tracks. The EP showcases the vocal talents of the brother and sister duo, Je’kob and Rachael Washington with a solo performance by Je’Kob on “This Christmas”, a song written for his wife, and Rachael performs solo on “Stay A While”.

"Christmas has always been our favorite holiday and season, from what it represents to how it makes us feel,” Je’kob and Rachael explain. “We bump Christmas jams and literally celebrate it all year round so it was only a matter of time before we cranked out some warm and fuzzy goodness for our listeners.”

The EP is available exclusively through digital online outlets, iTunes, Rhapsody and Amazon, as well as the Washington Projects' website.

Released in March of this year, The Washington Projects’ debut project, Commanders of the Resistance has seen great success, garnering critical acclaim from many media outlets. The video for “Take it to the Streets” remained at #1 on the Gospel Music Channel for five weeks and the “You Are My World” video is currently in rotation and holding the #3 spot overall, #1 in the Soul Category.

In support of Commanders of the Resistance, Washington Projects were part of the Dare2Share Tour this past year with Hawk Nelson, Sanctus Real, Lincoln Brewster, Stellar Kart and others. In December of this year Washington Projects will go out on a USO Europe/Mediterranean Tour to support the troops. Tour dates will be announced soon.

For more information about The Washington Projects and their Christmas EP, please visit www.WashingtonProjects.com or www.myspace.com/washingtonprojects.

Read our interview with the Washington Projects here.

Pillar bassist Michael "Kalel" Wittig leaving group

Longtime bassist for Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning hard rock band Pillar, Michael “Kalel” Wittig recently announced that he will leave the group to pursue other opportunities. Among his new ventures are artist management/marketing/consulting company JMA Music, and Stars Go Dim, a band he created with former Pillar drummer Lester Estelle.

Wittig first informed fans of his departure from Pillar late last month on Facebook and MySpace. In a statement he said, “It’s been an amazing 10 years of my life that I will never forget … There are many reasons why, but it is just the right time … I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of something that has changed so many lives.”

In addition to spending more time with family, Wittig plans to focus his energies on JMA Music, a management/marketing/consulting company he developed with partner Joey Avalos in 2007. An astute businessman, Wittig has always had an interest in artist development as well as a desire to “give back to these younger groups and help them to be their best.” JMA Music’s current clients include emerging bands One Minute Halo (myspace.com/oneminutehalo) and A Road Less Traveled (myspace.com/aroadlesstraveled). For more information on JMA Music, visit www.jmamusic.com.

And while investing in up-and-coming artists, Wittig will continue to hone his own craft, joining up with former Pillar bandmate Lester Estelle, Joey Avalos (Justifide, Sky Harbor) and Chris Cleveland for pop/rock band Stars Go Dim, a significant departure from the Pillar sound. The group will release its debut EP October 21, 2008 in advance of a full-length project, Love Gone Mad, produced by Estelle, next year. Currently Stars Go Dim is booking dates throughout the Midwest. A tour itinerary will soon be posted at www.myspace.com/starsgodim. For additional info on the band, visit www.starsgodim.com.

“I am grateful for the early enthusiastic response to Stars Go Dim,” says Wittig. “It’s been exciting to work with this band from the ground up, and I am eager to move forward with our first record and tour.”

Michael “Kalel” Wittig began his music career more than 12 years ago. As a member of Pillar, whose career sales currently exceed 700,000 records, Wittig has toured internationally, produced six Radio & Records No. 1 hits, charted on Active Rock radio, won three Dove Awards, received a Grammy nomination and been spotlighted by major media outlets including Bass Player magazine, MTV, and Fuse TV.

Superchick's Melissa Brock visits Uganda

Vocalist/guitarist for power-pop band Superchick, Melissa Brock visits with one of her sponsored children, Mumbere Kisonice, at a Compassion project in Masaka, Uganda last month. More than 2000 children have been sponsored since 2004 through Superchick's partnership with Compassion International.

(Click to enlarge photo)

Jars of Clay & Sixpence None The Richer Christmas Tour

Grammy and Dove awardwinning band JARS OF CLAY are excited to announce LOVE CAME DOWN: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT. Jars of Clay will be joined by the recently reunited SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER, along with Sara Groves and Leeland, as they embark on a 13city tour filled with holiday songs and stories in celebration of the Christmas season.

Last year, Jars of Clay gave their fans a Christmas gift. CHRISTMAS SONGS was the first holiday release from the band in their 12year career. The band brought new light to memorable Christmas songs such as "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "In the Bleak Midwinter," and broke new ground with their own original holiday songs such as "Winter Skin" and "Evergreen." When they decided to go out on tour this season, they asked their friends Leigh Nash and Matt Slocum of Sixpence None The Richer to come along.

Grammynominated band Sixpence None The Richer was in a similar position as Jars of Clay. Their loyal fans had been asking for a Christmas record for years, and they thought there was no better way to celebrate their reunion then with a special album for their fans. THE DAWN OF GRACE will be released on October 14 and is made up of 10 tracks: eight traditional Christmas songs, including "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Silent Night," featuring guest vocalist Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay, and two original Sixpence holiday tunes called "The Last Christmas" and "Christmas for Two."

Both bands are also in the process of recording new material to be released in 2009. Jars of Clay have been in and out of the studio with producer Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Guster, Barenaked Ladies) to put the final touches on their upcoming album, due out in early 2009. They have already released the CLOSER EP on all major digital service providers in anticipation of the upcoming fulllength; the fivesong EP contains two brand new tracks ("Closer" and "Safe To Land"), as well as new versions of fan favorites including "Flood" and "Love Song For A Savior." They are currently in the midst of the "Music Builds" tour, which benefit local affiliates of Habitat For Humanity.

Sixpence None The Richer will hit the studio after the holidays to begin working on their first fulllength original record in over four years to be released in the summer of 2009.

Catch LOVE CAME DOWN: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT on the following dates:

Dec 4 Montgomery, AL @ Montgomery Performing Arts Center
Dec 5 Longwood, FL @ Northland Church
Dec 6 Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
Dec 7 Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Echerd Hall
Dec 13 Grand Rapids, MI @ Sunshine Church
Dec 14 Merrillville, IN @ Star Plaza Theatre
Dec 17 Glenside, PA @Keswick Theatre
Dec 18 Plymouth, MA @ Memorial Hall
Dec 19 Lewiston, ME @ Androscoggin Bank Coliseum
Dec 20 Long Island City, NY @ Evangel Church
Dec 21 Harrisburg, PA @ Whitaker Center for the Science and Arts