Ayiesha Wood's song Happy in My Life in Ruins movie

GRAMMY- nominated singer Ayiesha Woods’ hit song “Happy” will be used in the movie My Life In Ruins, which begins showing in theaters nationwide today, June 5th.

My Life in Ruins is romantic comedy film set amongst the ruins of ancient Greece, starring Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Alexis Georgoulis, Rachel Dratch, Harland Williams and British comedy actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan. The film is about a tour guide whose life takes a personal detour, while her group gets entangled in comic situations among the ruins, with a series of unexpected stops along the way.

Woods’ sophomore release Love Like This streeted last September 9th and has joined the highly merited ranks of her power-packed Gotee Records album Introducing Ayiesha Woods. The debut offering garnered Woods a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album”, as well as nabbing her an additional nod in the Dove Awards “New Artist of the Year” category. CCM Magazine also followed Woods’ career as one of three emerging musical talents for 2006 in their “Band Wagon” column, and MTVU.com’s URGE service (www.urge.com) picked Introducing Ayiesha Woods in their 2006 TOP 10 year-end list for Inspirational music. Woods, a favorite on the Women of Faith touring circuit, continues to perform throughout this year at festivals and on dates nationwide.

Read our interview with Ayiesha Woods.

New Relient K music coming soon

The guys are heading out on a string of spring/early summer tour dates so they can start playing some of their new songs live. As you may know, the band is in the final stages of recording their next (and sixth!) studio album, tentatively titled, Forget and Not Slow Down. This new one will be released on Mono Vs. Stereo - a label that they started which will run thru Gotee.

They've been giving fans a peek into the world of recording their new record via some studio updates that can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/relientk.

Tour dates are as follows:
May 26 Pomona, CA The Glass House
May 27 Bakersfield, CA The Dome
May 28 Orangevale, CA The Boardwalk
May 29 Eugene, OR Indigo Distric
May 30 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
May 31 Seattle, WA Neumo's
June 2 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
June 3 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
June 4 Salt Lake City, UT Murray Theatre
June 22 Ashville, NC Orange Peel
June 23 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
June 26 Rochester, NY Water Street
June 29 Green Bay, WI Riverside Ballroom
June 30 Duluth, MN Grandmas Sports Garden
July 2 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre
July 3 Omaha, NE Slowdown

Behind the Scenes with Mat Kearney Part 1

Part 1 of a series in which Mat Kearney talks about the making of his new album City of Black & White.

Stryper to preview "Murder By Pride" on iTunes

BIG3 Records has announced plans to “preview” Stryper's upcoming studio album Murder by Pride at iTunes.com. With this groundbreaking new promotion, Stryper fans will have an opportunity to purchase the album song-by-song, one week at a time, until the album's release on July 21, 2009.

Every Tuesday beginning May 5th, a new song from the upcoming album will be released at iTunes – for one week only – until the album's July 21st release date. Each week, the song will be replaced by another, giving fans a chance to purchase the complete album one song at a time until the album hits stores.



Murder by Pride iTunes Release Schedule:
Tuesday, May 5 - "Eclipse of the Son"
Tuesday, May 12 - "Murder By Pride"
Tuesday, May 19 - "4 Leaf Clover"
Tuesday, May 26 - "The Plan"
Tuesday, June 2 - "Alive"
Tuesday, June 9 - "I Believe"
Tuesday, June 16 - "Love Is Why"
Tuesday, June 23 - "Mercy Over Blame"
Tuesday, June 30 - "Run In You"
Tuesday, July 7 - "Everything"
Tuesday, July 14 - "My Love (I'll Always Show)"
Tuesday, July 21 - FULL ALBUM IN STORES AND AT iTUNES

Murder by Pride also includes a cover of the BOSTON song "Peace of Mind" featuring BOSTON guitarist Tom Scholz. “Peace of Mind” is already available at iTunes.

Stryper will hit the road this fall with a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North America before going international in January and February 2010. Launching in September, the tour will be a two-set show. The first set will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox. The second set will feature all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, wearing the original yellow and black stage outfits and performing the band's hits from the last 25 years.

In 1984, Stryper broke on to the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars and pristine harmony vocals. The group's unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

In 2008, Michael Sweet joined legendary band BOSTON on vocals and guitar for their 54-city summer headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” BOSTON has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including the band's 1976 self-titled debut, which has sold over 17 million copies to date and was the highest selling debut of all time. Sweet is currently in the studio recording the upcoming BOSTON album, due next year.

Jimmy Needham creates music video for "Firefly"

CAPTION: Inpop Records singer/songwriter Jimmy Needham partners with director Chris Corrado ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "Charlie Wilson's War," NBC series "Life") to shoot the music video for his song "Firefly" at a Los Angeles coffee shop on April 15, 2009. "Firefly," from Needham's current release Not Without Love, was written for Needham's wife Kelly, who makes a guest appearance in the video.

Read our interview with Jimmy.

Stryper Announces 25th Anniversary Tour

Legendary Christian rock band Stryper has announced plans for a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North America this fall before going international in January and February 2010. Stryper's upcoming studio album Murder by Pride (Big3 Records) will be released in July.

The 25th Anniversary Tour, scheduled to launch in September, will be a two-set show. The first set will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie, along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox. The second set will feature all four original members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, wearing the original yellow and black stage outfits and performing the band's hits from the last 25 years.

"After recently learning about how precious life is and how often we take for granted the time that we have here on earth, I realized that this tour may very well be the most important tour in the history of Stryper," said Michael Sweet. "Tim, Robert, Tracy, Oz and myself are all stepping out together to show the importance of unity and forgiveness and the only way to show this is to live it. We've been faced with challenges over the past 25 years but two things have remained certain within our hearts and within our lives - the power of God's love and the beauty of God's grace."

The tour will be a family project, with Michael Sweet Jr's band Flight Patterns opening all dates. Their debut album will release on Fifty Three Five Records in July.

In 1984, Stryper broke on to the scene with their debut EP Yellow and Black Attack, and have since gone on to sell 8 million albums and tour the world spreading an inspirational message through their branded sound of rock songs, heavy guitars and pristine harmony vocals. The group's unprecedented 1986 album To Hell with the Devil went platinum and was named one of the “100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music” by CCM Magazine.

In 2008, Michael Sweet joined legendary band BOSTON on vocals and guitar for their 54-city summer headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling," “Peace of Mind,” “Amanda” and “Don't Look Back.” BOSTON has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including the band's 1976 self-titled debut, which has sold over 17 million copies to date and was the highest selling debut of all time.

Murder by Pride will include a cover of the BOSTON song "Peace of Mind" that features BOSTON guitarist Tom Scholz on the recording. Ironically, Stryper had recorded "Peace of Mind" and planned to put it on their 2009 release long before Michael Sweet was even considered as a new member of BOSTON.

In 2008, BOSTON's Tom Scholz and Gary Pihl joined Stryper on stage to perform “Peace of Mind” for VH1 Classic's After Math: The Station Fire Five Years Later – a televised benefit concert also featuring performances by John Rich, Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Aaron Lewis (Staind), Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger and more.

"This record is a true miracle," said Michael Sweet. "We began rehearsing the new material in 2006 and now here we are looking at a 2009 release. It's been an extremely difficult process yet through this came one of the most powerful records that we've ever made. We decided to go back to what we were known for - vocal harmonies, guitar harmonies, solid grooves and melodic melodies and arrangements. We put our hearts and souls into making this record and we can only hope that it changes a few lives along the way. If so, it was all worth it!"

Everyday Sunday counts down to new album!

Everyday Sunday returns with its second Inpop Records release, Best Night of Our Lives, June 16, 2009. Produced by Mark Lee Townsend (Relient K, Jennifer Knapp, Supertones) and mixed by JR McNeely (Paramore, Jeremy Camp, tobyMac), Best Night of Our Lives finds the band exploring a more aggressive rock approach.

The follow-up to Everyday Sunday’s Inpop debut, Wake Up! Wake Up!, Best Night of Our Lives makes a power play in rock ’n’ roll with its booming title track “Best Night of Our Lives” about life-long friendship, and the full-force “Breathing for Me,” an anthem of surrender. The fullness of sound and lyric on “Where I Ended” reveals a passionate plea for escape and identity in God, while “Here With Me” strips down the sound to a pure acoustic melody.

“There will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is a rock record,” says Everyday Sunday frontman Trey Pearson. “It’s more forceful in a lot of ways; it’s definitely more mature. It’s just the best album that any of us have ever been a part of.”

“Everyday Sunday has become a Christian music mainstay over the years due to relentless touring and incredible radio support,” says Shara Katerberg-Hsu, director of marketing at Inpop Records. “We look forward to the band’s continued success with this great new album that once again raises the bar for Christian rock music.”

The project’s first two radio singles, “Best Night of Our Lives” and “Where I Ended” began vying for adds at Christian Rock and CHR, respectively, on Friday, March 27. The band has been playing music from its new record on the Acquire The Fire “Here Comes Trouble” tour, currently running through May.

Comprising Trey Pearson (lead vocals), Tyler Craft (bass), Kevin Cramblet (drums) and Nick Spencer (guitar), Everyday Sunday hails from Columbus, Ohio. Attracting a national audience with its 2001 independent Christian Hit Radio single, “Just a Story,” Everyday Sunday joined Flicker Records’ roster in 2002. The band released two successful projects with Flicker, Stand Up and Anthems for the Imperfect, while raking in numerous accolades, including being named among CCM Magazine’s “Favorite New Artists of 2003,” as well as “Best New Artist of the Year” by TVU Music Television. The band’s Inpop Records debut, Wake Up! Wake Up!, released May 22, 2007, yielding the No. 1 CHR hit “Find Me Tonight” as well as Rock chart-topper “Wake Up! Wake Up!”. The album’s title track was additionally named 2007 Rock Song of Year by Radio & Records. For more information on Everyday Sunday, visit: www.myspace.com/everydaysunday.

2009 Dove Award Winners!

And the winners are:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Steven Curtis Chapman

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Tenth Avenue North

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Steven Curtis Chapman

SONG OF THE YEAR song title; writer; publisher (award to the writer and publisher)
“Give Me Your Eyes”; Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram; Sitka 6 Music/Essential Music Publishing (ASCAP), Peertunes Ltd. (SESAC), Grange Hill Music (SESAC), Windsor Way (SESAC)

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Brandon Heath

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Natalie Grant

GROUP OF THE YEAR
Casting Crowns

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Bernie Herms

RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG (song; album; artist; writer; label)
“Do Yo Thang”; The Yearbook; KJ-52; Jonah Sorrentino; BEC Recordings/Uprok

ROCK RECORDED SONG
“Lost”; End Of Silence; Red; Jasen Rauch, Rob Graves, Chad Cates; Essential Records

ROCK/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG
“Washed By The Water”; The Heat; NEEDTOBREATHE; Bear Rinehart, Bo Rinehart; Atlantic Records

POP/CONTEMPORARY RECORDED SONG
“Give Me Your Eyes”; What If We; Brandon Heath; Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram; Reunion Records

INSPIRATIONAL RECORDED SONG
“A New Hallelujah”; A New Hallelujah; Michael W. Smith; Michael W. Smith, Debbie Smith, Paul Baloche; Reunion Records

SOUTHERN GOSPEL RECORDED SONG
“Reason Enough”; Dream On; Ernie Haase & Signature Sound; Ernie Haase, Joel Lindsey, Wayne Haun; Gaither Music Group

BLUEGRASS RECORDED SONG
“They’re Holding Up The Ladder”; We Are Family; Jeff & Sheri Easter, Lewis Family, Easter Brothers; Russell Easter, James Easter, Edd Easter; Daywind Records

COUNTRY RECORDED SONG
“I Wish”; How You Live Deluxe Edition; Point of Grace; Cindy Morgan, Phil Madeira; Word Records

URBAN RECORDED SONG
“Get Up”; The Sound; Mary Mary; Warryn Campbell, Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Eric Dawkins; Columbia Records, Integrity Music

TRADITIONAL GOSPEL RECORDED SONG
“Free At Last”; Down In New Orleans; The Blind Boys of Alabama; Traditional; Time Life Music

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL RECORDED SONG
“How Great Is Our God”; How Great Is Our God; LaRue Howard; Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, Ed Cash; EMI Gospel

WORSHIP SONG
“Mighty To Save”; Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan; Hillsong Publishing

RAP/HIP HOP ALBUM (album; artist; producer; label)
Ordinary Dreamers; Group 1 Crew; Andy Anderson, Christopher Stevens, Sam Mizell; Fervent Records

ROCK ALBUM
Satisfied; DecembeRadio; Scotty Wilbanks; Slanted Records

ROCK/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Never Going Back To OK; The Afters; Dan Muckala; INO Records

POP/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Revelation; Third Day; Howard Benson; Essential Records

INSPIRATIONAL ALBUM
Great God Who Saves; Laura Story; Ed Cash; INO Records

SOUTHERN GOSPEL ALBUM
Lovin’ Life; Ernie Gaither Vocal Band; Bill Gaither, Guy Penrod, Marshall Hall, Wes Hampton; Gaither Music Group

BLUEGRASS ALBUM
We Are Family; Ricky Jeff & Sheri Easter, Lewis Family, Easter Brothers; Jeff Easter, Sheri Easter; Daywind Records

COUNTRY ALBUM
Around the Bend; Randy Travis; Kyle Lehning; Warner Bros. Records

URBAN ALBUM
The Fight of My Life; Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin; Zomba Gospel

TRADITIONAL GOSPEL ALBUM
Down In New Orleans; The Blind Boys of Alabama; Chris Goldsmith; Time Life Music, Integrity Music

CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM
Change the World; Martha Munizzi; Aaron Lindsey, Israel Houghton; Martha Munizzi Music

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian; Various; Harry Gregson-Williams; Walt Disney Records

CHILDREN’S MUSIC ALBUM
Absolute Modern Worship for Kids 4; Various; Chance Scoggins; Fervent Records

SPANISH LANGUAGE ALBUM
Rescatame; Seventh Day Slumber; Alejandro Allen, Susana Allen; BEC Recordings

SPECIAL EVENT ALBUM
Passion: God of This City; Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder*Band, Christy Nockels, Kristian Stanfill, Fee, Matt Redman; Nathan Nockels; Sparrow Records, sixsteps Records

CHRISTMAS ALBUM
Peace on Earth; Casting Crowns; Mark Hall, Mark A. Miller; Beach Street

PRAISE & WORSHIP ALBUM
A New Hallelujah; Michael W. Smith; Michael W. Smith; Reunion Records

MUSICAL (title; creator; publisher (award given to creator)
God Bless the USA; Sue C. Smith, Joel Lindsey, Russell Mauldin; Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing

YOUTH/CHILDREN’S MUSICAL
An Island Christmas; Wayne Haun, Shelby Haun, Joel Lindsey; Lillenas Publishing Company

CHORAL COLLECTION
I’ll Say Yes; Carol Cymbala; Brooklyn Tabernacle Music

RECORDED MUSIC PACKAGING (product; art director; graphic artist; illustrator/photographer; label)
Revelation (Third Day); Tim Parker, Becka Blackburn; Tim Parker; David McClister, RW Sims; Essential Records

SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO (title; artist; director; producer; production company; label)
"Slow Fade"; Casting Crowns; John Erwin, Andy Erwin; Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures; Beach Street

LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO ( title; artist; director; producer; production company; label)
Alive and Transported; TobyMac; Eric Welch; Tameron Hedge, Dan Pitts; Broken Poet Productions; ForeFront Records

Needtobreathe to release "The Outsiders" this summer

Atlantic/Word rock group NEEDTOBREATHE’s highly anticipated third studio album, The Outsiders, is set to release this coming summer. The band co-produced the entire album, along with producers John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer), the legendary Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco) and once again Rick Beato, who co-produced several tracks on the band’s sophomore release, The Heat.

The band is also excited to announce the addition of David Leonard (Jackson Waters) to their live touring band on keys and backing vocals. For more information, please visit www.needtobreathe.net or www.myspace.com/needtobreathe.

Kevin Max & Wife Announce Birth of 3rd Child

Kevin Max's wife Amanda has given birth to their third child, Knightly Christobal Max, who came into the world at 9:23 p.m. on March 24, 2009, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Knightly, who joins big sister London and big brother Wilder, measured 20 inches long and weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz.

"We decided to name our third child, Knightly Christobal, after both of our affection for medieval art and history," said Kevin Max. "But all in all, he is looking to be the most modern of all our children, being of raven black hair and sharp blue eyes. I believe being a father is my greatest artistic accomplishment, and Amanda and I look forward to watching him grow and connect to his older brother and sister."

With dcTalk, Max accrued album sales exceeding 8 million, as well as numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In recent years, Max has explored his art and his faith with several critically acclaimed solo projects, and live performances worldwide. His recently released EP, Crashing Gates, is available now at iTunes.