Switchfoot 6th Annual BroAm A Success!

Switchfoot members surf with the champions. Pictured (l-r) are: Tim Foreman (Switchfoot), Timmy Curran (world champion surfer/musician), Rob Machado (US and world surfer champion), Chad Butler (Switchfoot), Tom Curren (#3 Best Surfer in the world) and Jon Foreman (Switchfoot).

Switchfoot is pictured on stage at the Bro-Am. Switchfoot’s Bro-Am was held June 26 in Encinitas, CA. The surf/music event donated all proceeds to Stand-Up for Kids. This year over 7,500 people attended and it raised over $130,000 for the organization.

The Washington Projects Return with Light Up the Dark

Brother and sister duo, The Washington Projects, are back with Light Up The Dark, the follow-up to their widely successful debut, Commanders Of The Resistance. Available now, the album can be found for digital download through iTunes, AmazonMP3 and Rhapsody among others, and physical copies can be purchased through the group’s website. The project will be released to retail stores on August 3rd, through Universal.

All songs on Light Up The Dark were written by Rachael and Je’kob Washington and the album was produced by McPhly Entertainment, with Je’kob at the helm and the assistance of Kajmir Royale and Luke Witherspoon III.

“We are very excited about this album,” explains Rachael. “Through every record we release, God allows us to share a little piece of our hearts and what he’s given us with the entire world. Whether our music reaches five million people or just one, it’s an amazing feeling to know that we are being used in shifting someone’s heart and mind toward love and dedication to the only eternal kingdom. In an industry where almost everything comes down to numbers, we strive to remind ourselves daily of the true purpose of what we do - Touching souls with the teachings of Christ thru the gift of music. Light Up The Dark is a call to be what we were created to be - A bold & shining beacon of Light in a Dark world - based around the verse Matthew 5:14.”

The first two radio singles from the album are “Light Up The Dark” and “You Are Beautiful.” The first video is the title track for the album and was filmed by the local San Diego Crew 4120 (www.fortyonetwenty.com). Additionally, the song “Justus” will be featured on Are You Outraged, from International Justice Mission. The purpose of the album and campaign is to raise 1 million dollars to help abolish labor and sex slavery.

Je’kob comments on their involvement with the organization: "It's an honor for us to be a part of this monumental compilation. We've been supporting IJM in their endeavors to eradicate sex & labor slavery for some time now. The statistics are absolutely staggering and sometimes it can be hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But, hopefully the sales of this compilation will provide enough funding to deliver some serious backing in the efforts to erase this terrible stain on humanity.”

Their first step out as The Washington Projects after their stint on Warner Bros./Word Records as Souljahz, Commanders of the Resistance brought great success for the group. The duo headlined the 12-city “Dare2Share” Tour and also did a USO European/Mediterranean Tour with Nappy Roots, as well as playing festivals and venues across the country. The project garnered critical acclaim from media outlets and was received very well by Gospel Music Channel viewers, with the videos for “Take It To The Streets” staying in the #1 slot for over two weeks and “You Are My World” holding at #2 for over three weeks.

The twosome has had a lot going on personally as well, with Rachael getting married to Kent Messini last September and Je’kob branching out on his own to start McPhly Entertainment, a unique production company that allows independent artists to get full records, EP’s, or just one song from start to finish, including production, mixing, mastering, photo shoots, websites, & online worldwide distribution via iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, etc for an easy to handle and individually customized monthly fee. Je’kob’s most notable recent accomplishment has been producing “Be Alright,” the first single from multi-platinum selling hip hop group, The Nappy Roots’ newest record, The Pursuit Of Nappyness.

The Washington Projects are currently booking dates for a tour to support Light Up The Dark.

For more information about The Washington Projects and Light Up The Dark, please visit www.WashingtonProjects.com or www.myspace.com/thewashingtonprojects. Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/WPonline.

Rebecca St. James on Hannity Tonight June 16th

(Nashville, Tennessee) –June 15, 2010 – Popular Grammy Award winning Christian artist, Rebecca St. James is in New York for a live appearance Wednesday night (16th) on Fox New’s Channel’s “Hannity.” (9:00 PM Eastern/8:00 PM Central). St. James will make a return guesting on the program’s popular “Great American Panel” –her third visit to the guest panel in the last few months.

With the fall 2009 release of her starring role in the film, “Sarah’s Choice,” (Pure Flix Entertainment) giving voice to a strong pro life agenda, Rebecca is devoting time this year, amidst plans for new music and more films, to a series of special appearances nationally for crisis pregnancy and right to life organizations.

She describes her involvement on behalf of the centers as one the most rewarding results of her creative association with "Sarah’s Choice." “My passion for the pro-life message has grown tremendously as I have encountered firsthand the dedication and importance of their mission for the unborn. It is just beautiful to see their work, and I’ve felt so incredibly fulfilled and energized, coming alongside of what they’re doing and supporting them in such a small way,” she noted in a recent interview.

Rebecca St. James is the current cover/feature of the May-June issue of Celebrate Life magazine, a publication of the American Life League.

Resource Rebecca St. James online: www.myspace.com/rebeccastjames

For information on the film "Sarah's Choice:"
http://sarah.pureflix.com

Read our review of Sarah's Choice.
Read our interview with Rebecca on Sarah's Choice.

Dana Key dies June 6

We are very sad to report that according to CCM Magazine Online, Dana Key, of Degarmo & Key fame, died on June 6th from a ruptured blood clot. He was 56.

No more details are known at this time.

Life & Faith Tour coming to a town near you!

Nashville, TN… In its debut year, the Life & Faith Tour will kick off in a big way by giving back to local communities in three cities this summer: Richmond (6/19/2010), Rockingham, NC (7/10/2010) and Atlanta (7/24/2010). The diverse lineup for the event includes six-time Grammy ® Award winner Amy Grant, multi-platinum selling band MercyMe, CMA Award winners Diamond Rio, Grammy Award ® winner Israel Houghton, Point of Grace, David Crowder*Band, Natalie Grant, The Nelons and Triumphant Quartet, Southern Gospel acts as well as Christian ventriloquists and comedians, authors, motivational speakers and more.

The Life & Faith Tour is a Christian festival with a major fundraising component to benefit the local community, born out of the simple desire to give back and leave a community in better shape than it was when they arrived. Created years ago by former fireman Ronnie Jackson, as an initial fundraiser for the local fire department in Kenbridge, VA, what started out as a cookout with local entertainment grew into a major fundraising event with headlining acts such as Travis Tritt and Alabama.

Today, over 30 years later, the tour has grown into a major family attraction. What sets it apart from other festivals is how it presents an opportunity for organizations to raise funds; this is done by simply spreading the word.

Starting February 15, tickets will be available for $47.50 and $10 of that automatically goes to a local organization. If the ticket buyer doesn’t choose a beneficiary, a default organization in each city will benefit, ensuring that the community benefits from every ticket sold. Organizations will range from local churches and youth groups to the YMCA, Red Cross and other worthy civic groups. Churches and organizations are welcome to sign up as a beneficiary starting on January 15.

“This is truly an effortless act, all organizations have to do is talk about the show, and then when a patron goes to buy a ticket, that organization gets $10 just for the referral,” Jackson explains. “However the churches and organizations must be registered on the tour’s website to become a beneficiary. When purchasing a ticket, patrons will be able to choose a church or organization where their ticket proceeds will go. Each Life & Faith venue can hold 70,000 people so a sellout crowd would leave that community with $700,000 as the tour busses pull out of town. It is truly a remarkable way to give back to the community.”

Compassion International is just one of the many sponsors that have climbed on board to help make this event possible. As a beneficiary for the tour, it is an opportunity that not only raises funds for their own organization, but it also benefits others in the surrounding communities as well. For every 70k people who attend, the tour will provide the funds to build a Habitat of Humanity home in that state.

For organizations to register to become a beneficiary and to view the full all-star lineup along with finding more information please visit www.lifeandfaithtour.com.

Tobymac Set to Release "Tonight" February 9th

December 7, 2009: With three back-to-back RIAA Gold-certified records under his belt, five GRAMMY® Awards, and now his fourth solo GRAMMY® nomination as well, GMA’s 2008 Artist of the Year, TobyMac, will release his fourth studio project, “TONIGHT” on Feburary 9th.

“TONIGHT” is getting a great head start this fall with TobyMac’s hit single, “City On Our Knees,” the fastest charting and selling track in his career. The single has already sold over 133,000 copies and has hit No. 1 on the top 100 Hot Digital Tracks chart as well as on the Billboard Top Singles chart. In addition, it held the No. 1 spot on both the National Christian Audience chart for 9weeks as well as SoundScan’s Christian Digital Track chart for eleven weeks.

“City On Our Knees” was fervently embraced at radio with 96 stations adding it to their playlist in the first three weeks, and sped to No.1 on AC Monitored and at CHR, while currently No.3 at AC Indicator.

Produced by TobyMac along with Chris Stevens (Portable Sounds), Jamie Moore (Ayiesha Smith, Stephanie Woods) and Dave Wyatt (a.k.a. “D-dub) also his musical director, TobyMac has spent the last two and a half years creating “TONIGHT,” in a recording process that he doesn’t take lightly:

“The recording process means a lot to me, and I don’t approach what I do haphazardly” he says. “I have a lot of passion when it comes to my records. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but there’s this range of emotions that come with making a record. Music is something that can actually open people’s minds to who God is. Music will never change the world, but God can choose to use music, and that’s what I count on. I want my songs to be said in a way that anyone can relate to them. I want them to move people’s lives forward; move people toward God, and if I’m accomplishing that, whether or not anyone loves this record, as long as I feel like that is what I’m doing, then I feel like my job is done.”

As with previous TobyMac projects, “TONIGHT” also features special guest collaborations and a diversity of musical styles. The title track brings in John Cooper of Skillet, while “Wonderin’” features Matthew Thiessen of Relient K, and Nirva Ready belts her vocals on “Changed Forever.” A true highlight, and one of the most anticipated moments is with TruDog, TobyMac’s 10 year old son Truett’s, full song debut with the track “LoudNClear.”

In an effort to offer only the best variety to TobyMac’s audience, “TONIGHT” will be available as a physical CD and in digital form, both of which will feature bonus remixes and behind the scenes video.

TobyMac is currently on the road on his annual Winter Wonder Slam tour and will announce exciting 2010 tour plans soon.

www.tobymac.com

Ayiesha Woods to release Christmas album Nov 10th

GRAMMY- nominated singer Ayiesha Woods injects her soulful vocal prowess into a classic holiday offering with Christmas Like This on November 10th. The album will be available as a physical CD product exclusively through MusiChristian.com with the digital album being available at all other online retailers.

“Here at MusiChristian.com we believe strongly in partnerships and are thrilled to partner with Gotee and Ayeisha on her latest Christmas project,” says Daniel Smallbone, CEO of MusiChristian.com and BooksChristian.com.

The nine-song track listing includes Woods’ inventive take on the classics including “Merry Christmas Baby”, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”, “Jingle Bells”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, “O Holy Night”, “Joy to the World”, This Christmas”, and “ O Come All Ye Faithful”.

Producer Jamie Moore (CeCe Winans, tobyMac) comments, "Being from Muscle Shoals, AL and growing up with all of its music heritage, I've always wanted to do an old soul album,” He adds, “Ayiesha definitely took me to that place with her undeniable soulful and rootsy vocals. Hopefully this Christmas album will be racked alongside the other classics for years to come."

Read our interview with Ayiesha.

Jennifer Knapp Returning to Music!

It looks like the wait might finally be over! According to the official Jennifer Knapp website and Myspace page Jennifer is planning to return to the music scene.

Read a personal letter from Jennifer here. So what has she been doing? Traveling, mostly. And getting her feet under herself, "discovering more about myself and my faith".

This is exciting news for many in the Christian music industry! Follow Jen on Twitter for up-to-date info.

Bebe and CeCe Winans Releasing 1st Studio Record in 15 years

B&C Records in conjunction with Malaco Records is proud to announce the upcoming release of Still, the highly anticipated and eagerly awaited new studio album from the platinum-selling chart-topping award-winning gospel duo BeBe & CeCe Winans. Still will be available online and in stores on Tuesday, October 6.

Still is BeBe & CeCe’s first album in more than 15 years and is the reunion that has been on the lips of fans around the world since it was announced earlier this year. Since the their self-titled debut album in 1987, this chart-topping brother and sister duo topped the R&B and inspirational charts with their debut single, “I.O.U. Me,” and generated Grammy nominations, Dove and Stellar Gospel Awards. BeBe & CeCe were the first African-American artists to receive significant airplay on CCM radio stations and the second African American artists to receive the Dove Award in the Group of the Year category.

Premiering 11 new BeBe & CeCe classics, Still includes the album’s recently released lead single, “Close to You” which has received critical acclaim and success for its soul-stirring, smooth sound and pristine vocals. The video for the single was recently launched on Yahoo and can be viewed by logging onto http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos. Other tracks on Still include the heart wrenching “Grace,” “Things” (featuring brother Marvin Winans), “Let It Be” (featuring Mary Mary) and “I Found Love” (Cindy’s Song) which is destined to be the wedding song of the year.

With assistance from longtime producer and collaborator Keith Thomas, along with Warryn Campbell, Percy Bady, Peter Zizzo, Merv Warren and Mario Winans, BeBe & CeCe weave their love for God in a faith-fueled gospel sound that combines a tuneful blend of R&B, pop, soul, jazz and more.

Growing up in Detroit, MI, Benjamin “BeBe” Winans and Priscilla “CeCe” Winans were born into a home that birthed the first family of Gospel music. The Winans Family was led by a mother and father who taught their ten children the foundations of a Godly life and admonished them to use their voices for the glory of God. The success of their four brothers, The Winans, blazed a trail for BeBe & CeCe to create their own path of writing and performing music that would attract a legion of fans and change the face of Gospel music forever.

After the success of their debut album, BeBe & CeCe became the first Gospel pair to see their second album, Heaven, reach #1 on the Billboard sales charts in 1988 and also be certified Gold. The title track reached #12 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and also spawned two more hit singles with “Lost Without You” and “Celebrate New Life.”

In 1991, the dynamic duo released Different Lifestyles featuring the single “Addictive Love” and a cover of the Staples Singers classic, “I’ll Take You There.” Both singles topped the R&B charts. From there, BeBe & CeCe released two more albums and after an amazing run of smash hits and albums, BeBe & CeCe went on to pursue incredibly successful solo careers.

With a phenomenal career that has spanned more than 20 years, BeBe & CeCe have become one of the most commercially successful gospel artists in the business. As a duo their accolades include five Grammy Awards, eight Dove Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, one Soul Train Award and over a dozen Stellar Awards. They have also racked up 12 chart topping R&B singles, as well as numerous #1 singles on Christian AC and CHR radio, three gold albums and one platinum album.

In conjunction with the release of Still, the BeBe & CeCe Reunion Tour will criss-cross the country later this year.

The Covers EP releasing digitally by Ruth

Last fall heartfelt rockers Ruth released a successful sophomore album, "Anorak," which garnered the band such praise as "one of the best acts on Tooth & Nail Records' star-studded roster." Now the band so many have fallen in love with is back with "The Covers EP" featuring five covered tunes ranging from Buddy Holly to Coldplay (track listing below). "The Covers EP" will be available digitally on August 25, 2009. Yesterday the first single "Fix You" (Coldplay) was digitally released on iTunes. On August 11th, "Everyday" (Buddy Holly) will be released.

Band founder / singer Dustin Ruth shares, "We are super excited about the release of this EP. Each one of these songs is special to us for different reasons, and it was really fun to go into the studio and put our own 'Ruth' spin on them. We hope everyone enjoys them!"

Beginning this Saturday, August 1st, Ruth will be hitting the road again playing various venues and festivals including Spirit West Coast (Monterey), The Knitting Factory (LA), 12th & Porter (Nashville) to The Plaza Club (Vancouver, BC) (tour dates below). Some dates will be will also include Sleep For Sleepers. Check their MySpace for updates and more information.

Download the "Fix You" single:


Track Listing for "The Covers EP"

1. Everyday (Buddy Holly)
2. Dream (Averly Brothers)
3. I'm The One Who Wants To Be With You (Mr. Big)
4. Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman)
5. Fix You (Coldplay)

Read our interview with Ruth
Read our review of Anorak