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On Oct. 5, Jars of Clay will release their latest project The Shelter. The songs on the album focus on the idea of community, both physical and spiritual, and feature songwriting and vocal guests like Mac Powell, Matt Maher, Brandon Heath, Laura Story, Thad Cockrell and Phillip LaRue.
President Barack Obama may not have made it to the 2010 National Scout Jamboree, but rockers Switchfoot did. The band performed before 100,000 scouts at the weeklong scouting event. In September, Switchfoot heads to South America, where they’ll perform in Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Brazil and Argentina.
Thousands of stories from every state in the U.S. and 20 countries were the source of motivation for Matthew West’s fourth album, The Story of Your Life. West asked fans to submit their stories of restoration, celebration, pain, hope and more. He then spent two months in a cabin outside of Nashville, Tenn. reading the thousands of stories and then transforming them into songs for the record. The songs range from joyful stories about adoption and victories over cancer, to heart-breaking letters of abuse and broken homes. The Story of Your Life releases Oct. 5.
American Idol contestant Chris Sligh releases his sophomore album, The Anatomy of Broken, Sept. 14. The new project follows up his debut Running Back to You and comes on the heels of his songwriting success with Rascal Flatt’s hit song, “Here Comes Goodbye.”
Israel Houghton was expected to break new ground again when his Love God. Love People. iTunes LP was scheduled for release Aug. 31. The album includes not only new music but also animated lyrics, chord charts, liner notes, performance videos, photos and other bonus materials, as well as the first-ever interactive “Mixer.” Last year Houghton was the first Christian artist with an iPhone application.
After a year of changes, Newboys add one more to the list with their first-ever Christmas project, “Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday.” The album will release Oct. 12. The band has long been a staple in Christian music, and last saw a major change when frontman Peter Furler stepped down and was replaced by former dcTalk member Michael Tait. It was also last year that former lead guitarist Jody Davis returned to the group after Paul Colman left to pursue a solo career. The band’s latest album, Born Again, sold 45,311 units the first week of release and reached No. 4 on Overall Billboard Charts.
Universal Music/Dream Records artist Press Play released its sophomore album, NY2LA, in August. The album features an eclectic mix of inspiring and introspective dance, pop, R&B and rock songs. Proceeds from album sales benefit the Dream Center and its philanthropic causes nationwide. Press Play’s debut CD, “Life is Beautiful,” hit the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 45 in its first week out, with appearances on NBC’s Today Show, FOX News, TBN and other major media outlets. Press Play will also perform at benefit concerts across the U.S. throughout 2010, with record sales and all donations going toward the Dream Center’s philanthropic charities and Holt International’s adoption outreaches worldwide. For more information, visit www.ny2latour.com.
Michael W. Smith releases his newest album, Wonder, on Sept. 28. The songs on the album deal with the disparities of life in the modern age, hope and hardship, confusion and confidence, desperation and dedication.
Caedomon’s Call will take their next project, Raising Up the Dead, directly to fans when it releases on Sept. 14. Fans will be able to download the album on its website. In one week the site received more than 11,000 downloads of a free advanced preview of the record, including “Sometimes a Beggar” and “She.” The album is currently available for pre-order on the site, and fans can choose from pre-order tiers with immediate downloads or even a limited number of signed physical copies of the record. www.caedmonscall.com
Faith Freaks and iTickets have teamed up for a unique partnership that will stream live concerts and festivals to subscribers via the Internet. Faith Freaks is a social networking site with more than 100,000 users and online counselors who reach out to kids wrestling with everything from relationships gone sour to suicidal tendencies. This fall, iTickets and Faith Freaks hope to use real-time events, such as concerts, as an opportunity to reach youth and bring virtual friends together for real-time experiences.
This summer, Sara Groves joined the International Justice Mission and 5 Weeks of Freedom team as they rode 70 miles through Nashville as part of the organization’s 1,800-mile bike ride through the historic Underground Railroad. 5 Weeks for Freedom is a major awareness and advocacy campaign that gives a voice to victims of modern-day slavery and other forms of injustice.
And finally, a belated congrats to Doug Van Pelt and the folks at HM magazine as they celebrate 25 years highlighting rock music and faith. The magazine is sold in all 50 states and is distributed in Barnes & Noble, Hastings and Family Christian Stores. Subscribers for HM come from all over the world and represent about 20 countries, including Iceland, Papua New Guinea, Czech Republic and Cypress.
For more Christian music news, visit Joanne’s Gospel Soundcheck blog at Beliefnet.com www.blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck.
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