Natalie Grant's New Album "Hurricane" Hits No.1!

NEWS SOURCE: Plan A Media
October 23, 2013

Curb recording artist Natalie Grant has made an extraordinary chart debut with her long anticipated new album, "HURRICANE." The collection entered Billboard's "Top Christian Albums" chart at #1, marking the award-winning singer/songwriter's first-ever debut atop the chart. In addition, "HURRICANE" made a top 20 entry at #17 on the overall SoundScan/Billboard 200.

Grant's first new release in more than three years, "HURRICANE" includes the ebullient title track, which arrived earlier this year and proved the fastest rising single of her career. "Hurricane" swiftly ascended to #1 on the iTunes Store's "Top Christian & Gospel Songs" chart while also achieving top 10 success on Billboard's "Hot Christian Songs" tally. In addition, a companion video clip for the album's moving "In The End" is now streaming at Grant's official YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/nataliegrantvideos.

Natalie Grant is among contemporary Christian music's most talented and beloved superstars, acclaimed around the world for her breathtaking vocal abilities, powerful songwriting, and courageous efforts to help victims of human trafficking. One of the most honored artists in CCM history, Grant is a five-time GMA (Gospel Music Association) Dove Award winner as "Female Vocalist of the Year" (including four consecutive victories spanning 2006 to 2009 and a return win in 2012), as well as a 2012 GRAMMY® "Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance" nominee for "Alive (Mary Magdalene)," featured on 2011's blockbuster, "(MUSIC INSPIRED BY) THE STORY)."

"HURRICANE" - available now on the iTunes Store -- follows 2010's "LOVE REVOLUTION," which like its predecessor, 2008's "RELENTLESS," reached the #2 spot on Billboard's "Top Christian Albums" chart. Produced by her multi- award winning husband and longtime collaborator Bernie Herms, the album stands as Grant's most affecting and spirited collection to date. Songs like "Closer To Your Heart" and the powerful duet, "Born To Be" (featuring Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox) chronicle her recent struggles and hardships, a personal journey which saw this gifted artist emerge at last from the darkest, most challenging period of her life thus far.

A brilliant performer known for making lasting connections with her audience, Grant has a number of live dates scheduled through the year, including a leading role on the upcoming multi-artist "THE STORY Tour," slated to get underway November 29th at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena and then travel through mid-December. For complete details and ticket information, please see nataliegrant.com/tour.

In addition to her extraordinary musical career, Grant is also committed to giving voice to the voiceless through a variety of charitable efforts. An outspoken advocate for victims of human trafficking, she is the founder of Abolition International, a non-profit origination that works towards providing quality restorative aftercare to human trafficking victims both domestically and around the world.

What's more, Grant has visited the nation's capital twice this year, including a memorable appearance before Presidents Obama, Clinton, and Carter, among others, at the "Let Freedom Ring" ceremony held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

For more information, please visit nataliegrant.com, twitter.com/nataliegrant, facebook.com/nataliegrantmusic,instagram.com/nataliegrant, and www.youtube.com/nataliegrantvideos.

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Songs of Christmas {Album Review}

ALBUM TITLE: Songs of Christmas ALBUM ARTIST: Gaither & the Homecoming Friends FAVORITE TRACKS: Jesus the Light of the World, Jingle Bell,Go Tell, Mary, Did You Know? RATING: 5/5 Recently, I had the privilege to review Gaither Music’s two-volume Women of Homecoming Album. Not only me but my whole family is really enjoying it. If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, you are missing a lot!...

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Paul Baloche Releases "Christmas Worship" October 29

First-Ever Christmas Recording From Baloche Features Guest Vocalists
Aaron Shust, All Sons & Daughters, Kathryn Scott, Rita Baloche, More

Features New Celebratory Songs, Re-Imagined Classic Carols With New Vertical Choruses As
Resources For Modern Worship Services; Co-writes with Jason Ingram, Lincoln Brewster,
Graham Kendrick, Glenn Packiam, Kathryn Scott

NEWS SOURCE: Hoganson Media
October 10, 2013

One of today's most influential worship leaders, songwriters and artists, Paul Baloche is set to present his first Christmas project, appropriately titled Christmas Worship, Oct. 29 from Integrity Music. The goal of this three-time Dove Award-winning artist and local worship pastor was to create a Christmas album that would minister to and resource the church. Featuring new songs of celebration along with unique arrangements of much-loved traditional Christmas carols seamlessly blended with modern worship choruses, the result is an album packed with accessible Christmas songs that help create a worship environment familiar to congregants and first time visitors alike.

Drawing from his own personal experience as a local pastor working to help his congregation worship during what may be the busiest time of the year, Baloche says, "We all love the content of Christmas carols, but often they don't facilitate a vertical expression of worship towards the Lord. So the idea of this album was to take classic Christmas carols that we all enjoy singing and combine them with modern worship choruses to encourage worship all throughout the Christmas season."

Produced by Baloche, Michael Rossback and Ben Gowell, Christmas Worship features special guest vocals by Aaron Shust on "Follow That Star," All Sons & Daughters on "King of Heaven," Kathryn Scott on "This Is Love," Onaje Jefferson on "Offering" and Jennifer Holm on "Prepare Him Room." The album also features additional vocals by Rita Baloche, who further wrote "Prepare Him Room" and "Follow That Star" for the album.

In addition to his wife, Paul was joined in the songwriting process for Christmas Worship by such acclaimed writers as Jason Ingram, Lincoln Brewster, Graham Kendrick, Glenn Packiam and Kathryn Scott. These "contemporary" songwriters crafted new choruses to seamlessly blend with the great classic Christmas hymnody from writers such as Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, George Frederick Handel and John Francis Wade.

The full Christmas Worship track listing with corresponding songwriters follows:

01. Hark The Herald Angels Sing/King Of Heaven - Hark The Herald Angels Sing: Charles Wesley & Felix Mendelssohn. King Of Heaven: Paul Baloche & Jason Ingram.
02. Joy To The World/Shout For Joy - Joy To The World: Isaac Watts & GF Handel. Shout For Joy: Paul Baloche, Jason Ingram & Lincoln Brewster
03. Offering - Paul Baloche
04. O Come Emmanuel - Traditional, Paul Baloche
05. Angels Intro
06. Angels We Have Heard On High (Deo) - Traditional, Paul Baloche
07. What Can I Do (Christmas Version) -Graham Kendrick & Paul Baloche
08. Your Name - Paul Baloche & Glenn Packiam
09. This Is Love/Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (with Kathryn Scott) - This Is Love: Paul Baloche & Kathryn Scott. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus: Charles Wesley & Rowland Prichard
10. Follow That Star - Rita Baloche
11. Prepare Him Room - Rita Baloche
12. O Come All Ye Faithful/We AdoreYou - O Come All Ye Faithful: John Francis Wade & Frederick Oakeley. We Adore You: Paul Baloche & Tim Janis

Taking the new music on the road, Baloche's touring/workshop/teaching schedule takes him around the world. In the coming months, he will hold Nights of Worship in Calgary, AB, Canada (10/18-19), St. Louis, MO (11/1-2), Seattle, WA (tba), Jacksonville, FL (12/14-15) and New York City (tba).

Best known for such modern classics as "Open the Eyes of My Heart," "Above All," "Hosanna," and "Your Name," Baloche's songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Michael W. Smith, Casting Crowns, Matt Redman and Philips, Craig & Dean. His songs are also sung by millions of worshippers around the world, with 21 of them included in the CCLI Top 500 list, indicating the songs most often used in North American churches.

In addition to writing, recording, touring and his role as worship pastor at Community Fellowship in Lindale, TX, Baloche has created a variety of teaching DVDs, along with many free resources designed specifically for worship leaders and musicians. He has also written the books, The Same Love: A Devotion (David C Cook) and God Songs -How to Write and Select Songs for Worship. He is a further a contributing writer for both Worship Leader and Worship Musician magazines and is a featured blogger on ChurchLeaders.com.

For more information on Paul Baloche and his schedule, go to www.leadworship.com and www.integritymusic.com.

About Integrity Music:
Integrity Music is part of the David C Cook family, a nonprofit global resource provider serving the Church with life-transforming materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Integrity is committed to taking songs of substance to the local church and its leaders around the world. Additional information can be found at www.integritymusic.com.

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Hillsong's Young & Free Debuts at No.1!

NEWS SOURCE: Merge PR October 10, 2013 NASHVILLE, TENN. -October 10, 2013 -Hillsong's Young & Free has launched their first album, "We Are Young & Free," and has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian albums chart as well as on the Praise and Worship albums chart. In addition it debuted at No. 22 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 6 on the Overall Digital Albums chart. Last...

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Women of Homecoming {Album Review}

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