The Beach Blast! Christian Music Festival is a part of MayFest, a month of exciting events in the Myrtle Beach area.  MayFest emphasizes the value and affordability of visiting the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina with live entertainment and deals on accommodations and activities all month long.

David Crowder Band Among Artists Donating Auction Items For Japan
Artists and songwriters including The Beatles, David Bowie, as well as EMI CMG label group’s own Chris Tomlin, David Crowder*Band, Audrey Assad and Josh Wilson have donated exclusive personal items and memorabilia to the EMI family’s charity auction to raise funds to help the Red Cross support people affected by last month’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The latest round of the charity auction, which is one of the biggest in eBay’s history, includes sixstepsrecords’ artists Chris Tomlin, who has donated handwritten and autographed lyrics, as well as the David Crowder * Band autographing a Keytar. There are still four days to go until the end of the first phase of the auction, which features a personalized video of Josh Wilson performing one of his songs, and handwritten lyrics on doilies from Audrey Assad. Fellow artists in the first phase and writers include Coldplay, Beastie Boys, Jane Birkin, Depeche Mode, 30 Seconds To Mars, Simple Minds, Alice In Chains, and The Chemical Brothers. Other items added to the auction today include access to private concert rehearsal by Sting, a limited edition ‘Yellow Submarine’ bicycle issued to mark the re-release of The Beatles’ famous movie, three framed and signed prints of David Gilmour taken in Gdansk, and more than 30 albums individually signed by David Bowie.
Also included in the auction is the MacBook used by David Guetta to create the demos for his hit album ‘One Love’, the hand written lyrics to ‘God Only Knows’ from the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, and one of the four original handmade “Zero” shirts worn by the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan for the release and tour of ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’.
All funds raised from the charity auction will be used towards the Japanese Red Cross disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Funds will be used for the on-going provision of immediate relief to support the affected population during their recovery. EMI Group has committed to match all funds raised from the auction up to a maximum of one million euros. All items can be viewed here!

Hear Sun Remix Of Owl City’s “Alligator Sky”
Having remixed Owl City’s “Umbrella Beach” last year, Long Lost Sun have a bit of a history with whimsical music maker Adam Young. They’re currently keeping the synth-pop ball rolling by lending their mixing skills to the one-man band yet again, for new single “Alligator Sky.” Hear the Long Lost Sun mix of OC’s latest here!

Sarah Jaffe Hitting The Road
One of 2010’s breakout stars Sarah Jaffe will be hitting the road this summer on two consecutive tours of the US. She kicks things off with fellow Texans the Old 97’s at the Bluebird Theatre in Denver on May 26th and will end this run on June 11th when they play a set at the Blue Light in Lubbock, TX. Ten days later Sarah will be joining up with another Texas favorite – Denton’s Centro-Matic – for a two week plus run, kicking things off in Nashville, TN at the Basement. Sarah Jaffe became one of the most talked about artists of 2010 following the release of her debut album Suburban Nature in May 2010 which earned her accolades from NPR, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Interview, and American Songwriter among others. The album also landed her on numerous year-end lists including USA Today’s Pop Candy, Paste Magazine and Amazon and found her single “Clementine” making in roads at AAA Radio. She also spent a majority of the year on the road on several high profile tours including a European tour with Midlake, two US tours – one with Norah Jones and one with Lou Barlow and several runs on her own as well as a co-headlining fall tour with Ben Weaver. Due to the overwhelming response to Suburban Nature, Kirtland Records released Sarah’s debut EP Even Born Again on March 8th with new cover art as well as the Working for a Nuclear Free City Remix of “Two Intangibles Can’t Be Had” – originally only released digitally. It was also a nice way to get something additional out to fans before this year’s SXSW festival where Sarah played the indie-tastemaker Paste party as well as KUT’s showcase which was picked up by NPR who also dubbed Sarah a “must-see” artist at this year’s festival. The New York Times picked Sarah as one of “Eight local acts that could make an impact at South by Southwest” and wrote “Ms. Jaffe is celebrated for how comfortably she conveys palpable vulnerability.” Now Jaffe is hitting the road again with some new songs up her sleeve that definitely find Sarah taking exciting risks with her music. Some of the songs will make it onto a new DVD release called The Way Sound Leaves a Room that is due out in the Fall 2011 and will also feature live videos from her Wyly performance and some bonus material. Also her single “Clementine” will be featured in the season finale of the CW’s hit show “One Tree Hill.” And to get a taste of how she blew away SXSW goers this year, check out Sarah performing “Clementine” at Paste Magazine’s showcase.

Jesus’ True Heritage Revealed In New Book
Delving deep into Jewish history, author Joe Amaral explores societal mores and cultural traditions in his new book Understanding Jesus: Cultural Insights into the Words and Deeds of Christ. Modern-day Christians often bring their own presuppositions and assumptions to the reading of the Bible, not realizing how deeply their understanding of Christ’s life and teachings is affected by a 21st-century worldview. In Understanding Jesus, Amaral closes the gap created by geographical distance and over two thousand years of history. Using a chronological approach to the life of Christ, he guides the reader through significant events such as Jesus’ birth, baptism and crucifixion, pointing out illuminating details that that the Western mind would normally miss. “Jesus wasn’t from Montana, nor was He a Canadian—He was a Jew living in first century Israel, living a first century lifestyle,” writes Amaral. “That realization has forever impacted the way I see Jesus and the way in which I now perceive the Gospels.” Amaral’s premise is that to understand Jesus, we must understand the time and place in which he was born, the background from which he drew his illustrations, and the audience he spoke to. In Understanding Jesus, Amaral draws back the curtain on a way of life that existed during the reign of the Caesars, and in doing so, reveals truths about the way we live more than two thousand years later, half a world away.

Frontgate Media Wins Award
Each year, the Web Marketing Association names the Best Website as part of the annual Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards. Now in its 9th year, the IAC Awards are the first and only industry-based advertising award competition dedicated exclusively to online advertising. The awards are named by a panel of industry judges who review the entered advertising using seven criteria: design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, innovation and content. For 2011, the IAC Crystal Statue for Best Faith-Based Website goes to FrontGate Media for the FrontGateMedia.com site which was designed by FrontGate Media founder and president Scott A. Shuford, and Kevin McNeese, founder and president of KMWeb Designs. The site features seven key channels including Audiences, Services, Purpose, Resources, Affiliations, Case Studies, and Latest News. Extensive sub-channels provide Marketing Directors and Media Buyers with access to a wealth of information including audience targeting, extensive media kit information and pricing, services that include social media and merchandise development, extensive news and blog updates including the official archive for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, Philanthropic and Advisory Board affiliations and more.

X-Sinner/Daniel Band Tour
The “Real Rock” blitz tour of the Ontario Canada region was a great time For X-Sinner & Daniel Band. The band got to meet fans old and new, some stating that they had thought they’d never get a chance to see X-Sinner live and were very happy they did. Daniel Band and X-Sinner were both in top form delivering the classic rock they are both known for as well as new material. Sinner singer Rex Scott was invited up at the end of Daniel Band’s opening sets to sing the D.B. anthem “Sixteen”. Future shows together are being planned both in Canada and the U.S.

TobyMac News
Recently, BMI hosted their Annual Christian Awards ceremony at their offices in downtown Nashville and for the third year in a row Forefront’s multi-platinum selling artist TobyMac took home the award of the night “Songwriter of the Year,” making it his fourth win in this category. He shared the honor with Rodney Griffin and Bo Rinehart who also took home awards for the same title. Additionally, the award-winning artist’s hit songs “Get Back Up” and “City On Our Knees ”were recognized for being two of the Top 25 most performed songs on Christian radio over the past year. In addition to being one of Nashville’s top songwriters, TobyMac continues to mentor songwriters and artists such as Jamie Grace, through Gotee Records and is excited for what she is bringing to the music industry: “Jamie Grace writes, sings and plays her own music. She has a style that can’t be put into a typical label box—a dash of reggae, a dash of folk, a dash of hip hop,” says TobyMac. “I’ve said it a million times, ‘If we’re ever going to be a shining city on a hill, we have to be diverse city.’ Jamie Grace is part of that diverse city. She’s such a natural, beautiful next step for our industry.” The new female vocalist’s latest single “Hold Me,” also featuring TobyMac, was recently given the spotlight at iTunes ® as the Discovery Download. Listeners welcomed Grace with open arms as over 188,000 downloads were received.

Visible School Announces Name Change
Memphis-based Visible School today announced it has changed its name to Visible Music College with a comprehensive rebranding effort. The 10-year-old music and worship arts college is the vision of president Ken Steorts, who left a career as a founding member of the Christian rock band Skillet to start Visible School. Founded in 2000, the now Visible Music College is the only of its kind in the world, boasting an accredited three-year bachelor’s degree and one-year certificate programs in music, music business, worship leadership and music production. “Our decision to rebrand after 10 years came after much discussion, prayer and planning, and we are all thrilled with the new direction and feel that Visible Music College offers a straightforward name and a clearer picture of who we are,” Steorts said. “With 90 percent of our students coming from outside Memphis, historically from 49 states and 13 countries, we know that Visible Music College will continue to grow and serve those students who are pursuing music on many levels – from performance to worship leadership.”
2011 has been a year of changes for Visible Music College, including breaking ground on renovations to its new Downtown Memphis home at 200 Madison Ave., in which the college will move later this year. “Our new urban campus will bring our college to a new level of visibility, allowing our students to be involved in the heart of the Memphis music scene and beyond,” Steorts added. “The name change reflects that visibility as a college.” Visible Music College in Memphis, Tenn., is the vision of founding president Ken Steorts. Started in 2000, Visible Music College is an independent music and worship arts college enrolling more than 100 students per year. Visible Music College educates students interested in careers as musicians, technicians, music business professionals and in music ministry. The accredited college offers a three-year bachelor’s degree and a one-year certificate program, both of which provide an integrated academic, vocational and mentorship-based approach rooted in Christian beliefs. The college plans to move to its new Downtown Memphis campus in fall 2011.
For more information on Visible Music College, visit:
visible.edu

A Sequence Of Ghosts Release First Track
Last summer, Kansas City’s A Sequence of Ghosts burst onto the scene with their beautifully crafted self titled EP creating a steady buzz while touring nonstop bringing their unique brand of melodic hardcore to new ears all over the US. Standing on the edge of a brand new release coming May 3rd, Hostage(s) will prove to be another homerun for the potential hardcore giants. A Sequence of Ghosts have released the first track off the new record exclusively at facebook.com/asequenceofghosts. “The Hostage” is a ferocious offering that stylistically runs along the same lines as Bring Me the Horizon and Oh Sleeper, fusing the guttural with the ethereal. The track is an open invitation to forgiving the ones who have done you wrong and finding an identity in doing so.

Strike First Presents: Ark Of The Covenant
Strike First is happy to welcome a new band to the family. Ark of the Covenant play hard hitting, undiluted hardcore, and will be releasing their debut EP with Strike First this spring. Connecticut seems to be a breeding ground for enduring hardcore bands, and Strike First’s newest band Ark of the Covenant has come out swinging with that infamous CT brand of intensity and drive. Musically the band’s influences span the heavy genres, but the NY and Boston hardcore scenes have the greatest impact on the band’s writing as evidenced by Ark’s signature breakdown barrage and two-step beats. Ark of the Covenant’s debut EP Separation was recorded at Silver Bullet Studio (Shai Hulud, Wrench in the Works) and will be released on Strike First Records May 10, 2011. Pre-order your copy now!

©2011 HM Magazine All Rights Reserved

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