An official statement from the band has confirmed their involvement in the NAMM convention in California. They told me, "Face The King
was just selected to play the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, CA on January 19th at
the Marriott Center Stage at 7pm. We are attending the convention as artists of
KORG USA, Spector, Blackstar, and VOX."
The band is also working on their EP and recently began tracking the drums and bass tracks on Dec. 10th at the Factory Underground in Norwalk, Connecticut.
"The rest of the tracks (guitar, vocals, keyboard, etc.) will be
self recorded in our newly homegrown portable studio! No release date as
of yet. We are promising much more energy and hooky vocal
melodies/lines than the previous EP," the band said.
For now you can catch the band at these following locations:
The Newsboys are set to embark on what is to be their largest tour as a band starting in January with the "God's Not Dead Tour," and the Christian Post was able to chat with lead singer Michael Tait.
Tait said the tour was the Newsboys biggest because of the amount of dates scheduled, and it would also be special to him because it is his first all worship record with the Newsboys, and looks forward to worshipping city to city.
When asked why the album and tour title of God's Not Dead was so important, Tait replied, "People need to hear that sometimes. He's real, He's alive, Jesus has raised from the dead."
"He's more than an idea or spiritual being," he explained.
Touring
with the Newsboys are a mixture of young people with hearts for God and
a positive message. The bands include: The City Harmonic, Abandon, and
Anthem Lights.
Also appearing at all the dates is Bob Lenz, who will presenting the gospel every night.
The bands are also working with Compassion International and I Am
Second, two organizations that will be speaking and reaching out during
the tour.
Compassion International deals with global child poverty, and works with local churches to try and put it to an end.
The singer was specifically excited about the message contained in song “I Am Second.”
"We are second to none," he said. "Put everyone else before yourself and be second to Christ."
The
organization is really a movement that inspires people to live for God
and share their testimonies online so others can share.
As far as
the new album is concerned, Tait said the response has been "fantastic"
and he along with the fans have loved the reunion of his former band
mate from DC Talk, Kevin Max on two tracks, "God's Not Dead (Like a
Lion)" and "I Am Second."
He also said despite some of the tracks on God's Not Dead being remakes of older Newsboys worship songs from Peter Furler's days, it was important for him to put his own spin on them.
"I want to do the songs justice, or do them better. Put the new Newsboys savvy on them," he said.
On
whether people were used to him as the singer for the Newsboys after
many years of singing with DC Talk, and former singer Peter Furler being
in the band since 1985, Tait said, "There still are some naysayers."
"It's not like I'm an unknown character. They could have picked someone worse," he said with a laugh.
Tait
said when covering old songs he tried to "get inside" all of the older
material and if he didn't think he could do it, he left it alone.
The
45-year-old singer said the differences between DC Talk and Newsboys is
like the differences between his ex-girlfriends. "Each one you liked
for a different reason and had a different emotional response too," he
said laughing after he warned of a bad analogy.
Tait has had a magical run in his music
career. When DC Talk started in 1988 as a three piece gospel rap trio,
he would have never guessed they'd become the biggest openly Christian
act of all time.
Upon the group splitting up in 2001, Tait would
go solo for a few years before taking over the mantle of the Newsboys,
another one of Christian music's biggest bands ever, from Peter Furler
in 2009.
"I'm so blessed," he said.
DC Talk (L to R) Michael Tait, Kevin Max, and TobyMac
"In DC Talk the song
would never end. I would sing, then Kevin would sing, then Toby would
rap. I couldn't finish a song," he said and then demonstrated what he
meant by singing a few lines of DCT's "Say the Words."
"Now," he said, "I can start the song and finish it. It's just me."
Tait
spoke about the Newsboys fans being just as good as DC Talk's because
many were also fans of his former group. "We share the same fan base,
the transition was easy."
Many times the Newsboys will throw in
DCT's hit song "Jesus Freak" as part of their set. They performed it
once with TobyMac and another time with Christian rapper KJ-52.
Sometimes Tait does TobyMac's raps himself.
"I'm not a rapper. I do the best I can," he laughs.
On any future collaborations with former singer Peter Furler, Tait thinks it is quite possible.
"I would love to cross paths with Peter. He's a good friend of mine for a long time, it would be classic."
CP asked Tait: “What is one unknown fact about the Newsboys that many people may not know?”
He replied, "Newsboys actually opened up for DC Talk a few times in 1989 and 1990 when they had the Hell Is For Wimps album."
Tait closed the interview by inviting everybody out to come see them. "We'd love to meet you!" he exclaimed.
Peter Furler
The Newsboys were co-founded in 1985 by Peter Furler and guitarist George Perdikis in Australia.
Originally
the band’s drummer from 1985 to 1997, Furler took over vocals when
former vocalist John James left due to an admitted drug and alcohol
problem.
James has since cleaned up and is now involved in ministry.
Together
the band has released 15 albums spawning countless singles and major
tours, and received worldwide critical success with their 1994 album Going Public, featuring their biggest single "Shine," and 1996's album Take Me to Your Leader.
They've
been nominated for four Grammys and 24 Dove Awards winning five
including Rock Album of the Year, Rock Recorded Song of the Year,
Recorded Music Packaging of the Year, Short Form Music Video of the
Year, and Event Album of the Year.
Other awards won include Best
CCM Video 1999 by the Billboard Music Video Awards, 1995 Video Award and
1999 Video Award from the International Angel Awards, and Favorite CCM
Album 1999 from the Nashville Music Awards.
Article originally on the Christian Post. This article was a dream come true for me as DC Talk and the Newsboys were the first bands I ever listened to. It is because of these two groups that I myself play music and have a passion for it. I remember getting these albums on cassette way back in 1995. I wore those cassettes out and eventually got the CD's. Thank you Michael Tait for a truly amazing experience.
Kel Mitchell is a name synonymous with 90s pop culture, whether it was his unforgettable roles in Nickelodeon classic comedy shows like "All That" or "Kenan & Kel," to his movie roles in "Goodburger" and "Mystery Men.
"Fans and orange soda lovers all over the world have been wondering what Kel is doing with himself, and Broken Records has the scoop on everything from new projects, directing, rapping to his love for Jesus Christ.
When asked "What it was like being such a huge star in Hollywood?," Kel talked about being just a regular kid from the south side of Chicago and having it be "a surreal and humbling experience."
Even now, he
said he will sign every autograph and reminisce with fans on the
characters he has played because without the fans he would be nothing.
Growing
up a child of the 80s and early 90s had a profound effect on the actor
as well as allowing him to pick up his skills from other funny people.
"Muppets, Martin Lawrence, In Living Color, and the Wayans Bro's
definitely played a part in what I do."
Kel reminisced with The
Christian Post on his favorite moments on "All That" and said his
favorite character was Coach Kredmin. "Coach Kredmin, I would go over
the top as much as possible. Always different and insane. He was my
favorite."
As for his favorite moment on the show, he recalled a particular skit
where he had to make a milkshake for Kenan's character, "One of the
funniest is when Kenan's character, playing a construction worker. I had
to make him a milkshake and I actually made it with a burger. We kept
laughing and we broke the fourth wall."
Kel was asked about his
real persona as compared to the one he played in "Kenan & Kel" a
goofy situational character. He said he is a little like both
characters, "A little bit of both, I'm definitely a leader. Just going
after my dreams and motivated to do something, nobody can stop me,"
referring to Kenan on the show and referring to Kel's character, "Kel
looked at the brightside of everything, that's me as well."
He
said he remains close friends with Kenan and that a reunion show is
definitely possible. "I'm on the west and he's on the east, it's been
awhile since I've seen him, so we definitely have to do something
together. I would be interested in doing something, probably like a cop
film," he said. "I'm more into film, and putting out my films, but I'd
definitely be interested in sketch comedy," when asked if he'd do "SNL"
like Kenan.
"I'm interested in doing a "Kenan & Kel" reunion, you just have to talk to Kenan about it first."
Teen
Nick started airing "The 90s Are All That" this summer, taking some of
the classic shows from Nick's prime and running them starting at
midnight so the early to mid 20's crowd can watch their old shows again.
Kel
was really excited about it and glad the fans got what they wanted.
“Fans were always talking about it online saying they wanted to see
re-runs of shows. I guess the people won," he said.
In honor of
the block of programming and his pop culture love of orange soda from
"Kenan & Kel," he created "The All Orange Everything Tour."
For
the tour Kel traveled city to city in a big bus and held orange soda
parties and contests. Guest are required to wear orange, the ladies have
an orange fashion show, the men have orange soda drinking contests, and
the whole night features 90s music.
Setting
himself up for the next question, CP asked Kel if he really did love
orange soda. He responded, "The funny thing is, I actually liked to
drink orange soda when I was younger as well. Drinking it on the show
was great, I'm glad it wasn't a vegetable drink...but definitely drink
your vegetables kids, I know I do."
"Everywhere I go people talk
about it, in a question and answer session, someone asked me, 'Hey Kel,
do you still love orange soda?'"
As of right now Kel is working on a few projects.
He currently is doing voice work for two cartoons airing in 2012: "Wild Grinders" on Nicktoons, and "Motor City" on DisneyXD.
The
first show has Kel voicing a skateboarder, while the second is about
cars and takes place in the year 3000 in Detroit. He said the cars are a
cross between "Terminator" and "Fast and the Furious." This show is
coming out in December.
He said he enjoys voice acting and likes the feeling of getting something accomplished quickly, and said many celebrities are involved and not many people know about it.
"Voice acting is a whole different type of world. I really enjoy it, you can wake up and do it in your pajamas. It's very laid back," he said. "You really have to articulate and pull that voice to make it interesting to the ear."
Kel is also deeply into music, and has recorded a number of songs for his movies, like his song for "Mystery Men," as well as other side projects.
"I would perform on 'All That.' Back in the first season, I was in a group called After Maft (Mind Over Future Thought). We performed the first season, and the season before I left. I always try to do some type of music, I usually write for the soundtrack or prepare some type of music. Still dabbling," he said.
Perhaps his biggest project and one he is
most proud of is, "Dance Fu." He wrote the film, directed, and starred
in it. The story is about a guy who can only fight when music is
playing.
Kel said growing up he loved dance and karate movies, and
wanted to mix the genres. The movie stars: Kel, Cedric the Entertainer,
Tommy Davidson, and Affion Crockett.
"We had a blast, it was like going to a family reunion," he said of the experience.
The actor said some other skills that he has include: writing screenplays, poetry, rapping, directing music videos, and being active in his church as well as working on a book.
Kel was asked whether he felt typecast as an actor because of his previous work, to which he said, "There was definitely a thought of type casting. I like to dabble with all types of entertainment as far as, drama, action, sci-fi- my resume shows I tried many different things, projects and genres," said Kel.
"I Don't like to put my creativity in a box, and I didn't want to keep doing the same thing over and over again."
Lastly,
Kel wants everyone to know how important Jesus is in his life. Every
Youtube video he puts out features a Bible verse at the end and is meant
to inspire and provoke thought.
One particular verse of
importance to him is Ephesians 5:10, "It means a lot to me. You have to
have God in your heart. You have to keep to keep going. You have to give
him thanks for everything. I put the verses in my videos because I have
to remember myself."
Check out Kelmitchell.net to be updated on all of Kel’s projects, ministry work, and tours.
Nathan Clarke of Fourth Line Films has opened up about his wrestling documentary to The Christian Post. "Wrestling For Jesus"
follows an independent wrestling circuit, of the same name, as they
fight to evangelize and bring others to Jesus – all while suffering from
the struggles of their own lives.
"Wrestling for Jesus" follows league creator Timothy "T-Money"
Blackmon as he goes through financial, marital, and spiritual struggles.
The film sees him take a group of underdog wrestlers and create a
successful evangelistic ministry until it all falls apart.
Initially
Clarke wanted to make this film because he was really interested in
faith and religion and the very beautiful and troubling things people do
because of religion. He said, when people talk about religion, they
never address both good and bad. "People tend to focus on one or the
other. Part of what I try to do is look at that intersection of the
absolute wonderful things that can happen and the scary things."
The director found out about WFJ
through a chance news story, and became very interested but could not
find any details on it. "Sort of a local news story with very few
details," he said.
Clarke spoke about most people thinking the
league was silly, but the goal was to prove them wrong. "One of the
things documentaries do well is that they take issues that appear to be
simple and make them complex," he said.
The first task at hand for the filmmaker was to visit South Carolina
and find these wrestlers, to really see what they do. He first met with
Timothy and Jessica, his wife, and got to know them. Through this time,
Clarke also needed to see if he wanted to continue the story, so he
shot test footage.
"They had a sense of how I was going to treat them. That I was going
to treat their story with honesty and not going to make fun of them,"
Clarke said.
"We didn't know where the story was going when we were shooting," he added.
This
was a huge factor in the movie because the story painted and advanced
itself. One of the wrestlers, Gary, broke his neck. "I obviously didn't
know it was going to happen," he said.
Then Timothy's marriage began to crumble, but he still agreed to show some of it and hoped something good would come of allowing the filming.
Clarke
said the film was a long process with a few major gaps in between. He
relayed that the group "started filming in Jan 2007 and filmed the last
piece in Aug 2010, so about three and half years total.” However he
added, “About a year and half went by where we didn't film."
He initially thought it would be a sub culture
documentary and thought of it as a TV show. Things just did not pan out
however. Then he learned of the accident and the failed marriage and
"my heart began to break for these guys."
However, this bit of bad news created a much larger story and gave the film more emotional power.
Without
giving away the film, Gary goes through a long recovery process while
the league disbands due to Timothy's marital problems. His divorce
causes him to realize something important in his life, his daughters.
Another
message in the movie is that "Wrestling for Jesus" is about figuring
out what it is like to be a father and learning to be truthful to
yourself while getting a very troublesome story of a man pushing his
family away because of the ministry.
Clarke said he wants the
audience to take away two things from the movie. "I want people to have
the experience that they spent some time getting to know someone they
didn't know. And in a culture that currently is based on characterizing
the other, an enemy, and throwing a 140 character slams at them," he
said. "Actually getting to know someone who is a little bit different
and explore a little bit about what motivates them in life and what
causes them to make the decisions they make."
He also said there
are different types of documentaries, "the issue based ones like Michael
Moore where the viewer asks themselves, 'Do I agree with this film
maker?' That's not what I'm trying to do," he said. "The film acts like a
mirror so people respond to the film in many different ways."
Clarke wants people to see themselves reflected outward and wrestle with their own selves. Another
way people watch documentaries is with a closed mind. "People watch and
say 'where are my stereotypes and dispositions, what does it say about
me?'"
The director talked about how at first the audience may
laugh at the subject and not feel any relation but the "connection
became more surreal and valuable. Allows me to explore ways to tell
stories, add to ideas that need to be furthered explored, more than
people think."
He added, "So based on slamming the other person
without understanding where they come from. I wanted to be able to model
a different way of engaging viewer."
When asked about whether he thought WFC was an effective evangelistic tool he said, "yes and no."
"People
who go to church need to ask themselves 'what's the difference between
using wrestling for evangelism, using pizza party for evangelism, or
using a Superbowl party for evangelism.
In all of those things you are using a personal artifact that's valued
by computer to bring those people into a place where you can present the
gospel."
Depending on the activity, that is the people you are going to draw, stated Clarke. There is a discussion to be had about violence as evangelism. "Is it worth risking your body for it?"
"Wrestling is the number one and two rated shows on cable television. It's an interesting perspective."
Clarke
believes that many were not giving their life to God for the first
time, but rather rededicating. "Is conversion a single moment or a
journey," he asked.
Clarke would not reveal his actual religious
beliefs in interviews because of any problems it may cause concerning
taking a side. "I purposely avoid this question when it comes to this
film. If I was to identify myself as a evangelical Christian and people
knew that before they saw the film they would have assumptions about how
I was approaching the films, like I was bias."
He said the story
of WFJ had needed to be told because the film helps think through the
importance of being a father. He explained he had two daughters and that
filming this particular story was interesting because of that. It's an
interesting way of what it's like to be a father, and see what it's like
for fathers to fail and what it does to some of their children."
As
far as the status of the league, Clarke said the league is not around,
sometimes they get together for special occasions to wrestle, and said
Timothy "by and large liked it [film]...some tough scenes to watch."
Timothy has learned from the experience, but wants other people to be encouraged and learn from it.
As
for the athletes wrestling abilities, the filmmaker said, "They are
better than most semi-pro wrestlers you'll see, but they are not WWE.
Character development and build wise, they are not big enough," and
acknowledges it's not as easy as it looks.
Currently Clarke is in
the early stages of a local project about a woman and the topic is
generational legacies. "Why is it that some people do not follow in the
footsteps of their parents?" he asks.
He wants the movie to focus
on how people overcome or take a 180 turn from their parent’s lives and
become something they "like."
Even though this album isn’t what I’m necessarily into, these guys have a very radio friendly rock sound that is highly reminiscent of the grunge era.
The single “Life In A Shoebox,” which is hands down the best song off this album, the band can be easily compared to bands such as Nirvana and Beck. I love how the story flows and it makes the viewer want to listen more into the story.
What makes me commend Just Visiting is that they’re a bilingual band. A couple of songs were in Spanish on this album, “Te Prometo” and “Para Ti.”
Even though I am not bilingual, I felt like the lyrics represented tough times and depression because these tracks were definitely the most emotionally charged. I took an interest in re listening to those songs despite not knowing any Spanish.
The very beginning of “Lust” had a very poppy feel to it at first. It felt like I was listening to The Strokes. As the song goes further, it had the presence of listening to Brand New’s older material. Lead Vocalist, Johnny Cervini has a similar singing style to Jessie Lacey when it comes to his darker songs.
At first I wasn’t a fan, but after listening to how deep the lyrics are in each and every song, I have to give them the upmost respect in what they do because it is done so passionately.
My Pet Dragon
I interviewed My Pet Dragon last year for the Banner and really heard from them since until a few days ago. I'm happy to report they are okay and have a bunch of new music. Check out their music video for "Moonshine," and listen to their album Mountains and Cities.
Katie Fasulo
KT is a very talented singer and a personal good friend of mine who used rock out with Spread the Rumor a few years back. Check out her acoustic song "Goodbye."
Jon Comis Check out my friend Jon's acoustic covers. He's getting a ton of views and positive responses from these!
InDisguise
The second single "In Your Face" off ID's fourth coming debut album, Ashes Divide, slated for anearly 2012 release on Romulus X Records.
This article was originally done with the Christian Post and can be found here.
Rachel Chan, daughter of best selling author and world renown evangelist Francis Chan, is making her own headlines with the upcoming release of her first album Go, slated for release Jan. 10 2012 under the EMI Christian Music Distribution.
The 15-year-old singer has had a passion for music her whole life. Playing the piano since she was six, recently teaching herself guitar, and singing as far back as she can remember – it was time to put it together.
Usually focused on student ministry, Chan said getting signed was unexpected and an awesome experience. "Definitely very exciting and new," said Chan, as she was in continuous prayer about the situation.
The young singer was very blessed as she got hooked up with a well known producer from the start, Dave Lubben. "I absolutely loved working with him. He was like a big brother," she said.
One of the greatest attributes of working with Lubben was his attitude and making "everything about the Lord."
Rachel said her mom was a singer and she was used to being around a studio and watching others record, but as far as doing it herself for the first time, she describes it as "mind-blowing."
She expressed the importance of being involved with the writing process of the album making sure her hand was on every track.
"I don't know why God chooses people," she said when asked about writing the lyrics, but states she gives glory to God, loves music, and does it for the kingdom.
Chan feels she has a very important message for her peers and she is unafraid to tell it. "I hope they are encouraged to be bold for Christ, and be serious and real about God."
She hopes everyone can see the awe and beauty, and the importance of coming from somewhere the listener can relate to.
Perhaps one of the most surprising features on this album is a guest rap appearance by Francis Chan on the album's first single, "Prove It."
She originally had "No intention of having my dad rap on it," she said. "Let's try having my dad rap on it," Chan said after talking about needed a little something extra for the bridge of the song.
The key aspect of the song is to portray the love of a father both here on Earth and spiritually. Chan describes the song as a metaphor for the love of God and how he takes care of us.
As far as her goals for the future, Chan said, "[I'm] not much of a planner and go with the flow," and hopes people who hear are changed and encouraged to do something crazy for the Lord.
Next year she has some shows lined up with the Rend Collective Experiment, and will also perform at places her father speaks.
Right now she said she is perfectly content with praising the Lord, and "doing school stuff."
Chan would like to add, "Be bold in your faith and give all glory to Jesus. Don't be scared , the greatest witness we have is our lifestyle. Don't bury your talent."
She further said, "Young people are at a lack of role models who are following Christ. By listening to the CD it's not just words and tune. Don't be lukewarm."
"Family Force 5 is a party that makes you shake your donk," said FF5 lead singer Soul Glow Activatur, and now that the album has been reviewed, his statement is absolutely correct.
FF5's new album III is a fantastic journey through the innovative musical minds of crunk rock pioneers that paved the way for artists like LMFAO and 3OH!3.
The music is a fusion of the beats and sounds of southern rock mixed with almost hip-hop sang/rapped vocals over trippy 808s and heavy guitar riffs.
There is literally no genre of music the band does not dip into, even having a bluesy and reggae type mash-up.
Family Force 5 is one part Kid Rock and Lil Jon mixed with Kanye West's '808s and Heartbreaks' and Gym Class Heroes, or as the band refers to themselves, "Ghetto redneck music."
The album opens up with strong with "Can You Feel It." This song is very aggressive and sort of proves to be the anthem of the album. It's kind of like TobyMac circa Momentum days but still has its own flare.
The next song, "Paycheck," has a "swaggerful" like flow to it as part of the chorus says, "Shoulda been a baller, shot caller," then brings it back to a funny perspective saying, "Now I thank God for the hand out..." This song is extremely catchy.
Singer, Soul Glow, says this is his favorite song. He explains, "People think it's political, but everyone seems to be having financial hardships. We wanted to write something people can relate to and have something to say, you know, dig deep and make it sound real."
Track three, "Wobble," is already a fan favorite at live shows according to Soul Glow. It's an infectious dance tune meant to get crowds moving. The song is a half reggae/dance and half dance party moves song.
The next song, "You Got It," is reminiscent of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" with its funky bluesy groove and even tone as the singer expresses his love for a girl. This is a slow relaxing track.
Where "You Got It," leaves off, "Mamacita" picks up. The song is essentially the Latin sounding continuation of the previous song. It carries on from the spark found in "You Got It." Naturally it's more danceable and has a brilliant chorus with the best part repeating saying, "You got me loco saying Ay Yi Yi."
"Tank Top" brings in the pulsing 808 beats and deep synths as they bring in a fun strictly club like song. Definitely a song that would be played on a pop/rap station.
The next song, "Not Alone," is by far the most serious and deep song on the album. It really shows off the bands song writing ability and proves that sometimes life isn't always a party. The singer calls out to God for His touch singing, "I need you now, I want you now/To tell me that you're not alone."
Returning to true crunk rock form, "Dang Girl," brings their signature feel back. The vocals are over the top and contain a southern gritty rap flare to them. It's the club "banger" of the album with an amazing synth breakdown transition at the end.
Perhaps the best radio single on the CD is, "Love Gone Wrong." It's a super catchy song with an even stronger sing-along hook. This song is about the perfect girl from the singer's point of view.
The last song on the record is appropriately titled "Get On Outta Here." This song features the most rap on the album, and it proves to be an angry but fun send off dismissing all the haters.
Soul Glow said the song was the "anti-hater anthem of the batch" and they "wrote it with that in mind to be more personal."
The vocalist describes the bands unique sound as, "Fun party inspired rock. Some think it has to do with synthesizers. I guess so...we have plenty of 808 beats too." He goes on to explain crunk rock as being "very southern."
"It's what we are. We kind of just fell into it. We are from Atlanta, it's very southern. We have that rock vibe, and that super ghetto vibe. It's a blend of everything."
FF5 released III on Oct. 18 and in promotion have embarked on their It's All Gold Tour followed by a short Christmas tour. In January and February they will be heading back to the studio to record a few more tracks for their deluxe edition of the new album, calling the addition, 3.5.
