MusicExtract | Virtuals made Real through Sounds!

Atlanta-based  Casting Crowns  has consistently delivered music that points believers back to what truly matters, and the band does so yet again with  Thrive . Lead singer Mark Hall's new  devotional book of the same title  is divided into sections exploring the themes of digging deep and reaching out. My family and I had a wonderful evening in Philadelphia on March 2nd, singing along with three Dove Award-winning artists—for KING & COUNTRY and Laura Story—with Casting Crowns performing an opening set of songs about digging deep, and returning with a set of songs about reaching out. I spoke with  for KING & COUNTRY 's Luke and Joel about their set before the concert about the new songs, "Fix My Eyes" and "Thorn" from their upcoming album due to be released fall of 2014, the follow-up to Crave. Joel shared, "Our new song, 'Fix My Eyes,' was a song that we had written at the end of 2012, at the time of the success of 'The Proof of You...

The setting to sit and write this review of  All The Saints: Live From The CentricWorship Retreat No. 1  could not be more fitting. An overcast day, a bustling streetscape and a steaming, hot, chai latte. If I sit with my eyes closed long enough, I can picture the collective of artists from CentricWorship playing behind me. As this album moves from song to song, it was as though it was recorded in one take from beginning to end. Each song seems to grow from the last, bringing the listener through a range of worship emotions—from high praise, to reflection to repentance. I wish the other patrons of this café could hear this album. I wish they could experience how a true worship experience can grow from an acapella rendition of  "Amazing Grace,"  through a variety of original songs, re-writes of classic hymns, to  "Our Father".  "The Sound That Saved Us All" —a re-write of the classic hymn, "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name"—stays true to...

Whomever coined the phrase, “Silence is Golden,” must have never had kids. Dave Barnes is learning that the fun way. Within the last year or so, the first-time father has gone from the relatively controlled and, at least predictable life on the road, to a chaotic ruckus of baby cries and diapers and he couldn’t be happier about it. “I’ve loved being a dad,” Dave says. “It’s been a real calling. He’s really starting to watch me and everything I’m doing and saying. It’s like there’s a little sponge living in the house.” That’s one lucky little sponge named Ben. Not only is he lucky enough to grow up surrounded by his daddy’s music; he gets to grow up surrounded by his daddy! Formerly on Razor & Tie’s roster, Dave is independent once again. Of course that means a lot more work on his part, but it also allows him to dictate his schedule and comings and goings. “I enjoyed being there [at the label], but I am definitely excited to get back to being unsigned,” he says. “You can do...

Fireworks explode past the Times Square Ball after it dropped to signal the start … NEW YORK, N.Y. - A world-wide wave of celebrations rang in 2014 with a dazzling 30-minute fireworks show in Dubai, a deluge of confetti in London that tasted as good as it looked and a lavish, boozy, music-filled party throughout the streets of Las Vegas. In freezing New York City's Times Square, a sea of horn-tooting, hat-wearing revelers cheered and some smooched as the famed crystal ball dropped at midnight. Bronx-born U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor led the 60-second countdown and pushed the button that unleashed the shimmering orb with 2,688 crystals, a role usually filled by the New York City mayor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on his last day in office, sat out the celebration after 12 years on the job, while newly elected Mayor Bill de Blasio took the oath of office just after midnight at his Brooklyn home. Kerrie McConaghy, 20, a university student visiting Times S...

Tens of thousands watched the pageant in the capital which featured more than 8,500  performers [EPA] Cheerleaders, acrobats and musicians hit the streets of London  today for a New Year's Day parade  inspired by the "swinging sixties". Cheerleaders perform in the streets of  London for the capital's New Year Parade [EPA] The parade started at the Ritz Hotel and finished at Parliament Square [AP] Tens of thousands watched the pageant in the capital which featured more than 8,500 performers from across the world. The 2.2 mile parade started at the Ritz Hotel at midday and moved through Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square before ending in Parliament Square. The pageant, held annually since 1987, featured dancers wearing flares, The Beatles tribute bands and floats inspired by the 1960s. Organisers of the event said they hoped the parade would "cheer up London". Bob Bone, the parade's executive director and founder...

The annual  Calabar Carnival  which holds every year in the Cross River State  capital, has finally reached a crescendo with the  Children's version of the event taking place on the 27th of December, 2013.  It was a parade of colour, fanfare and beautiful display of dance steps by the children while looking forward to the main event on the 28th. The Calabar Carnival is a unique display of African heritage showcased through music, dance, drama and visual creativity, which is reflected in the design of floats, costumes and make-up, giving the show a feel of pure magic, an outpouring of colour, sound and spectacle, unmatched by anything else on the continent of Africa. The highlight of the 32-day Calabar Festival which runs from 30th November to 1st January, gives one a unique feeling as it is the largest cultural festival in Africa with 50,000 costumed revellers, over 5 million spectators and an audience of over 50 million television viewers....

One of Nigeria's most respected men of God, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, the General Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry,  condemns christmas day celebaration as it is today the world's most celebrated day, saying the act is a worship of idols and unscriptural. The highly revered cleric is of the opinion that celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at this time is a disrespect to Christ himself and a turning away from His commandments. Pastor Kumuyi  explains better in his words: "We don’t celebrate Christmas. It actually came from idolatrous background. "That is why you don’t hear us sing what they call Christmas carol. Never! “When you find anybody coming in, or any leader, trying to introduce the idolatry of mystery Babylon, that they call Christmas and you want to bring all the Christmas carol saying that is the day that Jesus was born, and you don’t find that in the Acts of the Apostles or in the early church, then you don’t find that in my church ei...