Those Who Matter… is a compilation of soulful classical music that Tracy Lightner composed for her loved ones, and to honor the legacy of Isaac Toland – her great (3X) grandfather who was emancipated in 1865 and donated land for the first church, school, and cemetery for newly freed slaves near Houston, Texas.
This collection has dates as late as 1993 to as early as 2020. Her grandmother, Susie Burton, invested years of her earnings to pay for Tracy’s piano lessons. In the end, she would have her train with four instructors. Tracy started playing the piano for her church’s youth choir while in the 5th grade. She continued on while attending high school. Soon she performed in city-wide recitals as the closing act. She was a natural and music allowed her the self-expression needed during her teenage years.
Each song is lovingly composed with the thoughts of those nearest and dearest to her heart. She was spiritually compelled to leave this part of her talent and artistry as a legacy for her children. Tracy decided that the best delivery for her work would be a complete and honest recording. Each song was recorded in its purest form -she sat at her keyboard and used iPhone’s recording app. There was no remastering, no unnecessary mixing, no addition of altering frequencies or editing… just raw uncut music-filled. This method of recording and releasing of music provides for a true live experience that is heard throughout the album.
Tracy is an independent artist who researched how to publish her music without the wait for a possible contract with a well-known music label. She researched the journey of the leading Independent recording artist, Chance The Rapper, and followed the route he took. During this COVID pandemic, recording studios are not as assessable. Other popular artists like Megan The Stallion have taken to recording their new releases in the living rooms of their homes.
Classical Music Is Great For the Brain. . . “How might music enhance cognitive performance? It’s not clear, but the researchers speculated that listening to music helps organize the firing of nerve cells in the right half of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher functions. According to this construct, music — or at least some forms of music — acts as an “exercise” that warms up selected brain cells, allowing them to process information more efficiently.” — Music and Health – July 2011, Harvard Health Publishing
Eight years seems like a lifetime to wait, finally GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter Brandy releases her highly anticipated seventh studio album, b7, today via Brand Nu Entertainment/Entertainment One (“eOne”). Executive produced by Brandy along with DJ Camper and LaShawn Daniels, this 15-track confessional is her most personal to date as she debuts her writing skills for the first time in her career. With songs like “No Tomorrow” and the instant-grat track “Rather Be,” Brandy was able to take her life’s lessons and channel them into her first masterpiece as an independent artist.
The album also features Daniel Caesar on the GRAMMY- nominated single “Love Again,” which has garnered over 85 million streams worldwide, Chance The Rapper, and her daughter Sy-rai Smith who appears on the single “High Heels” and background vocals for “Baby Mama.” Other featured producers and writers include Hit Boy, Cory Rooney, Victoria Monét, Antonio “Tony” Dixon, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk among others. The album is available now at all physical and digital retailers.
Also today, she releases the powerful video for her new single “Borderline.” The dark, edgy track has Brandy interrogating her relationship with love over a hypnotic, downtempo groove. The haunting video for “Borderline” was directed by Derek Blanks and illustrates the darker, emotional loneliness that can take over a romantic relationship.
“This is my most personal album to date, every song tells a story.”
Brandy
Borderline” is at radio now and follows her single, “Baby Mama,” which is currently Top 10 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs chart. b7 marries the silky, smooth vibe she established on Never Say Never with the groundbreaking experimentation of Full Moon, albums that are revered as R&B blueprints for their use of multi-layered harmonies, unconventional song structures and forward-thinking electro-soul beats. The album explores Brandy’s journey over the last few years, and how she came to be the resilient, spiritually grounded women she is today.
b7 Track listing
Saving All My Love
Unconditional Oceans
Rather Be
All My Life, Pt. 1
Lucid Dreams
Borderline
No Tomorrow
Say Something
All My Life, Pt. 2
I Am More
High Heels (Brandy & Sy’rai)
Baby Mama (feat. Chance the Rapper)
All My Life, Pt. 3
Love Again (Brandy & Daniel Caesar)
Bye Bipolar
Fans can stay updated on new music and more by logging onto www.4everbrandy.com.
I think it’s a great question and who better to cover the coveted classic than one of the smoothest singers in professional music, Brian Courtney Wilson. Wilson’s cover of “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”was initially released as part of Motown Gospel ‘s 2019 tribute, “Hitsville: A Gospel Celebration.”
Wilson has just re-released his version of Marvin Gaye’s classic and the timing couldn’t be better. This song strongly underscores the current issues we’re facing as a nation and we don’t think there’s a better voice to bring it home. We pray that the holler will be heard and will be healing.
Together, we can be a part of the change this nation so badly needs to see & there will be a new dawn #aftertheholler. Join us in this movement on social media & share what you’re doing to contribute to change by using #aftertheholler & tagging @BrianCourtneyWilson!
After talking with Dwan and Alvin, I knew that this album would be special. There’s literally something for everyone on the album. Sometimes too much variety is a bad thing, but it’s the perfect mix of vintage vibes and contemporary grooves that the world needs to hear right now. My favorite song is “Reconciler”. The lyrical content is no miss and the many cues reminiscent of the late Pastor Andrae Crouch and other signature sounds create not just an eclectic mix but a perfect mix for listeners. After multiple listens, I’m here for it…!
After an incredible debut in 2019, Nashville Life Music has released their first full-length album, Here For Jesus (Integrity Music) today. This follows their hit EP, Taylor House Sessions, which produced a Billboard Top 5 single and GMA Dove Award nominated song, “My God (feat. Mr. Talkbox).” In anticipation of their project, the group is released a new single, “Shepherd (feat. Leeland),” a tender ballad about Jesus’ relentless, sacrificial love for us.
Nashville Life Music is the soundtrack to Nashville Life Church, a local movement that started out of CeCe Winans’ living room nine years ago. Grammy-winning songwriters and bandleaders Dwan Hill (Lauren Daigle, Jonny Lang) and Alvin Love (Cece Winans’ son and producer) have led their 26-member worship team to create a project of energetic and inspiring songs that lift up anthemic, fun-loving sounds of thanksgiving and praise to God for everyday life.
“I found out about Nashville Life Music around the time that we joined the Integrity family. Now our whole family sings their music, even our church sings their songs. We’re just blown away by them, so singing with them is a bucket list for me. One thing I love about this song is in John Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd.’ He said, ‘The sheep know the sound of my voice. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’ To me this passage tells us that He, Jesus, knows what’s best for our lives. Not only is He our King and our Lord, but He’s also our loving Father. He’s the Good Shepherd who lays His life down for us. This song shows that – it has resonated with me a lot and it was an honor to sing on it.”
Leeland Mooring on partnering with NLM
Nashville Life Music is the soundtrack to Nashville Life Church, a local movement that started out of CeCe Winans’ living room nine years ago. Grammy-winning songwriters and bandleaders Dwan Hill (Lauren Daigle, Jonny Lang) and Alvin Love (Cece Winans’ son and producer) have led their 26-member worship team to create a project of energetic and inspiring songs that lift up anthemic, fun-loving sounds of thanksgiving and praise to God for everyday life. The album features guest artists like Leeland (“Way Maker,” “Lion and The Lamb”) and Dove-award-winning New Artist of the Year Aaron Cole.
“’Shepherd’ is a song we’ve been singing at our church for a while. It’s so special because it talks about how awesome Jesus is to us and the things He does for us, and how our lives are so much better because of Him.”
Dwan Hill, Worship Leader for Nashville Life
Don’t miss the ROOT Magazine listening party on Facebook. “Here for Jesus” is a creative, time period piece, marrying together worship with throwback sounds from 70’s and present-day musical influences, and feels ready to become a modern classic. Just imagine Elton John, Queen, and Earth, Wind & Fire leading worship at their local church with Chance the Rapper and Kanye West – it’s an album unlike any you’ve ever heard and one you can’t miss.
“Thank God for music – when we can’t find the right words to say or express the emotions we fimageeel, we can always sing. Here For Jesus is a collection of joyful songs written for people to experience the love of Jesus wherever they are, simply by singing along. Everyone has favorite songs that stir up good memories. Those good memories inspire gratitude, and gratitude keeps us looking up in hard times. We made this album to testify that life is so much better with Jesus, and as long as we keep our eyes on Him, anything is possible!”
Dwan Hill, Worship Leader for Nashville Life
The group has already released three songs from the new album: “Sing A Song (Part 2) [feat. Aaron Cole],” “Claim It All (feat. Taylor Browning),” and “Reconciler.” Earlier this year, they also premiered a must-see music video “Sing A Song (Part 2) [feat. Aaron Cole],” which was shot on location at the historic West End Middle School in Nashville giving the video a cool old-school vibe that parallels the throwback sounds of the song and forthcoming album.
“Lately the world’s been goin crazy. Hate divides, but love’s the one thing that unifies,” expresses singer/songwriter, Carl Brister, on his socially conscious new single “L.O.V.E. (What The World Needs).” Layered against his signature mix of lush harmonies, warm tones, and high falsetto, L.O.V.E. is a retro soul throwback song with a message that penetrates the soul, touches the heart, and brings people together.
Inspired by Marvin Gaye’s timeless classic, “What’s Goin’ On,” Carl Brister’s “L.O.V.E.” asks important questions about the state of the world and explores the similar issues that Gaye sang about when he released “What’s Goin’ On” nearly 50 years ago – police brutality, education, voting, and discrimination. Although the questions are the same, Carl offers L.O.V.E. as the solution!
He first came to national attention when his previous singles “Turning Point,” and “Let’s Go Back” were featured on NBC, BET, Pandora, Music Choice, Spotify, and more. He describes his sound as “Free Music” that combines elements of Soul, R&B, Pop, and Dance in a retro fusion that takes you back while moving you forward.
A husband and proud father of two sons, Carl grew concerned about the rise of police brutality and broadening racial divide throughout the country. Using music to bring people together, in 2016 he founded The Love+Unity Fest, a free family event created to inspire unity in the community. The festival is packed with LIVE musical performances, food trucks, vendors, and activities for kids in his current hometown of West Orange, NJ. “With the divisiveness increasing throughout our nation, I felt the urge to create an event that brings people together and The Love +Unity Fest was created. We started in New Jersey and are planning to take the Love+Unity Tour to communities throughout the country to promote the message that LOVE is so needed today.”
His new single, “L.O.V.E.” will be released in the Spring of 2020 on all online platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more. “Everything begins and ends with L.O.V.E.! It’s what we all need!”
For more information visit Carl Brister including upcoming tour dates, please visit Carlbrister.com. Follow @Carlbristerofficial.
17-Track Project Features Multiple Collaboration including Israel Houghton, Trip Lee, Aklesso & More
Reach Records’ six-time Dove award-winning producer/artist GAWVI, is prepared to ruffle some feathers with his third full-length album, Heathen set to release on April 10, 2020. The EDM / Hip hop artist has been known to push boundaries in music as evidenced by his two RIAA Certified Gold Records for production (“Anomaly”, Lecrae: “You Can’t Stop Me”, Andy Mineo) and as a solo artist shown in his debut album We Belong and sophomore project Panorama. Heathen will be no different as GAWVI aims to push against the Christian culture in hopes to deconstruct unhealthy cultural norms.
“Heathen is the album I feel most confident and true to myself especially with all the confusion going on in the world,” shares GAWVI. “With this record, I wanted to say ‘hey world, I’ve been labeled as a heathen, not because I am a sinner or a bad person, but because I went against the ‘Christian culture mold’.” He continues, “Heathen actually means Ethnos in Greek, which stands for ethnicity and it also means gentiles. When it is used in the Bible, it is described as a person who was not Jewish or someone with a different cultural background. So it got me thinking, how did this word get lost in translation? And I realized, this is what happens to us as humans. At the beginning God designed us to be who we are meant to be, yet we let labels influence us and shape our identity. So I want to embrace the word ‘heathen’, and do something different with the Christian culture, and let people know that it is okay to live outside of the norm. When someone says to me ‘what you are doing is not normal’, my response is ‘thank you’.”
Focusing on his personal growth, GAWVI wants to connect with his listeners through authenticity and transparency. With Heathen, GAWVI was inspired by the letters to the Apostle Paul, and the collection of 17 songs nudge Christian listeners to examine how standards of acceptability may be limiting new voices from communicating God’s grace to a world in need of a home. On this new project GAWVI positions himself as the voice of an outsider, the least of these … the Heathen.
The album was recorded in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and was produced by GAWVI himself. Additionally, the record Heathen features numerous collaborations including Israel Houghton, fellow labelmate Trip Lee, Aklesso, Wordsplayed, Daramola, Wxlf, Parris Chariz & Tommy Royale. GAWVI’S hit single “Fight for Me feat. Lecrae ” won Hip Hop Song of the Year at the 50th Annual Dove Awards in 2019. The song has generated over 204k song equivalents sold to date, 11M YouTube views on the music video and appeared on four viral 50 playlist: US Viral 50, Global Viral 50, Canada Viral 50 and Singapore Viral 50. GAWVI has been praised by the likes of Esquire, VIBE, Relevant, EDM Nations, CCM Mag and Magnetic Mag and more. GAWVI has received syncs with Netflix (“Flight for Me”, Locke & Key and “Cumbia” Ibiza), FOX (“Cumbia” Deputy) and ESPN (“High Note” and First Take programming).
He has participated in a number of conferences including Rise, Catalyst, Orange, Camp Electric and Lumination. His debut LP, We Belong peaked at No. 7 on both the Billboard Top Dance/ Electronic Albums and Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. His debut EP Lost in Hue (2016), reached No. 2 on the Billboard Electronic/Dance chart, hit No. 1 on the iTunes Dance chart and has garnered nearly 2 million streams on Spotify. GAWVI has produced many of Reach Records top hits including RIAA Certified Gold “You Can’t Stop Me” by Andy Mineo, Trip Lee’s album “Rise” and Lecrae’s RIAA Certified Gold “Anomaly”. He produced Lecrae’s “Nuthin” which was performed live on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. GAWVI’s song “In The Water ” from his EP “Lost in Hue ” achieved No. 1 on Billboard’s CHR chart making him the only artist on Reach Records to do so without a feature. He has worked under the tutelage of Rodney Jerkins and Pharrell.
For more information on GAWVI, please visit www.gawvi.com.
