Tag Archives: Catholic music

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New Featured Artist: Sam Rocha

Sam Rocha

This week on the Catholic Playlist our new featured artist is Sam Rocha. Sam began playing guitar at the age of 5, and began singing soon thereafter. His musical influences cover a wide range of genres from folk, Latin, funk, soul, hip-hop, and jazz, but he claims his roots are in church music and the Mexican folk tradition. Over the past ten years, he’s performed with various ensembles playing everything from gospel and contemporary Christian music, blues, pop, neo-soul/nu jazz, Latin folk, and Latin jazz.

His debut collection of music, titled “Late to Love” and available on Aug 28, 2014, is musically inspired by the genealogy of soul music that scans the genres of spirituals, folk, gospel, country, R&B, blues, funk, jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul and nu-jazz. Artists such as T-Bone Walker, Ray Charles, Gil Scott Heron, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and Curtis Mayfield—with dashes of Willie Nelson and Pat Metheny—serve as the “old” foundation for something entirely new: Augustinian soul music.

“Late to Love” is an original concept album that performs a reading of Augustine’s Confessions through soul music. It’s not a generic ode to a saint or holy person, nor it is a neutral and uncontroversial celebration of an important ancient book. From beginning to end Sam offers a bold and fresh reading of Augustine’s Confessions where the form is the content, where melody and verse take the place of assertions and argument. This music is truly something totally new and original.

In Catholic Playlist #53 we’ll be playing the title track “Late to Love”, where the chorus sings, “Late / have I loved you / beauty so old / beauty so new,” adapted from Augustine’s Confessions.

You can learn more about Sam Rocha and his new album here at Wiseblood Books.

You can sample the songs and perhaps pick up the brand new album starting on Aug 28, 2014 here on iTunes:

Please join us in welcoming Sam Rocha to the Catholic Playlist Show!

Interesting Factoid: Sam is musically illiterate – he doesn’t read or write music, despite having a PhD in philosophy of education.

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Song of the Week – Aug 25, 2014

Sarah Kroger

Welcome to the Catholic Playlist Song of the Week! Our song for the week of August 25th 2014 is “Love In Your Time” from Sarah Kroger. Hailing from Florida, Sarah is a graduate of Rollins College where she graduated with a degree in vocal performance and a minor in education. She started performing at Life Teen camps and conferences and then released her first EP titled “Your Time” in 2011. She followed that up in 2013 by releasing a 7 track album titled “Hallelujah Is Our Song”, which offers both liturgical and contemporary songs. There’s no doubt that her positive, energetic music will fill your heart and lift your spirit, including our Catholic Playlist Song of the Week, “Love In Your Time”, from Sarah Kroger:

Do you like song as much as we do? Make it part of your own playlist and get it now on iTunes:

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#52 – Catholic Playlist Show

Catholic Playlist #52

Bringing you the joy of the Gospel through music! As always we here at the Catholic Playlist show seek out and play the best and some of the very newest contemporary Christian music available from Catholic artists. The playlist lineup for show #52 includes music from L’Angelus, Jack Cassidy, Ceili Rain, Francis Cabildo, NOVUM, Danielle Rose, Greg & Lizzy and more.

Our featured new artist this week is the Pete Buncher Band, who released their latest album ‘Am I Worth Stealing’ just this week. We’ll play “Set Us Free” from them in the second segment of the show, followed by a new selection called “The Dark Side” from Kevin Heider that I’m really excited to play for you. It affected us deeply and we hope you find it as beautiful and haunting as we did.

For the first time, we’re assembling an iTunes playlist of the songs included in the show so you can quickly sample and identify songs (and albums!) you want in your personal collection. Please note that some songs may not be available in iTunes.

What do you think of show #52? What song would you like to hear in the next show? Comment and let us know!

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Crowdfunding: Shaun Garrison

Thanks to our friends Lori & Adam Ubowski of Out of Darkness for letting us know about this project. After 15 years of dreaming, Shaun Garrison has decided to step out in faith and pursue his dream of recording his original music. Right now, as this post is published, Shaun needs a little less than $6,000 to meet his goal of $20,000. But there’s only 10 days left and if the goal isn’t reached, there is no money, no project. Watch his Kickstarter video below, check out the project on Kickstarter, and prayerfully consider helping Shaun reach his goal to professionally record and produce his music.

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Song of the Week – Aug 18, 2014

New Name

Welcome to the Catholic Playlist Song of the Week! Our song for the week of August 18th 2014 is “My Everything” from New Name. Founded in April 2010, New Name calls New York City home. More than a praise & worship band, New Name is a Catholic young adult ministry, who identify themselves as a Catholic lay community of worship leaders, preachers, missionaries and intercessors. They offer monthly ‘Live 2 Worship’ nights of eucharistic adoration and a yearly ‘Free 2 Worship’ concert event to bring more people to a deeper experience of Christ in their lives. They released their first EP “Live to Worship” in October 2013 and are currently looking to raise funding for their next album. When we checked out their EP, we immediately loved the song “My Everything”. And that’s all we need to make it our Catholic Playlist Song of the Week.

Do you like song as much as we do? Make it part of your own playlist and help New Name raise the funds needed to record a new album! Get their music now on iTunes:

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#51 – Catholic Playlist Show

Catholic Playlist #51

Thank you so much for joining us for another edition of the Catholic Playlist. Once again we find and play the best and some of the very newest contemporary Christian music, but from Catholic artists only. So this is music you won’t hear on your mainstream Christian music radio station. But we’re trying to change all that, and in that quest this playlist has a stellar lineup performers, starting with new song selections from Cooper Ray and Lee Roessler. Other performers include New Name, Katy Blythe, Josh Blakesley, Audrey Assad, and Chris Bray to name a few.

Our featured new artist this week is The Project, a musical duo that explores the martyrs, those who, through the centuries, gave their very lives for their faith, their freedoms, their communities and their friends. It’s a real musical treat that you won’t want to miss.

What do you think of the show #51? What song would you like to hear in the next show? Comment and let us know!

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New Featured Artist: The Project

The Martyrs Project

This week on the Catholic Playlist our new featured artist is The Project. Michael Glen Bell & Duane W.H. Arnold, who both just entered the Church this past Easter, form the nucleus of The Project. Their first album is called “Martyrs Prayers”, which they say “is an extraordinary endeavor born out of love – love for the Church, love for music and, perhaps most importantly, love for friends.” The album contains songs that honor those who, through the centuries, gave their very lives for their faith, their freedoms, their communities and their friends. Many of the martyrs honored are familiar names including Archbishop Oscar Romero, Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch and others. The music is an eclectic collection – it ranges from acoustic performances with close knit harmonies to rock to cutting edge experimental – the album offers a little bit of everything to the listener.

On the occasion of the birthday on August 15th of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador who was murdered while he said Holy Mass in 1980, we present the song ‘Romero’. The lyrics of ‘Romero’ are the words of Archbishop Romero, and at the beginning you can hear him and the actual gunshot from that tragic day.

You can learn more about The Project and the music at their website: themartyrsproject.com

You can pick up the album right now here on iTunes:

Please join us in welcoming The Project to the Catholic Playlist Show!

PS: Here’s a video of ‘Romero’!

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Song of the Week – Aug 11, 2014

Fr Pontifex

Our Song of the Week for August 11th 2014 is “Heart of Gold” from Fr Pontifex. Fr. Claude “Dusty” Burns, AKA Fr Pontifex, is pastor at St Philip Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, Indiana, and this song comes from his second album titled “The Symphony and the Static”. Newer listeners to the Catholic Playlist will be surprised to find that Fr Pontifex’s music is hip hop or rap. And while it isn’t the typical kind of music you’d find on Catholic radio, there’s a powerful message for us contained within it that needs to be shared. “Heart of Gold” is about persecution and perseverance, and with the persecution of Christians in Iraq and everywhere around the world, we need to pray and be bold for our brothers and sisters in Christ. As it says in the chorus, “You can bang on these walls but you can’t beat’em down”. Here’s the Catholic Playlist Song of the Week – “Heart of Gold” from Fr Pontifex.

Like this song? Do you have a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter that likes hip hop or rap music? Consider picking up this song for yourself or as a gift for that young person in your life right here on itunes:

Check out the video for “Heart of Gold” too:

“We’re ready to fight but no fists will form, we’ll stand our ground in the raging storm. It’s a place that we go untold, a soul on fire with a heart of gold. Reaching for those in oppression, true love in the world is our weapon. Stand up ‘cause it’s time to be bold, forever livin’ in the heart of gold. You can bang on these walls but you can’t beat em down”

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#50 – Catholic Playlist Show

Catholic Playlist

It’s the BIG 5-0! Thanks to our great listeners this is the 50th Catholic Playlist show and we think it’s the best one yet. We have brand new music from Brandon Fitts of Delmore and a new song from Marie Miller, as well as songs from Steve Angrisano, Tori Harris, Jackie Francois-Angel, Sarah Kroger, Out of Darkness and more. Our featured new artist this week is Andrea Thomas, a talented singer who has recorded with country music star Collin Raye. You can hear both Andrea and Collin in the second segment.

Did you know that virtually all of the artists we play on the show are independent artists? This means that they not only write and perform their own music, but also have to foot the bill for recording studio time, professional mastering, post-production, and so on. Please support these artists by buying their music, or even better, booking them for a conference, parish event or even an intimate house concert. We have some direct links to music on iTunes here on the website with more being added all the time.

What do you think of the show? What song would you like to hear in the next show? Comment and let us know!

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Crowdfunding Opp – Dee Simone

Dee Simone

When the Catholic Playlist show started in July 2013, it was about playing some great contemporary Christian music from Catholic artists on the radio. There are so many talented people who are using their gifts to inspire and spread the joy of the Gospel through the power of music and we’re trying to help them get heard by as many people as possible.

And by doing the show, we’ve discovered that there are many equally as talented people who want to use their gifts too, but need a little help getting there. Recently we featured the campaign of Fr Kevin McGoldrick to help him raise the funds necessary to get his music recorded and released. Thanks be to God and your response his campaign reached and exceeded his goal. And just today, we’ve come across another campaign on IndieGoGo that we want you to know about.

Dee Simone (www.deesimone.com) is a Catholic worship leader and music missionary looking to fund her very first EP titled “Lovesick”. Her campaign on Indiegogo ends on August 5, 2014 and she needs a little help to reach her goal. Check out her campaign here and prayerfully consider making a contribution.

And here’s a new video of her singing the title track: