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ROCKETOWN SIGNS THE SWIFT

Rocketown Records has signed four-piece pop band The Swift. The band will release its third national album and Rocketown debut, Singing Back to You, Oct. 10 before heading out on a 30-plus-city fall tour with labelmate The Turning and special guest Josh Wilson.

Founded as a worship band in North Carolina in 1998, piano man/vocalist Britt Edwards and bassist/vocalist Mike Simons still form the core of The Swift, which followed up its 2002 self-titled debut with 2004's Today. Piano-driven and vertically focused, Singing Back to You unveils the band's deepening maturity and dynamic musicianship with stylistic leanings reminiscent of Keane and Ben Folds.

"All our records have been and will continue to be worshipful because that's such a big part of what we've always done live," says Edwards. "I call this our 'official' worship record because this is the first one that we've really concentrated totally on worship and what that means to us. With this record we are seeing God as a wonderful creator who has been, in a sense, singing to us through the beauty of creation, and this album is our response."

For more information and updated tour dates, visit The-Swift.com or RocketownRecords.com.

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RE-ELECT YOUR HIP-HOP MAYOR!

Beatmart Recordings says Bobby Bishop is proud to announce the re-release of his critically-acclaimed debut:

"This time around, he's throwing in something extra special. Last spring Bobby was hard at work on an EP, appropriately entitled One Shot, and now it's time to make it available to the masses. With five new songs, the One Shot EP is a modern day hip-hopera, and should not be missed."

More info online at Beatmart.com.

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JAM-MASTER PHIL KEAGGY

Legendary guitarist, Grammy nominee and Dove Award winner Phil Keaggy is excited to release of his latest album, JAMMED! (TAG Artist Group). The instrumental album spans three decades of Keaggy's work, showcasing his amazing God-given talent and blending the genres of rock, blues and funk with hints of fusion and jazz.

The album also features many of Keaggy's longtime friends and collaborators-all of whom are renowned musicians in their own right-including drummer Keith Carlock (Sting, Steely Dan), former WhiteHeart bassist Anthony Salee, BlackHawk drummer Mike Radovsky, bassist Spencer Campbell (Amy Grant, Kenny Rogers) and drummer John Sferra, who co-founded the legendary band Glass Harp with Keaggy in 1970.

The CD production notes, penned by Keaggy himself, reveal the thoughts and personal stories behind each of these tracks, giving listeners an inside look at this virtuoso and his boundless mastery of the guitar.

For additional information about Phil Keaggy and his new album, JAMMED!, visit PhilKeaggy.com.

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U2 -- OFF THE RECORD (SORT OF)

U2 news site @U2 reports that an unauthorized rare recording featuring three members of U2 from 1981 -- a presentation Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. made to a weekend retreat for Christian musicians -- is now available for sale:

"Dream Depot advertises its U2's Vision CD as a "never before available" recording. Its web site says: "Be inspired by Bono, the Edge and Larry talking about the spiritual roots of U2 at a music seminar in 1981. Drawing heavily on Old Testament prophets, they explain their vision for the band and sound a warning to the Christian music scene."

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FEAR COMES TO KANNER LAKE

Thriller writer Brandilyn Collins' ambitious online campaign for her new Kanner Lake series launched this week: Scenes and Beans is a multi-character blog written by the characters who populate Kanner Lake.

Starting tomorrow, the first 12 chapters of Violet Dawn will be serialized on the Kanner Lake Web site for seven weeks. Sign up here to receive an email notification when the new chapters are posted each Friday (one to two a week). For every 20 who sign up, one wins an autographed copy of Violet Dawn.

Related links:

Q&A: BRANDILYN COLLINS (Web of Lies)

Q&A: TL HINES (Waking Lazarus)

Q&A: ROBERT LIPARULO (Comes A Horseman)

Q&A: KATHRYN MACKEL (The Hidden)

Q&A: CRESTON MAPES (Full Tilt)

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POLL: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE "CCM LIST-O-RAMA"?

Part One

Part Two

(Poll closes July 6.)

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WHAT'S THE BUZZ AT CHRIS WELL: LEARNING CURVE

01. THE THRILLER AWARDS

02. SUMMER ARTS SERIES: THE PERFECT ROMANCE

03. CHECKING IN WITH KANNER LAKE

04. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NOVELIST!

05. "JULIA, DON'T FREAK OUT -- "

06. FIRST DAY: JADE

07. ITW: TL HINES, PT 3 (Waking Lazarus)

08. "EVELYN" IS WHAT IT IS

09. FLEE THE APPEARANCE OF EVEL (Web Banner)

10. GUARDIAN LINE TO LAUNCH THIS SEPT.

11. MARVEL'S CIVIL WAR

12. ARE YOU MONKISH?

13. GET THE KUTLESS ISSUE OF CCM FREE!!!

14. 100 GREATEST CHRISTIAN SONGS

15. SPIDER-MAN 3 TRAILER!

16. Q&A: ANNE RICE (Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt)

17. Q&A: RANDY SINGER (Self Incrimination)

18. ROBIN PARRISH: RELENTLESS (Relentless)

19. THE SECRET CONNECTION BETWEEN CCM AND C.S. LEWIS

20. ONCE UPON A TIME: VERTIGO SUBMISSIONS

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FLEE THE APPEARANCE OF EVEL

Deliver Us From Evelyn (Harvest House Publishers)

Everyone from the Feds to the mob is scrambling to find the husband of heartless media mogul Evelyn Blake. But nobody can decide which is worse -- that he is missing, or that she is not ...

First chapter online

First chapter pdf

FREE NEWSLETTER: Well Read

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http://www.StudioWell.com

http://www.myspace.com/chriswellnovelist

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