By Andy Argyrakis
THIRD DAY ON DVD
Even though Third Day’s rockin’ on the road during this
fall’s monumental “Music Builds Tour,” fans can also flashback to its recent Christmas
Offerings concert on Essential’s DVD
souvenir. The 2007 project was the latest chapter in the band’s acclaimed Offerings series and found the group putting a southern spin
on cuts like “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “What Child Is This?” and “Angels We Have Heard On High.” Add in
some holiday originals, plus an encore with hits “God of Wonders and “Creed,”
and this installment serves multiple shoppers looking to check off a quality
collection.
MORE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONS
In terms of Christmas CDs, Casting Crowns leads the pack
with Peace On Earth (Beach
Street/Reunion), supported by a tour featuring Natalie
Grant, Denver & The Mile High Orchestra, Avalon, Michael English and PureNRG.
Indie favorites turned recent Essential act Annie Moses Band drop This
Glorious Christmas, while Sixpence None the
Richer comes out of the woodwork to offer the like-minded The Dawn of
Grace (Nettwerk). That latter act also
promises a proper full-length in support at the tip of 2009, sure to cement its
highly anticipated reunion.
ANOTHER NEW LOOK AT OLD U2
It’s also beginning to look a lot like Christmas for U2
fans, and no, that doesn’t mean the Dublin-foursome is finally releasing a
holiday project. Instead, Bono and the boys are continuing their remastered,
re-release tradition, this time dusting off the classic concert film and
subsequent soundtrack Under the Blood Red Sky (Island). For those needing a quick refresher course, this was taped
against the breathtaking backdrop of Colorado’s Red Rocks and also marked the
band’s first-ever live recording. The set list is also strewn with several
faith-inspired selections, like “Surrender, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and most
overtly, “40.”
For a complete list of new and upcoming albums, check out our new releases page.