RED Updates Fans on Recent Accident

At the end of November, RED endured a serious van accident. Here, the band gives an update on life following the accident...

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to fill you all in on the latest. Since the news of the accident, emails and phone calls came pouring in so thank you all for your overwhelming support. We have recieved over 2000 emails so we will not be able to reply to them all but know that we will at least read them all.

I will not even begin to go into detail about our injuries because Kelly is the most important thing right now. We are banged up but Kelly will be off his feet for at least a month, maybe 2. He is in OK at a burn center. We talk to him every day and it has been difficult so far to carry on a converstion with him because of his pain medication, but he assures us that he is ok and he is in great spirits. He just wants to heal and get back to doing what he loves.

Alot of people want to know "what kind of band RED is" We are a group of guys that beileve in something bigger than all of us...someone who reveals himself to us in sometimes the most extreme ways...God. If that concerns you, we can't apologize. We believe that it is he that allows us the life experiences that we all learn from and cherish enough to write songs about. Songs that will encourage others to get out of their own situations and find hope. It is supposed to be about the music!

What have we learned??? We have learned that life can be given and taken in a second. Life is a gift to be cherished with friends and family and we cant spend our time here hating and judging each other. Inspiring others to do something good is our business and you guys are our family out on the road. Gear is replaceable but people are not and when something really bad happens, our friends and family are who we call first.

SOMETHING GOOD ALWAYS COMES FROM SOMETHING BAD...AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS...

RANDY_RED

Da' T.R.U.T.H. on "My Super Sweet 16"?

Da' T.R.U.T.H. will be a featured performer on the MTV hit reality show "My Super Sweet 16," airing January 1, 2008, as part of a private celebration honoring the daughter of mega-church pastor Rev. R.A. Vernon of The Word Church in Cleveland, Ohio.

Unlike the usual outrageous, over-the-top behavior that is a staple of the MTV show, the celebration for Rev. Vernon's daughter highlighted Christian values. Among the more than 500 invited guests were needy teens who showed up at the church recently for a school supplies giveaway." In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Miss Vernon stated, "I wanted everybody to know Christian girls can have fun. It's not about the money. It's not about the flashy stuff."

Hawk Nelson's New Album is Coming!

Hawk Nelson's BRAND NEW single "Friend Like That" is available now on iTunes from their forthcoming 4.1.08 release, Hawk Nelson Is My Friend.

For more info on Hawk Nelson, check out www.hawknelson.com.

Blood: Water Mission Wins "MySpace Impact Award"

Blood: Water Mission has been announced the winner of their "MySpace Impact Awards" contest for December, 2007! For those unfamiliar with Blood:Water, the organization was founded by the Jars Of Clay boys several years ago to fight the poverty and sickness in Africa. Also, the winner of "MySpace Impact Awards" receives $10,000 in support!

About Blood:Water Mission:
When Dan Haseltine, Jars of Clay's lead singer, visited Africa in 2002, he had to struggle to accept what he saw. Poverty and physical and social suffering in Africa shook him, challenged him, and changed him.

Haseltine returned overwhelmed by despair, transformed by hope and called to action. He came back with a vision for clean blood and clean water in Africa -- blood free of the HIV virus and water free of parasites and bacteria that cause AIDS patients and others undue suffering. He and his band mates envisioned this orphaned continent to be transformed through the installation of Christ's sacrificial symbols of blood and water.

Jars of Clay's main audience are the church and young people across the nation. The band knows that both populations are uniquely equipped to respond to world suffering and injustice. The band members saw a shining opportunity for people to offer Gods hand of mercy in the broken places. They believed that through bringing the crisis to the minds and hearts of Americans and through presenting opportunities to make a positive tangible impact in Africa, lives would be transformed both here and there.

This, then, is the Blood:Water Mission, committed to clean blood and clean water to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, to build clean wells in Africa, to support medical facilities caring for the sick, to make a lasting impact in the fight against poverty, injustice and oppression in Africa through the linking of needs, talents and continents, of people and resources.

For more information on Jars Of Clay, check out www.jarsofclay.com.

Kevin Max Releases New Album Early

If you can't wait til next Wednesday for a physical copy of Kevin Max's new gospel album, The Blood? No problem! Kevin has released The Blood for purchase and download in its entirety on iTunes as of yesterday, December 18th. You will find the album on iTunes.

For more info on Kevin's new project, check out www.theblood.org.

The Myriad Wins MTV2's Dew Circuit Breakout

MTV2 has announced KOCH Record’s Seattle-based alternative rock band The Myriad as winner of the 2007 “MTV2 Dew Circuit Breakout.” The Top 3 Finalists were flown to New York City to perform during the Dew Circuit Breakout Finale, LIVE from MTV’s TRL studio in Times Square, where The Myriad was announced as the winners.

The band was immediately thrown back on stage to star in their very first MTV music video for “A Clean Shot” for on-air rotation on MTV and MTV2. In addition, they'll grab some air time on Discover & Download and Unleashed, where the latest, most anticipated, most cutting-edge work from the biggest players in rock and hip hop premiere on MTV2. The Myriad’s songs are also slated for inclusion in the red-hot video game “Rock Band,” published by MTV Games, distributed by Electronic Arts Partners as downloadable tracks, and available for Xbox 360 and PS3.

To feed the band’s fast growing fanbase, a special digital EP Prelude To Arrows, that includes five songs plus a special bonus track as a sneak preview of the upcoming album, has been released. Prelude To Arrows is available online at iTunes, Rhapsody, and other digital services. A limited edition CD version is also available on the band’s website at www.themyriad.net.

Chasen Gets Signed!

OMG Records has announced the signing of the band Chasen to an exclusive recording agreement. The group is composed of lead singer Chasen Callahan along with guitarist Evan Silver and drummer Aaron Lord. Their debut recording, Shine Through The Stars, set for release in the spring of 2008.

“I love watching a new generation of great musicians like Chasen move into the musical landscape,” said award-winning singer/songwriter and OMG partner, Edwin McCain. “There are big things in store for this band, and I’m thrilled to have them as a part of the OMG family.”

In advance of the release of Shine Through The Stars, the label has launched the project’s first radio single, “Crazy Beautiful,” to an overwhelming response. The song is currently in the Top 10 at Christian radio and continues to gain momentum.

Chasen’s early success isn’t limited to radio, as the band has already toured extensively throughout the fall, including opening slots for Relient K, NEEDTOBREATHE, and mainstream rock band Sister Hazel. Chasen is currently headlining the “All Hearts Home” Christmas tour with special guest Jeremy Horn.

For more info on Chasen, check out www.myspace.com/chasen.

NeedToBreathe Has a New FREE Christmas Single

Southern rockers NeedToBreathe, are joining in the Christmas spirit by temporarily streaming an exclusive cover of the Christmas tune, "Go Tell It On The Mountain" on their MySpace page.

For twelve days, the band is giving away the song as a download for FREE! So don't delay in surfing on over to www.myspace.com/needtobreathe and downloading the track!

Mars ILL Releasing New Album Independently

Rap duo Mars ILL released their Pro*Pain album last year. Now DJ Dust has remixed the record as Slow Flame, releasing it exclusively through the band on December 17th. The project is available as a CD or digital download...

"First there was ProPain 2004. Then there was ProPain 2006, and finally we have Slow Flame 2007."

"Fall in love again for the very first time. Ever wonder what it would be like to re-live those precious first moments again, like your first step, your first kiss, or the very first time you ran in the snow? Well today's the day. Mars ILL is offering Slow Flame, the totally re-worked classic, ProPain. Listen to your favorite album again for the first time, re-created from top to bottom by Dust."

"Every song and interlude meticulously revamped with a new sonic soundscape (TOTALLY new production). Play this one alongside the original and see which is better. Take songs from both and make your own version, maybe call it SlowPain or ProFlame, the combinations are endless. Slow Flame comes in a mini-LP sleeve. These are going to be collectors items, so don't miss out. YES... there is more... Also included on the disc are 2 BRAND NEW songs. Dust and Manchild bring you "Feelin' So High" and "Run Wonderland" exclusive to Slow Flame. Hold on, there's still more. Also included on the disc are the 3 songs left off of the 2006 version of ProPain... "Loud," "Moment," and "All Out," completing the ProPain experience."

For more info on Mars ILL, check out www.marsill.com.

Aaron Shust Has Free Christmas Download

For a second year in a row, worship leader Aaron Shust has released a brand new Christmas song for free online for fans to download. To get this year's recording of "Silent Night," visit www.aaronshustmedia.com/holiday/ and www.brickmanmedia.com/shust/ to get last year's "O Come Emmanuel!"

Skillet's John Cooper a Criminal?

Skillet's frontman John Cooper released a newsletter updating fans on the latest happenings with the band. This is great!

Hey everybody what’s up! Skillet here wishing everybody a happy holiday! We just finished our last shows until Christmas and we are enjoying about two weeks off! Not including tour rehearsals for next year of course. We can't afford to take too much time off and end up not being ready to rock faces! Speaking of, a fan in Indiana last Saturday night told me after the show that he was still trying to find his face and put it back on cause we ROCKED HIS FACE OFF BABY. I just wanna wish him well on his efforts...

So what has Skillet been up to? Everything! We have been touring hard this year, and getting geared up to tour even harder next year. As many of you know, we are going out on the Winter Jam tour with Mercy Me, Barlow Girl and Newsong starting in January. Directly after the tour, we are finally beginning our own HEADLINING TOUR for "Comatose" with Thousand Foot Krutch!!! Lots of people have always wanted to see that pair in a concert and we are finally making it happen. Included in all of the business, we are announcing the release of the "Skillet Comatose Deluxe Edition." This release has extra music, videos, making of the record footage, and most importantly to me, a NEW rock song that I produced myself that has never been released before! Lastly, we have semi-begun working on new music for our next studio project. So there is a lot of work in store!

Other things that have happened in the last month or so...of course the bus has broken down. There can be no Skillet without that. I had my first really bad experience with the police in which I considered maybe I was going to be on "Cops" when we were passing through South Carolina. I was walking from the movie theater to the hotel at night. The walk was about a mile or so and it was freezing, so I had a coat and a hood on. Before I knew it, there were three cop cars with me bent over the hood and I was being interrogated and felt for weapons. Finally I was told that there had been a robbery in the area and I matched the description. Something about a "white male that looks flippin cool as heck." The cops asked me if I had any weapons on me and all I could think of was, "Well yeah, but I got a license for these guns!" Then I would proceed in my mind with flexing my arms Hulk Hogan style. I did not do that, but just the thought of it made me giggle a little...moron. Note to self: bad jokes are even less funny when you are being questioned in a robbery.

Cool things: We have had a lot of award nominations and accolades given to us. Some have been nominated by people involved in the music industry and some have been from fans like you guys voting for us. I just want to thank everyone who took the time to call a station or vote online for anything for us! We keep playing music that we hope you guys will like and we will NEVER stop giving back to you who have helped bring us here! Included in the "awards" I mentioned, we have been nominated for a Grammy for "Gospel Rock Album of the Year!"

Final thoughts: I sometimes mention in my emails what my kids are up to for those of you who care. My daughter is legendarily cute, and she has left me speechless with some truth that I feel the world needs to know. This morning she said, "Mom and Dad, if I was a superhero, I wouldn't tell you guys." Knowing that I have taught my daughter to keep her secret identity safe so that she may change the world is something I am very proud of. For instance, the world does not know that I possess "the one ring..." Remember that and keep it in your heart during the holidays...and as always, stand and stay strong.

- John Cooper

For more info on Skillet, check out www.skillet.com.

Cross Movement Gets Nominated!

Two of Cross Movement Records artists, The Cross Movement and Da' T.R.U.T.H., have received nominations in the Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album category for the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will take place February 10, 2008 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

The GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from 8:00-11:30 p.m. EST/PT on CBS in high definition TV and 5.1 surround sound. The Cross Movement is nominated for their latest project, HIStory: Our Place in His Story, while Da' T.R.U.T.H. is nominated for his new project, Open Book. For a full list of nominees, visit www.grammy.com.

For more about The Cross Movement or Da' T.R.U.T.H., check out, www.datruth.net, myspace.com/truthonduty or www.crossmovementrecords.com.

Kutless Has Secret Web Site!

Kutless has entered the studio once again to record a brand new album, they've released a special, "secret site" for fans to keep tabs on what's going on. The band released on their blog...

"Yes it true, Kutless has officially begun the recording process for their new album to be released Summer 2008. They have put up a site Exclusive Kutless (http://www.exclusivekutless.com/) that will allow fans to have a look at the entire recording process - video, blogs, photos... you name it! Make sure you stop by and say hello."

Here is the first entry on ExclusiveKutless.com, from Nick to fans...

"So we are officialy up and running with the recording process. We began recording our first song today and it is going very well! We'll have som efresh video clips up soon, but you can see a few new photos on the photo page now. Click HERE to view them now. We'll be in touch soon. We hope you are all doing well!"

- Nick

Pillar Receives Grammy Nomination

Pillar, one of the biggest selling Rock bands in Christian Music history, received its first-ever GRAMMY nomination. The band received the nomination in the category of Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album for The Reckoning.

Pillar front man Rob Beckley, who is currently in Germany preparing to take the stage for a concert, shares:

“Musically speaking, it doesn’t get any higher than this. The only way to top what has happened today, would be to win this GRAMMY Award. After all of our years on the road and in the studio, there are few words to fully capture our feeling during this moment. We totally love what we are privileged to do; and that’s play rock and roll for a living, and be a part of seeing people’s lives changed in the process.”

The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on “GRAMMY Sunday,” Feb. 10, 2008, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

For more on Pillar, check out www.pillarmusic.com.

Showbread Has 2 New Albums

Showbread has not only announced a new album to be released in the Spring, but have announced TWO new albums released on the very same day. Here is what the band has to say about the project dubbed Anorexia Nervosa...

"We have finished recording our new record; it is now going to be mixed by Ulrich wild. As we've said many times over, Showbread prefers recreating the band's musical tone with every album, this album is no exception… The first thing that makes this record special is the fact that it is TWO records. When the release date finally comes in the spring, Showbread will be releasing TWO new albums on the same day, each with twelve completely different songs."

"One album is called Anorexia and the other is called Nervosa. The second special thing about these records is that they are soundtracks to a story called Anorexia Nervosa which is split into two, ten chapter segments, one segment comes included with one record and the second comes with the other. As you read the story, the album acts as a musical accompaniment to the text."

"Musically, the sound is some of the most lush, organic as well as some of the most harsh, synthetic material we've ever done. It's sweeping and ominous, then jagged and screeching. In addition to the two albums that will be released in stores, a limited printing of a special edition package will be made available for everyone who wants the most in depth experience of "Anorexia Nervosa" possible. We're excited to bring you more updates about both albums in the coming months. Thank you and may raw rock kill you forever and ever amen."

For more on showbread, check out www.showbread.net.

The First Feed

The First Edition of the Fuse Feed!