tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-377406632012-07-13T09:10:29.589-04:00Music, books, movies, TV and moreJoanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-12970400220909664622008-06-25T09:45:00.004-04:002008-06-25T09:48:14.311-04:00

It's official! I am the Christian music blogger at Beliefnet. com. As a result, I won't be updating this blog any more.Head over to the Gospel SoundCheck blog at Beliefnet.com for all the latest on Christian music. Bookmark this site! It's got a weird url. http://blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck/All other commentary about pop culture or media will be part of any regular blogging I do on my own

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-74818210529215182082008-01-29T12:51:00.001-05:002008-01-29T12:52:02.165-05:00

For the next couple of weeks, I'm blogging about Christian music at Beliefnet.com. Visit the Idol Chatter blog to read about pureNRG, CCM Magazine, Sanctus Real, and more!

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-26329601330803915852008-01-19T14:48:00.001-05:002008-01-19T14:53:53.266-05:00

Here's some business news that's a sign of the changing times:Salem Publishing will cease publication of the print version of CCM Magazine. April will be the last issue.CCM has been the standard in music magazines for three decades, and the move to a web-only presence is a sign that readership for print publications is declining.Is it cost? Is it the timely way publications can respond to news

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-4206206820390062892008-01-12T17:43:00.001-05:002008-01-12T19:04:42.129-05:00

I know this is old news - as in, it happened 10 months ago - but the band just started working with a national publicist, and are getting ready to release their first national project. Because I love the band and I think this is big news, I'm reporting it.Last March, rock worship artists Re:Zound made international history when they became the first openly Christian band to play in public in

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-86971691254400090692008-01-02T13:44:00.000-05:002008-01-02T13:47:45.926-05:00

Caedmon’s Call’s lyrically compelling song about redemption, “Ten Thousand Angels,” will receive a rare and lengthy showcase on the January 10 episode of the ABC hit drama series “Grey’s Anatomy.” Featuring vocals by Derek Webb, the song will play for five consecutive minutes during an emotionally charged final scene.“It’s an honor to be asked to help carry some of the emotional weight of a

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-2992657456356991252007-12-27T16:20:00.000-05:002007-12-27T16:23:51.776-05:00

I got a card the other day from one of the soldiers that received the care package I sent a couple of weeks ago via www.anysoldier.com. He said the troops were thankful for the goodies, especially the DVDs, since watching movies is how they pass much of their down time.I checked the blogs for two of the other soldiers and found that they've been dropped from the program because no one has heard

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-53037626994534829002007-12-26T09:34:00.000-05:002007-12-26T09:37:47.650-05:00

Friday night Fox's "Next Great American Band" aired it's final show and announced the winner of the month's long fan-driven search for America's favorite band. The winner? The Clark Brothers.Throughout the show I've been a big fan of them and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. (Yes, I voted ...) I predicted The Clark Brothers would win when they got up on stage and did their version of "This

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-44797250823619774582007-11-29T11:54:00.000-05:002007-11-29T12:25:05.350-05:00

At our writing group last week, one of the members suggested a book called Left to Tell, by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Being a bibliophile, and knowing that Shelley and I seem to like the same kind of books, I bought a copy and read it in a few days.Left To Tell is the story of Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. who escaped alive by living for three months in a bathroom 3' x 4' ..

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-17622068052400832752007-11-10T11:19:00.001-05:002007-11-10T12:10:18.587-05:00

And while we're talking about Denver and the Mile High Orchestra, congrats to Denver and his wife Amy on the birth of their daughter, London. She joins big brother, Boston. (Hmmm, what's the fascination with city names ...). You can read more here.

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-12417188469079918242007-11-10T11:04:00.001-05:002007-11-10T12:15:49.366-05:00

It's been a while since I posted here. I've been working on a book and not so much entertainment. Thank goodness for Dan, who is screening the movies!I wanted to tip you off, if you haven't already watched, to The Next Great American Band, which airs Fridays on FOX. It's an American Idol-esque talent show for bands.Besides the fact that the show is a hoot, Denver and the Mile High Orchestra are

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-63918087777262433032007-10-08T15:49:00.000-04:002007-10-08T15:55:11.925-04:00

Gone Baby GoneReviewed by Dan KulpSomewhere between “Mystic River” (Sean Penn) and “8MM”(Nicholas Cage) lies “Gone Baby Gone,” starring Casey Affleck and directed by his brother Ben. This disturbing tale about child abduction is at times uneven in it's story telling, but always gripping. Working and lower level class neighborhoods of Boston provide the setting for what ultimately becomes a

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-22552829176273811142007-09-27T15:24:00.000-04:002007-09-27T15:56:04.141-04:00

“The Kingdom” Packs a lot into an Entertaining Punchreviewed by Dan KulpAction flick. Political thriller. Investigative drama. The new film directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, called “The Kingdom”, attempts to squeeze all of these elements into one gripping film. For less adept directors, this would be too large of a task that could easily overwhelm audiences with an uneven and overly

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-33661933457000360062007-09-18T11:24:00.000-04:002007-09-18T12:10:44.026-04:00

One of the benefits of this job is that I occasionally recieve DVDs for review. One of the best things to hit the What's Up mailbox this year has been The Waltons - The Complete Fourth Season and The Waltons - The Complete Fifth Season.With the end of summer reruns making network television super boring, we've been working our way through episodes of one of televisions premiere family dramas.

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-5993777967171623742007-09-13T13:46:00.000-04:002007-09-13T13:51:39.300-04:00

Once in a while I take a peek at the Billboard Top 200 Album’s chart, just to see what Christian artists are there and how they're doing against their mainstream counterparts. I'm a firm believer that great music made by Christians can compete against any artist in the mainstream. On this week's chart (9/22/07):- After two weeks on the chart, Casting Crowns’ The Altar and The Door sits at #4 -

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-25083974223604913302007-09-11T11:37:00.001-04:002007-09-11T11:38:48.078-04:00

Check out the trailer for "Indoctrinate U" from documentary filmmaker Evan Maloney:

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-69543340837927930582007-09-11T11:09:00.000-04:002007-09-11T11:37:00.483-04:00

The American Film Renassiance is hosting their DC Film Festival, September 26-29 2007, in Washington, DC. Among the film's being screened:Indoctrinate UFilmmaker Evan Maloney crossed the country for two years learning about campus life and what he found was shocking: professors persecuting student members of a conservative club at Cal Poly and University of Tennessee, divisive racial and ethnic

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-6641609813466152032007-09-11T10:55:00.000-04:002007-09-11T11:07:58.192-04:00

In conjunction with American Film Renaissance's DC Film Festival, held this September 26-29 in Washington, DC, the Leadership Institute is hosting a workshop on how to create documentaries.The mission of the Leadership Institute is "to identify, recruit, train, and place conservatives in politics, government, and the media."Workshop participants will learn from industry professionals how to

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-87117136488657098002007-09-07T11:23:00.000-04:002007-09-07T11:38:34.698-04:00

I just got notice that Holy Cow, the book by Hope Egan addressing the dietary laws of the Old Testament and how they apply to our lives today. It may sound like a boring topic, but trust me: it's a thoughtful exploration of God's laws about what foods we eat, written in easy-to-understand language and without lengthy theological dissertations. I read the book in 2005 and am glad it's done so well

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-34628490076039527052007-09-07T11:19:00.000-04:002007-09-07T11:21:48.528-04:00

Just a quick note to tell you to check out the personal blog for Jeremy Thiessen, drummer for the band downhere. Jeremy's a friend and he always has great insight into pop culture, life and faith.

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-26971757712262082422007-09-05T14:30:00.000-04:002007-09-05T14:57:29.459-04:00

(L to R: Jeremy Thiessen, Marc Martel, Jason Germain, Glenn Lavender)Fans of the rock group Downhere have a chance to chat live with the band this Saturday, September 8th at Noon central time. The guys will have lots to talk about.The band recently returned from Northern Ireland, where they opened for Chris Tomlin. On September 30th, they will perform at a live event featuring author Lee Strobel

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-47310459839757566132007-09-04T19:47:00.000-04:002007-09-05T14:57:58.774-04:00

September 4th marks the release of Won't Fade Away, the first new project in 10 years from Dove Award nominee and gold-selling recording artist Rick Cua.After a career in both mainstream and Christian music that includes two gold records with the legendary group, The Outlaws, 11 solo albums and a half-dozen #1 hit songs on Christian radio, this 12-song collection of rock worship anthems pairs Cua

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-80274309510048829962007-08-29T20:48:00.000-04:002007-09-14T11:18:43.252-04:00

(photo caption L to R: Jimmy Olander, Diamond Rio; Gene Johnson, Diamond Rio; Marty Rowe, Diamond Rio; Rod Riley, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Word Label Group; Dana Williams, Diamond Rio; Susan Riley, Senior Vice President of A&R and Publishing, Word Label Group; Dan Truman, Diamond Rio; Brian Prout, Diamond Rio)One of Country music’s premiere recording groups, Diamond Rio, has signed

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-13926123378189083622007-08-29T10:36:00.000-04:002007-08-29T10:40:44.752-04:00

Get ready to be caught up in a tornado of laughter and song as Big Idea, Inc. presents your favorite Veggie pals in the all-new family adventure, VeggieTales: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s, the story of a prodigal son. Through creative re-telling of one of the most recognized Bible stories of all time — the story of the prodigal son – VeggieTales: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s delivers a compelling

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-68574404917131288722007-08-24T12:09:00.000-04:002007-08-24T12:11:27.790-04:00

The "Live In This Moment" Tour with Steven Curtis Chapman and special guests Sanctus Real and Bethany Dillon hits the road Sept. 20th. A limited number of premium seating tickets will be available in most markets through an exclusive sale at StevenCurtisChapman.com or by clicking here.

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37740663.post-23089382589570180512007-07-26T11:09:00.000-04:002007-07-26T11:14:33.418-04:00

The Hands & Feet Project is now the home of 18-day-old Christela Belle, an unwanted newborn baby girl thrown down a 28-foot outhouse hole by her 15-year-old mother and left for dead shortly after she was born on Sunday, July 8, 2007.Rescued by a local teenage boy, Toussaint, who attempted to retrieve her before calling police, Christela has now been placed in the protection of the Hands & Feet

Joanne Brokawnoreply@blogger.com0