Sixpence None the Richer has made available a four-song EP called My Dear Machine on Noise Trade, a site that lets artists market their music virally. Fans may download the album for free when they email three friends about it, or else can name their own price and download it on the spot. (Other artists offering music at the site include Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Judd and Maggie, and Waterdeep.) The digital bundle—which includes the songs "Amazing Grace (Give It Back)," "Around," "My Dear Machine," and "Sooner Than Later"—acts as a prelude to The Dawn of Grace, Sixpence's first Christmas album, scheduled for an October 14 release.

The legendary Soul Stirrers will return September 23 with A Soul Stirring Reunion, a keepsake album that brings together various members from different eras in the lifetime of the renowned gospel quartet, including LeRoy and Arthur Crume, Eddie Huffman, Willie Rogers, and Luther Gamble. Inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, the Stirrers are best known for launching the career of Sam Cooke and influencing countless trends in music, including doo wop and R&B. To sample A Soul Stirring Reunion, click here.

On August 19, David Crowder Band will issue their Remedy Club Tour CD/DVD, a project that marks the first full-length concert video from the group. The DVD portion of the 16-track release is packed with features, including 5.1 surround sound, a 15-minute documentary, an instructional section to learn how to play the tour's songs, and chord and lyric subtitles. In addition, look out for upcoming screenings of the project at select theater locations nationwide.

Integrity Music and Relevant magazine have partnered to send one fan of Hillsong United to Sydney, Australia on an all-expenses-paid trip to the band's Encounterfest Conference in October. The grand prize includes airfare, weeklong accommodations, meals, and a complimentary registration to the conference. In addition, a first-place winner will receive an autographed guitar and Hillsong United CD catalog, while 25 second-place contestants will receive a CD and a DVD. Click here for more details on the contest, which runs through August 21.

Marvin Winans Jr. — son of gospel veterans Marvin Winans Sr. and Vickie Winans — has eyed September 30 as the release date of Image of a Man, his solo debut after a brief stint with the urban gospel group Winans Phase 2. Produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the Caribbean-styled first single "You Never Let Me Down" is already on iTunes and other digital music providers. Besides Jerkins, other producers involved with the project include Fred Jerkins, Noel "Detail" Fisher, and newcomer David Garcia. To sample some tunes, visit Winans' website or his MySpace page.

The fourth project from worship leader Charlie Hall, The Bright Sadness, will see the light of day August 19 on sixteps Records/EMI. "The human experience can be really beautiful or really messy, sometimes at the same time," Hall says. "I try to take those experiences and put them into prayers or statements of faith in terms that don't deny the experience, but view them through the constant reality of Jesus." The Bright Sadness was produced by David Hodges (formerly of Evanescence) and Kendall Combes (a member of Hall's band).

Several tracks from indie hip-hop label Illect Recordings are featured as free downloads on eMusic.com, the iTunes of indie and progressive music. Deepspace5, Sev Statik, Freddie Bruno, Dert, and Scribbling Idiots are just some of the veteran and underground acts featured in the free promotion, which can be found by clicking here.

© Andree Farias, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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