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The 47th Grammy Award nominations have been announced, and as usual, the list of nominees has its shares of shoo-ins, surprises, and one or two out-of-nowhere selections. In the Best Rock Gospel Album category, nominees include tobyMac's Welcome to Diverse City, Skillet's Collide, Tait's Lose This Life, Sarah Kelly's Take Me Away, and Third Day's Wire; the oddball nominee in this category is a rap compilation that EMI Gospel quietly released early this year titled Taking the Gospel to the Streets. The Pop/Contemporary list is a bit more conventional, with names like Steven Curtis Chapman (All Things New), Nicole C. Mullen (Everyday People), Avalon (The Creed), and Jars of Clay (Who We Are Instead) sharing the bill; the rarity in this group is an indie album titled Rising Son, by duo RainSong (don't ask). The fiercest battle will be happening in the Contemporary Soul Gospel category, which boasts names like Smokie Norful (Nothing Without You), Israel & New Breed (Live From Another Level), Tonéx (Out the Box), Fred Hammond (Somethin' 'Bout Love), and Bishop T.D. Jakes (He-Motions).

Other Grammy nominees worth noting are U2, which received three nominations in various categories for their single "Vertigo"; Loretta Lynn, whose marvelous Van Lear Rose received five nominations in a number of country categories; the fire-and-brimstone cut "Jesus Walks" by rapper Kanye West, which received mentions in the Song of the Year and Best Rap Song categories (West garnered a whopping ten nominations overall); plus Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama, Buddy Miller, the Crabb Family, and Randy Travis, all of whom garnered miscellaneous nods.

Controversy continues to surround Evanescence, whose recently released CD/DVD combo, Anywhere But Home, resulted in a lawsuit against retail giant Wal-Mart, Wind-up Records (the band's label), and Sony BMG (the company that distributes their music). The suit blames Wind-up Records for failing to include a parental advisory sticker on the album's packaging, noting its cover of Korn's "Thoughtless," which drops a couple of f-bombs in the song. The family that filed the complaint is seeking the removal of the project from store shelves as well as $74,500 in monetary damages. In 2003, Evanescence had said some things that irritated Christian retailers.

There's good news and bad news regarding MarsILL. The bad news is that Gotee has decided to push back the release of their new album, Propain, to June 2005, so that they can give it a better promotional push. The good news is that those dismayed by the constant delay can now get their hands on the brand-new indie album, Pirate Radio. Composed of 13 original tracks and one lost gem ("You Can't Stop"), the web-exclusive album was tailored especially for those who have been patiently waiting for the duo's forthcoming project.

Jeremy Thiessen of Canadian rock group downhere is auctioning off 20 of his dreadlocks on eBay. The band's newsletter doesn't specify what the funds will be used for, but Thiessen reveals that the proceeds will be used to make a life-changing purchase that will make a special girl very, very happy. To find out more information about this auction as well as to get your hands on this "piece of history," as the band calls it, you can view the details right here.

Jaci Velasquez and A'postrophe Records are giving away two free song downloads the month of December from each of the label's new artists, Michael Cook and Grand Prize, before their CDs are in the stores. Fans who visit Apostrophe Records and provide their name and e-mail address receive a link to a page that features a download of "Lately," from Cook's debut Imprint, and "It's Not Over," from Grand Prize's upcoming Identity. Both projects are due in January.

Chris Rice and Rocketown Records will release the 15-track Snapshots: Live and Fan Favorites in February, highlighting some of Rice's early intimate performances and fan favorites that were not included on Short Term Memories. The singer/songwriter will also partner with radio stations for a Spring tour that is expected to hit 40+ markets. If that's not enough for Rice, indie site eb+flo has also made available Live By Faith, a limited-edition album that Rice released in 1994 during his independent days.

'Tis the season of giving at eb+flo Records, whose online home includes a special page loaded with Christmas freebies for your listening enjoyment. There you'll find yuletide downloads by the likes of Chris Rice, Steven Delopoulos, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Phil Keaggy, Monroe Jones, and Kenny Meeks, among others.

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