Alumni and students cranking out the music this spring

Last week, we shared news of the release of 2001 alumna Laura Cooksey’s debut album, Unshakeable. In less than 24 hours, the release reached No. 11 on iTunes for Christian/gospel albums. But as it turns out, that’s far from the only Baylor-related happening in the world of music.

That same day saw two other BU-related CDs among iTunes’ top 20 for Christian/gospel: Give Us Rest, from the David Crowder Band, and World Mandate 2011, a live worship set from a Waco church attended by hundreds of Baylor students.

Earlier in January, Baylor senior Brett Allen released his third CD, A Beautiful Life, under the artist name Tidewater. The one-man band recorded a 10-song album in 2010 and followed it up with a three-song EP last year and now this new three-song release. (Read about Baylor’s impact on Allen — including his switching majors from music to film and digital media — in this Lariat article.)

And now this week, Josh Grider, BA ’02, released the result of his winning the first-ever “Live at Billy Bob’s” recording contest. After topping a fan vote last summer, Grider got to join a list of country stars that includes Merle Haggard, Waco native Pat Green and former BU student Willie Nelson in recording a live album at the famous Fort Worth honky tonk. Live at Billy Bob’s Texas: Josh Grider is now available from iTunes, Amazon and other music stores.

Last but not least, five student acts signed to Uproar Records, Baylor’s student-run music label, are nearing completion on their albums to be released later this year. Groups O, Loveland and Fifth & Fite as well as solo artists Layne Lynch, Trannie Stevens and Holly Tucker will each release albums this spring; we’ll keep you posted on that.

Sic ’em, Baylor recording artists!

[2/9 update: Here’s one that’s a little older: Ryan Pryor, BA ’10, released “Lovely Days,” a five-song EP, on iTunes and Amazon in November. You can hear the entire album — including a song called “Waco” — in its entirety on his Facebook page.]