Entries are rolling in!

Hey y'all!

Yesterday I posted a contest and when I logged on today...I found that many of you are submitting entries! Awesome!

If you aren't familiar with the contest...see below...or...Here's a short recap:

I received a $15 iTunes Gift Card that I would like to spend, however...I want you to tell me what I should spend it on. Give me your suggestions for songs, movies, audiobooks, etc. as long as they are MUSIC related. After all...This is a music site.

You may submit your suggestions via email (themusictest@gmail.com), comments on the contest post, The Music Test Facebook page, and/or Twitter!

Good luck...I've been collection things to make a prize pack...Check back and I'll post the details!

~j
I'll give it a listen.
themusictest@gmail.com

WWYB? Plus...CONTEST!

Okay...So you've had to, at some point, heard of WWJD right? "What Would Jesus Do?" Well, I've come up with an acronym for today...WWYB. I'm NOT comparing it to WWJD, except that they are both acronyms for something else.

WWYB stand for: "What Would You Buy?".
You see...One of the Christmas gifts I received this year was a $15 iTunes Gift Card. I'm itching to spend it, and I would like your help with ideas of what to spend it on. Here's my notes to help you come to a decision, and the contest rules...Yes, that's right this is also a contest!

• I own an iPhone, so 'apps' are a possible download.
• I really like music, obviously...So songs are a good choice, although I'd rather not shell out for the DRM free versions. Waste-o-Money in my opinion.
• We're about music here, since this is a MUSIC blog/site, so please don't suggest a Movie, AudioBook, TV Show, etc. unless it's music related.
• In your suggestion you must spend the entire $15. (or a close to it as you can come because of .99 cent pricing, etc.) You can choose to spend it all on 1 item, or on multiple items.
• Submit your suggestions via email, Facebook, comment on this post, etc. Just make sure you submit your suggestion/idea by the end of the day on January 7th. On January 8th, I'll announce the suggestion/idea that was the best and spend my iTunes card on it.
• The person who ultimately has the best suggestion will win something from my personal music stash here at the station. Don't worry...I'll make it a good prize.
  

There you go...Your mission should you choose to accept it! Have fun, can't wait to see what rolls in!

~j
I'll give it a listen.
themusictest@gmail.com

Sargent Avenue

Alright...Here we go! Back from a little bit-o-Christmas Break and now it's back to the grindstone.

First things first...I hope that you had a solid Christmas! My wife, daughter, and I did some traveling, and let me just say that MOST of it was pleasant. A combination of teething, a sick child, and a horrible snow storm, didn't allow it to be ALL pleasant.

Now...Back to business!

Checking my email this morning I received a Christmas Eve gift from Brian Williams. Who is he? Haven't met him yet, but his email pegs him as the manager for a band called, "Sargent Avenue". Side note: I've been in a band for a while and one of the names we used was, "D Ave", that way it could be read as "D Avenue" or "Dave".

Anyway...Brian sent me a single of theirs for me to consider airing at the station. Now, if you remember, last week, I kind of ranted about the attitude of some Music/Program directors out there, and how they can be kind of rude to Independent artists.

In order to keep up with my internal challenge of giving everything at least one fair listen, and to not be a hypocrite...Here are my gut reaction thoughts as I listen to this song for the very first time:

Sargent Avenue - "Crosshairs"

• Casting Crowns-ish intro. (Piano and few seconds of vocal.)
• Pretty rocky song...so definitely upbeat.
• The synth is an interesting addition to the song. Not sure if it's good or bad.
• Like how it returns to the slower piano & vocals for the ending.
  
• Overall...Some good elements, others that could use a little work.
• I don't 'hear' this song on JQ, but...

...That doesn't mean you shouldn't check them out. They have a MySpace page, Facebook page, and Twitter!

~j
I'll give it a listen.
themusictest@gmail.com

Merry Christmas!

Just a really quick note from me to you:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hope your day us filled with joy and spent with those you love!

Jeremy

Chasen Q&A

Here's a little year-end Q&A with Chasen!

Q: With the year about to come to a close, can you reflect back a bit and share some highlights? What's ahead for 2010?

Chasen: We've had an awesome year this year! January, we started writing in Nashville for the new record. In February we signed with INO Records. April we started recording "That Was Then, This Is Now". May, we finished recording. In July & August we were on the "Welcome to the Family Tour" with Kutless, Disciple, Stellar Kart, & Esterlyn. On Thanksgiving, our drummer Aaron and his wife had their first child, a baby boy. Evan just got married in December.

We'll be kicking off 2010 on the "Speaking Louder Than Before 2010 Tour" with Jeremy Camp, The Afters, & Jason Gray in January & February.

So yeah, that's just a few things that went on this year and what is coming. What a year! We've made a lot of new friends, met a lot of great people, and thank everyone for their support!

We hope that all of you have a great Christmas and spent time will all your family. Enjoy every moment with them!

Chasen, Evan, Aaron, Jared

Thanks guys...Enjoy your Christmas too!

~j
I'll give it a listen
themusictest@gmail.com

FREE SONGS!

Quick post this morning...Here's are some FREE CHRISTMAS SONG DOWNLOADS!

Click the image below to grab:
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Relient K!

(Scroll down and to the right on Tangle's website for their weekly download section.)

-----------------------------

Click the image below to grab:
"Maybe Next Christmas" from Matthew Mayfield!

~j
I'll give it a listen
themusictest@gmail.com

Mr. Rude

"Will I become a Mr. Rude too?"

I'm officially becoming the Music Director* here at JQ this week. A position that I've worked very hard to obtain, and one that I'm extremely excited to take over.

*For those of you not in radio, the Music Director handles everything music related at the station. Tests songs, listens to songs, adds them into rotation, drops 'em too, and above all...works his or her hardest to make sure that the music side of the station is the best it can be.

I received an email yesterday that at first made me say, "GO ME!", and then other thoughts had a chance to sink it, and before I knew it I was thinking, "Will I become a Mr. Rude too?"

Now...What's a Mr. Rude? Apparently other Music/Program Directors in radio. Not all...but apparently some. Let me explain...

Initially I received an email from an independent group who were sharing their Christmas songs with me, in hopes of me adding them to the station. Here was my response:

Being the Music Director here at the station, it's really hard sometimes NOT to play a song because I personally like it. I have to make sure that it's good for our listeners. The line I always say, "The station is not my personal juke box." (Even if I wish it was). All that to say, I really like the song. A lot. But at this point, I just don't think it's an add here at JQ. Not to mention we'll be done playing Christmas music as of Saturday. Anyway...Here's what I would like you to do. Hit me up next year right before Thanksgiving. That's when I'll be looking at Christmas songs again. I can't commit to playing the tune, but I'll take another fair look at it.

This was their response:

We are so thankful for your kindness. In all honesty, most Christian stations we have to deal with are very disrespectful and condescending to independent bands that are trying to get their music played. We've always felt that, but thought it was because our music wasn't good enough to be respected. I mention that because you have been the opposite and we are so blessed by you. Your turn-down was done very kindly, and with respect. So, we wanted to thank you for that. Keep up your good work.

Later in the email be mentioned what one station told them:

One big station in ______ told me, if your music isn't on the same level as Casting Crowns and Mercy Me, don't even try.

...(Here comes a slew of rhetorical questions)

Really? This is how we treat independents? Didn't most everyone start off as an independent at some point? Aren't we all working for the same team? Lastly...Music aside, is this really how we treat other people?

Now...I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I do work hard to treat others better than I treat myself. Maybe it's the customer service guy within me that drives me to treat others that way, I dunno...I did spend 5 and a half years in retail.

Whatever the case may be, whether the radio station responses in this email were exaggerated or it really happened like they said, in the end, we need to take care of each other. So let this post be a reminder about that.

I guess the closing question I can ask myself is..."In a year...after having hundreds of these kind of requests...Will I still respond the same way, or will my attitude change?" I'll check back in a year and let you know!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Ha...Artist Christmas e-Card!

Ha...So...I'm a "Breather". (Fan of NeedtoBreathe and part of their Street Team)

As such, I received a Christmas card from them. In order to go along with the 'green' trend, they decided to send an e-Christmas card. I thought it was so creative that I thought I would share. Nice to see that artists can have fun!

Thanks Guys! Merry Christmas to you too!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Tickets on sale!

Hey real quick...Remember me talking about NeedtoBreathe announcing their spring tour earlier this week? Well...They have tickets for the first two legs ON SALE NOW! I'm gonna go get mine soon...Get yours too! We can go together!

Anyway...You have to be a "Breather", so sign up today! CLICK HERE! See you in March!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

So You Think You Can Dance?

I don't want "SYTHYCD", or any other show like this, however, I do find it fun when Christian songs, I'm familiar with, pop up in mainstream stuff. TV, Movies, etc.

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and caught a post on NeedtoBreathe's fan page that linked to the video below. Apparently this girl, Kathryn McCormick, danced do many Christian artist's songs. Bethany Dillon - "Beautiful" and Brooke Fraser - "Shadowfeet" are featured in the montage below.

The song that got me most excited? NeedtoBreathe - "Something Beautiful". Now...Kathryn doesn't dance to it, but it was used in the montage during the show, which I think is cool. Way to go!


~j
themusictest@gmail.com

MercyMe Q&A

Here's a special Q&A with MercyMe! Ready!?

Q: So...Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? What are you giving everyone this year?

MercyMe: Merry Christmas everyone! 'Tis the season to give away some FREE music! For a limited time only, we're giving away a LIVE recording of an entire show. That's right, and entire concert FREE for signing up on the Official MercyMe newsletter. CLICK HERE!

So start spreading the word. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Tell anyone you can think of that for a short time you can get this LIVE recording FREE. And have a very Merry Christmas from MercyMe!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Oh...So that's what's in the box!

Yesterday I posted a picture of a box I had received in the mail. See below.

I had also asked what you thought was in the box and here are some of the answers:

• New CD's
• Tickets to a really great concert
• T-Shirts
• Long Sleeve Shirts
• Nintendo Wii
• Cell Phone

Some really good guesses, but no one nailed it. Closest answer was CD's. I'll give partial credit. Here's what was really in the box:

That's right some David Crowder* Band stuff!

First off...some copies of ChurchMusicMagazine which contains plenty-o-stuff! Poster, Quiz, Sheet Music for "God Almighty, None Compares", and lots of articles about the Church Music tour, lifestyle, fashion, food, and MORE!

Second...and probably the thing I was most excited about...Autographed copies of the Church Music album on VINYL! Ha ha! Vinyl isn't dead...just hiding really well these days! Side note: I miss vinyl. It's music AND art at the same time. You can't get jackets on MP3's baby!

Anyway...That's what was in the box. Keep an eye out for these things to hit JQ Family Rewards! WOOT!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Special Delivery!

HA HA! Another delivery on my desk this morning!

What is it this time? Any guesses? I'll give you this hint...It contains prize-like elements!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

The Answer to the Question...

Okay...So last week I posted an image of something I received in the mail that simply said, "010810" and "Brand New Year | Brand New Music". See..

Had many MANY guesses as to what this special piece of mail actually meant, but none of them were quite correct.

Many people guessed that artist(s) would be releasing new music on January 8th, 2010, however when I asked which artist(s), no one correctly guessed the following:

There you go. That's what was inside. News that Meredith Andrews and NeedToBreathe would be releasing new songs to radio! Meredith Andrews will be releasing "Can Anyboday Hear Me" while NeedToBreathe will be releasing "Something Beautiful" to radio!

I'm excited about the NeedToBreathe song, because not only is it a killer song, but when I initially review "The Outsiders" I said that this song should be a radio single! Don't believe my powers of predictability? Read my review HERE!

Anyway...That's what the cryptic piece of mail had to share!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Yippie! This is how you start a week!

So last night I was checking my Facebook page and found out that one of my favorite groups released the dates for their upcoming "Won't Turn Back Tour" 2010!

Who? NeedtoBreathe! (wsg. Stephen Kellogg & Graham Colton)

When? Where? Around here (West Michigan) they'll be returning to The Intersection on Monday, March 22nd!

Awww YEAH! Can't stinkin' wait! Caught them at The Intersection on November 2nd and it was...HAND DOWN...THE BEST CONCERT I'VE EVER BEEN TO. You can believe that because I just typed it in all caps! Read my review HERE!

Now...If you'd like to know more about the tour, such as other dates, how to get tickets before anyone else...Join NeedtoBreathe's Street Team and become a "Breather" today!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Your Total Axxess Christmas Gifts!

Wall and the Total Axxess crew are excited to share some special Christmas gifts with you all this week! Tune in Monday - Thursday this week to catch "Acoustic Christmas" performances from: Tenth Avenue North, Jars of Clay, Red, and Brandon Heath! Here's the schedule:

• Monday - Tenth Avenue North
• Tuesday - Jars of Clay
• Wednesday - Red
• Thursday - Brandon Heath

These artists will be performing Christmas songs and a few 'regulars'. For more information and the video feeds, click the image below!

OH! Don't forget to download Wally's Yule-Rock FREE Music Sampler while you're there!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Why it all matters...

I'm sitting here struggling to figure out how to start this post. I've got the title just fine, but it's the intro I'm have trouble with.

You see...Over the weekend we received quite an email. Not a negative one, but one that just makes you say, "That's why it all matters." I'll stop blabbing and let the email speak for itself. I have removed the name for privacy's sake, and I'm not posting this for shock value or anything, I just think it's a good reminder about how God can work through the ministry of music and what we do here at JQ99.

I hope I am sending this to the right place. First time E-mailing you guys.

I just want to thank you guys. I was starting to slip in my faith, I began questioning everything I grew up on. I didn't want anything to do with God, Jesus, the Bible.. Nothing.

I came to 99.3 shortly after LPI, a camp through the Salvation Army...I've listened to you since then. But back to the point, even though I wanted nothing with my faith, I kept listening to you.

That's when I heard "Monster" by Skillet for the first time. I came into my room, storming mad. I had a bad day at school, and my mom was yelling. My friend was shoving religion in my face, and I had enough. I was sick of life.

I have a history of suicidal thoughts, and it was coming back to haunt me. I heard "Monster", and it nailed what I thought at the time to a "T".

I sat on my floor, and cried. For over an hour. I wanted to thank you from keeping me from going back to the old ways, and maybe taking it a step farther.

I think you saved me from killing myself that night by playing Skillet... Thank you so much.

Only thing I would say is this. We didn't save this person, we were just part of a bigger orchestrated operation by God. Thanks God!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

FREE Music Friday!

Alright...Yesterday I posted a brief little note mentioning that today I'll have some info on how you can download FREE songs!

If you enjoy: MercyMe, Jonny Diaz, Decyfer Down, Disciple, Phillips Craig & Dean, VOTA, Derek Webb, Addison Road, Building429, and/or Todd Agnew...Get you hands on some of the FREE music they're offering you RIGHT NOW!

Hurry...This Christmas treat disappears on January 31st, 2010! Hit the image below for the iTunes link!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Listening through the "Stack"

Okay...So as I become an official Music Director here at the station, I've had an increase of, "Hey...Listen to this"...well actually, I guess it's more like, "Hey...Listen to THESE!" *PLOP* A big stack of songs to listen through!

Well...Here are some that I needed to listen to this week along with my thoughts, for what it's worth! I'll try and make this a regular Friday thing, and we'll see what kind of fun we can have!

--------------------------------

Josh Wilson - "Before the Morning"

• Not bad...Good strong sound throughout.
• Strong Chorus and good message.
  
• 65%

Britt Nicole - "Walk on the Water"

• Chorus very powerful and catchy.
• Sound and feel of the sound is nice.
  
• 60%

Steven Curtis Chapman - "Heaven is the Face"

• Mmmm...Love the guitar intro.
• Good chorus and powerful message.
• 85%

Mandisa - "He Is With You"

• Ooo..Yikes. Chorus really calls it out. (In a good way)
• Uplifting message, but not sure if it fits JQ.
  
• 45%

Jonny Diaz - "Stand For You"

• Fun song, like the feel and the guitar sound.
• Chorus is pretty strong.
• 55%

Chasen - "On and On"

• Loved this song the first time I heard it. Good song of hope.
  
• Strong chorus, singable, and catchy.
• 85%

Phil Wickham feat. Bart Millard (MercyMe) - "Safe"

• Catchy chorus with a great message.
• Not bad...Need more time with it.
• 55%

Brandon Heath - "Love Never Fails"

• Ah...1 Corinthians 13...Neat.
• Nice smooth ballad.
• 65%

Newworldson - "There is A Way"

• Unfamiliar with this group...Like the vocal sound.
• Has a Colbie Caillat sound/feel to it, in parts. Not bad though.
• 60%

Kathleen Carnali - "Dangerous Prayer (Rain on my Parade)"

• Familiar and different at the same time.
• It's okay...not in love with it off the bat. Need more time.
• 40%
  

Well...That's enough for today. Figured I would share what I'm listening to, and what I think, with you, so you know what you might be hearing soon, and why!

Hope you have a great day! Check back for more of this, as I'm sure I'll have more songs to listen to!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

FREE MUSIC!!

Whoa! I just checked my email and got quite an email that I just can't wait to share with you. I will tell you that it involves a LOT of FREE MUSIC downloads!

Check back tomorrow!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Seabird Interview

I had the chance today to speak with front-man Aaron Morgan from Seabird today! Had a great time too, by the way. Reason? Well a couple really...Just for fun, they'll be in concert tonight, and they have a new album releasing on December 15th!

Now...You want to know the really cruddy part? I had the interview all recorded, getting it ready to post on here for you to hear, and I lost it. It was completely my fault, and I feel really dumb about it, but...I have to move on.

However...Not without touching on some of what we talked about!

First off, I asked Aaron about the concert tonight. It's at the MixTape Cafe in Grand Rapids at 7:00pm. If you need information and ticket details, head to the MixTape Cafe Website, or Seabird's MySpace page!

As far as what you can expect at the show, Aaron said we'll all be treated to the sounds of The Civil Wars, who have been on tour with them for the last week or so. Seabird will also be sharing some of their news songs off the upcoming album, "Rocks Into Rivers", as well as some Christmas music. (and with the snow we've received lately, it's a nice fit.)

So that's the concert! Let's talk about the new album. First off...My eye caught the cover. Take a look:

Are they really underwater? Short answer...Nope. Apparently Aaron has always had a fascination with underwater life (hence Seabird?) and really wanted the album cover to be the band underwater, well possibly due to safety issues, their record label said, "No way". So they enlisted the help of an amazing Photoshop artist!

Aaron spoke in depth about how this artist made them appear underwater, and I've got to tell you...He went through a LOT of work, in this artist's opinion, I say well worth it.

The album releases Tuesday, December 15th at your favorite music retailer. My personal favorite is the one JQ99 is playing, "Don't You Know That You're Beautiful". Which by the way...The story behind that song stems from Aaron and his brother's experience with divorce. Not themselves, but their wives experienced it in their family. Good song to hold onto for such a nasty situation.

I asked Aaron what his favorite song on the album is, and he said, "Believe Me". So make sure you hit that one on the record, even though it's hard to miss being the second cut!

So there you have it...Pretty much all I can remember from my interview. I'll get better at all of this, and NEXT time, I'll have the actual interview for you!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Ooo! More mail!

Check this out. Get back to my desk this morning and find some mail I received yesterday.

Now...I've opened it up all the way and know what it's advertising and bringing to my attention...but the question is...What do you think it means? Leave a comment and let me know!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

"Stellar" Q&A

Here's a quick Q&A with Adam from Stellar Kart!

Question:

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, lots of people like to go to the movies. What are some of your ALL TIME favorites?

Adam:

Man...Too many to count! "That Thing You Do", "Happy Gilmore", "Billy Madison", "Snatch", "Air Force One", 'Tommy Boy", "Office Space", "Ocean's Eleven", "Mission Impossible", "Forrest Gump"...Just to name a few!

Thanks Adam! I personally would have to go with a 007 Marathon, but again...That's just me!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

WOWZERS!

Right now, over at Amazon.com, there are 1,290 FREE Songs for download! This total also includes many Christian artists AND Christmas music!

So...If you're in the mood for some FREE music...HEAD HERE!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Speedy Delivery!

Hey! Would you look at that!? I got some mail! It doesn't happen often, but when it does, MAN is it an exciting day! Check it out:


HA! An advanced copy of the upcoming Seabird album, "Rocks into Rivers"! (Releases January 12, 2010) It features "Don't You Know You're Beautiful", which you can currently hear during Total Axxess on JQ99! Killer tune...and the CD? Well...Since I just got it in the mail yesterday, I still need some time to get to it. Don't worry...I'll share my thoughts soon!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

FREE Download

Hey there!

Here's a really quick post for today. Sorry you didn't get anything else. But...it was Friday and I ran out-o-time.

Anyway...My last post was about the Grammy's and Maggie commented that you can download Jeremy Camp - "Speaking Louder Than Before" over at GivMusic.com

So...I thought I would highlight it OUTSIDE of the comment section so that y'all can quick run over and grab it!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Grammy Time!

Grammy nominees have been announced! Let's take a look at the "Gospel" category to find out if any familiar artists made the list:

Best Gospel Performance:

• Francesca Battistelli - "Free to Be Me"
• Third Day - "Born Again"
• Heather Headley - "Jesus is Love"
• Jonny Lang - "I Believe"
• Donnie McClurkin - "Wait on the Lord"

Best Gospel Song:

• Third Day - "Born Again"
• tobyMac - "City On Our Knees"
• Matthew West - "The Motions"
  
• Israel Houghton - "Every Prayer"
• Mary Mary - "God In Me"
  

Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album:

• Third Day - "Live Revelations"
• Decyfer Down - "Crash"
• Red - "Innocence & Instinct"
• Da' T.R.U.T.H. - "The Big Picture"
• John Wells-The Tonic - "The Dash"

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album:

• Jeremy Camp - "Speaking Louder Than Before"
• Jars of Clay - "The Long Fall Back to Earth"
• Leeland - "Love is on the Move"
• Israel Houghton - "The Power of One"
• Mandisa - "Freedom"

So there you have it! Tune in on Sunday, January 31st to CBS from 8p - 11:30p.m. to catch the 52nd Grammy Awards show to see who walks away with an award at the end of the night!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Casting Crowns Phenomenon

Casting Crowns...Ever heard of them? They're only a Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Christian Band, with enough #1 songs to...well...do just about anything with.

Anyway...There's a pretty cool article about Casting Crowns on Billboard.com! Check it out!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Live on "The Tonight Show w. Conan O'Brien"

Who's going to be LIVE on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien"?

SWITCHFOOT!

When? TONIGHT! They will be his musical guest, even if show's website lists them as a comic. Oops.

Here's the LINK for the episode guide!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Devotional

I'm signed up to get a weekly devotional that takes a song and gives you a little devo with it, and I thought maybe I'd share one every once in a while. So...Here's one for today!

Song: Mat Kearney - "Closer to Love"

Lyrics: "I guess we're all one phone call from our knees"

Devo: Life is good. You have great friends, a happy family. School or work is going well. And then in one phone call, everything changes. Someone dies, someone leaves, someone gets sick, you lose your job.

What do you do? Who do you depend on? Who do you call when life falls apart? Do you have friends that will be there for you? If you don't know the answer, God may be directing you to find a community. God didn't design us to live in isolation; He wants us to live our lives with other people. People we can rely on and call when life gets hard.

If you don't have that yet, ask God to begin showing you and opening you up to those relationships. And remember, real relationships can be hard and messy and take time. But if you put in the effort, you will also reap the benefits.

Scripture: Galatians 6:2 - "Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

*Devotional provided by: Tyndale House Publishers

Truth Bomb!?

So over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend I received an email from Mark, promoting a band entitled, "Truth Bomb"!
The email itself made me chuckle, going on about how hardcore rock this group was, when in reality they're not, but anyway...he attached a song of theirs, and unfortunately, with limited time over the weekend and yesterday, I hadn't had a chance to get back to the email to listen until today.

Well...Let me just say that...I like the sound. I'm a big fan of the sound that an acoustic guitar brings, and it's pretty predominant in the single Mark sent me.

He sent over "Angels We Have Heard on High". A very good take one a Christmas song, that to be honest, I've never really enjoyed.

Here were my thoughts:

- Nice take on this familiar Christmas tune.
- Love the take on the chorus...Never heard it that way.
- Love the guitar. Big fan of the acoustic guitar sound.
- Overall...Pretty solid tune.

You want to hear it? Head over to TruthBomb.net and check it out under the "Music" section.

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Prayer Reqest?

Huh?...First time a Prayer Request has graced the pages of this blog, but I guess it's also the first time one has made it's way across my desk.

Here's the info I received:Joshua Olds (nicknamed Fatty), bassist for Family Force 5, suffered major kidney failure after their show in Chicago last night and is in the hospital (listen in critical condition for a while). He is getting dialysis while they wait for a kidney specialist to determine what's next.

They are asking to please pray for him! (Should probably include the doctors and the entire Olds family)

For the most direct form of info on this story, check out Joshua's brother, Solomon's Twitter Feed where he will be updating fans on what is going on.

~j
themusictest@gmail.com

Hokey Pete!

Yikeseroni! Some...uh...other exclamation!

I haven't posted in a while, and I sincerely apologize! With Thanksgiving and the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I've been pretty swamped, BUT...that's no excuse. So...Here we go, some fun music things for you to chew on!

First..."To infinity...AND BEYOND!" - Buzz Lightyear

Recently the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis woke up to some MercyMe! Yep..."I Can Only Imagine" woke those space men and women! Pretty cool! Way to go MercyMe, not only are you impacting those us here on earth...now you're in SPACE!

Story Behind the Song

Ever heard of Chasen? You will. They have a killer song, "On and On" that has been at the top of my stack for weeks now, I just haven't had a chance to add it into our evening rotation, but it's coming. Anyway, Chasen, from Chasen had a chance to give a little insight into the story behind the song, here's what he had to say:

"The nation is reacting to the recession and weighty policital issues as well as all the negativity in the media. We've lost that joy, but when all else fails, God's love never does. I serve a God that is much bigger than economy. His grace goes on forever so I'm not going to worry about tomorrow." - Chasen Callahan

"Give This Christmas Away"

Join Matthew West and JQ99 to help "Give This Christmas Away"! If you look towards the top of this site, you'll see a fancy little banner...If you click on that banner, you'll have an opportunity to share YOUR ideas of how to give Christmas away.

Then...You'll receive an email from Matthew with a "Give This Christmas Away" starter kit that includes a "10 Ways to Give This Christmas Away" list, a song download, and MORE!

Also...We've (meaning JQ99) got several copies of Matthew West - "Something to Say" Special Christmas Edition to give away. Here's a little insider scoop...Hit JQ Family Rewards this Friday to pick up a copy!

That's closes the book on this post. More to come!

~j
themusictest@gmail.com