Round 2, Group 4…

You have one more day to vote on Round 2, Group 3, but here are the bands for the final group in Round 2:

Anathallo - Cuckoo Spitting Blood (Download - Streaming)
Agents of Future – Sewn in My Skin (Download - Streaming)
Psalters – Hosanna (Download - Streaming)
Vigilantes of Love – Tempest (Download - Streaming)

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) Anathallo vs. Agents of Future
2) Anathallo vs. Psalters
3) Anathallo vs. Vigilantes of Love
4) Agents of Future vs. Psalters
5) Agents of Future vs. Vigilantes of Love
6) Psalters vs. Vigilantes of Love

All votes must be received in the comments by 7:45 am CST on Saturday, February 2, 2008.

Official Links
Vigilantes of Love MySpace
Buy Vigilantes of Love MP3s on iTunes
Buy Vigilantes of Love CDs at Amazon

Anathallo MySpace
Buy Anathallo MP3s on iTunes
Buy Anathallo CDs at Amazon 

Psalters MySpace Page
Download Psatlers MP3s at Potter Street Records for free 

Agents of Future MySpace Page
Get MP3s on their site 

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week

Round 2, Group 3…

You have one more day to vote on Round 2, Group 2, but if you’re ready for more, here are your bands for today:

The Cold Comfort Band - A Heart Unseen (Download - Streaming)
Sufjan Stevens – To Be Alone With You (Download - Streaming)
Derek Webb – Mockingbird (Download - Streaming)
Destroy Nate Allen - Come to the Mountain (Download - Streaming)

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) The Cold Comfort Band vs. Sufjan Stevens
2) The Cold Comfort Band vs. Derek Webb
3) The Cold Comfort Band vs. Destroy Nate Allen
4) Sufjan Stevens vs. Derek Webb
5) Sufjan Stevens vs. Destroy Nate Allen
6) Derek Webb vs. Destroy Nate Allen

All votes must be received in the comments by 7:30 am CST on Friday, February 1, 2008.

Official Links
The Cold Comfort Band MySpace

Derek Webb MySpace
Buy Derek Webb MP3s on iTunes
Buy Derek Webb CDs at Amazon 

Sufjan Stevens Website
Buy Sufjan Stevens MP3s on iTunes
Buy Sufjan Stevens CDs at Amazon 

Destroy Nate Allen MySpace
Download all Destroy Nate Allen’s songs for free 

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week

Round 2, Group 2…

You have one more day to vote on Round 2, Group 1 and Round 1, Group 16 but if you’re ready for more, let’s move on…  Your bands today:

mewithoutYou - In a Sweater Poorly Knit (Download - Streaming)
Keith Green - Make My Life a Prayer to You (Download - Streaming)
Jars of Clay - Jealous Kind (Download - Streaming)
Doug Burr - Slow Southern Home (Download - Streaming)

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) mewithoutYou vs. Keith Green
2) mewithoutYou vs. Jars of Clay
3) mewithoutYou vs. Doug Burr
4) Keith Green vs. Jars of Clay
5) Keith Green vs. Doug Burr
6) Jars of Clay vs. Doug Burr

All votes must be received in the comments by 8:00 am CST on Thursday, January 31, 2008.

Official Links
mewithoutYou MySpace
Buy mewithoutYou MP3s on iTunes
Buy mewithoutYou CDs at Amazon

Keith Green and Last Days Ministries Home Page
Buy Keith Green MP3s on iTunes
Buy Keith Green CDs on Amazon.com 

Jars of Clay MySpace
Buy Jars of Clay MP3s at iTunes
Buy Jars of Clay CDs at Amazon 

Doug Burr MySpace Page
Buy Doug Burr MP3s on iTunes
Buy Doug Burr CDs on Amazon 

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week

Round 2 Begins Today!

You can still finish up voting for Group 16 of Round 1, but for those of you ready to move on…

Welcome to Round 2, where the action gets really heavy and the voting gets even tougher.  Rules are a little different now.  First thing you’ll notice is that there will be matches every day from now until the Superbowl, and then on the Superbowl, there’ll actually be two matches, a morning one and an evening one.  Next thing is that instead of having 5 days (120 hours) to vote, now you’ll only have 2 days (48 hours), so that I can squeeze it all in by the time of the Superbowl.

There are four groups in Round 2, each made up of the winners in Round 1, with order randomly selected.  Each group has 4 artists competing in 6 head-to-head matches, just like in Round 1.  Vote for the winner of each head-to-head match, just like you did in Round 1.

If that all makes sense, let’s see who we’re voting on today:

Over the Rhine – Don’t Wait for Tom (Download - Streaming)
Waterdeep - Everyone’s Beautiful (Download - Streaming)
Half-Handed Cloud – I Got a Letter (Download - Streaming)
Jeremy Casella – Distress Signal (Download - Streaming)

Download the MP3s if you need ‘em, but judge the artists and not just the song I put up.

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) Over the Rhine vs. Waterdeep
2) Over the Rhine vs. Half-Handed Cloud
3) Over the Rhine vs. Jeremy Casella
4) Waterdeep vs. Half-Handed Cloud
5) Waterdeep vs. Jeremy Casella
6) Half-Handed Cloud vs. Jeremy Casella

Let the voting begin! All votes must be received in the comments by 8:00 am CST on Wednesday, January 30, 2008.

Official Links
Half-Handed Cloud MySpace
Buy Half-Handed Cloud MP3s on iTunes
Buy Half-Handed Cloud CDs at Amazon

Over the Rhine MySpace Page
Buy Over the Rhine MP3s on iTunes
Buy Over the Rhine CDs on Amazon.com

Jeremy Casella MySpace Page
Buy Jeremy Casella MP3s on iTunes
Buy Jeremy Casella CDs on Amazon.com

Waterdeep MySpace Page
Buy Waterdeep MP3s on iTunes
Buy Waterdeep CDs on Amazon.com

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week

Superbowl I – Preliminary Rounds, Group 16

Here we are with Group 16 – the final group to battle in the preliminary rounds.  Be sure to invite people for Round 2, when the voting gets tougher and the rules will change slightly (less time to vote, etc.), but for now, vote on these four bands: 

Ecstatic Sunshine – Freckle Wars (Download - Streaming)
Vigilantes of Love/Bill Mallonee - Blister Soul (Download - Streaming)
Fine China - The Unsuccessful (Download - Streaming)
Lorien - You Got Me Down (Download - Streaming)

Download the MP3s if you need ‘em, but judge the artists and not just the song I put up.

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) Ecstatic Sunshine vs. Vigilantes of Love
2) Ecstatic Sunshine vs. Lorien
3) Ecstatic Sunshine vs. Fine China
4) Vigilantes of Love vs. Lorien
5) Vigilantes of Love vs.  Fine China
6) Fine China vs. Lorien

Let the voting begin! All votes must be received in the comments by 8:30 am CST on Wednesday, January 30, 2008.

Official Links
Ecstatic Sunshine MySpace
Buy Ecstatic Sunshine MP3s on iTunes
Buy Ecstatic Sunshine CDs at Amazon

Vigilantes of Love MySpace
Buy Vigilantes of Love MP3s on iTunes
Buy Vigilantes of Love CDs at Amazon

Fine China MySpace
Buy Fine China MP3s on iTunes
Buy Fine China CDs at Amazon

Lorien MySpace
Buy Lorien MP3s on iTunes

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week

I Don’t Believe in Indie Christianity

I schedule most of my blog posts in advance for a week or two at The Blah Blah. Partly because I have a minor case of OCD and partly because it just makes my life easier so I don’t have to think at 6 in the morning.

I have a name I assigned to my Thursday posts, to help me figure out what sort of post would work well. After doing the Defining Christian Music series, I thought it would be fun to devote my Thursday posts to rants and random thoughts somehow related to music, where I can share a little bit about what I’m thinking and a little less about the facts. So I call it “Opinion Thursday.”

Being “Opinion Thursday,” don’t expect this post to be well-researched or thoroughly-investigated. These are my opinions (except for the Bible verses I’ll include), so I’m probably wrong on a few things, especially where I generalize.

Now We’re Streaming

I just added the option of listening to the files I host here without downloading them.

It’s amazing, I know.

Check it out in action here.  As long as I remember, this nice little feature will be in all future posts.

Superbowl I – Preliminary Rounds, Group 15

Group 15 of the Preliminary Rounds is here!  Only one more to go and then we go on to the real stuff in Round 2 of the Superbowl, where the winners of the Preliminary Rounds will battle each other to see who makes it to the finals.  If you haven’t yet, please vote on Group 14, but if you’re ready to go here is Group 15:

Deas Vail – Shadows and City Lights (Download - Streaming)
Geology (formerly The Tourist) - Golden Morning (Download - Streaming)
Destroy Nate Allen – Don’t Walk Away (Download - Streaming)
Newsboys – Million Pieces (Download - Streaming)

Download the MP3s if you need ‘em, but judge the artists and not just the song.  (Note the new option to stream the audio instead of download it, to save you some time.)

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) Deas Vail vs. Geology
2) Deas Vail vs. Destroy Nate Allen
3) Deas Vail vs. Newsboys
4) Geology vs. Destroy Nate Allen
5) Geology vs. Newsboys
6) Destroy Nate Allen vs. Newsboys

Let the voting begin! All votes must be received in the comments by 7:00 am CST on Monday, January 28, 2008.

Official Links
Deas Vail MySpace
Buy Deas Vail MP3s on iTunes
Buy Deas Vail CDs at Amazon

Geology MySpace

Destroy Nate Allen MySpace
Download all Destroy Nate Allen’s songs for free

Newsboys MySpace
Newsboys MP3s on iTunes
Newsboys CDs at Amazon

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week

Need a Giant iPod?

This is great!  With cell phones getting slimmer, radios getting sleaker, and MP3 players losing weight every day, you have to wonder - “Can things get any smaller?”

I don’t know, but I sense a reversal in the trend coming with this MP3 player fit for King Kong.

It’s made out of a pillow case, so you can drool on your iPod while listening to tunes.  Of course, you can drool on your small, sleak iPod too, but it’ll leave a weird red mark on your face.

Find instructions on how you can build your very own Super iPod Pillow right here.  And after that, the Super iPhone Bed, so you can dial friends as you toss and turn at night.

Superbowl I – Preliminary Rounds, Group 14

Sorry for the later post today… I blame the Packers, for losing to the Giants last night, and now the entire state of Wisconsin will be stuck in a deep depression until spring. Anyway, keep voting on Group 13, but if you’re ready here is Group 14 for Christian Music Superbowl I:

Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day
Pushstart Wagon – Paul
Ponoka – September
Starflyer 59 – Good Sons

Download the MP3s if you need ‘em, but judge the artists and not just the song.

Here are the six matches to vote on:

1) Sufjan Stevens vs. Pushstart Wagon
2) Sufjan Stevens vs. Ponoka
3) Sufjan Stevens vs. Starflyer 59
4) Pushstart Wagon vs. Starflyer 59
5) Pushstart Wagon vs. Ponoka
6) Ponoka vs. Starflyer 59

Let the voting begin! All votes must be received in the comments by 8:00 am CST on Saturday, January 26, 2008.

Official Links
Sufjan Stevens Website
Buy Sufjan Stevens MP3s on iTunes
Buy Sufjan Stevens CDs at Amazon

Pushstart Wagon MySpace
Buy Pushstart Wagon MP3s on iTunes
Buy Pushstart Wagon CDs at Amazon

Ponoka MySpace
Buy MP3s on YouMakeMusic
Buy Ponoka CDs at Amazon

Starflyer 59 MySpace
Buy Starflyer 59 MP3s on iTunes
Buy Starflyer 59 CDs at Amazon

Note: All MP3s will be removed after one week