Tidewater - The Beautiful Life EP Review

I hadn't heard of Tidewater until recently, but still I didn't have an idea of the music until reviewing this EP. Tidewater is made up of Brett Allen, Brett Allen oh yeah and Brett Allen. You guessed it Tidewater is a one-man band. I have the pleasure of reviewing Tidewater's new EP "The Beautiful Life".

The first song on the EP is "Not Just Any Love". I love the vocals in this song, and the feel of the music. When your listening to this music it just seems peaceful. This talks about Gods love for us. My favorite lines in the song are "It's love not just any love, The love of a father for his daughter and his son... No matter where you are, love finds you there... You don't need to change to be wanted right here". The next song on the EP is "The Beautiful Life". This song is a fun upbeat pop song, that is great for just enjoying life. I am sure this song would be alot of fun in concert. I really enjoyed listening to this song, and after only hearing it 2 times I couldn't stop singing it! The last song on the EP is "Desire". I absolutely love the groove that this song has. It is a very fun song that I have listened to over 10 times already.

I really enjoyed listening to the songs on this EP, I am normally not a big fan of pop music but I liked this. Although I am not sure I would call this pop music. It is more like you somehow mix rock with worship and some techno, top it off with some unique vocals and BAM you have Tidewater. I am a sucker for the vocals in music, I love unique vocals like NEEDTOBREATHE for instance, and I really enjoyed the vocals on these songs. The only bad thing I have to say is that there are only 3 songs! I will just have to wait until the full album comes out. Tidewater is definitely a band you are going to want to keep an eye on. I would easily give this EP a 4.5/5 stars.

Also make sure you check out Tidewater on Facebook.

Michael Jr. Comedy Videos

I recently found these videos on YouTube and I couldn't help but share them with you! The first one is called "A Brother Jogging".

When I watched that video I laughed so much I cried! The next video is also by Michael Jr. and it is called "Blackberry".

You can find Michael Jr. on Facebook, Twitter and of course YouTube.

Independent Artist Of The Week: Jon Bauer

For this weeks independent artist of the week I chose Jon Bauer.

Jon Bauer is a really talented worship artist and I really love his music! Plus he is from Canada! (Bonus Points!) Here is a little bit about him that I got from his website.

Jon Bauer is a husband, father, worship artist, songwriter, teacher, and follower of Jesus Christ.
The heart and message of Jon Bauer, Canada’s Gospel Music Association’s Male Vocalist of the Year has found favor with a wide audience; that worship is more than music…it’s a lifestyle. From services and concerts, to seminars and schools Jon permeates borders between the church and classroom. Touring as a full-time Worship Artist, Jon has the unique gift to inspire, train and equip both in the church and school setting. Whether singing to thousands or sharing in an intimate seminar setting, Jon’s authentic nature draws people in to worship God.

With five popular worship CD’s that have garnered numerous nominations and awards from Worship Album of the Year to Artist of the Year, Jon’s passion is to help all generations know God and make Him known.
Not new to the industry, Jon’s U.S. debut entitled FOREVERMORE marks his 5th collection of original music. Produced by one of the industry’s most sought-after producers, this year’s Dove Award-winning producer Rusty Varenkamp (Tenth Avenue North, Meredith Andrews), FOREVERMORE features 10 selections with 8 written or co-penned by Jon. Jon’s songwriting has been likened to familiars in the industry like Chris Tomlin or Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall, with great care to craft corporately focused worship moments that encourage the Church. His warm, emotive vocals and memorable melodies put the finishing touches on a collection that’s as equally accessible on a Sunday morning as it is on Monday’s commute.

This is a lyric video for Jon's song "Chasing After Me".

You can also find Jon Bauer on Facebook and Twitter.

Clever Signs Week 2

I apologize for not posting a clever sign last week. The roads were icy and we didn't end up going past the church. However I have one this week!

Independent Artist Of The Week: Skyhawk Drive

For week two of the Independent Artist Of The Week, I chose Skyhawk Drive.

They have great lyrics and a fun and energetic sound. Now I don't know that much about Skyhawk Drive, so I don't have that much to share. One of my friends had the pleasure of interviewing these guys for her blog Life With Lisa, so you can read her interview to learn more about them. So I guess that is it....I don't have that much to post about them, but I am sure I will in the future because I can only see them going up from here. Now here is Whisper by Skyhawk Drive.

                                                          

Also make sure you check out Skyhawk Drive's facebook for the lastest news and info!

Icon For Hire - Get Well Music Video

I just found this video by Icon For Hire. I didn't even know that they made a video for this song! Here it is...

Also if you haven't heard Icon For Hire's other music video for their song "Make A Move", here is a link.

Independent Artist Of The Week: Thirty-Nine Thoughts

Starting today, each week I will feature an Independent (Indie) band. This weeks band is called Thirty-Nine Thoughts.

I found this band and I loved their music and their message, so I thought they deserve to be featured on the first post! Here are some things you should know about Thirty-Nine Thoughts, I got this from their website.

THE MINISTRY:

Psalm 115:1 says "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory... This is the scripture verse that drives everything associated with our ministry. Thirty-Nine Thoughts is a contemporary Christian/Rock worship band consisting of six young men who all attend high schools in Lubbock, Texas. The band desires to change the lives of youth by ministering to their own gene...ration through genuine worship and testimonies focused on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The desire of the members is to be a ministry rather than a band. The music is simply the tool used in their ministry.

THE NAME:

The name Thirty-Nine Thoughts is derived from the beginning of the crucifixion scene as noted in Mark 15:15 where Jesus was flogged. The normal custom of the day was to flog the individual with forty lashes using instruments such as the cat-o-nine tails. Jewish custom at that time was to stop one lash short of forty so as not to accidentally exceed the number forty. During each of these thirty-nine lashes, Jesus had a thought for you and for me in taking our sins upon Himself. Thirty-nine lashes... THIRTY-NINE THOUGHTS.
THE HISTORY:

Formally organized in April of 2008, the band first performed live on the stage of the legendary Cactus Theater in Lubbock, Texas. The the band continues to experience unique success in songwriting and concert bookings and has maintained a rigorous schedule of live concert appearance which has included opportunities to play alongside artists such as Meredith Andrews, Josh Wilson, Jonny Diaz, Shane and Shane, Family Force 5, Pocket Full of Rocks, Disciple and Leeland. In 2011, the song "To You" from the new album SIMPLE was named a top 3 winner in the 18th Annual Billboard Worldwide Song Contest.
DISCOGRAPHY:

In May of 2010, the band released its initial CD "Thirty-Nine Thoughts" and in January 2011, their second CD "Simple" was released.

Also check out Thirty-Nine Thoughts music video for their song Come One, Come All. Don't forget to "like" Thirty-Nine Thoughts on Facebook.

Tim Hawkins Videos

For Christmas I got Tim Hawkin's DVD "I'm No Rockstar" and I hae watched at least 5 times already! It is hilarious! I wanted to share just a couple teaser videos off the DVD with you guys. The first one is about the song "Do You Hear What I Hear?".

The second video is the DVD trailer so it has small parts of the different jokes he does on the video.

I hope you guys enjoyed the videos and got a good laugh! If you know of any other funny videos let me know! I love to laugh! :D

Melissa Is Leaving Superchick

Melissa the guitar player and vocalist for Superchick announced today that she is leaving the band. As a fan of Superchick it is sad to see her go, but I am sure God has something else in store for her. Here is what Melissa posted...

So 13 yrs ago Max shared a vision with me called Superchick and I jumped on board. It was to share a message of hope for the hopeless, empowerment for the helpless, beauty to the ones who had long felt unbeautiful, grace for the broken and love for the ones who felt unloveable. It was a vision I felt more than excited to be a part of. So we started out on a musical journey that I had no idea how l...ong it would last, where it would take us or who would want to be part of it. The last 13 yrs has taken me to places that I would have never travelled to, I have met people I would have never met and I have learned and grown in ways that I never would have. I would never for a million yrs change the Superchick time of my life. I now feel like I'm at a point in my life where I want to find my dream and vision. I have so many things I want to experience and do and I think it's time that I do them. I love all of you in superchickland. You have been my heart for many years and you will always be in it. If there is one day in the future a farewell tour I hope to be part of it and rock your faces off one more time but until that day you will find me doin other adventures in my life. Maybe you will see an album that I hope to one day put out of my own, or perhaps a book or books that I hope to write or if you're in Nashville you might one day buy flowers from the shop I hope to have. Just know that wherever I am and whatever I do a big part of who I am is because of all of you out there that have been in my life in some way big or small for the last 13 yrs. For now I want to leave you with what I would like to speak into your lives: know that you are loved by the creator of the universe; you are special, unique and capable of things far beyond what you feel you are; and that there is NOTHING you could ever do that would make God stop loving you.

xoxo

 Melissa

Jenn Bostic - Change Review

Jenn Bostic is a pop singer/songwriter and she recently released her EP "Change". Which I have the pleasure of reviewing.

The album starts off with the song "Let's Get Ahead Of Ourselves". I like the feel of the music in this song, but the vocals aren't my favorite. The second song on the album is "Wait For Me". This song is better than the previous song in my opinion, the vocals are really nice to listen to. Then things slow down a bit for the third song "Jealous Of The Angels". Even though this song is slower I still enjoyed it. Beautiful vocals, complete this kind of a sad song about losing someone you love. The fourth song on the album is the self-titled track "Change". I love the groove of this song and just the attitude in this song. It kind of reminds me of Carrie Underwood's song "Before He Cheats". I would say that this is my favorite song on the album. The fifth song "Missin' A Man" talks alot about a guy and that is not exactly what I am looking for as far as lyrics in an album, but the sound of the song is good. The final song on the album is "Snowstorm" and it is an acoustic version. This song is absolutely beautiful with the piano and vocals it mixes really well. It is a nice way to end the album.

This album has a good sound with some sweet vocals. Alot of it reminds me of a country album. The lyrics aren't super amazing in my opinion, I mean they aren't bad they just aren't exactly what I was looking for.
Other than that I like the groove of the album, and I enjoyed listening to it. I would have to give this album a 3/5 stars. 

Oh and extra bonus I think that this EP has the coolest CD I have ever seen! Check it out! I love it!

The City Harmonic Bass Player Diagnosed With Leukemia

Please keep The City Harmonic and their bass player Eric Fusilier and his family in your prayers, because they just discovered that their band mate and friend was diagnosed with Leukemia. Below is the letter that the band posted....

Dear friends and family of The City Harmonic,

It is with a heavy and yet hopeful heart that we ask your help in prayer. A few nights ago, our brother-in-Christ and bandmate Eric Fusilier was feeling weak and unable to move. As such, he and his wife visited the doctor and underwent a series of tests. Within a matter of hours they received a phone call urging them to hurry him to a hospital for further tests and to treat some serious concerns.

Yesterday morning we heard from Laura that Eric has been diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of Leukemia known as ALL,or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Thankfully, this is a treatable and potentially curable cancer, however it will be a challenging road ahead for Eric and Laura’s families as well as their friend and family. For now, we simply ask that you join with us in prayer for the Eric, Laura, and all those touched by him. Please pray for his health and well-being, and thank God for his courage and continued good-spirits in this difficult time.

Sincerely,
Elias, Eric, Aaron and Josh

Kutless "Believer" Album Art

Here is the official album art for Kutless' new album Believer, scheduled for release via BEC Recordings on February 28th 2012! I am so pumped to see what these guys can come up with on this new release!

Track Listing:
1. If It Ends Today
2. Carry On
3. All Yours
4. Even If
5. Hero
6. Identity
7. Need
8. Come Back Home
9. This Is Love
10. Gravity
11. I'm With You
12. Believer
13. Carry Me To The Cross

Thanks again to Sam at God Tunes Reviews for this info.

Fireflight "NOW" Album Art And Lyric Video

Here is the official album art for Fireflight's forthcoming album NOW, slated for release on March 6th 2012! And while you're checking that out, you can watch the lyrics video for the band's new single "Stay Close", soon to be released as a music video!

 

Thanks Sam, for this info! Make sure you check out my friend Sam's blog God Tunes Review.

Mercy Me Announces New Album

Mercy Me stated on their Twitter page that they are back in the studio working on their new album. The album is titled The Hurt and the Healer,  and it is scheduled to release in Spring 2012. When I find out more I will be sure to keep you posted.

Also Mercy Me is headliner for The Rock And Worship Roadshow, tickets are only $10 at the door! For more info check out therockandworshiproadshow.com.

Manafest's New Album Fighter

Manafest posted a teaser for his new album "Fighter" on Facebook today.

The album is set to release on April 10th 2012. Here is the link for the new album teaser. Also don't forget you can see Manafest live on the REDvolution tour!

For more info on the new album and for tour dates check out Manafest's Facebook page.

Something To Think About

Today I was listening to Family Life Radio and I believe it was Chuck Swindoll talking. I only caught part of it but during what I heard he was talking about creation. Like I said I only caught part of it so I am going to change it to what I heard. Okay now picture this, it is a beautiful day, you are standing outside in the shine shine admiring a beautiful and shiny new car. Let's just say it was my dream car a mini cooper.

Then I come up and ask you if you know where this car came from, not just from the factory but where it really came from. After a little processing you would probably say that someone created it. Someone came up with the idea, the design and then they created it. Then lets say I tell you that isn't true, that's just what people believe to be true. The real answer is that centuries ago different metals happened to come together to form bolts, and nuts. Then a bunch of thread just happened to grow together and form the seats. Then some rubber came up out of the ground and attached itself together forming a circle. Which after years and years later attached itself to metal and pumped itself up with air, forming the tire. Then eventually after even more years and years, it all evolved into a car. Then a couple walking through the woods comes across this thing that has evolved and they decide to call it an automobile.

Now if I told that's how automobiles came to be, you would probably think I was crazy. You would probably try to get away from me, thinking I was a lunatic! You know that automobiles were designed and created by a human, and they didn't just evolve over time. Now let's say we apply that same theory to God and creation. We didn't just happen, we didn't evolve over time, we weren't an accident. We were created by the one true God. Just something to think about.

Help Tenth Avenue North Stop Human Trafficking

I got an email from Tenth Avenue North about a really cool ministry that they are involved with. Here is the email they sent.

From Jeff  

We have a special announcement! Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and to help raise awareness and fight human trafficking, Tenth Avenue North has partnered with the Not For Sale Campaign to bring you an awesome opportunity to own a very special shirt. We helped them design a limited run shirt that is made at the Not For Sale Campaign factory in El Salvador. The workers who make these shirts are rescued women from sex trafficking and in order to help them have a better quality of life, they are given jobs at the factory.
This particular shirt is part of their Free2Rock campaign. 100% of the proceeds go toward ending slavery in Amsterdam and around the globe. They are launching a catering project that will employ women rescued out of sex trafficking. It will begin with a training program, catering food for the girls in the windows of the red light district, then will move on to serving major companies in Europe to create long-term sustainable employment for them.
Keep in mind this shirt will only be available for sale online from January 11–25th, so go to notforsalestore.org now and get one before time runs out!


Check out our video about the shirts!


Every time you buy a product you are making a small impact in the chain of supply and demand. Most clothing is unfortunately manufactured under poorly regulated labor somewhere around the world. Usually the difference of a low cost fashionable clothing item is made up by someone, somewhere. That can mean employees are in poor working environments under lengthy hours and with very little pay. The Not For Sale Campaign fights to change the status quo of today’s standards of business and help underprivileged people find their voice. In most cases sexual slavery is the foremost issue of oppression. If you caught us during our Fall 2010 tour, you heard us talk about our passion in bringing awareness of this dark issue to whom we can. This is a small part of that puzzle. By buying ethically proven clothes or clothes that provide a means to help someone out of poverty, you are helping to give them freedom.
I’ll admit, I don’t know where most of my clothes come from outside of the country’s name on the tag, but I do know where some of my clothes are made, and we do know where these shirts are made and the impact they will have when you purchase one. 
We also wanted to share a video we made this summer at Lifelight Festival in South Dakota to try and communicate why we do what we do as a band. We hope to answer some of the questions we get most often, like why we play shows and how we wrestle with “entertaining.” We love this  this little 7-minute film by our friend Noah Carlson and we hope you will too.


As you may have gathered from our Twitter feeds, we are in the studio recording our third album. You may disagree, but we think this will be our best yet. Can't wait to share it with you.

See you soon on the Rock & Worship Roadshow!
Jeff and the boys



The Rock & Worship Roadshow
MercyMe with Tenth Avenue North, LeCrae, Hawk Nelson, Disciple, Sidewalk Prophets & more

01.26 Mississippi Coast Coliseum - Biloxi, MS
01.27 Von Braun Center - Huntsville, AL
01.28 Conseco Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN
01.29 Xcel Energy Center - Minneapolis, MN
02.02 Sears Centre Arena - Hoffman Estates, IL
02.03 Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center - Ypsilanti, MI
02.04 Coliseum at Alliant Energy Center - Madison, WI
02.09 American Bank Center Arena - Corpus Christi, TX
02.10 American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX
02.11 Kay Yeager Coliseum - Wichita Falls, TX
02.12 Pan American Center - Las Cruces, NM
02.16 JQH Arena - Springfield, MO
02.17 The Mabee Center - Tulsa, OK
02.18 United Spirit Arena - Lubbock, TX
02.19 World Arena - Colorado Springs, CO
02.23 Tingley Coliseum - Albuquerque, NM
02.24 US Airways Center - Phoenix, AZ
02.25 Henderson Pavilion - Henderson, NV
03.01 Taco Bell Arena - Boise, ID
03.02 Rose Garden Arena - Portland, OR
03.03 Key Arena - Seattle, WA
03.04 Spokane Arena - Spokane, WA
03.08 Citizens Business Bank Arena - Ontario, CA
03.09 Valley View Casino Center - San Diego, CA
03.10 Power Balance Pavilion - Sacramento, CA
03.11 Savemart Center - Fresno, CA

Thousand Foot Krutch New Song and Album Artwork

Thousand Foot Krutch is going to be releasing their 8th album The End Is Where We Begin in March. Thousand Foot Krutch is one of my favorite bands so I can't wait for the release of this album. Recently TFK released the artwork for the new album and they have also released a couple teaser songs. Here is the newest song Courtesy Call.

The new artwork for The End Is Where We Begin is what is shown in the videos. It is quite similar to The Flame In All Of Us, which I like. Here is another teaser song called The End Is Where We Begin.

Lecrae - Just Like You Video

I recently saw this video and thought I would post it. It is really good. Check it out!

Lecrae is going to be on the Rock and Worship Roadshow this winter/spring, along with Mercy Me, Tenth Avenue North, Hawk Nelson, Disciple and more! That is a killer line up. Plus it is only $10 at the door! NO TICKETS REQUIRED!!! I know I am super excited! I have never seen Lecrae live in concert and so I can't wait!

Clever Signs Week 1

I have decided to try something new that I hope you guys will like. There is this church that we pass at least once a week, and they always post something clever on their sign. So I thought that each week as I see the sign I will post what it says. This weeks sign wasn't as quite as clever it was more thought provoking, but I am still going to share it. This is what the sign said today.

Let me know what you think of this idea by leaving a comment.

GIVEAWAY!!! Shonlock - Never Odd Or Even

*Giveaway Ended*

Time for another giveaway! The first giveaway of 2012! This time it is a copy of Never Odd Or Even by Shonlock. I recently reviewed this album and gave it 4/5 stars, you can read my review here.

To Enter the giveaway: All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment here on this blog, telling me what you would like me to post more of on this blog in 2012. It could be more reviews, giveaways, interview or even just more of a certain band.

Bonus Entries:

1. "Like" Shonlock on Facebook.
2. "Like" this blog (The Christian Music Junkie) on Facebook.
3. Post about this giveaway on facebook. (You may do this daily but please leave a separate comment on this page each time you do. Also please leave a link to your facebook post on this blog post).
4. Follow @shonlock on Twitter.
5. Follow me on twitter @Drummin_4_Jesus.
6. Tweet about this giveaway. (You may do this daily but please leave a separate comment on this page each time you do). Here is a sample tweet:

GIVEAWAY U can win a CD by Shonlock from The Christian Music Junkie (@Drummin_4_Jesus) http://goo.gl/ljjZB Ends 1/31 GREAT CHANCE OF WINNING


Please make sure that you leave a separate comment for each of these things that you do. This giveaway ends Tuesday January 31st at 3pm EST. The winner will be randomly selected and I will send them an email. The winner will have 48 hours to reply, if they don't respond a new winner will be drawn. This giveaway is only open to the U.S. and Canada, sorry. If you have any questions feel free to email me at thechristianmusicjunkie@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter.

Rock and Worship Roadshow 2012

The Rock and Worship Roadshow is kicking off their spring tour on January 26th in Biloxi, MS. There is a phenomenal line up this year that you don't want to miss! 

Awesome line up right? I know I am excited! I can't wait to see Lecrae, Tenth Avenue North, Hawk Nelson Disciple, Mercy Me, plus the others! It will be alot of fun I'm sure, and for only $10 who can beat it!

Here is a list of all the tour dates and for even more info head to therockandworshiproadshow.com