iRecommend : Love & War by Josh Garrels [+ Free Album Download]

If You Like: Gotye, Mat Kearney, Gungor, Florence + The Machine, Adele, Eminem

Today I'm excited to present to you Josh Garrels, songwriter and maker of beautiful music. Love & War (& The Sea in Between) is his 6th release and it has been described by Christianity Today as  "prophetic, incisive, achingly human, and longingly spiritual,". It has also been tagged as their 2011 Album of The Year. To Download and listen click here.

Ponder:

"Only this moment is Life. The past is memory, the future is imagination." - Ted Dekker

p.S. - Please note that this download is only available for the next forty days. You can also check out the artist (Josh Garrels) on twitter @JoshGarrels

iRecommend Special: Where And How To Get Lots of Music For Free [Legally]

On the 1st of September 2006, Singer/Songwriter and former front man for Caedmon's Call, Derek Webb decided to give out his album The Mockingbird for free on his website. On his next tour, he found out that like never before, people came out to see him perform.. . .

And that, was the birth of a great idea. In May 2007, Derek came together with Mark Nicholas, David McCollum, and Brannon McAllister to form the Noise Trade. A place where Artists can give free music and fans would get it at the cost of nothing.

From Beckah Shae to Kate Herzig to The Vespers, Noise Trade has been a journey of discovery for me. Any time I go on, I find new and fresh music. And you too can always have new and (free) fresh music all for nothing. Visit Noise Trade today. It's a whole new world of discovery. What are you waiting for? Click! But Before you go be nice and leave a comment :)

SideNotes :

 

  Meet Matt Wertz, from hits like '5:19' and 'I Will Not Take My Love Away'. It's Christmas and Noise Trade is giving away his album "TwentyThree Places" plus a brand new Christmas bonus. Click here to have yourself a Christmas gift . . . Shhhh. . .Let's just say from me to you :)

iRecommend [Not Myself Anymore by Jessa Anderson]

If You Like : Taylor Swift, Cold Play, Maroon 5, Jill Phillips, Ashlee Simpsons, Anadara, Avril Lavinge (Her First Album 'Let Go' )


I got Jessa Anderson's Music some weeks back when I first read a review about it @ Jesusfreakhideout.com but didn't listen to it until yesterday. Jessa's Music is pure awesomeness! No two words better describe. The creativity of the songwriting would spark up imagination and the depth would pierce your heart. The music is so enjoyable, reflective and easy to listen to. And the lyrics sincere, heart-felt and honest.

You might not be a fan of this genre but sincerely this is different and it would inspire you. As I kept listening over and over again last night, I kept saying to myself  "This lady has a story to tell", And yes she does. 'Not Myself Anymore' is an invitation to listen to the storytelling of Jessa and her inspiring, creative and easy to listen-to music.


For more info, you can follow the artist on Twitter and Facebook 
You can also visit her website by clicking here

Till next time on iRecommend always remember,
U R LUVED :)

" We'll take our chances on a big dream. Never won over by a sure thing. No longer run for cover ,hiding. We're moving on. Been underestimated by them. Told we were never gonna' make it. Without our ticket to what they have. But we're moving on. . .  " - Jessa Anderson (From the song 'Moving On')



Download New Album [Pocketless Souls] From Je'kob For Free Here!

If You Like: Kid Cudi, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Canton Jones, and Ambassador

Three weeks back, Je'kob ( member of the  Hip/Hop duo Washington Projects) tweeted about the release of his second full lenght album 'Pocketless Souls' and the amazing thing about it (like the first "Minor Setbacks For Major Comeups) is that it's FREE!

What came to mind about the first was that since it would be free then it wouldn't be so good but I was so wrong!. The album was just so good all in all and well produced.

So today I would love to annouce to you all on my blog that Jekob's second full length album is out and you can get it here.

I highly reccomend it and I love Jekob's music too. Here is what he has to say concerning his new album

“Prayerfully this record will hit home with a great deal of people out there struggling with the economy, addictions, feelings of inadequacy & their faith. The concept behind "Pocketless Souls" is simple. We are all spiritual beings who all too often get caught up in the rat race of life. It is an encouragement to prioritize your life around the reality that we can take nothing we acquire here with us into the afterlife. The most important thing we can do with our time here is to truly make it worth while & passionately spread the Good News every chance we get.” – Je'kob



You don't want to miss this guys, in fact there's a song on the album with Coldplay, it's titled 'Pushin' me'. Go now. Click on the link and get Je'kob's new album  ( It's FREE and it's great!) and tell me what you feel about it.

Waiting to hear from you :D

P.S- You can check out Jekob on twitter and his website. You can also get the first album 'Minor Setbacks For Major Comeups' here

iRecommend [99.1 Joy! Fm App For Blackberry and iPhone Users]

Now you really don't have to carry along all the music you love everywhere you go.

New on The Blackberry App World is an app we've all been waiting for. And the good thing about it is it's entirely free.  It's the 99.1 Joy! Fm app. You can listen to contemporary christian music all from the likes of Chris Tomlin, Britt Nicole, Beckah Shae, Casting Crowns, Jamie Grace, Group 1 Crew and many others. It's not only that, also stay updated on the latest news in the CCM industry, connect in on various talk shows and many more.

The app for the Blackberry is built in such a way to work on your BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) so no worries of extra charges as long as you have a BIS plan. The app is also available in the iTunes app store and also for Android devices so the Apple and Droid users aren't left out at all.

If you use a Blackberry, get it here!

If you use an iPhone, get it here!

If you use a Droid device, get it here!

Did I tell you? The app is free! So What are you waiting for? Go ahead and Click!

Till next time on iRecommend, It's your boy, The King's son 

And remember

U R LUVED :)

P.S - You can also visit the Joy! Fm site. Lots of freebies.

iRecommend [Stretching Out by Travis Greene]

If You Like : Wyclef Jean, Mali Music, Israel Houghton, Tye Tribett, The Murrills and Liquid Deep

I have had Travis Greene's album for a while and it's simply amazing. I usually start out on the first track 'Stretch' and relish it all the way. Somewhere  near the end  is the track 'Saveya', it's just so musically innovative and out of this world. Travis's style is classic and yet still contemporary. Comparing his music might be a bit difficult. But you would sure hear a bit of soul artist Mali Music ,the classic sound of Wyclef Jean and of course the upbeat tune and rocky edge of Hillsong United. Tracks to look out for include 'Still Here', 'Prove My Love' and 'Sing Praises' ( on which the adorable voice of Laura Wilson appears).Shauna Niequist (Author of Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life) 's facebook wall. And here is it:
"She told the most wonderful stories, and she said it was because she had discovered that 'once upon a time' was really here and now."


Till next time on iRecommend, remember

U R LUVED :D

iRecommend [Young Love By Mat Kearney]

If You Like : BoB, Tinie Tempah, Eminem, Iyaz and One Republic

Okay guys! I just got a copy of Mat Kearney's 'Young Love' and I can't  stop listening to it. Mat Kearney who is known for recording songs that have appeared on popular TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill and many others is back with his fourth studio project.


Now this ain't a review but in my search for cool stuff I really don't mind sharing one or two treasures I stumble on once in a while. Mat's music is a mixture of Hip Hop, Rap, Soft rock, and Acoustic, though his last effort (City of Black and White) was strictly acoustic rock but this is on a whole new level. Watch out for the second track  'Ship In The Night' on this new album. It just absolutely outta the box! And Before I leave something I tweeted last night on twitter. It just keeps resounding in my head and here is it:

"Some people come into your life as blessings, Others come in as lessons. Identifying rightly leaves no room for bitterness"

So what do you reccomend? What's been bumping on your playlist recently?



On Plumb's New Single [Drifting] and Some Free Music Download Too. . . . Serious!

I am and was so excited when I read via my friend's blog ( Jay's Musik Blog ) that my best and favourite alternative music artist Plumb was releasing a brand new single. And the shocker is she isn't alone on this. She's got company and guess who? It's Dan Haseltine from the rock/pop band Jars of Clay ( remember 'Headphones'? Oh how I love that song). So the day is August 30. Get your iTunes Card ready. And really if you can't wait you can pre-order at Amazon.com. Here is a 30 second snippet of the song titled 'Drifting' .

Some Free Music
Plumb is also giving away two free tracks from her last album release. Click here to download.
Plumb's new full lenght album follows shortly after the release of the single. The album is titled 'Faster Than A Bullet'. Seriously I can't wait!.

P.S.- Finally It's now a easier process commenting on my blog. Now you comment using your Facebook and Twitter accounts (Thanks to Disqus). If This has been helpful, please do drop a comment and I would like to know, What have you been listening to recently? :D 

#MusicMonday - He Can Fix it !

Hello friends. It’s the first edition of #MusicMonday and here is a playlist titled ‘He can fix !’. It’s a collection of 10 awesome songs centered on God being there to help us make it through.  Are you going through? You could use this. Are you on the mountain top and seeking for the next level of living in your life? You could use this too. You can click on the artist name to find more about the particular artist and you can click on the song name to get a youtube feel of the song. I hope you all enjoy it and have yourself a GREAT #MusicMonday J !

1. He Can Fix It by Shei Atkins from the album The Lita Mae Show

2. Forgiveness by Beckah Shae from the Album Life

3. Revealed by Mario Brown from the Album Glory

4. Change in the Making by Addison Road from the Album Stories

5. Stronger by Mandisa from the Album What if We Were Real

6. He wants it All by Forever Jones from the Album Get ready

7. Reason by Larue from the album Larue

8. Trainwreck by Mat Kearney from the album Bullet 

9. Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture from the album Your Love Never Fails

10. I Will Not Take My Love Away by Matt Wertz from the album Everything in Between

Enjoy!

INTRODUCING: MUSIC MONDAY

 

 [Image by fabbriciuse]

Hello everyone,

Last it was Book Club Thursday and now I've got something new for you all. 

There’s so much going on in our world and also on the music scene. Truth be told: decent and good music is 'hard' to come across these days. From scantily dressed bodies on TV screens to lyrics that scream violence and obscenities buzzing through headphones, music has become more than a form of entertainment. It’s an influence.

One could be tempted to say these days; Show me what's on your iPod and I will show you who you are going to be. Shocking but true. Our music influences us in a big way. It has a way of modifying or thwarting our world view. Gone are the days we can hide behind the lies of: 'it's just good beats'. Sorry, good beats might end up leaving us bitten. No pun intended seriously.

So what's the case: Break all my urban CDs and go on media celibacy? I don't think so. There's an option


THERE ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE

In life, there are always an alternative. And I'm glad to inform us too that we also have an alternative in choosing our music. I hear you say: 'not again, I can't stand Mama's old school gospel, it's just absolutely boring. Don't even try bringing that on'. I'm not bringing that on I've got something ‘better’.

INTRODUCING MUSIC MONDAY

On the first Monday of each month, I would be introducing 'sound' sounds, ranging from Hip hop to Rap to Rock and even RnB. Is someone excited? It would cover a lot of artistes from different parts of the world who are doing a good and hard job to produce and promote decent music. I can't wait guys. Recommending good music to you also has a way of exposing me to the same. Music is an influence on the soul. So who are we gonna be after we drop our iPods.



Welcome Music Monday :)