The Free Christian Music Blog

Wally’s Yule-Rock Sampler

You know how the Free Christian Music Awards are going on right now here on TFCMB?  Well, I think I just found my vote for sampler of the year.  This particular sampler is being released by the radio show Total Axxess & Provident Music.  I have to say, this is the most impressive track-list I’ve seen in a long time:

• Fireflight – “Desperate”
• Leeland w/ Brandon Heath – “Follow You”
• Tal & Acacia – “Garbage In”
• Pillar – “Secrets and Regrets”
• Phil Stacey – “You’re Not Shaken”
• Matt Maher – “Hold Us Together”
• RED – “Start Again”
• Brandon Heath – “Love Never Fails”
• Tenth Avenue North – “Times”
• Jars of Clay – “Boys (Lesson One)”

You’ve got brand new Fireflight, great songs from Pillar, Phil Stacey, Brandon Heath, and Jars of Clay, really, just about everything on this sampler is worth getting.  Don’t miss this one!

-Wally’s Yule-Rock Sampler-

Tags: Brandon Heath, Fireflight, Jars of Clay, Leeland, Matt Maher, Phil Stacey, Pillar, Red, Tal & Acacia, Tenth Avenue North

What’s Hot This Week

There’s quite a few different limited-time downloads going on right now, here’s the highlights:

Pillar is giving away their rockin’ song “Fire On the Inside” for free for 24 hours from their website.  So far as I can tell the download will only be available until midnight tonight (Sept. 8 2009), so do yourself a favor and just get the song ASAP. 

-Pillar’s Website-

Tangle is offering a free download of Bethany Dillon’s new song “Everyone to Know” for this week, from her new album Stop & Listen.  “Everyone to Know” is also Bethany’s latest single, and is currently available on iTunes.  Of course, it’s also free on Tangle, so if I were you, I’d grab a copy while I can.

-Tangle.com-

Also free this week is BarlowGirl’s new music video “Beautiful Ending”.  It’s from their new album Love & War, and seems to set in the Victorian era.  Also, I think the father in the video looks a little like Orlando Bloom.  Maybe it’s just me.  Anyways…

-“Beautiful Ending” on VideoRocket-

And if that’s not enough for you, you can also download three songs from Thalon, Jeremy Scott, and Abandon Kansas from iTickets.  I can definitely speak for Thalon & Abandon Kansas as good rock groups, and Jeremy Scott sounds pretty good too.  Get the songs.  No, really, do it.  Now.

-iTicket’s Free Music Page-

On another note, if you’re not signed up for HearItFirst.com’s newsletter, you need to be.  Last week, they gave away songs from Philmont & Abandon, the week before, Leeland, and there will be more free music in this week’s email.  Don’t miss that either.

-HearItFirst.com-

Well, that’s it for this week, look for more great, free music next week.  Till then, this is Matt, signing off, hanging it up… 

Tags: Abandon Kansas, BarlowGirl, Bethany Dillon, Jeremy Scott, Pillar, Thalon

Secrets & Regrets

This just in:  Pillar is giving away their song “Secrets & Regrets”, from their brand new album Confessions, for 24 hours only, through their website.

It’s a pretty sweet song, typical Pillar, the lighter of Pillar’s two new singles.  Basically, it’s just a bit more melodic then heavy-hitting.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Pillar’s heavier side, but this isn’t bad at all.  I like it. 

Now, for even more good news.  On Pillar’s website, it says the download will only be available for 24 hours, starting midnight, Wednesday, 9/2/09.  By my clock, that’s not for two days yet, but I was just able to download the track anyway.  I don’t know if it was just a fluke, or if it’s starting early, or how long it’s going to be available, but I do know it’s free Pillar, and you should go and download it while it’s free.  Enjoy!

-“Secrets And Regrets” on Pillar’s Website-

Tags: Pillar

iTicket’s Rocks Too!

Free music this week from iTickets – from Pillar and Fireflight.  That’s a bit unusual, considering iTicket’s usual focus on “softer” music, not that there’s anything wrong with that.  It’s just a nice change.  The songs are “For The Love of the Game” by Pillar, a great song I have, and “Forever” by Fireflight, a song I just downloaded and haven’t had a chance to hear yet.  Enjoy!

-iTicket’s Free Music Page-

Update: iTicket’s just added a third song this week, “Unite” by Worth Dying For.  They must have had a delay in getting the song added.  Anyway, if you got the last two, you’ll want to re-visit and grab the third.

Tags: Fireflight, Pillar, Worth Dying For

Unexpected Sources of Free Music – Part 1

I know this isn’t totally free, but when a friend emailed me about this, I knew I had to feature it…

ChristianBook.com is got Absolute Smash Hits Volumes 1 & 2, a four disc CD se

t (think a WOW Hits clone), on sale for $5.99.  That’s 50 songs for 6 bucks.  50 songs!  That’s 8.3472454090150250417362270450751* cents per song.  That’s approximately 91 cents cheaper per song then iTunes.  Not bad at all, for a collection of some of Christian music’s greatest hits.  In fact, it’s a steal.  Not as good as free, but almost.

Of course there has to be a downside.  In this case it’s the selection.  It’s almost all somewhat under-the-radar artists CCM artists.  The loudest it get’s in 12 Stones and Skillet.  But, that maybe perfect for you, in which case that would be a plus and not a minus.  So, anyway, it’s worth checking out.

-Absolute Smash Hits Vol. 1-2 on ChristianBooks.com-

*To be precise.

Tags: 12 Stones, Andrew Peterson, BarlowGirl, Big Daddy Weave, Big Dismal, Broken Frame, Building 429, By The Tree, Enter the Worship, Exit East, Ginny Owens, Grits, Inhabited, James Clay, Jeff Deyo, Jennifer Knapp, Jill Phillips, Jonah33, Monk & Neagle, Mute Math, Natalie Grant, Nate Sallie, Out of Eden, Palisade, Paul Wright, Pillar, Plumb, Salvador, Sarah Brendal, Shane & Shane, Shaun Groves, Sixpence None the Richer, Skillet, Stellar Kart, Superchic[k], The Swift, Todd Agnew, Tree63, Warren Barfield, Watermark

Free Sampler from Creation Fest!

Not two days since I posted about the last free music from Creation Festival, the catchy song “Captives Come Home” by Run Kid Run, Creation has officially topped themselves 10 times over. As in a 10 song free sampler featuring Run Kid Run, Thousand Foot Krutch, Pillar, Fireflight, Dizmas, The Afters, Leeland, Mike Farris, and more. There are at least 3, if not 4 or 5, number one hits inside this sampler. Totally, absolutely sweet.

These aren’t no-name songs either. “Unbreakable”, by Fireflight, “Falls Apart” by Thousand Foot Krutch, “For The Love of The Game”, Pillar. Seriously cool stuff.

I could probably wax eloquent about how incredible it is all night, but I really need to get to bed. So just get it and enjoy it.

Tags: Chris Taylor, Dizmas, Fireflight, Kathryn Scott, Leeland, Mike Farris, Pillar, Run Kid Run, The Afters, Thousand Foot Krutch

11 Bands to Watch for in 2008

11. Stellar Kart. If we really can Expect the Impossible, it must be pretty cool.

10. Inhabited. Their new album Love has been getting good reviews already, and looks to be an great CD.

9. Inhale Exhale. After a great debut, their sophomore disk looks to be great as well.

8. Pillar. With the apparent return to their older style, For the Love of the Game looks to be a worth squeal continuation to the Pillar legacy.

7. Hawk Nelson. If past awesome-ness is a sign of future awesome-ness, they are in great shape.

6. The Afters. After, what, three years, the band return with their second album, which looks to be as good or better then then I Wish We All Could Win.

5. P.O.D. (Payable on Death). Overlooking there new CD, When Angels and Serpents Dance, would be a serious mistake.

4. Showbread. Is a so crazy. They are releasing two different CDs on the same day. Who know what will happen? For sheer unpredictability, you need to keep an eye on them.

3. Kutless. With a new CD supposedly on the way, the massively popular band will definitely be one to watch for.

2. Underoath. The hardcore phenomenon. The mere fact that they are doing a new CD has music fans around the world in desperate anticipation.

1. Family Force 5. In two years, they went from unknowns to one of the hottest bands in Christian music. With a new, untitled CD on the way, the dance party that is FF5 will likely continue to spread.

Honorably Mentions:

A Rotterdam November. Despite being unsigned and unknown, they landed a hit with “City Without a Heart” and look to be a promising band.

Fireflight. Looks Unbreakable.

Leeland. Blindside. Switchfoot. Anberlin. John Reuben. Krystal Meyers. Deserved to fit in the top 11, only I ran out of room.

Tags: A Rotterdam November, Blindside, Family Force 5, Fireflight, Hawk Nelson, Inhabited, Inhale Exhale, Kutless, Leeland, P.O.D., Pillar, Showbread, Stellar Kart, Switchfoot, The Afters, Underoath