John Mark McMillan's The Medicine… U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb… U2's No Line on the Horizon. It's really all you need.

Good call on Freelance Whales. I love them.

Good Old War is good stuff.
The Avett Brothers are also fantastic. Out of all their albums, I recommend most people start with “I And Love And You.”
The Civil Wars is great acoustic ala The Swell Season.
Josh Garrells “Lost Animals” is a great album.

But I'd have to say that Mumford & Sons has to be one of my favorites right now.

Want a little bit of a newer artist? Check out NewWorldSon.

Check out Elevation // http://elevationband.com

The National, Mumford & Sons, The Hold Steady, Avett Brothers, Band of Horses, Surfer Blood. That's a good start.

FUN. ( lead singer from the band formerly known as “the format” Great stuff, )

Storyline … http://www.storylineband.com

The Rocket Summer- Of Men and Angels. it is a GREAT CD, and relatively new.

Seabear, Griffin House, A Fine Frenzy, Phoenix, Matt Pond PA, Greg Laswell… And don't forget some classics, Sting, The Cure, Tears for Fears…

Griffen House has a new CD, The Learner but his best is Lost and Found (GOT TO get that one).

Also, Mike Crawford and His Secret Siblings.

FLY WELL!

you guys are awesome! keep em coming! lots of these ive never heard of which is perfect!

Sondre Lerche – Duper Sessions
Jimmy Eat World – Clarity
Jakob Dylan – Women & Country

William Fitzsimmons – Derivatives, The Ting Tings, Alexi Murdoch, Peter Bradley Adams, She & Him – vol2, Spoon – Transference, Peter Gabriel – Scratch My Back (a covers album) – I also agree with all of Blake's suggestions…

House of Heroes – The End is Not the End
The Wedding – The Sound, The Steel
Lauryn Hill – MTV 2.0 Unplugged

Every Thrice album!! Muse, Copeland, Eisley, Waking Ashland, The Hush Sound.

Ditto on Mumford & Sons “Sigh No More”.

ive never heard of them but i LOVE that name! any relationship to Sanford and Sons?

Great local Nashville band: Halo Stereo! Definitely worth a D/L

Seriously…

Milktooth
and the band's older album under their lead singer's name, David Cardos

I know the kid and he's mega-talented

Hah! I think they're probably as far removed from Sanford & Sons as you can be, being as they're from the U.K.

here's a youtube taste of one of their songs – http://goo.gl/CgNg

I'm really loving Blind Pilot. They're a band based out of the Pacific northwest. Check it out.

i wish i could come up with names that are as good as Milktooth. that rocks! im on it! Itunes i hope?

Dig it…

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/milktooth/id3…

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/david-condos/…

love U2! will check out JMM.

I can generally listen to the Goo Goo Dolls for hours without noticing the time go by.

+1 on The Civil Wars, and House of Heroes. Also, check out John Mark McMillan's “The Medicine” and The Reign of Kindo's “Rhythm, Chord & Melody”.

PLUS – All the Bright Lights eponymous release, and “Beautiful Things” by Gungor.

I've really been digging Frightened Rabbit and Joe Pug, completely different styles with great lyrics, lots to think about.

The Iguanas! Especially the first two albums, The Iguanas and Nuevo Boogaloo

Agree on Joe Pug. Loving his stuff

I'm in to Dead Weather, which is a refreshing break from my singer/songwriter taste.
also loving Page CXVI right now (especially “Come thou fount”)

Matt Epp is awesome if you're into folky, guitar type stuff. Mellow but catchy. Lex Buckley has a great worship album. Both are on iTunes!

well i did tweet you this link earlier so I thought I would publish here again to see if anyone is interested.
10 Summer Albums to Keep Your Ears Happy
http://bit.ly/dp0rvG

Yes Mumford and Sons is a must.

John Mark has been on non stop play for me the last week. Great stuff.

You have to have some TobyMac

This is something I can help with!!!!!

Ok, check out Calamateur (amazing music from a Christian guy up in the north of Scotland), Nada Surf, Death Cab for Cutie, Air, Alexi Murdoch (scottish dude who lives in NC), Noah and the Whale, KT Tunstall, Ben Folds, Ben Lee (I especialy love 'we're all in this together'), Hillsong 'This Is Our God' live album, Adele, Florence & the Machine.

I'm not a huge Mumford and Sons fan, but if you like them, you might like Laura Marling.

Have many more suggestions – if you give me a flavour of stuff you already like, that'll give me better idea of what to recommend for you.

Can't beleive I forgot to mention The National & Band of Horses. BOH have album out quite recently and it's great!!

Woo to the Alexi Murdoch!

Anberlin
As Cities Burn
The Almost

Definitely check out Butch Walker (any of his records), the latest 30 Seconds to Mars record “This is War,” Muse, MuteMath, The Roots,RJD2, and RATATAT. Pretty eclectic mix there.

Over the Rhine. Love them! Check out their albums “Drunkards Prayer” (my fav) or “Ohio”.

Here are two of my absolute favorite, both fairly unknown but awesome.

United Pursuit Band
http://www.facebook.com/unitedpursuit

Their EP and album “Radiance” are both great, as is the Will Reagan and United Pursuit Band record “In the Night Season”.

I also am loving Urban Rescue, a young new band from San Diego:

http://urbanrescuemusic.com/

@RevJDG: good calls on both of those! The Glorious Unseen is also good stuff in that same kind of vein.

i saw them in concert once and they were amazing…i didnt know any of their music but i thot they were freakin awesome!

i like weird music…though i also love mainstream stuff too!

Drunkards Prayer. Trust me. You'll love it. There isn't a bad song on it. Here's the iTunes link. If you check it out let me know what you think

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/drunkards-pray…

P.S. Praying for your trip, my friend. Feel free to email or DM prayer requests.

P.S.S. The first track, “I Want You to Be My Love”? Amazing. Okay, I'm done now…

No way. Coming to GR? Best time of year to be in the Great Lakes State.

What I keep turning back to:
10th Avenue North
The Avett Brothers
Rusted Root (it never gets old to me)
The Cure – Mixed Up
Rhythms del Mundo (Buena Vista Social Club mix with Coldplay, U2, etc.)
TobyMac & Kirk Franklin – Lose My Soul
Peter Gabriel – Shaking the Tree
Hoedown Throwdown – Miley Cyrus (Yes, I admit it too)
New (to me) groups:
Wilco
Pink Martini

Eminem's new album “Recovery” is sick. I mean, you have to not be offended by the language- it is Em….but I'd venture to say it's his best yet. My fav songs: W.T.P. (it's funny), Won't Back Down (ft. P!ink), Love the Way You Lie (ft. Riri- kinda disturbing but lyrically amazing), and the new single Not Afraid.

Ryan Adams and Eminen. Two TOTALLY different genres but two of the most vulnerable song writers I can think of!

Thanks to Dan below for mentioning Peter Bradley Adams – I'm his manager – here are free songs from him – no signup, email or registration needed: http://www.peterbradleyadams.com/free/ep We believe the best way to promote indie artists is to make the music easy to share. If you like please pass him and the songs on. You can read about us at http://www.marcrescue.wordpress.com Thanks Marc

also, http://www.comeandlive.com has the new album by The Neverclaim. For free if you like. It's great.

I've been on this retro kick lately Mike…. Depeche Mode, The Police, U2, INXS, Duran Duran… not sure why either. I never really rocked them back then, but for some reason I'm bringin 'em back! That's my vote.

I'm into power/prog metal and rock. Dream Theater, Blind Guardian (new album in August!!), Symphony X, Pagan's Mind (God's Equation is phenomenal). I lately got Primal Fear's latest, 16.6. Very cool Judas Priest-ish album.

I'm also really heavy into electronic/dance, especially Daft Punk. If you haven't, I highly, highly recommend giving their live album, Alive 2007, a listen. Great feel-good music.

Aaand lastly, POD. I'm such a huge fan of Sonny Sandoval and his work in the Whosoevers. POD's heartfelt message of love, life, and grace in God has always moved me. Recently discovered their older album The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. Excellent stuff.

I'm wearing the heck out of Daft Punk's “Alive 2007″ right now. Listening to that album and the way the audience will just go nuts when the robotic duo introduces a brief sample from a different song when they're in the middle of one showed my heart a lot about heaven. We're always looking to be “surprised by joy” as C.S. Lewis called it. Creation does so much to awaken that desire in us, I think. Anyway, I highly recommend the album.

I'm also loving some POD at the moment, especially since my fandom of the band got me to learn more about Sonny Sandoval and his work in the Whosoevers. Awesome guy.

Whoops, sorry for the double post; had some internet troubles and thought my post never made it through.

I LOVE Stephanie Pauline's music. The stories behind her songs are also fantastic. (She is a very strong Christian with an amazing series of life vents that led to her becoming a singer). I also like the song “Healing Begins” and “Stolen my Heart.” Remedy Drive, children 18:3, and Superchick are all very good as well.

Thanks for blessing me with your writings.

Please help a fellow believer raise some money by surfing on over to http://www.hybridhondas.com and clicking on a few of the sponsored links that interest you.

John Mark McMillan- “The Medicine”
The Avett Brothers- “I and Love and You”
Joe Pug- “Messenger”
Amos Lee- “Last Days @ The Lodge”
William Fitzsimmons- “The Sparrow & The Crow”

My current iPod favs -

Spoon – “The Underdog”
Mumford & Sons – “Little Lion Man”
30db – “Susanah”
Johnny Cash – “Hurt”
Pink – “Glitter in the Air”
The Low Anthem – “Charlie Darwin” and “Ohio”
Dixie Chicks – “White Trash Wedding”
Peter Wolf & Shelby Lynn – “Tragedy”
Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra – “You're Famous Baby”
Poi Dog Pondering – “Complicated”

Shinedown's “Sound of Madness” album is awesome…and I've lately discovered The Classic Crime, and they are AWESOME.

30 seconds to mars, the rocket summer, phoenix, civil twilight, sparta, sleepercar, mutemath, thrice

30 seconds to mars, the rocket summer, phoenix, civil twilight, sparta, sleepercar, mutemath, thrice