I got a CD of the Afters for Christmas - and I will say, as a highest compliment, that they are the only band that comes close to capturing Tenth Avenue North's magic. I love all of their songs, and they're all special to me all ready. I want more and more of their CD's!!!!!
And I'm starting to listen to a bit more of Deas Vail and OneRepublic.

I got an iTunes gift card for Christmas, and this is what I got with it:
Albums: Steven Curtis Chapman, Heaven in the Real World. I love this album! I used to have it on tape, but it broke. My favorite songs on it are probably "King of the Jungle", and "Dancing with the Dinosaur". I loved those when I was a kid!
Singles:
"All Things New" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I didn't have a lot of his newer music, and I really liked this one.
"Be With You" by Rich Mullins. Thank you to the person on NarniaWeb who mentioned this. I've loved his music since I was four, but this is a new one for me. I love it. Its so beautiful, and rather haunting in a way.
"Hold My Heart" by Tenth Avenue North. I really liked this one.
"One of These Days" by FFH. Another one that I used to have on tape. I love it.
"How You Live" by Point of Grace. I'd heard it on the radio, and I really liked it.
Today I plan to use more Christmas money to get Michael W. Smith's old album Change Your World, and a few other songs. My sister is also going to share some music with me, including some Owl City songs.

Popping in to say that I like Smitty's older albums ("Change Your World", "Go West, Young Man", MWS 1 & 2, "i 2 (EYE)", "I'll Lead You Home") so much better than his newer releases. His first two Christmas albums are also of excellence. His third one is too, just not my style so much, although I think I need to re-listen, as I've only heard it a couple of times, yet when I couldn't concentrate on it fully.

Lady Haleth, we have similar tastes: SCC (love his "HitRW" album—so glad you got the CD!), R. Mullins, FFH (one of the best kept music secrets), Smitty ... ah, memories! Do you enjoy Avalon? "A Maze of Grace" is their prime release (1997), imho, when the original four sang. I also enjoyed Cherie (who replaced Nikki), but since she, Jody, and Michael left, it's just not the same. (Thankfully, though, Janna remains, and was joined by her hubby, Greg Long.)

Ahem, excuse all the brackets: they are quite overdone ^.

I can't wait for Hawk Nelson's new CD called "Crazy Love" which comes out next month!

For some reason, I wouldn't have expected you to like ATTWN

I've always had a soft spot for really, really catchy alt-rock like ATTWN and Jonezetta.

Elanor: Those are both great artists that you are getting into.

Well, Liberty got us started, but I'd love to hear people's most anticipated albums of 2011.

I know I'm looking forward to Eisley, Coldplay, Deas Vail, Mute Math, and Jeremy Larson.

Jeremy Larson is quickly becoming one of my favorite men in music. He has so many ideas that they can't be confined to one project. I'm so glad that this kind of renaissance man songwriter is coming into fashion. He is starting another project with Stacy (Dupree) King of Eisley and Darren King of MuteMath. Is that drool-worthy or what?!

Also, Eisley's new album is looking goooood (link goes to 30 sec clips). "The Valley" and "Ambulance" were both fab and then I just heard "Smarter" for the first time and it is excellent. It sounds like it's a sort of angry reply to poor Sherri's sort of publicized relationship issues and it has a very sassy flavor to it. It's really more like Paramore than anything Eisley usually does.
(Also, I just listened to the 30 second clip of "Please" and it is jaw-dropping)

The only CD I can think of wanting is Fransesca Battistelli's second album. I also I want to see Brandon Heath's new CD, I don't expect to buy his CD but at least I will check for what I like in it.

I actually don't follow music coming out much - only for a few people. I'm really looking forward to Switchfoots Album, but I think that's about all.

I just got some more music. The Change your World album, "Alive Again" by Matt Maher, "This is Home" by Switchfoot, "Much of You" by Steven Curtis Chapman, and "Big Fish" by FFH. (I loved that last one when I was little! )
My mom and sister also shared some songs with me, and I with them.
So now I have WOW Hits 2011 songs, an Owl City album, their song from Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Bethany Dillon's "Hero", two Amy Grant Christmas songs, and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Casting Crowns.
Lots of new music to start off the semester.

Most recent album I'm enjoying:
"Captured" by Flame

Album I'm looking forward to most:

"Rehab: The Overdose" by Lecrae

Yeah, both of them are Christian "rap"/hip-hop.

I'm listening to a lot of Evanescence songs right now. Amy Lee has such a beautiful voice. Its so captivating.

A few months ago, I got 2 songs from Audrey Assad's album, "The House You're Building" & "Restless". I really like them both, so I decided to gt a few more which I also really like: Carry Me, Ought To Be, Known, & Show Me. They're all soft, sweet songs. Kinda like a cross between Sara Groves & Kari Jobe. I like her better than Kari Jobe though. I'll probably get the rest of the songs soon, cause I really like these!

Funny, I actually prefer Audrey's demo EP that I got at her show... it's not so produced and I think that works well with her voice because it's naturally so polished. She is good though.
And speaking of Kari Jobe, I actually think her album is really great. I've been meaning to buy it.

Upcoming albums... definitely Deas Vail and MuteMath as Kate mentioned. I'd add Switchfoot, Paper Route, Thrice, and Explosions In The Sky to my list.

He is starting another project with Stacy (Dupree) King of Eisley and Darren King of MuteMath. Is that drool-worthy or what?!

Ahhh! Does the project have a name yet?

Hmm... I've been listening to a lot of random things lately... Armor For Sleep, Secret & Whisper, Jeremy Enigk, Umbrellas, Further Seems Forever, Civil Twilight, My Epic, Far-Less, and Brand New to name a few. My most recent album purchases were Dream To Make Believe (Armor For Sleep), Define The Great Line (Underoath), and In Shallow Seas We Sail (Emery).
Ha... ^ if I had read this a year ago, I would have thought I was crazy.

Oooh and about Eisley my brother just got Room Noises so I'll hopefully be listening to them more now.

My Epic, Far-Less

At first I thought you were joking somehow about "An Epic, No Less"... But I don't think so anymore. *laugh*

I've had my ipod on shuffle lately; it's been good IMO because instead of listening to the same stuff over and over and getting sick of it, I start hearing old favorites that I otherwise wouldn't have chosen to listen to.
Etc.

Kat: No, as far as I'm aware, the Larson/Kings project is unnamed. But it will undoubtedly be amazing.

Ok, ok, so this is just embarrassing. I finally bought The Light Meets the Dark. I've been meaning to for ages, but I don't like spending money on music. I'm not sure what my favorites are, but I just wish so much that the rest of Christian artists out there were as talented with lyrics and songwriting.

At first I thought you were joking somehow about "An Epic, No Less"... But I don't think so anymore. *laugh*

haha! No, My Epic is a band and Far-Less is a band. They have some really good lyrics if anyone's interested.

and I've kind of been doing the opposite haha. Last night was the first night I've listened to music on shuffle in a really really long time. I've been kind of obsessed with listening through entire albums to better appreciate the artists' works as a whole. With some albums it doesn't really matter though

And that's awesome Kate! Better late than never, right?
Yeah being able to get quality free music all the time makes it hard to want to buy things

I downloaded Showbread's latest album from come&live records' website... and wow is it different. It's so so so much lighter than their other stuff but the cynicism of their lyrics is totally the same

I just started listening to Evanescence, after hearing My Immortal, and falling love with it. Goodness, I can't believe I've never listened to them before! I love all of the songs I've heard, her voice is unbelievable, and they're just great. So glad I found them!
I'm also starting to love OneRepublic as well - the last 6 songs on Waking Up, are simply amazing!!!!