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Music Monday: Free Music, Babies and Link Love
Welcome to Music Monday.
Details
If you’re new, here’s how it works:
1. Write a post about music.
2. Link back here so your readers can read all the other participant’s music posts.
2. Add your link (to your post not your general blog URL) below.
3. Check back to read everyone else’s posts.
Kat’s Music Monday Entry
First of all, I want to say a big congratulations to Dave and JJ Heller. Their daughter Lucy was born on Saturday (her due date!) at 5:16am. Apparently, little Lucy is a very punctual child. (Visit JJ’s blog for some cute pics.)
Please take a minute to pray for the Hellers as they begin the incredible journey of parenthood.
Now you already know a lot about JJ Heller. You’ve watched her video, downloaded her album and have fallen in love with her music. Right?
Well now I have another great reason to tell your readers about her.
For the entire month of December JJ is giving away her newest song along with the chords.
MY SAVIOR’S LOVE ENDURES is a song that JJ co-wrote with her husband, Dave, and a gifted songwriter from TX named JENNIE LEE RIDDLE. (Jennie wrote a song called “REVELATION SONG” that is sung corporately by churches across America.)
We encourage you to let your friends know about this song since it won’t be available after the end of the year.
Visit JJ’s download page to learn more and get this free song.
Be sure to tell your readers about both of JJ’s free songs. Her featured artist page has all the details.
Link Love
I’m working on building our Blogroll here at the Bloggable Music Network. So, if you’d like to be included, just post a link to us on your blogroll and leave your blog address here in the comments. Let’s build this network!
Add Your Music Monday Entry Here
To participate in Music Monday, just enter your post address below.
12/08/08 | |
Interview with JJ Heller. Part Dos.
Hey y’all. Annie here- back to give you the second half of our interview with JJ Heller [which explains the use of the Spanish word for “two” in the post title- get it?].
Today JJ answers a few questions about everyday life as an artist, a Nashvillian, a Christian, and apparently a comedian. That last answer? I laughed out loud.
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AB: You are crazy crafty. It seems, between music and crafts/sewing/etc., you have the gift of creating beautiful things. Talk about how it makes you feel to MAKE something new and beautiful.
JJ: I love it! Although, sometimes I stress too much about making everything perfect and forget to enjoy the process. Dave’s nickname for me is actually “JJ Perfectionist Heller.” I think my favorite part of creating something is sharing it with others and seeing the joy that it (hopefully) brings them.
AB: You live in Nashville, TN. Is that town a good fit for you?
JJ: Hooray for Nashville! I’ve spent a lot of time living in California and Arizona, so it’s wonderful to now be in a place with so much history. I love all of the character and old architecture everywhere. This is also an amazing city for live music. We make it a point to go out and hear as much as possible. Because of the crazy level of talent, it makes it REALLY intimidating to actually play any music, and difficult to make a living. The audiences are pretty critical in this town (since they’re mostly musicians who can play our songs better than we can), so we spend most of our time touring in the West ☺.
AB: What’s your favorite lunch place in Nashville? What do you order?
JJ: Does the Pancake Pantry count? I would totally eat their sweet potato pancakes (with cinnamon syrup) for lunch. I’m pretty sure they put magic in their batter.
AB: Just so you know, JJ. Carbs are SO totally two-faced with me. They love me (in my mouth) and hate me (on my hips). But I always prefer my breakfast with a side of magic, so I’m going to go for it, carb-fear aside.
AB: Give us the top music moment so far in your career.
JJ: It’s really hard to say… Someone gave us some really good advice when we were first starting out. They told us to enjoy every gig for what it is, and don’t keep looking to the next big one. Whenever I stay in the moment I am blown away by all of the little blessings God shows me.
AB: How can the bloggers at BMN pray for you?
JJ: You can pray for grace and wisdom as I enter motherhood (yikes!). I need God’s help to overcome my fear and anxiety and live in the freedom that only He can bring.
AB: The big closer: BMN stands for Bloggable Music Network. What else could it stand for?
JJ: The first thing that came to my mind was Broken Monkey Nebulizer, but I’m sure that’s what everyone thinks of ☺.
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Well played, JJ Heller. Well played. Set the humor bar high, sister.
Have you blogged about JJ Heller yet? Told your readers about her music? Now is a good time! Head over to her featured artist page, get all the info you need, then blog on, blogger! And don’t forget to send us a link so we can see the awesome stuff you are doing at your site!
What other questions do you want answered by our featured artists? Leave them in the comments or send us a note on the Contact page. It is my life goal blog goal to get you all the inside skinny that you want! So ask away!
Until next time, I’m back to surfin’ the web. And possibly eating sweet potato pancakes. Possibly.
12/03/08 | |
Interview with JJ Heller. Part Uno.
Hey y’all. This is Annie from AnnieBlogs. I am a huge fan of Bloggable Music Network…. and I don’t have a real job. Did you know that part already? Yeah, I’m a freelance writer, so I get to spend a lot of time online. A LOT.
So Kat has decided to throw a lasso around my time-wasting ways and put my skillz to use for you! The BMN bloggers!
As a relatively new resident to Nashville, I am enjoying getting to know the area and I’m pretty sure that musical talent is required in these city limits. [I hope that’s not on the Census reports, cause I will be asked to leave.] I mean, seriously. JJ Heller and Joy Williams BOTH live here. I am in good company.
JJ Heller is one super cute pregnant girl. Before she becomes a mama, I wanted to ask her a few questions that I thought might interest you- you have heard her music (it was free for you, remember?) but now we get to hear her thoughts on her album that she gave away, the internet, and being a mom for the first time.
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AB: What made you decide to give away your entire CD?
JJ: Dave (my husband) and I thought it would be a really great way to get the word out about our music. Since the beginning of our career, we’ve always wanted our music to be affordable for anyone who wanted it. You can’t get much cheaper than free! It was also a great way to allow our fans to hear the music before we had physical copies of the CD.
AB: Tell us a little about this particular album.
JJ: Expecting a baby had a lot to do with the overall theme of hope in the midst of change and challenge. This album is a lot less pop than our previous release (The Pretty & The Plain), but it’s also more intimate. I tend to focus on all the bad things that could possibly happen in the future, so a lot of the songs are reminders for me that the future is not mine to know. It’s out of my control, but that’s not a bad thing. God can be trusted.
AB: How has the internet changed the music industry for you?
JJ: Oh it’s wonderful! Without a doubt, the internet has enabled us to make a living doing what we do. Myspace has been an especially great networking tool. When we play at a new venue there are more and more people who tell us they found out about our music through myspace. We are also so thankful that we’re able to have a website to post tour dates and sell hard copies of our music… not to mention the wonders of itunes ☺.
AB: How do you and Dave stay sane, working so closely together (or married bloggers want to know!!)? ☺
JJ: I’m not sure. There’s really no other person who I can be around 24/7 and not go crazy. We DO have our moments, but mostly we work really well together. Dave is very linear and organized which gives me the freedom to create new music without having to worry about the business side of things. I basically have every singer-songwriter’s dream life and I am SO thankful.
AB: Your daughter is due this month. Congrats! What part of being a parent are you most excited about?
JJ: I am still hung up on the fact that there’s going to be a little person in the world who looks a little like me and a little like Dave. I’m so curious to see what her personality will be like. I think I’m most excited to share my life experiences with her… to travel around and show her different parts of he country and introduce her to the people and places I love.
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Head back here tomorrow for the rest of the interview- JJ tells us all about being crafty, being a musician, and being a Nashvillian. Which is particularly helpful to me since she tells us about a lunch place that I have GOT to try!
12/02/08 | |
Get JJ Heller’s Album (mostly) Free
Bloggers Read This
One of my favorite albums of the year, Painted Red by JJ Heller, is now available for you to download for FREE.(We will require an email address and a blog address (because this offer is only for bloggers), so I suppose I should say, it’s mostly-free.)
It’s an amazing album. I love the raw and unique production, JJ’s voice is mesmerizing (as always) and the lyrics are incredibly rich.
Need A Sample?
Here’s the video JJ made for us. In it she sings a portion of one of the songs on the album.
If You Like It, Blog About It
Now remember, this whole Bloggable Music Network thing is about spreading great music around the web, so if you love JJ’s album, please be sure to blog about it. I’ve created a page with all the info you need to write a blog post: links, images, videos and even a FREE download for your readers.
So download the album, love it and blog about it.
Get JJ’s Album Here
It Only Takes A Spark...
If you feel so inclined, I’d love it if you’d twitter and blog about this album offer. This whole site is about starting grassroots movements on behalf of great artists.
So please spread the word to all your blog friends. They’ll love you forever and ever.
11/30/08 | |
Featured Artist: JJ Heller
Welcome To JJ Heller’s Featured Artist Page
I’ve made this page so that bloggers have easy access to all the information they need to blog about JJ Heller’s music. Use a quick link to jump to the info you need, or scroll through it all and enjoy.
If you think of any other information that might be useful, please let me know.
-Kat
Quick Links
Intro | Video | Free Song | Free Album | Bio | More Videos | Photos | Links | Reviews
JJ Heller Introduction
JJ is a singer/songwriter from Nashville with a mesmerizing voice. She and her husband Dave made a video just for you to say hi and give you a little sample of her music. Check it
out:
(To embed this video on your blog click the UP arrow on the bottom right of the player. Then click the menu icon. Copy the EMBED code and paste it in your blog post editor.)
Get Your (mostly) FREE Copy of JJ’s Album
All you need to do is provide your email address and your blog address:
FREE Download
One of my favorite songs on the album is called True Things, which also happens to be her current free single. You can download http://www.truecampaign.org/index.php/site/music">JJ Heller’s song here.
For the month of December, JJ is also offering a song called “MY SAVIOR’S LOVE ENDURES (MAGNIFICAT).” Download it here.
Artist Bio
JJ Heller’s musical career was birthed through the death of a dream to play college basketball. A disappointing basketball debut her freshman year of college led her to pick up a guitar during her sophomore year of school.
That same year, JJ met her future husband, David Heller, shortly thereafter the couple began playing her songs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“I grew up loving creative writing. Once I learned to play the guitar, song writing came with it,” said JJ, who has been a full-time singer/songwriter since the spring of 2003.
Five years and four full-length records later, JJ’s acoustic-folk sound and heartfelt lyrics have netted the Nashville-based artist a loyal following.
“I feel called to be honest about what’s going on in my life—to talk and sing about the struggles that I face so that my listeners realize that they are not alone,” explains JJ. “For some reason, Christians (including myself) sometimes think, ‘if I’m following the Lord and doing the best I can, that life will be easy,’ and it’s not. That’s where grace comes in, and that’s where we grow.”
Music and grace aren’t the only things growing in the Heller household these days. JJ and David are expecting a baby girl in December. JJ says the themes of hope and redemption showcased on their new album, “Painted Red,” largely draw from the life experience of soon becoming parents.
“We have the choice to live in fear, or to live in the hope that God is in every moment with us,” JJ says. “That’s one of the major themes of this season in my life.”
It’s a theme reflected in her song “Back Home” – “Don’t let your eyes get used to darkness. The light is coming soon…”
October 2008
More Videos from JJ Heller
(To embed this video on your blog click the UP arrow on the bottom right of the player. Then click the menu icon. Copy the EMBED code and paste it in your blog post editor.)
Images
Links
Blog Reviews
If you blog about JJ’s Album, be sure to link your readers to her free song. And once your post is up, leave the link here in the comments and I’ll add it to the post.
Rabbit Room Review
JJ’s album was review at The Rabbit Room, an absolutely amazing blog focused on faith and art. Click here to read Stephen Lamb’s thoughts on Painted Red.
I bought more copies of The Pretty and the Plain to give away as gifts than I did any other CD last year. -Stephen Lamb
Shealy
Shealy blogged about JJ’s music here and here.
The Secret Life of Kat
Kat called Painted Red “one of her favorite albums of the year.” Read Kat’s post here.
11/30/08 | |
Free Music: A Must Have Christmas Song
Joy William’s husband Nate emailed me the other day to let me know that Joy is offering a new free song on her ReverbNation page.
Here’s the 411 straight from Joy’s husband Nate:
Also - wanted to let you know that Joy has recorded an old French Christmas
carol called ‘Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella’ and released it for free on
her ReverbNation page (http://reverbnation.com/joywilliams ) This time, you
don’t have to give any info to snag the MP3 - a true Christmas gift!
More on the song’s history here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_a_Torch,_Jeanette,_IsabellaHope your readers enjoy the song!
Now I want to make two notes about this recording.
1. Joy’s voice and this song are so amazing, I listened to the 2:15 song on repeat for at least 45 minutes the other night. It’s on my
2. The sound a little low. It was recorded in one take on Joy’s MacBook. I adjusted the volume in iTunes so that it flows more nicely in my Christmas playlist.
(To adjust the volume, just select the song - right click/control click>get info>options>volume adjustment. I set mine at about 98%.)
I’m honestly amazed that she recorded it in one take. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Go. Download it and enjoy. And try to wait patiently for her EP release, which she’s agreed to offer for free to bloggers here at the Bloggable Music Network.
Oh and if you like it, please take a minute to tell your readers about it. After all, that’s the whole point of this site. To give you great music so you can tell your readers and support amazing musicians.
To listen to the song, click play on the widget below:
11/24/08 | Free Music |
Music Monday: Road Trip Music (And A Free Song)
Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of Music Monday.
Details
If you’re new, here’s how it works:
1. Write a post about music.
2. Link back here so your readers can read all the other participant’s music posts.
2. Add your link (to your post not your general blog URL) below.
3. Check back to read everyone else’s posts.
Kat’s Music Monday Entry
Since this is one of the biggest “road trip” weeks of the year, I thought it appropriate to write about my favorite Road Trip music.
Now that Jimmy and I have three little kids,, our road trip music often consists of such cutting edge artistry as The Choo Choo Song and This Little Light of Mine.
Honestly, you’d probably think that I have a killer road trip playlist, considering how much I love music. But as my poor, sweet, kind husband can attest, I don’t even have a road trip playlist.
Why? Because I often will bring only one CD (yes, CD) on a roadtrip.
Last year, we drove from Texas to Alabama and Nashville. We spent 23 hours in the car.
And we pretty much just listened to Albertine by Brooke Fraser.
23 hours. One album.
My poor family.
Fortunately for them, we’re not traveling much this holiday…
Because I’m Curious
What’s on your road trip playlist? Tell us in the comments.
Because I Love You, You Know I Do
Here is a link to a free Brooke Fraser song called Albertine (the title track of her album). It’s an amazing song about her trip to Rwanda, a girl named Albertine and Brooke’s promise to her to tell the world about the need there.
(To download the song, click Enter>Music>Downloads>Albertine. And if you’re a musician, never create an all-flash site. Please. Thank you.)
Here’s a video of Brook performing Albertine:
Join the Music Monday Fun And Add Your Link Here
(The Blenza site is down, so I’ve removed the link code temporarily)
11/23/08 | |
Free Music: Get Your Christmas On
I have a rule. I don’t listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.
But rules were made to be broken, right?
When Annie sent me this link, I had to listen to the songs to see if were good enough to blog about.
So I listened...and now I’m all nostalgic and holiday-sappy. Thanks Annie.
Seriously, though, this is a really fun holiday sampler. Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, The Beach Boys. How can you go wrong? Oh, and the songs sound great. I’ve often found that old music sounds....old. These songs have been remixed and remastered and they are holiday ear candy, my friends.
And did I mention that it’s free? ‘Cuz it is. So, go get your Christmas on.
Click here to download the free holiday music sampler from Amazon.com.
Let’s Chat
So, what is your favorite Christmas song or album?
11/20/08 | Free Music |
Free Music: Andrew Osenga
Andrew Osenga, former lead singer for The Normals, and current lead guitartist for Caedmon’s Call has a new album out entitled Letters to the Editor, Vol. II.
Here’s what Christianity Today has to say about Andrew’s latest independent release:
The idea is simple, the execution masterful. Fans submitted ideas via Osenga’s website—a subject, a lyric, even a photo—then he crafted songs around them… Yes, the arrangements are minimalist, but Osenga makes the most out of his self-imposed limitations. He also maintains quality standards by recording at Jars of Clay’s studio. But oh what songwriting! He’s both clever and concise in his storytelling and imagery, often tapping into spiritual truths. The fact that he demonstrates all this in response to fan suggestions only makes it more impressive.
The songs are considerably shorter this time, half of them less than 3 minutes. But the truth is that Osenga says much more in these 17 minutes than most Christian artists do in an entire album.
And did I mention that the album is free? Go to Andrew’s site to download it now.
Don’t Forget
And be sure to mark Dec. 1 on your calendar. That’s when we’re releasing JJ Heller’s album, Painted Red (watch the video clip over on your right), for free exclusively to bloggers. Read here for more info.
Credits:
HT: Stephen
This post is part of Works for Me Wednesday.
11/19/08 | Free Music |
Music Monday: Get Ready for Free Music
Welcome to Music Monday. If you’re new, here’s how it works:
1. Write a post about music.
2. Add your link (to your post not your general blog URL) below.
3. Check back to read everyone else’s posts.
(A link back here to Music Monday is highly appreciated, but not required.)
Logo
If you want to add the nifty Music Monday badge to your post, here’s the link:
http://www.bloggablemusicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/mm_logo_bmn-1.jpg
Kat’s Music Monday Entry
If you’ve been wondering what this site is really all about, you can wonder no longer.
BloggableMusicNetwork.com is about free music and blogging. I want to get free music in the hands of bloggers like you so that you can spread great music to your corner of the blogosphere.
I’ve already gotten several artists to agree to release their amazing albums for free right here on the Bloggable Music Network so that you can listen, enjoy and spread the word.
I’ll provide everything you need to blog about the great music you discover.
1. Free albums for you.
2. Free singles for your readers.
3. Artist Images, videos, links, bios.
4. For select artists, we’ll even arrange for you to interview the artist on your blog.
5. Every Monday we’ll have Music Monday so you can showcase your post about one of our featured artists or any great music you find on the web.
Mark December 1st On Your Calendar
Painted Red, by JJ Heller is one of my very favorite albums and I’m thrilled that on December 1st, we’ll make it available to bloggers at no cost.
If you want to hear a sample of her stunning voice, click the youtube video over there on the right.
When I first listened to Painted Red, I loved JJ’s voice and the stellar production. It’s become one of those albums that I love more with every listen.
So, bloggers, mark your calendar for December 1st! (If you can’t wait until then, you can buy it on iTunes or at JJ’s website.)
Your Turn
Write your own post about music you love and add your link here:
11/16/08 | |