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garageband.com?? Cool - I'll have to check them out...
You should- it's not that all of the best stuff rises to the top of the charts, but the stuff at the top is generally top quality- at least as good as what is put out by the RIAA. The system has its weaknesses, but it's far better than soundclick or the old mp3.com.

My most recent find is Enter The Haggis, who's style can only be described as "Celtic Bluegrass". I've ordered their full CD but it hasn't arrived yet (it took some work to find because they're a Canadien Band), but I've been listening to the two tracks I downloaded from GarageBand in heavy rotation on my empeg. What's cool about them is that their style is something you'd never hear on the radio. Currently their song "Another Round" is sitting at the top of both the country AND folk charts, yet they wear kilts and the lead singer has pink hair- that would never fly in "real" country music. Great tune though (and I don't normally care for country music).

Other groups I've found on GB that I like are Electric Folk, Niacin Flush (which I think is the worst band name ever) and Seventh Son (their song "Luck" is one of my personal favorites).

My only real frustration is that there isn't a "Contemporary Christian" category so it's difficult for me to find independent Christian music there- probably not something you'd be concerned about though.

Anyway, I've probably downloaded and purchased more music off of GB than I have in the stores recently. It's very easy for me to just download cuts I like (for bands that have downloads enabled) and put them into rotation on the empeg. Sometimes I forget I even did it and then a song comes up that really grabs me. If it happens often enough I'll go and buy the CD. Of course, not all bands have free downloads enabled (mine included- though we'll soon have some available on our website).
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-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.