Hi everyone! Jess here, the girl behind the CCM web site and newsletters for the past few months. I've had the privilege of doing freelance work for CCM Magazine in one way or another for a little over two years. Perhaps you've read one of my CD reviews or the recent news piece about dc talk in the September issue. Well, the first thing you should know about me is that I am a huge fan of Christian music. It all started with an Amy Grant record back in 1985 and was fueled greatly by the discovery of DC Talk in 1991. Later, working at a Christian bookstore in 1993, my ears were opened to artists like Steve Taylor, Jars of Clay, Prayer Chain, Third Day and Newsboys. I attended a Christian college in southern California where I had the chance to work with a few bands on campus. And in 1999, God brought me to Nashville for a music-related job. Twenty years later and I still get excited by cool music that glorifies God and speaks to my walk with Christ. I am extremely blessed that I get to join my passion and my work—especially since that means getting to hear a lot of the records before they are released. Which brings me to the introduction of the theme for my blogs - "Jess Robin's Mailbag." I receive a few new CDs a week in the mail. I will give each a listen and share with you my impression of the music. Plus I promise to write extra blogs whenever I have the opportunity to take part in a special event or concert ... coming soon, my experiences on the Music Boat 2005 cruise. Finally, since I've received months of mail and have yet to start my blog, I'm just going to list my favorite CDs right now. Whether in the car, on my iPod in the gym, on iTunes from my laptop or in the good old-fashioned CD player, this is what I've been listening to lately: Kevin Max The Imposter - Honest, approachable songs and that voice. The cover of Bob Dylan's "When He Returns" gives me chills. Visit kevinmax.com for more info. Relient K mmhmm and a pre-release of Apathetic the new EP - I just can't get enough of these songs - they roll around in my head more than anything else right now. And they sound really great acoustic too. The EP comes out November 8th. Visit gotee.com for more info. Switchfoot Nothing is Sound - Wow. I have been a Switchfoot enthusiast since the first album and I can't believe how they manage to consistently get better with every release, while the older songs never lose their appeal. If you're out there wondering if they live up to the hype, just listen. The music is incredible. Visit switchfoot.com for more info. Sarah Brendel Sarah Brendel - You know how sometimes it takes a few listens to get into a record? Not in this case. I was captured halfway through the first song. If you haven't heard of her, she's a new artist on Inpop Records from Germany. I grabbed the CD from my mail pile and transferred it to my car after reading a glowing review in CCM. The review was spot-on - this is a very listenable album and slightly outside the norm for CHR. Visit sarahbrendel.com for more info. Also in heavy rotation ... tobyMac's Renovating Diverse City, LA Symphony's Disappear Here, Audio Adrenaline's Until My Heart Caves In and Superchick's Beauty From Pain (a recently rediscovered release that I reviewed back in the spring). Until next time, be blessed by the music! Jess