Farewell June

midwestbands.com
Musicianship – 10 out of 10
Sometimes, when you listen to a CD, it is hard at first to put all of your feelings into words, especially in the case where you have so many positive feelings about it! When something’s not quite right, it’s usually pretty easy to pinpoint what you don’t like; however, when everything is perfect, where do you start?

Well, in this case, I’m going to start with the vocals of Jonas Woods, and all of the band members that provide backing vocals! I absolutely love Jonas’ voice; he has a warm, mellow tone, very similar to that of James Taylor. In his words, and in his voice, you can hear the emotion and feeling that he has injected into the words of each song. In addition, the rich layered vocal harmonies make each song sound incredibly rich and meaningful. If everything else sounded horrible, I would still like this record, because the vocals affected me very much!

Fortunately, the instrumental performances sound just as full and rich as the vocals do! Each instrument sounds incredible! I really enjoyed the acoustic guitar work on songs like (Shine On) and (Closest Friend). The drumming of Mike Thompson was also captivating, as he mixed a multitude of different rhythms and cadences into the songs, providing just the right feel and touch on each one. Everything, from the foundational work of the rhythm section to the instruments that provided the melody and harmony parts, sounds excellent! I wouldn’t change anything about their work! The members of Farewell June should feel very, very proud of their accomplishments!

Songwriting – 10 out of 10
Main songwriter Jonas Woods has a very interesting take on creating music. Each member of the group is unapologetically Christian, but his lyrics/melodies avoid the typical Christian cliché that you find in most Contemporary Christian music. In fact, his heartbeat for the downtrodden, and those who have fallen out of favor with the mainstream of society, drives his songwriting! He writes music that is thought-provoking, in an attempt to reach people who desperately need to know the love of God. According to the band’s website, they feel that their music thrives in the modern world, and speaks a message to everyday people, attempting to convince them of God’s acceptance!

I would definitely have to agree that the band’s music is much more “real” than the music of most Christian bands. I listened, hearing each word, taking the meaning in. I have a background in Christian music (even went to a Christian college in the same city as several of the members), and I have to say that outside of Steven Curtis Chapman, I have not heard a Christian group that plays music on this level. For that matter, I haven’t heard many bands period that do music as well as Farewell June!

Stated simply, I love this CD, and I love the songwriting! As you may have begun to tell, I love everything about it!

Sound Quality/Professionalism – 10 out of 10
Up to this point, I think that I may have gushed a bit; so, in an effort to protect my integrity as a reviewer, I’m afraid that I must restrain myself, and simply say that the sound quality is superb! Everything, from the vocals, to stringed instruments, percussion, and keyboards sound excellent! The recording quality is awesome, and the production value of the final mix and mastering is spot-on as well! Many, many kudos to the band, and their producer, Jonathan David Brown, for an excellent album! (Didn’t do too well at restraining myself, did I?)

Packaging – 10 out of 10
No, the quality doesn’t stop with the packaging! The band did an excellent job of putting together a cover/liner notes that enhance the listening experience! Lyrics are included for each song, and musical credits and pictures of each band member fill out the rest of the 8-panel insert! Very good for info junkies like myself that want to see, hear, and experience everything possible when listening to a great band like this!

Favorite Tracks
Shine On
Irony
Closest Friend
Servant
Smells Like Rain
Kansas

Overall Rating – 10 out of 10
I can’t say enough to express all of the positive and uplifting things that I experienced while listening to 1939! As I mentioned before, I have known individuals that were involved at this level of Christian music, and known a lot of them to be people that could come across as less than genuine in a lot of respects. I’m not here to criticize those folks; rather, I’d like to simply say that I found Farewell June’s attitude as it came across in their music to be uplifting and refreshing! They seem like the type of people that I would want to meet, and spend a bit of time chatting with! That is a trait that will serve them well, especially as musicians with a mission! The more approachable and real that they are, the bigger the impact that their music will have!

I want to encourage you to take a listen, and hear the music on Farewell Jun - Midwestbands.com

Russ Breimeier
Ten Independent Artists You Should Know
(Spring 2005) by Russ Breimeier


Farewell June
1939
Acoustic pop/rock
www.farewelljune.com

If Chris Rice fronted a band like Casting Crowns, Big Daddy Weave, or
Caedmon's Call, the results would probably sound a lot like this Missouri
sextet. Lead singer/songwriter Rob "Jonas" Woods is a youth pastor who
started Farewell June with the vision of creating good Christian music
that's relevant to believers and nonbelievers-and they generally succeed on
this debut. The current lineup has only been together since May 2004, but
they sound like they've been playing together for much longer. And it's a
group full of surprises, interspersing softer AC pop songs like "Servant"
and "Shine On" with some aggressive classic rock curveballs like "Take
Shelter" or "Leanin' Heavy." Woods has a warm voice akin to Rice and James
Taylor, yet he's also capable of sounding bluesy and throaty like Joe
Cocker. His younger brother Nick offers some terrific electric guitar solos
and wife Becky adds pleasant backing harmonies. James Koppang's shimmering
organ and the versatile rhythm section of Randall Wildman and Mike Thompson
round out the band. Farewell June won't strike listeners as innovative, but
as a band that handles its craft as well as-if not better than-other similar
acts.
- Russ Breimeier

3 discs out of 5
Farewell June - 1939 Review
by Josh McConnell

Good things are coming from Nashville-based Whiplash Records this year. Now being distributed nationally to the CBA market, the label is beginning to show strong potential for displaying excellent talent on store shelves.

One of the artists on Whiplash Record’s roster is the Missouri based six-member band named Farewell June. With their national debut already on store shelves, the burning questions still remain; is it worth your time, energy, and money?

Titled “1939,” the twelve track album has a variety of different genres present. While there are some definite rock elements to be heard, it’s generally a mellow release overall. Country, jazz, soul, and blues influences will be experienced throughout its fifty-four minute lifespan – all of which seem to executed tightly and enjoyably. It actually feels very comparable to well-known recording artist Chris Rice and his work, though with more of an edge overall.

Inside the band’s bio, Farewell June’s lyrics are heralded as thought provoking – which seems to be a fair assessment upon first glance. Songs such as “Kansas” and “Leanin’ Heavy” showcases Rob Wood’s excellent songwriting skills, while others are a little more simplistic when it comes to the words but the overall message is still well received.

Overall, 1939 proves to be a fairly solid debut for Farewell June. While there is definitely still room for improvement, the mellow and soothing roots of the album can be nice to enjoy when kicking back and relaxing. If you are a fan of any of the aforementioned genres and influences, then consider taking the time to check this one out. You may enjoy it.
- Renown Magazine June 2005

Farewell June
1939
2005 Whiplash Records
12 tracks, 53:57

By Randy Brandt (May 30, 2005)
Farewell June immediately brings to mind bands like Caedmon's Call, Dave Matthews Band and Blues Traveler, but there are hints of Daily Planet and even Rich Mullins, and not just because they have a song about Kansas. Their organic pop sound has strong blues, folk and country-flavored moments. While it's pretty easy listening overall, there are some fine guitar moments that rock a little more than you might expect.

The band is led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Rob "Jonas" Woods and includes his wife Becky on backing vocals and his brother Nick on guitar. Jamie Koppang on keyboards, Randall Wildman on bass and Mike Thompson on drums round out a stellar lineup.

1939 will appeal to fans of folksy pop like the bands mentioned at the beginning of this review. After a listen or two, it's easy to put 1939 into regular rotation in your CD player.
- Rany Brandt

1939
Artist: Farewell June
Label: Whiplash Records
Length: 12 tracks/54 minutes

After the mid-90’s folk-rock revival lead by bands such as Caedmon’s Call and Sister Hazel, there seems to be a flurry of sound-alikes. Today, this sound is most closely aligned with Casting Crowns, a band riding on the coattails of Steven Curtis Chapman and barely deserving of the recognition that they are receiving.

Recently named one of this year’s top independent artists, the Missouri sextet, Farewell June, have hit the scene doing things their way. Sounding like a folk-rock band fronted by James Taylor or Chris Rice, Farewell June craft catchy pop/rock songs with tight harmonies that are relevant to both believers and non-believers, dealing with topics from spiritual renewal, love, and friendship.

“In Dreams” and “Smells Like Rain” stand out for both their lyrical quality and musical integrity. Fans of Carbon Leaf and Counting Crows will likely find this to be an easy and rewarding listen. Fans of Casting Crowns could use a release like this. At least it’s due the credit it deserves.

Zach Delph 05/19/2005
- Zach Delph

Upfront with Becky
Latest Installment for May 15, 2005

Barbie Doll Disorder

I’ve struggled with insecurity for a long time, as most females do. It doesn’t help when your personality is naturally shy. My thoughts would tell me that I’m not pretty enough, not thin enough, not outgoing enough, not athletic enough, and SO ON. And even though I didn’t particularly like many of my peers in high school, I found I had such a desire to please them. I knew they’d never fully accept me, so why did I care so much about what they thought? But now I see how silly it all was. I still feel pressure to fit in, but my goal is not to please people. I want everything I do, including what thoughts I allow in my head, to please God.

I’m not sure what the obsession is now with feeling you have to change yourself in order to accept who you are. Plastic surgery is the newest craze that seems to be everywhere on TV. Years ago that was a very hushed subject; it wasn’t popular to openly talk about going under the knife to change your looks. Now it’s encouraged! It feels like EVERYONE is doing it. I get sucked into shows like “Extreme Makeover” and “The Swan” where they transform an “ugly” person into what society THINKS we should look like. And they make it look so easy! I find I’m slowly becoming numb to the idea of plastic surgery fixing our problems, when I know that’s only because I’m surrounded by it! There are shows like “Nip/Tuck,” “I Want A Famous Face,” “Dr.90210,” as well as all sorts of entertainment shows that update us on celebrities and how we can look like them IF we just throw thousands of dollars away to let doctors cut away at us. You can’t pick up a magazine or flip through TV channels without coming across shows or advertisements trying to convince you that you’ll be happier if you just become perfect.

While I agree that working out and eating healthy is a must, and everyone (including myself!) should be striving to be as healthy as they can be, I do see an obsession in that area too! It’s become clear that society doesn’t care about being healthy. They just care about looking the part. Unfortunately, the look that everyone strives for is nearly impossible to achieve. Girls are expected to be ultra skinny while still somehow managing to be very shapely, with flawless skin and great hair. Some guys are fooled into believing that girls can naturally look like that! Guys also feel pressure, I’m sure, to fit in with the ideal male look. Do you think this is what God wanted for us? For everyone to stress out, develop eating disorders, neglect our health, and change the traits He gave us just so we can look like everyone else? Why not aim to be healthy, and accept who we are? Accept our looks and work on letting our personality develop so that people are attracted to who we are inside, which lasts so much longer than what’s on the outside.

Everyone’s looks will change as they grow older. That’s not to say that older people aren’t beautiful, but flawless skin will eventually begin to age. Perfectly shaped bodies will soon lose their shape and gravity will take over. That’s normal! And there’s nothing wrong with growing old and looking your age. But if you become obsessed with looking the part, you’ll attract people who are obsessed with that. What will you do when you start growing older and your looks are no longer perfect? Don’t’ you want to be with people who could care less about what your skin and your “shell” look like? Learn to love who God made you, develop confidence in your personality, acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them, and grow your strengths! No matter what your looks are, people are attracted to confidence. There’s nothing wrong with not looking like a supermodel. Let’s show this insecure society that there’s more to life than this temporary body we’re living in. What matters is what we do with our insides. And by insides, I mean your soul. Take your thoughts captive as soon as you feel the pressure to start looking like everyone else. I deal with it too! I think everyone does. But as soon as I see myself and judge myself by the world’s standards, I fail! I can go on about everything that could be wrong with me, but that will only bring me down, create insecurity in me, and distract me from what God has for me. If we’d all stop worrying about what we look like, I think we’d see that God has a lot of opportunities waiting for us, if we’d just open our eyes to the important things in life. He must be so disappointed and saddened by our society. He’s made us all so uniquely different on purpose, and He LOVES us just the way we are. Why would we want to change that to make strangers love us, when the Creator of the world is in love with us just the way we are?

I’m not out to say that people who have had plastic surgery are bad. But that won’t solve your problems and make all of your insecurities go away. So please don’t feel you have to be the perfect shape, be nicely tanned, ha - Entertainment One-80

Album: 1939
Artist: Farewell June
Reviewer: KD
Rating: 5 out of 5

From their own website:
“Somewhere between Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Cademon's Call, Blues Traveler and James Taylor, FAREWELL JUNE takes the listener on a journey of life and hope through Christ. Never in your face, but always ready to offer a solution…”

This seems as good a description of the sound of Farewell June as I could possibly give. The debut album, 1939 is an awesome mix of acoustic sounds, great melodies, and some rockin’ tunes as well.

You can easily hear some James Taylor influences, Indigo Girls, etc. in the song writing, but this truly is a sound all their own for Farewell June. With songs like Shine On (my favorite,) Kansas, Irony, and others, the production quality is top notch, the sound is unique and inspiring, and the lyrics bring some thought-provoking time for the listener.

They’ve just released their first single, Servant, which describes the hard road we take in life, and how God is always there to lift us up and bring us through it. I can see why this was the first single, it’s an awesome song, but also provides an excellent representation of the band’s musical prowess and style.

Farewell June is a great new band, and this record is plain and simple, awesome. No matter what your musical style, this is one for the collection. I'm impressed, and you will be as well.

The album is available now, and you can order it on their website as well. www.farewelljune.com
- www.youth4him.com

In October of 1929 the stock market crashed and the economic backbone of the previously booming United States of America was broken, crippling the societal structure and hurling the nation into a dark period of history. The Great Depression is remembered to this day because of the indelible mark it left on the country, sobering us to the harsh reality that in the blink of an eye, everything can be lost. More importantly it reminds us to focus on and trust in the things of Heaven, the incorruptible treasures that moths and rust cannot destroy. Values such as faith, hope and love sustained the survivors of the Great Depression during the decade that it took to rebuild and begin moving on with life.

Farewell June enters the music scene with an impressive release aimed at reminding the listener that regardless of our past experiences, these virtues that sustain us in the dark times will also help guide us in every day life. With a sound self-described as organic pop, 1939, taken from the year that the Great Depression ended, speaks to the promise of a bright future that we have as Christians and the pending relief to our struggles here on Earth. The music largely consists of a catchy blend of acoustic guitars, subtle touches of percussive effects and slight electrical touches that equates to a nice energetic mix in the vein of James Taylor and Chris Rice. Not quite folk, not quite blues and not quite country, this style combines elements of these genres, shining through on tracks such as "Smells Like Rain," "Leanin Heavy," and "Glad I Did."

Lyrically, the album covers a number of bases, including the anticipation of relief ("Smells Like Rain"), sharing your hope with others ("Shine On"), choosing to serve God ("Servant"), and reaching the ultimate goal after a successful life ("Welcome Home"). One of the more touching lyrics occurs towards the end of the album in the song, "Even There." The track describes walking through the trials of life, along the lines of the shadow of death imagery of Psalm 23, and concludes that even there He will guide us. There's no where we can go, no circumstance we can find ourselves in that He can't see us through.

With 1939, Farewell June makes an impressive debut in the music market. The six-piece band may come across as fairly soft-spoken due to their musical styling, but their message of hope and comfort comes through loud and clear. The album is pretty enjoyable and relaxing to listen to, allowing the listener to look forward to future releases.
- Brenton Gilbert

Reviewed by Ralph MacGregor

The type of musical influences are clear in the sounds that emanate from this album, with various parts of songs sounding like secular bands like The Goo Goo Dolls and even some early Bon Jovi influences came out in tracks such as "In Dreams" and "Take Shelter". However there is also a unique sound mixed in with the predefined musical tones that makes the band easy to listen to. I have to admit that I did find my foot tapping along to a number of tunes on the album, which is always a good sign the music is reaching my inner man! Overall the album does have a bit of a touch of country to it, but there are enough of other sounds I do enjoy to feel that I could probably go out and buy this album and listen to it regularly. The lyrics sung by the band is probably what does it the most for me, with open and deep emotions being expressed, conjugating about a life with God and all the challenges that contains.
- Cross Rhythms- UK England

Farewell June brought their unique blend of organic pop to Calvary Chapel Columbus on Friday, April 22, 2005. Why would someone drive to Columbus from Maryland to see these guys? What a performance! The crowd was not even near capacity but not a single soul left without feeling like they had experienced something special.

I remember seeing a young guy in Charleston, West Virginia in the mid-80's as he opened for Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. As we drove home, everyone seemed to agree that this young guy would be a big name in Christian music. We just felt it. His name, by the way, is Steven Curtis Chapman. And the feeling I had in 1988 came back to me last night. Farewell June. Get used to it.

The price was only $5 at the door. I can safely say that the days of seeing this group up close and personal for $5 are NUMBERED. They've already played BB Kings Blues club and other venues and are well on their way to becoming a household name. But the influence of this group will reach far beyond the church doors.

We enjoyed a few openers by Steve Sedlock and Dave Jarvis, intermission with Latte's and Frappe's provided by espresso express and Farewell June took the stage. Jonas lead vocals, Becky backup vocals, Nick on lead guitar, Mike on drums, Randall on bass and Jamie on keyboards. Not a weak spot in the group. Just an unbeatable group of musicians.

Enough cannot be said about the talent that was on display. Front man Jonas, backed up by his lovely wife, Becky, just makes it all work. His voice was reminiscent of James Taylor but Jonas is unique and diverse in a way that just had me shaking my head and smiling all night long. He just BELONGS there and gives this band personality.

As he sings, he plays acoustic rhythm for starters. Then he pulls out a harmonica (or, harp, if you're from other parts…) and can just flat PLAY. I couldn't get enough of that and then he pulls out a violin (or, fiddle, if you're from other parts…) and can just flat PLAY.

Then there's Nick on lead guitar. And he can just flat PLAY.

You can sense that Nick and Jonas have logged hundreds of hours together. The fact that they are brothers and grew up jamming explains the chemistry. On several occasions, the rest of FJ sat back and let Nick go. And he DID. If you love good guitar solos, Nick fills your cup with riffs, and runs while tossing in Pink Panther and some other side dishes that brought Eric Clapton, Phil Keaggy and BB King into the room.

As if that weren't enough talent on display, Jamie is on the keyboard just tearing it up. Even with a bit of a cold, he displayed a voice that can hold it's own singing lead. He and Nick mix it up live, and just gave us "more than a feelin'". (Yes, that's a reference to the group BOSTON--the 70's version). Nothing "cheesy" about Jamie's play. Like with any really good keyboardist, Jamie adds serious depth to the sound. Remove him and things would sound a bit empty. Add him, and your ears just can't keep up! It was awesome.

Throughout the entire show, Randall is giving FJ bass, rhythm and occasional lead. The Lord brought Randall and Jonas together at Evangel U. and this is definitely a match ordained in Heaven. He seems to have fallen right into the chemistry with the brothers of the band.

And the man that can make or break the group is Mike. And he didn't miss a beat. He carried the tempo and gave Farewell June a cohesive sound. But he made it look so easy.

Enough said.

You have GOT to see Farewell June next chance you get. I am now a fan. And I won't miss them the next time they are in central Ohio.

Khris Rogers/Calvary Chapel Columbus, Columbus, OH

Visit their site at farewelljune.com
- Calvary Chapel Columbus