It's been a while.......

Wow, I just realized that I haven't posted anything on here in like a month. I'm behind (and busy). Things with the Jones Family are going quite well. We just got back from a short trip to Big Bear where we spent time with my wife's family snowboarding/skiing and hanging out. It was a pleasant time except for the fact that I got quite ill for about 3 of the 6 days, throwing up and everything. Sucks. At least I got to snowboard two of the days we were there. The snow was incredible, it had snowed like two of the days and dropped almost 3 feet during our stay. The slopes were well groomed and pretty empty compared to last year. I think the economy is effecting everyone even the casual snow visitors. So anyway, we got home and I quickly got back to work finishing up some important parts and shipping them out before the end of the month. I was able to get quite a bit of product out the door before the end of the month so February turned out to be a very good month for us compared to a slow December and January. I was worried for a bit. I have quite a bit of orders lined up for March, April, May so we'll be busy churning out this product piece by piece.

I mentioned something in my previous blog on this site about a personal testimony/story I was going to write and post. Well it turns out in the end that I decided to post a condensed version over at IVM. It was posted up almost a month ago and you can read it here. Feel free to comment with your thoughts. It wasn't everything I was going to say so maybe I'll save it for a later time?

Enough about me. Have you guys and gals heard about the Ghoti Hook reunion? Holy crap, I am so freaking excited about it. One of my all time favorite Tooth and Nail punk bands getting back together and playing shows. I just hope it leads them to a future album again. "Sumo Surprise" is a classic that should be owned by all of you. It came out in 1996 and featured a brand of humor laced punk rock with a strong lyrical bent on sharing the truth of Jesus with those in need. There hasn't been another band quite like them and it's with great anticipation that I await their reformation. I remember crusing around in the summer of 96' in my pick up with windows down and stereo blasting all the new albums that had come out that year, Ghoti Hook, Social Distortion, Sense Field, Face to Face, Value Pac, Mxpx, etc. It was a good year for music, the year I graduated high school and the year I met my future wife. So many good memories revolve around that year and I'll forever cherish it. So if you find a copy of Ghoti Hook "Sumo Surprise" on the shelves (or for you digital kids, on Itunes), BUY IT!!!

Five Iron Frenzy, everyone in the world awaits your return. We have No Doubt, Blink 182, Ghoti Hook, Face to Face, etc. all these great bands are coming back and we know it's only time before the mighty Five Iron Frenzy returns home from the grave. Reese, you probably will never read my blog but if by some chance you make it here, just know that of all the band reunions, Five Iron Frenzy is the most desired. So many old schoolers and kids alike want to see you back in action myself included. Just go to Indie Vision Music.com and look at our latest poll (in the right hand column towards the bottom of the page), Five Iron Frenzy is leading by a landslide and it's clear that fans want you back. Please don't wait till it's been too long, strike while the fire's still hot and the fans want you.

Staff Blog: A Little History of Brandon

I started out last night with a simple staff blog at IVM and it turned into a therapeutic writing session, spanning my short time in the music industry. I started really getting into "Christian" music back in 1994 because of some friends that happen to show me a flyer for a show featuring some band called "Plankeye". From there i've passed through time, through relationships, through industry people, the creation of IVM, and out to the other side where I am today. I've had some love hate relationships with the music industry specifically Christians taking advantage though I've cut most of that stuff out of my little bio/history segment. I've never really been interviewed, written a bio on IVM (an official one that is) or shared my history with anyone. I know I'm only 30 (going on 31 shortly) but I've been through a lot and seen a lot more. Some bands deeply touched my life and their music inspired me to change my life and live a more full existance for the Lord. If it wasn't for the bands on Tooth and Nail (name plug), I probably wouldn't have devoted my life back to Christ my junior year of high school. Anyway, it's a work in progress and some of it is deeply personal. I haven't decided what to do with the writing just yet. I've written probably around 5 pages in Microsoft Word so it's a lengthy read and some of it jumbled jargon you wont be interested in but it means something to me.

If I do decide to post this testimony/history segment up on the internet, it'll probably be right here on this blog rather than Indie Vision Music. It's much too long to squeeze on to the IVM site.
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So what are we up to? Well my wife begins her treatments for this next process of In Vitro starting on Thursday. It is a controversial procedure considering the amount of embryos created (that we will in fact be storing indefinitely). I believe i was told that between 10 to 20 embryos would be created and 2-3 will be implanted into my wife. We want children desperately and we are ready to make this step/transition. We've been trying to get pregnant for 8 years and it's a long time coming. This is the final step. So please pray for us and our family. If this doesn't work out, then we'll definitely adopt. The doctor is completely confident that this WILL WORK for us. The woman's body is more complicated than you can ever imagine and the inner workings have to be just right before you can get pregnant. Trust me, I've learned all there is to learn in the past couple of years and it still baffles my mind just how truly involved and complicated this process is. She had Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome so we have that working against us but it's not a huge deal where it would prevent us from getting pregnant. It's just the timing that is screwed up sometimes. Keep our family in your prayers if you're the praying type.

Other than that, things are good. I have steady business coming in here at work and plenty of jobs to run. I am still getting interest from new companies due to our Google pay per click campaign so that's always a positive attribute. However, the economy is in shambles and times are rough. We're definitely not on safe waters just yet. I have work yes, but it could end at any time. If you want to know just what I do Mon-Fri, take some notes. I work in a family business, one that is passed down in name (meaning we bought all the machines after the name of the company and customer list was passed down through my grandfather). I run the Machine Shop Mon-Fri with the help of one employee. So it's essentially a two man operation. We have three CNC machines which are computer controlled machines that manufacture tiny precision parts for medical industry (our biggest customer base), as well as other industries like Aerospace, Automotive, etc. we even make a tiny part that goes into a gun sight! With two people and all the jobs we have on the table, we stretched incredibly thin. It's a great feeling however to know that you are making a part that will help save someone's life (our medical customers). Most of our parts are all under 1 inch long and some are smaller than a dime. It's definitely a good paying job and a heck of a lot more money than I'd ever get out of the music industry (especially in today's economical climate). Trust me, there were several moments back in 2000-2001 that I contemplated quitting this job and working in the music industry full time but I kept getting called back into this work and I felt led to continue working in the manufacturing sector. The skills I've learned (I've been a machinist since 1997) are definitely something that can carry me on to another job if something tragic happens to our business. It's something to fall back on and job security to have that kind of knowledge. So anyway, I love doing what I do and I am busy during the week. That's part of the reason why I disappear during the mornings and afternoons. Some days are slower than others and I then utilize that downtime to post on IVM and here on the blog. I am so thankful for everything I have in life and it's been a total pleasure getting to know all of our new staff at IVM.

Speaking of IVM........It appears after much design tweaking, that the new site is official! We now have full on automated advertising that any company can pay for automatically and upload their own banners. So far, I landed one advertiser and I'm definitely looking to broaden our reach. The site has taken on a life of it's own and our visitors have increased quite a bit this month though it doesn't match up our last year numbers just yet. After the new site went live and we had all that virus trouble, we lost a lot of readers and our site counts dropped. But in the past two weeks we've sprung back to life and the site just looks more official now. I've picked up a couple of new staff and supplied them all with Indie Vision Music email addresses. If you've never visited Indie Vision Music before or seen my site in action, just click here to check it out. We also have a small online store that you can check out by clicking here.

Family Updates and more.....

So we had a wonderful Christmas, the family and I. We got lots o' presents and other fun goodies. It was a pleasure giving as well as receiving. Unfortunately we didn't make it to any Church services this year and I feel horrible about it. I've gotten real lazy lately and haven't been much in the mood to go to Church like I use to. Blame it on apathy I guess. Anyway, I got a sweet Blu Ray Stereo System from the in laws and my wife got an Apple Iphone (I'm so jealous). My son got some pretty rad games, a new computer desk, some Travis Barker drumsticks (he's in band), and other good stuff. I got some cash from my parents and I went out and bought a massive load of Blu Ray movies. Ahhh yeaaahhh. I've also been enjoying my new ride, the Black R/T Dodge Challenger. I keep finding new gadjets in the car each day, it's totally killer. There are illuminated cup holders that glow "green". There are also these little lights installed on the back of the front drivers seats for the backseat passengers. I'm still waiting to upload pictures to the media system in the car, I want a sweet looking background image like Hawaii or something. Anyway, I got a speeding ticket the other day, yeah I know, a total bummer. I was just cruising OSO Parkway in Mission Viejo/Laguna Niguel and this motorcycle cop pulled me over. Apparently I wasn't paying attention and the car just magically accelerated up to 66mph in a 50mph zone. LAME! The cop proceeded to tell me how nice my car looked and asked me all these questions about what the trunk space was like, how fast I've gotten up to, and other like minded questions. He was real impressed with the car but still wrote me a ticket. Duh oh! So it's off to traffic school for me in a few months. I absolutely despise traffic school, I've been to it at least 4-5 times since I got my license at 16. I have a lead foot. ha. I don't mean to brag but this car definitely gets looks from drivers, some people think it's the new Camaro. ha ha.

Well, my wife got her blood test today and we'll know in a few hours whether she is pregnant. I've been praying non stop about this and my heart is heavy with anxiety waiting on the results. I know my wife is nervous too. If the results don't come in our favor, then it's off to the final step of In Vitro. If that doesn't work, then we'll definitely adopt children. Infertility issues are such a difficult situation to deal with and it definitely tests the strength of our Faith. We all go through tests and trials in our lives and this is definitely ours. We want babies really bad and have tried to get pregnant for at least the past 8 years (We've been married almost 11 years). Lucky for us, my wife did have a child prior to our marriage and I've been blessed to raise him over the past 10 3/4 years. Maybe In Vitro will be the solution to our problems? I just don't know but I am confident God has a plan for our lives and we must follow his will, whatever that may be.

I am back at work today and I'll work till Wednesday afternoon then I'll be off Thursday and Friday. The local mountains are covered in snow and we'll most likely hit up Mountain High sometime in January for a few different "snow days". Then we are heading up to Big Bear in February over President's holiday to snowboard/ski for 5 days. My in laws rented a sweet cabin in Big Bear and it should be a lot of fun for the family. My younger brother even might come to visit for a few days. I really want to visit Mammoth Mountain this year but probably not until March/April. The snow up there is excellent, 61-100 inches of snow right now. Mammoth is a beautiful place if you ever get the chance to go. It's only about a 5 hour drive from Orange County, in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Well, I better get back to work. Thanks for reading and for being a friend of Indie Vision Music. As you can see we just recently relaunched the site on December 25th with an all new design. How do you like it? It takes some getting used to but in the end, the design is a lot more functional than the old plain black/white site we had. I love it but it's definitely a work in progress.

Well, thanks for reading. God bless and take care.

-Brandon Jones

I did it...............

So last night I finally took the plunge and bought a 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T in Black. It's a Hemi and gets 370HP. A real sweet ride. You see, my lease was up at the end of January and they had 4 Challengers on the lot at the local dealer, so I thought "hmmm" I better get one while they are still available. They are making very few of these cars so it's quite a deal to get one. Anyway, I am pretty darn excited about my new wheels and just thought I'd share. Pictures are coming soon. The raddest part of all about the car is the touch screen navigation/media center. It rules. I can connect my Ipod in the center console and control it all with the touch screen. KILLER! Oh and the car has 20" Chrome wheels! Well, that's enough of my bloating. Back to reality for me. Talk to you all soon.

Site Down

Well it looks as though Indie Vision Music.com is out of order today for some odd reason. So I guess you'll all have to find other things to consume your time with. It's a cold day here with temperatures in the upper 40's and pouring rain, not to mention some wind as well. Even though my shop was in the path of the fires (it came down to our parking lot) here in Yorba Linda, I haven't seen any significant landslides yet. If it continues to rain, I'm sure we'll see some. I hope all of you are doing well out there across the world.

I have a piece of important news to share. One of my favorite hardcore bands of today's standards, HANDS, has signed with Facedown Records. The band will release their debut full length on the label in July 2009. This is awesome news for the band and label and I am excited for both of them. Hands is a talented band with a unique sound. You need to check them out if you're a fan of the style.

I am still working on that interview. I've had to revise it because it was way too long (I type too much). So I have decided to do 5 of my own questions along with 5 of yours (you, the readers of IVM). I said I'd give it till 12pm EST but unfortunately Indie Vision Music is down and there is no way I can read your questions. As soon as the site is back up, I'll browse through the "favorites" of everyone and use the top 5 questions asked. This should be a power packed interview and I hope we'll gain a little insight in to the mighty label that Tooth and Nail Records has become. Stay tuned.........

For now, you can visit us on myspace here and chat with me if you like. You can also find me on AIM today here: ivmspiritfilled

That is all. Have a glorious day and stay safe.

[currently listening to: Incrave, Harmony, and Theocracy]

Did you say INTERVIEW?

Do I smell an interview? Well my friends, the time is finally upon us. The interview you've all been dying to read has now been sent out. Just who am I interviewing? Well one look to the logo on your left should be a hint enough at just who I've decided to interview. Still don't know? Well he just happens to be the owner of one of the biggest independent labels to grace our scene in the past 15 years. I have sent out a few questions to Mr. Ebel and I hope to have the finished interview up on our site by launch date, or possibly a bit later depending on a few things. Not every question that I asked will be answered but the ones that are, will be worth the read alone. This is exciting and something I've thought about doing for years. Get ready, it's going to be an explosive read.

Family Update:

Well, the wife and I went in for our third IUI (Artificial Insemination) the past three days. Yes, it took three attempts to be sure it worked. Yikes! This is our third cycle with the new doctor for trying to get pregnant. It's been a real trying time for us as a couple and it's been difficult for her especially, dealing with all the emotions that come from finding out you're not pregnant. If you pray, keep us in your prayers. We could use some guidance and wisdom right now. If this doesn't work, we are moving to the final step which is In Vitro. It's expensive but money isn't an issue when it comes to family. I'll keep you all updated.

My son just got back from a Drag Race in Phoenix, AZ. over the weekend. He made it to the third round. This is only his second race so that is quite a feat! I am proud of him. It was a shame that my wife and I couldn't have gone (we were busy doing the IUI procedure over the weekend) but my parents had a good time with him. I'm just scared that if he gets too hooked on the sport, that he'll want to try Grandpa's big car. Now that's pretty scary. Yikes!

Well Christmas is almost upon us and that means gifts. What gift am I treating myself to this Christmas? Well, I have decided that since my lease on the Dodge Charger is up Feburary 1st, that I would turn it in early and get the............duh duh.............Dodge Challenger. That's right, they have two black R/T Dodge Challengers on the lot right now so it looks like that is what I'll be getting. It's slick and tricked out with 20" rims/tires, full navigation/cd/mp3/iPod connection. Blue tooth enabled and all that jazz. It looks pretty much like my Dodge Charger from the inside view so it wont be a huge change for me, just a bit smaller. I know I know, I put in an order at a Chevy dealer for a new Camaro but with the economy the way it is and the U.S. Automakers on virtual bankruptcy mode, I knew that the Camaro wouldn't be built until later in the year if at all. So I am getting in before things get really bad and making sure I have a car to drive. I guess when the Camaro is finally built, I'll decide what to do with my order. I didn't have to put any money down on the Camaro order so I'm not at a loss. I know I am spoiled and this is a selfish gift but I needed a car anyway so I might as well get one now ;) haha. Don't worry, I am treating my wife and son well this Christmas.

Well that's my blog for today. Not much else to say at this point. IVM 4.0 is launching by Christmas day so we are all really excited about that and this interview I am doing. Stay tuned for more news and other goodies.

A Very Indie Christmas Vol. 1 Artwork Revealed

So the artwork you see on my left appears to be the final product for my new compilation "A Very Indie Christmas Vol. 1". Thanks to Isaac Ohman for doing this. He has done all the artwork for our previous digital compilations.

There is just so much variety on this thing that I can hardly contain my excitement. People are either going to love it or hate it. This time around there were very few (if any) tracks that I didn't like.

Everything from Punk Rock to Alternative to Contemporary Singer/Songwriter to Metal to Hardcore to straight up Rock to Skacore and everything in between.

I have so many favorites on this release that it would take forever to type them all out. You'll just have to wait and see for yourself. Today is early Sunday morning and I have "almost" every track so far. I just need the songs from Failure to Excel, The Advantage, One Last Call, and possibly Endeavor the Seas if they are finished with their song. Stay tuned..........