NFR 014      The Jena Campaign      A Panda For Amanda      MP3s: A Born Again Christian Upon Reading The Da Vinci Code                   Girl On Drugs Turn that frown upside down. The Jena Campaign's 2005 self-titled debut was characterized by its dirgefulness and torpidity ("slow-folk-core" being the apt terminology), but now TJC is back with a (mostly) more mobile and livelier second effort. "You stole my car, and then you stole my heart" singer and storyteller Matt Maggiacomo proclaims on the opening song, but, judging by the tone of this track and other upbeat selections off of A Panda For Amanda, we think that overall he's pretty much OK with that. Just like he's apparently OK with "A Girl On Drugs" and the fact that Jesus was a drama queen. A Panda For Amanda is about learning to laugh at things and about embracing life in the face of sadness. Additional instrumentation of banjo (Mark Mandeville), mandolin (also Mark), upright bass (Zack Ciras), and plaintive female vocals (Raianne Richards) adds an alt-country tinge to an album that is a triumph over despair. Tracklisting: You Stole My Car And Then You Stole My Heart / A Born Again Christian Upon Reading The Da Vinci Code / Girl On Drugs / Our Weekend In Kansas / Wyoming / A Panda For Amanda / London, Northampton, And So Forth / Baby, You're A Stranger / Red Eye To Chicago / Cheyenne Skyline