You can do it yourself, and I can help! (Part I)

In the last few months, I've been going to a lot of "In-the-Round" shows. For those of you not familiar with the format (and especially for those of you who think "In-the-Round" is the name of a pre-gastric bypass Blues Traveler album), allow me to explain. Unlike traditional shows with an opener, headliner and maybe some sort of collaborative push for an encore, "In-the-Round" shows feature a number of musicians seated next to each other -- the name is therefor an oxymoron, like "jumbo shrimp" or "Ted Koppel" -- playing songs and telling stories down the line, each successive performer usually linking their next tune to a theme from the previous. It sounds a bit silly, it's absolutely "folky", but it allows for a lot of interplay between artists who might not share anything but a passing stage otherwise.

On Friday night, I had the good fortune of catching an exceptionally talented and complimentary lineup: the Garfunkel-coiffed Devin Greenwood, the Western-Swinging Devon Sproule, the looks-a-lot-like-my-friend-Mitch John Francis, and the slightly-less-coiffed-but-infinitely-more-beflowered Carsie Blanton. Normally there's one sore thumb musician in these situations (and the line between good and bad in folk music circles in a tenuous one, at best), but not here. It was a fine evening of fine musicians playing fine songs in fine form, from Devon Sproul's giddy and absolute delight during former tour mate Carsie Blanton's time in the spotlight to the Band-worthy hand-me-down harmonies of "Brother's Keeper."
John Francis, incidentally, is a stunning live performer. He has a rich vibrato when singing softly, very reminiscent of Harry Nilsson in his prime. But when he cuts loose and really lets it rip, it's a bone-chilling approximation of early Sun-era Elvis. I rarely gets chills from singers, but it was Goosebump City, population my arms when he tore into "Johnny Cash on the Radio."

Talking to Carsie after the show, I was told that no new recordings would be issued in the near future unless I was capable of producing a record deal for her. Alas, I traded my last record deal in reserve to Papa Legba in exchange for my boyish charm and guitar playing skills (both of which have been coming up short lately; I guess it was only a 1-record deal or something). It did give me the idea for this post though. I run across a lot of Internet music labels, marketing sites, tour supporters, etc. here and there, and it seems like an excellent time to catalogue some of my "do-it-yourself" musical tips.

• TuneCore: TuneCore is the label and distribution equivalent of Garage Band. For a minimal fee (about $20 per album per year), you can upload your album -- with or without any sort of management/representation -- and let TuneCore distribute it to the pay-per-download platforms of your choice, including iTunes, Amazon, emusic, etc. It costs $1 for each site you choose to distribute your music to, but you keep all the royalties, publishing rights and "100% of the money your music earns." The site also offers CD duplication services and a blog about its favorite TuneCore artists.
  
  
• Sellaband.com: This isn't nearly as appealing, but interesting nonetheless. Musicians upload their demos and eagerly await for interested parties -- or "Believers" -- to donate money until a $50k goal is reached. Once this happens, they're guided through the recording of an album by an "experienced A&R person [...] and producer." The aftermath is where it gets a bit sticky. Every "Believer" who invested gets a digi-pack version of the album; fair enough. Sellaband then offers your songs as downloads for 50 cents a piece, half of which goes to your investors. You can also order your album at cost from Sellaband, but $2 from every album sold goes to your investors...and the profits from albums sold via the website are split between you, your investors and Sellaband.
  It's not a bad deal if you have no other options (and it's certain to encourage a strangely close connection with your future audience), but in the era of gloriously abundant and semi-shameless self promotion avenues, it's leaning uneasily into the shameless realm.
  
  
• TalkMusicBiz.com: Producer George del Barrio's website offering instructional posts and videos about surviving the annals (pronounce that at your leisure) of the music industry as unscathed as possible. While the tried-and-payola/monopoly...err, "true"...music industry may be on its way out, Barrio offers advice to musicians caught in the crux between the old guard and the new. Lots of resources here -- check it out.
  
  
• StolenGear.org: On the hometown hero front, this site was created in Philadelphia as an aid to name and making-a-name bands who've had gear stolen or, to sugarcoat such a devious act, "criminally misplaced."

*A special thanks to Paste Magazine for all of the above tips*

Last but not least, who hasn't dreamed of being in their own buddy cop movie? Come on..."Turner and Hooch", "Robocop II" (get it? Because there's two...), "The Color Purple"...what else is there to fantasize about? For everyone who has the swagger and intent of starting the next "Lethal Weapon" franchise but lacks the right script, you're in luck. They Fight Crime.org will generate your character sketches and what vaguely resembles a plot, all for the low cost of taking away from hours of work you need to get done! Here's a taste of the first film you'll win an Oscar for starring in:

"He's a short-sighted misogynist werewolf moving from town to town, helping folk in trouble. She's a mistrustful hip-hop single mother from out of town. They fight crime!"

Next time, more music, less circumstance. If anyone has any more music-related websites that could help a brother (or sister) out for Part II, please let me know.

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Currently listening to: Charlie Mingus "Blues and Roots"

Currently reading: Johnny Cash: The Autobiography and Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's Humor Category.