Green Room - Week 11 - Day 9
The band Foxy Shazam has a new album out: "Gonzo".
Two albums ago, they had a hit in "Unstoppable". The NFL used it in their commercials and I even heard it on the radio. They were doing major festivals. The album after that did well, but didn't really produce any big "hits" in the same way.
"Gonzo" went in a different direction. It is ONLY available on vinyl (through the band itself) or free from the website Bandcamp. That's right - you can stream, or download their album, completely for free! The only way you need to give them a single dime for it is if you want a physical copy.
This led my thoughts down two different directions:
(1) Is this the direction of entertainment in the age of new media? They're not the first band to do this, but unlike the Radioheads of the world, or the small indie band, this was a band that was "starting to get known" who pulled the plug on their standard record routine, and did something else.
One thing that Eric has said about it is "When you find yourself lost - change your direction". Which reminded me of the Mitch Hedberg joke "When you find yourself lost in the woods - Build a house. Then you will be home."
Which got me thinking about how personal this album is for them. It's very much about losing your identity and trying to figure out who the hell you are.
(2) Which dovetails nicely into the second point, and a comment that received yesterday about the Idol topics this season. I won't say how accurate or inaccurate it is based on my own plans - but I will say, I found it interesting:
"The theme for the topics this season can be summed up as "challenging beliefs"
What we think is funny...or about ourselves... How we chain ourselves, our own sense of novelty, fear. Commonly held views and how we let our beliefs influence us."
I like that: Challenging Beliefs. Turning things on their head and examining them. When you get lost - change your direction.
This is Livejournal. At any given time, at least half of it is in the middle of a journey to figure out just who the hell they are, and what they want out of life. Some are in the middle of changing direction, whereas others are trying to find the moss at the base of the tree.
Where are YOU on that spectrum? How about a year ago? Where do you hope to be by the time Season 9 is finally over (sometime in 2019? ;D)
***
Oh, and we have a poll: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/747180.html
Two albums ago, they had a hit in "Unstoppable". The NFL used it in their commercials and I even heard it on the radio. They were doing major festivals. The album after that did well, but didn't really produce any big "hits" in the same way.
"Gonzo" went in a different direction. It is ONLY available on vinyl (through the band itself) or free from the website Bandcamp. That's right - you can stream, or download their album, completely for free! The only way you need to give them a single dime for it is if you want a physical copy.
This led my thoughts down two different directions:
(1) Is this the direction of entertainment in the age of new media? They're not the first band to do this, but unlike the Radioheads of the world, or the small indie band, this was a band that was "starting to get known" who pulled the plug on their standard record routine, and did something else.
One thing that Eric has said about it is "When you find yourself lost - change your direction". Which reminded me of the Mitch Hedberg joke "When you find yourself lost in the woods - Build a house. Then you will be home."
Which got me thinking about how personal this album is for them. It's very much about losing your identity and trying to figure out who the hell you are.
(2) Which dovetails nicely into the second point, and a comment that received yesterday about the Idol topics this season. I won't say how accurate or inaccurate it is based on my own plans - but I will say, I found it interesting:
"The theme for the topics this season can be summed up as "challenging beliefs"
What we think is funny...or about ourselves... How we chain ourselves, our own sense of novelty, fear. Commonly held views and how we let our beliefs influence us."
I like that: Challenging Beliefs. Turning things on their head and examining them. When you get lost - change your direction.
This is Livejournal. At any given time, at least half of it is in the middle of a journey to figure out just who the hell they are, and what they want out of life. Some are in the middle of changing direction, whereas others are trying to find the moss at the base of the tree.
Where are YOU on that spectrum? How about a year ago? Where do you hope to be by the time Season 9 is finally over (sometime in 2019? ;D)
***
Oh, and we have a poll: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/747180.html