I Can Make a Mess Changing the Music Business

Whether or not you're a fan of Ace Enders (ex The Early November), this is something you should be interested in if you consider yourself a music fan.  Under the I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business heading, Ace is releasing a new record, Gold Rush, under the new Do-It-Yourself group Sound of Evolution.  The record is out May 5th.  You can preview "Gold Rush," the title track and download another new song, "Lame Duck," for free.

I think we can all agree that the music industry needs some form of revision before it is able to monetarily support the artists we love.  What's interesting about this project is that it is cutting out the middle man: the traditional record label.  The labels make their money primarily from the fans, then only giving a percentage of that money to the artists.  With today's social media advantages, the usefulness of joining a record label has seriously come into question.

This new business model should not be seen as taking advantage of the fans, as some idiots would suggest.  Rather, it puts them in the driver's seat and on a path towards a much more intimate listening experience connected with the artist.  Furthermore, allowing fans to fund musical projects, as Ace and the Sound of Evolution aims to do, is a brilliant strategy for music collectors.  For example, the basic fans will be happy with paying $10 for the mp3's.  More dedicated fans might offer up another $5 for a signed CD booklet.  True music snobs will fork out the cash for higher quality sound files.  And the most obsessed fans will pay almost anything for extras such as signed posters, thank you's in liner notes, and even, in ICMAM's case, the chance to host a live concert in their own living room.

Ace Enders, as well as a few other people, are setting a precedent for other artists to follow and, so far, it seems like something we should get on board with.

Against Me! - White Crosses (Early Review)

So Against Me!'s forthcoming fifth full-length release leaked a few days ago.

After a few listens, it becomes clear that this record has spent a lot of time in post-production. Never mind the fact that the band wrapped recording in October and the album still isn't officially out yet. The music is full and incorporates instruments, such as piano and a layered mix of acoustic and electric guitars, absent on previous Against Me! releases.

White Crosses is an album that stays true to the band's punk roots while pushing the group into experimenting with more of a straight ahead rock'n'roll feel. The songs are excellent. But they come from a band that has been decried as sellouts by the wannabe anarchists who initially gave the group a fanbase. It's a shame, too, because this is some of singer/guitarist Tom Gabel's best songwriting. Nevertheless, this is easily the best release of the year so far and it isn't even scheduled to come out until June. For those of you who just can't wait any longer, it is not all that difficult to find on various file-sharing and torrent sites. Also, Tom Gabel graciously gave everyone his blessing by acknowledging the leak and offering the lyrics to the songs on his blog.

And now, a brief yet triumphant review of the songs themselves:

1. White Crosses - A song that addresses the debate surrounding abortion. The white crosses the song references are supposed to represent all of the fetuses that are aborted daily in the U.S. Gabel passionately sings that he wants to smash them all. Guess which side he's on?
2. I Was A Teenage Anarchist - Scheduled to be the first single, this song is very catchy and deals with Gabel's earlier anarchism and subsequent dissociation from that type of politics.
3. Because Of The Shame - Against Me! put on their Bruce Springsteen costumes, play a little piano and also sneak in a little bit of Green Day influence (although they might not like to admit it). This is a killer track that deals with the loss of a close friend.
4. Suffocation - This one opens with an 80s style guitar intro before moving into a more standard Against Me! guitar line. Overall, one of the weaker tracks, but even at their worst, this band is still better than most.
5. We're Breaking Up - Buoyed by tasteful piano arpeggios and a muted guitar riff during the verse, this song explodes into a triumphant chorus. An excellent ode to the end of a relationship, perhaps addressing the band's near break-up in the time between their last record and this one. A time during which long-time drummer Warren Oakes left and was replaced by former Hot Water Music drummer George Rebelo.
6. High Pressure Low - The intro to this song could be right out of a John Hughes movie. Another catchy track that showcases how well this band constructs bouncy, melodic punk songs with hook-laden choruses.
7. Ache With Me - If the last song showcases the band's ability to make punk catchy, this one proves that they can also write slower, more contemplative songs that win you over on the strength of the lyrics and their delivery over an acoustic rhythm and simple drum beat. Spoiler alert: this one's a bit of a downer. The moshers might not know what to do when this song is played live...
8. Spanish Moss - The intro is a definite nod to The Who, followed by some beefy power chords and excellent drumming from Rebelo. This is an idealized song about getting away from it all without owing anyone an apology.
9. Rapid Decompression - An incredible burst of sheer energy. This song is one minute and forty-three seconds of punk injected directly into the bloodstream. The best punk song on the album.
10. Bamboo Bones - Against Me! knows how to end an album. Write a song with lyrics about God, throw in some passionate guitars, bass, and drums, then give it 135%. And that's exactly what they do.

Disclaimer: Remember that this review is based upon a leak of what we believe to be the full album, not necessarily the actual album that will be released. It is quite possible that the record will contain more songs, different songs, or have a different track listing.

New Tunes Tuesday - Lonesome Mississippi Drifters

For this week's New Tunes Tuesday we bring you the Lonesome Mississippi Drifters. Go check out their version of "My Humps" that they played live on our show last week by clicking here.

Girls by Girls

This week was Girls Week. So here is the best of the best songs sung by some stunning females. Some of it we played on the show, others are blog-exclusive.

1. Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson - "Winter Song"

Perhaps one of the best songs about winter. The mood of the song fits the title perfectly. I still get chills listening to it. Go look up the video on YouTube (embedding is disabled).

2. Regina Spektor - "The Call"

This song was not on any of her own records. Rather, it appeared on the soundtrack for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It comes in right at the end, as everyone is saying goodbye. And that's what this song is about: how hard it is to say goodbye unless you remember everyone will come together at least once more.

3. Maria Taylor - "Time Lapse Lifeline"

A great song about the fleeting nature of life and time. The best thing about this song? The way that it kicks in.

4. Feist - "My Moon, My Man"

Probably the catchiest song off of The Reminder.

5. Beautiful Small Machines - "Robots In Love"

A catchy, techno-esque song. We're all just robots in love, right?

With Every Day

www.joeygerber.com/witheveryday.html

With Every Day

I had a dream when I was only 9
I'd be a pitcher for the Braves
And they'd pull me from the bullpen
Every time they need a save
But that all changed
When I discovered I
I couldn't throw a strike to save my life
And now the only save i make is in my wallet every night.

i had a dream when i was 17
i'd be a rockstar and i'd know
what the women taste like
in every city that i'd go
But that all changed
When I woke up one day
And found I lost my voice
Now I write shitty poetry
'cause it's my only choice.

I had a dream when I turned 21
I'd finally see the end
Of everything I'm supposed to want
And a big and comfortable bed
But it's a lie.
I only made it up and left it in my head
So I could feel A little better
With every day I wasn't dead.

Worthless Self-Promotion

Go to www.joeygerber.com/allivegot.html to download my new EP, All I've Got.

Oh, and yeah, it's free.

- Joey

The Pills Have Finally Kicked In

In case you haven't noticed, I love talking about Dave Smallen. He was our unsigned artist several weeks ago, but he keeps giving me more things to share with you.

As I mentioned before, he is releasing each track off his latest record one at a time. The newest addition to an already superb collection of songs: "Waiting For the Pills."

I've seen Mr. Smallen play this live, and ever since I've been anxiously waiting for him to share this with the world. And sharing it is exactly what he's doing; for the song is available as a free download on his site during the month of April. Don't miss this opportunity!

If you do download it for free, do him a favor and spread the word. Good musicians like him deserve attention and recognition.

Listen to the song here.