wampus news feed what do we decide?

Dear Fan of Independent Media,

It all keeps coming back to the value of music.

Thanks to the culturally accepted subversion of P2P, we want to pay three cents for an album. Or less.

We might also want to pay two bucks for a plasma TV and ten bucks for a Lexus. Yet we can't. Because the value of those things is recognized, accepted.

Let's take a look at our iPod. It holds all that music, which is fantastic, but the sheer volume of its storage capacity makes the music seem worthless. We want to "fill our iPod" for cheap, with all that music. It's like saying, "I've got a 100-room house, I need cheap TVs for every room! I've got a 50-car garage, I need to fill 'er up cheap!" If that worked, we would all get a plasma for two bucks, a Lexus for ten. But the people who make those items would be history. Nobody looks the other way if you steal a plasma or a Lexus, do they.

No.

But if we don't want to pay for music, we don't have to. We just snag it like a ripe tomato from a vegetable stand. And whose fault is that? The artists'? The labels'? When we saw we could get music for free, a lot of us took that deal.

The question is: are we comfortable, as fans, driving recording artists into that margin -- where their work is worth less and less? This isn't about the major labels. It is about artists and their survival. It's about whether or not people who love music, who pay attention, stand up for those who create the work we all enjoy.

The same effort and inspiration go into making records that go into making movies or iPhones or anything else. It's work. Yet...

Yet.

We love the music, but...

But.

But what? We decide.

Thank you for your continuing support of independent artists.

--Mark Doyon, Wampus Multimedia

http://wampus.com/news/feed.html

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Various Artists / Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon

Emerging artists interpret the literate, modern songcraft of the poet of Gower Avenue. "This collection deserves space in the collection of any Zevon fan." --Ron Davies, Splendid ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Various Artists / After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed

The story of an artist unencumbered by popular expectations, yet... popular. "A must-have for any fan of Reed, or for anyone who just likes quality, original music, smartly produced, played very, very well." --Fleabomb.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Various Artists / If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman

A wildly entertaining ride through the repertoire of one of rock's most original and eclectic songwriters. ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Neil Luckett / Radio for Cats

Stripped-down and immediate, chills up the spine. "Luckett creates an individual sound that looks more into his mind and soul rather than the minds of others." --Wes Barker, Amplifier ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Kowtow Popof / End of Greatness

The latest and greatest CD from Kowtow Popof. ///// CD Baby / iTunes.

The Crowd Scene / Turn Left at Greenland

Shimmering trans-Atlantic pop refracted through a lens of the Kinks, the Left Banke, Television, and Elliott Smith. "Absolutely worthwhile, and a good sign for the future of British pop." --Matthew Greenwald, All-Music Guide ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Alice Despard / Samsara

The until-now rare first solo disc from the founder of Washington, D.C.'s Hyaa! "Beautiful." --The Doubtful Palace ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Alice Despard / Push Me Pull You

The comeback album -- honored in the Village Voice "Pazz & Jop" poll, now to be honored by your stereo. "Lush, ethereal country-rock may seem a curious concept, but this local singer-songwriter manages to combine heaven and earth in 11 songs that are both mysterious and urgent." -- Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Johnny J Blair / Fire

Immaculately crafted pop 'n' roll with a streak of gospel-inflected, blue-eyed soul. "For anyone with a little imagination, intelligence, and a sense of humor, not to mention a taste for the exotic." --Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM Magazine ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

The Simple Things / President Foushee

Virginia roots-pop outfit returns with a best-of as solid as a pop rock. "It's the upbeat tunes that catch you.... Nicely done." --Raw 42 ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

tvfordogs / Roller

Melodic, crunchy, and already under your skin. "Carries on the tradition of British power trios with a modern creativity and flair." --Laura Turner Lynch, Kweevak.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Alice Despard / Vessel

Patti Smith meets Neil Young -- with a little Mission of Burma to boot. "Like a stripped-down Velvet Underground." --J.R. Oliver, EarCandy ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Johnny J Blair / Treadmarks

Imagine Raymond Chandler and Sam Cooke as street musicians busking with David Bowie's beat-up 12-string guitar. "A solo record full of originality, guts, and feel." --Francesco Emmanuel, The Muse's Muse ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Arms of Kismet / Cutting Room Rug

Brooding and poppy, funny and foreboding, it's toe-tapping, tragicomic rock 'n' roll. "Witty, idiosyncratic indie-rock that is to a band like Maroon 5 what a film like Sideways is to one like Miss Congeniality 2." --Jason Warburg, The Daily Vault ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Casey Abrams / Like a Mirror

Reflecting folk, jazz, and the American songbook, it takes Paul Simon and Don McLean back to their roots. "Intelligently eclectic." --Kevan Breitinger, Indie-Music.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Cafebar 401

Brimming with darkly sweet pop hooks, it calls to mind Coldplay, Radiohead, and Queens of the Stone Age. "A great debut album from a band soon to be well known." --Brenna Krause, Left Off the Dial ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Arms of Kismet / Eponymous

Literate and insidiously catchy, it's postmodern pop for the savvy, ironic streetcrawler. "A classic, one of the first great discs of 2004." --Roy Opochinski, Groovevolt.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

tvfordogs / Heavy Denver

Definitive modern rock from London-based trio. "Shifts gears and blends songs in a way that not only puts the individual songs in best relief, but takes the listener on a journey." --Mark Kirby, MusicDish ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Amateur God / Near Life Experience

Dark semi-vocal-ambient music in the tradition of Mylene Farmer, Art of Noise, and Voivod. "Fascinating." --Modern Dance UK ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Mitch Renault & Arms of Kismet / Ted's 12: Original Soundtrack

Snappy songs and snippets from the film. ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Various Artists / Glass Flesh 2: a Tribute to Robyn Hitchcock

Twenty-one great ways to skin Robyn Hitchcock's cat. ///// Backstage Commerce.

Wampeters / Murder Your Darlings

It's the end of the line... until the line starts again. "A great narrative album." --Heidi Drockelman, IndieMusic.com ///// CD Baby / Amazon / iTunes.

Mark Doyon / Bonneville Stories

Crisp fiction from Arms of Kismet's Mark Doyon that's as dark as optimism gets. "A brilliant collection of beautifully written stories that made me cringe, grimace, and laugh, while sometimes moving me to great pity.... There just aren't any flaws here, and I can't possibly do this book justice in a review. No one could, really...." --Laurie Edwards, CultureDose.net ///// Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1929763093/qid=1034199246/sr=8-7/ref=sr_8_7/102-8551637-2399362?v=glance&n=507846

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Coming in 2007-08

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Wampus Multimedia is an independent media label run by artists, for artists. Its credo is simple: to introduce the world to bold content rendered by visionary artists. It is home to a growing roster from a variety of genres, including pop, AAA, Americana, alternative, ambient, blues, and folk. Wampus Multimedia values you as a supporter of independent media and will never share your contact information with anyone. Contact us anytime at mail3(at)wampus.com.