Let me begin by saying that about the passing of Bo Diddley, I feel nothing. I certainly never liked the few records of his that I’ve heard. I always despised that ugly guitar of his. Though I enjoyed Bruce Springsteen’s “She’s The One” I never thought much of that Bo Diddley rhythm. In fact, I think my favorite part of “She’s The One” is when the bridge comes and gives you a break from it. For me it was great to build tension, but not enough to rave over. Dying’s a bitch, and for that, I guess it’s only right to mention his passing, but I can’t see going on about it. People love to do that, don’t they? I wonder how many people really loved Bo Diddley records. Perhaps it wasn’t the records at all. Perhaps people think of his riff as the stone that caused the ripple in the pond. I’m not so sure it was all that enduring. I would gather that we owe no more to old BD than we do to cavemen pounding on log drums, and I don’t hear anyone getting all busted up over Neanderthal man.

The only way to tie this into my intent here is to say that old BD was on Chess Records, an independent label from Chicago. Chess released many records that we know whether we’re aware of it or not. Chuck Berry was on Chess. Anyway, before rock and roll became big business, it was all about independent record labels. Independents will try things that major labels won’t for fear of losing money. Independents often don’t have much money to lose in the first place. Either way, independent labels often release recordings out of passion, regardless of the profit they can expect. As a result, the music can be more genuine. Only when they start getting successful and become majors do record labels start looking at recordings as product for a specific market. Sort of like what’s on the radio today.

For that reason, I don’t buy major label releases anymore. The record label as we know it will be extinct soon, and it can’t come soon enough. We can get all the authentic music we want now, without padding the pockets of people who smoke big cigars and think they know your buying patterns. Recording artists don’t really need a label anymore. It’s the best thing that ever happened to us. I can do a mix tonight and make it available for sale tomorrow morning. So few people have to be involved now, therefore, there are far fewer opportunities for the music to be adulterated by commerce.

I sell my recordings at CDBaby.com. It’s THE online music store, as far as I can tell. It works out well for me, since they handle the transaction and shipping and all of that. If my sales start booming, I’ll be able to do it myself, but until that time, CDBaby does what they do very well, with a fantastic attitude. They provide you with an opportunity to find stuff you like and they don’t shove the flavor of the hour down your throat. In the independent world, it shouldn’t be like that anyway.

You can find pretty much any kind of music you want at CDBaby. There are audio samples of everything too. So much of the music is good, it’ll blow your mind if you grew up thinking that the best music got on the radio because its quality caused it to rise the top. (A lot of people think that, which makes a lot of money for record labels, but that’s another tangent.) You still have to wade through the garbage to find the gems, but if you’re anything like me, you always had to do that with major label releases anyway.

You can buy CDs or album downloads at CDBaby. They don’t do song downloads. The way they see it, they’re not selling hit songs. They’re selling full albums by artists who’ve put everything they have into that music, so you should spring for it, because it’s definitely worth it. I’ve always believed that. I just never knew anyone else did.

From time to time, even I look for new music that will stimulate me. But I can’t buy a new major label product for a million different reasons. The first is that I just can’t find anything new on major labels that resonates with me. I’m sure as hell not gonna buy some re-packaged major label tripe that has to be at least 30 years old to get my attention. I already have those records in three different formats. Enough already.

I’ve vowed that from here on out, I’m only buying independent music. That’s where it’s really happening anyway. Besides, if you buy from a major label, it’s like a car dealership. The joke’s on you the moment you walk in the door. It’s designed to make the most money off of you. That’s really it. However, if you go independent and buy from the artist directly, you’re part of something great, something human, something valuable. That sounds better to me. Major labels don’t give a damn about you. You’re completely faceless. You’re a profit center. Period. But if you buy the record of an independent artist, you’re elite. You’re special. You’re discerning. You’ve bought a recording of music that was created against all odds. That’s beautiful man, even heroic. I’ve even contacted artists and asked them about their recording process. They’re usually forthcoming and more than appreciative.

I used to think that this was pitching for the other team, but to illustrate my point, I’ll tell you about three independent releases I bought last month. I didn’t compromise. I wanted new albums that I could add to the soundtrack of my life just like I did when I first started to buy records. (Which was probably in 1975 or 1976, but I started early.) I found these on CDBaby and just listened to the samples. I was in the $5 section. (You choose three albums in this section and you can get them for $5 a piece. Three albums for $15? It’s like Columbia House with a conscience! Well, not really but…)

Pushing Red Buttons Pushing Red Buttons
Can’t say enough good things about this record. I dig it like I haven’t dug an album in years. I must have looped it a thousand times in my mp3 player. The vocals and arrangements display how it ought to be done. The songs were right up my alley and the performances always delivered. Quite a production. There’s something new to hear every time. I can safely say that I’m trying to capture some of their sound on my new album. It was only after my initial reaction that I realized Kasim Sulton of Utopia makes an appearance on two songs. I love Kaz, but that’s not why I love this album.

the mike tichy disaster when the sun went down
Another one from the $5 section. The name of the band belies the sound. These guys can really play. Where Pushing Red Buttons sounds like the studio project that it is, when the sun went down sounds like a rock band playing together. I actually met Mike Tichy once and jammed with him in Philly one Sunday afternoon. (As it turned out, we knew a lot of the same people from my very, very old days.) When I saw that it was his band, I had to check it out. A musically dexterous four piece, the mike tichy disaster features Mike’s tunes and lead vocals. On an emotional level, this music had such a raw vulnerability to it that it spoke right to me. It was produced simply on a shoestring and mixed very cleverly. Check out the production, but be sure to let the music in. If Mike’s introspective style doesn’t move you, you may have a hole in your soul.

Chuck Coleman People, Places and Flings
This was my wild card in this bunch. There’s always a wild card, isn’t there? This album consists mostly of a jazzy trio (piano, bass and drums) playing very sophisticated pop music. It reminded me of Craig Carnelia’s songs, which I always thought were great. Chuck never returned my e-mail (the only artist who hasn’t), so I don’t know where he is or what he’s up to. He has no website that I can find and the album cover shows only an eye. He’s elusive, but he’s a skilled pianist with a delicate vocal style. Chuck’s lyrics tell great stories, placing the singer with historical figures in art and literature one moment and in doomed relationships the next. He’s sounds like a sensitive intellectual, but is not opposed to being irreverent when it’s warranted. The lyrics suggest to me that as a young recording artist, he seems to have been experiencing some of the same difficulties and concerns that I once did. As a whole, I’d say the album has a melancholy quality, in a good way.

Other than the fact that you should observe the Chicago Manual of Style when dealing with sequential commas in your album title, Chuck makes it clear to us that brains are cool and that love and relationships in your twenties are very much the same, whether you’re gay or straight.

It’s because of Chuck Coleman that I’ve stopped using the term “indie” to refer to independent music. The first verse of “Brian Played Guitar”, which opens the album, goes:

Brian played guitar
He wasn’t very good
That was his charm
And he swore he’d be
An indie god by 23

People, there’s nothing charming about sucking on guitar. I know that. Mike Tichy definitely knows that. Chuck Coleman didn’t even use guitar, so he must know that.

“Indie” is just a genre in which unpracticed musicians can use sucking as an aesthetic. “Independent,” however, are the records you should buy. Maybe you could start with mine and then try these. :~)