@William Brafford, Yes and no. The point I'd make is that they did this during the age of online distribution. I've never said bands should only distribute their music online - or that they should always give it away - only that the new panoply of choices for distribution and consumption can help a band thrive especially if they are good at touring and live performances. The Avett Brothers, far from sticking to a traditional modus operandi, eschewed signing on to a big label for years. Sure they sold records - but they did it on their own terms and carved out a fan base in an age of online music. If it hadn't been for the online factor (Rhapsody in this case) I wouldn't have heard of them, or gone to their show. So I think touring and selling records is wonderful, and I think this new age of music empowers bands to do that successfully while not giving them quite the same chance at ridiculous wealth or superfame.
@Sam M, Possibly. But I've seen bands make this shift between their first and second album - and the only difference was the fame and fortune. They were still "new" when they lost whatever it was they had. The Avett Brothers have like nine albums and are just getting better.
@Max Socol, They do seem very nice. They were out mingling before the show, and I can't recall ever seeing a band so bloody thankful before - thanking the audience over and over again. Awesome.
Thanks everyone. I'll try to have some responses up later today, time permitting. As you know, I'm pretty much blocked out of the site all day and have to use Black Magic to post. I do read every comment, however.
It's just as funny to see progressives bitch that he's too sympathetic to conservatives. Jane Hamsher was doing just that on Twitter the other day. You just can't please anybody, apparently.
@Bob Cheeks, Exactly! And the halls of conservatism, while likely desperately empty, will be reserved for the least statist among us who can snipe from their little towers of certainty without surcease. Politics, as usual, takes predominance in all things.
@Jivatman, Well I'm flattered, Jivatman. I like the Swiss system a lot, actually, though I'm not sure how well it would translate to our much larger states. What about radically increasing the number of states? Anyways, I'll give this some thought. Very good questions...
@Conor Friedersdorf, Very true, Conor. Thanks - I like team unaligned just fine, though sometimes I do wish there was some team out there I could root for passionately.
@Rufus, Oh absolutely - I read someone recently describe our site as the place where all the conservatives who don't like the GOP or the Tea Parties hang out. Perhaps...either way, I do feel right at home here.
@Mike Farmer, Mike - agreed mainly, though I think we get into thorny places when we talk statism vs. anti-statism largely because we have a whole tangled mess of starting points to concern ourselves with...
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Greetings from a Loyal Democrat”
Welcome aboard, Lisa! Fantastic first contribution!
On “Trial & Error”
@Pat Cahalan, True, but when people live near the shops and businesses it has a very similar effect.
"
@Mike at The Big Stick, Or conservative progressivism...
On “Geography, Politics, and Arrogance”
@Mark Thompson, What Mark said.
"
@North, No maple syrup? No thanks...
"
@Plinko, That's right - poverty with a view and a great bar scene.
On “The Tyranny of the City”
@JosephFM, True.
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@Rufus F., I think all efforts by government to kill art are small minded....what an odd use of the state.
"
@sam, Sure. I'd live there too, for a while.
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@William Brafford, Ah...hadn't thought of it that way, William...
On “Money & Music (and The Avett Brothers)”
@William Brafford, Yes and no. The point I'd make is that they did this during the age of online distribution. I've never said bands should only distribute their music online - or that they should always give it away - only that the new panoply of choices for distribution and consumption can help a band thrive especially if they are good at touring and live performances. The Avett Brothers, far from sticking to a traditional modus operandi, eschewed signing on to a big label for years. Sure they sold records - but they did it on their own terms and carved out a fan base in an age of online music. If it hadn't been for the online factor (Rhapsody in this case) I wouldn't have heard of them, or gone to their show. So I think touring and selling records is wonderful, and I think this new age of music empowers bands to do that successfully while not giving them quite the same chance at ridiculous wealth or superfame.
"
@Sam M, Possibly. But I've seen bands make this shift between their first and second album - and the only difference was the fame and fortune. They were still "new" when they lost whatever it was they had. The Avett Brothers have like nine albums and are just getting better.
"
@JosephFM, Those are just rockstar copycats...
"
@Max Socol, They do seem very nice. They were out mingling before the show, and I can't recall ever seeing a band so bloody thankful before - thanking the audience over and over again. Awesome.
On “Red families & blue families”
Thanks everyone. I'll try to have some responses up later today, time permitting. As you know, I'm pretty much blocked out of the site all day and have to use Black Magic to post. I do read every comment, however.
Cheers
On “Reading comprehension was never his strong suit”
It's just as funny to see progressives bitch that he's too sympathetic to conservatives. Jane Hamsher was doing just that on Twitter the other day. You just can't please anybody, apparently.
On “On straws and particularly the one that broke the camel’s back”
@Rufus, Rufus - being conservative about art and culture may be the best sort of conservatism.
"
@Bob Cheeks, Exactly! And the halls of conservatism, while likely desperately empty, will be reserved for the least statist among us who can snipe from their little towers of certainty without surcease. Politics, as usual, takes predominance in all things.
"
@Jivatman, Well I'm flattered, Jivatman. I like the Swiss system a lot, actually, though I'm not sure how well it would translate to our much larger states. What about radically increasing the number of states? Anyways, I'll give this some thought. Very good questions...
"
@Conor Friedersdorf, Very true, Conor. Thanks - I like team unaligned just fine, though sometimes I do wish there was some team out there I could root for passionately.
"
@Nob Akimoto, I like it!
"
@Rufus, Oh absolutely - I read someone recently describe our site as the place where all the conservatives who don't like the GOP or the Tea Parties hang out. Perhaps...either way, I do feel right at home here.
"
@sam, The Tapioca Party - not bad!
"
@North, Thanks, North - I like the suggestion below, though - neo-classical liberal...
"
@Mike Farmer, Mike - agreed mainly, though I think we get into thorny places when we talk statism vs. anti-statism largely because we have a whole tangled mess of starting points to concern ourselves with...
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.