A Mental Picture of This Moment

Letter for Sellaband "Believers" regarding Bankruptcy of Sellaband

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:30:00 GMT

Dear Believers,

Sellaband asked me to write to you regarding my contractual situation. So here it is.

In 2007, when I was raising money for my Sellaband album, my Believers (the people who contributed financially to the making of the record) signed a virtual contract with Sellaband. The original contract stated that Believers were untitled to 33.3% of sales revenue from album, for a period of 2 years. The revenue was to be divided equally between the Artist, The Believers, and Sellaband.

In late 2008, Sellaband changed their terms & conditions and Artist contracts - offering Artists who were on old contracts the choice to stick with the original contract, or adopt a new one. The new contract entitled Believers 50% of album sales revenue for a period of 5 years.

The new contract was the result of a new business model that reflected what was supposed to be a “new era” for Sellaband, and was specifically geared towards a new live performance initiative that involved touring across the United States, called “Arenafest”.

With faith in the new Sellaband - I accepted the new contract, even though initially neither my Believers nor I signed up to a 5-year deal. I thought it was in the best interest of my music, my believers, and Sellaband. A win-win situation.

What happened in the coming months proved was truly disappointing. After the initial promises of Sellaband nurturing their Artists (remember 50k artists were the “Jewels in the Crown” according to Sellaband’s ABCs and mission statements). Communication and interaction with the Company dwindled away. The website started to deteriorate and remained broken for months. After PR hype, new contracts, judging panels and more, Arenafest never materialised, and to this day Sellaband have never commented on the very initiative that sought them to change their contracts in the first place. The official response was “we can’t tell you what happened” – to the very Artists who had believed, nurtured and supported the Sellaband concept to start with, and who had even changed their contracts to longer terms in support of the new Sellaband and what could be. Ultimately the belief, faith and trust that used to be at the core of the Sellaband business model was broken.

In November 09 Sellaband filed for bankruptcy, which means is that legally my contract with the old Sellaband is null and void. And that also means that YOUR contract with the OLD Sellaband is null & void. A new company was formed (now based in Germany) and is the Sellaband you see on the website today (with a radically different business model to the old Sellaband you put your money into).

I just wanted to point out one more thing: My album revenue for 1 year was just over $600. That means in one year you would have made 0.12 cents for every part you purchased. In 5 years, you would have made a whopping 6 cents for every part you purchased!

An album cannot be successful without help, promotion, belief, support – and that’s what we all thought Sellaband was (at the time), and that’s what we invested in. Ultimately for my career it’s better to be out of contract for this Album, so I am free to sign deals with 3rd parties. And I really hope you agree. I’m a Believer too (I’ve put money into roughly 10 Artists) and what I want most is for them to make a great record, and have a successful career.

Feel free to leave a comment.
Francis

5 Minutes with Allan Burls

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:55:00 GMT

How did you hook up with Francis - what's the story there?

Back in the summer of 2006 I was contacted by a singer/songwriter called Carmin who had been offered a showcase at an open mike night in London and needed a bass player. I went down sunday afternoon, met him and learnt the set and that evening performed. During the night a larger than life american got up on stage with his band and performed 3 or 4 songs and I remember being impressed, especially with a particular song called Science and the guys ability to engage the audience and put on a show. After my performance I bought this guys cd and then he introduced himself as Francis and said he needed a permanent bass player and would I be interested. We exchanged numbers (he never refunded my money for the cd I bought!) and the rest is documented in the annals of Rock history.

How are things different this time around recording the new EP?

Obviously we have a differant line up which always brings a new dimension to recording. As well as that we are recording brand new songs, most of the songs on Circles and Squares had existed for some time before the recording and had been played live a lot. By playing brand new material in the studio there is an infectious energy about them because for me they're still so fresh. You literally see the song brought to life under not only the bands input but also under the expert ears of both Francis and George Shilling.

What are you up to when your not playing bass?

It's very unusual to go a day where I haven't picked up a bass guitar at some point, even if only for a little practice. I'm a little obsessed! Outside of that though...manlegging...as often as I can! If everyone manlegged just a little more the world would be a nicer place! And trying to get hair like Nik's!

We really need to know this - why do you always play bass barefoot?

It's always been about comfort and feel. Bass isn't just about sound, its about how you feel those low frequencies and respond, especially when you lock with the drums. So the best way for me is to feel that rumble coming up through the stage. If I play with shoes on I always think I'm only experiencing half of the music.

What would your dream band/project be?

Jeeze, I don't know. I already feel privelidged in what I've achieved. Playing with the boys from the Francis Rodino Band is an honour as they're all exceptional musicians and we've had great times. My other projects have been the same, from The Orginal Sinners to The Dave, Al and Tony Show I feel so lucky that these great musicians whom I respect want me to be in a band with them. For the future....sharing a stage with Slash or Richie Kotzen, playing with Taylor Hawkins on drums, maybe Miles Kennedy on vocals....yeah I could get into that!

Allan (aka The Barefoot Bass Player)

5 Minutes with Andrea Marongiu (Drums)

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:50:00 GMT

You are the firey hot Italian. Tell us a little about yourself.

Ciao! (quite a cliché start but I always like it!) I'm a self-tought drummer who's following the dream of being a professional musician London. I am a genuine guy who likes to be practical and go straight to the point. I am not a big fan of "Grey Areas" ...I'm feeling very lucky at the moment and it's such a great vibe, so I am enjoying my life.

Sardinia is sunny, warm and beautiful. So what are you doing in London?

Sardinia is a great place to grow up in, and great for holidays ... that's it! I am too ambitious, I need a challenge everyday.

How did you hook up with Francis?

Internet. I am freelancer so i always advertise myself on the web, that's how I got a call from Francis in fluent italian (with an american "Tony" accent) asking me if I'd fancy coming down for an audition ...
and Here we go ;)

What is your approach to recording? And what are your thoughts about embarking on this new EP project?

To be honest I am not a planner, I am just gonna feel the vibe with the band, it's gonna be great!

Who are your main influences?

My primary influences are my family and friends that believe in me and everything I do, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. My music influences changed since I've started playing 17 years ago. When i was 14 years old I used to listen to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Police, Sting. Then I fell in Love with Jazz and I've changed to Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk ... too many to mention!!! I don't personally have one favorite drummer, although I can say I've been influenced by Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Stewart, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Al Foster, Peter Erskin, ... and I could just go over and over with more "drummer's talk"!

Girls literally throw themselves at you. Can you tell us about a time when you had to turn down a crazy fan or two?

To be honest i don't mind fans attention and I love groupies! I've never really been in a critical situation after or before a gig.
I think my body language is pretty clear. ;)

From the Sellaband Forum

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:55:00 GMT

SAB was born with the right intentions and it's heart in the right place. During the first year, it WAS abot the music - that's why so many crappy albums got made (it's fine if you don't like mine too) - but who is the judge of what is and is not crap? What IS crap doesn't even matter when there are "Believers" who want to hear it and put there money where there mouth is. So it WAS about the music, and it WAS at it's most simple - the concept of the masses chipping in to make a professional sounding recording.

The downfall was three part:

(1) First many Believers for some strange reason thought that Sellaband was a new kind of stock market. Why they would think that and invest more than one part is beyond me. ROI in the music industry is so rare, and even with the most commercial album takes tens of thousands of dollars more investment to promote and market. So the disappointment on lack of ROI is purely down to naivety of Believers.

(2) The business model that got the company started was not maintainable. Spending $20k on shipping CDs around the globe, accumulating thousands of unsold LECDs, and no income from sales (Initially SAB was taking 30% of sales, but THERE WERE NO SALES, so that's ZERO)

(3) Misleading and alienating a once loyal community. Changing terms & conditions, Arenafest (big festival that never happened), website breaking down, lack of communication, problems with payouts etc....

SAB thought they were bigger and better than their community, and that is a fatal mistake. With the people you can do anything - screw the people and you're screwed yourself.

It started as a good idea and gave me the opportunity to make a record I love. You don't have to love it yourself, enough people did to give me some money to record it properly. So that's what SAB was about, and it's a damn shame it is now in this terrible state of play.

Francis

5 Minutes with Matt Baker (Keyboards)

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:40:00 GMT

Who in the world are you?

I am the pianist and keyboard player for the Francis Rodino Band! I'm classically trained, but moved into popular music at about the age of 16 and since moving to London last year have been working with a number of artists as a session musician before landing on my feet with the Francis Rodino project. I also enjoy picnics at sunset and, of course, "man-legging".

You didn't work on Circles & Squares - what's your attitude going into the EP Project?

I'm really looking forward to working on this EP and taking a snapshot of how the band sounds now. I understand it's a different process to your last project as we're doing it in a much tighter time-scale, and this means it's all about hard work and creating as a team to bring out the best that this fantastic bunch of musicians can offer.

How did you hook up with Francis?

Well, I am very fortunate to know a brilliant drummer by the name of Andrea Marongiu and we have played together for over a year now. About this time last year, we had just finished playing a gig and he was telling me all about this new band he had just won an audition for and how musical and different the songs were. The next day he rings me saying they are looking for a piano player and I naturally jumped at the oppertunity to go down to audition having already listened to Circle and Squares the night before. After a couple of trial rehearsals I was accepted into the fold and haven't looked back!

Many people say you're the cutest but most naive band-member. What would you say to that?

Yes - I am the cutest..

Other than lugging keyboards and stands around, what do you bring to the band?

I bring at least 8 fingers, the odd jack to jack and being the youngest member of the band (by far), I bring a sense of youth and an entirely new fan generation.

Many of the girls want to know - are you single?

I'm afraid not - I already have a wonderful girlfriend who keeps me on the straight and narrow!

5 Minutes with Nik Hollis

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:50:00 GMT

Francisrodino.com recently met up with guitar--rock-man extraoidinaire Nik Hollis. He tells us a little bit about life, love, and Cirlces & Squars.

Where are you from and tell us a little about your hometown.

I`m originally a westcountry lad, hailing from Plymouth (anyone seen the Aviva Insurance `Green Arrmeeee` ads? They really do talk like that down there). I like to think I don`t have too much of a Janner twang and I have a little giggle every time I go down to visit. My parents and some of the mates I grew up with are still down there so I pop down once in a while.
I moved around a little bit including a six-month stint in Barcelona, finally ending up in the big smoke in 2004.

How did you hook up with Francis Rodino?

I`d love to come up with some dark sordid rock `n` roll story here, but the truth is I came to London, toyed in a couple of Indie outfits when I got an e-mail from a very confident sounding New-Yorker (who had spotted my profile on the Musofinder website) inviting me to listen to the demos on his myspace profile, and asking would I be interested in auditioning for the electric guitar position in his (otherwise already up-and-gigging) band - Allan being the only remaining member of this line-up.
The first track I heard was a rough version of `One Love` which I thought had a huge potential in a power-pop Coldplay type vibe way. Then I heard `Walk With Me` - to this day one of my favourites, and was 100% sold that I wanted to play in the band. I learnt the songs, put my own little twist on the sound, went down to audition on the Tuesday, and was playing my first show with them at the Camden Barfly by the Sunday, job done.

What was it like working on Circles & Squares?

Well the thing that buzzes me most about it all was going down to Rockfield studios in Monmouth - where we lay the foundations for the whole album, knowing the history behind it, knowing that my favourite band of all time - Queen - recorded my two favourite albums (`Sheer Heart Attack` and `A Night In The Opera`) in that very room, I was tinkering on the same piano that `Bohemian Rhapsody` was written on. Oh and when I found out that Allan was using the same bedroom that Freddie stayed in, well, I was pretty livid!!!!
Once we had had our egos tickled it was down to business. To be working with someone as professional (and with track-record) as Steve Bush (Stereophonics) was a very humbling experience. He knows how to bring out the best not only in the physical performances, but in the entire focus, how to see, and make you see, the bigger picture. It was an absolute pleasure and education working with Steve, not to mention having so many beautiful guitars at my disposal was also very cool.

What have you learned from the process and what is your attitude going into record new songs (The EP Project)

I would be as bold as to say my whole approach to electric guitar playing changed during the making of the record. Learning what NOT to play is just as important as learning what TO play. Realising what a song actually needs and letting it breathe rather than playing a zillion licks. When someone like Steve say`s try something and you are not sure, try it, he`s probably right. So not to be too precious about certain parts is a very important.
I`m very excited about the EP, our new producer (I`m not allowed to say who right?) has also worked with some artists that I really admire (one of which I will be boring him to tears with questions about), I don`t want to give too much away but I think the approach and sound will be very different to `Circles and Squares`. Plus of course we have two amazing new (not so new now but post `C&S`) guys, Andrea and Matt on board, both of which have made a huge difference to the feel of the band.
There are some fantastic new songs and we intend to deliver something special - Oh, did I mention get your pledge in soon guys!!!!

How's your love life?

I love my family and friends (and guitars!!!!) very much thanks. Next.

Everyone wants to know - how do you maintain such amazing hair?

I can`t tell you that, you`ll all be at it, all walking round with your little `Nikcuts`, seriously no, can`t be having that, ha ha.

What do you want to tell all those screaming girls who support you?

Oh, keep screaming, but give Francis some love, he feels all left out!!!!

Video Update

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:10:00 GMT

The Death of Sellaband and the renaissance of new music

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:05:00 GMT

Phew! It’s been busy days indeed. Talking to Producers, creating a budget for the EP project, working with the band to establish the next steps, rehearsal and recording dates, songs etc...It’s all fun stuff and I live for it!

The funny thing is that not too long ago I thought I was going to take a break from all of this. For the last few years I have been running like a machine. First raising $50k on Sellaband.com, then making a record (that took a year in itself) then promoting the record. I guess the fact that sales never really picked up was demoralising; I began to wonder why I’m doing this at all.

Now Sellaband – the “record label 2.0” that facilitated me making the record in the first place has gone bankrupt! They ran the company into the ground through a series of bad decisions and a total lack of focus on what was really important: music and community. Sellaband forgot that the Believers - the people who were investing real cash into new artists were the people who really made it happen. Never for one moment did the Believers think that Sellaband was not going to lift one finger in regards to their £50k artists. And Sellaband quickly tried to re-invent themselves from record label 2.0 to a below average project funding website.

A lethal blow to Sellaband was the scam they got involved in: Arenafest. They re-contracted all their £50k artists to a new 5-year deal under the pretence that there was going to be this massive US festival/touring/management initiative – they put heaps of money into the project. And then what happened? Arenafest despaired into thin air. Nothing was said by Sellaband – even I, signed to a 5-year deal with them got radio silence from HQ. The trust was broken. There were rumours of lawyers. In addition to that, they made really dumb changes to the website that clearly did not work – making the site virtually unusable and ineffective for Artists. When I tried to talk to them about what was going on I either got no reply from the old CEO or I was spoon-fed a the usual propaganda.

To this day, we don't have a clear idea of what happened with Arenafest - one of the final nails in the coffin for Sellaband.

I'm grateful for to Sellaband for a few things - connecting me to new fans, the financial facilitation, putting me in touch with Producer Steve Bush. If only they continued to focus on making good music and above all -listening to the needs of the community for new website functionality and features. That's the key to a website - keeping it current - always evolving based on User needs - that's how Facebook did it. Now, Sellaband is struggling for air beneath the water - the website just doesn't do what people need it to do - pure and simple.

So now Sellaband has been bought out and my contracts are null and void. Which leaves me with owning my own copyright to Circles & Squares. I guess that’s a good thing (I hope I can do something with it, like find a good distributor) but I’m sad that Sellaband went down this way. We saw it coming for so long, it was inevitable. I hope the new owners learn from past mistakes. For a website whose business model was founded on “belief” – Sellaband treated it’s artists, and it’s once-loyal community of Believers – like shit.

Anyway, what totally revitalised me was our recent show at the Indigo2. When so many friends and fans came out to support us – and they were all saying one thing: “where’s more music?”

So as long as I have people who want to listen to new songs (and pay for them – because money is what makes new songs possible – considering the level of technical quality set by Circles & Squares) I can do this. So this is basically the story of how the Pledge Campaign got started. If you want to support us, please make a pledge!

Francis

Support new music and make a pledge!

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:53:25 GMT

Merry Xmas from Francis Rodino Band!

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:05:00 GMT

Ruth Lorenzo & Francis Rodino - Unplugged

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:10:01 GMT

Francis Rodino | Eternity | Live at the Regal Room

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:10:00 GMT

Solfest 09 Video Diary

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:30:32 GMT

Here's a little video of some cherish-able Solfest moments!

Playing the Solfest Festival

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:45:00 GMT

We had a blast playing the Solfest festival. It was everything we could have possibly imagined and more...mud, rain, wind, cold, but there was also an electric atmosphere on the Bar Stage where we headlined on Saturday 29th August.

It was no easy feat - getting to the festival grounds. This place was near Aspatria - near the Border of Scotland. After one thing lead to another the drive from West London took a good 8 hours! Many thanks to our good buddy Chris who had the sense not to go up there Friday evening - saving us from the daunting task of having to find a camping ground and pitch our tent at 3am in the morning.

The Bar Stage proved the place to be - fairly priced drinks and a dry area made this tent highly in demand among festival goers.

Would we do it again? Absolutely.

Here's a little slildeshow of pictures from the event!

Behind The Scences

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Francis Rodino - Online & Unplugged - Eternity

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:37:55 GMT

No option.

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:29:43 GMT

There's no other option. No silver bullet. No fast-track journey to success. And it makes me think about how to use my album as a tool, rather than the ticket. And more and more I realise that it's the core I have to nurture and I have to focus on fulfilling my potential as a musician rather than get distracted trying to entise managers, agents, labels and more to check me out.

There's no choice other than to be great. Leave the audience with an uplifting feeling of joy after every gig. So that's what I'm going to do , and it starts with making some tough choices - putting a new band lineup together.

We'll take it from there. Having the right people will be a start, but it's only one more step in the journey.

F

Tuesday 16th June 2009

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:29:25 GMT

Tonight we're playing an acoustic session at the Troubadour, Earl's Court. I like these acoustic sessions we've been doing recently. Without the stress and chaos of having to lug bag after bag and loads of gear around, complicated sound checks. It's raw, intimate and puts the songs to the test. Do they stand their ground with just a couple of acoustic guitars and bass? I think so. See "shows" for details >> I feel re-focused in the last few weeks. Do you think spending a week in Turkey on the beach had something to do with it? Allan Burls came along with me and he literally came back a new man. Some of you may or may not know that there is some sort of method to my madness. I'm trying out different approaches to promoting the album. The first one was using a PR firm. After what I could call a tremendous PR flop, I've decided not to focus my energy on the music industry (Press, Media, Web, Labels). There's still some more groundwork that has to be done. And it all starts with the band. The music. That's where it started, and that's where it's going to end. It's with that in mind that we're holding auditions for a new drummer. Our beloved Matt George has to follow his own dreams and passion - life is simply too short. So we're going to start fresh. We're going to find someone that not only can interpret and perform what Matt played to a high standard, but also a friend and working partner who can develop musically with the project. So the search is on! We're holding first round of auditions this week! We're playing one of the stages at the Solfest festival in August - I'm SO looking forward to that - we're going to be playing along with the likes of Nerina Pallot and the Charlatans. Packing the car full of booze, a tent , the compulsory raincoat - it should be an experience in itself. It's an opportunity to get up to the Lake District, a place I've been wanting to see for many years. So bring on the good times! I want to say something to my Sellaband "Believers" (the music lovers who helped financed my album). I may be impulsive, but I'm all about the music. I expressed disappointment with SAB for their inability to work with artists post album release. But this is all history now. I am trying to make my mark now as an independent artist and that's going to start with a new lineup, a new show, and a business model around those shows. It also means writing new music and showing everyone that there's more going on than "Circles & Squares"! The next few months shall be interesting to say the least! Catch you later, Francis

What is the point of thinking and re-thinking my blog posts?

Wed, 27 May 2009 21:30:00 GMT

What is the point of thinking through one's blog postings? I want them to be impulsive, from the heart. I want them to reflect a moment in time; hapiness, frustration, flaws. These blogs are not for YOU, they're for ME! It's an open diary for everyone to see. Criticize me, agree with me, share some of my feelings during my brief journey. This is supposed to be about a moment in time.

Today I realise my priorities are shifting. I can't tell you why, but some of the things I thought I was not ready for or never wanted to do - i feel like doing. I know that sounds mystical but it's not, really.

This Saturday Allan and I are escaping the dreariness of England and heading down to the beach in Turkey. I am SO looking forward to this holiday - my first for a year. Soaking up the sun, eating amazing Turkish food and partying every night. I need this. I know Allan does too.

Anyway, I'm going to try to do more regular, brief blog updates. I want to look back on this and see how flawed I was.

Francis

Just say no!

Fri, 01 May 2009 01:20:00 GMT

Why can’t people just say no? If you don’t like something, say “no”. You will gain respect. You can move on to the next thing with your head held high. You can’t imagine the amount of music industry folk who get in touch with me for one reason or another. People who "love" my music and want to work with me in some way. 99% of the time this amounts to a big fat ZERO. Most recently one of the top 5 finalists on X-factor got in touch with me because she wanted to cover a song of mine for her album with EMI. She contacted me, she chased me, she asked me permission. Then she disappeared. Why? Fear, I suppose. Maybe she was afraid to tell me that her label didn’t go for the song or whatever. But man, that’s just rude. I don’t give a shit about the why or how or when. I emailed her a few times to ask her what’s up. No answer. Nada. Gone. And it made me think a lot about people’s insecurity in life – very apparent in the music business. People are so afraid. Afraid to be real. Afraid to tell you what they really think. That’s why I love Simon Cowell so much. People should respect him because it takes guts to tell people how it is – it’s hard to confront the reality that you’re never going to fulfil your dreams. I love music. But I hate the music industry. Now more than ever, I see that the majority of “professionals” I encounter working in the music business (and I don’t mean songwriters, producers, musicians – I mean A&R, PR, Admin, Management) really have no clue how to make a record, or what do with it when it’s done. Maybe they are satisfying some childhood fantasy about working in music, but they were they had no real talent so they did the next best thing to be close to music. I’ve had a terrible experience with the PR Firm I employed. I was given bad advice from the start – these guys wouldn’t know how to break a record if you presented them with stardust on a silver platter. PR firms talk about “servicing”. That is the task of sending out CDs to contacts in pursuit of some sort of media coverage. The person at the PR Firm in question couldn’t even write a proper press release – me and my Manager had to do it for her. They wouldn’t return my phone calls, I had no idea what my status was, or who my album went out to. Of more than 300 CDs sent out, I was sporadically sent a lame-ass “progress report” with a list of 20 contacts. The result (or lack of) was always the same: “So and so, hasn’t listened to it yet but will”. No chasing, no pro-activity, no passion. And passion, my friends, is the key – not only to this, but to anything one does in life. You don’t get things free (I generalise, of course). It takes hard-ass work and sacrifice. Burning desire and relentless energy to pursue your goals. I have had door after door shut in my face, but I am resilient and I manage to get up and keep on going irrespective of anything. I feel badly burned by my experience with the PR Firm. It's put a bad taste in my mouth in terms of working with strangers. Nobody's going to love your baby as much as you do. The best PR is me and my band and playing live. So now I'm not going to let myself get distracted. I'm going to put all my energy into live performance for the next 6 months and focus on putting on a great show. I want to lift people's spirits and have them go home on a "high" from a great experience! I'm full of energy, feeling positive and ready to roll. Come and see our new show at the Scala, next Saturday, May 9th 2009. Click here for more information. So in 3 months of "service" (paying them a monthly retainer) they have achieved a mere two reviews. Both are interesting learning for me because one loves me and one hates me. I think you’ll enjoy the difference between the two: http://www.toxicpete.co.uk/francisrodino.html http://www.dieshellsuit.co.uk/article_detail.asp?rID=3558 They are pretty insignificant and they are on obscure websites, but as Steve Bush said, it’s great to polarise people! Love me, hate me, just don’t ignore me! Anyway, back to my thoughts about the music industry – I feel sorry for many A&R people. They think they have the power to identify the next big thing, but the whole framework of how people get their music is crumbling at their feet. They think they have the power to determine what you and I are going to listen to, but that model just doesn’t work anymore. What are they going to do? They are useless! Now it’s all about Artist and Music lover and creating niches in whatever music or genre you love. Sellaband, the website that facilitated my album crowd-sourcing (funding) has virtually abandoned me. They once prided themselves at being the “alternative” to a record label (and at one point even wanted to act like one – but that’s now forgotten and buried in the past), but they are “washing their hands” with their 50k artists. I would imagine that in this economic climate they are too busy trying to survive as a company or coming up with new strategies/partnerships to see them into the future. I wish them good luck. But in my opinion their biggest mistake is not caring about the music. They need to come up with a way to market their “quality” output rather than letting it linger – key to success is helping make their artist successful - or rather, help shift copies of the album (which they have a financial stake in)! After all, if nobody knows about your album, they can’t buy it.