Is it pure coincidence that opinions of new artistic work seem to decline with an increase in particular artist acclaim? To many artists’ fans, it often seems true that qualitative consistency is a rarity, and the longer an artist is around with a palpable following, the more likely the possibility that his or her original “diehards” will notice a drop-off in their satisfaction. Whether this is due to an objective corruption of the artist mind by growing expectations can be more thoroughly discussed over coffee and Grand Slams at Denny’s (your treat), but perhaps there’s something to the isolated art of liberal music-making, free from hype or pressure. (Uh. Ahhem: Pete Swanson, formerly of Yellow Swans, THAT WAS YOUR CUE.)
Well, turns out it’s both Swanson and Jed Bindeman’s (Eternal Tapestry, Helen) cue, actually. The two recently collaborated on the establishment of Freedom To Spend, a label dedicated to releasing “independent music,” in the most literal sense: it originally began as a Swanson-led “long lost CDR label,” and now the official label website claims a concern with “autonomous anomalies produced by musicians working within and outside the limits of technology to create intimate art.” Bedroom musicians of the past might find propagation in the future, in other words.
Releases from Marc Barreca and Michele Mercure will be the resurrected label’s first. Check out the Michele Mercure “vignette” below (her album EYE CHANT is out TODAY, February 3), and head to Freedom to Spend’s catalog page for more info on upcoming releases.
More about: Eternal Tapestry, Jed Bindeman, Marc Barreca, Michele Mercure, Pete Swanson, Yellow Swans
