Surely there is no doubt to anyone who has been following cultural and entertainment news over the last few years that the music industry is going through a major restructuration. But while the old powers that be are still figuring out how to adapt to the changing landscape, some forward thinking artists are already on top of the newly emerging possibilities.
In this age of ever increasing connectivity and unprecedented access to communication tools and information, a wide range of human activities are being redefined. The way we do art and commerce do not escape this trend and, although not a novel idea in itself, microfinancing is certainly rising in popularity as one of the viable business models available to independent artists of the 21st century.
Washington-based indie rock band Shane Hines and the Trance is the latest of those innovative creators to successfully apply the principles of microfunding to support their endeavors. Their new CD, to be released next month, has been completely funded by fans who contributed over $34,000 to enable the duo to produce the record.
Shane Hines and Brian "Mr. Thumbs" Keating were touring with other bands when they first met. Their collaboration has yielded "The Glory Journal," which was recorded entirely through on-line donations from fans and supporters, and has been described as sounding like "Vincent Van Gogh if he shredded guitar and had a 3-octave range."
Blending aggressive arrangements with hook-filled melodies, the band has created a surprising album which is already garnering enthusiastic reviews, some even comparing Hines to The Who's Roger Daultry. The song "Way Up" made it to the finals in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and many blogs such as The Daily Vault and Top 40-Charts have commended the band's triumphant achievement.
This is only one of many success stories made possible by recent technological developments which offers artists efficient and affordable means to create their own communication channels and reach their listeners directly. And given the ever improving tools they have at their disposal, both artists and fans alike stand poised to benefit from this irresistible wave of change which is washing over us.
Written by Christopher Stewart, http://poligraf.wordpress.com/the-plan/
Source: Mi2N.com - Shane Hines And The Trance New CD Release "The Glory Journal" Thanks To Fan Benefactors
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