A while ago I had a young filmmaker ask my permission to use one of my songs as a music video project. He and his friends create films, practice martial arts, and have an incredible sense of humor. I’d say more, but I think the video more than speaks for itself…

My favorite part about all this? I’ve never met these guys. In fact, I’ve never been to the continent they live on. They just found my music and decided to create something awesome to go with it.

Check out more from Dead Star Film at YouTube.com/deadstarfilm or watch the Ninjery at YouTube.com/recklessninjasquad

This also made me realize that I need to start working on my own Ninja Beer recipe. Definitely high-gravity, something that’ll sneak up and kill you.

If you remember me asking you via email to bug the folks over at Pandora, I’d like to thank you for your efforts. Even though one representative said they couldn’t find the CD’s I sent them months ago, it seems they must’ve found one. Goodbye Planet Earth is now available on the most cutting edge internet radio station, ready to stream!

(By the way, if you don’t remember me asking you about this, you’re not signed up for my email list yet.)

Why is this a slice of awesome pie? Two reasons: First, Pandora pays its BMI licensing fees like any other radio station, so the more my music plays on their system the more likely I’ll actually see a royalty payment (and, therefore, eat). Since the stations are built around a recommendation engine, my tunes will be played any time someone searches for someone famous like Ben Folds or Keane. They don’t even have to specifically search for my obscure name.

Second, since a lot of people will hear my music because I’m similar to the artists they’re searching for, there’s a good chance some of them might become fans of mine. I know more than a few people who have discovered new artists they like because of Pandora. As much as the RIAA likes to ignore it, people do in fact buy albums via iTunes and Amazon from Pandora recommendations.

So thank you, all of you, who helped raise the awareness! Hopefully some more of my albums will appear in their system soon, but for now you’ve really helped me break into a new playing field!

I’m not prone to quoting other bands on my own blog, but in this instance Counting Crows donates today’s title.

After the crazy-fun social media foreplay that was 2005-2007, last year was the disappointing realization that this is not porn and we really DO need long-term commitment if we want satisfaction at the end. I survived, barely, but a lot of my friends both digital and corporeal suffered heavy losses and are currently regrouping.

I’m still self-employed, but I’m not able to tour like I did in 2007. In fact, I’ll be lucky if I can get on the road again without a record deal.

All that being said, we have great cause for hope. American ingenuity reacts inversely to the stock market; we find our best ups when we’re really down. Currently, I’m drawing a blank other than “work my ass off”, but a wartime strategy is in the works. When the pickings are this slim the noise of less-worthy competitors dies away, leaving the battle-hardened lifers on the front line alone. The halfhearted indie bands go back to their day jobs while the shining stars like Geoff Smith and JoCo find better opportunities.

Perhaps I’ll be so lucky.

It’ll only be a good 2009 with a lot of effort and help from you. Yeah, you, the person reading this right now. I am nothing without your support. No one finds out about Matthew Ebel dot net or Goodbye Planet Earth unless you tell them. I can wave my arms, light myself on fire, and dance naked in the streets, but nobody pays attention to the self-promoter. You are my lifeline in these dire economic times, and you are what kept me alive in 2008.

Let’s see what we can do together this year.

Photo by Daisy’s Little Cottage

Yesterday I started to cry in my studio as I produced the new song for Matthew Ebel dot net subscribers. I’m not typically an emotional guy, but for some reason the subject matter combined with the lyrics combined with the way the arrangement was unfolding… well I just couldn’t help myself. I was a little surprised. I don’t cry. I’m an American Ebel male and emotions just don’t do that to me, but there I was sitting in my chair wiping off my cheeks.

Whenever something strange like that happens, I turn to the most trusted source in mass groupthink: Twitter. Fortunately, as it turns out, this kind of thing happens all the time:

Once or twice I’ve even cried while performing an original. When singing with a choir, I’ve made puddles
-carlalynnehall

I’ve done it once or twice when composing. It is usually the really simple parts that get me the most, though.
-Firr

It’s supposed to happen that way, I think. Writing & listening, both should be affected at times. Looking forward to hearing it.
-JimFarley

So who knows? Maybe this song will be fantastic. Or maybe it just means that one of my own songs has impacted me the way some of my others have impacted some fans. I can’t count how many emails I’ve received telling me that I Will Wait For You or Tennessee Never Cried brought someone to tears. Maybe it’s just my turn.

All I know is it felt really good.

Plainly and simply… I will miss the island.