Just a quick little update with some shiny things to look at. First of all, congratulations to Ian Boswell for winning my “I Blame The Spy” Video Contest. You’ve just picked up a free All-Access Pass for one year with this video:

And then there’s a little something I put together from Megaplex 2009. The venue had a camera on me the whole time, so I threw this up on YouTube to share with the world. Feel free to spread it around!

I know, I know, I’m not a dad yet… but PJ Mullen over at dad-blogs.com wanted to interview me and I was only too happy to oblige. Here’s a brief excerpt from our little chat:

Well, podcasting is an interesting thing. I jumped on board when it was shiny and new. From 2004 to about 2006 or 2007, all the creative types and new media geeks out there were really hopped up about it…

Cut to 2009 and people realize that podcasting isn’t an overnight revolution… Corporations aren’t pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the pockets of anyone who can print out a “New Media Consultant” business card.

You can read the whole thing over at http://www.dad-blogs.com/the-blogs/music/the-crossroads/634-center-stage-matthew-ebel.html

Plans for backpacking over the Independence Day Weekend were thunderstormed out, but pockets of outdoor-friendly weather popped up here and there. Aaron and I went biking in lieu of hiking and took a few photos in the process…

Also had a relaxing, pyrotastic and marhmallowriffic afternoon hanging out with C.C. Chapman, Chris Penn, Chel Pixie, Cass, Kim, and of course Roxie and Abe. And others! It was marvelous, exactly what I needed. Thanks, C.C., for opening your house (and a few beers). I’ve never eaten a bacon blanket before.

As I mentioned earlier, I was interviewed by CD Baby’s Kevin Breuner for the CD Baby DIY Podcast. After a bit of tactful delay (read: time to promote the episode), it’s finally online and available for listening! It’s all about UStream and how indie musicians (like me) can spread the word via live video.

Update: If you like the podcast, btw, PLEASE go to iTunes and leave a comment!

You can subscribe to the show or get more info at www.cdbabypodcast.com or listen to the episode here:
Download MP3

I give Nickelback a lot of crap, I know. I also know that 3.7 gazillion people love that band. I hold up acts like Nickelback and Miley Cyrus as shining examples of boring, tepid major label waste product (which they are). Is it because they’re not edgy enough for me? No, there are plenty of bands that are edgy to the point where I can’t listen to them. The entire punk genre, for example, or some of Ben Folds‘ earlier work. Just because something is too misshapen to fit in the focus-group approval box doesn’t mean it’s good either.

I propose that music is like any other recipe; there are main ingredients and there are accents. A plain lump of chicken breast (Nickelback) is not, by itself, a meal. If all you ate were plain chicken breasts your taste buds would most likely atrophy and fall off your tongue. On the other hand, a diet consisting entirely of black peppercorns (punk) would burn your mouth and leave you starving to death.

This, I believe, is an oversight on the part of most major labels and some indie artists. So that mellow, 90-bpm rock song sold 20 million round discs. It’s a good cut of meat, sure, but it’s only one part of the meal. You don’t want the entire album (or the band’s entire catalog) to sound like that one market-ready radio-friendly überhit ’cause the fans will get bored.

Here’s a secret: The artists will too. Most artists (songwriters at least) have a diverse range of output. This is what drives guys like Garth Brooks to become Chris Gaines or George Carlin to be Mr. Conductor. An artist’s output should reflect their humanity as a whole, not just the radio-friendly side or the dirty underground side. An album, especially, should sound like a well-balanced meal tastes.

If you don’t believe me, open up a restaurant that serves only unflavored pasta and chicken. Let me know how that goes for you.