The 1980’s are still trying to make a comeback, bringing their overinflated sense of self-importance with them.

A few weeks back I was featured in a WBUR on-air segment about performing live via UStream and selling my songs as a fan-driven Subscription Service rather than just making round pieces of plastic every year or two. The people at the radio station thought what I’m doing was innovative enough to give me nearly 8 minutes of air time during the morning drive. Then I got two comments like these:

That idea doesn’t sit well with everyone, including Boston musician and rock critic Dave Wildman. “I don’t know, it freaks me out,” he says with a laugh. Wildman likens Ebel to a talented street performer on the information super highway.
WBUR.org

It’s success if that’s what he wanted, definitely. If not…then no, he’s still got more work to do.

My guess? Dude still has a lot more work to do.
Justin Boland, comment on Hypebot.com

These two comments, though lamentably myopic, are understandable. Believe me, I can level with these opinions by making only one assumption: Their definition of “success” is stuck in the coke-filled limousine of Motley Crue, 1985.
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Welcome WBUR listeners! For those of you who aren’t familiar with who I am, Andrea Shea’s article for WBUR covered a whole lot of it, but there’s plenty more here on the site. Honestly, the best way to get to know me is to catch one of my weekly online concerts. If you’re curious about the subscription thing, that’s over at Matthew Ebel dot net.

Listen to the WBUR segment right here:
Download MP3

For those of you who are regulars here, the segment has finally aired on WBUR. Andrea came to both a UStream show and my first annual VIP Beer Bash and talked with me about how struggling musicians are making it in this economy.

There are some great quotes from Chris Penn and Adam Curry in there, and even one poor soul who’s kinda scared about all this newfangled technology stuff. I don’t know who this Dave Wildman guy is [apparently he writes for the Boston Globe... does this mean I can quote him now?], Googling his name didn’t turn up so much as a website or MySpace page, but he seems to think that I’m only into the online concerts. He even likens me to “a talented street performer on the information superhighway”.

Hopefully the hundreds of you that saw me live at FWA and Megaplex know better!

Anyhoo, check out this video interview that didn’t air on the radio. And be sure to drop by WBUR.org and leave a comment for Andrea and the radio station!