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[bluedance]

i appreciate all the "Newbies" posting in this thread.
Like those who have hung out here on the sbox for years,
you are all thoughtful and creative.

Welcome, and feel free to post more!

Thanks. I've been meaning to join for a while, grad school has kept me busy. Hoping to be around some, but we'll see what time dictates. Just couldn't let this topic slide by without putting in my two cents. Pushing boundaries and discovering truths is mostly what art is about. It shouldn't be discouraged just because it's not what the fans want from an artist.

[Morpheus Laughing]

8S8H is an interesting idea. If you’re comfortable with who you’re working with it should be possible to do it…The time constraints might even help structure the process in a beneficial way. I’m not really sure what to expect in terms of results but that lack of preconception is probably a good thing.

[Hydrophidian]

Wow. Uhm... so, hello!

Right, then. The topic. Share thoughts. Here we go...

I adore Peter Gabriel's music.

Seriously, I do. I have music from hundreds, maybe thousands, of artists. In fact, let me check on that...

Yep, a couple thousand.

Of that number, a handful of artists stand head and shoulders above all the others. They're my musical Justice League, if you will. And of that handful, Gabriel is clearly Superman (strike a pose, Petey).

The reason why is: I've enjoyed every track on every studio album that Gabriel's ever released. Every single one. Considering how picky I am, that's no small feat. Over these many (oh too many) years, his music has spoken to me in a way that has been truly singular in its consistency.

"But, hey!" you respond. "What the fuck does this have to do with Amanda Palmer?" Well, I'm gettin' to that! Hold your horses, jeez! These are thoughts! No one said they had to be concise!

The thing is, Gabriel is notorious for taking his own sweet time in putting out studio albums. Last one was Scratch My Back (an interesting covers project) released just last year. Before that? Up. That was back in 2002, eight years earlier.

EIGHT FRICKIN' YEARS! Almost a decade! Yikes!

Now, let's lookit darling Amanda (finally!). Aw. Innit she cute? Just precious!

Who Killed Amanda Palmer? was released late in 2008. Just over two years, folks.

Since then, she's done... well, near as I can gather, a metric crap-ton of stuff. From following her on Twitter, she seems pretty much nonstop action to me, constantly doing something. Frankly, it's exhausting. After reading her tweetbombs, I sometimes have to take a nap.

Anywho, has it all been recorded music? No. It's been a lot of performance as well. And since I just brought that up, I'll point out: aside from being a musical artist, Amanda's also a performance artist. That's kinda important, as points go, when considering the creative output of the particular individual that is AFP. If you're not into that stuff--if you just dig the polished musical offerings--that's okeedokee-fine. But you should be aware that, in terms of artistic expression, there's more to her than that. It's not the only itch she has to scratch. And if you're a creator, you go where the itches take you-- Okay, that didn't come out quite right. But you get the idea. Probably.

So, yes. Performance! Upon it Palmer doth dig. Obviously. Ham, thy name is Amanda and so on. When considering this, it shouldn't be surprising that she's glommed onto the whole social networking thang with her apparently characteristic verve. As a happy result, we all get to know what she's up to all the time.

But what if she didn't put it all out there like that? Would anyone really be kvetching about a WKAP follow-up right now?

Honestly, I'm thinkin'... no. Again, it's been just over two years. Typically, right about now is when more earnest inquiries about the next album would just be starting. Nevermind the gnashing of teeth and tearing of clothes I see going on in this thread. I doubt that'd be happening hardly at all.

But, because Amanda's provided this insight into her doings--of which there is much (of both)--our sense of time gets warped. Surely, with this sheer mountain of output she's produced, it's been a very long time since WKAP? Seems like it. But no. Hasn't actually been that long at all.

Oh, and of course, also coming with the transparency she's adopted are the inevitable "yer doin' it wrong!" people, but I'm going to be charitable and assume they're a tiny minority in this case.

However, let's consider that for a second. Is she doing it wrong? Should she be locked in a studio somewhere, working tirelessly on the next offering? Putting aside for a moment her other artistic passions and inclinations, her seeming need to connect and everything else... would focusing on the next album be the right course?

If you hadn't noticed, the landscape out there is shifting. Rapidly and radically. How art is made, and how one makes a living by making it, is all up in the air right now. The old rules and established methodology are being challenged. In this current environment, artists have more freedom, but walking hand-in-hand with that is more responsibility. It's on the artists to make it happen for themselves more so than it ever was before. At least for the one's that're bucking tradition, and Amanda does buck her brains out, so she's definitely one of those, right?

In any case, it's work. It's hard work. Rewarding? I would guess so. Liberating? I have no doubt. But hard? Demanding? Draining? Yah, absolutely.

From what I'm seeing, all this stuff that Amanda's been doing--this parade of "novelty" projects and endeavors that some have been bemoaning--is necessary. It's what's going to make the next studio album even possible. It's what keeps AFP in the circumstances she needs to be in to create, to produce, to ultimately craft that next album you crave. She's a business owner now, and her business is herself. She needs to sell sell sell her bread and butter product in order to provide the luxury goods in which you long to indulge.

So, okay, you might not like the way she's going about it. It's certainly not the only way to go about it. There are others who're taking different approaches to the situation--Imogen Heap, Klayton of Celldweller, Trent Reznor are the first few that spring to mind for me--but those methods are what work for them. Amanda's doing what works for her. And that's what's important. What works for Imogen, Klayton, Trent--or you and me--is irrelevant. The only one who can decide what works for Amanda... is Amanda.

So! As requested, those are some thoughts from me. They can serve as my introduction to this forum (hullo!). While I certainly enjoy a lot of Amanda Palmer's music... I think I'm a bigger fan of her as a creative force in general (even if I'm not always personally taken with what's being created) and as a voice for change in an industry that so desperately, desperately needs it. I personally belive that AFP as the total package is far more important right now than specifically AFP: maker of studio albums. If the latter has to go on the back burner for a while, so be it. I doubt it'll ever be measured in Gabriel Time anyway.

And as a closing remark: if nothing else, any path that leads to something like Map of Tasmania coming into existence is 100% A-OK with me!

Thanks for reading!

[Edit: Cuz I need to lern to count betterz. Derp. ]

[Cirque]

Still waiting for that solo piano record she talked about back in 2007.
You know, before WKAP got all Folds-ised

[Hayley Fiasco!]

Still waiting for that solo piano record she talked about back in 2007.
You know, before WKAP got all Folds-ised

I find it interesting how people hold on to all sorts of ideas, projects, concepts etc. that Amanda says in passing. As a music fan, and especially as a fan of Amanda's, I see it happen all the time - artists mention projects they're working on or that they want to or plan to work on, and for whatever the reason they don't happen or they don't see the light of day.

Wait all you want for whatever it is that you want, but you never really know if what you're waiting for will be, and if it does happen, you will probably build up many expectations for it. So for me, I find it much easier to take things day by day, have hope and excitement for the projects that I want to see/hear/enjoy but have faith that maybe they won't be.


I had typed up a longer post for this thread and ended up scrapping it. Maybe I'll come back to it, maybe I won't. But the main thing that I would really like to get across here is that Amanda is pushing the envelope and exercising her own creativity by trying new things and pioneering (or at least making her unique mark on) techniques and methods in how independent (non label sponsored) artists make music and what they can accomplish through their use of social media and by fostering a community or collective of supporters.

I know that when Amanda is ready - and it may just be sooner or even later than any of us think - but I know when she's ready to release another proper full length studio album it will be magnificent with its own meaning, and beauty. Not comparable to WKAP because that's silly to compare new art to old art in that way (apples and oranges, expectations and setting yourself up for disappointment, let each unique album and piece of art stand on its own).

This 8 songs in 8 hours PROJECT is not "amanda is releasing a new record!!!!" in the way that the media portrays it - because literally yes it's releasing music, but Amanda has basically proven time and time again since she left RoadRunner that she is on a mission to change the way she gets her music to her fans. I'm excited about this project because I know (or really, I ASSUME) that it takes Amanda and some of the other writers at this conference quite a bit of time to write a song they are proud of, to fine tune it after it's been stirring in their head, or after it's been played live. And here they have constraints - they don't know if it'll be something they are proud of, they don't know if they will LIKE what they come up with, but they will have pressure to come up with something and they must work together to do it. That to me, as a music fan, is EXCITING, it's like a reality TV show challenge, the THRILL, the SUSPENSE and we get to watch it all as it unfolds!

You don't have to like the content that Amanda has put out recently for whatever the reason(s) you don't like it. You don't have to buy or listen to her music, you can wait however long as you need to for another "proper solo CD" or fuck, wait as long as you need to for another Dresden Dolls album - whatever it is that you are waiting for or whatever it is that you want, but in the mean time maybe you can see how it's exciting to be part of something - albeit experimental, but part of something that is forcing us as fans and the music industry to take a double look at what is being done and how it's being done.

Amanda's really doing something special in riding the wave of the changing music industry... she's not just riding the wave, she's paving the way... for other independent musicians and artists to take their careers and art into unchartered territory.

[Cirque]

^ I didn't quite literally mean waiting for it.
Rather that I think it would be a good direction to go because in my opinion, Amanda's best work has been on solo piano. I'm quite aware that it won't be happening any time soon what with Amanda's collaborations and other such things.
Maybe it won't ever happen, really it's all up to Amanda and we, including I, just have to respect her choices.

[lentower]

this 8 songs project is as much performance art, as it is producing an 'album'

there is a web cast announced, and twitter is involved

so watching it (or the archive) may be a better experience,
than listening to the album on tuesday


it's quite likely that these songs will have the same too quick,
needed editing and polish, that neil's words in the WKAP book
did/do

i've read alot of neil's work, before he and amanda found one another.

though his writing in the WKAP books is good,
it's not as fine or exquisite as the writing in any of the Sandmans,
American Gods, etc.

the quickness of the WKAP book project shows in his writing there.

this could be true of the 8s8h project.
we'll know tuesday


wouldn't it be awesome,
if our fav musicians, could do a quality album quicker?

8s8h is, at least, practice for this

[Hayley Fiasco!]

Maybe it won't ever happen, really it's all up to Amanda and we, including I, just have to respect her choices.

well said.

[laurieanne]

This is a publicity stunt geared to attract the attention of media and music moguls who have so much money falling out of their asses that they can drop $800 on a ticket to this thing. Funny...Amanda was just bragging about what a great "singer' Neil is and Viola! he comes down with a terrible chest cold. Gee, bet he won't be lending his vocal stylings to the recording now. What did ya do Neil, stand outside last night in your underpants until you got sick? Almost as slick as wearing your funeral suit on The Colbert Report so Stephen wouldn't make you look like an ass. "Cause who is gonna pick on a guy who's father just died? "Oh, I wore that because I had nothing else to put on" ......yeah, you flew all the way to the UK, stayed there for days but had not one change of clothes with you. Uh-huh. We're all morons, Neil, we believe everything you say..........you too, Amanda-if you say it or type it, it must be true.......

[Pope Totalfrog]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a nutjob.

[absynth aura]

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a nutjob.

Do you have anymore space  in your bunker?

[Zoe Amory]

Funny...Amanda was just bragging about what a great "singer' Neil is and Viola! he comes down with a terrible chest cold.

I think it's more likely he got it from Amanda who was sick herself just a while ago. Plus it's the season, everyone's getting a cold this time of year. 

[imaginary friend]

This is a publicity stunt geared to attract the attention of media and music moguls who have so much money falling out of their asses that they can drop $800 on a ticket to this thing. Funny...Amanda was just bragging about what a great "singer' Neil is and Viola! he comes down with a terrible chest cold. Gee, bet he won't be lending his vocal stylings to the recording now. What did ya do Neil, stand outside last night in your underpants until you got sick? Almost as slick as wearing your funeral suit on The Colbert Report so Stephen wouldn't make you look like an ass. "Cause who is gonna pick on a guy who's father just died? "Oh, I wore that because I had nothing else to put on" ......yeah, you flew all the way to the UK, stayed there for days but had not one change of clothes with you. Uh-huh. We're all morons, Neil, we believe everything you say..........you too, Amanda-if you say it or type it, it must be true.......

umm, yeah...it's "voila!"   

#@!

[Musings]

it's like a reality TV show challenge

I would prefer my music not to be like Bridalplasty.... ;-)

[Mr. Leave Me Alone]

Neil is a great singer.



Neil is sick.




Edit: Also I don't care if it's to attract the media. I don't care about this whole thing, but I care even less about if it's a special thing for the media. The fact is, it's happening and the money is going to a good place, regardless of ulterior motives.