hi all,

so this week Idlewild's new album Post Electric Blues is out via Cooking Vinyl, although i know a lot of you already got your copy earlier this year because you were one of the 3000 or so people who bought shares to fund the recording. please raise your hand if you pre-ordered it and what being part of that was like for you? (i know tom__ our webmaster liked being a part of it)

patrick wolf has done it, electric eel shock have done it and frYars just released his album in this way. and then, today Public Enemy announced they're one of the first major doing this http://drownedinsound.com/news/4138055-welcome-to-the-shareodome--public-enemy-to-use-sell-a-band-to-fund-new-album

i'm thinking of doing a feature on all of this but wanna get some feedback from you all.

have any bands on DiS tried funding their music in these ways at all? if so, which sites did you use and how did it go/is it going? if you looked into it, why didn't you do it?

and fans, have you splashed your cash? if so, how did you feel about it? have the band raised enough money yet? if you thought about it, why did you? has anyone made any money out of it?

i can't make my mind up about it. on the one hand i think it's better people pay for a record of an act they like to ensure it's made but also because it's like being in an exclusive/fan club and means money is spent instead of a record just being downloaded. but on the other hand it all seems bit like paying for the chicken rather than the eggs? would it make more sense or less sense to invest in a label/a&r you trust, and get involved in some of the decision making (this is something i keep thinking of doing to relaunch the DiS label, partly as it makes sense but mostly as i liked this show, especially what this football team did with their season tickets http://www.channel4.com/programmes/us-now/4od#2932716 )

curious of your thoughts

s