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Friday, April 9, 2010

Slobberbone/Drams' Brent Best Wanting to DIY Next Solo Record With Fan Donations



Slobberbone was a band with a body of rock, tires of country, and engine of punk. Another great band, The Drams had a similar body and tires, but its engine ran a bit more on pop. The driver in both of these two bands? Singer/guitarist Brent Best.

Slobberbone reunited for shows in 2009 and proclaimed a new record to come out in 2010. I haven't seen any updated news on The Drams in awhile (sadly).

But it seems Best is cleaning out the closets and wiping the slates clean, proverbially speaking, before gearing up for work on the new Slobberbone record, and in a wonderfully DIY way. He's looking to put out some unreleased solo material and pay for it all via donations from interested parties, one $10 donation at a time. In return, donors get a limited edition personalized copy upon its completion.

Says Best, "I've come to realise that the biggest gift over the last many years of doing what I do only starts from getting to share my work with those who would receive it, but more importantly, for me, becomes the relationships, and often all-out friendships, that so many have chosen to share with me in return. This is where my satisfaction comes from, not the spectre of throwing it out to the world at any cost and seeing what can be gained. I've already gained more than I ever imagined. It's you guys I want to continue with."

Additional details and donation info is below. Best writes some damn fine songs (and this is an interesting business model), so let's hope it's a success!

So's I've been ruminatin' for a while now as to the status of a number of unreleased songs of mine, 'solo material' as the suits might call it and and in light of our desire to return to creating new Slobberbone material in the near future I feel the time has come to put the hammer to the anvil and get these out. A few of these songs you might have heard me perform live the last few years, some I've never played outside my house and some have never left their hard drive. They've marinated long enough, methinks. With that in mind, I've decided they should be recorded all proper-like, in a real studio (I love my kitchen but it's time to get out) and with a focus on craft and not brevity. Addititionally, I would like to eschew the traditional means of funding and distribution we've employed in the past and be able to deliver it straight to whoever may be interested upon completion. My only barriers to this end is the time needed away from work and other concerns, and the funding.

Here's what I'm proposing: that you, or anyone who'd like to participate, become that avenue. I believe this can be fairly simple and that excites me enough to help allay some of the aggonizing I've had that this might seem basely oppurtunistic to some. It's not. I've come to realise that the biggest gift over the last many years of doing what I do only starts from getting to share my work with those who would receive it, but more importantly, for me, becomes the relationships, and often all-out friendships, that so many have chosen to share with me in return. This is where my satisfaction comes from, not the spectre of throwing it out to the world at any cost and seeing what can be gained. I've already gained more than I ever imagined. It's you guys I want to continue with.

So now I make this offer, to those and only those who would feel no weirdness about it: help me make this record. For a $10 contribution, you will receive a limited edition of this record, to be recorded later this summer, shipped to you upon completion, personalised and with your name on it. Whew... okay here's how it can work: you participate either via Paypal or with a check or money order. Most important will be for you to provide your complete name and shipping information. Paypal provides for this but please make sure you enter it and it is correct, and update it if you should move. Same thing with a mailed check or money order: please enclose your full name and mailing info, along with phone and email if you'd like. This will facilitate me compiling a master list of all donors and to be able to keep you up to date on the production, and also provide you with access to some web-based extras that I'll post along the way. For Paypal, send your donation to brentdbest@yahoo.com, for check or money order, mail your donation to Brent Best, 1901 Redwood Pl, Denton, TX, 76209. Upon receipt, I will send you a notification confirming your participation along with additional updates to follow.

I am excited and a little twitchy. Also a little gassy at the moment but that usually goes away. I look forward to looking forward. And when it's all said and done, let's all have a drink.

Verily and with big smoochies,

brent best

Give a Listen: Unhinged (live)-The Drams/Buy Jubilee Drive

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