I'm a pretty big fan of the Kickstarter trend. It's a cool way for independent artists to get their music out there and an equally cool way for music listeners to invest a bit of themselves into a project. Not to mention it's a cool way to reserve a copy of the albums. I mean, chances are you are going to be able to find the Rod Stewart CD, no sweat. But these Kickstarter deals might show up on Amazon and, then again, they might not. And they don't usually print in the huge numbers major artists and labels do. Maybe all that you'll be able to find will be the digital version and you'll regret not getting hard copy when you could.
If you're an independent artist looking to put out a Christmas or holiday album this year, chances are you need to be funded by the end of September. So we've rounded up a few Kickstarter holiday projects for your consideration. As a Roots kinda guy, I'm most excited by the first one, here, from RMS Five (not to mention I was the first to toss a bit of money in their pot, so that was a cool breeze sensation). But maybe you're more the New Age type, or possibly you groove on Southern Gospel. Whatever. Surely you can find at least one of these projects to help along (and get some great music back in the bargain).
First up, RMS Five. The RMS Five are a sub-group of Rock My Soul Choir and Band, a secular Roots and Gospel group from New England (wasn't really clear whether it was Maine or New Hampshire). The "Five" are members of the 20 person choir of Rock My Soul, and they step to the fore to provide a "gospelized" doo wop vocal harmony twist in a way that's endearingly very pop-accessible without losing that Roots authenticity. Think of it as "The Manhattan Transfer meets The Drifters meets Sister Rosetta Tharpe". The Rock My Soul CDs are available at CD Baby and through the Roots & Gospel Project web site. Since the Roots & Gospel Project is a non-profit, nondenominational, interfaith exercise, the music covers the gamut from Urban Gospel to Gospel Bluegrass to Pop numbers that are just naturally inspiring. As for the RMS Five, you can hear them on the Kickstarter video. They're looking to raise $3000 by September 30 and, right now, my pledge sits alone in the kitty (though, in fairness, the drive just kicked off Sunday night). And here's the very cool track-list-to-be (with your help):
Christmas Everyday
Christmas Baby, Please Come Home
Go Where I Send Thee
The Baby Sleeps Tonight
O Holy Night
Last Month of the Year
I Pray on Christmas
Sleigh Ride
Silent Night
White Christmas
No Room at the Inn
Irrelevant. The ALBEDO in question here is a versatile artist who combines synthetic and live sounds to create unique soundscapes ranging from solo piano to full symphonic score. In addition to keyboard instruments, ALBEDO is also quite adept with the woodwinds. So when you hear Oboe or Clarinet or Recorders on the Christmas album, those will be live instruments. And, thanks to the wonder of modern technology, where a Christmas carol requires a choir, you'll have ALBEDO performing all the vocals himself (we had a nice example of that a couple years ago when Donnie Iris did all the parts for "The Hallelujah Chorus"). The album will contain both secular and sacred music and there are some samples on the Kickstarter page.
ALBEDO only needs to raise $500 (it's primarily for production and distribution--the music's been cut and is currently being mixed and mastered) and you've got until October 5 to join in. I think the coolest thing about ALBEDO's Kickstarter campaign is that, for $100, you can be in a music video (though you'd have to get to Salt Lake City) and, for a $500 contribution, he'll write you your own song. Now that's cool!
Suzzette began her music career singing Country, signing with Warner Brothers for a time, but she found her true calling singing Gospel. With 3 albums released, one available on Amazon and all three through her own web site, Suzzette would very much like to make a Christmas EP that makes use of all of her Gospel and Country music talents. She's done the math and hopes to raise $7000 by October 6. And there are some interesting incentives, here, that include some of Suzzette's original artwork.
Breath of Aire is a Pacific Northwest choir made up of both professional and recreational singers. They don't limit themselves to large venue concerts; they are often called upon to visit the sick at their bedsides and to console families in times of grieving. Breath of Aire are a 501(c)(3) charity, so their resources are limited and they rely a great deal upon donations to support their performance and recording activities.
They previously recorded and released "Christmas Aire" (song clips available at the Breath of Aire web site), but that was several years ago and they are preparing to step once more into the holiday spirit. They estimate the overall cost to be around $25,000, but they're only looking for $8,500 from the Kickstarter campaign and they'll have to raise that by October 1. If all goes well, "Christmas Aire Encore" should be available around December 1.