*A MESSAGE FROM THE BALD FREAK* To say that 2008 has been an interesting and eventful year would be a major understatement. I lost an uncle, gained a wife, and with my feet still firmly planted in the commercial radio world, I continue to juggle real-world responsibilities with music-world dreams and aspirations. Bald Freak Music is now 3 years old, and like all infants, it’s growing up – and not without its growing pains. Our relocation to Brooklyn has proven difficult as far as doing business and meeting face-to-face with our bands, which I feel is a huge part of what makes a small label work. Since the release of Abnormal, Bald Freak has functioned more as an at-home post office than a label, and I’ve become more Ben Franklin than Ben Folds. Then there’s our economy here in the US, which has landed face-first in the shitbox, especially here in New York. The music industry has become a Wild West show, and layoffs in the media and at labels everywhere continue. So where does the Bald Freak fit in the 2009 music industry? The facts are this – the label actually *made* some money in ’08, and I’ve worked too hard at this for too many years to do what every other small business is doing – folding up shop and calling it a day. So Bald Freak is expanding. We’ve partnered up with GSEA, a Jersey-based company, to handle all our customer orders from here on in. Ben Franklin is dead. I’m putting my First Class Mail stamp down and picking up my guitar synth. Working with a third-party company means the usual paranoia involved in putting your hard work in somebody else’s hands, but this is what happens when a business grows beyond your own personal means. It will also mean a $2 handling fee added to every order to cover the cost of this new partnership – we know times are tough, so we’ve actually *reduced* the prices of most of our current (and already reasonably priced) releases to make up for it. And expect more deals and special offers in the coming year, too! Expansion will ultimately mean re-relocating to a bigger space sometime in ’09, and the hiring of some part-time staffers. It's time. Bald Freak has essentially been a one-man show since its inception, and I've grown weary of asking favors of people who should be getting paid, and of doing favors for people who should be paying me. Delegating responsibility has always been a challenge for this control Freak, too - but something's gotta give. A real business needs structure - the foundation has been laid, it's time to start adding some bricks. I, personally, plan to make *music* my focus this coming year. The new Return To Earth album will be out this Spring, and it’s going to kick your ass. Brett & Chris have put together a metal masterpiece, and I’ll be cutting vocals sometime in February. If you haven’t bought the first album, shame on you. I’ve picked up a sexy Macbook Pro, and will be jumping back on the electronica train soon, under the guise of Q*Ball, or maybe something else. Speaking of Q*Ball, look out for a cool new video for “John Hughes” in early ’09. Swashbuckle has made huge strides since we signed them in late ’06. Their awesome new video-game style video for “Drink Up” is on YouTube, and their new album, Back To The Noose, is out in the next few months. We expect big things from the metal pirates this year. And oh yeah, Bumblefoot has a new acoustic EP available now, entitled Barefoot. And new merch! – including Abnormal guitar straps and 1” buttons. I want to personally thank all the fans, radio people, press folk, industry peeps, message boarders, and all our loyal customers for putting us on the map. Keep spreading the word, join the Street Team, bake me a cake – it’s *all* appreciated, and we will do our best to continue to honor your loyalty with great product and cool new music. Follow your dreams, do what you love, and don’t take shit from anyone! See ya in ’09! |
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