We were just watching Neil Gaiman discuss the changing distribution model for artists among a range of inspiring topics in his commencement address over the weekend, and now comes news of his wife, Amanda Palmer, proving to be a pioneer in that very department: Palmer set out to crowd-fund her new solo LP with the Grand Theft Orchestra recently by launching a campaign on Kickstarter to raise $100,000 to cover the many expenses of self-releasing a record without label backing. A host of artists contributed work to be exchanged for pledges, while a number of other rewards for donating are being offered — stuff like painted turntables, an art opening featuring a concert performed by Palmer and friends, and many more valuable goods or services. Well, the campaign hasn’t even come to a close yet and it’s been a smashing success. $774,000 have been pledged with 11 days left to go. This, my friends, is what we call a game-changer.
What’s more, with all that dough on the table, Palmer has reciprocated the surprising deluge of support with an early taste of the record. While we don’t cover the evolving music business too often, we do focus on news coupled with killer new art and jams. “Do It With a Rockstar” falls very safely into that area. You can download the cut in exchange for an e-mail address below and/or stream it thataway.