Free shipping, Free CDs, New Box Set, New Ways, Shows This Week
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Quicklist followed by lotsa thoughts on why, when, ways:
*New box set pre-order now: http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale
*Free copies of 'And', free shipping with clothes: http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale
*It's personal: Patronage, Homes, Unique: http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale
*New 90s comp with Frank Turner, Walter Schreifels: http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale
*Shows in SoCal and Sacto-ish this week and next: http://jonahmatranga.com/s..hows
*DIY downloads and/or made-to-order CDs: http://jonahmatranga.com/j..tunes
*All the info about everything always at http://jonahmatranga.com
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Hi -

This one kept getting pushed back cos I kept having more ideas that I wanted to try and articulate. I got to some of them (and made a little list below). As with most ideas I've had, these ideas came from simply thinking about what it is that I like most about doing this for a living. That, in turn, generally correlates with what has felt the most interesting for us. Of course, I choose to make stuff just because I choose to make stuff, and the mystery of where ideas come from is as big a mystery as any, but talking with you about it in various ways over the years has become so intertwined with the process of making stuff and showing it to you, in certain ways it feels like part of the art itself. Fun circles.

Anyway, here's a Top Ten-ish (in no particular order) of my favorite ways to do this, and what ideas are coming from that:

Ongoing Conversation: It's remarkable to me how long we've doing this together; me making stuff, you buying it (or not), giving me your ideas, telling me what's going on in your lives, me telling you through the songs or these letters, or in person at shows. It's a great conversation. I'm having ideas about this conversation we keep having. It's based on some very old ideas that I'd like to renew and make relevant for today. I see bits of it bubbling up around the internet. Here's an attempt to articulate it and bring some elements together in our world.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale/patronage.html)

Direct Interaction: It's been great to finally be able to sell the stuff I make in a fair, secure, way. Whether it's a record company, a gallery, a store or download sites, there have always been companies that make their money by getting in between the artist and the people that like the art. I understand the potential benefits of these in-between entities, but ultimately, I've always thought the more direct our interaction can be, the better. I've done it so many different ways. I'll keep trying different things and staying open. I just wish more artists would build their own worlds instead of using useless middle-people, seems so much better / cheaper / more interesting and personal for everyone. As we're solidly in the age of the download, I'm making more and more things available that way; concerts, home recordings, cover songs.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/j..tunes)

Direct Physical Interaction: Similarly, while I understand the benefit of making a recording, making a bunch of duplicates of it, and selling it via stores and such, there are finally good, simple ways for me to make you a made-to-order CD that is of reasonable cost, aesthetic and quality. It's more efficient, less wasteful, and just kinda cooler. So, for those that, like me, don't like waiting for big downloads to finish, and/or still just like an actual CD, now there's that choice for any download in the jTunes store.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale)

Full Disclosure: As a listener, I've always loved demos, b-sides, the stuff that for whatever reason didn't make it onto the artist's mainstream commercial release. I've tried to make all the twists and turns of my creative life available for anyone that's interested. Not too long ago, I released 'Fort Teen', a compilation of some very early home recordings. It was a very limited edition. Each package was hand-made and unique. In the next few weeks, I'll be releasing 'You're 16, You're 23, You're 32' in a similar fashion. It'll be a hand-packed boxed set of 3 CDs (which will be made up of home recordings that span those ages), with plenty of liner notes to give a context for the recordings. It's available for pre-order now.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale)

Making Something Unique:
This idea for making people their own, one-of-a-kind recording, for themselves or as a gift for someone else, came into focus on a plane flight several years ago. Now, having made hundreds of them, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite idea, the most pure manifestation of what I like about making a living making stuff. I'm so happy that anyone else got what I thought was so cool about it.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/u..nique)

Homes and Lives:
I've always loved the idea of music actually being in people's homes and lives. Loving music as much as I do, the fact that I've been asked to perform songs I've written at weddings, birthdays, memorial services and other significant occasions is amazing to me, to know that the music I've made is that deeply in people's lives. Thank you for inviting me. I've finally written down the information that many of you have asked for over the years.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/s..hows/personalshows.html)

Community: Collaborations and conversations with other artists keep lighting me up. Similarly, talking with people that help us artists make our ideas real in various ways is also very inspiring. Finally, meeting so many people, with all our different stories, is a constant source of humility and compassion. Sometimes it all comes together, like on this cool compilation my friend Matt just put out. I met Matt in the hospital in France, years ago. He's a young man fighting cancer and living life in that full way that mostly only happens when someone has a real sense of mortality. He made a really cool compilation of some of his favorite artists covering some of their favorite songs from the 90s, which was really the last time that regular ol' guitar-bass-drums rock had a true resurgence. I'm not sure if it'll happen again, as the pop universe has splintered and spread so much in the last several years. I'm all for that, but there does seem to be some innocence lost in a way. Anyway, this comp is cool. Enjoy.
(http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale)

Well, didn't quite make it to 10, but there's plenty there, and plenty more soon. Enjoy your day. Happy Giving Thanks, indeed.

- Love, Jonah
http://jonahmatranga.com - Sliding-scale stuff, downloads, news, thoughts
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UPCOMING SHOWS (more info always at http://jonahmatranga.com/s..hows)

Nov21 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar, 843 W 19th St, $10
Nov22 - Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar, 2913 E Anaheim St, $10
Nov25 - Folsom, CA - Powerhouse Pub, 614 Sutter St, FREE
*Get fee-free tix with a treat at http://jonahmatranga.com/y..ardsale.
--
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