I was just wondering to myself if it was possible these days to gain any sort of popularity as a recording-only artist. Surely there are some artists out there whose work is much more geared toward that medium, as opposed to playing live. I guess maybe it's easier to do in a genre like techno as opposed to rock, but I still wonder how it happens other than word of mouth (and possibly the ability to pass around free downloads).

I'm certainly not against the idea of playing live, though my ideal live environment would be more free-form and collaborative - more or less a jam band but with interesting songs. When I perform solo I feel like I can't do justice to my material. And the idea of forming a backup band seems kinda tacky - i.e., not for me. Combine that with the idea of getting tired of playing the same songs over and over again, and it seems that recording is the ideal medium for uncompromised self-expression that retains its freshness. But without playing out, a lot, to support that, it's hard to get anyone's attention.

I'd be interested in hearing what anyone else has to say about this topic, so feel free to chime in. I guess that would make this more of a discussion than a bulletin, but so be it.