I'm kinda floored by the comments on the story on NPR. Even if you don't like'em, they're managing to pull off something not everyone can. I've enjoyed Pomplamoose for a while now. Glad to see they're doing well.

Then again, I guess it's just as shocking that I'm still surprised by the vitriolic tone of commenters on the internet.

You should see some of the Youtube comments.

I think, from here on out, anyone who hopes to break the mold in any way via the web will just have to ignore 99.9% of all comments. Too many people get their rocks off anonymously tearing people down, and sites just don't care enough about building a thoughtful community to combat it.

I think everyone online should learn to ignore 99.9% of all comments. I'd like to hope most of us already had.

Once again, Gabe and Tycho have the important insight: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

Here's a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "September", I think it's some of their best work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xycnv87N_BU

Here is "Telephone" by Lady Gaga:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vEStDd6HVY

It's considerably better than the original (in my opinion). The video style is also pretty interesting. The guy in them (Jack Conte) had this to say about it (from wikipedia[1]):

>What you see is what you hear. (No lip-syncing for instruments or voice)

>If you hear it, at some point you see it. (No hidden sounds)

They also make money from selling merchandise (soap [grapefruit scented, pomplamoose is french for grapefruit], tshirts).

Really really awesome music, and seemingly awesome people making it.

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Conte

>... pomplamoose is french for grapefruit

Actually, 'pamplemousse' is French for grapefruit, but yeah, phonetically it's about right.

You can't get a trademark if you spell it correctly - pamplemousse isn't distinctive wrt soap.

This could change the music-game for good. With youtube already being an important player for any kind of music consumation, they would tap gigantic potential if they find a way to establish this program with a large number of bands. The more content they get, the more the major labels are forced to consider the same actions for their big performers. Youtube gets paid...

Sorta OT: Pomplamoose Shreds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKD07BYcreg They're talented, but the description cracks me up..

I am pretty sure I heard her sing mister sandman on a Toyota commercial last night via food network. If so that's real success.

That was most likely Petra Haden: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Haden

nope it was pomplamoose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaIs3u_h02Y&feature=playe...

I love their stuff. I do kinda wish they sold physical CDs—I would get one for my dad in a heartbeat. This is probably my favorite of their tracks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9KMgg7T_sg

Their original stuff is just fantastic. I wish they'd do more original work. My favorite: Always in the Season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il-OFaFzHQM

"I guess I kinda don't like how there's such a pedestal for music culture and especially for band culture," he says. "It just feels fake; it feels like smoke and mirrors. I feel like music doesn't have to be like that. It can be something that's very normal and very accessible."

Man this quote from the Pomplamoose guy really does a good job of making a spot-on observation while managing to diss his own band.

He's right IMO. The music and music culture of my generation is self-centered, and pompous (see hipsters). But I still enjoy it. I think by making music that's "very normal and very accessible" you wind up in the land of vanilla like Pomplamoose.

I guess I shouldn't be as shocked as I am that a major NPR anchor and interviewer, Linda Wertheimer, seems to consider it a huge novelty for a record release to be digital-only.