Looking for more info on this whole Noisetrade thing is that Derek has mentioned on his website?

According to Brannon at Portland Studios, things are still in development mode. We’ll be tracking the developments as we get more info…

Another Friday, another set of reviews for you to check out. (Maybe we should make this a Friday tradition?)

The first, actually, is currently only available in print form. The June 07 issue of PASTE Magazine, which is in stores now, features a whole lot of Mr. Webb. His name is on the front cover (tucked perfectly under “Wilco” and beside “Nine Inch Nails”), a full-page picture adorns the table of contents on page 4, and their review of The Ringing Bell can be found on page 69.

The review itself is a glowing one, calling The Ringing Bell a “pop masterpiece” and saying that it is “easily one of the year’s best records”. The album is rated 5-stars (out of 5-stars we’re guessing), and “I Want to Marry You All Over Again” is the second song on the Paste Sampler CD that comes with the issue. You can pick up your copy at any good bookstore for $6.

Over at Infuzemag.com, they’ve got an interview with Derek up as their cover story right now. A few notable quotes from Derek in the interview:

“I just want to sing and write. I just want to make good art. I just wanna be able to get to sleep at night. For me, it’s blue collar work. So that’s it. I wanna make excellent art. I want to do the best that I can. I wanna follow my instincts.”

“I also feel that as I get more liberal with sharing my music and giving away my music for free, which the freederekwebb.com campaign gave away 80,000 copies, I also wanna try to take the burden on to make the physical artifact more compelling. If people want to take the music for free, that’s totally fine. Take it. I’m the copyright owner and the artist, so take it. Do what you want with it. Share it. The FBI is taken out of that equation and the relationship is just the artist and fan. There is an important component to the retail side and getting people to engage with the physical side. But it’s not the fan’s fault. It’s the artists’ fault for not making compelling artifacts. If all we have to offer people is round pieces of plastic, it’s no wonder that people are going online to get it. That’s not compelling.”

Sean pointed us to Christianity Today’s interview with Derek about The Ringing Bell, his career, etc. Two questions really struck me, so I’ll quote them:

Aside from growth in size, have you noticed other changes in your audience since giving away your album?

Webb: It felt like a dramatic turning point, especially at live events. There were venues where we’d normally play for a couple hundred people, and we were up to six or seven hundred, sometimes sellout crowds. They definitely seem more engaged than usual too, especially with songs from Mockingbird. I feel a serious kind of camaraderie. Before, people sat and listened to the songs and took it in. Now people are more responsive, singing and reacting to the songs.

Obviously some aren’t too keen about the subjects you’ve tackled. Have you taken flak from audiences for the political and ethical issues you raised with Mockingbird?

Webb: It’s interesting. I think little by little, as you find your audience and start to figure out who is most supportive, you start to develop deeper relationships with them. And, in the process, you start communicating less with the other side because the songs aren’t resonating with them.

So while there was some fallout, I’ve not heard a lot about it. The majority of people I hear from talk to me after the shows or write on my site’s message boards. But they are the ones who are with you, support you, and want to hang out. The ones who don’t agree have either stopped buying records and coming to shows, or else are leaving and not sticking around. They don’t care enough to tell you about it.

Also, I’m not big enough to make much of a splash. People would be more upset about it all if I sold a bunch of albums. But I don’t, and so they probably don’t think I’m much of a threat. Which is fine, because I don’t want to be a threat to anybody!

Give the whole thing a read, if you would. [It's Friday afternoon. Surely you're not working. ;)]