Hunter S. Thompson Writes a Cover Letter

Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo journalist and so much more, once sent a cover letter to the Vancouver Sun newspaper, looking for a job. His example is not recommended as a template for yours, but it’s entertaining, nonetheless.

“Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.” --Hunter S. Thompson

Selling Out or Time-Honored Patronage?

The The York Times just announced that Converse (now owned by Nike) is building a 5,200 square foot, brand new, state of the art recording studio in Brooklyn called Rubber Tracks. Okay, it's maybe a little odd that a shoe company would take on a project like that, but otherwise sort of so-what news. What makes this newsworthy, as well as provocative, is that recording time in this studio will be free to indie rock bands and Converse will be their patron, much the way artists have had financial supporters throughout history. Or is it just the hijacking of art by rich wannabes? What do you think?

Dessa rocks the stage and the press

This week in CaLM, we're privileged to have Dessa as our guest speaker. With a ton of talent as writer and musician and hard-won skills and savvy in the biz side of things (she's the CEO of the Doomtree collective and a master indie marketer), our conversation was wide-ranging and full of promotion ideas for musicians at any level and in any genre. Here's Dessa in action: