Here’s what I love about Midwest rock: It’s honest. The Corner of Uncool and Care Avenue starts out as an upfront rock album with the track “The Story of Mack.” But soon you hear a different side that shows a band developing an identity. Two songs, in my opinion, make this band unique: “Two-step Timmy’s Traveling Blues (Less is More)” and “Terrorize,” which will be featured in an upcoming game from the makers of Grand Theft Auto. The songs are rock, with distinct undertones of punk for good measure, and they finish as strong as they start.

The title track gives me a bit of an Alice in Chains feel, but is every bit of an original work. And that’s the thing – you get the feeling that Moses Cleveland knows what they like, and they know how to play it. I don’t get the feeling that they are trying to fit in anywhere. I like that.

There’s something else about Moses Cleveland – they have real talent. As you all know, we love live music and by listening to the CD, I can tell they put on a great live show. And you’re in luck, because they have some dates coming up. First, see them in Chicago on January 8 at Elbo Room. The next stop is The Phantasy Niteclub Symposium in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 16.

By the way, they earn bonus points for a listing of some of their influences, including: Dylan, The Black Keys, Wilco, Pearl Jam, The Black Crowes and Jimi Hendrix.

Moses Cleveland is Adam Rowings, Tom Owen, Chris Adamescu and Paul Bork. Head over to Lala, where you can give The Corner of Uncool and Care Avenue a spin. Want to know the origin of the band name? It’s a good story, you can find it here. The debut album is also available to purchase on iTunes.

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First, you sign up as a “believer.” Then you browse through thousands of bands to find one you like, or one you believe has the opportunity to become a success. Once you find it, you can buy a “part” for $10. You’re now a partner, and it’s up to you to promote the band and recruit fellow believers. When the artist reaches $50,000 in funding (or 5,000 parts), they hit the studio and start laying down tracks. When the album is finished, you receive a limited edition CD as well as a free download. Now for the best part – when albums start selling, the artists split the net revenues with all of their believers 50/50 for a period of five years. So, the more they sell, the more you make. There are also levels of production, ranging from “believer” to “executive producer.” The higher levels can even give you certain publishing profits, like earning when a song is played on the radio or TV. Don’t like the way things are going? You’re free to leave anytime you want with a refund, or shift your parts to other artists.

It’s really a brilliant idea. SellaBand takes full advantage of the “wisdom of the crowd” and has a legitimate shot at turning the recording industry on its head. When you think about the power of social networking its hundreds of millions of channels for promotion, you can see how this could be huge. And SellaBand realizes the potential – they offer embeddable widgets for social profiles and websites to help you raise funding for your band.

“SellaBand is a revolutionary concept as the music industry evolves to embrace and utilise the technologies of the 21st century.” -James Lewis, Producer of the Arctic Monkeys.

For artists, SellaBand offers a way to get in the studio – not based on the politics of the music industry, but based solely on listeners. It’s an amazing opportunity to not only produce an album, but build buzz along the way. Artists are also free to leave the program at any time, but once the full amount of funding is attained, they are obligated to produce the album with SellaBand.

Perhaps the biggest attraction for artists, SellaBand gives the opportunity to tour the country in true rock-star style with Arena Fest. Through a combination of user votes, money raised, judging and performance, selected bands will perform in 10 cities around the U.S., all-expenses paid. From uploaded a demo to rocking an Arena filled with thousands – that’s pretty cool.

I’m a believer in Radio Orange

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