Baby, it's CD Baby, baby

(October 05, 2002)

I keep forgetting to get my Spottiswoode CD back from Aaron, so I logged onto CD Baby and ordered another one. I really really need Spottiswoode to come to Boston and play a show, and I really really need Ad Frank and Rick Berlin to say yes to the bill. Perhaps in the spring.

But that's not what this is about.

CD Baby. Have you done this? CD Baby is one freaky mindfuck of an experience, yo.

I met the CEO, Derek Sivers, at this year's Nemo. He was something else. He gave a talk about "How to Call Attention To Your Music," but started with a brief history of CD Baby. Easygoing and well-spoken, he made it sound like anyone can get an idea and make a business happen. He started CD Baby because he had this credit card merchant account leftover from some other venture, and offered one of his musician friends (Derek has been in lots of bands) use of the account to sell CDs. It was just him with some envelopes, running down to the post office whenever an order came in. The rest, as they say...

With his quick wit, sharp bright eyes, and totally bald head save for a long black braid, this guy could be the new millenium poster child for the American Dream. At least for Gen X thinkin' types who can't figure out if they want to be the New Hampshire Dwelling Starbucks Swilling 401K Success Story or the PBR Chugging Starving Artist Rock City Rat. Change your baby's diaper, or change your guitar strings? Tune into NPR on your way to work, or tune up your axe on your way to heartbreak? Breakfast at Tiffany's or breakfast at the Brighton IHOP as the sun's thinking about rising? Tick tock, my friends, certain doors are closing...

But that's not what this is about.

CD Baby, baby. The first thing was the order itself. The front-end customer experience is flawless. No pop-ups, no indecipherable instructions, no endless wait after each click, and they let you create an account on the fly. Sweet. But THEN, after the order? You know how you get that "You might also like this..." page with online orders? For the love of jellybeans, Batman...look what all came up after I ordered Spottiswoode. From the blurbs, it seems as though I would LOVE every one of these!

WAZ: mine to remember e.p.
Pete Yorn's former guitar player has released an impressive five song demo, turning life experiences into songs filled with heart-felt lyrics, lush acoustic melodies, and a touch of pop-sensibility. read more and hear it or add to your cart

CHRIS ALCARAZ: chris alcaraz
Building on Tom Petty's roots rock foundation, these high-spirited tunes jangle and grind with powerful, distinctive hooks and shimmering vocal harmonies in an utterly modern, yet timeless collection of music that would get the Dead tapping their toes. read more and hear it or add to your cart

MARY KARLZEN: dim the watershed
she seems more like the equal of Sheryl Crow and Nanci Griffith. If you listen closely, in fact, you'll find that Karlzen rocks harder and more infectiously than her better known colleagues read more and hear it or add to your cart

THE BUCK DEWEY BIG BAND: war bonnet love sonnet
�War Bonnet Love Sonnet � marks a milestone on the journey of musical exploration for this band. Synthesizing a broad array of influences into an aural parade, this album celebrates both unity and diversity as it propels the Buck Dewey Big Band on their q read more and hear it or add to your cart

DUTCH: misery junkie
Nashville Americanna at its best with a hard edged Dylan meets Stones and Replacements style. read more and hear it or add to your cart

TRAILER PARK TROUBADOURS: way cool world
Playing a style of music they call "Folkabilly," they have been described as The Smothers Brothers meet The Blues Brothers. read more and hear it or add to your cart

After the order, this is the email I get confirming that it's been shipped. This freakin' kills me.

Subj:Lexi - Your CD Baby Order!
Date:Thu, 3 Oct 2002 7:10:15 PM Eastern Standard Time
From:CD Baby loves Lexi
To:[email protected]

Lexi -

Thanks for your order with CD Baby!

Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.

A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing.

Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.

We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved 'Bon Voyage!' to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Thursday, October 3rd.

I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did. Your picture is on our wall as 'Customer of the Year'. We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!

Thank you once again,

Derek Sivers, president, CD Baby
the little CD store with the best new independent music
phone: 1-800-448-6369 email: [email protected]
www.cdbaby.com