Yeah being an artist myself I would absolutely HATE for anyone who couldn’t afford my art to appreciate it because it’s all about money to me. Creating things to better my own life and maybe a few others isn’t enough for me so I’ve quit my day job and now I want all of you less privileged people to support me while I get fat and churn out pretentious crap.

Good idea but to me it maybe the wrong reasoning. Art, for myself, is something that happens naturally. Something that I just fucking NEED to do or it will drag me down. It’s like a baby in the womb and I just try to push it out while it’s still alive so I’m not carrying around dead weight. If it’s so much work for you to do it why don’t you get a more reliable job and create in your spare time like all your fans (who you expect to pay your wages) do.
Just because I can’t afford to hang a Picasso or a Rembrandt on my wall shouldn’t mean I can’t enjoy and learn from their art…
or should it?

and i love how most people commenting just fly by the humour of it all, explaining earnestly how the internet isn’t all that bad… very touching, when you think about it.

granted, of course i’d like to hear the “real” album, but it would blow the whole thing to a mere gimmick, if indeed there was one. At the very least it should be kept secretly in a vault for years. YEARS, not months.

Count us in for our version of it if we can get to it! (www.ferdydurke.net, which i guess is a bit of a shameless plug, in a way, but i don’t know if the website will be posted. anyway we’re not a band, just music-lovers who don’t sell our music, so don’t bother if you’re not curious)

If you take yourself too seriously to recognize how inclusive and fun this endeavor could be, then the Fiery Furnaces are not for you. Don’t put your self-righteous, intellectual baggage on them.

A tip of my frilly, feathered hat to you, sir and miss Friedberger! Keep it coming!

Anyway, I love this idea. I like when bands try to get the listener (or in this album’s case, reader) involved. Even if it turns out terribly, it makes me feel kind of like I’m part of the band. Reminds me of the Flaming Lips’ album Zaireeka. The album was mostly not interesting, and in reality I haven’t listened to it since a few months after I bought it years ago, but it was sweet while it lasted. And that’s what I’m hoping for with this album.

And ttboi: How many people who are against healthcare reform do you think would enjoy the music of Fiery Furnaces? Realistically, they aren’t exactly an easy listen. So unless their type of music really pulls someone in, most people would flee like a hipster at a Nickelback show.