One of the most important tools is an official band website. Yes, you can have a MySpace page, too–but a real website with your own domain name will give you an authentic presence on the web. You will have total control over the design, and you can use your website on all your marketing and press releases. It’s a part of building a “brand” out of your band.

Once you’ve got yourself established on the net, there are other tools you can use like offering free MP3 downloads from your site, or a newsletter to keep your fans in the loop. You can also place live video footage of your live shows online, sell CD’s and t-shirts; and create a message board community for you fans to interact on.

If you’re not comfortable using a computer, there are plenty of people who would be happy to help you–some for a very nominal fee. Find a high school kid with some talent and offer them a few bucks to help you build a site or install some of the features you want. If you really want a professional web designer, consider placing an ad on Elance.com or oDesk.com where freelancers can bid on your job and give you the best possible price for the work you want done.

Make sure you spend some time yourself online looking at other band’s websites to see what works for them, and what ideas you’d like to incorporate in your own site design and functionality.

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Brian Howe at Pitchfork compares Meloy’s new release to the previously released Sings albums (where he covered Morrissey and Shirley Collins): ”His Sings albums sound more like a fan’s love letters to his idols than a meeting of titans on a level playing field. Sings Live! is a little different, because it’s unseemly to write love letters to one’s self, and Meloy handles the material with a blend of irony and self-effacement that becomes its own kind of very modern charm.”

On this release, you’ll hear the live versions of “Bandit Queen,” Wonder,” “Here I Dreamt I was an Architect,” and “The Engine Driver” among others.

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