News
New Liz Phair Album Drops Out of Nowhere
It's been a fun little three-day weekend for (almost) almost all of us. So, odds were you were too busy blowing your hands off setting off fireworks while you were drunk to notice 90s alt-queen Liz Phair released her new album Funstyle on her website for $5.99 Saturday.
While her debut Exile in Guyville is now 17 years old, it's still lauded for being an indie classic and hated for leading to Wicker Park's eventual gentrification and turning the neighborhood into Chicago's hipster mecca. In any case, her career since Exile has been criticized for its appeal to mainstream success, and her underground cred is pretty nonexistant.
However, Funstyle is a bit on the experimental side, and having left Capitol after her commercially unsuccessful last effort, 2005's Somebody's Miracle, she has yet to find a label to release her new album officially. Props for putting it out online. Boos for charging a set price.
[Spinner]
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Officially released by ATO? Where did you read or hear that?? Liz left ATO some time back. Funstyle was shelved by ATO, she released this on her own. As far as I've heard, there will not be any 'official release'. Check ATO's website, Liz is listed as an alum, not on their roster. Charging $5.99 is nothing. The poor girl should at least be able to make some kind of money off of her own music. If it is in fact being officially released by ATO, show everyone the proof.
mjs
You're right, nothing official has been released by ATO claiming responsibility for the album. But if you follow the Spinner link, it says ATO still has Phair listed on their roster (while on ATO's website, it doesn't say). There hasn't been anything yet that's said she ended her contract with ATO, so as of right now she's under contract with the label and the album's official physical release would currently still be ATO's responsibility.
If you check this link on the ATO site, it clearly shows that Liz is an alum, not part of their current roster:
http://atorecords.com/artists/
Also, according to the fansite Mesmerizing, Eric Deggans, who recently interviewed Liz, said, "She's working on a new record deal, which she hopes to see come together soon..."
Also, the Spinner article clearly states, "As of now, ATO lists Phair as one of their alumni, indicating that their reissue of 'Guyville' was all they had in store."
Liz is definitely NOT signed to ATO at this point in time.
Jase
Seriously. "Boos for charging a set price"? C'mon, $5.99 is dirt cheap. As an artist she has the right to charge what she wants.
Luis de Jesus
I think we're getting spoiled by all the free media being gifted to us every day.
Thanks for the heads up, mjs. Should be correct now.
Really, $5.99 is dirt cheap, and well worth it. I think this album is entertaining as hell!
Dave