Thanks to those of you who have helped out with the "Explicit" tagging.  As you are know, making the explict determination is a subjective one.  Songs in ClownBasket that have content or words that are only appropriate for a mature audience will get the Explicit tag.  Furthermore, Song titles with certain words in them will get asterisks replacing those words.  This is a similar formula that iTunes and others have used, and we have had very few complaints regarding our selections.

That said, if/when we miss a song that needs the Explicit tag, please continue your tradition of communicating with us (either through the "Having Trouble" button or directly on the comments fields) and we will act accordingly.

Has anyone checked out JCNice?  He has 5 Bands in ClownBasket and they all pretty much rock!  You need to listen to "She Takes Me To The Country" by the Cads.  Also, "Riverside" by JCNice and the Fun Church has been one of our "Top Played" for a long time now.  And then, with The Fritz, he rolls out "Continental Division."  Very nice to have quality musicians like JCNice involved in the community of ClownBasket.  Check out his music.  Very iPod-worthy!

How do you get the best exposure for your music and your band?  Here are a couple of techniques that seem to work well:

1. Upload songs periodically, and not all at once.  Uploading to ClownBasket is form of advertising.  You will want your band name to appear more often so that you stay on the front page.  If you post all your songs at one time, you may minimize your audience over time.
2. Fill in complete "Genres" and "Tags".  The ClownBasket Songs database is searchable.  If your songs fit into certain Genres, be sure to make that available to the ClownBasket community.
3. Tell us about your band.  People like that stuff.  Give us some reason to be interested in your band by writing a little bit about it.
4. Post your Events.  If your band is playing somewhere, ClownBasket members want to know.
5. Download and Comment on other people's music.  This is very important.  We all want someone to care about our songs.  So, pay it forward by commenting on someone's song or band.  Admit it, when someone has commented on your song, you want to know more about them.  And you will likely listen to some of their tunes.  This is a great way to drive people to your music.

Hey, there is some good original music out there on ClownBasket.  We have seen incredible spikes in the last couple weeks.  More and more people are finding us thanks to your good words.  So stay active and keep participating in the underground of good music! 

Enough about ClownBasket.  Has anyone seen the movie "Long Way Round"?  If you haven't, you need to see it.  My wife and I rented it thru Netflix and, I must admit, I wasn't sold after the first 10 minutes.  I mean, it was my wife's selection, and I tend to be a little less forgiving.  But I hung in there and man am I glad.  Anyway, the movie is not really a movie at all.  It is really a documentary about Ewan McGregor (you know, Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars I, II, & III) and his buddy Charley Boorman (you know, the creepy golden masked boy in 1981's Excalibur - dude, if you haven't seen Excalibur, it is really a classic.  I think I watched it over 50 times on cable when I was a kid.  It was on Showtime or Cinimax almost nightly in the mid 80's).  So where was I?  Okay.  Documentary.  Ewan.  Boorman.  They ride their motorcycles around the world.  Starting in Europe and making their way thru Asia.  Up the Road of Bones.  Cross over into Alaska.  Down thru Canada and into the US before they make it to New York City. 

I can't remember how long it takes or how many fights they got in or many of the details (since it has been almost two years since I saw it), but it is facinating.  They bring a 3rd biker with them to film themselves the whole time.  The stuff they run into.  The people they meet.  The trouble they narrowly divert.  It is really an amazing story.

So, enjoy.  Long Way Round.  It is solid.  BTW, has anyone seen Long Way Down yet?  Apparently they made another movie where they wen't from North to South.  Haven't seen it yet.

Hey, let me know if you are having trouble logging in.  I just had some trouble myself.  Turns out, I needed to close my Internet Explorer app and reopen it.  After I did that, I was able to log-in.  So, send me a comment if you have had this issue (or any others).

This is one of the best ways for you to get exposure for your music.  You original songs should be plastered all over your favorite social networking sites.  FaceBook and MySpace are just two of the dozen or so sites where you can embed your original songs with ClownBasket. 

We have been asked that question a lot: How can I upload my songs/music to FaceBook or MySpace?  Well, it couldn't be easier with www.clownbasket.com.  Simply upload your original songs to clownbasket and then go to the "song page" for that specific song.  Once there, just follow the instructions midway down on the screen and your song will be instantly embedded into your social site of choice.

When people hit your "wall" or page or whatever, they should be able to hear your music.  Be sure to take advantage of this slick new feature.

And don't forget, it's just as easy for your music shows/concerts.  Embed those events too!

We added the ability for you to post events that involve any of your favorite bands, including your own.  Just click on the Events button at the top of the www.clownbasket.com website and post a concert, event, or festival.  You can post an event for any band or musician.  This is free and easy.  Going to a good show this weekend?  We want to know about it.

Whats more, is you can embed that event onto your favorite social networking site (FaceBook, MySpace, etc.).  Just click on the event an follow the Embed/Bookmark instructions.  So, for those of you looking to get people to your shows, post your event in ClownBasket and then you can simply embed the event in all your current social networking hot spots.

Well, here we are.  Blogging.  With the activity picking up considerably over the last 2 months, and information needing to change hands on almost a daily basis (well, that might be an overstatement.  we could probably get away with weekly, but it sounds important to say "daily'), we decided to crack open a blog.  Most of us like to hear ourselves think, and most of us think that people care about what we have to offer.  I mean, this is a site where we are downloading our songs for others to share.  So surely, you all care what I have to say.  Yes?

Now, I cannot promise that this blog will be interesting.  I also cannot promise that we will stick only to ClownBasket topics.  I just might need to bring up Brett Favre or cool movies like Three Days of the Condor or Capricorn One.

So, with that, I welcome myself to the world of blogging.

And, don't forget, download some of these ClownBasket great songs.  There is some good music up right now on ClownBasket, and especially lately.  Make sure you take these good songs and make them a part of your iPod collection.