The question then is… how? That’s what everyone wants to know. For sure, owning a compelling product is only the beginning. What you do with it is then the challenge, creating a sense of more-than-music for your fans, leading them to/through it.

So, how do you attach meaning to your music? How do you assign value to it, above and beyond the music itself?

The easiest answer: exploit like-tribes. Your first instinct here might be other artists (co-bill, both sets of fans get introduced to your respective bands, etc.). Fine. That works. No harm. But everybody’s doing it. Burnout factor: high. And still, you’re limiting yourself to “just” music. You’ve got to be more inventive. You’ve got to lead. You’ve got to think outside the tribe.

Start by looking at what already exists: other than your music, what else do your fans have in common? Anything from microbrews to hybrid vehicles to Guitar Hero to pizza. It doesn’t matter. Identify peripheral tribes. Leverage the common threads. By recognizing that your fans have other interests and associating those interests with your music, you reinforce your role as leader. And by attaching music (sadly, now so free it’s virtually worthless) to stuff with a higher value, you create instant more-than-music. Example A.

You can do it.

Meanwhile… you know the drill but as a reminder, In Short is our “tribal” feature here at Outlandos HQ. Meaning that, chances are if we share the same taste in music, we share the same taste in other random stuff — lifestyle stuff. And by lifestyle, we mean drinking, bouncing or jumping up and down on the stairs for the fun of it. All in a day’s work, so to speak.

1. Boxed Wine
Recently dabbling in it. After all, 4 to 6 bottles of wine for the price of one. Wine not? Apparently, boxed wine sales across the board increase 30% this year thanks to ye old recession. Our new fave is Black Box. Our least:

2. It’s a Bird. It’s a Plane. It’s a Dude on a Rubber Ball.
Whoa. You might miss it the first time, keep your eyes near the upper right. Kind of makes you want to go out and try it. Or pull a Halpert:

3. Volkswagen Clues into Tribes
Sort of. Sneaky of them to sponsor something where it’s cool by association. Certainly smart. If only lawnmowers had music boxes:

xo

We know, for example, that fans prize souvenirs — a tactile take-away that reminds you of the feeling you have when listening to music. It’s kind of like what we’re doing with The Daily Dose — further enhancing the “sensory experience” with rock ‘n roll wine and cheese picks so as to emphasize “more than music.” Certainly, a recommendation isn’t exactly “tactile,” but it does bring us closer, drawing upon multiple aesthetic experiences and uniting them in one place. So, perhaps upon purchasing the wine or cheese of the day, upon tasting them, you’ll conjure up the associated songs, thereby giving the taste an added, well, taste.

All of that, the long way of saying: multiple aesthetic experiences rule the day. And things that you associate with music are likely the same things other people (who like the same music as you) might be curious about. It’s a Tribes-thing.

Hence, this month’s semi-random compendium:

1. Dunder Tchotchkes

Perhaps one for everyone you know this Christmas? Plus they have action figures, star mugs (sans Jim and Dwight), Office Clue… it was really hard for me to not buy one of everything. And it’s totally overpriced. I don’t care.

2. Kitty-Cat Umbrella

Ladies, it’s kind of irresistible. The furry casing complete with cat tail. I love love love it.

3. Empire, My New Favorite

No news here of course but all summer, we’ve been on a retro-blockbuster binge here at Outlandos HQ, to maintain sanity during all that insistent soggy weather. Highly recommend it.

Empire appeared late on the list and it had been ages since I’d seen it. So for the millionth time, we watched.

Of the three (let’s face it, Episodes I – III might as well not exist) this one always bummed me out. As it was supposed to. But as a little girl, it was the scary one and the sad one and the gory one (at the time, Luke losing a hand was gory to me). Now, it’s the one I love the most. Imperial Walkers, Laugh it up, fuzzball, that hot, hot, Han Solo kiss. If only they could get rid of that dreadful added footage.

xo

Stuff That’s Kept Me from Losing My Mind This Summer

1. Harry Potter Hangover

Seriously. It happens to me every summer. Another book comes out so I have to read all of the previous books again just to remember what the hell is going on. Same deal with the films. So in advance of the Half-Blood Prince’s release, it was the usual deal: start reading around midnight, can’t put the damn thing down til roughly 4 AM = bags under the eyes daily.

I don’t know who that kid is but I like it.

2. Air Rifle

Friggin cool. My parents pulled it out of the basement and it was love at first shot. That’s my dad (sporting silk boxers with silver dragons) getting in touch with his inner badass. Forgot to take one of me. I did good. Everyone should have one of these things. Yes, I’m still a Democrat.

3. You Don’t Know Jacques

OPI sucks me right in with their clever nail polish names. Le Collection de France in particular. Tickle Me France-y, I’m Fondue of You. Brilliant marketing. Paris in a bottle. Even at Nine dollars a pop, I’m sold. A newly obsessed with my feet.

4. Lettuce Seeds

Who knew. You can plant seeds at the end of the summer and stuff will still grow, ready for picking in fall. I’m slow to this punch people — new to gardening. The miracle of life. It’s the little things.

5. Wine Bottle Chandelier

Who, pray tell, doesn’t need one of these. Fucking genius. But that $399 price tag has me thinking I can make this. Going to sic the project on my dad. He doesn’t know that yet.

xo