PRX Releases

Seattle, WA — December 03, 2006 - Mood Ring Media announces the creation of Lo-Fi Life, a new webzine and podcast dedicated to independent solo artists who make their music at home. The focus is on Do-It-Yourself solo artists who record great music in their bedrooms, garages or basements without the outside influence or interference of producers, band mates, engineers, etc. The first episode of the podcast was released on December 2, 2006, and is already receiving a lot of attention. The website and podcast can be found online at http://www.lofilife.com .

Users of iTunes can subscribe to the Lo-Fi Life podcast automatically by going clicking the iTunes button on the right hand side of the home page. Profiles for the podcast can also be found on Podcast Alley and PodShow .

Owner Clifton Lee Johnston writes the following about the genesis Lo-Fi Life:

“I created Lo-Fi Life in November of 2006 because I could.

After going on hiatus from my day job, I re-released my first album, which was recorded live mono-to-minidisc and released on handmade cassettes in 1998. With next to no budget, I found a cheap inkjet printer that prints CDs and an even cheaper standalone duplicator and began making my own CDs. The equipment, materials, barcode and online distribution setup fees to release the album to the world cost me around $300.

DIY is freedom.

I have spent the last 8 years or so shuttling between the acoustic folk open-mic culture, the jam-band/improv culture and the online loop-based remix culture, so I know a bit about DIY. I have enjoyed many low to medium budget albums by local artists, and my preconceptions about what would pass as a major release was shaken by Chris Whitley’s Dirt Floor. As I have started digging deeper and looking for more artists that share the same approach as me, I have found a new world of music staring back at me - Patrick Brayer, Daniel Johnston, Jandek. I feel a shift in perception, an awakening of sorts.

So I started this site to document and share my findings and to provide a little exposure to artists like myself who are out there doing it for the love, and hopefully enough money to pay for ink and blank CD-Rs.”

About the Author
Clif’s primary strength is songwriting, although he sings, play multiple instruments and produce as well. Beyond music, Clif writes poetry, twists some Photoshop knobs to tweak his digital photos, and dreams of someday finishing the Science Fiction novel he started a few years ago. In addition to his work as a singer/songwriter (Clifton Lee Johnston), he also produce remixes and more experimental original music as Public Ritual, runs his own multimedia and commercial music company/label (Mood Ring Media) and publishes the Lo-Fi Life webzine and podcast.

“Thanks for supporting independent arts.” - Toby Brady

About Mood Ring Media: Mood Ring Media is a DIY micro-label. That means we record, engineer, design, duplicate and assemble all our own CDs. It means we book and promote our own shows. It means we build and maintain our own websites. It means you get the art and the artist in the purest form. Please support local independent artists.

Email info@moodringmedia.com