Hello, this is Todd at A Different Drum.   I’m sending out this quick update because it was brought to my attention by a customer that A Different Drum’s shopping cart has not been working since yesterday.   I was thinking that nobody wanted music anymore or something, but hey, turns out you just couldn’t order it if you tried.

Anyway, it was a server-side error that is beyond my technical comprehension, but the tech support guy seemed to figure it out and the cart is working again.

IF YOU TRIED TO ORDER YESTERDAY OR TODAY and experienced problems, PLEASE feel free to give it a shot now.   Report any issues you face– particularly if the shopping cart forgets what CD’s you were ordering during your session.

Heaven knows I need the sales right now to pay the bills, so I’m glad it seems to be working at the moment.

Thanks for your support, and I’ll be back in touch with the usual update of new releases, once my next shipment arrives.

Thanks!
-Todd

Hello from A Different Drum!  I have quite a pile of new arrivals to talk about this weekend.   So, let’s jump right into that pile and have some fun!

NEW ARRIVALS:

Depeche Mode “Fragile Tension / Hole to Feed” (CDEP) $14 — This new imported double-single from Depeche Mode includes radio mixes of the two title tracks, plus new remixes of both songs, and new mixes of “Perfect” and “Come Back”, for a total of 8 tracks.   See the track list and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/CDBONG42/Depeche-Mode-Fragile-Tension-Hole-to-Feed

X Marks the Pedwalk “Seventeen” (MCD) $11 — One of the classic underground industrial acts from years ago is back after a long silence.  Most fans remember that the band moved away from a harder industrial sound into a more melodic crossover of synthpop and trance in the last album.  That transformation continues with “Seventeen”.   You can order the CD single and watch the music video here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/FACT3133/X-Marks-the-Pedwalk-Seventeen

In Strict Confidence “My Despair” (MCD) $11 — This is another band from the darker, industrial scene that has walked a more melodic path lately, though they do keep an edgy, gothic tone to their music, fitting in with bands like Diorama or Diary of Dreams.   You can see the track list for the new single and order here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/MINUS038/In-Strict-Confidence-My-Despair

XP8 “Drop the Mask” $15 — This is another band that sprung out of the futurepop movement a few years ago, following in the footsteps of acts like Icon of Coil or VNV Nation with a fast, intense pace and edgy attitude.   Their first three albums helped to build a loyal and growing fan base, leading up to this new album, now released on Metropolis Records.    Order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/MET632/XP8-Drop-the-Mask

Liquid Divine “Autophobia” $15 — This is another act now released on Metropolis Records with a cool, danceable electronic sound and whispery, melodic vocal leads.   There are a couple of songs where the guy’s voice is allowed to shine a bit more, and I like those ones a lot.  Sometimes the general mood of the album reminds me of Mind.In.A.Box    You can order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/MET631/Liquid-Divine-Autophobia

Essence of Mind “Try and Fail” $20 — This is another edgy synthpop act from Europe , released by the Alfa Matrix label.   They have a blend of synths and guitars with punchy beats.   You can watch an album trailer on Youtube to get a feel for what they are like, right here :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXXE91CC_hE
You can also listen to audio samples and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/AM1141CD/Essence-of-Mind-Try-and-Fail

Essence of Mind “Try and Fail” (limited 2CD Box) $28 — This is the limited edition box for the new album described above.  It includes extra songs and remixes for the collectors, packaged in a nice little box.    See the track list and order the limited edition here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/AM2141DCD/Essence-of-Mind-Try-and-Fail-Limited-Edition-2CD-Box

Dust of Basement “Epitaph” (DVD) $30 — This is a collectible DVD release from one of the classic underground darkwave, gothic, industrial bands from the 90’s.   It features live performances from Berlin and other locations, plus extra tracks and outtakes.  Please note, this is a European release, and thus it is in PAL format, so in the USA / Canada you must have a DVD player than can handle all formats, or a DVD-Rom drive.   See the list of live songs and order here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/82127220689-7/Dust-of-Basement-Epitaph-European-PAL-DVD

PRE-ORDER:

Once again, you can now pre-order the upcoming debut album by ACCESS ZERO.  Listen to audio samples and place your order here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/ADDCD1298/Access-Zero-Living-In-Transition

If you pre-order, then the CD will be shipped to you as soon as it arrives from the factory.

LISTEN TO TUNES:

Once again, feel free to tune into the fun stream of new songs available from several of the latest releases available in A Different Drum’s store, simply by going to this location and enjoying the radio stream :

http://www.adifferentdrum.com/Player/

Thanks for your support!
-Todd

It’s time for another little update from A Different Drum, so you can discover some more cool, new music to get your 2010 started right!

First of all, I want to point out that the final “top 200 best sellers” list of 2009 is posted on A Different Drum’s website.  You may find it interesting to see which items sold the most through the online store.   Yes, remember, this chart is based EXACTLY on orders that were placed through the store’s shopping cart.   It is not a comprehensive list of best-sellers from the entire scene.  This is the stuff that sold most through A Different Drum only.

http://www.adifferentdrum.com/2009/

I was excited to see that not only one of our new releases made it all the way to #3 with only a few weeks to get there:  Endless Shame “Unspoken Words”     But I was also surprised to see that BLUME made it there based only on pre-orders!  There was a lot of anticipation for that debut album, which is mentioned in this update since it is shipping now

NEW ARRIVALS:

Blume “Rise from Grey” $12 — Blume is an exciting new electronic pop band from Italy that combines melancholy moods with energetic music and a smooth, strong voice. The debut album RISE FROM GREY is sure to catapult this promising threesome into the spotlight, appealing to fans of classic new wave and synthpop as well as to the fans of club-friendly industrial and futurepop.   A good comparison would be to imagine a blend of two other Italian bands:  Syrian and Pulcher Femina.   Listen to the samples and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/ADDCD1290/Blume-Rise-from-Grey

Parralox “State of Decay” $18 — This is  one of the most exciting releases from the end of 2009, and it barely arrived from Germany to me here at A Different Drum.  So, if you don’t have it yet, be sure to check it out!  This is the perfect rebirth of 80’s- style, classic synthpop with a great female vocal lead.   Almost every track sounds like it could have been a radio hit in the heyday of synthpop!   Listen to the samples and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/CRCDPLOX03/Parralox-State-of-Decay

The Foxglove Hunt “Built My Fortress” (CDEP) $6 — Here is another band that has the art of 80’s pop down to a science.  Sounding like a blend of Anything Box with New Order, their debut album has been a hot seller to A Different Drum customers.  This follow-up EP features a few remixes (rock, piano, and acoustic versions of previous tracks) plus some really stellar new songs.   It’s too short, for sure, but has some songs you’ll definitely want in your collection.  Check out the samples and order here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/CWM08/The-Foxglove-Hunt-Built-My-Fortress

There are a couple other new items that I’d hoped to have already, but a large package from Europe has been stuck in customs in Los Angeles since before Christmas.  I’ve never seen such a long shipment delays since I’ve been in this business.  I don’t know if the government decided that synthpop is too dangerous for US citizens, or if there is simply a huge holiday back-up, but I hope it gets here soon.    If you’re currently waiting for back-orders of hot items like Erasure, And One, etc. then rest assured, your items are in the country…just taking an extended California vacation that I hope ends soon.

Oh, I have updated A Different Drum’s little radio player again so you can check out the latest tunes:

http://www.adifferentdrum.com/Player

Also, if you want to watch a couple of silly music videos that I produced while at my holiday family reunion, look here:

http://toddiovision.wordpress.com/

Thanks for your support!  Let’s have a great 2010!
-Todd

This is a special update from A Different Drum! I just wanted to drop you a quick note about two exciting releases from A Different Drum.

First of all, the debut album by BLUME has arrived from the factory and has already been shipped out to people who pre-ordered it.  This is an excellent album that will certainly grab the attention of our scene!  This Italian band has a very hypnotic sound.  If you enjoy bands like The Frozen Plasma, Wolfsheim, or even Covenant’s more melodic material you should check it out!  Be sure to listen to the samples and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/ADDCD1290/Blume-Rise-from-Grey

Next, you can now PRE-ORDER the debut album by ACCESS ZERO, another exciting new band from the USA that has a great blend of melodic synthpop and edgy futurepop / industrial dance music.  You can already listen to audio samples and pre-order the CD here so it ships to you once it is released:
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/ADDCD1298/Access-Zero-Living-In-Transition

I’ve really enjoyed the latest releases from A Different Drum, and I hope you have too.  I’m looking at the top 100 best-sellers chart for A Different Drum’s online store compiling the entire year of 2009.  I see that Neuroactive’s new album was the #1 best seller.  The new Endless Shame CD jumped like a rocket up to #3 even though it was released at the end of the year, and check out BLUME hitting #6 for 2009 on pre-orders alone!
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/2009/

Remember, you can listen to new music here , including a couple new tracks from both BLUME and ACCESS ZERO:
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/Player/

I’ll be in touch again soon!
-Todd

Welcome to the new year!  Happy 2010 everybody!

I had a nice few days away from work last week, and I hope you all took some time for yourselves as well.   But alas, it is time to kick myself back into “work” mode.   There are a few new releases that rolled in while I was away, so let’s take a quick look at those:

NEW ARRIVALS:

Standart “Autumn News” $20 — This cool European synthpop act made a nice splash with their debut album “Australia” and now they are back with a new collection of well recorded, nicely performed songs.  Once again they have the somewhat “dark wave” tint to their music, similar to an act like Wolfsheim.   Check out the audio samples and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/ZRXCD001/Standart-Autumn-News

Florence Foster Fan Club “Everyday Theatre” $18 — This import from Brazil has a nice collection of synthpop songs that range from sounding rather old, 80’s new romantic to some songs that have a more modern industrial edge.   This is the first time I’ve heard this band, and I like what I hear.  Check out the audio samples and order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/W020/Florence-Foster-Fan-Club-Everyday-Theatre

Waiting for Words “The Curve” (MCD) $8 — After an album a couple of years back and a remix collection that soon followed, Waiting for Words is now back with a new single that features two versions of the title track, plus four extra songs.  It’s a nice way to get some new tunes from this cool act from France and taste what is to come.   Order the CD here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/376015185214-5/Waiting-for-Words-The-Curve

Erasure “The Innocents” (deluxe box) $24 — Again, I’m late on this one, thanks to slow distribution to the “little guys”.  But if you haven’t picked up the deluxe box set re-release of the band’s classic album, “The Innocents” then you can get it now.  It features the original album remastered, plus a bonus disc of extra remixes, and a bonus DVD of vintage live performances.   Order it here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/MuteErasureBox1/Erasure-The-Innocents-Deluxe-Box-with-DVD

Various Artists “Electropop 3″ $18 — This is the third in the popular series out of Germany which features some of the highlight synthpop songs and exclusive remixes from the past year.   Check out the track list and order here :
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/buy/CRCD003/Various-Artists-Electropop-3

NEW iTUNES TRACKS FROM LEIAHDORUS:

If you are interested in hearing what Leiahdorus is up to, and you’re an iTunes shopper, be sure to look up their new EP called “Sirens” which is a digital-only release at the moment.

BLUME PRE-ORDER

Also, for those of you who pre-ordered the awesome new Blume album, I just wanted to let you know that the shipment from the factory has been delayed a bit, apparently because of holiday closure.  Oh well.  But it should be here any moment at which time I’ll pop your order in the mail.

Thanks for your support!  Oh, and I’ve updated the radio player recently, so check it out here while you work or play at your computer:
http://www.adifferentdrum.com/Player/

-Todd