Stockholm Syndrome Trailer from Derek Webb on Vimeo.

Here’s the details on how to get your hands on a copy of Derek’s new CD, Stockhom Syndrome.

You have 6 options:

Option 1 - $7.99 – instant digital download of all 14 tracks

Option 2 – $9.99 – instant digital download of all 14 tracks + 2 copies of physical CD (clean and explicit) delivered by 9/1/09

Option 3 – $15.99 – instant digital download of all 14 tracks + instant download of Paradise is a Parking Lot, the 60-min making of documentary (small resolution)

Option 4 – $22.99 – instant digital download of all 14 tracks + instant download of Paradise is a Parking Lot, the 60-min making of documentary (medium resolution) + subscription to download and help choose songs for Derek’s cover songs project, Democracy Vol. 1

Option 5 – $29.99 – instant digital download of all 14 tracks + 2 copies of physical CD (clean and explicit) delivered by 9/1/09 + digital extras including booklet, ringtones, and images + subscription to download and help choose songs for Derek’s cover songs project, Democracy Vol. 1 + exclusive Stockholm Syndrome T-Shirt. (limit 2,000 for this package)

Option 6 – $59.99 – instant digital download of all 14 tracks + 2 copies of physical CD (clean and explicit) delivered by 9/1/09 + Special packaging, including Paradise Is A Parking Lot, 60 minute documentary film about Stockholm Syndrome DVD, Multi-track stems for remixing, and AUTOGRAPHED lyric booklet + instant download of Paradise is a Parking Lot, the 60-min making of documentary (large resolution) + digital extras including booklet, ringtones, and images + subscription to download and help choose songs for Derek’s cover songs project, Democracy Vol. 1 + exclusive Stockholm Syndrome T-Shirt. (limit 1,000 for this package)

There’s only one place to buy Stockholm Syndrome and it’s at the DerekWebb.com Store.

As for Tour Dates for the Black Eye Tour, here’s what they have up so far:

• 09/17/09 Louisville, KY
• 09/18/09 Tuscaloosa, AL
• 09/20/09 Birmingham, AL
• 09/22/09 Atlanta, GA
• 09/23/09 Greenville, SC
• 09/24/09 Charlotte, NC
• 09/25/09 Raleigh, NC
• 09/26/09 Vienna, VA
• 09/27/09 Vienna, VA
• 09/30/09 Winston Salem, NC
• 10/01/09 Asheville, NC
• 10/03/09 Nashville, TN
• 10/04/09 Lexington, KY
• 10/15/09 St Petersburg, FL
• 10/16/09 Orlando, FL
• 10/17/09 Jacksonville, FL
• 10/22/09 Houston, TX
• 10/25/09 Dallas, TX

You can buy tix for the Tour here.

What do you think? Plan on buying any of those packages? Plan on catching one of these tour dates?

Thanks to the generosity of the black-eyed D, I’ve had Stockholm Syndrome for almost a week now. (The album, not the actual syndrome.)

Here’s 7 things I can tell you after 5 listens.

1. You’ve never heard Derek like this before.
2. There are moments on this record that are closer on the musical scale to the Backstreet Boys than Caedmon’s Call…and I mean that in a good way.
3. They absolutely crushed it on the cover art (as you can see above)
4. I already knew Josh Moore was the man, but his work on this project should leave even the doubters convinced. I hope this is the first of many collaborations they work on. Bravo, Mr. Moore. Bravo.
5. The song that has caused the stir, “What Matters More”, is absolutely worth the hype. I heard an acoustic version of it last month, and liked it. But hearing the finished product takes it to a whole new level. If this song doesn’t make it onto the INO release – and I fully understand why it probably won’t – it would be a bummer. (though I’m sure you’ll be able to get your hands on it one way or another)
6. When it’s all said and done, I think there’s at least 3 songs on this record that will end up in my “All-Time Top 10 DW Songs” list. Maybe 4.
7. It’s a strange thing to listen to a DW album and find yourself focusing on the music over the message. It’s not that the music hasn’t been good, it’s just that most of his past work has been so strong from a lyrical standpoint. But some of these songs are so fantastic sonically, I find myself thinking of the lyrics as an afterthought. For this reason it truly feels like new ground.

I’ve heard some rumblings about when this thing is going to be officially released, but I’m not sure if I’m supposed to talk about that stuff so I’ll hold off for now. Stay tuned for updates, and keep this project on your radar, I think you’re going to love it.

I’m not allowed to share the music, but if I could share it with only one of you, what would you do to be the one? Offer me power and fame? Treat me to a sleeve of Pro-V1 golf balls or a gift card to Dunkin Donuts? Promise me not to beat me up the next time you see me?

And hey, while we’re here…any new music y’all have been listening to lately that you want to give a shout out about? Share the love with us…

So if you haven’t been following along, here’s what’s been going on with Derek Webb’s upcoming album.

First, this was Update #1…

Since then Christianity Today’s Todd Hertz wrote about the possibility of a cuss word being on Derek’s new record. A snippet…

More so, with Webb characterizing the song at issue as “important,” I sure hope this fight is about more than just using the s-word. I’m not so sure that sticking up for scatology for its own sake is noble. And is there ever a case where using a certain word to make your point is, as Webb contends, “important?” I’ll be honest, I have a pet peeve with artists who self-declare their own art as important. Is it important to you? OK. Is it your most personal song? OK. Is it the song you’re most passionate about as you make your record? Great. But this is one of the most important songs on your most important record? Is that for you to say?

Derek responded via Twitter:

just for the record, i never said my record was “important”. i said it was important to ME. why else would i be doing it, risking so much?

i know i’ll never sell many records, i’m a niche artist. but i hope everyone considers what they spend their time doing of some ‘importance’

and that’s all i meant. i don’t mind being disliked, but i’m not crazy about being flagrantly misunderstood. pay attention folks.

For the record, I’m quite confident that the reason Derek feels this record is important has very little to do with any cussing he might do on it.

Then this morning he dropped this email to his mailing list:

friends-
this is turning into a bigger deal than we expected.  as a result, we’re having to temporarily _pull everything online down (can’t explain now).  and to be on the s_afe side, i’m going to pe_rsonally go offline while we sort this out.  i re_ally shouldn’t use my twitter account for now either so _don’t expect any updates there.

make no m_istake, our trouble with the label over content i_s very real, and not as simple as one word; we’re back_ed into a corner.  but we have applied all of our creative resources to th_is, working furiou_sly to create something that we believe not only subverts any leg_al issues but should also be a _pretty wild ride.

so this will be the l_ast email for a while.  we’ll t_ry to lea_k information via a new tw_itter account, @ssyndrome.  you’re o_n your own so start payin_g attention.  i’l_l see you _on the o_ther side-
derek

From what I’ve seen already this morning, it looks like the underscores are a code that lead to a website that gives further instructions. You can try to figure it out yourself, or you can fish around the internet (or the comments on this site) and find out where to go and what’s next.

I have a feeling a lot of you are going to hate what Derek is doing with this for a lot of reasons. Some of you will not like the fact that he is working around his responsibilities to his label. Some of you will be annoyed by the coded emails, hidden websites, and the rest of it. I’m sure he anticipated that. Personally, I think it’s fun and I’ll wait until I have all the information about what’s going on before I pass judgment on him for the label stuff.

But just remember one thing. Derek has, for the most part, always done things the way he wants to do them and that’s what has endeared many of his fans to him. He was journaling online before you had ever heard the word ‘blog’. He left a great band and people wondered why. He played shows in people’s living rooms when he could have booked bigger venues. He gave away an album for free before Radiohead did. He wrote the lyric “I want to read the bible and I want to make out” in a song about falling in love with his wife. He rejoined the band he left for an album and a tour and people wondered why. And now this. But through it all, the reason you still care about Derek is because of the music and the message.

Derek doesn’t need me to defend him, and that’s not what I’m doing. I just want to remind you that through all the stuff he’s tried and done in the past, it still came back to the fact that his music was enjoyable and challenging in a way that few artists have been able to do. And if I was a betting man, I’d bet that label issues aside, that’s still the case.

We. Shall. See.

Bob Smietana writes for Sojourners Magazine:

Derek Webb wants to dig latrines for Jesus. And he’s looking for a few thousand friends to lend a hand. In a world where as many as 8,000 people die each day from waterborne diseases, he says, it’s the Christian thing to do. To get the word out about his latrine campaign, Webb, a Nashville-based Christian singer-songwriter who doesn’t mince words, is planning to launch a new Web site—www.giveashit.org. The name, he said, is meant to startle people into action.

“The twin towers fall every day in Africa for lack of clean drinking water—7,500 or 8,000 people dying every day and the church does not appear to give a shit,” said Webb, echoing evangelist Tony Campolo’s provocative challenge to churches.

That’s something Webb, who helped found the contemporary Christian band Caedmon’s Call before launching a solo career, is determined to change. And he doesn’t mind offending people in the process, if he can get their attention.

“Part of my job is to take language and redeem it and to use it for good,” says Webb. “This is a great opportunity for me to use language creatively to stir people to action.”

So there you have it. (and yes, we all know that Tony Campolo was semi-famous for doing this 10 years ago)

What do you think? Given what little information we have on the idea to this point, do you have a problem with what Derek’s doing? Attempting to redeem a cuss-word by using it to creatively stir people to action?

Do you like the idea?

Do you think it will work?

(you’re reading update #1. for Update #2, click here)

If you’re on Derek Webb’s mailing list, then you got this intriguing email this morning:

friends-

i haven’t sent many personal emails to this email list but we’re in a situation that has gotten a little out of control and it’s time to fill you in. as some of you may know, i’ve been working for months on my new record, ‘stockholm syndrome’, which i’ve recently finished and turned in to the record label. they’ve been very supportive over the years, but this time we didn’t get the response we expected. it seems i’ve finally found the line beyond which my label can support me, and apparently i’ve crossed it.

i consider this my most important record and am adamant about all of you hearing it. we had originally hoped to have ‘stockholm syndrome’ out this month (next week even), but at this point we’re not sure when the record will come out and in what form. the majority of the controversy is surrounding one song, which i consider to be among the most important songs on the record. so we’ve decided it’s an appropriate time to break the rules.

but because of various legal/publishing issues we’re having to be rather careful with how we do what we’re going to do next. that’s really all i can say for now and i’ve probably said too much.

we have a plan and we’re moving ahead, but we’re not sure what kind of trouble we might be getting into. we’ll let you know as soon as we know our next move-

derek

I’ve had a few friends email me already wondering what was up since I have some connections with Derek, but honestly, I don’t know.

I’ve heard Derek had played a show recently in the Nashville area in which he played a new song that contained a word you wouldn’t hear on Network TV that rhymes with *spit*, so I’m thinking this might be the song that his label, INO Records, has taken umbrage with. Just a guess though.

What’s interesting is that I remember talking to Derek back when he was about to release “She Must and Shall Go Free”. We spoke as he was on his way to the studio where he was re-recording a part in the song “Saint and Sinner”. As I recall, 3 of the major Christian Retail stores were threatening to keep the record off their shelves because of the line “I used to be a damned mess, but now I look just fine”. Derek rerecorded the line without the word “damned” even though, as he told me, “it’s a word that Paul uses in the New Testament”.

I asked him how he felt about making the change and he said something to the effect of, “I’m not happy about it, but you pick your battles and this is not something I feel strongly enough about to fight for. I don’t want an issue over this one word to overshadow the message of this record, so I’m not going to fight for it.” (again that was not a quote, just a vague paraphrase).

History seems to be repeating itself, only this time, Derek has decided to stand his ground.

Update: According to David Sessions at Patrol Mag, www.giveashit.org is a new site Derek has put online in support of this record. So I think it’s safe to say that the song, which includes the ‘s’ word, is an important one to the record, like Derek said in his email.

Update #2: Per this article in Sojourners Magazine, giveashit.org has everything to do with a campaign Derek is going to lead to help build latrines in Africa. You can read more here.

As for his comment about “what form” the record is going to be coming out in and “what kind of trouble” he might be getting into…your guess is as good as mine. Is he legally bound to release all new music through INO? I’m not sure. Is he going to try and circumvent that process somehow? It almost sounds like it, but why would he announce that to everyone if it was the case?

Derek’s a hard guy to get a hold of, but if I can get any more info for you, I’ll pass it along. In the meantime, keep it tuned here, and keep an eye on your email inbox for more news.

Sounds like this is going to get interesting.