Hello there, Listeners,

This is an extra-special dispatch from the musical hemisphere of the Listening World, where we are delighted to announce the upcoming release of the debut full-length album Be Your Own Fan Club by Dustin Duby-Koffman and to invite you to hear some live renditions at the Neurolyrical Cafe tonight!

Dustin is an utterly brilliant nonspeaking writer, and we’ve been writing music together for the better part of a year (including the song “Typical,” which we featured in this newsletter awhile back). And I must say, I’ve never had a collaborator whose songwriting success rate is so high. Week after week, Dustin knocks me out with his visionary premises, effortless turns of phrase, and devilish cleverness – which meant that the hardest part of making this album was simply choosing what songs from the vast and epic catalogue to record.

In the end, we arrived at thirteen instant classics – including the sludgy jam “Slime Mold Slither,” the musical manifesto “We Won’t Strum to Lies,” and the title track, an anthem of self-knowledge called “Be Your Own Fan Club,” which we’re featuring this week:

BE YOUR OWN FAN CLUB
The avenue’s empty
With no one to stare
You skip like a rugrat
Kicking heels in the air
When there’s no one to judge
You’re the most valuable player
Be your own fan club
Write your own cheers
Let yourself have fun
Let go of your fears
The others are sleeping
The yard is your field
You throw like an all-star
Looking out for the steal
When there’s no one to laugh
It doesn’t have to be real
Write cheers like:
“You’re too good for haters”
“You’re too kind for taunts”
“You’re too quick to be tackled”
“You’re too right for their wrongs”
The music is thrumming
The guests are all late
I dance like a rock star
Because I can’t wait
When there’s no one to snort
I’m in my feel-the-beat state
Be your own fan club
Write your own cheers
Let yourself have fun
Let go of your fears
And I’ll be my own fan club
Write my own cheers
Let myself have fun
Let go of my fears

Dustin is indeed a rockstar, and although he may be his fan club’s first member, he certainly isn’t the last. It was the privilege of a lifetime to get to sing and record his outstanding songs, and I couldn’t possibly be happier to bring this album into the world. You can preorder your copy here, and stay tuned for the full-scale album release (including digital streaming platforms) in the weeks to come. Thanks as always for listening, and best wishes to all.

Your biggest fan,

Brian

The Listening World

Be Your Own Fan Club