Most music news from Burlington, VT comes from out of left field, but new label Beautiful Music CDs is just a little bit weirder. Pioneering a particularly artist-friendly economic model, Beautiful Music CDs’ production is made-to-order, keeping prices at just $2.36 per CD and eliminating all cost for the label. Run by Ashley Melander and renaissance man Joey Pizza Slice (a musician and visual artist who also goes by Son of Salami), BMCD has taken a modern approach to the age-old problem of artist compensation.
Aside from their dedication to ethical and community-oriented economics, the Beautiful Music CDs family doesn’t seem to take much seriously. Irreverent descriptions plaster its sparse, ’90s-reminiscent website, and its chosen releases reflect their off-the-wall concept. Its diverse offerings range from Lawrence Welks & Our Bear to Cross’s absurdist concept album to goth rock from The Dead Souls and Tall Boys’ “soft rock for wussies.” If it all seems too overwhelming, just buy them all — the whole eight-disc catalog can be yours for only $26.93.
