Here comes a niche how-to book

“Here Come the Regulars”

AUTHOR: Ian Anderson

PUBLISHER: Faber and Faber

PAGES: 176

PRICE: $15

Most articles about Ian Anderson begin with a list. For the sake of tradition, here goes: founder/head of Afternoon Records, head of Vitriol Independent Promotion, founder of the blog Minneapolis [expletive] Rocks and frontman of indie-poppers One for the Team — the Minneapolis native, 24, is all those things. And now he can add “published author” to the list with the release of the indie label how-to manual “Here Come the Regulars.”

When a 24-year-old releases a how-to book, the obvious question is “why?” In a world where most 20-somethings are best positioned to teach the intricacies of shotgunning a beer or turning a Gatorade bottle into a weed pipe, who's going to give one the credence necessary to author a book detailing the thorny world of running a record label? Anderson's keenly aware of this. On the first page of “Here Come the Regulars” he addresses his youthfulness and its potential shortcomings. But Anderson writes, “I know what it takes to build a strong and healthy foundation,” as evidenced by Afternoon Records and its 50-plus releases. But does the scene darling know how to pen a halfway decent book? As it turns out, he does.

Those looking for a memoir on Anderson's truly intriguing rise to indie-semifame, this is not the book. “Here Come the Regulars” possesses little flowery prose, sparse anecdotes and maintains a safe distance from most of Anderson's intimate dealings with Afternoon Records. That said, the St. Olaf College graduate — an English major — is no slouch in the writing department. His prose follows the general thesis of his advice on label management: straight-forwardness and honesty. There's subtle humor to keep things interesting, but the crux of the book is wholly how-to.

“Here Come the Regulars” boasts an engaging format. Anderson addresses the reader head-on and tells them, for hypothetical purposes, they'll be running the imagined Thankyou Records and working with fictional indie up-and-comers The Readers. Such is the framework that guides the reader through basic branding, roster building, legal logistics, manufacturing, distribution, booking and promotion. By the end of the book, The Readers are doing pretty kickass.

With a scope so wide, Anderson’s no-BS writing style lends the book focus and clarity. The early chapters on the grassroots, music-geek-fantasy realm of starting the label are the most enjoyable from an entertainment standpoint. From there, the book veers into some less accessible territory. Full models of real-world contracts and legal stipulation are featured in chapters like “Record Deals” and “Digital Distribution.” Needless to say, non-lawyer readers will find these passages tedious. Anderson interjects with layman explanations, but reading a contract has the inherent thrill of reading a contract. Still, considering the aim of the book, those pagers are invaluable. How else is a startup going to have any clue?

Anderson's overarching earnestness is what cements his book. Few people have his perspective into the industry, and fewer could pull off a line like “Blogs, blogs, blogs, blah, blah, blah. We hear so much about them, but why exactly are music blogs so awesome — and, more important, so essential to the survival of music labels?” and still command respect. But he does.

“Here Come the Regulars” is meat and potatoes. It's a sterling resource and fleshes itself out with artifacts like real one-sheets and artist marketing plans. Not unlike meat and potatoes, it's not flashy. Readership will almost certainly consist of industry hopefuls, but intense music geeks will get a thrill out of the candid look under the skirt of such an alluring universe. Anderson's message of hard work, honestly and passion isn’t novel, but he delivers these essential starches and proteins with a real-world outlook and thoughtfulness that adds to the authenticity. Moreover, it's D.I.Y. advice from a man who's actually doing it himself.