First published by HitsDailyDouble.

I am totally obsessed with PledgeMusic.com. The concept of fan-funded projects is both riveting and like watching a car crash. Who will pay? What will they pay? Who cares?

Many acts, who either don’t want a record label or just can’t get one, are going direct to fans. Pledge basically is the facilitator, so it’s not complete self-service, and artists can also choose charities to donate some of the proceeds to.

The mix of bands is beyond eclectic. From random acts like Johnny Koenig, a polka/waltz artist who wants fans to fund “Party Like a Polkastar” (he’s at 1% pledged of total desired) to veteran U.K. rockers Gang of Four (at 129% pledged) and Welsh indie darlings Funeral for a Friend (223% pledged).

I seem to recall that Todd Rundgren was the true champion of this concept in the mid-1990s when he launched Patronet—a fan subscription service that basically funded his work. But that was before the Internet was the Internet; he was a bit ahead of his time.

The only problem with fan-funded is, with acts like Mr. Polka, nothing on the Internet offers emerging artists a means to quit their day jobs. But art for art’s sake? Why not?