So there's now an official release date for Save You From Yourself: February 19th.

You might be wondering why on earth the release date is over a month away when I have the boxes of CDs sitting in my dining room right now (proof!). There's a few reasons I came up with this.

First: now that the pre-orders are shipped, I'd like those people to bask in the privilege of exclusivity for a little while.

Second: if you're a member of the Demo Club, fear not. You'll be able to get the album well before 2/19.

Third: the 2/19 date is artificial. The whole thing is a concession to traditional media -- newspapers, magazines, radio -- which still expects an official release date, with press releases and review copies sent weeks in advance.

Why am I bothering with "traditional" media, when I've been putting out music online since 2002? Mostly it's because I've never really, really tried before. Part of it is: with so many bands spamming everyone in the nation with MySpace bulletins, I might actually rise above some of the noise by reverting to old-school methods.

But also: a lot of people who like the kind of music I write aren't online as much as you and I are. I want them to hear about it. It doesn't hurt to swing for the fences now and then. (I'll be reporting the results here in the near future.)

So if you want to get a copy of Save You From Yourself sooner than later (and quite possibly at a discount), sign up. If you want to hear some songs in advance, keep your eye on your favorite social networking sites over the next few weeks.