Derailed again... back to earlier stuff.

Of course, you can try to get signed by a major label and go into a top flight state-of-the-art studio with a name producer and make a potential blockbuster that will storm the gossip columns and what remains of the charts. Your efforts might be as brilliant as this.

On the other hand...some modern music makes a Herculean effort not to sound modern. Hip young(ish) things head in droves to Liam Watson's Toerag Studio where he has recently added to his analogue collection by taking possession of a load of Decca's vintage castoffs, to make music that doesn't sound like it's from now. Not a band who float my boat, but Galley Beggar have just done this very thing, and they clearly believe they are a Fairport-style folk rock group from 1971.

Meanwhile, someone like Wes Tirey , one of my current favourites (check him out if you like people like Michael Hurley!), is happy with making a recording in his apartment and releasing it on cassette and via Bandcamp.

All previous rules are cancelled.