Matchbox Twenty's Thomas sings the praises of mobile

Calling himself "a Twittering fool," Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas sung the praises of new digital platforms during his keynote appearance at Tuesday's Mobile Entertainment Live! event in Las Vegas, proclaiming that mobile and online channels have "eliminated the middleman between you and your fans." Thomas was particularly effusive in his appreciation for micro-blogging service Twitter--earlier this month, the singer launched an account to announce the mid-April release of "Her Diamonds," the first single from his upcoming solo album Cradlesong, and said that more than 9,000 fans now follow his posts. "At first it's daunting, but then you realize how easy [Twitter] is, and you begin waking up at 9:00 am to talk to fans in your underwear," the self-effacing Thomas cracked.

Thomas also announced that his longtime label Atlantic Records will spotlight Cradlesong by launching a mobile version of its desktop application Fanbase, which offers social media features alongside news, photos and video content. "It's a one-stop for me," Thomas said. "You're creating your own little world--your own little radio station and your own little news center."

For Thomas, the digital platform is above all another outlet for creative expression. "You're limited only by what you want to give," he said. "You can be as connected as you want to be."

Click here to see the slideshow from this event...