Name that tone: Ringtones make a statement

Whenever Logan Kirkpatrick's girlfriend calls, "What is Love" by Haddaway blares from his cell phone. "You got to get the headbob with that one," he said.

He and his friends liken choosing a ringtone to making a personal statement, and they frequently update or evaluate their choices. You can tell a lot about a person by their ringtone, they say.

Jacob Tumbleson assigns each friend a different tone. "I don't listen to country music, but I have a country friend. It plays Hank Williams whenever he calls," Tumbleson said.

Myxertones.com allows users to download more than 250,000 ringtones, wallpapers or videos, most of which are free. "You can pick which part of the song you like, or make your own ringtone, and then it sends you a text message and you download it," Derek Hahn said.

Hahn recently downloaded "The Beast from the East" by Here I Come Falling. He describes his tone as "hard core."

Nik Hansen, Jessica Lowes and Dericka Chronister all use Bluetooth technology to share ringtones. Most phones equipped with Bluetooth can transfer files to one another if they are in range. The three friends download, buy or record ringtones, and then share. Chronister has 90 ringtones stored in her phone.

"My mom's got a lot of tattoos, so her ringtone is 'Tatted Up' by Alliance," Hansen said.

Lowes chooses more classic rock, like Tom Petty, although she has some Carrie Underwood songs.

Chronister's latest is "Don't Matter" by Akon, which she's attached to her ex-boyfriend's number.

Some artists — especially on the hip-hop scene — have even started catering to the new category in music. Catchy hooks or short choruses can mean more downloads, and personal ringtones have turned into a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide.

Billboard has added a Hot Ringtones to its charts list. Topping it this week is Grupo Montez De Durango with "Adios Amor Te Vas," but Soulja Boy has stayed in the top 5 since his ringtone came out.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

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