One other thought has to do with the 'promoting-the-crap-out-of-it' thing. As an artist trying to get noticed I would look for all the unusual ways to get your thing noticed. If everyone says do soundcloud, you'll just be one of millions there, unlikely to make much of a splash. Better in my opinion to be the lone voice elsewhere than a tiny one in a crowd.
Pick a song or two and offer them free to Indie game and app developers, Indie and college filmmakers, performance art groups, whoever you can think of to get them out there. Imagine having the background song to the next angry birds-type app and suddenly you have something you can work with.
Musicians as a rule are poor businessmen and tend to think too traditionally in terms of promotion; think as outside the box as you can and thrive, and keep pushing, or your music won't leave the living room. And this WILL take work, so you'll have to decide for yourself how motivated you truly are to get there.