Tag: music

iTunes Challenged in France

Post ImageA very interesting law that attempts to prevent a digital music store monopoly was passed in France by the lower house of parliament today. I don’t know exactly how these things work, but I think the law still must be considered by the upper house too. In any case, it doesn’t look good for Apple:

French officials said the law is aimed at preventing any single media playing system–Apple’s iTunes or Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, for example–from building a grip on the digital online music retail market.

The new legislation will require that online music retailers such as iTunes provide the software codes that protect copyrighted material–known as digital rights management (DRM)–to allow the conversion from one format to another.

At first glance this might be bad news for Apple and good news for Microsoft. Think a little harder though, and you’ll realize this could potentially be very bad for everyone. I don’t know if opening up the DRM codes is very wise, because it wouild probably make them easier to crack. And if that happens, it won’t be the Napster utopia of years past. Instead, we could be stuck with physical media because the record labels are too afraid to sell content digitally. Bad news for everyone.

I found this comment in the article particularly interesting:

Consumers are prepared to pay twice as much for a song that can freely move between different devices, a recent study of the European Union project Indicare showed.

I find that hard to believe, given that something like 90% of the market is iPods. Do all of the iPod owners also own Windows Media devices? I don’t think so, which makes me wonder where this demand for freely moving songs comes from. It’s not like Apple is price gouging at iTunes (on the contrary, they are fighting against variable song prices).

Read: CNET News.com

My kids don't know what a DVD is!

[Obviously I don’t have any kids, so play along would you?]

Sometime in the not too distant future…

The strangest thing happened today! My daughter came home from school and started telling us all about her exciting day in the first grade. Then out of nowhere, she asked what a DVD was! I guess her class had been learning about how the screens in their desks work and the teacher made a reference to DVDs. I did my best to explain that in the old days, we needed to have a small, round disc in order to get a movie or something to play. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around the idea – it was kind of like me when I learned about record players. She’s used to having everything appear automatically – the lessons, videos and assignments all appear in her desk, “like magic” she tells me. Having physical media is such a thing of the past, and thank goodness for that too!

I can’t imagine what she’ll think when I explain to her that wireless wasn’t always everywhere and we’d have to disconnect and reconnect to different hotspots!

Back to the present…

It’s going to happen, it’s only a matter of time. The time when we download everything is coming, and it’s coming sooner than you think. Physical media is dying.

As Engadget noted the other day, Blu-Ray stuff is going to start shipping near the end of May. The format war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD is pretty much useless though. Do we really need a new format? I think the advantages offered are not as great as those offered by DVD when compared to VHS, so people likely won’t upgrade in mass numbers. I think that’s why the Xbox 360 shipped with a good old fashioned DVD drive – people are going to start downloading content more and more.

Think about it for a second. A small percentage of online music sales are online right now, but the number is growing. The big networks like NBC and ABC have started selling downloadable video, a trend that is expected to continue. Millions of people have satellite TV or digital cable services that let them download new content all the time. Broadband connections are extremely popular around the world, and the United States is finally starting to catch up. And when we do finally have wireless everywhere (we’re getting closer) there will be no need for discs. Instead, everything will be accessed online.

Sure things will be difficult at first. What we really want is the concept of download once, play anywhere. That will take some time, but it is definitely achievable, and has already begun with devices like the Windows Media Center PC. Wifi is spreading throughout homes – how long until we see televisions with built in wireless connections so they can access content from devices around the house? These are the kinds of things that will become commonplace.

My brother and sister buy DVD’s all the time, and I have lots of friends who buy CDs, but I haven’t bought any for quite some time now (don’t have time to watch a lot of movies). If I could get entire Xbox 360 games off Xbox Live instead of just demos, I’d probably do that too.

I can already see the headlines – “DVD format disappears almost as quickly as it came!”. Never before has a format been so widely adopted so quickly. Maybe downloading will come almost as quickly? I for one think the download party is going to get much bigger in the next few years.

Kellie Pickler

Post ImageI don’t watch American Idol, let alone follow who gets kicked off or not, but my Grandma happened to be watching it when I walked in the house tonight, and Kellie Pickler was performing. All I gotta say is wow, that girl is irresistibly cute and she can sing too! She’s got my vote for American Idol! And here I thought I was finished with my blondes stage…

She’s nineteen years old from Albemarle, North Carolina, and she likes Kelly Clarkson and Keith Urban. Seems as though Kellie has a similar sort of confidence to me:

What is your definition of an AMERICAN IDOL?
Kellie Dawn Pickler.

That’s like something I would say! Good luck Kellie!

Read: American Idol

Ten Favorite Rock Songs

Last week my Dad posted about a book he is reading called Broken Prey. In the story, the main character tries to come up with the 100 best songs of all time. So my Dad took a cue from the book and is asking for input on the ten best rock songs of all time. Now, typically a meme like this starts somewhere in the digital world not a book, and when you take part in the meme you’re supposed to actually take part (my Dad is not posting his top ten until later), but I’ve seen it circulate before too, so I decided to take part this time. Megan’s recent listing of her ten favorite albums also swayed me to posting this.

First let me say, it’s damn near impossible to come up with only ten songs for any of these kinds of lists. I basically said to myself, what songs can I listen to over and over again and still love? I came up with more than ten, so I had to spend some time narrowing it down to these ten:

  1. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
    From Nevermind, one of my favorite albums of all time, this is one of those songs that I never ever get tired of hearing. It’s really too bad Nirvana’s life was cut short, as I am sure Cobain and the boys would have made some more classics.
  2. Weapon by Matthew Good
    Though not from my favorite Matthew Good album (which would be Beautiful Midnight) this is definitely my favorite Matt Good song. The musical build up is amazing, and the video was pretty interesting too.
  3. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
    I guess I could have put all of Thriller on this list, but Billie Jean has always stood out for me.
  4. Wonderwall by Oasis
    I’ve never been a huge Oasis fan, but this song in particular I have always loved. Great lyrics in this one.
  5. Numb by Linkin Park
    Linkin Park have come to be one of my favorite groups in the last few years, and while I like almost all their songs, Numb is the best one for me.
  6. Fill Me Up by Staind
    Another favorite group of mine is Staind, and I absolutely love the lyrics in this song.
  7. The Ground Beneath Her Feet by U2
    I could have put just about every U2 song on the list, but this one has great musical build up that gets me every time.
  8. Blurry by Puddle of Mudd
    This song makes the list due to it’s lyrics and the memories it makes me think of.
  9. Enter Sandman by Metallica
    It was this song from the Black album, or more correctly their self-titled album, that really got me into Metallica.
  10. Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
    One of the best songs of all time in my opinion!

Here’s ten more songs from my list of favorites: Every Breath You Take by The Police, Forget It by Breaking Benjamin, Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard, Last Train Home by Lostprophets, You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette, Clumsy by Our Lady Peace, Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, Zombie by The Cranberries, 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins, and Time of Your Life by Green Day.

You’d think it would be easy to list your ten favorite songs, but it’s not. It’s a good exercise though, because you probably haven’t thought about it before, and you’ll probably discover some forgotten favorites in the process.

iBuzz – music activated iPod sex toy!

Post ImageIt’s hard to think of a device that has spawned as many third party accessories as the iPod. And when you consider that Apple isn’t known for being open or willing to make things easier on partners, the huge pool of gear is even more amazing. The iBuzz from Love Labs is the most interesting accessory I have seen in a while though (hat tip: Podcasting News):

Steve Jobs, we salute you! iBuzz USA celebrates your birthday with the launch of the iBuzz music-activated vibrator in the US.

We love the iPod and we love it even more when an iBuzz is attached.

And Steve, don’t forget to check your mail on your birthday for a surprise from us!

iBuzz is the musical orgasm machine! The music-activated vibrating bullet stimulates you in time with your favourite music. Which song pushes your butttons?

I can’t be sure, but everything looks legit. Too bad they didn’t have this out for Valentine’s Day, I am sure they would have attracted quite a bit of traffic! Apparently the device has a “bullet” that vibrates in time with the music and gets stronger as the volume goes up. And now I am going to end this post, because just the thought of someone getting off to William Hung is too much for me.

Read: iBuzz

Google Music Search

Post ImageGoogle launched a new music search service today, very cleverly called Google Music. From the Google Blog:

A few of us decided to try to make the information you get for these searches even better, so we created a music search feature. Now you can search for a popular artist name, like the Beatles or the Pixies, and often Google will show some information about that artist, like cover art, reviews, and links to stores where you can download the track or buy a CD via a link at the top of your web search results page.

I just gave it a quick try, and I rather like it! I have long wanted to find a service like IMDB but for music, and I have never come across it. Google Music is most definitely not that service, but it is a step in the right direction. Usually I end up trying to find track listings for albums, and unfortunately Amazon doesn’t always have the track listing. I’ll have to play with Google Music a little more to see if it is any more reliable.

I really like that Google Music will show lyrics for a song, other versions of the song, and the authors too (whoever wrote the song). You can also buy songs directly, currently there are links to iTunes and Real Rhapsody. Would be cool to have a “similar artists” feature or even just “similar albums” so you could discover new music using the search too.

Read: Google Music Search

Ring Tones

Post ImageRing tones seem to be everywhere these days. You can’t buy a cell phone without seeing customizable ring tones as a selling feature, and chances are you can’t watch five minutes of MuchMusic without seeing a commercial for something related to ring tones. I personally don’t understand why the idea of changing your ring tone is so enticing – then again, I usually have my phone set to vibrate. Maybe I can get custom vibrations? Like a variation in the length or something. Anyway, I digress.

David Carr wrote a piece for the New York Times yesterday in which he explained that today’s youth are accustomed to getting things for free. They download music and movies, and would rather record a TV show using a VCR than plunk down some cash for a TiVo or similar device. The only form of media youth spend money on seems to be ring tones:

Earlier this month at the Web 2.0 conference, John Battelle, an author of a book on search and one of the organizers of the conference, empaneled a group of teenage consumers that he assembled (at no charge, by placing an ad on Craigslist). They dutifully admitted that they did not pay for music or news or video, but most said they still spent $40 to $60 a month on media.

So what medium finally cracked the code on youthful intransigence?

Ring tones, available for now only from their wireless providers.

Have ring tones really cracked the code? Hardly! The only reason we don’t see teenagers (and anyone else for that matter) swapping ring tones like they swap music is because the entire process is too difficult. It’s easy to share a song, download and play it, and even transfer it to a mobile device. Most people somewhat familiar with computers can figure it out (and as Rick points out, young kids are savvy enough to use BitTorrent for their swapping). Ring tones are a different story though! It’s not clear how you create a ring tone, let alone share it with your friends so they can install it on their phones too.

As soon as someone makes it dead easy to create and share ring tones (and the tool or service reaches a critical mass of eyeballs), the market for ring tones will be history. Does anyone really think that a ring tone is worth $1.99? I certainly don’t. Especially not after Apple et al. have convinced me that a song is worth just 99 cents!

Read: New York Times

96X Boycott?

Post ImageToday I received a rather interesting email forward. The original email was from Matt Ashdown. I’ll let you read it first before I comment:

Between 9 and 10 am on boh October 12th, and 19th, 96X had on their station what they called the “ADHD HOUR.” During this hour, they only would play the first 90 seconds of each song, and between the songs they would have short vignettes that devalue people with ADHD through humiliation, embarassement, and slander. Essentially what these vignettes are implying is that people with ADHD are stupid. I am quite distressed that after so much human rights legislation, and work has been done, a main stream radio station thinks it is humerous to discriminate against a minority population and gets away with it.

I challenge you to boycott 96X until the “ADHD hour” is removed from the air. Write a letter to the program manager and submit it through either their web site or through me. I will be sending in massed letters next Wednesday October 26th. And finally, you can help through spreading the word to as many people as you can.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me at mattashdown@hotmail.com

Actually, they played it again this morning at 9 AM, and I am pretty sure it’s called the “ADD Hour” – the old acronym for the disorder. Regardless, I don’t think we need to take the show off the air (it’s kind of neat actually) but I would support a name change. It’s probably not the most appropriate name in the world, that’s for sure. You have to give them credit though for at least trying something new. Anyway, now I’ve done my part, by letting you know!

Read: 96X

This message is for…

Post ImageBillie Joe Armstrong, who said:

Wake Me Up When September Ends…

Well, it’s now October, so wake up!

If you’ve seen the video for that song, you know how intense it is. So intense that the first couple times I saw it, I didn’t realize there was a fourth guy on stage with Green Day. Naturally, I started to wonder who it could be, and I found the answer on Wikipedia:

Jason White from the Lookout! band Pinhead Gunpowder has been touring with Green Day since their “Warning” tour in 2000. He plays second guitar on songs from that album and ‘American Idiot’. He is a very close friend of the band for years and is co-founder of Adeline Records with Billie Joe. While making Warning: Green Day used him to help them in the studio.

In 2005 White played with Green Day in their video, “Wake Me Up When September Ends“—the first time that any musician outside the trio appeared as a performer in a Green Day video. He can also be seen in the “When I Come Around” video (making out with a girl next to a car in front of a pig). White was also seen with Green Day on Saturday Night Live during their guest performance in 2005.

Amazing what you can find on the ‘net if you only just look.

Read: Green Day

REVIEW: Come And Get It – Rachel Stevens

Post ImageWere you an S Club 7 fan? Me either! Regardless, my last review of the week is on the upcoming album from former S Club 7’er Rachel Stevens. Her new disc is called “Come And Get It”, and features the singles “I Said Never Again” and “So Good”. It’s a typical studio release at 12 tracks and a total running time of not quite 45 minutes, but it’s also a great collection of music.

I challenge you to listen to the album and tell me that it didn’t make you want to get up and start dancing! That’s right, I said CHALLENGE! Anyway, “Come And Get It” is full of electronic-pop-dance tracks so if that’s not your thing, you won’t like the album. Otherwise, you’ll probably enjoy listening to it! Every song is upbeat and happy, even “I Will Be There” and “It’s All About Me” which are probably the slowest songs on the disc. My favorites are definitely “So Good” and “I Said Never Again”, but “Negotiate With Love” and “Every Little Thing” also stood out for me. You know the more I think about it, the more I like “I Said Never Again”. It’s just one of those songs that you could listen to on repeat. It’s one of those songs that is as appropriate for the club and dance floors as it is for a major sporting event. It’s also begging for a remix.

The “I Said Never Again” single is available on October 3rd, and as far as I can tell the full album drops on October 10th, so definitely check it out. It’s good enough to earn a 7/10 from me!

Read: Rachel Stevens