don't leave me high, don't leave me dry...

You may have heard that Radiohead recently released a new recording. Currently, it is only available as a download from their website. This is no longer a new concept but what is unusual is that the price is up to the consumer. It's up to you to choose not only how much you're willing to pay but if you want to pay all. When I first heard about this I thought it was a pretty cool idea. Probably because if I was going to buy the download, I would be willing to spend a few bucks on it. I have never understood the mentality that music should be free. The artists spend money producing the recording, shouldn't they be able to make a little something from it?

I was very disappointed to read in a CBC article that 62% of people who downloaded Radiohead's In Rainbows choose to pay nothing for it. Seriously? Would these people have downloaded it if it wasn't free? Are they Radiohead fans? Do these people have any respect for working musicians? This figure really pisses me off on so many levels but mostly because it shows that our society in general has little respect for artists. I can only hope that when Radiohead releases the physical CD in December, that those freeloaders shell out the cash that the band deserves for their work.

the times they are a-changin'

One step closer to a DRM free world.

"Apple's iTunes begins selling unlocked songs"

Have I mentioned that I love Apple?

let the music do the talking

At least one record company is finally getting it!

EMI announced yesterday that they will sell their music DRM free on iTunes. This is a huge step forward for digital music. Basically, DRM software prevents songs purchased from iTunes to be transferred to a digital player other than an iPod. Selling music without this copyright protection is a huge advantage for Apple, but also for the consumer. The iTunes Music Store has the best digital catalog of all of the online suppliers. Without DRM, this catalog is opened up to all owners of digital music players, not just iPod owners.

The only thing I'm not sure of is the new price. DRM free tracks will sell for $1.29 each instead of the standard iTunes charge of $0.99. Why are we paying more for something we never should have been burdened with in the first place?

Regardless of the price, this is a huge move forward. It's only a matter of time before other record companies follow suit.

sound of your voice, part 1

On Friday night, Steve and I and our friends, Christine (my best friend since high school) and Stewart (her darling husband) went to the Barenaked Ladies concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. I've had the pleasure of seeing the Ladies four times now, most memorably on the Stunt tour when we sat front row at Massey Hall. One of my favourite bands in my most favourite music venue in Toronto. Priceless!

Last night's concert was unlike any BNL show I have ever attended. The vibe was totally different. Mellower, although they had just as much energy as at past shows. More mature, even though they were just a funny as ever. So what's changed?

A lot.

The band's latest release, Barenaked Ladies Are Me, takes them back to their independent roots. That's right boys and girls, no record company involved! The guys set up their own record label and took full control over their work. Instead of the standard 10-12 song disc, they released a 29 song set. Not only did they put these tunes out on physical CDs, they offered them for download and threw them on a USB drive (adorably titled "Barenaked on a Stick") that included some fun extras. It's important to mention that if you decided to go old school and purchase the physical CDs, you were only able to purchase half of the songs when they came out in the fall of 2006. You had to wait until early February 2007 to get the rest. Obviously the guys were encouraging their fans to use one of the new media methods. Well it worked for me. Up until this release, I owned every Barenaked Ladies recording in a physical format, including the groundbreaking yellow tape. Something about being able to look at my lovely pile of CDs and cassettes and say that I had all of BNL's recordings made me all warm and fuzzy. But when it came time to purchase Barenaked Ladies Are Me, it was a no-brainer. I wanted all of the songs and I wanted them now! My stack of CDs did not grow taller and I didn't miss that awesome feeling of tearing off the plastic and eagerly listening to each track while dissecting the lyrics and liner notes. I so thought I would miss that experience, but I didn't. I guess when it comes down to it, the other stuff doesn't matter. It's all about the music and how you connect to it.

let the music play

A few days ago, Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. posted this piece of brilliance on the Apple website.

You're the man Steve! Down With DRM's!