Category: Music

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Digital Culture Legal Issues Media Music

In Rainbows is LAME

no really its up to you

Not only is Radiohead releasing their newest album at whatever price their fans are willing to pay, and not only is the digital release completely DRM free and 160kbps MP3, but it looks like it was ripped to MP3 using LAME 3.93. An exploration of the MP3’s in a text editor reveals:

Radiohead uses Lame

They need to upgrade…LAME is up to 3.97 now.

Looking at the header and footer of the files in both a text and hex editor doesn’t show any tracking numbers or codes tying the songs to a particular download. It really does look like these are regular old MP3s.

Thanks, Radiohead, for showing the recording industry how business should be done these days.

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Digital Culture Music

Sony Rolly

In case you didn’t know, Sony is a Japanese company, and Japan is the home of all things cute. Thus, the Sony Rolly.

Kawaii!!!!!!!

It will be launching soon in Japan, and yes, it is a dancing MP3 player.

According to a recent press release, it will have 1gig of internal memory, but be able to play tunes via Bluetooth from your cell or laptop as well. And dance, of course. And flap its ears.

I have no idea why I would possible want one, but I do.

Here’s a FAR better video, that really shows it in use.

It looks like quite a little tech marvel: bluetooth music streaming, the video makes it look like it has an accelerometer, and given the Sony.jp page it looks like there is a motion editor for programming movement yourself. Sony has tried and tried to bust into the home robotics market with the Aibo, and they show off Asimo to people all over the world….is Rolly the next step?

And when are they going to release him in the US? Do I have to import one? 🙁

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Legal Issues Music

When the president talks to god

Looking around the ‘net for a copy of the new(er) Bright Eyes single, When the President Talks to God.

Found it on iTunes for 99 cents.

Then I found this link, through the publisher, for a free iTunes download of the song.

Thought to myself, “Self…that is really odd. Why would the publisher provide a free download through the iTunes interface, when iTunes charges for it? Why not simply have the iTunes link be a free download? Or instead provide an MP3 download on your site rather than pushing people through iTunes…”

Just another oddity in the world of DRM/copyright.

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Media Music

American Edit

American Edit

Today there is a cyber protest going on in support of Dean Grey, a group of mashup artists that produced the American Edit. American Edit is a mashup album of works with the Green Day album American Idiot.

As I support the ability of artists to reappropriate works in the production of new art, and this work cannot possibly interfere with the sales of the Green Day album, I suggest that everyone take a listen. It’s brilliant stuff.

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Digital Culture Media Music

Second verse, same as the first…

A phenomenal new service launched yesterday: Mp3Tunes.com…unfortunately, I’m not quite sure how long it will stick around. Seems a bit…like mp3.com, and the lawsuit that effectively bankrupted them.

* YOUR ENTIRE MUSIC COLLECTION ONLINE
o All functions of the MP3tunes Locker work inside iTunes!
o You can store your entire music collection online with a Premium MP3tunes Locker ? unlimited storage!
o Sync your entire collection to any of your computers or devices with a Premium MP3tunes Locker
o Play your music inside iTunes or anywhere you have an Internet connection with a Basic or Premium MP3tunes Locker
o Back-up your playlists and create new ones online with a Premium MP3tunes Locker
o Webload and Sideload free music on the net directly into your Basic or Premium MP3tunes Locker
o The MP3tunes Oboe Software Suite required for backing up, syncing and playing your music in iTunes free and compatible with Windows, Mac & Linux.
o The MP3tunes Locker works with any web browser on Microsoft Windows, Apple or Linux computers.
o MP3, MP4, M4A, M4P, AAC, WMA, OGG, AIF, AIFF and MIDI files are compatible with a MP3tunes Locker

It’s an AMAZING service, though. I’d pay $40 a year just to ensure a safe backup of my music (currently over 100 gigs or so…). The streaming to any computer is just gravy. I’m tempted to try it out, and just pray when the inevitable lawsuits occur.

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Digital Culture Music

iFill

Griffin has gone off the deep end if they think that they can get away with this one:

iFill

iFill streams mp3 files from thousands of free radio stations directly to your iPod. You can choose several stations at once and select from many different genres. And since iFill goes directly to your iPod, it won’t clutter up your hard drive with extra files.

iFill is a great fit for your active lifestyle. With iFill, you can go to bed while charging your iPod, and wake up to an iPod full of new music, ready to go jogging with you, and without having to search through your record collection, browse the iTunes Store, or rip any CDs

Ok…looking over the page, I’m not completely following their logic here. It looks as if they are saying that it doesn’t actually put anything on your hard drive…that it throws the FM directly onto the iPod. That would mean that it could ONLY “record” radio while the iPod is attached, and defeat a large portion of the purpose of time-shifting. For instance, if I want to listen to a specific talk radio show that’s only on from 3pm-4pm, I’ll have my iPod with me, and not connected to my computer.

I’m going to give the week trial a shot, and see how this thing actually works. More after the testing.

Categories
Music Personal

Pic from Friday night

Nine Inch Nails and The Dresden Dolls at the Orpheum in Boston, MA

Thanks Mark!

Categories
Music Personal

With Teeth

So last night was Nine Inch Nails at the Orpheum in Boston, MA.

All I’ve got to say is: wow.

Not only did NIN play nearly everything I could have wanted to hear (Wish, Terrible Lie, Head like a Hole, Starfuckers, Hurt, and on and on and on) but they also gave a phenomenal stage show. The real surprise of the night though, was The Dresden Dolls. They opened for NIN, and just about rocked my face off. Crazy noise for just two people, great voice, the drummer was just nuts…I’m all over this album.

Today = heading to NY/NJ for some Raw Deal action. Wish me luck.

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Music

Noticed something odd while listening to Metallica

So I was riding in to work, listening to a little Metallica, and noticed that James stole lyrics from himself in order to write the theme to their latest album, St. Anger. I give you:

Lyrics from Damage, Inc., off the album Master of Puppets (1986)

Fuck it all and fucking no regrets
Never happy ending on these dark sets

Lyrics from St. Anger, off the album St. Anger (2003)

Fuck it all and fuckin’ no regrets
I hit the lights on these dark sets

Have no idea why I only just noticed that. Or even why it is particularly interesting. 🙂

Categories
Media Music

Crazy music video resource

Found this on my trek around the intarweb today…an absolutely insane resource for 622 different music videos. I’m especially fond of the Perfect Circle video for Counting Bodies Like Sheep.