scary halloween sounds

Filed under: News, DRM, iTunes, Apple, Microsoft, Zune Marketplace

DVD Jon Johansen is getting lots of attention (again) these days. After successfully taking on and taking down cheap mp3 encryption used to “protect” DVD content from the prying eyes and inventive uses of the DVD consumer, Jon has set his sights on Apple’s FairPlay DRM. Jon’s new company DoubleTwist is preparing to offer software to allow other content providers to encrypt their content in the same way that content from the iTunes Store is encrypted, opening up a world of possibilities for alternate content providers and, opening up a giant Pandora’s box of potential lawsuits.

So, take it as you will that DVD Jon is taking down the Zune FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) a notch and dismantling some media dings of Microsoft’s new platform. Jon writes, “The Zune definitely has its drawbacks: software installation takes way too long, hard drive access [is] not enabled by default, misleading points system for purchasing songs, lack of MacOS X and Linux support, etc. However, when a reviewer fails to say anything good about the Zune, such as noting the sync files back to computer feature, it’s obvious that the reviewer has been exposed to the Reality Distortion Field for way too long.”

So, is Jon really a Zune apologist or, is he simply taking an opportunity to put a chink in Steve Jobs armor?

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Filed under: News

Watch out Mariah Carey, the diva days are coming to an end. According to an article in The Daily Express, cost conscious labels are starting to cut the cord on bratty divas and their expensive entourages. No surprise given the overall tightening of the purse strings, and its certainly encouraging to see labels wising up to the idea of running like a real business.

Glenn Coolfer points out the funniest bit or, if you’re a shareholder, perhaps the saddest, “One of Warner Music’s biggest mistakes last year was an The Darkest Age Live Rel17807 released by socialite Paris Hilton. It sold just 13,000 copies, a disaster made worse by the money spent on the heiress and her entourage. she brought 14 people with her to the UK A week’s accommodation at the exclusive Metropolitan hotel on London’s Park Lane came to around £160,000.”

That’s $24.28 per album sold for the hotel bill alone. Bombs like Paris get the royal treatment while hard-working bands on the lower rungs get the shaft. Something’s gotta give; If you’re making your living teasing Paris Hilton’s hair on the rare occasion she appears live to do some off-key caterwauling, you might should polish your resume.

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What? Originally slated for a June release under the title Invincible Summer, Common’s eighth studio album, renamed Universal Mind Control, drops today, six months late but with no less of a feel-good summer vibe. Using producers the Neptunes’ ’80s-inspired club beats, Common’s new set adds a new dimension to his rap repertoire, especially with the whispers, handclaps, and buzzing, dirty synth of “Sex 4 Sugar.” But Common’s not hosting this party alone — Kanye helps get the dance floor moving on “Punch Drunk Love (The Eye)” and Cee-Lo’s smooth vocals keep the hook cool on lust-infused pop number “Make My Day.” Though fans of Common’s more serious It S About Time Rel39650 commentary may be thrown off by all this summer-of-love business, they’ll find plenty to enjoy in Obama-ode “Changes,” and the horn-infused spectacle of “Gladiator,” in which Common likens himself to both Ziggy Stardust and Nelson Mandela while revealing his true identity: “A radical who don’t fit the game.”

Who? The man born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. began performing with rap trio C.D.R. while still attending high school on Chicago’s south side. The group opened for N.W.A. and Big Daddy Kane, but Lynn soon went solo under the name Common Sense with his 1992 debut Can I Borrow A Dollar? and its ‘94 follow-up Resurrection. The latter drew attention with “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” a jazzy, controversial track which used a romantic metaphor to lament the decline of hip-hop’s political power. Since then, Common has worked with music luminaries like Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, and the Soulquarians, dated Erykah Badu and Serena Williams, landed roles in several Hollywood blockbusters, and championed the causes of animal rights, AIDS awareness, and president-elect Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change.

Fun Fact: Common is slated to play the flying, force-field-wearing comic book hero Green Lantern in the upcoming film Justice League: Mortal.

Watch: Common, “Universal Mind Control” trailer (:35)

Filed under: News, DRM, Creative, Microsoft, Sandisk, Napster, Rhapsody, Real Networks, Yahoo! Music

The grapevine says some at CES are being told Microsoft will no longer develop PlaysForSure, its proprietary DRM system, Best Of Love 10 Cd 2 Rel45472 move Microsoft swore up and down it would never make when the company failed to include PlaysForSure support in the Zune line.

According to PC Pro News,”Microsoft will concentrate exclusively on its Zune platform, which is not compatible with PlaysForSure. Microsoft has neither confirmed or denied the reports, which draw on comments made by an executive for one unnamed music service and have been confirmed by others in the industry. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said that he expects PlaysForSure to continue, although he has explained that Zune was conceived because the PlaysForSure approach had failed to dent Apple’s dominance of digital music.”

And just when Napster was starting to show new signs of traction. It’s unclear yet what all this means for the many PlaysForSure partner companies but, the end of development could put them all in a very precarious place. This could be a good thing for some, as Real Networks and Sandisk seemed to see this coming a while ago, and have created a new, competing subscription-capable DRM format.

See Also:
Think PlaysForSure is dead? Don’t tell Napster
Real Networks and Sandisk hook up
BBC catches on to PlayForSure lockout on Zune
Microsoft prepared for long haul and big investment in Zune

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by Robin HiltonEach December, Bob and I begin our annual debate over which is better: a Top 10 list of the year's best songs, or a Top 10 list of the year's best albums.I've always argued that we should focus more on albums. A list of songs just doesn't seem as substantive; besides, the standard for most year-end lists has long been albums. Just look at all the other music sites and magazines out there. But for the past eight years, Bob has argued that the growing popularity of digital music, which allows people to buy specific songs instead of whole albums, makes individual songs more relevant. (For the record, I've always won this debate.)This year, for the first time in our eight-year-long debate, I agree with him. For the past month and a half, I've been trying to finalize my personal list of the year's Top 10 albums, and I just can't do it. I just can't come up with 10 albums I felt that strongly about in 2008. “Iamundernodisguise” by School of Seven Bells is an amazing cut, but I wouldn't say the album it's from, Alpinisms, belongs among the year's most revered CDs. The Canadian trio Plants & Animals put out one of the year's most astonishing songs, “Bye Bye Bye,” but the rest of the band's album, Parc Avenue, was largely forgettable.Bon Iver aside, none of the following albums, as a whole, would end up on a Top 10 list for me. But I spent more time listening to, loving, crying and laughing over these songs than any others:1. “Time to Pretend” by MGMT, from Oracular Spectacular: This is, by far, my favorite song of the year. The lyrics are such a wrenching mix of hope and grief. “Time to Pretend” may sound like a simple techno-electro dance track to some people, but it really touched me, deeply.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, Art12397 “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_timetopretend.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 2. “The Wolves (Act I and II)” by Bon Iver, from For Emma, Forever Ago: We've exhausted even ourselves talking about how beautiful and perfect the Bon Iver record is. If I did come up with a list of the Top 10 albums of 2008, it'd be No. 1. It's hard to pick the best cut from it, but “The Wolves” always stood out for me.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_thewolves.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 3. “Business Time” by Flight of the Conchords, from Flight of the Conchords: This was a viral hit on YouTube long before it was released on CD, so it might feel a little tired to some people. But I've never laughed so hard as when I first heard it, and it can still make me smile. If I'm judging songs based on their ability to make me feel something, anything, then this track needs to be near the top of the list.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_businesstime.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 4. “Black Fur” by Fredrik, from Na Na Ni: This is essentially a hymn, and a truly gorgeous and infectious one. The band is from Sweden. I featured it on Second Stage earlier this year and found myself returning to this specific song over and over.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_blackfur.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 5. “Bye Bye Bye” by Plants and Animals, from Parc Avenue: This is simply an incredible, powerful and evocative song. Plants and Animals is a very talented group of musicians, and I believe it'll do great things in the future.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_byebyebye.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 6. “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes, from Fleet Foxes: A lot of people loved this whole album. But apart from this song, it never really got its claws in me. var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_whitewinterhymnal.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 7. “My” by Okay, from Huggable Dust: If I did do a Top 10 list of albums, I'd probably squeeze this one on there somewhere. But I don't have to give a second thought to picking this song as one of the year's best. var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_my.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 8. “Furr” by Blitzen Trapper, from Furr: I was pretty impressed with this whole album. Blitzen Trapper has really evolved and grown in a very short time, so I expect more great things. But this song is the only one from the CD that I'm sure I'll still be spinning 10 years from now.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_furr.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 9. “Grounds for Divorce” by Elbow, from The Seldom Seen Kid: Whenever this Manchester band puts out a new record, there's a song or two on it that just blows me away, even if I don't spend much time with the rest of the album. This time, it was “Grounds for Divorce” — a great example of how huge this band can sound.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_groundsfordivorce.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); 10. “Nothing Would Matter At All” by Jeff Hanson, from Madam Owl: Man, do I ever love this song. The opening line just slays me: “I wonder what I can do for a living, something that makes you all proud, but won't keep me up at night.” It's just a gorgeous, thoughtful and inspiring song.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_nothingwouldmatteratall.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); If we were allowed to count reissues among the year's best releases (I think we should; what do you think?), then “Soul and Fire” by Sebadoh, from the band's 15th-anniversary edition of Bubble and Scrape, would be, by far, my No. 1 song of the year.var so = new SWFObject(”/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf”, “mediaplayer1″, “400″, “20″, “8″, “#FFFFFF”); so.addParam(”allowScriptAccess”, “sameDomain”); so.addParam(”allowfullscreen”, “true”); so.addVariable(”callback”, “http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1″); so.addVariable(”file”, “http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2008/12/20081224_blog_soulandfire.mp3″); so.write(”flashcontent20081224″); What do you think? Did songs stand out more for you than albums? If so, why do you think that is? And what were some of your favorite songs of 2008?