Chris Isaak

My wife and I went to see Chris Isaak last night at the H.O.B. here. I have to say, that man is quite an entertainer. I'm not the biggest "rockabilly" fan in the world, actually, quite far from it. But he (and his band) really enjoy themselves on stage... they have a good time, and consequently the crowd has a good time. It was a really good show, and I would recommend catching him if he comes through your town.

Summer Music

ambivalent imbroglio has some summer music recommendations, so I thought I'd chime in with my latest purchases...

Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse
I know you've heard "Float On" since it's everywhere at the moment. It's good pop tune, but not the best on the album... I like "Ocean Breathes Salty" and "Dig Your Grave" but "The View" has to have some of the catchiest pop licks on the album. Overall, the whole album is a good listen, but my fav Modest Mouse offering is still Lonesome Crowded West.

You Are the Quarry - Morrissey
Yes, I am a child of 80s alternative rock. C'mon. I was weaned on The Smiths, I had to buy this. The single, "Irish Blood, English Heart" is a decent song, and the rest of the album doesn't disappoint... it's some of Morrissey's most biting and cynical lyrics yet... but man, the music on his solo works have never held up... where's Johnny Marr when you need him?

Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn/Jack White
Wow. If you thought country sucked (and "radio" country generally does) then pick up this album and hear what good country music sounds like. I was worried that this would be a White Stripes album with Loretta Lynn but it's not... it's Lynn through and through, and Jack White does an amazing job as her producer... even his appearances on the album are appropriate and add quite a lot.

Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins
I'm still trying to decide if I like The Shins or if I'm ambivalent about The Shins. One minute, they sound like a well-polished pop band, and another they sound all whiny and moody. I dunno. I think this is a "listen to it a few times in a row until you get it kinda album. I know a lot of people who are way into them though, so you know. But then again I know a lot of people who were into the Flamming Lips... puke.

A Ghost is Born - Wilco
Obligatory. First, I freakin' loved Uncle Tupelo. Second, I live in Chicago. I think there's a city ordinance that you have to buy every new Wildo release. That said, I actually like the album... and I actually liked Being There, Summer Teeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot too, so who am I kidding? But I still think Tweedy was the lesser song writer from Uncle Tupelo... Jay Farrar was amazing, and the first Son Volt album, Trace is better than anything Wilco's done. But I'm getting off on a tangent...

I think I'm also going to pick up Franz Ferdinand's album, because I can't get "Take Me Out" outta my damn head... what a catchy, well crafted pop tune... and I'm super psyched to hear Interpol's followup to Turn On the Bright Lights I'll get that as soon as it's released...

Ray Charles

Ray Charles passed away today... I can honestly say I didn't know that much about his life, other than being familiar with his "hits". Of course, I knew that he was a huge influence on soul music as well. But on NPR they were playing clips of interviews with him over the years, and one thing really struck me as being truly astonishing, not just for his time, but as also being virtually unheard of today as well:

Ray Charles owned his own music.

Not just the publishing. He owned the master recordings too. Apparently, when he first signed with Atlantic in the late 1950s, they built him a state-of-the-art recording studio in his home, but he paid for it. He retained complete creative control over his music. Atlantic told him "You worry about the music, we'll worry about the marketing." Amazing. Now that is how the music industry should operate.

Voluntary Collective Licensing

The EFF has published a "Let the Music Play" whitepaper which outlines their suggestion for Voluntary Collective Licensing of Music File Sharing. It's a very well reasoned and workable idea. So the music industry will reject it out of hand. But it's worth a read, because to me, it's the most reasonable suggestion I've heard to solve the "filesharing" issue.

Music Plasma

Check out the awesome visual music mapping interface musicplasma.com. Type in your favorite bands and it maps out funky relations with others of similar style or musical influence.

German Band Release CD with Blanks for Burning!

"German band Eisbrecher has decided to make a statement for its fans and for music consumers in general and is releasing their album Eisbrecher with 2 blank CD-Rs which have the same label as the CD itself. Alexx Wesselsky (singer and head of the group): "We are of the opinion that the music buyers are criminalized enough and have been made responsible for the wretched state in the music industry. We are giving them the chance to make 2 legal copies for private use with 'official blanks'."

Scoble is Wrong

Protect your investment: buy open. Scoble has written a weblog entry about, among other things, iTunes DRM and Microsoft DRM, and whether you should get an iPod. Scoble works for Microsoft, as do a number of good, sharp, ethical people that I know, and I know him in passing, and he seems to be a good guy. With that disclaimer out of the way, let me say that I think that this blog entry of his epitomizes the sloppiest, worst thinking about digital-media in the field today. From [Boing Boing]

The above is snippet from a post Cory Doctorow has written in response to this post by Robert Scoble. Unlike Cory, I don't know Scoble, even in passing. However, having worked for a company that was acquired by Microsoft, I can say that Cory is right about one thing: the vast majority of Microsoft employees are both highly intelligent and ethical folks. Cory is right about another thing: their intelligence and commitment doesn't mean they are right, in fact, they are often incorrect as Scoble is in this case.

In his article, Scoble falls victim to Microsoft's own internal marketing. The gist of which is this: Microsoft's digital rights management protocol (WMA) will be adopted by more OEMs/vendors. Therefore, there will be more devices on the market (portable audio players, car stereos, rocket jet packs, etc.) that can play music which uses WMA vs. other technologies such as ACC (Apple's DRM Solution).

The problem is that Scoble is missing the big picture here, which is what Cory pointed out. The true "choice" consumers should be able to take advantage of shouldn't be linked to a company at all. Neither Apple nor Microsoft should win in this battle of DRM. What should be created is either a consortium of vendors (ala DVD standards) or better yet, and open standard that anyone could implement. In spite of what Scoble seems to believe, consumers do not win when any one company controls the methods by which they can use their media. Cory raises the example of Betamax vs. VHS. Just for a moment let's forget all of Microsoft's past business transgressions, and assume that they are the most consumer loving, benevolent company on earth. Even if that were true today, that does not mean that it will always be true. In fact, history has shown it's not likely to be true as DRM becomes a more important part of our daily lives. If you need some examples of that, think back to Unisys and .gifs or take a look at SCO and Unix. Even though more companies might someday adopt the WMA DRM solution, that does not mean that it will always offer more choice for consumers.

There really is only one way to ensure true freedom of choice for consumers. Freedom to choose where and when they play the music they have rightfully purchased. That is to remove DRM from the hands of any one single company which could (reasonably be foreseen) to use a monopoly in DRM to their competitive advantage. Make it an open standard. Allow anyone to implement it. Period. Create an industry consortium of vendors committed to furthering and developing the standard and simply give away (or charge a nominal fee) for vendor licensing. That would allow a true, open playing field for device manufacturers and software developers, without being locked into any proprietary systems, and would, in the end, be the only way I can see to offer consumers real choice. But I don't really think choice is what Microsoft wants to offer consumers anyway.

iTunes Store

Okay, I have both a PC and a Mac, and I use both a lot, however for very different work. Generally, I use the PC for writing, bloggin' and technical work, and I use the Mac for video editing...

Well, today I had a client in who was trying to tell me about a song... they said "1000 Miles" by "Melissa Carlton". On a lark, I said, I wonder what's on the iTunes store? So I downloaded iTunes (never installed before) and in less than five minutes I was previewing "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton. Wow. It was quick and simple, and the preview allowed the client to let me hear the song without having to buy it. Then we moved on in the edit... but later, I came back, and I ended up buying a bunch of singles... it was super easy, and then I burned them to a CD, no sweat.

Amazing, Apple gets it. The RIAA doesn't.

Autotuners

I don't think you can use one of these Autotuners to correct your vocals and in any way, shape or form, call yourself a "punk" band.

The Boss

Last night I went to see Bruce Springsteen play at US Cellular Field (that's Comisky Park to most of you out there). I have to say that I never would have called myself a Springsteen fan, even though he's a decent songwriters. I mean, have you really listened to Born in the USA? It's hardly the patriotic anthem some dumbass jingoistic republicans* make it out to be... it's actually a very critical song of America. Come to think of it, have you ever read the lyrics to Dancin' in the Dark? Most people probably remember it from the silly video where Courtney Cox is pulled up on stage. But check out the lyrics... it's a bitter song about lonliness and desparation.

But I digress...

Springsteen played for over three hours, with no opening act. He came out and did a half a dozen songs without stopping... which is pretty impressive. But what really got me was the sheer level of emotional (if not physical) intensity that the entire band, and especially Springsteen, put into their performance. They just plain rocked. And in a world where fans are now suing performers for lousy shows with overpriced tickets, it's pretty refreshing to come away from a concert not only feeling that you go your money's worth, but that the performer cared about their music deeply, and wanted to share that passion with you.

*Ronald Reagan invoked Springsteen and his song "Born in the U.S.A." while campaigning in 1984. But Springsteen didn't like being quoted by Reagan, saying that instead of it being "morning in America," as Reagan claimed in his TV ad, he'd seen places where "It's midnight, and like, there's a bad moon risin'."