ENGADGET: As promised, variable pricing has now been implemented at the iTunes music store. Already, we’re seeing most of the top 10 singles and 33 of the top 100 hitting the top price-point of $1.29 (encoded as DRM-free 256kbps AAC). Interesting as Amazon’s uncomfortably similar top 10 list has all these tracks priced at $0.99 (encoded as DRM-free 256kbps VBR MP3). A handful of tracks (nine in the top 100) do hit the higher $1.29 price further down Amazon’s list. MORE PREVIOUSLY: Looks like iTunes might be getting a big catalog overhaul, with most major labels finally offering up DRM […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR British actor and comedian Russell Brand is known for his outspokenness, his outlandish appearance and his wit — not to mention a series of raunchy on-air prank calls that ended his tenure as host of a BBC radio show. But he’s best known in the U.S. for his role as a caddish rocker in the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and for hosting the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. Recently, he’s put his over-the-top persona on the page with his memoir My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-up. My Booky Wook chronicles Brand’s struggle with addictions […]
HEAR YE: New Dylan
Fascinating interview with Bob Dylan by Bill Flanagan over at NEWSWEEK’s blog, which is also streaming the track “Feelin’ A Change Comin’ On” from the forthcoming Together Through Life. Here he is explaining his mystical attraction to Obama: Bill Flanagan: You liked Barack Obama early on. Why was that? Bob Dylan: I’d read his book and it intrigued me. “Audacity of Hope”? No, it was called “Dreams [From] My Father.” What struck you about him? Well, a number of things. He’s got an interesting background. He’s like a fictional character, but he’s real. First off, his mother was a Kansas […]
RADIOHEAD: Nude
Wow.
PRESETS: Steamworks
So catchy, I almost danced. Almost. [Hat tip to EVA LIAO]
CONCERT REVIEW: Top Five Things You Should Know About Vivian Girls At Johnny Brendas Last Night
GIRLS KICK ASS: The Vivian Girls, Johnny Brendas, Last Night 1. When did this band get so good? Well, as good as sloppy punk and playing completely open fretted can be perfected — the Vivian Girls have everything from their debut album down. I wonder if they hate these songs yet. 2. These gals are effortless to appreciate when not opening for M. Ward. Their last show at the Troc was just plain awkward in that no one cared. But when the entire JB’s crowd is mostly nodding their head and you’ve got alt-frat boys desperate for Kickball Katy’s attention, […]
DIG: Brian Jonestown Massacre Vs. Itself
[Dig! trailer] BJM plays the Troc tomorrow night, with special guests the Asteroid #4.
NPR 4 THE DEF: Giving Public Radio Edge Since 2006
FRESH AIR Leonard Cohen is touring the U.S. for the first time in 15 years. The deep-voiced musician, best known for writing songs that straddle the folk-rock fence, has produced numerous albums and written several books of poetry. He has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the U.S. Here, Cohen joins Fresh Air host Terry Gross to talk about his poetry, his songwriting and his time at a retreat called the Zen Center. This interview was first broadcast on May 22, 2006. ROCK SNOB ENCYCLOPEDIA: COHEN, LEONARD — […]
BEING THERE: The Good News Flower Hour
The week that was in just five minutes, hosted by a stoned daisy with the obligatory voice of gawd. Funny. Sad. Good for you. GNHF is on hiatus this week, look for it next Friday.
NEWS CLUES: Like A Celebrity Adoption Of The Truth
TECH CRUNCH: Twitter To Get Googled? Reports on TechCrunch claim that Google is in advanced negotiations to acquire micro-blogging site Twitter. Citing two separate sources, TechCrunch said that the asking price is more than the $250m (£170m) valuation that Twitter’s recent round of funding would suggest. A third source, however, recently added to the TechCrunch report, suggests that talks are only in the early stages. Twitter has recently reworked its search feature, prompting many to think that this makes the firm more appealing to potential suitors. Search facilities have been added to the ‘tweet’ pages, and users can search tweets […]
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR “Pet fashion shows, Chihuahua social networking, veterinary antidepressants [and] ambulance-chasing animal lawyers” are just the tip of what Philadelphia-based journalist Michael Schaffer says is a kind of pet-obsession iceberg in the lives of the American middle class. In his new book One Nation Under Dog, Schaffer takes a close look at the $43 billion industry that’s grown to help enable that obsession, explaining how that booming market reflects our evolving ideas of consumerism, family, politics and domesticity. But One Nation Under Dog is no dry industry analysis: It’s a book, as Schaffer explains on his Web site, that’s […]
We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It
KILLER WALES: Los Campesinos, TLA, Last Night BY MICHAEL DONOVAN You’ve got to hand it to Los Campesinos! — the little Welsh band that could —they sure know how to cater to an American audience. Fast songs with infectious hooks that anyone can dance too? Check. Attractive-yet-prickly bass player who rejects Joe Fraternity’s professions of love from the back of the venue? Check. References to robots? Check. Los Campesinos! have discovered the formula for across-the-pond success, and it doesn’t hurt that they’ve pumped out two stellar albums in the past year, either. After solid opening sets by Sky Larkin and […]