News is that Google will be partnering with iLike and LaLa to provide a music service.  TechCrunch has been pimping the news the last couple of days, with the report being that an announcement is due next week. There is much discussion over what form it will take.  GigaOm’s Paul Bonanos is sceptical that the new feature will involve actually selling streaming/downloads, where as TechCrunch is more upbeat.

While I am interested in seeing what Google’s play will be with this (assuming that the rumours aren’t all hot air) it really underwhelms me, as I know pretty much for sure that I won’t be able to access it here in Australia. Or if it is just a music search engine, the vast majority of its results will be unavailable to me. Pandora is unavailable, last.fm has us on the ‘lite’ version, LaLa is locked down. Even iTunes, which we do have access to, is limited in what they can sell to us dirty non-Americans. 

This is not the fault of any of these sites.  This is the fault of the rights holders, the record labels.  Their inability to see the value in ‘foreign’ markets and their lack of imagination when it comes to monetisation has led to this ridiculous geotarding that we see not just in the music industry but also in the movie, tv and book publishing industries. As I’ve mentioned before, my money is as good as anyone’s (better than, if this trend continues) why won’t you let me pay you for your products?

Apparently after listening to Nessun Dorma I’d just love to crank up Follow Me.

Not really seeing the similarity here.

A new music site launches, so what do people use it for? Rickrolling of course!

I’m liking Songza, it’s got a slick interface.  I can do most things on the page with AJAX, so I can keep listening while I line up other songs to play.  The speed is good & the audio sounds like standard MP3 quality.

You can register for an account now, here’s my profile. You can share the songs you find, the site gives you links to Twitter the songs, email them or embed them in your own site.

Here’s some Jonathan Coulton for your audible pleasure:

(more…)

Sometimes I cannot forgive and these days, mercy cuts so deep
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep
While I lay, I dream we’re better, scales were gone and faces lighter
When we wake, we hate our brother, we still move to hurt each other

Sometimes I can close my eyes,
And all the fear that keeps me silent
Falls below my heavy breathing, What makes me so badly bent?

We all have a chance to murder, we all feel the need for wonder
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the thunder
Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven
All the times I thought to reach up, all the times I had to give
Babies underneath their beds, hospitals that cannot treat

All the wounds that money causes,
All the comforts of cathedrals
All the cries of thirsty children – this is our inheritance
All the rage of watching mothers – this is our greatest offense

Oh my God
Oh my God
Oh my God

Jars of Clay – Oh my God

The latest xkcd, Color Codes funny as always.  But the number there is the TMBG Dial-A-Song number.  Gotta love it. 

Also, did you know TMBG are releasing a kid’s book called “Bed Bed Bed” and they’ve also got a new kid’s CD/DVD called “Here come the ABCs“.  Must get these ones for my kids! There’s also their earlier kids album “No!“, such a great name for a children’s album.

Amazon links:

• Here Come the ABCs
• Bed, Bed, Bed
• No!

Pneumothorax is a word that is long.
They’re just trying to put the punk back into punctured lung

Kaiser Chiefs – Saturday Night