anybody else think that Niggy Tardust is, quite possibly, one of the best things ever?

I thought he wouldn't top his 2004 album... but "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!" is just.... gold. trent reznor fucks up a couple of tracks, but aside from that it's just gorgeous lyrical prowess and dirty underneaths.

plus he's totally flipping the bird at radiohead!

www.niggytardust.com

I wonder what the chemical brothers would sound like in this context -- and what if they collaborated with williams, damn...

This album is totally cool.

What do you mean flipping the bird? They were inspired by Radioheads actions Reznor was quoted. He paid something like $5000 for In Rainbows to show his support.

For those that don't know, this is another album available via mp3 with the choice of paying for it or not. Cliff Richard has done the same thing.

40% of people paid for In Rainbows, the rest got it for free and there's no knowing how many people used Bitorrent.

Radiohead's album will be in the stores anyway.

iggy, I'm as big a fan of radiohead as you are.

I meant by flipping the bird that they really did radiohead's idea right.... as in unfortunately they kind of showed radiohead up.

but it makes sense -- saul seems more of an artistically inclined fellow (in the sense that he really is doing it for the arrogance of it :))

People predict the death of the CD and such, with MP3's being so popular, but I think MP3's are dirt! Can't beat a hard copy.

Can't beat vinyl.

mp3 is an outdated, poor format.

LAME has pushed it pretty far but it's still weak.

nice though that niggy tardust is available in 192k, 320k mp3 and FLAC.

mp3 (LAME) is quite decent at 320 though. I don't think you'd tell the difference between that and FLAC for almost ANYTHING. the flac is a great option though, it allows you to simply DL the CD essentially.

what do you have against FLAC? it beats full uncompressed any day....

I'm sorta with iggy and Slipvin here. I am old fashioned and I like my hard copies. Not just for the sound quality or whatever, but just for the "oh and I was digging around and found this really cool copy of the Private Psychadelic Reel single at Amoeba records during our little outting up to Los Angeles" factor. I like having cd's on my shelf and back when I used to buy vinyl, there's just something about having that big ol' platter spinning round as you try your steadiest hand at putting that needle down. And the artwork - the artwork on the vinyl sleeves is the best! I also like the whole act and experience of purchasing music. You know, like actually getting out from behind a computer screen and physically going into a store and making your purchase. I love to go into a store and hear people digging through the bins intently set on finding what they're looking for... Maybe it's because I worked for so long at Tower, or maybe it's because I am a collector at heart or maybe it's because I'm a girl and most girls love to shop - but it seems as time marches on we're becoming more and more disconnected with our tangibles and everything associated with acquiring these goods.

Don't get me wrong. I love technology and the ease of being able to purchase songs off the internet anytime I want with next to no hassle. I love my ipod - it's a load off carrying cd's around, that's for sure. I love how easy it is to flip through my ipod and find a song and listen to it right then and there. It's just that I sort of miss how things were, as cumbersome and exhausting it was having to actually physically go out and make a purchase.

Meh - I'm old.

whirly, you've always got the best words. I think you make a fabulous point about the personality of it all. I mean, I dig that completely, but wouldn't it be nice if the musician/artist would be considered by music stores? most shops will only make deals with established, _large_ clients. And, when you factor in the global market, this becomes quite the serious burden; the internet provides this distribution channel. Also, how many stores can afford to have an album with optional payment take up physical space? While it may make it more difficult to go and find a record to call "yours" -- that being it wasn't recommended, but you dug it up -- it's nice to have that forum for artists whose work you appreciate.

Really, when it comes down it, the internet is the greatest global "forum" to share your art (and _really_ reduces the commodity aspect of the work)...

Although one could argue against the modern global context and the shift away from locality... (a growing trend)

Back to the original topic :)

I really like Saul Williams' new album. It sounds like a hip-hop version of NIN's Year Zero to me. The second part of the album is better in my opinion.. there are beautiful tunes at the end of it (No One Ever Does, Banged and Blown Through..). The lyrics are pretty cool, too.

Not too impressed by that Sunday Bloody Sunday cover, though.

haha yes, that's an 'interesting' cover :P

FAO Whirly: Why don't you buy vinyl anymore?

The main reason I don't buy vinyl is because I don't have a turntable. I haven't had one in years...

that's a pretty solid reason.

So that old vinyl just sits in your cupboard? That's a shame. I have two decks and a mixer, but they're not hooked up. I just don't have the room. I'm awaiting my Radiohead: In Rainbow vinyl but I have nothing to play it on! Vinyl is big, well bigger than the technologists predicted. Respeck

.m4a is the new .mp3

DRM is the new DIK

actually .m4a is not a proper file extension, it's just practical distinction between audio and video. technically, it's the audio track called m4a and video m4v, but if they're in an MPEG-4 container, they should have the .mp4 file extension.

(it's kind of like the difference between .264 and .m4v -- you store .264 in .m4v which is contained in .mp4)

K - to be topical, I am currently downloading this Saul Williams dealie-oh. I'm actually quite curious about this Sunday Bloody Sunday cover. It's got a couple of good reviews over at a U2 fansite I lurk on occasionally... and I can say with 100% certainty that most U2 fans are quite possibly the most fickle fans anywhere when it comes to U2 covers...

Will hear how it goes - the other songs, too. I need some new tuneage.

haha, I hate to say it but I think that track is the weakest on the album. :P I feel like a jerk. :(