RADIO HANNIBAL

Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll

Possibly my favorite music reading of the year is the annual Village Voice Pazz and Jop Poll which just came out this week. 
It's the most comprehensive look at the year in music.  Hundreds of critics are asked to submit there choices and then the results are combined to create an exhaustive list of albums and singles. 
Christgau may be gone but the essays are still great reading as well.  Then there's the quips from readers. 
It's guaranteed hours of fun.

It's About To Become a DRM Free World!

Well, what better new year wish can a music lover get than DRM free music from the major labels!?  With BMG and Warner joining EMI last week in offering all of their music digital rights management (DRM) free the scales have tipped. 
Now we just have to wait for the last player, Sony, to do likewise.  That's inevitable.  What's also inevitable is that iTunes will now be forced to drop their DRM coding.
Steve Jobs and iTunes have always maintained that the labels made him use DRM as part of their agreement to sell music.  This may have been true but obviously not so anymore.  The reason they still persist is because with it they have a closed platform.  Buy music on iTunes and you can only play it on an iPod. 
So why did the major record labels drop DRM?  Because they hate the idea of Apple dictating the way they do business.  Now that Amazon has come along with music downloading the labels saw a way to change things.  Offer all music DRM free to Amazon. 
It should be any day now that Apple announces that all of their music will be DRM free.  Here's hoping that they announce a way for those with music already purchased from iTunes to ird the songs of the DRM.

Podcasts Prolong The Holidays ( a good thing)

So, as it is for most people, the holiday season is quite a busy time for me.  Family and social commitments, vacation time and general festive activities. 
This leaves me a bit behind in listening to my weekly download of podcasts.  I download every Monday.  Shows that I haven't listened to remain on my iPod. 
So now I'm catching up on the shows I haven;t listened to.  That would the many Christmas  and end of the year related shows.  I love it. 
In years past there's always that let down for me that the season is over.  Well, not this year.  This week I've listened to Russell Brand's Christmas show on BBC Radio 2, KCRW's Good Food Christmas show and NPR's All Songs Considered listener choices for best albums of the year.

Vinyl Rules

So, I don't know why it's taken me this long to rediscover the joys of vinyl records. 
Yes, indeed, it is an MP3 world.  I have fallen prey to the less than desirable quality of PM3 files because they are so damn convenient and allow me to fill my iPod with tons of music. 
In the recent past I'd find myself buying the physical CD when I wanted an upgrade in sound quality and the tactile feel us collectors yearn for.  In  other words, I wanted  a better sound for those critical listening times. 
I was out in San Fransisco a few weeks back and ended up in Ameoba Records on Haight St.  It's the biggest and best record store on earth and stocks lots of vinyl.  I bought some LP's took them home and listened to them on my couch.  Just like the old days, opening the gatefold album covers, admiring the artwork and the smell,oooohhhh, the smell. 
Then it struck me.  If I'm buying CD's for a better sound quality and listening experience and I already have digital versions why not buy the record instead! 
In fact, some new releases even come with a code so you can download a free  digital form of the release to have along with your vinyl copy. How cool is that?!
Alas, not all new releases come out on vinyl but sales for this old school medium are on the upswing.  In fact, here's a story from Wired theorizing that vinyl may well be the death of the CD.  What an odd turn of events that could turn out to be.