tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post2402522494770905304..comments2024-01-17T07:50:03.381-07:00Comments on Building Castles on the Beach: iTunes, Amazon, CDs, MP3s, and a Half-Hearted Attempt to Start a BlogfestBrent Wescotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08313269993916969201noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-26209027603780911142011-11-16T12:07:41.704-07:002011-11-16T12:07:41.704-07:00@ MJ: So does my wife. But she never says a word. ...@ MJ: So does my wife. But she never says a word. See, it IS her fault.<br /><br />@ McKenzie: The music must be protected. !<br /><br />@ Tamara: I, too, resisted. I still want to have actual CDs. But it's so nice to be able to have anything I want with me all the time.<br /><br />@ Sara: The beauty of iTunes is that it adds everything up for you. I used to have to count my CDs. Because I have to know how many. It took forever.<br /><br />@ Vicki: I try to do my part. You won't be able to blame me when the music industry implodes.<br /><br />@ Dave: Thanks. I'll check back with you.<br /><br />@ Dafty: You were a little early. What, do you life on the other side of the world or something? Hope you checked back again to see the Noughties post.Brent Wescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313269993916969201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-9152772730797950552011-11-14T03:50:15.217-07:002011-11-14T03:50:15.217-07:00Visiting from Dave's Noughties BlogfestVisiting from Dave's Noughties BlogfestA Daft Scots Lasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01922985143036647579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-90545357163840289032011-11-13T22:10:16.101-07:002011-11-13T22:10:16.101-07:00Pointers on a blogfest? I'll let you know when...Pointers on a blogfest? I'll let you know when I've figured out if <a href="http://davewrotethis.blogspot.com/2011/11/noughties-blogfest-today.html" rel="nofollow">The Noughties Blogfest</a> was a success today...<br /><br />Dave <br /><a href="http://davewrotethis.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Dave Wrote This</a>Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131223022620329561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-51781171883399538162011-11-11T06:39:03.613-07:002011-11-11T06:39:03.613-07:00I know nothing about music. There are a couple ba...I know nothing about music. There are a couple bands I like, but I don't think I've bought an album for a couple years. Thanks for helping pick up my slack so the whole industry doesn't crumble!Vicki Rochohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07381089434014961076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-4023180440052180582011-11-10T12:26:11.260-07:002011-11-10T12:26:11.260-07:00wow... I have NO idea how many artists/albums I ha...wow... I have NO idea how many artists/albums I have in iTunes. I'm a little scared to check. Even on a year to year basis... Because in the past year and a half my tunes have grown exponentially as I've grown in my writing. Music is SUCH a huge inspiration to me. (I frequently post songs that inspire my WIP/characters on my blog.)Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos}https://www.blogger.com/profile/09824996048264979275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-76307191955321948972011-11-10T08:23:34.285-07:002011-11-10T08:23:34.285-07:00At the moment I only have about 150 artists in my ...At the moment I only have about 150 artists in my list. It changes. I'll get new things and listen and sometimes I will add to the list and sometimes I won't. There's a hard core of my favorites, of course. Moody Blues, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull.. Those will never go away. But when I find a new "like" I try to get everything they ever did, then pick and choose my favorite songs and add them to my listening list. Sometimes my mp3 player gets overloaded.JustRexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-85860483389467420692011-11-10T03:14:12.058-07:002011-11-10T03:14:12.058-07:00how fun! I love music too. I bought an iPod for my...how fun! I love music too. I bought an iPod for my husband, but myself, I still do CDs. old-fashioned!Tamara Hart Heinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07562765111202443160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-91464512040230180382011-11-09T23:02:17.527-07:002011-11-09T23:02:17.527-07:00Brent - Wow. My iPod is...let's say, well-love...Brent - Wow. My iPod is...let's say, well-loved? It has three scratches on the screen, some terribly faded stickers, and the back is no longer reflective.McKenzie McCannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11707799179783394809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-5284073240658968362011-11-09T15:34:08.136-07:002011-11-09T15:34:08.136-07:00My significant other discovers the extent of my ob...My significant other discovers the extent of my obsession with amazon mp3 downloads every month when he looks at the credit card bill.M.J. Fifieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15626475963328519693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-68918536396779184392011-11-09T14:33:34.382-07:002011-11-09T14:33:34.382-07:00Yeah, it's true that every year is a Stevie ye...Yeah, it's true that every year is a Stevie year, but this is the first one since 2001 in which she's actually released a new solo album.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-46448443257955164292011-11-09T13:12:40.637-07:002011-11-09T13:12:40.637-07:00@ Julie: Thanks. I'd like to see what you thin...@ Julie: Thanks. I'd like to see what you think is cool, too.<br /><br />@ Paul: I thought about mentioning the part about MP3s and MP4s and 5s and 6s, but I didn't think I could explain it well. But really, I don't care what the file is called as long as it plays, and Amazon's files always play, that's true.<br /><br />I appreciate your philosophy on internalizing music. I do tend to buy so much so often that I don't get to know music like I used to. That makes me a little sad to think about. <br /><br />I also like your idea of making a year-end playlist, and you've got an impressive list here. I've heard the Weepies a little (my sister really likes them a lot), and isn't every year a Stevie Nicks year with you?<br /><br />I have a hard time getting down to individual songs. Every once in a while a song will stand out from the rest, like the song "Bay of Pigs," the last song on Destroyer's album "Kaputt" this year, but that's rare.Brent Wescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313269993916969201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-70217713808135625082011-11-08T21:30:45.628-07:002011-11-08T21:30:45.628-07:00Okay, as soon as I said that, I thought better of ...Okay, as soon as I said that, I thought better of it. I'm going to post it as a comment here after all, for reasons that will become clear in a minute. <br /><br />As I was saying, I am always bringing new music into my life (or music that is new to me, or music that is not new to me but is in some form that's new to me), to the extent that I pretty much always have a considerable backlog of stuff to listen to. A contributing factor is that I don't want to buy a new album and then listen to it a couple of times. I want to *learn* it -- I'll listen to it 15 times if it has 15 tracks. Also, I tend to discover an artist and then dive deep into that artist, seeking out 3 albums from its back catalog instead of 3 other albums that came out in the last 6 months. <br /><br />The backlog tends to feature a variety of different things, for a variety of different reasons, and I'm not sure I could say it constitutes any kind of favorites list. However, what I have done for the past 9 years is, as I listen through the backlog, choose a favorite song from each album I've listened to, and then cull those down to an 80-minute selection I can gift on CD to some other friends of mine who also love music and don't mind me spilling my latest obsessions. <br /><br />And as it happens, I make that CD as a Christmas present for them. And as it happens, they live in Wales, so I need to make it well in advance to accommodate the mailing delay. So, as it happens, I run my music-listening year from November to October. Which means, as it happens, that I just made my "Best of 2011 (actually November 2010 - October 2011)" this last weekend. <br /><br />So in the spirit of answering your question, here's what that list turned out to be. I'm posting it here because the recipients read my blog, but not yours, so my post here won't (I *hope*) somehow turn into a spoiler for their Christmas present. Note that these are not necessarily (in fact, not *mostly*) songs that came out in 2011, but rather songs that I listened to and loved in 2011. <br /><br />1. Dear Prudence - Siouxsie & The Banshees<br />2. All This Beauty - The Weepies<br />3. Here Comes The Sun - Paul Simon with David Crosby & Graham Nash (from the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concerts.) <br />4. True Faith - New Order<br />5. Secret Love - Stevie Nicks<br />6. Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream) - Stevie Nicks [Okay, yes, Stevie *did* have an album come out in 2011.]<br />7. Germ Free Adolescents - X-Ray Spex<br />8. Shoot The Moon - Hugh Blumenfeld<br />9. The Space Race Is Over - Billy Bragg<br />10. Picture Window - Ben Folds & Nick Hornby<br />11. Helpless - k.d. lang<br />12. Living In Twilight - The Weepies<br />13. The Sound Of Settling - Death Cab For Cutie<br />14. You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby - Kirsty MacColl<br />15. On Sunday - 'Til Tuesday<br />16. Rocks And Water (live at Chautauqua 2011-08-27) - The Weepies<br />17. Sea And Sand - The Who<br />18. Here Comes The Sun/The Inner Light [Transition] - The Beatles (from LOVE)<br />19. Add My Effort - The Weepies<br />20. Cheaper Than Free (featuring Dave Stewart) - Stevie Nicks<br /><br />Yeah, it was kind of a Stevie/Weepies year. And I have lots to say about the reasons why I picked the various songs, but I think those liner notes actually *will* turn into a post-holiday blog post. I did one of those a couple of years ago -- http://paulobrian.livejournal.com/24738.html. <br /><br />And that's my answer to your question. I just couldn't wait until December.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-32023199360956218002011-11-08T21:09:54.172-07:002011-11-08T21:09:54.172-07:00Your reasons for favoring Amazon over iTunes are e...Your reasons for favoring Amazon over iTunes are excellent, but they left out my favorite one, which is that Amazon MP3 sells *MP3s*. Not M4As or AACs or M4Ps or any of that DRM-infested crap. Just honest-to-Bezos MP3 files that are not likely to pop up and complain about whether or not they can be played wherever I want to play them. <br /><br />I am not as voracious a consumer of music as you are, but it is something I'm passionate about. What's true for me, though, is I'm far less attached to date or currency. (Not money currency -- I like that well enough -- but, y'know, "currentness.") <br /><br />Okay, I can tell this is going to turn full-blown, so I will just go post it over at my place, paulobrian.livejournal.com.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-57233470179553853002011-11-08T19:07:00.465-07:002011-11-08T19:07:00.465-07:00This is a cool idea! I love, LOVE, music too, and ...This is a cool idea! I love, LOVE, music too, and I'm always on the lookout for something good. I'm excited to see what you recommend. So far, from what I've read on your blog, we have a lot of overlapping musical tastes.Julie Daineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08350205936357263571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-73134804737002913302011-11-08T18:54:01.608-07:002011-11-08T18:54:01.608-07:00@ McKenzie: I keep them wraped up tight in rubber ...@ McKenzie: I keep them wraped up tight in rubber casing. It's like they're new. And I'll see about making the blogfest more official.<br /><br />@ Rusty: I haven't tried Spotify. I'll have to check it out. Thanks.Brent Wescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313269993916969201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-11194811850159444382011-11-08T17:40:11.047-07:002011-11-08T17:40:11.047-07:00I've mostly been using Spotify for my music no...I've mostly been using Spotify for my music nowadays. It doesn't offer everything, but it's pretty close.Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-50066699618758336182011-11-08T16:59:23.326-07:002011-11-08T16:59:23.326-07:00Hey, I also have a black classic iPod. I also do n...Hey, I also have a black classic iPod. I also do not intend to dispense of it anytime soon. <br />I don't know a lot about running a blogfest, but I'd be happy to participate.McKenzie McCannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11707799179783394809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-81204848839932907792011-11-08T13:50:40.733-07:002011-11-08T13:50:40.733-07:00@ Bryan: Well, then in five years you can let us k...@ Bryan: Well, then in five years you can let us know if Katy Perry or Lady Gaga had the best album of 2011.<br /><br />@ darev: I can't decide. Is only listening to 150 artists a lack of open-mindedness or true loyalty to artists that you like?<br /><br />@ Michael: Sometimes I think that I experience new things because I check it out just because it's cheap. <br /><br />@ laughingmom: Every year my household gets more gadgets. And I have to have my CDs alphabetized, too. I tried it with my books once, but it didn't work out. I need an actual library in my house.Brent Wescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313269993916969201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-5704278328220409242011-11-08T13:08:26.132-07:002011-11-08T13:08:26.132-07:00We are an itunes family with multiple styles and p...We are an itunes family with multiple styles and permutations of ipods and players. I'll have to check out amazon's music. We use amazon all of the time as we have kindles as well. But with all of this digital stuff we still have hundreds of jewel cased CD's. They are alphabetized as my hubby is a little anal...laughingmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12144289190001684974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-80237605396624441792011-11-08T10:55:57.905-07:002011-11-08T10:55:57.905-07:00I have never bought any music off of Amazon. I thi...I have never bought any music off of Amazon. I think I need to change that because I like the idea of cheap.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-23898857678952170972011-11-08T09:00:09.766-07:002011-11-08T09:00:09.766-07:00Hmmm... I don't think I own anything that cam...Hmmm... I don't think I own anything that came out this year. I usually pick up used cd's from the pawn shop or thrift store for fifty cents or a dollar then rip them to the computer so I can take the songs I want and put them on my little mp3 player. I think I need to go have a big cleaning out of my collection. Last time I looked I had about 150 different artists and somewhere around 19,000 songs. Yikes!JustRexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772006307472464943.post-23632977311573319232011-11-08T06:39:55.343-07:002011-11-08T06:39:55.343-07:00Hmm, I don't know much about the music that ca...Hmm, I don't know much about the music that came out this year. I do like that "Human" song you posted a video to, but that's from like 5 years ago. I don't keep up with this stuff very well, I'm afraid.Bryan Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01607046468663026271noreply@blogger.com