This week’s free download single at iTunes Australia is Sydney-based Starky: “Is this how it ends?” It’s from Starky’s self-titled EP.
Beau Cassidy, Nick Neal and Saul Foster recorded their second album in Blaenpant, an 18th century Georgian mansion in Wales. All their tracks were recorded through a Korg MS-20, a vintage hand patchable synthesiser. After the recording they were joined by new members Johnny Wilson and Peter Farley.
On their site their editorial review says, “The sonic complexity of the record is deceiving, realistically each track consists of only drums, bass, two guitars, keyboards and voice but somehow the band have created an album that sounds like God talking.”
Well it has finally actually happened. Apple has pulled off the opening of its Australian iStore. If you don’t believe me check out the web site. Prices are reasonable - $1.69 a song, $3.39 a music video, $5.07 an EP, and $16.99 a full album.
The iTunes Store runs from the iTunes software, not from the internet like HMV and Sanity. It took me a while to work out how to change the settings from USA to Australia. I tried the “Account” feature but found no joy there. Finally I found the “Choose Country” option down the bottom of the page. And there it was - Australia.
There’s nothing on the iTunes store to specifically tell us we’re in Australia. But a look at the content gives it away. The featured albums at the top include Paul Mac, Evermore, Spiderbait, Missy Higgins and Bernard Fanning (of Powderfinger). There’s a free download of the single, “Shadowland” by up and coming band Youthgroup.
Sony BMG is yet to join the iStore party in Australia. I wonder what they’re holding out for.
We recently upgraded to the video version of iTunes on the family computer and promptly tried out all the quicktime videos on the hard drive. I don’t think iTunes was designed to cope with the number of videos we now have in the library. iT stalls every time we open up. Not good. However the earlier version is still working on the laptop.
Despite Peter Kafka’s prediction that the iTunes Store would open in Australia on October 3, nothing has been rolled out. It’s a bit like the second coming of Jesus. Lots of people have theories about what will happen and when it will happen. But in reality, we could be waiting a long time before we see the action.
In the meantime, we have to find alternatives. We can look through the American iTunes store but we can’t buy. We can’t even download free files downunder.
Maybe Australia has to revise its copyright laws before we get iTunes Store. After all, it’s still illegal to videotape anything off the television, let alone copy music from a CD we own to an mp3 player.
Beau Cassidy, Nick Neal and Saul Foster recorded their second album in Blaenpant, an 18th century Georgian mansion in Wales. All their tracks were recorded through a Korg MS-20, a vintage hand patchable synthesiser. After the recording they were joined by new members Johnny Wilson and Peter Farley.
