Radiohead have finally surrendered to digital downloads, allowing the Digital7 service to provide MP3s (with decent quality at 320k) of their albums along with B sides and rarities.  The best thing, is that Radiohead have recognised the fact that such a service doesn’t carry the costs of distribution and manufacture of jewel cases, inlay cards etc so have priced the album downloads at £6.99 (~$14).  More about this story can be found here.

This bit of news does raise an interesting opportunity, with artists releasing on one site and not another (unlike record shops where store loyalty doesn’t really exist) is there a case for a search service which can find which sites are selling music for an artist you’re interested in and whether the site includes DRM, iPod/Zune compatibility and so on.

Gomez have announced that they’re about to head back into the studio to start recording their next album which is expected to be released in the middle of 2008.

In the meantime Ian Ball has recorded and will be releasing a solo album called ‘Who Goes There’.  It has a US release date, but frustratingly for the UK no date – sad given its a British artist!

For more information see the Gomez site : http://www.gomeztheband.com

The UK side of Vagrant Records are currently selling albums at £5 – this includes artists such as Paul Westerberg and Dashboard Confessional among others!  Now that’s what I call fine prices.

Their online store is here (http://www.resonancestore.com/vagrant/)

Rough Trade have launched an album club, where each month they’ll send you a copy of what they consider the best album of the month, for a price of course.  A great idea, but at £12  a month, for CD which may not appeal to your taste (after all the existing selections range from KT Tunstall to the Arcade Fire), it is a lot of money to gamble – particularly if you can buy the album elsewhere on the net for less. Admittedly the album will be sent to you with a nice set of liner notes etc. 

If the CDs had been compilations of the month’s best releases and two thirds of the price then I would have seriously considered joining as that would encourage me (and probably many others) to buy albums from lesser known artists discovered though the compilation (something that Uncut’s cover CD helps with).

If you would like to know more then go here.

With the cost of reasonable quality recording from a sound/mixing desk and practicalities of moving the technology getting cheaper and easier there seems to be a trend towards official ‘bootlegs’ seems to be increasing with Tori Amos being another convert. With CD sales reportedly dropping its another avenue to replace any lost income, and a good one for artists who have a reputation for good live performances.

Call me a luddite if you like, but apart from the fact that there is now a price tag associated to the concert recording what has happened to the romance of smugging in recording equipment and trying to get yourself a spot where the sound is perfect. The trick of timing when to swap recording media and so on.

It does also leave an interesting question when is a live recording a bootleg or an official live album ?

 The founder of one of the most famous clubs ever CBGB’s – Hilly Kristal has died due to complications from Lung Cancer.  CBGB’s will always be remembered as the spiritual home of US Punk. Sadly the club closed last year as a result of being forced out by the landlords.

I don’t know if its me getting older – but we do seem to be receiving news of a lot of influential people from the music world passing on in recent months.

Hilly Kristal’s obituary at NME can be found here.

 Crawdaddy seem to be keeping up with their excellent standard of articles and subject matter, this time with a crate digger article on Chris Whitley’s debut album.

Crate Digger – Chris Whitely: Living With the Law