Try www.allofmp3.com - it's cheap as chips and it's not a Russian Mafia credit card scam ! Well if it is they've not got me yet. UPDATE - I fully expect this site to be shut soon as the credit card companies have now stopped to accept payments for it under pressure from the record industry. FURTHER UPDATE 2/9/07. Widely reported to be shut down in the press. Well it isn't.The AllTunes GUI they provided still works, you can still download and you can still refill your account balance from a credit card. It's not being updated with new music though as far as I can tell
iTunes. It's nice. It's fluffy. But it's crap quality; the DRM means it only works on your iPod or your iTunes. If you've got an MP3 player in your car then forget it. And it's so expensive. Just buy the CD from www.play.com and rip it. It's about the same price and you'll still have something when your hard disk crashes ! It's just so stupid.
Hi-Fi - so is Hi Fi dead now ? So everyones happy now listening to their iPods on their iPod 'HiFis' (??!!!) ...or are they ? Where's the stereo Image ? Where's the bass ? Why did you pay £300 for a crap pair of computer speakers ?? I did a comparison between my iPod and a real CD the other night - playing through my AV Amp. The iPod was awful. The CD was a revelation. I daren't even dig out the Super Audio CDs I bought when that seemed to be the future - that would be more painfull still. So ironically we're all now listening to lower quality stuff than we were even 30 years ago (Linn Sondek LP12 vs. iPod anyone ? thought not). On the other hand we can carry our entire music collection around with us - that's great for a trip to the supermarket or stuck on The Horror That Is Public Transport - but at home ?? Could do better.
Fink. Distance and Time.
Not as good as Biscuits for Breakfast (see below) but still worth a listen. A grower.
Radiohead. In Rainbows.
I paid £3.97 for my download. It's worth more. I might buy the real CD when it's available. Proper songs for a change. My highlights are 'videotape' and 'Weird fishes/Arpeggi'. Videotape sounds very much like one of the songs off the new PJ album below.
PJ Harvey. White Chalk.
Very personal and often uncomfortable listening (e.g. 'In ether' is about an abortion). Mostly Piano and falsetto singing. Listen to it on your own. It's a bit depressing and not even in the depressing-but-uplifting sort of way.
Fink. Biscuits for breakfast.
This is awesome. He has a background in electro and dub (which you can hear) but it's really a bluesy type album - maybe a bit John Martyn-ish. Why it isn't no. 1 in the hit parade is beyond me. Go check out customer reviews on Amazon and then buy it. Everyone who hears it likes it !
Secret Machines. Ten Silver Drops.
This is the latest album from the Texan trio. Fantastic. Just buy it. If you don't like it there's something wrong with you !
Update 06/07/06 : These guys are sooo good. Standout tracks are track 1 - 'Alone, Jealous and Stoned' and track 4 - 'Daddy's in the doldrums'. There's a few weak points but when they get it right it's sooo good. They've not made their OK Computer yet but when they do it will be huge.
Morrissey Ringleader of the Torementors
Nope. No good.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's Show your bones
Oh dear. Second album syndrome. The first was so good - seems like they've burnt out now. There were some decent slower songs at the end of the first album but it was like the aftermath of a wild party. This is a bit more like a slightly exciting trip to B&Q. I need a few more listens yet though.
Update 6/7/06 : I was a bit harsh - it's still not as good at the last album but there's a few tracks that I like now.
Secret Machines Now Here is Nowhere
This is good ! A bit Radioheaddy. A bit Neu - but without the v. cool german voice thing going on - but still good.
Jeff Buckley Grace
No longer with us. No idea how I've missed this. Just awesome. That voice... words fail me.
The Kooks Inside In - Inside Out
So good. Gutted my daughter went to see them at Sheffield Uni before I'd even heard of them! Just so many good songs. Quirky englishness. Just perfect. It will be the album of the year.
Got fantastic reviews. But why ? It's awful. What's going on ??? They're from Wakefield and I'm afraid they're going to have to stay there. Now appearing on eBay.
Listening to this a lot since I got it a few weeks ago. Favourite walking round town music for no good reason. Very good if you like that shoegazer sort of stuff.
Just downloaded this after a long absence - they were good ! Psycho Killer is the song everyone remembers but there's so much more on this album. Clearly all the later 'world' music stuff was rubbish but this was blinding. Annoyingly TH claim to have been influenced by A Certain Ratio for their World music phase - but ACR were never really 'world' - much more urban decay with a nice rhythm - like an early Massive Attack. Just Americans missing the point.
IMHO the best Cure album - endlessly gloomy foggy days before they got into that pointlessly cheerful 'whacky' period - Love cats/Friday etc. Blah !