Archive for the ‘Just Stuff’ Category

An big deadline is approaching for customers of the iTunes Store. This past March, Apple introduced “Complete My Album”, which gives you a credit against albums purchased within 180 days of buying an individual track.

But what about singles you bought long ago? Well, Apple set June 26, 2007 as the date “Complete My Album” expires for tracks purchased before December 28, 2006. (FAQ link)

That’s less than two weeks away, so go to iTunes and see what you can buy and for how much:
(all affiliate proceeds help us feed our dogs)

But before you get too excited, there are gobs of exceptions. Hidden in the FAQ is one catch 22 where you can be penalized for, get this, having purchased too many individual tracks. Case in point: I spent $7.92 to buy an album from my youth, Use Your Illusion II by Guns N’ Roses. I bought all eight tracks of the “partial album only” which Apple was offering, so kudos to them for letting me upgrade now to the full album, right? Nope.

The CMA FAQ says:

…if you previously acquired so many single tracks from the same album that the price would be less than the current price of a single song…, you will not be able to purchase the remaining tracks.

Since “Use Your Illusion II” now costs only $6.99, if I had bought less — only 6 of the 8 tracks — I could have upgraded for $1.05. Instead it will now cost me $14.91 total after I repurchase the full album and with it tracks I already own, in a DRM’d low-res format no less. It’s a stoopid policy which punishes individual track purchasing, and worse, it was Apple (or GnR’s label) who restricted me from buying the full album in the first place.

I like the convenience of the iTunes Store and all, but if Apple does enough of this, CDs on Amazon are looking pretty good again.

Ran in to our friend (and occasional recording talent) and now TV star Miriam Shor at SXSW last week. She joined John Cameron Mitchell onstage singing “The Origin of Love” at Maggie Mae’s downtown Austin, where ASCAP hosted a DVD release party for “Shortbus”.

Miriam’s voice defines the word “singular”. Hear her on our Go-Go Beach demo track “Don’t Look The Other Way” and also on “Be Where You Are” from the upcoming Dogs That Wear Hats.

Download (ctrl-click to Save As...)

Lots of change lately.

+ Staples (old sam goody on 6th ave)
+ Joey (home for good?)
- Ben & Leonie (better not be gone for good)
- Ony
- Boxers
- Dr. Carrao & VIP Vet
- Butterflies & Zebras flower shop
+ HSBC (we don’t bank there, but Joey & Ben do)
+ mystery shop next to HSBC… hope it’s not more “fantasy” gifts. we have enuf, thank you.

Varsano’s Chocolate reopened, that’s very good.