Yahoo Takes On the Big Boys

Before I begin the news on this oh-so exciting hump day, I'd just like to wish a very happy birthday to fellow blogger Chromewaves Frank. I don't know if he pays attention to my silly little blog at all, but I read his daily and it's one of my favorites. Happy birthday!

I reported yesterday that Grokster president Wayne Rosso has just released the beta version of Mashboxx, a P2P service like Kazaa combined with the legal, purchased downloading features of iTunes. The idea behind it is that you can find anything you want to, legal or not, but buy a legal copy of it for a small fee. Personally, I think the idea is phenomenal and could really go places. That is, of course, if it wasn't so expensive. At $1 per song, it puts it equal to iTunes in the cost department. To me, that's a big downfall.

Today, Yahoo announced the release of the beta version of its new music downloading service, Yahoo Music Unlimited. The concept of it is much more like Napster and Rhapsody than it is Kazaa. It's not P2P at all, and the selection is currently only at one million songs. That may sound like a lot to you, but when you consider the fact that that probably includes the popular artists in most genres of music, I find it hard to imagine that they'd have some of my favorite indie bands. Then again, I have no room to judge because I haven't tried it. It just doesn't seem likely.

At $4.99/mo paid annually (or $6.99/mo paid monthly), you get unlimited access to their music catalog. That's less than half the cost of Napster and Rhapsody. The service also allows you to share music with your friends over Yahoo! Messenger, not that anyone ever uses it. Like the others, it does allow you to transfer your music onto portable devices, but that doesn't include the iPod, which, at least for now, doesn't support the Yahoo Music Unlimited service. Looks like Yahoo will have to take on iTunes another day.

If you don't have a portable device, you're at a monetary disadvantage. While transferring your files to an mp3 player is free, burning a CD is not. Yahoo Unlimited charges $0.79 for every burn. Napster and Rhapsody both charge $0.99. At least it's cheaper.

Yahoo Music Unlimited may be a better deal than Napster and Rhapsody, but it isn't much different. It has a few nicer features, but it's basically the same format. Services like this one need to be paying close attention to what Mashboxx does in the near future. Although it's a heck of a lot more expensive, it probably has the most extensive collection of music since it relies on P2P rather than a server. Since it's only in beta testing, I can't tell you everything about it. I don't know if there's a charge for burning or if things can be put on a portable device (I'm sure they can, but I don't know for certain). I just know that I like the sound of that service a lot better than this same-old-same-old downloading service the other guys are coming out with.

You can sign up for a free one-week trial of Yahoo Music Unlimited at the website.

In other news...

I think I may have posted this already, but I want to post it again because I really enjoy it. Paste Magazine has a great four-page biography of Doves. It basically takes you back to their foundation and describes the process they went through to build the band they have today. While you're reading that, take a look at the revised tour schedule, which recently had to be cut back on account of vocalist Jimi Goodwin's throat problems. Goodwin got the okay from doctors to begin performing again, and the tour will go on as scheduled starting May 13th in Chicago.

Nothing says rock and roll like a reunion tour, right? In yet another attempt to squeeze enough money out of what's left of their fans to make up for the decline in their social security checks, The Rolling Stones have reunited... again. While fans, a good number of whom weren't even born when the Stones called it quits for the first time, are going crazy over their rebirth, it should be noted that the last time they toured was only two years ago. So much for a hiatus, eh? At any rate, the tour, which is likely to be incredibly overpriced, starts in August and will in fact hit up the C-bus. Boy, I just can't wait.

Speaking of bands who, in my opinion, need to just stop altogether, check out this absolutely beautiful Tiny Mix Tapes review of Nine Inch Nails' new album With Teeth. It's one of the best reviews I've ever seen.

My friends, I saved the best for last today. This is something that, when I found out, I about peed myself. So, to curb your anxiety, drumroll please...

... Of Montreal is coming to Columbus!!!! [insert applause and mass hysteria here] I'm so excited by this news. So incredibly excited. The show is September 6th, venue TBA, and you can bet your socks I'll be there with my better half, Claude, as that will be our six month anniversary. Precious, isn't it? What better way to celebrate it. Who the heck knows when tickets will go on sale. As a sidenote, I just want to thank Kork for having the coolest concert listing ever.

Upcoming Columbus Shows

5.13 - Mae w/ The Academy Is... and Jamison Parker - Little Brothers
5.15 - Andrew Bird w/ Antenna - Little Brothers
5.17 - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers
5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on the Street - Promowest Pavilion
6.01 - Gang Gang Dance - The Wexner Center
6.02 - The Wrens - Little Brothers
6.03 - Tokyo Rose - High Five
6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
6.16 - Comets On Fire - The Wexner Center
6.29 - Black Eyed Peas w/ Talib Kweli - Promowest Pavilion
8.11 - Ben Folds w/ Ben Lee and Rufus Wainwright - Promowest Pavilion
8.31 - Coldplay - Germain Ampitheater
9.06 - Of Montreal - TBA

Daily Downloads

From Regnyouth:
Sufjan Stevens - Greetings from Michigan, the Great Lake State (link, mp3)
Chemical Brothers - Chemical Brothers (zip)
The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives (link, mp3)