iTunes

EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva has come out against DRM lock-ins like Apple's iPod-iTunes combo. Kuneva said she believes the tie-in that keeps music bought from the iTunes Store from playing on MP3 players other than the iPod was unreasonable. '"Do you find it reasonable that a CD will play in all CD players, but an iTunes song will only play on an iPod?" asked Kuneva. "It doesn't [seem reasonable] to me. Something must change."' The EU is in the midst of an effort to harmonize its consumer protection laws, and along with the question of DRM tie-ins it is also looking at mandating cooling-off periods during which customers could 'return' downloaded music."

I think that this is an important point. My personal biggest gripe with digital music is its inability to mesh well with other technology. I am personally a legacy machine lover. I don't need the latest and greatest models, so with that bias taken into account I still think proprietary music is wrong. Music should be about expressions and emotions, not about making money. Technology needs to grow and evolve.

Around The Web

Why not take a few minutes to see what's fat, hot, and popping fresh from your favorite digital space and mine - The Internets? Here we go:

- MTV2 has the premiere of the new video from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - False Pretense. MTV2 is also dropping 3 tracks from the imminent Bloc Party release "A Weekend in the City," even though two of the tracks you've probably heard before ("I Still Remember," "The Prayer"). But the third one is (actually) new at least - "Hunting for Witches".

- Borders is spotlighting The Shins (who isn't these days) and they've got some goodies, including keyboardist Marty Crandall giving his top fives on everything from indie rock albums to dinner guests. Also on the site is a brief history of Sub Pop records, the renowned independent label which is home to The Shins, among many others.

- iTunes has some killer exclusives up right now, such as The Decemberists' Apple Store SoHo performance from November, which sports 3 tracks from their latest album, "The Crane Wife." Meanwhile, Keane rocked out at the Apple Store in London for this exclusive semi-acoustic EP.

Now, not to cuddle Apple like our favorite stuffed animal from the age of two, you know the one that you just couldn't let go of no matter what, I mean the freakin' world could end and you would still be holding onto this thing...but damn I'm a sucker for the iPod ads. What can I say? They're clever, creative, bright, and shiny all rolled into one! And even better, they feature some primo songs. From Jet to Wolfmother and now onto The Fratellis. "Flathead," from their critically acclaimed "Costello Music" LP, provides the beats behind the frenetic, karate dancing silhouettes in the two newest iPod commercials, playing extensively on TV as well as apple.com. And stay tuned, because we'll have a full rundown on this emerging act, sure to be one of the biggest bands of '07!