NEWS: iTunes Releases Thom Yorke, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams Exclusives

MUSIC: iTunes Releases Thom Yorke, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams Exclusives

ITunes has released a mammoth digital "box set" of 81 tracks recorded live at the 2-decades long Bay Area benefit concert series for Bridge School, an eductaional program for children with severe speech and physical impairments. The originization was founded by Neil Young's wife, Pegi, in 1986 with Neil starting the series of benefits the same year.



The exclusive collection for iTunes features tracks from Young himself, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, Patti Smith, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Tegan & Sara, as well as dozens of others. Thom Yorke of Radiohead can be found doing a show-stopping version of Young's "After The Gold Rush" recorded at the 2002 benefit.



iTunes and the artists' respective labels will donate a portion of the proceeds from sales to The Bridge School. The entire collection can be downloaded for around sixty dollars, or by track for the iTunes standard price of ninety-nine cents.





(Thom Yorke of Radiohead)

After The Gold Rush!

*swoons*

Yeah, I think it's about time they collected these performances in a comprehesive way like this. So many big names have played those shows. This is a great idea.

christmas gift!

hooray for crappy 128kbps m4ps

Is it bad to be happy that you don't hafta buy the whole thing?

I've been looking for the Thom Yorke stuff ever since I regretted not buying a ticket. (I think he may have been the only reason I really wanted to go.)

128k/s AAC files are about the same quality as 256k/s VBR MP3s. AAC uses a much more efficient compression scheme. I won't (can't?) defend the DRM, though.

Come on iTunes add the MINISTRY acoustic tracks, that's where the idea for the cover of "Lay Lady Lay" came from. And don't forget the David Bowie set...

You know, I'd prefer that Apple not use DRM too, but, really, when you break it down, it's not so bad, as such schemes go. It allows tunes to be burned to CD (where they can be re-ripped to unprotected MP3, for that matter), and it allows the songs to be put on 3 different computers. I'd probably have to admit that most people (including me with the stuff I've bought on ITunes) have never brushed up against the limits of Apple's DRM, if they just download a song and load it onto their Ipod, which is what most people are doing with the Apple Music Store.

It's cool to bash it, but it's certainly better than some alternatives -- compare the DRM Sony tried to force on people, complete with system-corrupting rootbox software. If DRM is something that we have to inevitably accept -- and I hope it's not -- Apple's scheme might be one of the best compromises.