The band that continues to push boundaries is stirring it up once again. Radiohead is offering their first album in four years as a pay-what-you-can download.
Recently Simon Jenkins reported in the Guardian Weekly that moral panic is spreading at CEO mansions of large record labels as CD sales drop 23 percent. He also wisely points out that cultural shifts have other sides, such as the live concert scene skyrocketing in attendance as of late.
While some musicians and corporate lackeys spend sleepless nights worrying about "protecting" the industry, progressive bands like Radiohead forge ahead and embrace new ways of sharing their art. Their fans will only love them for it and I suspect will even remunerate it appreciatingly.
So, on October 11th, visit inrainbows.com, which is the name of the new album, and follow the links to pay. Eventually you will be asked to "pay what you can." There's even another button for the confused, who are used to getting greased by a hyper-commercial industry run amok that says, "no really, it's up to you."
Eat your heart out, Dylan, you shameless sell-out.
Posted by Ezra Winton on October 3, 2007 in
Feministing recently posted a few articles about misguided design targeting women and girls. First up is a new line of toy cars by Mattel, cast in plastic shades of pink, purple, baby blue and mauve--yes, mauve. And taking it one step further, the feminist blog reports that Polly Pocket has recently rolled out a "Race to the Mall" race track set. "The finish line is a shopping boutique, I kid you not. Apparently after two years of research of what girls would want from a toy car, this is what they cam up with."
Next up we turn to American Airlines, who decided that women shouldn't bother themselves with too many pesky options when booking their flights. Their recently launched website targeting women travelers features a nauseating pink search bar, stripped of anything but the most basic search options. To top it off, the site offers special "girlfriend getaways" and "accessories tips" on flying in style. As one Feministing reader suggests, of the long list of improvements she wants while flying--such as less invasive pat-downs--"pink booking sites" isn't on the list. I'm not surprised, and American Airlines shouldn't be either.
Posted by Rob Maguire on April 15, 2007 in
Media democracy has a new tool – the Wi-Fi Liberator, from artist Jonah Brucker-Cohen, an open source toolkit for liberating pay-per-use wireless networks. Configured for portable Macs with built-in wireless, the software “opens” private networks for sharing. Wifi-Liberator is a critical contribution to the private versus public debate over the internet. Wireless providers want to use public space for private gain. Users want the Internet acknowledged as a public utility. The project targets pay-per-use wireless networks like those found in airports, hotels, coffee shops, and other public waiting points.
Posted by Michael Lithgow on February 21, 2007 in
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