Brit Music Scene

McCartney Talks Beatles Downloads, iTunes, Rock Band

Posted: 08 Sep 2009 07:00 PM PDT

This week is a big one for The Beatles, with the re-release of all 12 of their studio albums plus Magical Mystery Tour, and the release of The Beatles: Rock Band. It’s fair to say that The Beatles are back in a big way, hopefully being discovered by a new generation as a result.

There is, however, one thing missing from this resurgence of The Beatles: a way of legally downloading their back catalog. The Beatles have so far refused all requests to put their albums online, rejecting selling them on Apple iTunes, and streaming them on services such as Spotify.

McCartney spoke about this, as well as the new The Beatles: Rock Band video game in an interview with NME:

“We were having problems with iTunes – well not iTunes, EMI was the problem – with downloading, which we’d like to do because that’s how a lot of people get their music.”

“We’ve kind of bypassed that [download problems] because now you can do it in ‘Rock Band’. I always liked that, when you’re told you can’t do something and suddenly there’s a little route round the back.”

Unfortunately, McCartney seems to be a little ignorant of the fact that not having a legal method for obtaining digital copies of albums means that people are likely to turn to illegal methods instead.

Every Beatles album ever produced has been available on file-sharing Web sites for years, the only difference being that McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison don’t see a penny from it. So, holding out on offering content legally would appear to be a big mistake.

There is speculation that The Beatles back catalog will be available on iTunes soon, with Apple holding a music event this week where a deal could possibly be announced. If not, then people will continue to get hold of the music in other ways instead.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene

Pixie Lott – ‘Boys and Girls’ Music Video Review

Posted: 08 Sep 2009 09:45 AM PDT

Pixie Lott has already had a number one single in the U.K., with her debut release Mama Do reaching the top spot in June of this year. And now she’s back trying to repeat that success with her second single, Boys and Girls. Can Pixie Lott make it two singles, two chart hits in a row?

As I stated in the review for Mama Do, Pixie Lott is the latest in a long line of new British female singers to hit big, following in the footsteps of the likes of Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Adele. But while they are all soulful singers, Pixie Lott is pop all the way. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Boys and Girls is much more upbeat than Mama Do, and so it appeals on a different level. It has a party feel to it, with an unashamedly happy vibe underlying the whole thing. The chorus is maybe not as catchy as Mama Do but the song as a whole is probably more memorable.

It reminds me of a cross between the Sugababes and Katy Perry, with a little bit of Shut Up and Drive by Rihanna thrown in for good measure.

The video shows Lott performing and messing about at a kind of house party, but a house party where everyone is good-looking and can dance o a professional standard. It fits the song well, which is all I really demand from my music videos.

Boys and Girls is out now in the U.K. and looks set to make it to number one this weekend.

[Photo Source: Amazon.co.uk]

Post from: Brit Music Scene