Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Geeky Thursday again

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  • Paul Litterick,

    A friend of mine who worked in a branch of the CD and DVD Store used to order the music she liked and play it, because there was nothing in stock she could bear.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    OTOH, I doubt Leonard sold any more CDs because of that exposure.

    oh so now its bands fault they didn't sell any more cds,
    did you every think it might have been because your company weren't pushing their hold music hard enough.......

    :)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • kmont,

    If I was a NZ musican I would happily pay to take my music OFF the hold playlist of certain government departments.
    Or is any publicity good publicity......

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 485 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    This kind of thing already exists albeit using the good old fashioned CD.

    yes but there's something to be said for the whole avoid talking to the staff to find out what the track and band is, writing it down, going home and pirating it off the net routine, much easier to just spur of the moment one click and buy it

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    did you every think it might have been because your company weren't pushing their hold music hard enough

    "Thank you for waiting. Your call is important to us. If you've enjoyed listening to our hold music - "Night of the Beast" by Prime Devastation - and you wish to purchase their new CD "Night of the Beast II: Rock 'n' Roll Terrorist", then press 1."

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    A friend of mine who worked in a branch of the CD and DVD Store used to order the music she liked and play it, because there was nothing in stock she could bear.

    Having done my time in record shops, and had to play some truly dire shit, you learn to just switch off and let the music become white noise. The stuff that's half good you don't want to play because you associate it with work (I can't do REM any more, mostly for that reason).

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Paul, I feel the same way about computer games. As a kid they were one of my chief loves. Now computers are a job and computer games feel like work to me. Anything to get out of this damned chair!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    Yes, I worked in a bookshop. They played suitable music all day. I brought in a Clean album once and was told to remove it half way through the first track.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • robbery,

    Having done my time in record shops, and had to play some truly dire shit, you learn to just switch off and let the music become white noise.

    careful there paul, that's scarily close to saying dire straits and you'll just upset mr grigg by mentioning the band of his nightmares :)

    new zealand • Since May 2007 • 1882 posts Report Reply

  • Chockasunday,

    I'm not sure the Apple announcements were that much to get excited about.

    Yeah, I'd love a bigger iPod, but the Classic doesn't have any extra features from the 5G.
    Although the touch screen looks cool, I'm glad the click wheel is still there as an option. It will use less battery power.
    Why don't they bring out one with a radio?
    I know you're all thinking radio is crap, but it would be nice to tune in for the news and weather at the least.

    I know you can buy one as an accessory, but it's such a basic feature, it should be there.

    And if the iTouch was meant to be an iPhone without the phone, then where's the camera?

    And Russell, if you're such an Apple fanboy, how come Public Address radio isn't available as a Podcast in iTunes yet?
    It would be nice to have the podcasts automatically downloaded and synced to the iPod.
    That said, I'm grateful to have them at all!

    Bevan.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 62 posts Report Reply

  • Chockasunday,

    Hmm, there is already a podcast called Public Address on iTunes which looks completely unrelated ...

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 62 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    NY Times story on Columbia signing Rick Rubin to turn around the company

    The mighty music business is in free fall — it has lost control of radio; retail outlets like Tower Records have shut down; MTV rarely broadcasts music videos; and the once lucrative album market has been overshadowed by downloaded singles, which mainly benefits Apple. "The music business, as a whole, has lost its faith in content," David Geffen, the legendary music mogul, told me recently. "Only 10 years ago, companies wanted to make records, presumably good records, and see if they sold. But panic has set in, and now it's no longer about making music, it's all about how to sell music."

    __Which I discovered via this blog on HuffPo:__

    Dear Rick Rubin (or Somebody): Why Not Surf the "Velocity of Music?"

    The question has two parts: 1) Can anybody save the music business? 2) If so, can Rick Rubin?
    Then there's the implicit question: If by the "the music business" we mean the matrix of corporations that distribute recorded music today, should it be saved?

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    NB: The NYT story on Rubin is 10 pages long, but it contains gems such as:

    In the early Metallica sessions, Rubin has been exacting about different drum sounds. "Lars" — Ulrich, the drummer — "will play two things for me, and I'll say, 'This one is great and that one is terrible,' " Rubin recalled.
    "Lars will say: 'How do you know? They both sound good to me.' Well, I just know."

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    And Russell, if you're such an Apple fanboy, how come Public Address radio isn't available as a Podcast in iTunes yet?

    It is!

    here.

    It is oddly elusive, but the iTunes Store registration process is a bit inscrutable. You give them your info and they decide how they'll refer to it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Any way, completely random occasion for happy happy joy joy:

    Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip comes from behind and makes the Booker shortlist!

    The judges of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2007 have announced this year’s six shortlisted novels.

    The six titles shortlisted are:

    * Darkmans by Nicola Barker (Fourth Estate)
    * The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape)
    * The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Hamish Hamilton)
    * Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (John Murray)
    * On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape)
    * Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster)

    The shortlist of six was announced today at a press conference at Man Group plc in London. Following the meeting, Howard Davies, Chair of Judges commented:

    “Selecting a shortlist this year from what was widely seen as an exciting longlist was a tough challenge. We hope the choices we have made after passionate and careful consideration, will attract wide interest.”

    Ian McEwan’s name on the shortlist will not surprise many with On Chesil Beach being the bookies’ favourite since the longlist was announced last month.

    William Hill only just slashed its odds yesterday on New Zealander Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip from 20/1 to 5/1 following a surge on betting and online sales through Amazon.

    Think it's the first time in years I've actually read and enjoyed anything on the Booker shortlist... Huzzah!

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    . . . how come Public Address radio isn't available as a Podcast in iTunes yet?

    It is!
    here.

    iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store. The host is down.
    Make sure your network connection is active and try again.


    I like my mac, but there are times when I wonder if I should have bought a computer from a company whose main biz is telephones & mp3 players.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I see that [[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10462040|it's not likely NZ will be graced] with the expensive-music-with-your-expensive-coffee option.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    If you've enjoyed listening to our hold music - "Night of the Beast" by Prime Devastation

    A friend of mine, while doing holiday work at the National Bank, managed to change their hold music to Metallica's Ride the Lightning for about 12 hours.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I managed to play 12 seconds of my music when I worked in McDonalds, before management caught me and gave me my daily reprimand. It was only Led Zeppelin, but that was far too hardcore apparently. Then it was back to The Big Chill on endless loop again. I can't stand to hear any of that now. It makes my hands feel greasy, fills my nose with the stench of lard (sorry shortening) and makes me want to head to the basement to compact garbage. Pity there was never a McBadge for garbage compaction, that was seriously my favourite job there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    Pity there was never a McBadge for garbage compaction, that was seriously my favourite job there.

    Made me laugh out loud :)

    I didn't realise McD's made their products in-house, I'd always assumed they shipped the burgers in frozen, rather than recycled them at the, ahem, restaurant.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Oh Paul, the stories I could tell... Actually there might be one for the endings thread there, i've already done a McD's story in the jobs thread.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    I watched Supersize Me on C4 the other night and all I could think was "mmmmmm, Big Mac". I haven't had one in MONTHS!!

    And now it's lunchtime and again I'm thinking "mmmmmm, Big Mac"

    Save me Jeremy, save me NOW!

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew,

    Actually, apart from the metric assload of calories involved, there's nothing wrong with a Big Mac per se. The quality control at McDs is well honed, and better than you'd expect considering their employees are a bunch of disgruntled teens on minimum wage, or worse - disgruntled not-teens on minimum wage. Of course now they're assembing them to order, you have a slightly higher chance of a sneeze-burger if you actively insult the staff.

    The main drawback of McDs is that its a bit like hooning around on one of those miniature pretend Harleys - great fun, but you wouldn't want anyone you know to see you doing it.
    It serves the need, but it ain't real food.

    For those just in from another thread, insert Starbucks comparison here.

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    scarily close to saying dire straits and you'll just upset mr grigg by mentioning the band of his nightmares

    As I once said elsewhere, if The National Party were a band, they'd be Dire Straits....

    But I understand the record shop conundrum. I used to, at the height of the punk thingy in 78 /79, manage a small record store branch in Parnell and I truly tried to be the good employee and play The Cars and Dire Straits instore but I usually, less and less, couldn't bring myself to do so. Sometimes you had to just let your needs and instincts get the better of you and just bang on The Ramones or The Buzzcocks and be done with it..

    Now of course they have employment contracts to prevent such individualistic venting

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

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