
Today Apple hosted its “Rock & Roll” press conference. With a name like that, and with this being Beatles day, people were thinking Apple might announce that they’d finally secured the rights to sell the Fabulous fouresome’s catalog digitally. Probably because Yoko said as much until she didn’t. But there were no Beatles-related developments to share. Instead, the not-so-big news by company standards came via the revamped line of iPods, with new price points and capacities and, most notably, a Nano that will catch FM radio and take video so you can post live concert clips to the frustration of artists everywhere. (All the specs are here.) Also, meet iTunes LP: Apple’s cyber-attempt to cyber-recreate the artwork/liner note/etc. aspect of the album-purchasing experience. The iTunes 9 update will have that for you. You are so psyched you can’t wait to download that update. You are doing it already probably.
And one more thing…
Well that’s just it. In Macworlds past our dear leader Steve Jobs would tear down the house with his “and one more thing” bit just before unveiling some techno-joyous surprise. But at Rock & Roll, Jobs’s presence itself was the big reveal, the Apple CEO looking thin but seeming sharp as ever after successfully recovering from a liver transplant five months ago.
In addition to Mr. Jobs, the conference boasted an appearance from Norah Jones, who played the show out with “Come Away With Me” and “Young Blood,” a new song from her forthcoming album The Fall. (That’s the one with the Ryan Adams and Will Sheff cowriting and the Tom Waits namedropping.)
And that’s about it. Better luck next time, Wall Street.
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First post! Norah + Ryan Adams = Shit Sandwich! (Music-related comment.)
‘The Fall’? She should’ve had Mark E Smith co-writing, that would’ve been amazing…
and I thought she was going to call the album Maple Leaves
I’m more excited about Citroc Entertainment Presents “Angels” Directed by Hype Williams!
how the hell did you find out about th…oh, wait. right.
Strange that the title of the press conference was “It’s Only Rock and Roll, but we like it”. Norah Jones is okay and all, but not exactly what I consider a “rock and roll” artist. Weird.
wow, stereogum…take it easy on the Cirox ads, jeez!
My theory (factual information)- Diddy saw the indie rock “cred” that Jay-Z’s been accumulating and wanted to force his way into our hearts.
Aint nobody gonna hold me down…
The Beatles is that the Liverpool band that Pitchfork has been hyping up so much this week??
I don’t think I like the nano-version of Steve Jobs.
Is Norah unlockable in GuitarHero 5?
I’ve had my Creative Zen for at least 3 or 4 years now and it has FM radio. I had no idea this wasn’t already commonplace in the obscenely overpriced iPods.
Goooo apple?