steve jobs, inxs, quote of the day

Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks out against greedy record labels demanding that iTunes Music Store jack up the price of song downloads from the current $0.99 per song. "If they want to raise the prices, it just means they're getting a little greedy," he tells the media before the Apple Expo in Paris. "If the prices go up a lot, (consumers) will go back to piracy. Everybody loses." I completely agree. First of all, as Jobs also says, the cost of selling songs online is already far less than selling physical CDs. As this chart from a Wired article illustrates, song downloads can cost as little as $0.79 each. Also, record-label executives are thinking short-term here. Consumers are just warming up to the idea of buying songs online; it isn't good to turn them away, and back into piracy, by making downloads more expensive now.

As I sort of predicted here, former Elvis impersonator JD Fortune would become the new vocalist for INXS. Despite having way too much attitude, JD's actually got much of the same qualities as Michael Hutchence -- mainly the smooth voice and charisma -- and it was obvious from the beginning. Although the band seem to like Marty Casey a lot, being the old farts that they are, why would INXS take a risk with a vocalist that's got a different style to what they're used to? Marty is too dark and Mig Ayesa is too soft. Besides, JD wrote the better song -- "Pretty Vegas" is very radio friendly. I can't believe people who raved over Marty's "Trees" -- You and me up in the tree / You and I up in the sky? Did he even get past kindergarten? I do hope though that Suzie McNeil will have a good solo career. She can fill the shoes of washed-up female rockers like Melissa Etheridge and Courtney Love. Oh and she may as well kick Sheryl Crow's skinny ass too.

Rock Star Quote of the Day: "I'm all right. I'm good. There have been better times, but I'll be OK." Country artist with a very gay pout Kenny Chesney, on the pending annulment of his four-month marriage to Renee Zelleweger, indeed sounding cheesier than his songs.