Nothing But The Stats

Hello Stat-ernizing bunkmates in the chummery, James the Yahoo Butler here.

There are times in the course of the Butler’s diurnal musical perambulations when he just wants to chuck his numbers racket, stop dead still in the manor’s library, drop his feather duster, clasp his head between his palms and holler, just like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, “Words, words, I’m so sick of words!”

Indeed, what are words worth, words that decry how we stack up content-wise against the holdings of the world, when what matters most is the spirit of the matter, i.e., the music. Oh that I could spend the rest of my desultory afternoon listening to the Jacksons, Janet and Alan (no relation…”Duh,” quoteth the Butler’s neice) on this week’s New Releases.

But no, duty calls and so duty must be answered.

We tracked 45 albums. I would not deign to say that, with 41 albums available for download (91%), we creamed iTunes (35, 78%) but you certainly could. Moreover, we captured 520 songs (90%) while they cobbled together 478 (78%).

Things were a smidge more close with tracks on demand. Yahoo, 36 (80%), Rhapsody 37 (82%). As for available tracks, us, 512 (88%), them, 527 (91%). We were getting lonely out there, so far in front. Know what I mean?

And because, as Jethro Tull crooned, life’s a long song, here’s a link to the playlist for the NR 092606

Nothing But The Stats

Good autumn afternoon, purveyors of polyphonic poop, James the Yahoo Butler here.

This week’s New Releases reminded me of the Grand National this past April at Aintree in Liverpool.

Numbersixvalverde, jockied by the peerless Niall Madden, trained by the redoubtable Martin Brassil, paid the Butler a fine 11 to 1. Not bad for a bracing afternoon’s work.

A real horse race it was and a real horse race we have here with iTunes and Rhapsody.

Of 38 Yahoo! priority new releases, we weigh in with 35, for 92%. Apple, trails over the line with 31, 82%. We offer 429 tracks, 96%, while Apple holds steady with 405, 91%.

Ditto for downloadable albums, 35 and 92%, Rhapsody, 32 and 84%.

And now, because you’re so nice, I wager you’d like a peek at a link to the 091906 New Releases.

How Do You Want It?

Well, we’re at it again – scrapping and clawing in the struggle for choice and openness. While it may seem a bit odd to view anything the size of Yahoo! as a scrappy underdog, it can sometimes feel that way when going up against some of the larger forces in the universe.In this case, our small victory comes in the form of the new album from fresh-faced Jesse McCartney — and the fact that you can buy it from Yahoo! Music in your choice of WMA format, or the classic MP3 format that we’ve all come to know and love. (Or you can get both, for you Jesse McCartney completeists) Sure, we made a splash when we offered Jessica as an MP3, and this is another step in that direction.

Check it out: http://music.yahoo.com/jesseright

But, a step in what direction? It has to do with this radical concept: Consumer choice.

Now, I caution anyone reading this to resist the urge to see the future of digital content as a war between DRM and an MP3 free-for-all. The prediction of some that all major labels will teeter and crumble is a bit premature – and probably not in anyone’s ultimate best interest. Some say all DRM is evil and a complete hindrance to any innovation. I happen to disagree. I believe that when executed well, rights management can open up a lot of doors that would be otherwise locked – portable all-you-can-eat subscriptions being one notable example. Nobody has all the answers yet. Some say revolution, but I see an evolution coming, and I like it.

I’m not really here to debate DRM, though. What I really wanted to do is give a shout out to Jesse McCartney and Hollywood Records. The real point here is that there may be a better way to do this business down the road. Maybe what’s important isn’t picking one or the other, but offering real choice to music lovers out there. More folks are starting to understand that. Today, you can buy Right Where You Want Me in a format that suits you. We hope that in the near future, you’ll have the choice buy all your music that way.

Mick O.
Yahoo! Music

Nothing But The Stats

Good day, Euphonious Ether-nauts. James the Yahoo Butler here again, to dish up another smorgasbord of stats and lists, scoops du jour which you can audibly sample.

Today you may notice that today’s servings are a sconce en retard.

Yes, it’s still a competitive playing field, and, he reports with glee, AOL, Microsoft, and MySpace will soon join in the fray (There’s nothing the Butler likes more than to roll up his sleeves and display his pugilistic prowess).

It’s just that sometimes the confluence of numbers and Butler don’t always coincide in those too-few precious moments when the he can steal away to his writing desk beneath the main staircase and dash off his entry.

After all, never would he want to delay one nanosecond longer the data and playlists we do have. Rest assured that once he, with the memory of a pink elephant, procures this absentee datum, he’ll pass them along to you.

New Releases (As of August 29, 2006)
Of the 37 albums available at this writing, we offer 33 for download/purchase. 89%. iTunes offers 34 That’s 92%.
Yahoo offers 409 tracks (92%), iTunes whams us (Ever the gentleman, the Butler says, let’s give credit where credit is due) with 440 (99%).
At this writing, in terms of tracks available for streaming and subscription download, we offer 31 full albums (84%), with 398 available tracks (90%). Rhapsody offers 26 (70%) and 375 (84%), respectively.
Here’s a link to the playlist of the NR0829.

Billboard 200 (As of September 2, 2006)
Of the 200 albums available at this writing, we offer 171 for download/purchase. A respectable 86%. iTunes offers 176. That’s 88% a statistically insignificant margin of 2% (You do remember what a standard deviation is, don’t you?)
Yahoo offers 2612 tracks (87%), Apple’s got 2709 (91%).
At this writing, in terms of tracks available for streaming and subscription download, we offer 133 full albums (67%), with 2309 available tracks (77%). Rhapsody offers 132 (66%) and 2374 (79%), respectively.
Here’s a link to the playlist of the BB200.

College Music Journal 200 (As of September 4, 2006)
Of the 200 albums, we offer at this writing 152 albums for download/purchase. That’s 76%. At this moment, we don’t have anything comparable from Apple. Sorry, folks,
Here’s a link to the playlist of the CMJ200.

New Releases (As of September 5, 2006)
Of the 35 albums available at this writing, we offer 15 for download/purchase (43%). iTunes offers 27. That’s 77%. Yahoo offers 2612 tracks (87%), Apple’s got 2709 (91%).
At this writing, in terms of tracks available for streaming and subscription download, we offer 14 full albums (40%). Rhapsody offers 17 (49%).
Here’s a link to the playlist of the NR0905.

Finally, stat-less but no less stately, here’s a link to the playlist of the NR0912.

James Scarborough
Yahoo! Music Butler

Y! Music Weekly Music News Recap

Visit Yahoo! Music’s Top Events Page

1. The Greatest Love Of All… - …is apparently not between Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, who are splitting up.
2. It’s A Boy, Y’all! - Britney and K-Fed produce another male heir to the Spederline empire.
3. Rock Star Gets A Dose Of Reality - A judge has ordered Tommy Lee’s reality-TV band, Supernova, to change its name.
4. Tupac Shakur, 1971-1996 - Beyonce, Rick Ross, and others fondly remember the slain rap legend in Y! Music’s special Tupac tribute.
5. Gettin’ Riddy Of Diddy - Much like Supernova, Sean Combs must undergo a court-ordered name change.
6. Controversial Chick Flick Premieres - Natalie Maines doesn’t beat around the Bush in the new Dixie Chicks documentary.
7. Marianne Faithfull Diagnosed With Breast Cancer - Luckily, the notorious rock queen–who’s surivived far worse than this–is expected to make a full recovery.
8. Guess Who’s Back - A post-rehab Eminem makes his triumphant return on a new mixtape.
9. Liza Minelli Back In Divorce Court - If David Gest has his way, Liza-with-a-Z might soon be Liza-with-no-money.
10. How Can We Miss Him If He Won’t Go Away? - Jay-Z’s coming out of retirement. Again.

Perhaps this week’s most crushing, psyche-shattering news is that Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown have fallen victim to the same curse that claimed the marriages of other reality-TV couples like Nick & Jessica, Travis & Shannna, and Carmen & Dave. Yes, the beloved stars of Being Bobby Brown are divorcing after 14 years of domestic squabbles, Jerusalem pilgrimages, court appearances, prison stints, and–if we are to believe one memorable scene from their TV show–disturbingly close interactions with each other’s bowel movements. Oh, hell to the no…we assumed a union that had survived that sort of crap (pun intended) would last forever, so we’re heartbroken that Whitney has told Bobby to “kiss my ass!” Almost as heartbroken as we are about the realization that there will now be no season 2 of Being Bobby Brown. Now, that is wack…

OK, on to related news…related because a) Britney Spears once covered Bobby Brown’s hit “My Prerogative”; b) Britney and her babydaddy Kevin Federline chronicled their relationship on their own reality show, Chaotic; and c) well, “Britney” rhymes with “Whitney.” How’s that for synergy, huh? Anyhoo, Britney popozao’d out a second Spederline spawn this week (only days before her other son Sean Preston’s first birthday), and, as of this writing, her exceedingly fertile man K-Fed has not yet knocked up her for a third time. But hey, give these two rabbit-like breeders a few weeks and check back for an update on that. Meanwhile, Britney and her lesser half have their work cut out for them, avoiding that dreaded reality-TV curse while trying to juggle parenthood, careers, and multiple baby carseats. We wish them luck…

And finally, on the subject of reality TV, our congrats go out to skunk-striped Rock Star champ Lukas Rossi, who beat out fearsome fan favorite Dilana to become the new lead singer of….um, er, well, that’s to be determined. See, Lukas, who winningly sang “Bittersweet Symphony” on Rock Star’s finale this week, ended up having a bittersweet victory when a judge decided that the band that just hired Lukas, Supernova, must change its name. (Another band called Supernova existed in the ’90s, a fact that Rock Star producer Mark Burnett pompously and possibly illegally chose to ignore.) But the point is, after an hour-long, court-injunctioned broadcast during which all participants awkwardly avoided uttering the word “Supernova,” Lukas ultimately landed his dream gig rocking out alongside Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke, and Jason Newstead. So may we suggest they rename this project the Lee-Clarke-Rossi-Newstead Experience? That has a nice ring to it…

OK, much like Whitney and Bobby, we have to split. But come back next Friday, and until then, goodnight, and good music.

Lyndsey Parker
Yahoo! Music

This Week in Playlisting

In playlisting news this week, the San Luis Obispo Times selected the “greatest songs ever inspired by a rumbling stomach”. Tegan Quin, half of the Canadian indie outfit Tegan and Sara, talks about tracks that are loaded onto her iPod over at the Onion A.V. Club. Eric Berlin of Blogcritics.org selects his 5 favorite bands of all time. Andrew Careaga continues with his podcast of the “100 Albums That Changed His Life” over at Bloggedy Blog. The New York Times’ new playlist includes Mars Volta, Mammatus, Bibio, Nick Cave, Moondog and Feathers. Johnny Knoxville creates a “Big Gay Playlist” to coincide with his appearance on the cover of Out magazine. And last, but not least, the Yahoo Music Unlimited playlist community turns up some great lists: Fullmanator crafts a Break Up/Move On compilation for the broken-hearted. Circular Reasoning puts together 20 Forgotten (Alt Rock) Hits of the 90s, The Rugs Don’t Work publishes Volume 4 of their mix tape series Over In About An Hour, YMU Playa creates (on purpose) “An absolutely horrific playlist, bookended by 2 Technotronic tracks, featuring some of the cheesiest (or darn catchiest) pop-techno hits to come out of the early ’90s”, and Jay Frank creates a playlist of number one songs from 12 prominent radio formats over at the YMUplaylisters group.

In this latest edition of our ongoing playlist-centric series, I want to talk about the “inspired by” playlist. Where a themed playlist is made up of songs about one specific topic (clowns, fire, mice, rivers, McDonald‘s, etc), an “inspired by” playlist contains compositions that may, on the surface, sound like they’re about different things, but are in fact, inspired by the same thing. The inspiration can be a person, like an actor, a murderer or politician. A geographic location, like a country, city or natural wonder. A work of art, like a painting, a song or a book. Or it can be an idea or concept, like communism, childhood or resurrection. The possibilities are endless and the hardest part is discovering what the true inspiration was for the songwriter. Luckily, there are gazillions of songs where the original inspiration is self-evident, besides these, a little digging into published interviews on the web can reveal a wealth of information in regards to what inspired an artist to write a song.

Below are some examples:

Rush Songs Inspired By Literature

Play It! “Neil Peart is considered the best rock drummer in the world and I won’t argue the point. Neil is also a writer, of sorts, and the lyricist for the band. I feel comfortable in saying that his lyrics are over-the-top, but at least he’s well read. This playlist features Rush songs inspired by literature.”

Songs Inspired By Pachelbel’s Canon In D Major

Play It! “Pachelbel’s Canon In D Major is one of the most heard songs at weddings across the nation, second only to the Wedding March. There is no denying that the composition is beautiful and bursting with emotion. This playlist starts with Pachelbel’s Canon and is followed by 9 songs which are inspired by the Canon or sample it. Artists include Blues Traveler, Coolio, Oasis, The Farm, Green Day, Vitamin C, Brian Eno and more.”

Songs Inspired By Actors

Play It! “Many songs have been inspired by the lives and work of actors and actresses, as well as by the personal relationships they have had with musicians. This playlist contains 22 tracks that have been inspired by actors or actresses. You can read the story behind many of these at songfacts.com.”

Until next time, won’t you try your hand at an “inspired by” playlist and share it with the world?

Here are a few more playlist ideas from the Radish for you to mull over.

Songs For A Divorce Party

I would not wish a divorce on my worst enemy, but if you become an unfortunate statistic on the battlefield of love then I may have the soundtrack for you. This playlist contains a perfect collection of songs for your next divorce or breakup party. There are literally thousands of separation songs sung from a “woe-is-me” perspective. If this is what you’re looking for, this is not the playlist for you. The majority of the songs found here are empowering and spiteful. When you’re going through a divorce you don’t need melancholy music to drive you further to depression. What you need are songs that tell it like it is, and lay the blame squarely on your ex, truth be damned. Snide remarks and an independent spirit hit the spot at a time like this and these songs may be just what the doctor ordered. So get some good friends together, put this list on, then lift a glass and a middle finger. You have my word, it will get better.

NPR’s All Songs Considered: June Through August 2006

All Songs Considered is a weekly music program started in January of 2000 by NPR’s All Things Considered director Bob Boilen. At first, the show featured information and streaming audio about the songs used as bumper music on All Things Considered. The program has turned into a source of discovery for new music of all genres. The program has featured such diverse artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Nick Drake, and Bright Eyes. One is as likely to hear electronica from the Congo, the latest indie buzz band, rock classics or world music.

In 2005, All Songs Considered began live concerts from Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, and has featured acts such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Decemberists, Interpol, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Calexico with Iron & Wine, Lucinda Williams, Sigur Rós, Death Cab for Cutie, and many others. This playlist fetaures 30 artists that the show has featured between June 1st and August 10th, 2006.

Artists Killed in Automobile Accidents

Play The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that an average of 114 people die in car crashes each day in the United States. Most of these fatalities are caused by drunken driving, speeding or a general disregard for safety. However, the victims also include those who are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although we don’t like to think about it, every time you get into a car you put your life at risk. Traffic deaths can affect every level of society, and that includes musicians, both famous and not. In fact, musicians are at greater risk because they must travel much of the time to make their living. Long days and nights on the road can be monotonous for the tour bus driver. Combine this with the pressure of making it to the next stop on time and the musician’s reputation for hard partying and you have a recipe for disaster. This playlist includes songs by artists who have lost their lives in automobile accidents.

Robert Burke
Yahoo Radish