Digital Audio Insider -- the economics of music and other digital content

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Digital Audio Insider is David Harrell's blog about the economics of music and other digital content. I write from the perspective of a musican who has self-released four albums with the indie rock band the Layaways.

My personal website has links to my LinkedIn and Google+ pages and you can send e-mail to david [at] thelayaways [dot] com.

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May 19, 2008

Feeling Kinky
by David Harrell

I've been on a Kinks kick as of late, and it's not a habit that can be fully satisfied with digital downloads. Via eMusic, you can download pretty much everything starting with the late 1971 release "Muswell Hillbillies". Which gives you the scattered classics from the Kinks' early- and mid-70s catalog and some brilliant tracks from the late 70s and early 80s. ("Better Things" and "Heart of Gold" are a couple of my faves.)

But you're out of luck when it comes to the band's early classics and late 60s masterpieces such as "Village Green Preservation Society." You can't find them in the iTunes store, aside from a few scattered "album-only" tracks on soundtrack releases, and Amazon.com MP3 has far less Kinks than eMusic. Rhapsody actually has some pre-1971 tracks available for streaming as part of some compilation albums, but again, the original albums aren't available for download.

I'm assuming the licensing issues here are a real mess. In his entertaining memoir, Dave Davies says that the band's business contracts in the 60s were typically chaotic. Perhaps Pye Records and/or producer Shel Talmy are simply sitting on the download rights to the band's early material.

So I ended up buying this CD compilation and will probably pick up "Village Green Preservation Society" and "Something Else" on CD as well. Obviously, I'm ignoring the P2P option...

How about you -- anything you've tried to download recently that isn't available from any of the online stores or services?

Please leave a comment or send me a note and I'll compile a list of "still not available digitally" artists for a post later in the week.

tags: digital music The Kinks digital downloads iTunes eMusic Amazon.com MP3

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THE LAYAWAYS

Out Now -- "Maybe Next Year" -- The New Holiday Album:

"This is a sweet treat, deliciously musical without being overbaked for mass media consumption." -- Hyperbolium

"Perfect listening to accompany whatever holiday preparations you may be making today." -- Bag of Songs

O Christmas Tree - free mp3 lyrics and song details
Away In A Manger - free mp3

Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or Bandcamp. Listen to free streams at Last.fm.

"...about as melodic and hooky as indie pop can get." -- Absolute Powerpop

"Their laid-back, '60s era sounds are absolutely delightening." -- 3hive

"...melodic, garage-influenced shoegaze." -- RCRD LBL

Where The Conversation Ends - free mp3
January - free mp3
Keep It To Yourself - free mp3

Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or CD Baby, stream it at Last.fm or Napster.

"The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start." -- Lost Music

"Catchy Guided by Voices-like rockers who lay it on sweetly and sincerely, just like Lionel Richie." -- WRUV Radio

Silence - free mp3 lyrics and song details
The Long Night - free mp3

Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

"These are songs that you want to take home with you, curl up with, hold them close -- and pray that they are still with you when you wake up." -- The Big Takeover

Let Me In - free mp3
Ocean Blue - free mp3

Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

More Layaways downloads:

the layaways website