That new Radiohead? — not bad. Actually, pretty good, though like I said before, it’s getting close to ’90s-era U2 territory, not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. So now I’m hearing Nine Inch Nails may be doing the same thing with Trent’s next release. I’ve heard people complain that this devalues music. I’ve heard them say that it’s nothing more than a publicity stunt that will come back and bite the band on the ass when the “real CD” comes out in December. I’ve heard from a lot of people how they didn’t pay a pence for the download because they don’t like Radiohead. I’ve heard people complain that the bit rate was too low.

Me, I think it was a brilliant idea. I think we’ll never know how much money they actually pulled in through their website. I think the CD sales in December will, in fact, be rather limp — I won’t be buying the CD, though I’m inching closer to buying that vinyl box set. I think Radiohead will win over some new fans (all those people who didn’t pay a pence). I think they’ll have one of the more successful tours next year, but it was going to be successful with or without this online event. I’m a little less hopeful about the future of record labels than I was before. And record stores, well, they’re just going to have to figure out a way to adapt in this new world. Maybe David Matysiak is right, maybe the CD is dead and maybe we’ll see a new interest in vinyl — but only purchased as a keepsake or a collectable, never as a dominant audio medium, never again. There’s no question in my mind that technology will evolve in the next few years where downloading CD-sized files will be quick and easy. All this talk about “the CD being the ultimate back-up” will go away as technology will allow for easy online storage of entire music collections (Your iPod died and your hard-drive crashed? Really? Just go to where your files are stored online and upload your whole music collection again, and only in a few hours). And people will still pay for music, somehow…

* * *

The Omaha Entertainment Awards are up and running again for 2007, and I once again have been asked to be a member of “the academy,” in spite of my comments about it last year. Now is the time that you can influence the outcome by voting for your favorite band online. Believe it or not, it makes a difference. If you don’t have an opinion in areas like “best visual artist” or all the acting categories, then just skip ’em and go on to the subjects you know about. Or just fill in the music section. Whatever, it only takes five minutes, go here and vote.

* * *

So what are you doing this weekend?

Maybe going to see Minipop tonight at The Waiting Room, opening for White Rabbits? Well, why not. $8, 9 p.m.

Tomorrow night is The Good Life at Slowdown with Georgie James and Zookeeper. $10, 9 p.m. This is must-see stuff, so see it.

Me, I’ll be out of town most of the weekend, so drop by the webboard and let me know how it went.

–Got comments? Post ’em here.—