Recently I’ve been getting in a few fights with people about how bad iTunes and iPods are so I thought I’d spell it out for people so I can refer back to this post later. If anyone has anything to add please feel free to add things in the comments.

Let me preface this rant by saying that I’m never buying an apple product ever again.

edit - I couldn’t be arsed typing out my long rant again so I just copied and pasted from a facebook wall conversation I had. I’ve edited out the really offensive stuff but it’s probably still a little offensive so please use reading discretion. Or something.

iPods - the cheap and nasty mp3 player

Dear god let the horror please stop. Are you really truly honestly trying to tell me that I have to scroll through 80gb of music by starting at A and spinning my thumb like a teenager confronted with a clitoris for the first time? Blindly hoping it’ll give me what we both want but in fact causing deep emotional scaring (and a little friction burn).

HOW ABOUT LETTING ME USE SOME MANNER OF FUCKING DIRECTORY NAVIGATION. Did microsoft’s invention of windows pass you by? Too busy shaving your balls I imagine to pay attention to such things as usability.

And how about being able to scroll from A to Z, like without having to go through all those other letters in between. It is a click-WHEEL after all. a WHEEL. That’s a round object that spins freely in EITHER DIRECTION. I don’t buy a wheel for my car and get asked “which direction of wheel would you like sir?”.

And how about the ‘Album’ list. One might think it’s a list of all the albums in my music collection.

…But you’d be fucking wrong. Instead it’s a list of all the albums, that all the songs in my collection belong to. So let’s say for example I’m not 12. Or a flea ridden fucking designer who shaves his armpits. Assuming I’m not ENTIRELY a sheep I’m going to have music (yes, Apple, that probably belongs to an album) WITHOUT THE REST OF THE ALBUM. Dear heaven’s watson what on earth are we going to do with them? Apple: SHIT, I’m scared by this free thinking, let’s just ignore them.

Again - the cover flow. Nice idea apple except when I have 80gb of music. You really expect me to scroll through several months worth of music by looking at pictures. Only if all the albums had a picture of steve jobs dead on them.

Oh yeah - and if you’re GOING to have a database, allow me to create one to many relationships, like assigning a song to more than one artist so that when I’m browsing by artist I can find the song numerous different ways. But that’s like a nice to have. Make it USABLE first.

Then there’s the little things - and I could go on a long time here, but things like allowing me to play an individual folder in shuffle. OH NO FUCKING WAIT YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN FOLDERS. THEY MUST BE THE FUCKING ANTI CHRIST OR SOMETHING. Cos I swear to god apple are pissing me off about as much as c********s right now. The ignorant irrational stupid idiots.

Or what about allowing me to change the size of the text on the screen? So if, for example, I’m not blinded by my own stupidity and can actually READ then let me fit a few more lines on each screen. That way it might take me a little less time to scroll through my entire music collection each time.

There’s an ending involving grease fires and dying and alters and crosses and c********s and apple fans somewhere in there but I’m worried it’s offensive so I’ll leave it up to your imagination.

And don’t even get me started on iTunes.

What is it about remix CDs? Some of my favourite albums of recent years have been remix and b-side albums. Bonobo’s for example. Or Quantic’s. Not forgetting the recent Fragile State beauty! This one looks to be no different. Bought in FOPP. I ♥ you FOPP.

Husky Rescue - Other World: Remixes and Rarities

Review

If you already own more than one Husky Rescue album (aka - both of them!) then you really need to check this one out. Just like Bonobo’s ‘one off remixes & b-sides’ this is a collection of remixes by Husky Rescue, and remixes of Husky Rescue - along with a few acoustic versions of some of their tunes and even some new unreleased tracks. Although it’s essentially a collection of tracks it holds together really well as an album and is perfectly listenable all the way through just like the 3rd Husky Rescue album.

In time honoured Husky Rescue fashion - this album has a magical floaty quality to it over a dark and brooding tunes which combine to give a very atmospheric but entirely listenable sound which is their own. Stand out tracks include the Bonobo mix of ‘new light of tomorrow’, the new tune Last Dance.

Like everyone else and his dog in the UK, I first heard Vashti Bunyan on the famous T-Mobile advert which featured just another diamond day. After hearing that, and a friend raving about how good she was (who incidentally had been listening to Vashti for years) I took the plunge and bought Just Another Diamond Day. I loved it. A lot. So, when browsing FOPP in london (fopp lives!!) I saw “Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind - Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967″ and knew I had to buy it.

Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind - Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967

Review

First things first - this is a double CD so there’s plenty of value to be had here. Secondly - although these singles and demos are remastered they’re still no where as near high quality recordings as Just Another Diamond Day. There’s crackling, scratching and odd sound levels. But that’s the charm.

Much more than on her first album you can feel the gypsy element - you can imagine her turning up at the studio with guitar in hand, recording the tracks and then heading out onto the road once more. For me though - this makes it a beautiful collection of tracks. It’s got a lovely nostalgic feeling and wraps you up in a blanket of authentic goodness.

Having said all that - a lot of it is quite same-y and listening to two CDs straight of this will tire you out but you can be assured that tracks off here will be featuring in upcoming mixes.