It may rub Morrissey the wrong way when his friends do well for themselves, but I’m (thankfully) not like that– I love it. You see, *two* of my old Columbus comrades are indeed becoming successful, and have new albums due out soon. The Black Swans‘ new record, Change!, is coming out on La Societe Expeditionnaire next month. The vinyl edition is limited to 500, and sports hand-painted covers by Columbus’ Arc North Workshop. Stereogum, the 94th most popular blog on the internet, premiered a new track from the record this week, which I regurgitate here for you:

::: The Black Swans - Shake :::

In a slightly different vein, my friend Brian (Brian Harnetty, that is) is putting out his first large-scale release next week. American Winter is a sound work woven from Appalachian holler music, archival/field recordings, and newly composed instrumentation. It comes out October 9th on Atavistic.

::: Brian Harnetty - Soon We’ll Reach The Starry Sky :::

Don’t forget that Beirut’s new one, The Flying Club Cup comes out on the 9th too. And that Flying Club Cup video site, put together by the brilliant Takeaway Shows crew, is almost fully complete now. Chryde offered to buy me a drink if I’d write an intro for my favorite Flying Club Cup track, so I did.

Sigh, am I really that much of an alky that I can be swayed to do things simply from the promise of free drinks? I suppose it’s true, because it’s my friend Nathan’s habit of plying me with beers that keeps me doing interviews (Anthony (Hype Machine), Jennifer (Music Slut)) for his Limewire Music Blog.

That reminds me, the CMJ Schedule has been released, but that’s the last thing I’m gonna say about them until they ok a press pass for me. Or at least offer to buy me some drinks.

The RIAA won their “We’re Going To Make An Example Of You” lawsuit against a file-sharer. Digital Music News weighs in on why this ruling is actually bad for the majors.

Jupiter Research’s David Card gets his panties in a bit of a twist re: Radiohead’s In Rainbows and the “armchair economists” making proclamations about it. Card says,

“By this remarkably oversimplified analysis, software, filmed entertainment, soda at McDonalds, and the classic example, high-end perfume, should all be free.”

Well, you can’t download soda or high-end perfume, but those other things you mention? Software, filmed entertainment? Um, file-sharing, open-sourcing, Youtube… believe me, there are plenty of people out there suggesting software and film/video are being devalued to zero, too.

Remember, I’m not saying that *I* think music should be free, I’m just saying that I think it’s pretty clear which way the wind is blowing.