Oct 21st, 9:39 pm

Deep and Meaningful with the Zune

I came across a great review from the 2old2play.com site, who managed to get some 1 on 1 time with the Zune, but they also managed to do a very extensive review on the Zune. One of the good parts in the review is where they talk about the skin of the Zune. Its not something that has been talked about that much, but this is what 2old2play had to say.

The ‘skin’ of the Zune was a ‘rubberized’ material that had a smooth seductive feel to it. I found myself unable to stop stroking the device, so much that the demo assistant asked me to put it down.

They also go into details on the Zune Marketplace which is another aspect that has not been overly talked about. So make the jump over there to read the full review on the Zune.

2Old2Play.com Zune Review

Zunes
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Sep 28th, 10:49 pm

Bitter Sweet Interview

Following on from last post about the Bitter Sweet band who is a Los Angeles-based Pop/Electronic act, Cesar from Microsoft has published an interview between him and the Zune preloaded content band.

Interview by Cesar Menedeze with the band Bitter Sweet

Zune Bitter Sweet

So I hear you two met on Craig’s list. How did that happen?

Yes, it’s true. Kiran and I were in a pretty
strange place when he placed that add. We had both
been a bit frusrated with our recent experiences in
the music buisiness, and as a last effort, we both
needed to break away from everyone we knew in our
respective circles and remember why we were doing this
again….to make music we just really wanted to listen
to.
Upon meeting, we realized we knew many of the same
people and had recorded one wall away from each for
over a year.
We tried writing one song together just to see how it
would feel, and that song became the first song on our
record. Our chemistry was just amazing.

Cool. And how are you involved w/ Zune?

We were lucky enough to be chosen out of thousands
of bands to have our song pre down loaded on the
device! It’s such an incredible opportunity to be
exposed to this many people at one time.

What’s it like to have your album art right there on most every Zune image on the web?

Zune

It’s overwhelming. Being on an indie label, there
isn’t a ton of money to get the same kind of exposure
that a band on a major label would get. It’s really
nice to see a company as big as big as Microsoft
embracing emerging artists like ourselves to help get
the word out, not to mention, having our friends
calling like crazy because they are seeing us
everywhere!

For a (relatively) new group, you guys have also been in a lot of hot things: Nip/Tuck, Entourage, Grey’s Anatomy, and (of course) Zune. How did those come about, and how has the response been?

People keep telling us that our music is very
cinematic and we can only assume it is because we
touch on real feelings, real life experiences and
draw from a plethora of eras, and emotion.
We were fortunate enough to get two of our songs
placed in the “The Devil wears Prada” and since then,
music supervisors from all of these hot shows and
upcoming films have been extremely receptive to us.
The response has been just wonderful, and again, we
are getting the chance to introduce our music to an
audience that would otherwise never know us.

Are you touring anytime soon?

We are. We just got back from a tour of the
northwest that kicked off at the Bumbershoot festival
in Seattle. We have plans to get to the east coast
very soon and of course will continue to play the west
coast whenever possible.
Touring is really expensive for a band like us so
without sponsorship we have to take baby steps to get
ourselves out there.

How old were you when you got your first email? Do you remember it?

(Shana) To be honest, I was a bit of a late bloomer
to the whole cyber world. I still believed in calling
people or writing them up until only about 3 or 4
years ago. I think my first email came from my best
friend Krista who made me sit at my computer and
embrace technology. She walked me through the whole
process of setting up my yahoo account. Now….I
couldn’t imagine life without it!

Who would you love to open for?

Wow! Portishead, Massive Attack , Bjork, Tribe
Called Quest, Beck, GoldFrapp, Gnarles Barkley,
Madonna…. hmmm.., there are so many brilliant acts
out there that we would be so honored to play with we
can’t even fit them on the page!

Can you get me tickets to your next Seattle show? (sorry, I’m always trying to get free stuff)

Absolutely! The moment we go back there you will be
the first to know.

Sweet.

If you would like to find out more about Bitter Sweet then you can visit their MySpace page or you can view all the band to come preloaded on the Zune and their website in this post

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Sep 28th, 10:24 pm

Whats in the Box?

Zune Contents
So November the 14th comes, you are at the local shop eagerly awaiting to pick up your new Zune, but what is going to be in the Zune box of yours? Well here is what you can expect to find upon opening the box:
  • A USB Synch Cable.
  • headphones.
  • A soft, micr0-suede-ish pouch.
  • Charger. The Zune charges via the Synch Cable (To be confirmed)
  • A Zune in black, white or brown.
Here are some pictures of the pouches to come with the Zune:
Zune Sock
Zune Sock
Zune Socks
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Sep 28th, 11:58 am

Zune Price and Zune Release Date is out!

Ok guys what you been waiting for. The hard core info!

The multi media play from Microsoft, the Zune will be out on November the 14th and retail for $249 US. There is also info on the Zune Marketplace, which will offer A ZunePass (giving you access to millions of songs) will cost you $14.99 per month. If you want to buy a song individually it’ll cost you 79 Microsoft Points (or 99 cents).

As for the pre-loaded content to come on your shiny new Zune, well here is the list:

Audio Tracks

  • Band of Horses, “Wicked Gilâ€? (Sub Pop Records)
  • Bitter:Sweet, “The Mating Gameâ€? (Quango Music Group)
  • CSS, “Alala (Microsoft edit)â€? (Sub Pop Records)
  • Darkel, “At The End of The Sky (edit)â€? (Astralwerks)
  • Every Move a Picture, “Signs of Lifeâ€? (V2)
  • Small Sins, “Stayâ€? (Astralwerks)
  • The Adored, “Tell Me Tell Meâ€? (V2)
  • The Rakes, “Open Bookâ€? (V2)
  • The Thermals, “A Pillar of Saltâ€? (Sub Pop Records)

Music Video

  • 30 Seconds to Mars, “The Killâ€? (Virgin Records)
  • BT, “1.618â€? (DTS Entertainment)
  • Chad VanGaalen, “Red Hot Dropsâ€? (Sub Pop Records)
  • Coldcut featuring Roots Manuva, “True Skoolâ€? (Ninja Tune)
  • CSS, “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Aboveâ€? (Sub Pop Records)
  • Fruit Bats, “Live: The Wind That Blew My Heart Awayâ€? (Sub Pop Records)
  • Grandaddy, “Elevate Myselfâ€? (V2)
  • Hot Chip, “Over and Overâ€? (Astralwerks Records)
  • Kraak & Smaak featuring Dez., “Keep Me Homeâ€? (Quango Music Group)
  • Kinski, “Live: The Snowy Parts of Scandinaviaâ€? (Sub Pop Records)
  • Paul Oakenfold, “Faster Kill Pussycat (Featuring Brittany Murphy)â€? (Maverick Records)
  • Serena-Maneesh, “Drain Cosmeticsâ€? (Playlouderecordings)

Film Shorts

  • 5 Boro: “A New York Skateboarding Minuteâ€? (Skateboarding)
  • Radical Films: “Kranked — Progressionâ€? (Mountain Biking)
  • TGRTV The North Face (Skiing/Snowboarding)

As you know there is also the also the slury of accessories to acompany your Zune, and here are the confirmed ones so far:

Zune Accessories

  • Zune Home A/V Pack. The Home A/V Pack includes everything you need to amplify your Zune experience. This set of five products integrates Zune with your big-screen TV and the best speakers in your house. The wireless remote puts you in control from virtually anywhere in the room. When you buy the Zune Home AV Pack, you’ll get the AV Output Cable, Zune Dock, Zune Wireless Remote with Lithium Battery, Zune Sync Cable and Zune AC Adapter for $99.99.
  • Zune Travel Pack. The Travel Pack includes everything you need to travel with your Zune device in style. This set of five products is designed to keep you and your friends and family entertained while you travel. When you buy the Zune Travel Pack, you’ll get the Zune Dual Connect Remote, Zune Premium Earphones, Zune Gear Bag, Zune Sync Cable and Zune AC Adapter for $99.99.
  • Zune Car Pack. The Car Pack includes everything you need to hit the road with your Zune device. With AutoSeek, setup is easy, and you can enjoy your music on the go and charge at the same time. When you buy the Zune Car Pack, you’ll get the FM tuner with AutoSeek and the Zune Car Charger for $79.99.
  • Zune AV Output Cable. The A/V Output Cable lets you connect your Zune device to a TV and home stereo. Ideal for listening to music and showing pictures and video, the A/V Output Cable is simple to set up and use, and will retail for $19.99.
  • Zune AC Adapter. The AC Adapter lets you charge your Zune device without a PC. For convenience, the AC Adapter will charge your Zune device in about three hours and will retail for $29.99.
  • Zune Sync Cable. The Sync Cable lets you connect your Zune device to your PC or the Zune AC Adapter (sold separately). It works as a replacement for your original sync cable or as a spare for travel and charging, and will retail for $19.99.
  • Zune Car Charger. The Car Charger lets you charge your device in the car while listening to your favorite music and even while using the FM tuner with AutoSeek (sold separately). The Car Charger will retail for $24.99.
  • Zune Dock. The Dock elegantly displays your Zune device anywhere in your home or office. Featuring a connector port and an audio/video output, the Dock is ideal for syncing, charging and connecting with home A/V equipment. (A/V connectivity requires the Zune A/V Output Cable, sold separately.) The Dock will retail for $39.99.
  • Zune Wireless Remote for Zune Dock. Designed for use with Zune Dock (sold separately), the Wireless Remote lets you control your device from across the room. The Wireless Remote gives you quick access to your current playlist as well as full control over menu navigation and volume. The Wireless Remote will retail for $29.99.
  • Zune Dual Connect Remote. The Dual Connect Remote offers convenient playlist control and two headphone jacks with independent amplifiers and volume controls so you can listen with a friend or family member. The Dual Connect Remote will retail for $29.99.
  • Zune FM tuner With AutoSeek. The FM tuner with AutoSeek lets you wirelessly listen to music through your car’s stereo through the FM radio. AutoSeek automatically finds the optimal station so it’s easy to set up, and will retail for $69.99.
  • Zune Gear Bag. The Gear Bag lets you bring Zune and related accessories with you wherever you go. The Gear Bag comes with a rugged exterior and fitted compartments to protect your device while you travel. The Gear Bag will retail for $29.99.
  • Zune Premium Earphones. Designed exclusively for use with Zune, the Premium Earphones produce superior sound and feature a noise-isolating, in-ear design. With a convenient storage case and three earpiece sizes to choose from, you can listen to your music with added comfort and quality. The Premium earphones will retail for $39.99.

Wow did you get all that? Thats a quick round up and we will post more info and go more in depth with a follow up post shortly. Alos an interview is expected from the Bitter Sweet band we talked about earlier.

Check back soon!

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Sep 28th, 6:17 am

The Zune Bands

Zune Black

We have all seen this picture of the sleek black Zune haven’t we? Well have you ever thought about the band thats displayed on the Zune screen? Thanks to an email I received today from Phil, who told me about how he dug around and found the bands MySpace page.

The band, Bitter Sweet is a Los Angeles-based Pop/Electronic act who released their debut album, The Mating Game on April 4th, 2006 through Quango Music Group. The band have been talking about how excited they are to be part of the included pre-loaded content on the Zune when its released this holiday season. Also joining Bitter Sweet from the Quango Music Group are the Kraak and Smaak video.

Bitter Sweet
Bitter Sweet Album art - THE MATING GAME


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