Bjork: It's just like punk

Bjork's Biophila - partly released via apps rather than just on a CD - is like punk. It must be, she says so:

"For 10 years I'd just been listening to people moan on about how the internet was killing music. And I was like, 'Hang on, technology is not the enemy of music.

"Maybe it's because we've let businessmen set up the model of how we distribute music. If artists would get involved... that's why I've been comparing this project to punk. Obviously not literally the songs, but it's kind of like when I was 16.

"When we wanted to put out an album, we put out an album. And made the poster ourselves."

Yes, it's just like the DIY movement. If you ignore it being released in the US on Universal's Polydor imprint, or being distributed in the UK by part of EMI; and if punk meant having to get your music approved by the richest company in the world in order to gain access to the app store. Exactly like punk.

Bookmarks: Some stuff to read on the internet

There's a piece on the resurgence of what used to be called New Country (would that be New New Country? Nu Country?) in this morning's Times, including a meeting with Suzy Bogguss:

“There’ve always been the classic examples of people who’ve walked the edge of country,” Bogguss says, “like Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith and Emmylou Harris. But people haven’t realised there are those of us who came out of the 1990s country scene doing exactly the same thing. I was making records that were getting on the air easily, [but when] I had the opportunity to make a record with Chet, I pretty much slammed the brakes on. It was important to me, much more so than staying on the radio. Then I had a child and my record label fell apart. But I don’t look back and think my life was ruined. At a certain point, I started thinking, ‘I just have to do whatever I have to do, and some people will stick with me, and some people will discover me. At least I’ll be doing what I want to do, and not feel I’m part of a corporate machine.’”

Can you replace iPod batteries yourself?

The consensus - or rather, official line - is no you can't. But, apparently, it's easy when you know how to. Not for us, though, we're a bit rubbish at stuff like this - but DIY iPod repairs aren't impossible.