Zune.net | The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Artist Profile Page

The Good, The Bad & The Queen began life in the Aphrodisia Studios in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2004. Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) and guitarist Simon Tong (The Verve) had travelled to Lagos to record with veteran drummer and Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen (Africa 70, Fela Kuti). Working with local musicians, the trio recorded an album’s worth of material. Back in England, Damon was finishing off Gorillaz’ Demon Days album and the project went on the back burner.

By the time they came back to it−and when Damon gave the recordings to producer Brian ‘Danger Mouse’ Burton−feelings about the record had changed. “When Brian came on board it really started to become, The Good, The Bad & The Queen. I started writing about this area−West London−and coming to define here and why I think it’s such a special place to live,” said Albarn.

The final collaborator to come in to the studio was Clash bassist−and West London native−Paul Simonon, and the album was finished by early summer 2006.

The result is a record specific to a place and a time but with a background that is geographically wide-ranging and stretches far back into a glittering musical past. The Good, The Bad & The Queen traces a journey from the English music hall tradition, over to West Africa for Afrobeat, zigzagging through the West Indies and its reggae and dub, back to England and London’s punk scene, all the while taking in a strand of British beat music from the ’50s right through to Britpop.

Preview and download their self-titled album, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, on Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Zune.net | Animal Collective - Artist Profile Page

Friends and musical partners since 1992, core members Avey Tare (a.k.a. David Porter) and Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah Lennox) came together in 2000 with the intention of moving pop music in a direction that would place heavy emphasis on sonic experience. Soon after this, they began operating as Animal Collective, an umbrella name now used for a grouping of four people.

Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist (a.k.a. Brian Weitz), and Deaken (a.k.a. Conrad Deaken) play together under different names and in different configurations. Their releases are always prone to continual musical change: from beautifully skewed pop ballads to fiercely ruptured noise-squalls to tribal rhythmic work-outs to simple folk songs, to who knows where; from fully orchestrated group freak-outs to the intimacy of an acoustic duo.

In whatever formation, Animal Collective is a genuinely thrilling live unit, passionately committed and unafraid to put themselves on the line.

The Collective’s first offering was a stunning collaboration between Avey Tare and Panda Bear called Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished, released on their own label Animal in August of 2000. A second album, Danse Manatee was released by Catsup Plate in July 2001, which was accompanied by a month-long U.S. tour with their friends Black Dice. The next year they released a limited-edition, vinyl-only on St.Ives (a sub-label of Secretly Canadian) called Hollinndagain, which was made up of recordings from live shows.

In 2003, they released Campfire Songs, a collection of songs recorded live on a screened-in porch in rural Maryland on Catsup Plate, Here Comes the Indian on Carpark’s imprint label Paw Tracks, and three tracks from Avey Tare also appeared on a Split 12″ shared with David Grubbs. The next year, the group released their twisted yet masterly pop album, Sung Tongs, and followed it with the album Feels, which was released in October of 2005.

The group’s first release of 2007, People, features three previously unreleased tracks (plus one live version), which were recorded at the same sessions as the band’s hugely successful Feels album.

Preview and download Animal Collective’s songs on Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Zune.net | Rodrigo y Gabriela - Artist Profile Page

Rodrigo (Sanchez) and Gabriela (Quintero) are two fast-fingered, Dublin-based, Mexicans with a unique sound created on acoustic guitars. Their music is difficult to define, straddling both world and rock, and often filled with timeless Hispano−classical influences. The fire in it comes from their life-long passion for metal music.

The duo’s repertoire flies beyond familiar Latin folk guitarists’ styles because of the metal connection: their re-workings of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and Metallica’s “Orion,” and the presence, on “Ixtapa,” of the fiery Hungarian gypsy violinist, Roby Lakatos.

The musicians met as teenagers at the Casa de Cultura (Culture House) in Mexico City. Rodrigo was playing drums in a band that changed its name to Tierra Acida (Acid Earth) when Gabriela joined them on guitar. Tierra Acida played in Mexico City’s roughest clubs and lived off day jobs. They recorded an album but wouldn’t sign the record contract, planning instead to concentrate on learning more guitar styles. In fact, they just hung out with friends and survived by playing bossa nova, a style of Brazilian music, in hotel bars before they decided to travel to Europe.

Their first port of call was Dublin, Ireland, in 1999. The city was booming with new music venues, galleries, and a thriving rock scene. The two Mexicans found themselves jamming with local folk musicians in the bars. Next, they moved to Denmark, which inspired two numbers on their album, “Diablo Rojo,” a scary roller-coaster ride in the city, and “Viking Man,” their nickname for a homeless man they befriended, and then to Barcelona before returning to Dublin after they were asked to play the newly opened Sugar Club. Damian Rice, then a busking friend, invited them to support his shows, and in 2003, they released Re-Foc, and a year later, Live Manchester and Dublin, which both launched them onto the World Music circuit.

The duo’s influences range from family salsa records to Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Queen, and Led Zeppelin. But, crucially, they grew up during Mexico’s “metal era.”

Mentions of flamenco influences raise sharp responses: “To many music fans, it sounds like flamenco, and we’re great flamenco fans, but we don’t play it,” says Gabriela. “The only similarity is that our music is guitar music and it’s very rhythmic.”

Rodrigo and Gabriela describe their style as “Fusion music.” “It’s mainly got Latin harmonies and rhythms but the structure is rock. It’s not jazz because it’s structured, and we don’t improvise; our solos are exactly what’s on the record, as a metal fan and guitarist you always want to hear the same solo,” the groups says.

Check out the duo’s latest album, Rodrigo y Gabriela, on Zune Marketplace!

Popularity: 27% [?]

Zune.net | Every Move a Picture - Artist Profile Page

Childhood friends Brent Messenger (singer/guitar) and Joey Fredrick (bass) had been playing in various bands throughout the early 2000s (at times with drummer Dan Aquino), but Every Move a Picture wasn’t officially born until early 2004 when Allen Davis (guitar/keyboard) joined the band through a Craigslist posting.

Setting up in a friend’s rehearsal space and spending a grand total of $290, the band recorded three songs: “Signs of Life,” “Chemical Burns” and “12AM.” Suddenly they were blaring out of the radio in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The songs also filtered across the Atlantic to the U.K.−with XFM spinning the band’s tracks and Steve Lamacq playing “Signs of Life” on Radio 1.

Back home, the Every Move a Picture fan base was rapidly growing as they played various underground dance parties in lofts and bars, before moving on to San Francisco’s prestigious Popscene club, and support slots with the Kaiser Chiefs and Louis XIV.

Soon after, the band released the five-song EP Blink and You’ll Miss It, with those original three tracks along with two others (”You’re So Predictable” and “St. John’s Night.”) This made it into the hands of leading tastemaker Nic Harcourt on L.A.’s uber-hip KCRW station, who immediately took to the band’s energy, offering them their first live radio session. Next up, a slew of licenses for the band’s music, from TV shows such as One Tree Hill, to various computer games, as the band’s dance punk grooves were compared favorably to everyone from Interpol and The Rapture, to The Killers.

Before any official release appeared overseas, Every Move a Picture played their first U.K. gigs to overwhelming response. The London-based label Something in Construction then issued a 7″ containing the songs “Signs of Life” and “Chemical Burns,” which promptly sold out the week of release.

And somewhere amidst all this the 2005 Reading and Leeds Festival called, inviting the band for a slot on the Carling Stage. They also played the Live 105 B.F.D. radio festival in San Francisco alongside Foo Fighters, Hot Hot Heat, and Ash.

In July 2006, Every Move a Picture released their anticipated full-length debut album Heart=Weapon that you can preview and download on Zune Marketplace. You can also listen to their song “Signs of Life,” which is preloaded into every Zune.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Zune.net | The Pierces - Artist Profile Page

Born and raised in Alabama but currently residing in New York, Allison and Catherine Pierce are the harmonizing sisters behind the duo The Pierces. Homeschooled by their painter mother and guitar-wielding father, the two girls were encouraged in the arts from a young age, and quickly learned to play guitar and harmonize.

In 2000 they released their full-length, self-titled debut album. After a couple of years of struggling with their first record label, the sisters decided it was time for a change. They ended the relationship and moved to New York City where they performed acoustically at clubs and residences around town.

The Pierces released their second album, Light of the Moon, in 2004 under a new label. Produced by Brian Sperber, the record is filled with radio-friendly melodies with touches of folk and country. The duo recently returned from Europe after opening for Albert Hammond, Jr., band member of The Strokes, on a tour for his solo project.

Their upcoming album, Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge, released by Lizard King Records is scheduled to hit stores on March 20, 2007.

Check out the music video for their latest song “Boring.” And download their music on Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Zune.net | Natasha - Artist Profile Page

While working at a sandwich shop during her junior year in high school, Natasha was introduced to Grammy Award-winning super producer Rodney Jerkins.After seeing her sing and dance just once, Jerkins invited Natasha to his Darkchild studio to record what would ultimately become her first two smashes, “So Sick” and “Hey Hey Hey.”A short time later she was signed to Jive Records through Jerkins’ Darkchild Entertainment.

“This is a dream come true for me,” beams Natasha. After years of dancing in the family room of her parents’ home she finally puts her moves to work in her debut video for “Hey Hey Hey.”

Download Natasha’s biggest hit, “So Sick” for free on Zune Marketplace. Hurry up! Offer ends soon.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Zune.net | Bloc Party - Artist Profile Page

Bloc Party is formed by Kele Okereke, Russel Lissack, Gordon Moakes, and Matt Tong. Inspired by Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Gang of Four, and The Cure, the South London art-punkers were once known as Angel Range and Union. Their first demo was released in early 2003. Later that year, they switched their name to Bloc Party.

After playing for a few months, the band started to attract attention from both the press and other musicians. Franz Ferdinand invited them to play at the Domino tenth anniversary party later in 2003. They released their first single, “She’s Hearing Voices” on Trash Aesthetics the next year.

During the spring of 2004, the band signed a contract to release their debut full-length album, Silent Alarm, in the U.K., which arrived in the United States in 2005. The British music weekly NME made it their Album of the Year in 2005 and Silent Alarm was on the U.K. album charts for 69 weeks. Bloc Party’s success has continued to grow ever since.

After being on tour for almost two years, the band has just released their second album, A Weekend in the City, which is an electrifying and staggeringly direct chronicle of post-millennial Britain, with bold lyrics and invigorating music.

Download Bloc Party’s albums from Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 18% [?]

The greatest thing about the Microsoft Zune is the amount of music you have at your fingertips. With more than 2 million tracks available, Zune represents every genre of music for those who crave diversity. Not only is the large selection of tracks one of the biggest perks, but the most noteworthy part of Zune is its partnership with Billboard. With this partnership you can bring back those memorable songs from the past with six decades worth of songs to choose from.

The benefits do not stop there as Zune not only offers great selection but with Zune, you are able to play music files, display videos and images, and receive FM radio, as well. The Zune also has the capacity to connect wirelessly and via the Xbox 360.

The Zune is an entirely new market for Microsoft has gotten much criticism and does not have the cult following of Apple Computer’s iPod. However, Zune’s biggest competition out there, iTunes, is giving the newcomer a run for its money. iTunes, released in 2001, used primarily for organizing digital music and video files, is a name even the technologically challenged can identity.

When it comes to Zune, many people are still unaware of its existence. The biggest problem for Zune is the lack of exposure it is receiving. If you were to ask your average consumer about Zune, a dumbfounded look is what you might get. Apple’s five year start is partly responsible for its major success. It has had ample time to perfect its technology, yielding maximum performance and profitable sales.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Zune.net | Thomas Dolby - Artist Profile Page

For over two decades Thomas Dolby Robertson has combined music and technology to great effect. The advent of MTV brought Dolby his initial exposure in the early 1980’s. His intelligent videos stood out from the pack, and his songs “She Blinded Me with Science” and “Hyperactive” became huge hits that have stood the test of time. His keyboard and production work put him in the studio with the likes of David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Foreigner, Joni Mitchell, and George Clinton. Numerous awards and five Grammy nominations later, Dolby had achieved worldwide recognition as an artist.

Recognizing the opportunities for digital distribution of music via the Internet as early as 1994, Thomas became a spokesman for a generation of musicians eager to change the entrenched business models of the music industry. He was determined to make music a core component of the emerging World Wide Web. His startup company Beatnik wrote the audio layer of Java and created the first interactive music sites on the Web.

Now retired from Beatnik, Dolby is musical director of the annual Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) Conference, and has returned to the stage taking his one-man Sole Inhabitant Tour around the U.S. and Europe. He released a live DVD and CD of the tour on Nov. 14, 2006. Dolby will play the famous SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, in March 2007, while preparing material for his next studio album.

Download the music of Thomas Dolby on Zune Marketplace today. Check his tour dates and watch him live at SXSW.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Zune.net | Kinto Sol - Artist Profile Page

Formed by three brothers−Manuel “Skribe,” Javier “DJ Playback,” and Eduardo “El Chivo”−, Kinto Sol speaks of emotion. Their Mexican pride comes through their lyrics, resulting in an original and powerful sound.

In this era of Latin influences, the emergence of Spanish language hip-hop is no surprise. The increasing popularity of the lyrical style has taken off and Kinto Sol is a major contender, making a name for themselves in a territory that is hard to conquer−the streets.

“When we first started out, the media refused to accept our music and spread the word about it, but we didn’t look back, because we believed in our work and that we were the voice of a lot of young people out there who were born in Mexico and grew up with the customs of the U.S.,” say the three members of the group.

Their first album, Del Norte al Sur, was released in 2001. Hecho en México, their second full-length record, arrived in stores two years later. With their third album, La Sangre Nunca Muere, they gained a loyal following among the Latin community and music lovers.

Released in February, Los Hijos del Maiz is the follow-up to their previous records. Exploring social problems confronting the world today and other important issues such as ignorance, corruption, and racism, Kinto Sol explores musical concepts beyond the limits of the Latin hip-hop genre.

Download Kinto Sol’s latest album, Los Hijos del Maiz, and all their previous work from Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Zune.net | Logistics - Artist Profile Page

After exploding onto the drum and bass scene with his first Hospital Records release “Replay” in March 2004, Logistics went full steam ahead. Next up was “Together,” which is described as an anthem after smashing up dance floors across the U.K. It was finally released not only on the Future Sound of Cambridge EP, but also in VIP form as part of the mighty Spacejam EP.

The young prodigy behind Logistics, whose real name is Matt Gresham and brother of Nu:Tone, played a major part in the heavy Weapons Of Mass Creation 2 LP; not only producing four of the tracks, but also being the official selector for the mix on disk 2.

In October 2006, Logistics unleashed the 25-track monster debut album, Now More Than Ever, which showcases two sides of the boy wonder in one fantastic album.

Preview and download Now More than Ever on Zune Marketplace.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Zune.net | Money Mark - Artist Profile Page

Money Mark is the alias of Mark Ramos-Nishita, a producer and multi-instrumentalist musician known by his funky, retro-flavored riffs, and irreverent keyboard skills. Born in Detroit to a Japanese-Hawaiian father and a Chicano mother, Money Mark started his career overdubbing keyboards for the Delicious Vinyl Label in the West Coast.

One of his most famous sounds is closely related to his collaboration with the Beastie Boys earning him the unofficial title of the fourth member of the group. He became a pivotal member of the hip-hop trio and performed on Check Your Head, released in 1992, and Ill Communication, from 1994.

Besides the Beastie Boys, Mark has also collaborated on crucial recordings with the likes of Yoko Ono, Beck, Jack Johnson, and Blues Explosion, to name a few.

His first solo debut, Mark’s Keyboard Repair, was recorded at his home studio between tour dates with the Beastie Boys, and released in 1995. A year later, the musician released Push the Button, an EP that combined aspects of rock’n'roll and pop with soul, funk, and hip-hop. Combining tropical sounds with a danceable disco and funk sound, Change Is Coming hit stores in 2001.

Money Mark’s latest album, Brand New by Tomorrow, released under Brushfire Records was produced by Mario Caldato, Jr. “This isn’t your typical jump up and down and have fun record like I usually make,” Mark reveals. “I was vulnerable at the time I was making the album. I was writing for therapy, just to get through my day.”

Download Money Mark albums on Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Zune.net | Tokyo Police Club - Artist Profile Page

Dave Monks –Vocals, Bass
Josh Hook –Guitar, Percussion
Graham Wright – Keyboards, Vocals
Greg Alsop – Drums, Percussion

Tokyo Police Club started by accident one day when Greg Alsop, Josh Hook, Dave Monks, and Graham Wright decided that they missed playing music together after the breakup of their previous project. The four gathered in Hook’s basement, plugging in instruments and making up songs almost at random, with no goal but to recapture the magic that they felt making music together. During the summer of 2005, the band began to play shows in the Toronto area. And that fall they were invited to play at the Pop Montreal Festival.

After their sold-out concert in Montreal, the foursome agreed that it was time to pursue a career in the music business. They played a series of Toronto shows and earned a reputation for live shows that were exuberant, lively, and unrestrained.

In January 2006, the band signed up with the Toronto-based Paper Bag Records to release their debut EP, A Lesson in Crime, in Canada. A few months later, the record was re-released with wider distribution.

Download Tokyo Police Club’s EP A Lesson in Crime from Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Zune.net | Cansei de Ser Sexy - Artist Profile Page

CSS is a provocative, dance-rock sextet from Brazil. Taking its name from an abbreviation of Cansei de Ser Sexy, which is Portuguese for “tired of being sexy,” the band started playing together in 2003. CSS took their lack of knowledge of instruments as a challenge for creativity and started performing at small shows in São Paulo’s underground music scene.

Singing in English, CSS includes lead singer Lovefoxxx, bassist Iracema Trevisan, guitarist/drummer/keyboardist Luiza Sá, guitarist Ana Rezende, guitarist/drummer Carolina Parra, and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/producer Adriano Cintra.

With a love for technology and the Internet, the band started to get attention from the media after releasing some tracks on the Web. In 2004, CSS released two EPs on their own, and later that fall, their debut album, Cansei de Ser Sexy, was released in Brazil, along with a bonus EP, CSS SUXXX.

As shown by “Meeting Paris Hilton” and “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above,” CSS makes their desire for the glorification of pop culture unshakably clear. Between funky club beats and Lovefoxxx’s deliciously looping and quirkily shameless vocals, the band sets a platform for layers of wire-thin guitars and electronics.

Download their album on Zune Marketplace today. Written by Alfred @ Zune MAX - Visit my Zune Card in the Zune forums now!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Tags: Music, The Zune, Zune, Zune Artist, Zune Marketplace, Zune.net, zune, zune artist

Zune.net | The Kooks - Artist Profile Page

The Kooks, formed by Luke Pritchard, Hugh Harris, Max Rafferty, and Paul Garred, met while attending U.K.-based Brighton Music College in the mid-2000s. “The idea from when we started the band was to be quite eclectic and open-minded,” said lead singer Luke Pritchard.

After writing hundreds of songs since their beginning as a school project in 2003, the British foursome released their first single, “Eddie’s Gun,” in 2005. “The Sofa Song” was released short after landing on the Top 30 list on the U.K. singles chart.

Sounding like a more energetic Thrillsand a less severe Arctic Monkeys, the foursome is also heavily influenced by classic rock. The full-length, Inside In/ Inside Out, was released in the U.K. in January and brought to the U.S. in October 2006.

Preview and download The Kooks’ songs on Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Zune.net | Bitter:Sweet - Artist Profile Page

The lives of Shana Halligan and Kiran Shahani seemed to have over-lapped before they met, but never crossed until the perfect moment. How else can you explain two people who lived one block away from each other and, who recorded just one wall away, and who never connected until an anonymous online posting? That is exactly how Los Angeles music duo Bitter:Sweet came to make their intoxicating and playful debut artist album, The Mating Game. The 11-track work features the extensive musicality of two respected musicians who now exist in perfect harmony.

On the album, Halligan and Shahani stay true to their own unique musical souls by embracing everything from the previously untapped jazz qualities of Halligan’s voice to Shahani’s love of any type of music and production.

When Shahani (producer, composer) and Halligan (vocals, melodies, lyrics, co-producer) met, they were both “not that into” the L.A. music scene. “There was a time when I had even stopped listening to music,” explains Halligan. “But sometimes you’re just meant to do things in life.”

As a Southern California native, Halligan had just returned home from “having a beautiful experience” in Europe when she decided to answer her first-ever ad for a singer. Not only was it an ad, it was on Craigslist. “I can’t believe I answered an ad,” Shana says now, “but I just did it!” As fate would have it, her call was the first to be answered by music producer and dance music enthusiast Shahani, who was largely responsible for their self-titled debut album, selling more than 250,000 copies worldwide.

After collaborating, Halligan and Shahani discovered that they had the same exact taste in music. They also discovered that six months prior to meeting, they had recorded just one wall away from each other in the same studio. They also shared numerous friends in common, and even stranger still, had lived one street away from each other, and still had never met.

On The Mating Game, echoes of each musician’s past, present, and future are revealed in infectious songs like the sultry, exotic opening track “Don’t Forget to Breathe,” which sets the tone for the entire album. “Moving Forward” is one of Shahani’s favorites “for its amazing vocal performance,” and is a track that Halligan has a deep emotional attachment to. Solid production and a Vegas cool is the calling card of “The Mating Game” with its big band sass and zany James Bond feel. Overall, Halligan’s melodically sweet-and-sexy vocals paired with Shahani’s experimental pop beats and masterful programming make for an album that will stand the test of time.

Download Bitter:Sweet on Zune Marketplace, listen to their song “The Mating Game,” which is preloaded into every Zune device, and read their interview and find out what’s next for Halligan and Shahani.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Zune.net | Stars of Track and Field - Artist Profile Page

Jason Bell – Guitar/Vocals
Kevin Calaba – Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards
Daniel Orvik – Drums/Samples/Programming

When Stars of Track and Field found themselves without a bassist a couple of years ago, the Portland, Ore.-based band didn’t follow the typical steps to find a replacement. No wanted ads were placed; no attempts were made to recruit from other bands and nobody within the group switched instruments. Instead, the band opted for the path less traveled: they went digital. “Our initial motivation was twofold; a chance to stretch our boundaries and break from the conventional rock format, and avoid the frustration of rehearsing bass player after bass player,” says Jason Bell.

Stars of Track and Field had become an entirely different band, one that keenly opted to straddle the divide of vintage analog and cutting-edge digital. “We could finally embrace all of our influences,” says Kevin Calaba, “and add the colors of Aphex Twin and early Pink Floyd to a palette that already included the Beatles and My Bloody Valentine.”

Fueled by their newly found “digital chemistry,” the band feverishly began developing new songs for their debut EP, You Came Here for Sunset Last Year. Five-hour practice sessions consisted of two-and-a-half hours of silence and self-imposed isolation; rehearsals were largely spent with all members’ headphones on, experimenting with sounds and textures, only to later share their finds.

Recorded and produced by Tony Lash (Dandy Warhols, Elliott Smith) and Jeff Saltzman (Stephen Malkmus) for a mere $2,500, You Came Here for Sunset Last Year was released in June 2005 and garnered significant radio attention throughout the Pacific Northwest, which included commercial airplay. The public responded, and the band went on to sell several thousand copies of the release via live shows and local stores.

After a brief stint on the Southern California-based indie label Sidecho Records, the band signed to Wind-up Records. Returning to the studio with Lash and Saltzman, the team created Centuries Before Love and War, the band’s first full-length album. An ambitious debut, the album displays the band’s dichotomous formula, successfully mining elements from across rock’s history while simultaneously embracing the digital technology of the future.

Preview and download Centuries Before Love and War on Zune Marketplace today.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The Zune Marketplace editorial team, who sit right down the hall from me (hey buddies!) recently got featured in a Seattle PI article: Microsoft, Others, Tap Music Veterans. The team:

Check out the article; a good read, especially if you’ve ever been curious about the recommendations you’ll find when you browse in ZMP.

One of the good things about working here is being around people who love music and are passionate about what we’re bringing to this space. That, and the free CDs and concert tickets

Also, unrelated to Zune Marketplace: I step away from my desk for a few minutes, check my sent items, and see that I’ve sent this to the Zune team:

From: Cesar Menendez
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 10:30 AM
To: Zune Team
Subject: I am now the king of tea and the tea blogsphere! 

Good one, guys. Guess I’ll remember to lock my computer when I step away from now on

<edit> changed title to PI.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Tomorrow, Tuesday 20th Feb, from from 2:00AM - 5:00 AM (PT), Zune Marketplace will be offline for maintenance. It’s maintenance only, no firmware updates/new features.

You’ll still be able to access the catalog and browse music, but won’t be able to buy music, create new accounts, manage your existing accounts, purchase additional points, or view your account history.  And the account management section of Zune.net will also be down. You’ll be able to access the rest of Zune.net without difficulty. Take care!

Popularity: 3% [?]

It’s Zune.net and not Zune.com

So it looks like Microsoft has slipped up with the Zune domains. They have failed to purchase quite a few domains that we are aware of but to look at what is happening now seems they have really screwed this one up. RedHerring reports that Microsoft will not be using the preferred domain for the upcoming launch of their new MP3 player. According to the article they were unable to secure Zune.com and will have to open up under Zune.net which they just recently acquired.

If that were not bad enough it also seems they missed out on some others. Zunemarketplace.com is listed for sale on domain broker Sedo.com. Representatives from Sedo.com confirmed that Zunemarketplace.com was in fact listed by a seller and the price is $1,499. While we understand they would not buy every name related to the Zune we wonder how they would neglect to purchase the name of the Zune online music service. Not the smartest thing they have done.

We’ll have to keep an eye on Zune.net to see when they will go live with the site.

Popularity: 26% [?]