by SHANE SINNOTT

I don’t have an iPhone, though I suppose I may end up with one one day, the same way you don’t think you’ll ever have a cell phone in general and then one day you have one. If I did get one, what would nudge me would be the app store, where you can buy third-party applications for the phone that allow you to do everything from planning public transportation trips to sending fart noises to your friends. Those two aren’t that game-changing, but what the Presidents of the United States of America are doing is (please bear with me and ignore that PUSA suck.) They’ve created an app for the iPhone that streams their entire music catalog for $2.99. This is no less than a band skipping a record label entirely for distribution. Give the band—not a distributor—a few bucks and you can stream anything you want from their library. And remember, the ability to stream music is a lot more useful when that streaming device can be carried around in your pocket and has a headphone jack. This, methinks, is definitely the way to go. Now all we have to do is wait for some good bands to jump on board.

Speaking of which, Bonnie “Prince” Billy has a new album called Beware coming out March 17. The name is Will Oldham’s current moniker, and of the many published descriptions of him, one of my favourites is “Appalachian post-punk solipsist.” Although he spent most of his career somewhat reclusively, Oldham is making a push for more mainstream success, hoping his brand of folk will find a fanbase beyond the small but rabid one he has cultivated over the last dozen years. Along with a profile in The New Yorker (read it at tinyurl.com/8xy878), he’s embarking on a full North American tour on which a whole bunch of longtime fans are going to see him for the first time. He plays the Ukrainian Federation on May 15. Expect rabid excitement, and prepare with some songs from the new album: “Beware Your Only Friend” (tinyurl.com/bzjgp9), “You Can’t Hurt Me Now,” (tinyurl.com/dkb9dw) and “Afraid Ain’t Me” (tinyurl.com/d99ze3).