Snow Patrol, The iPod, And Appliance Shopping

I applaud new ideas. When you spend time trying to find interesting things to comment on for a music blog, anything that might appear to be innovative provides a brief moment of excitement. But when every corporate entity on earth tries to find a way to make some cash from the residuals of the iTunes empire, it’s inevitable that some ideas are, frankly, better than others.

I’m probably one of the few people in the Idolator universe who actually likes Snow Patrol, and the forthcoming release of A Hundred Million Suns will be notable not only for seeing how a band adapts to the aftermath of a Grey’s Anatomy-assisted sales bounce: It will also come with its own iPhone application.

The application, which will be downloadable online, will enable fans to access a raft of extra content including artwork, behind-the-scenes images and lyrics via the touch screen of their handsets, marking the first time a music artist has made use of the iPhone’s extra capabilities.

The popularity of the iPhone and iPod Touch homescreen applications has shot up in recent months as consumers look for ways to customise their handsets.

“It will be an interactive element; a digital booklet that will take you into the videos and content,” says Polydor product manager Liz Goodwin. “For fans it will be a real must-have, and the fact that they are the first band to do this gives us an additional angle for exposure.”

While it’s certainly a good idea to find ways in which to increase the connection between the fan and the artist–and at the same time, create something you can’t get through a .rar blog–I’m thinking after a few minutes of watching my iPhone screen fill up with photos of Gary Lightbody and company, I’ll be hitting the tiny x in the left corner and getting back to my crossword puzzles. The connection today’s music fan has with liner notes is strained at best, and with a seemingly endless stream of information available on the Internet, what about the Snow Patrol application will be more entertaining than the thousands of other applications on the iTunes store? I’m suspecting not much.

Still, having spent part of the weekend pricing appliances, pacing the aisles of Lowe’s would have been much more interesting if the iPod-enabled fridge was available for sale. Featuring a dock and speakers, the Gorenje-made refrigerator also would allow browsing for recipes and likely, directory assistance to find a repairman when the icemaker goes out. Like the Snow Patrol application, the connection to the world of the iPod is almost entirely unnecessary, but I can’t even count how many times I’ve missed being able to have music streaming from my refrigerator door while I look for a cold Coke Zero. I’m just now realizing how little I’ve had to live for up to this point.

Snow Patrol and Apple aim for the skies [Music Week] Gorenje debuts Made for iPod fridge [Engadget]