Crave

I have no doubt musicians will continue to perform throughout the 2010s, but they'll make less and less money from recorded music. The passion to make and sell recorded music is already starting to wane.

Big record labels will be increasingly irrelevant so I wouldn't be surprised if Warner, Universal, Sony/BMG, and EMI eventually merge into one mega-label to sell and license back-catalog music. New music, that's another story. Already established bands, like Radiohead, have already proved the point: they don't need record companies anymore. They can sell their music directly to fans.

Will anybody be making 'albums' in 2020?

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

But that model won't work for smaller groups. Recorded music for them may survive purely as a promotional tool, as fewer and fewer bands have any expectation of seeing recording as a potential source of income. Buying music, in physical form or by legal download, doesn't seem to have much of a future. So why would a band make an effort to make music people would want to listen to decades from now? The art of making albums--a suite of songs if you will--may become a rare pursuit.

Along with Beeker and Fozzie Bear, Animal ranks among my favorite Muppets characters. So it's great not only to see him starring in his own iPhone game, but to report that the game's a blast.

At first blush, The Muppets Animal Drummer from Disney looks like something out of Rock Band: you've got five drums that light up and change colors (and occasionally catch fire); combo bonuses and power-ups that appear as you progress; and Animal himself (itself?) banging away center-stage.

A little bit Rock Band, a little bit Simon, The Muppets Animal Drummer is all fun.

(Credit: Disney)

However, the gameplay's a bit different: Animal bangs out a series of beats using different parts of the drum set and different intervals. Your job is to play back the lick (by tapping the drums) using the exact same phrasing.

It starts off pretty easy, but quickly gets challenging (especially for rhythm-deprived individuals like myself). Even so, I find this a lot more fun than, say, Tap Tap Revenge or Rock Band, both of which reach a level of "impossible" that makes me lose all interest.

Here, you can improve your performance with practice--no superhuman levels of dexterity required.

There's also a Free Play mode that lets you drum along with any of the game's handful of songs (some of which must be unlocked by doing well in Classic mode) or songs in your iPod library. Younger kids in particular will have lots of fun with this, as it's really just noise on top of noise.

Whatever mode you choose, you'll enjoy snippets of Animal's voice along the way--icing on the cake.

And sweet cake it is. Animal Drummer may have built-in kid appeal (assuming kids these days even know who the Muppets are), but it's also plenty of fun for older players who enjoy music- and rhythm-centric games. At $1.99, I can highly recommend it.

(Credit: Eigenlabs)

It looks like something the Star Wars Cantina band might have forgotten while gigging on Earth, but the Eigenharp might just become something unforgettable for electronic musicians.

Developed by British start-up Eigenlabs, the gorgeously designed, unusual device combines the dynamic physicality of a guitar or saxophone with the versatility of a modern digital synthesizer and sequencer.

The $6,400 professional-grade Eigenharp Alpha, seen here, is a 4-foot-long cylinder of circuitry studded with rows of rectangular keys, two strip controllers, a breath pipe, and pedal controllers. It also seems to have several rows of sexy LED lights. It weighs nearly 6 pounds.

Billed as "the most expressive electronic musical instrument ever made," the Alpha has 132 playing keys that allow the user to change pressure, pitch, filter settings and a host of other parameters, all while playing live, as seen in this demo.

Sounds and drum loops can be imported from other instruments through the Eigenharp base station. The system requires a Mac computer to operate, though Windows software support is expected in January 2010.

The simpler, 18-key Eigenharp Pico is designed for beginners and is currently priced at about $570.

The Eigenharp was conceived by musician John Lambert in the 1990s. He tired of the time-consuming preparation needed for concerts with electronic instruments, and wanted something that could be deployed in only a few minutes like a guitar.

A decade later, the Eigenharp was born. But how does it sound? Check out these two 'Harp players jamming to the James Bond theme in the video below. Eigenlabs will show it off at the 2010 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim next month.

At the least, the Eigenharp may bring a new physical, dynamic presence to musicians performing electronic music live. If only Eigenlabs would include Bith alien masks in the box.

Musicians are a paradox when it comes to technology. They have voracious appetites for the latest, greatest gear, but unlike the average tech consumer, they also have a near-religious reverence for all things vintage.

Looking back on what I consider the year's coolest gear for musicians, the thread that ties it all together (well, most of it) is this balance of new and antique. From a guitar pedal that sounds like a tube amplifier from 1959, to USB interfaces that return the look and feel of a pre-Pro Tools era--music tech has a unique way of pushing forward while always acknowledging the past.

To see my completely subjective roundup of 2009's most interesting music gear, click though to our Crave slideshow. If you have some other 2009 music gear you'd like to champion, feel free to add it in the comments section.

Musician tech roundup, 2009

Stock up on free holiday music (for kids and adults alike) from Amazon.

(Credit: Amazon)

Those of us who celebrate Chanukah may get eight nights of presents, but you X-mas folks get all the good music.

Thanks to Mrs. Cheapskate, who tinsels with the best of 'em, I've really come to enjoy Christmas songs over the years. Consequently, I'm always on the lookout for new (and cheap, natch) tunes to add to the holiday playlist.

Amazon has quite a bounty this year. For starters, check out these 29 free holiday tunes from artists like Tori Amos, Lady GaGa, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Over at Dealnews you can find 11 more holiday freebies from Amazon, including the kid-friendly "Christmas with a Monkey" and funk-tastic "Boogaloo Santa Claus."

Finally, you can download a free audio book of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" from Learn Out Loud.

Got a few bucks to spare? For my money there's no better holiday album on the planet than Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which Amazon sells for $5.99 (two bucks less than iTunes).

Update: Apple just joined the fun with 20 free holiday tunes, which are available for download via iTunes. Artists include Amy Grant, Sarah McLachlan, Aretha Franklin, and Weezer.

Lee Perry Sleeveface!

(Credit: Sleeveface.com)

CNET Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg joins The 404 Podcast for a special Friday episode all about the art of music appreciation. We love having Steve on the show because he actually comes prepared with topics of discussion, and today he launches right into a thoughtful point about how music has become background filler for the digital generation.

It might be because MP3s and digital audio watered down the listening experience compared with putting a needle on a record, but we suspect the current generation is so used to hearing overproduced music with pounding bass and autotuned vocals that they wouldn't recognize musical talent if it were performed live in front of them. Kids these days, I swear.

After we're done complaining about people younger than us, we address the ongoing prevalence of digital abuse. Cyberbullying took an ugly turn earlier this year when 13-year-old Megan Meier took her own life over a fake MySpace profile. Tragedy struck again in the form of another 13-year-old, Hope Witsell, who committed suicide after finding herself the subject of constant taunting and abuse over a nude picture message that made its way around her school. As a tech podcast, we also examine the role that text messages and cell phones play in the hands of young people and how parents can protect their kids from digital abuse.

It's not all sad news on today's show, though. We can always depend on Steve to bring the most random and hilarious anecdotes, and be sure to listen to his uplifting message at the end of the show to start your weekend off right. See you back here on Monday!

If you're serious about rechargeable batteries, and saving money on disposables, this charging kit can't be beat.

(Credit: Amazon)

A battery charger is essential gear for any household with a game console (those controllers burn through AA's like nobody's business), childrens' toys, or anything else battery-powered.

Because, let's face it, you'll pay a lot more in the long haul for disposable batteries than you will for a good charger and some rechargeable batteries.

Of course, a good charger--one with features such as a heat monitor and status LCD--can cost you upward of $70 or more--batteries not included.

Today only, Amazon has the La Crosse BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger for $34.99 shipped. And in addition to the kick-ass charger, you get four AA rechargeables, four AAA's, adapters for C and D cells, and a travel case.

What makes the BC-9009 so special? Start with four independent status displays, one for each of its four slots. They can cycle through stats like charge rate, discharge rate, elapsed time, and total battery capacity.

The charger also includes a heat monitor to prevent overcharging. And buyers certainly seem to like it: nearly 650 reviewers rated it 4.5 stars out of 5 on average.

Looks like a perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person (or blogger) in your life. I'm just hoping this doesn't sell out in five minutes like everything else I post these days. Dang holiday season!

Backup deal: It's that time of year when we clear out some space on the ol' iPod to make room for the holiday playlist. If yours is a little, well, played out, Amazon MP3 has Diana Krall's "Christmas Songs" album for just $2.99. It's a digital download, of course, in DRM-free, universally compatible MP3 format. Perfect for cozy nights by the fire.