Went out to grab some CDs today, and came back with the new Jenny Lewis and Cat Power records. Those should be fun to listen to. I also hope to enjoy the new Beth Orton album, and I picked it up in the store today. And then put it right back down. I’m not buying it.

Someone had the infinite wisdom to make Orton’s Comfort Of Strangers a copy-protected disc. Whether it will launch a crappy proprietary player on my computer, install a malicious rootkit or just give me MP3s full of static when I try to rip it, I don’t know. In fact, I’ll never know because I’m never buying another copy-protected disc again after the whole Broken Social Scene fiasco. And to think, I was starting to really like Beth Orton again. I know she doesn’t appreciate people downloading her work, but that’s no reason to punish the people who actually want to buy her music. The fact that Comfort Of Strangers was floating around the internet long before the album’s street date yesterday shows that anyone who’s determined to listen to the album without paying for it will be easily accomodated regardless of whatever hoops you make legitimate customers jump through. And in case you think copy protection is a necessary evil, think again.

I highly encourage you to download a copy of Orton’s album if you’re interested in listening to it. Do not, under any circumstances, purchase any copy of her album that displays the Copy Controlled logo and warning.