Trying Amazon's New Music Download Service

We're trying to test Amazon's new MP3 download service because we hate CDs and iTunes and we love DRM-free music files and compensating artists for their work. Hang out with us a minute here while we try this...

Local band Kinski has a new album out and since we felt the last time they released something they were finally on the right track we definitely want to check this one out. Their label is Sub Pop, so even though Kinski might not be a household word amongst the Top 40 set, we think that Amazon may have their new one "Down Below it’s Chaos." But they don't. Somewhat surprisingly, they do have a couple of Kinski albums at $0.89 a track, but no "Down Below." Alright, how about Stereo Total; they've also got a new one out. We hate everyone they've obviously influenced who thinks that one finger tapping a Casio and some quirky foreign-language vocals make up an opening act, but love the real deal. Dammit, again Amazon has a bunch of stuff filling out the Stereo Total back catalog, but they don't have the new "Paris Berlin." Múm? We're kind of reaching here, already, and their new album "Don't Smear the Poison Ivy" is said to be so-so, but if they have it maybe it's worth a few bucks to download a track or two. They do have it, but now that we're settled in at the $0.89 price point 99 cents seems a little steep for a throwaway MP3.

Screw it, we've gotta buy something, so we'll go with the ole standby: blues. We finally settle on Goin' Down South from R.L. Burnside's classic "A Ass Pocket of Whiskey." Amazon says, "before downloading this song, we recommend installing the Amazon MP3 Downloader application." Oh, ok, it's skippable. Oh, dear lord... Now problems with our payment method. We haven't purchased anything since our debit card number was jacked two months ago and we had to get a new one. Getting a new number in there is no easy trick, apparently... Well, according to Amazon's site we bought the track...but the order failed due to problems with our payment method. Three times. We give up. Final result: no purchase. Maybe next time, Amazon.

Update: It looks like we did purchase the track. We just never got it. Our "media library" says we downloaded Goin' Down South, but, well, we didn't and there's no clear path to re-downloading it.