Kristin Hersh: Crooked app for iPhone and iPad

In a music and publishing industry first, the lead singer of Throwing Muses, 50 Foot Wave and solo artist Kristin Hersh released her new studio album, Crooked, as a book—the first time any major recording artist has taken such a step. And now, this book is available on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

The groundbreaking publication and app contain gorgeous artwork, complete lyrics, and an exclusive essay by Kristin for each song. Also included is a digital code which unlocks a treasure trove of online content including Lossless and mp3 versions of the full Crooked album and two bonus EPs, track-by-track audio commentary by Kristin, the opening pages of her memoir, "Rat Girl," exclusive video content, and a forum enabling fans to interact with Kristin, ask questions, and participate in live web chats.

The app itself contains each song from the Crooked album in Apple Lossless format, the beautiful imagery from the printed book, and Kristins audio commentary for each track. Additionally, it includes audio of Kristin reading each essay. Any of these recordings may be played as you browse the books pages.

On the iPhone and iPod Touch, there are some pages where the text is too small to easily read--if you rotate the device to its "landscape" orientation, you will be presented with an alternate view that makes the text larger and easier to read. Or if you prefer, you can use the pinch gesture to zoom in on those pages.