I'm really surprised that no one has commented about the latest Radiohead album, In Rainbows. While the album's content continues the innovative sound that fans have come to expect over the past two decades, the way in which it was released is markedly different than their previous releases or anyone's previous releases for that matter. Having fulfilled their contract with EMI with 2003's "Hail to the Thief," Radiohead became one of the biggest "free agents" in the music market with numerous labels offering the band massive contracts. Instead of signing, Radiohead decided to remain independent, so that they could write, record, and tour at their own pace. Although band members had been writing and recording solo material during this period as well as band material, there was little indication as to when the band was to release a new album. Then, after almost four years of anticipation, Radiohead announced that it would be coming out with a new album. Fan's excitement was generally tempered by the fact that most thought it would take a couple months to actually be released. Then, a couple weeks later, Radiohead did something that hasn't really been done before. They sent out a message on their website saying that In Rainbows was going to be online within a couple of days and that they fans could pay what they wanted for the album, including nothing. Fans and the media responded almost instantaneously, spreading the word virally around the internet through articles, blog posts, and other clips. While the articles emphasized content, they concentrated more on how the album was released, asking how music is valued in the digital age while questioning the relevance of corporate media in the 21st century.
Like most of the fans, I downloaded the album and payed nothing, which felt really good. I like knowing that the artists want me to have their music regardless of cost. In my opinion, corporatization and commodification detract from the actual artwork itself, as they play up marketing and image over quality. Radiohead, with the help of the internet, has subverted corporate domination of the music industry by proving that bands do not need record labels to create hype or to distribute their records, as the internet allowed them to use a direct distributive medium to create buzz. Also, because many people have chosen to act outside of their rational self interest and pay something for the record (some have payed over $200.00), it shows that decommercialized distribution can provide decent income. At the same time, we are talking about Radiohead, one of the largest rock bands of our era. They can get away with this kind of thing because they have such a large fan base and because they don't care about making millions of dollars. To even suggest that smaller, independent acts could make any money doing this now seems like a bit of a stretch, but I don't think its too far off. More and more bands are deciding to forgo large records deals, instead chosing to produce their own records. I think that some fans even prefer this type of production to corporate controlled media, as these bands are generally not as large and image based as corporate media and they tend to focus more on creating really good music than making millions. In so doing they, like Radiohead, have made decent amounts of money. In this way, independent record distribution seemingly provides an economically viable alternative to the doldrums of corporate record production. I really hope that more bands follow Radiohead, hastening the decline of the outdated and unnecessary corporate noisemakers.