Starting and then stopping

The guilt factor of this post is high, as I really don't have the time to be writing this, but I had to post something as I'm totally, completely, utterly blown away by what Radiohead is doing with their new album.

Pitchfork sums it perfectly:

Rather than preface their new album's release with the usual three months of press ballyhoo, only to have it leak at some random time before it comes out, they've kept it completely under wraps, then essentially gone and leaked it themselves. What's more, they've turned this into a moral question of sorts, by giving us the freedom to pay actual money for what amounts to an album leak.

At this point, I can't see paying any less than $20 for the DRM-free files, since I'll be paying for more than music; I'll be paying for brilliance. Granted, it's necessity that's the main driver behind this, since Radiohead's popularity with the filesharers of the world means that a large chunk of their fan base would have had the record well prior to it's release, but it's still a move of genius, especially the "pay what you want" part.

Maybe it's just the initial excitement of the news, but at this moment, this seems nothing short of revolutionary; the shot at the music industry that was inevitable, but hadn't yet come. And here it is, as a total surprise on a Monday morning.