Is ITunes Killing the Album?

When I started buying music, I would skip through the tracks to get to the singles. I know I'm not the only one guilty of such behavior. A running joke between Backdrifter and I centers on the fact that he owned OK Computer long before I did, but he only listened to "Karma Police" and "Paranoid Android." (I argue the latter is a bigger crime.) It's no surprise that people who listen to mainstream radio would seek out albums based on radio-friendly singles. Yet as Sakah Akhtar notes in a 2003 Rolling Stone article, "How many times have you bought a band's album for an overplayed song, only to discover that the more gratifying tunes are the ones you've never heard before?"

Surprise, surprise -- an album's single isn't always an artist's best work. Many of you reading already know this to be true. This fact is dismaying considering, in the day and age of ITunes, each individual track (single or otherwise) suddenly has to bear the brunt of an artist's vision.

Allow me to present an example. There's this guy at my husband's office. He's been getting into more obscure music lately. He tells my husband he loves the Arcade Fire. Only problem is, because of ITunes, he only has the track "My Body is a Cage." Don't get me wrong, I like the song, but it's hardly representative of the Arcade Fire's work (and I'm left wondering if he bought the track only because of the title, expecting to hear some sort of Nine Inch Nails-type tune). So what if he did, you're probably wondering. What's the problem? The guy gets to choose the tracks he wants, the Arcade Fire profits (I suppose). Freedom of choice! Music for all!

ITunes definitely has its benefits. My concern is that, as the distribution of music becomes more and more online-driven, artists may begin to focus on individual tracks rather than a "concept" album. This has been a popular topic of discussion amongst us Range Lifers, ever since Thom Yorke stated in a pre-Hail to the Thief interview that the band was done with LPs. In an even more recent interview, Yorke said:

I'm into the idea of singles and EPs. Jonny and I were never convinced about that whole thing with Kid A; "We don't release singles. This is an album, and that's it." What gets me down is the emphasis on the LP. It's one of our strengths. You can create a more exciting picture with lots of different things that you put together. But I want something that gets you on the dance floor. I always have. But we never do that.

So Radiohead surprised us by releasing an LP, despite the fact that In Rainbows was first released online. In many ways I see the album as creating a palette of many different songs, however, rather than a solidified whole like Kid A (perhaps the rainbow metaphor is a fitting one here). This fragmented effect is not necessarily a bad thing, as In Rainbows is an incredible achievement. Still, one can't help but wonder if Yorke's drive to create a range of sounds was a response to the evolution of the album (further suggested by the band's unusual distribution choice).

As Ahkhar points out, this type of experimentation can be beneficial: "Armored by the tried and true, musicians can take a crack at the risky in a market where loyalties are shiftier than the Bush administration's stance on Iraq's WMD." He goes on to argue that, on the downside, artists might "throw in some junk" to test the reactions of fans and critics. I don't see that as being an issue, as I don't think serious artists would ever set out with the intent of producing subpar work, just for kicks.

Will the album "die," as many have suggested the newspaper or novel have died in response to evolving technologies? All I can say is that this listener cringes at the idea. No more Soft Bulletins, Black Foliages, Aeroplanes, Kid As. Music for all -- but at what price?

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The ITunes Bump

I listen to a lot of music. Unfortunately I don't always have time to give every album the attention it deserves, especially when I'm sucked in by a recent obsession (see: In Rainbows). Today I'm giving props to albums I've discovered or rediscovered lately, thanks to a little phenomenon I'll call the I-Tunes bump. Sometimes, when an album ends and a new one begins, something magical happens.

1. Camera Obscura - Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi (2002) - Bumped via Califone's Roots & Crowns

Although later albums see Camera Obscura moving into a 60s pop mold, their debut was produced by Stuart Murdoch and is pure BS. (Make that Belle & Sebastian -- when abbreviations go wrong...) Check out final track "Anti-Western," which wooed this listener during a live performance at the Record Bar last year. A phenomenal oldie from one of our favorite artists of 2006.

2. Cat Power - The Greatest (2006) - Bumped via Caribou's Andorra

I was a fan of You Are Free and Moon Pix, but for some reason never fell for The Greatest (partially, I admit, because I absolutely despised the album art, and for the longest time thought it was a Greatest Hits album. Don't kill me, Chan fans). Maybe it's just this late-autumn mood I'm in, but the album's rich vocals and bluesy/folky turn have won me over.

3. Iron & Wine - Woman King EP (2004) - Bumped via I&W's Shepherd's Dog

Here's one that gets better every time I hear it, and proves an oh-so-nice follow-up to Sam Beam's recent masterpiece. In just six tracks Beam explores the range of his sound, from sweet ballads like "Jezebel" to Southern staples like "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" to rockers like "Evening on the Ground," one of my favorite Iron & Wine songs ever.

4. Modest Mouse - Building Nothing Out of Something (1999) - Bumped via Menomena's I Am the Fun Blame Monster

This summer I fawned over Menomena's impressive debut, and in the process stumbled upon this collection of Modest Mouse B-sides. Perhaps it was this discovery that made getting into We Were Dead... even harder for this MM fan. Here was an entire album of B-sides that, in my opinion, easily outshines the band's last two releases.

5. The Beta Band - The Three EPs (1997) - Bumped via Besnard Lakes' Are the Dark Horse

Here's an old favorite that's been getting some extra attention lately. The Three EPs is the quintessential "chill" album. "Dry the Rain" sets the tone with layers of acoustic guitars, distant drums, and trumpets swelling toward one of the most satisfying climaxes you'll ever hear in a stoner song. If you're not convinced, listen to "Dog's Got a Bone" or "Inner Meet Me" and bow down to the late great Beta Band.

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