“WE HAVE RE-ANIMATED JOHN BONHAM’S CORPSE AND RECORDED A NEW LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TOMORROW.”

Yes, I find the whole Keep Everything A Big Secret! release strategy (a la the new Raconteurs album) to be sort of funny. Releasing everything at once, as soon after it’s completed as possible, THAT, I think is a really good idea. But you have to admit, keeping the entire project a complete secret is pretty silly. If news of a new album actually got out more than 7-10 days in advance, what would happen? Would secret agents and ninjas suddenly descend upon the studio, and go on a murder spree culminating in the theft of the master CD and the fulfillment of their ultimate nefarious goal of posting a RAR to Megaupload?

We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it’s availability, reception or perception.

An “upper hand?” I can understand some reasons to release everywhere at the same time, but preventing snooty critics or radio people somehow lording their possession of the album over the unwashed masses is not one of them. There’s speculation that by doing this, the buying public won’t be swayed by any pre-release reviews of the album. That’s a noble thing to shoot for, but even if this thing doesn’t leak, it’s still going to permeate the web with a gazillion reviews mere moments after the first downloads start.

I do applaud them for just getting everything out there all at once, though. I’ve been advocating for this release strategy for years. The thing is, until pretty much RIGHT NOW, at this point in history, this release strategy wouldn’t have been possible. Think about it, WHY couldn’t a release already be there on the shelf WHEN the press push starts? There were a number of reasons:

1. The print mags, and their demands for long lead times.
   No longer an issue, what with the print mags dropping like flies (Harp being the latest casualty (remember my amazing psychic abilities?))
2. The retailers, and their muscle-flexing regarding stocking, placement, and lead-times for ad circulars.
   No longer an issue, what with record stores dropping like flies, and big-box retailers shrinking and/or doing away with dedicated music space altogether.
3. The labels, and their obsession with the UTTERLY USELESS “FIRST WEEK SALES” METRIC.
   No longer an issue not only because artists are forgoing labels altogether, but because labels themselves are likely becoming so desperate, they may even begin to loosen their death-grip on that stupid “First Week Sales” emphasis.

   So how will it all play out? I imagine the record will do okay, probably about the same as if they’d done the traditional style of release. I think the novelty of the “Secret Instant Album Release” is starting to wear off. These sorts of announcements are starting to seem less and less newsworthy. And we’re still not seeing any progress as to how small, unknown bands can approach the marketplace of Music 2.0– because, again, this Raconteurs release is just another example of a strategy that works *only* for acts who have already been brought to a position of prominence by that “Old Broken System.” As David Bennun points out in the Guardian:

   If nobody had heard of the Raconteurs, then without pre-publicity, they might as well shoot the album into space as release it to an oblivious public…

   Final Standings- Raconteurs: Bronze, NIN: Silver, Radiohead: Gold