This week has been all about Radiohead, and I doubt there are many music blogs that have not commented on their bold move of distributing their new album exclusively through the band’s website and essentially giving it away for free. They have created an enormous buzz around this new concept causing some people to comment on what a brilliant promotional campaign Radiohead has orchestrated by basically turning the bloggers and e-news sources into free press.

And even though you can choose to pay as little as you want to for the album, I think we would all be surprised at how many people are actually paying something for the album. According to Murray Chalmers, a Radiohead spokesman, “Most people are deciding on a normal retail price with very few trying to buy it for a penny.” Surprised? I’m not, and here’s why.

Instead of looking at this move by Radiohead in terms of what it means for the well-being or detriment of the “music industry,” I am looking at what this means to Radiohead’s fans. If it is true that Radiohead fans are deciding to pay a reasonable retail price for what they could legitimately receive for next to nothing, I can really only think of one explanation. People value Radiohead, and are willing to support their favorite band if they (the fans) feel valued at the same time. By allowing fans to choose their price, there is no way anybody could possibly feel ripped-off after listening to the album, whether they like the album or not.

I know if I were a Radiohead fan right now that I would feel a deeper respect for the band and be willing to pay for the new album simply because I feel they respect me as a fan, and that they didn’t try to charge me for an $18.00 album that I might not even like. The added value here might stem from the fact that people have more freedom to choose what they want to pay. Again, I’d be willing to bet that the more each fan feels valued by the band, the more that fan will value the music, and will be willing to actually pay for the music.

Radiohead is not the only artist that has clued into this somewhat abstract idea that FREE can actually add value to a band. This past weekend I saw a great FREE show by a band based out of the Nashville, TN area called Glossary. Not only was their set great, but in the middle of it, they announced that they were giving away their new album for FREE on their website. After seeing what a great live show they put on, I downloaded the new album and fell in love with it. I’ve told everyone I know about how great they are, I’m going to BUY their previous records, and can’t wait to see them again live. I’m only one person, but I bet I’m not the only one who feels valued by Glossary. This is a win win situation for both the band and the fans. The fan comes away happy, and the band has gained the respect of a fan who is willing to pay for their music, merch, tickets etc.

When music consumers no longer feel that they are being squeezed for every last dollar, ($18.00 CDs with one or two decent songs, outrageous concert ticket prices with absurd “convenience charges”) and fans actually feel respected and valued by the music industry, people will be willing, not hesitant to fork over the cash for new music.

I’m not sure if this is a brand new concept or not, but I was reading the New Music Strategies blog and this idea of fans designing their own album art caught my eye. The Canadian label, (or band, its hard to tell) ARCTIC is letting their fans create their own CD booklets. People have been creating and sharing their own artwork for live bootlegs for years, but not necessarily for new studio recordings.

ARCTIC has provided all of the liner notes, lyrics, and a chance to stream all of the songs on the album so fans can get a feel for the music. Using Flash, fans can design and print artwork directly from the ARCTIC website. You can’t exactly create from scratch, but by using the images and text provided by ARCTIC, you can create something original. While ARCTIC hasn’t gone as far as letting their fans have a clean slate with endless options from which they can create whatever they want, I suppose it would be possible for a band to take this idea a step further and give their fans complete freedom to create CD booklets from scratch.

I’m not sure how many artists would be thrilled about this idea. After all, there are some people who still believe in the concept of an “album,” putting out a cohesive piece of work that has some connecting theme from the songs themselves to the artwork and liner notes. Admittedly, the album may be a dying art form, but even if you are on the singles or EP bandwagon, giving up the control over your “album” art might be a big move for some.

Giving up a little control, however, might not be a such a bad thing. I think this is a creative approach that allows fans to interact with both the band and other fans as well. On an indie level, bands could hold contests and give away free merch or concert tickets to the fans that design the “best” CD cover(s) and booklets. These types of contests have the potential to create excitement/buzz for new projects and not only help out the band, but also give exposure to new artists and graphic designers.

Who knows if this idea will catch on and become more popular, but either way, it is nice to see someone trying something different and taking some risks.

I can’t think of too many things that don’t go well with a decent glass of wine. In fact, the list of foods, events, and experiences that people pair with wine is endless and always evolving. For example, just the other day I came across an innovative combination of music and wine put together by the Wente Vineyard in Livermore, CA.

I know what you are thinking right about now. There is nothing novel about combining music and wine. After all, music and wine have gone together since the two were invented or discovered! In a sense, you are right, but I’m not talking about your typical presentation where a lonely pianist plays background music while a waiter in a black suit serves your wine in a romantic candle lit scene (not that there is anything wrong with that). I’m talking about something new and exciting.

This Fall, Wente Vineyard is promoting “Discover the Wine, Discover the Music.” The vineyard has teamed with various artists/bands including Under the Influence of Giants, Hopewell, Jessee Dayton & Brennen Leigh, and others. Wente’s Estate Grown wines will feature bottle-neckers that look like album covers and liner notes. Each bottle will also contain a redemption code offering free downloads from selected artists.

So I suppose that its not the actual pairing of music and wine here that is interesting, but the way in which it is done that has caught my attention. Whether you like wine or not, you have to admit that this is a pretty good idea. If done correctly, this could add to the value of both the wine and the music. I think that this is a great way to introduce people to new music that they may have never discovered on their own. At the same time, this provides great exposure for the artists involved, and taps into the growing realm of digital music distribution.

I could also see these bottle-necker booklets possibly turning into collectors items much the same way that maybe concert t-shirts or concert posters are collected. If this is successful, I think that there will be many more attempts to pair music with other products to try and break new bands, or advance the careers of up and coming artists.

For more information, check out the Press Release or visit the Wente Vineyard website.