The war for the music industry is as bitter and unfathomable as any civil war; consumers sued, labels rendered nothing more than marketing departments, and savvy artists taking control. With Radiohead’s independent release of its new, seventh studio album, In Rainbows, available in downloadable format from the band’s website for whatever price fans wish to pay, an imaginary but significant line has been crossed in the minds of the record-buying market, i.e., us. As the band’s website says of the price, “No, really. It’s up to you.” Recording industry palpitations grow more rapid as fans welcome a manifest recognition of the new world, and a number of major bands are making plans to follow suit in one form or another. Radiohead, whose deal with EMI expired last year, are one of the most successful and commercially credible bands in the world ...