The Future of Albums

In a recent interview, Radiohead's Thom Yorke stated that the band would stop making full length albums for the time being. You can read the BBC's story on this interview here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8194778.stm. Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker's music critic, wrote a couple of responses to this news here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2009/08/short-player.html; and here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sashafrerejones/2009/08/healthy-serial.html.

I think the full length album will be around for the foreseeable future. However, I can see the allure of artists putting out a series of singles and EPs in lieu of full length releases. If shorter releases by artists becomes widespread, particularly through digital sites like iTunes, then consumers will be buying (presumably) their music like they did in the 1950s and 1960s, walking around with their virtual 45s on their portable jukeboxes.